MSC Opera

[tofubeast]

It really is the best for everyone fellow passengers, staff and the company if those like the mum of tofubeast and norma (njJwill) do stick to their world of tinsel, plastic and big macs and leave those of us who enjoy quality to continue to do so.

 

---

 

This is incredibly rude of you. My mother has VERY good taste and looks for quality when she goes on a cruise. People ask for feedback, and when you give them honest feedback you are flamed by people like you. If you had to spend half a week in a cabin that smelled from "sewer type" gases, perhaps you would have a negative comment yourself. Things can go wrong on a ship, but it is all about how the management handles the situation. That is not QUALITY customer service!

 

As you can see.. my mom was not very thrilled with the cruise, but she knows a day at sea is better than a day at work. My dad is happy about it (minus the kinks and hoping customer service improves). I just think it is wrong to flame someone for the opinions.

[eroller]

 

I can certainly understand the reluctance to work the weekend 'cruise flights', I've seen some FAs treated like dirt on non cruise flights, and there's no tip;)

 

 

The best part is (thanks to 9/11) we don't have to put up with it anymore. Foul language, touching or insulting a flight attendant, interfering with our duties, drunks, etc. .... these are all grounds for removal from the aircraft and possibly the airline. We have a briefing with the cockpit crew prior to all flights .... and one of the things we always discuss is ZERO tolerance for unruly passengers. If we don't want someone on the airplane ... they are off, and the Captain backs us up 100%. Bad behavior on the airplane is no longer tolerated and we don't hesitate to remove them from the flight or even press charges. "Air rage" has dropped significantly since 9/11. It's the only good thing I can personally think of as an outcome of 9/11. Unfortunately we still have to deal with the usual a--holes.

 

Simple manners such as "please" and "thank you" will get you everywhere on an airplane. Unfortunately most people have forgotten these simple gestures and then they wonder why they receive poor service. Go figure.

 

Ernie

[eroller]

If you had to spend half a week in a cabin that smelled from "sewer type" gases, perhaps you would have a negative comment yourself. Things can go wrong on a ship, but it is all about how the management handles the situation.

 

 

 

This is very true. I agree that strong sewer gasses in the cabin is not only unacceptable, but unhealthful as well. They could be toxic and it's possible you could get sick off them (depending on how strong). Your parents had every right to complain and request a different cabin. It's unfortunate their complaint was not handled in a better way and more timely. I've never had sewer smells in my cabin, but I have had them elsewhere onboard ship. Most recently on CORAL PRINCESS which had a strong sewer smell in the lower level of the atrium lobby of all places. One cabin I had on NORWEGIAN MAJESTY smelled of diesel fuel the entire cruise. It was a small inside at the very back of the ship. We nicknamed it "the diesel dungeon". ;) Needless to say we didn't spend a lot of time in there. We questioned it, but in typical NCL fashion we were given the brush-off.

 

Unfortunately this could have happened on any cruise line. Cruises are highly programmed vacations and 99% of passengers are satisfied and don't need any special assistance. That 1% is where the problems come into play ... and also what we tend to hear about most on Cruise Critic. Many complaints are valid and many are not. None of the major cruise lines seem very good and handling valid complaint issues. You read about it on every cruise board .... how something bad happened and it was handled very poorly. You can only hope that nothing goes wrong, and if it does that you are lucky enough to deal with someone competent that knows how to resolve the problem. More often then not (regardless of cruise line), you get the run-a-round.

 

Ernie

 

ps - might I ask the cabin number that had the sewer smells?

[giabra]

What shocks me is to read sentences like "this ship has a long way to go before they know how to cater to Americans. And as Americans, we like to be catered to when we go on vacation", and see that topics are:

no clean sheets every day (who has ever had sheets changed daily on mainstream lines?)

or:

safe very hidden (should it be very visible?)

or, again:

bedspreads in the closet instead of on the beds (what a nuisance! My butler would be fired if this happened at home!)

or finally:

“no one understood a thing you said (are you sure you tried to speak in a way understandable to a foreigner, or even to an American from California or Texas?)

 

Sounds like Gospel Truth and somewhat make the feelings many foreigners have towards Americans understandable.

 

When I say closed-minded I mean people thinking that the only right way is their way, and I mean people cited by eroller: It’s a minority but ruins a reputation.

[tofubeast]

Eroller... I agree with what you had to say. As I just wrote in another "feedback request" on this board.. the only reason I share what my mom had to say is so if you do have "sewer gas" problems on your sailing, you know that it is an ongoing problem. I certainly hope it is not an issue any of you have to face. That is why my mom wanted me to share with your her opinions. I am sure that MSC, like other lines, takes feedback seriously and that things will change in the future sailings.

 

I am sure you all will have a wonderful time on your upcoming cruise. I sure as heck wish I had one coming up in the next few weeks! Have a great sailing!

[czechmate]

Ernie....please note the cabin number was not provided.

 

Seems like that "sewer gas" was just more "hot air" - and hot air from someone who was not on Opera and spouting third hand info! HOW RUDE!!.

 

Poor Dad - imagine having to live with someone who has such "VERY good taste" and will not allow anyone to overlook it !! "Taste" - good and bad of course is subjective !!

[cod]

I'll make this quick. Yes, there are some very rude americans. Yes, there are some very rude europeans! AND there are some very rude airline stewardesses. I saw one once who bit anyone's head off who dared even ask her a question! People are people no matter which side of the ocean - or aisle - they are on!

[MikeWitte]

Tofubeast posted:

"I am sure that MSC, like other lines, takes feedback seriously "

 

If only other lines would - maybe I am being unduly harsh on cruise lines but I have known passengers have serious and real causes for complaint and nothing was done onboard to address them and later the head office would not even answer a written or faxed complaint.Never mind feedback which is often read by machine looking at checks in boxes.

 

If its so bad you can't stay in the cabin and they won't move you then all you can do is put up with it or leave the ship and sue. I once slept every night for 14 nights with the cabin door open to get some "fresh" air (QE2).

 

But if you leave then you better have some real good evidence to prove the intractable problem. Photographic evidence, names and addresses of other passengers who will support you, names of ships crew who refused to address the situation together with notes about times/dates conditions etc.

 

Another problem of course is - where do you sue? There is a website dedicated to this very problem but for the life of me I can't remember where it is right now. On it they say you might as well forget about suing unless its for a very very serious problem - like culpable homicide or similar.

 

Let's face it - cruise lines are big enough to look at the bigger picture. If 1% of cruisers are really unhappy - so what? That means 99% are happy.

 

Personally I don't usually pay too much for my cruises so I am not too demanding. On the odd occasion I have paid big$$$ I have not been as happy as when it cost me $399 for the week.

 

I believe the cruise lines are partially at fault for unfairly raising passengers' anticipations of a perfect wonderful cruise. The truth is that no cruise is perfect and a mass market one will be considerably less perfect than a true premium one, no matter what words are used in slogans.

 

However even I would probably not book a cruise with a line who were truthful and said:

"Our cruises are cheap but the ship hasn't been refurbed for a few years so don't expect too much, the food is not 5 star but is probably better than you get at home and because the crew/passenger ratio is pretty low the service will be slow and impersonal.

We will have to try to nickel and dime you on photos ,coffee and bingo, and the drinks and shore excursions will be expensive otherwise we will go bust."

 

Please note I am absolutely not saying this about MSC! (have not yet travelled so cannot comment) but it applies to plenty of lines.

[tofubeast]

My parents were in cabin 10060 on the Turandot Deck. Inside cabin. When they got moved on the 4th night, they were placed on the same deck, but more towards the front of the ship. Even though the new room did not have the "sewer gas" smell, the people across the hall commented that they had a foul smell in their cabin. My parents could also smell it as they walked towards the front of the ship on this deck.

 

Take from this as you will. Hopefully, the problem will be/is being addressed. It is just good information to pass on in case YOU encounter this problem. That way you know it is an ongoing problem if you have to address it yourself.

It is sad that I have received negative comments based on the feedback I shared with you. My mother is not on the internet much and asked that I share this with you. I am not some complainer.. just wanted to share the info.

 

And with that said, I am going back to the Celebrity board.

[MikeWitte]

What kind of toilets do they have on Opera? Is the airline vaccum flush type or more like conventional domestic ones?

 

I have found flooding the bathroom drains with water helps if the traps have dried out and are passing smells back into the bathroom air.

 

Its a horrible problem and one which seems to happen with most ships at one time or another but its not the worst problem - like "backing up"!

[eroller]

What kind of toilets do they have on Opera? Is the airline vaccum flush type or more like conventional domestic ones?

 

I have found flooding the bathroom drains with water helps if the traps have dried out and are passing smells back into the bathroom air.

 

Its a horrible problem and one which seems to happen with most ships at one time or another but its not the worst problem - like "backing up"!

 

 

Pretty much all new ships have the Evac vacuum type toilettes. I'm 99% sure OPERA has these as well.

 

Also thanks to tofubeast for the cabin info. Much appreciated!

 

Ernie

[njwill]

:mad:

Is so impossible for some of you to understand that we work hard to earn a nice vacation and don't want any hassles? Yes, we all like to be catered to every once in a while.

 

One person wants an opinion - I gave it - so get off my back. We all have opinions and that was mine. If you don't agree with me, fine. If you do, fine. I don't have to agree with you. I have the freedom to say so, as you do.

 

I don't think i'll answer one of these "boards" again. There are some rude people here.

 

No one person, no one place is better than the other. But some cruise lines are better than others.

 

By the way, I did hear some people on the cruise talk about a foul odor. I also heard many, many complaints about other things. Wish I had wrote them down. So, if you think it's no big deal - then you go and spend a week in that.

[njwill]

To: tofubeast

 

Send your parents my best. Hope the "smell" didn't make them sick.

 

As you can see some of the people on the "board" can be downright rude. To heck with them.

[cod]

njwill, take a deep breathe. You are getting too worked up. I've read back and I don't see any reason for you to be so bent out of shape. When we read your initial comments we saw 'beautiful ship', 'good food in the DR' and 'good entertainment'. Just those statements would bring most of us back to the Opera again.

 

I think your comment about 'clean sheets every day' made everyone shake their heads. Can you imagine the amount of laundry they'd be doing if they washed thousands of sheets every single day?! I guess you saw my 'no clean sheets in 12 nights on the Galaxy' comment. It certainly did not ruin my cruise but I was a little surprised. But their entertainment - to me - wasn't up to par and because it means a lot to us, that would keep them from being our first choice on another cruise. All things considered (and discounting small things we didn't like or that were wrong which are to be found on every cruise) I think we've liked RCL and NCL best so far. Hopefully MSC is up there too after April.

 

One more thing. I had a neighbour once who was head of housekeeping at a major hotel. She told me that the reason they were adamant about changing sheets daily was their fear of having an unexpected, late check-out. If the person checked out suddenly and their bed was just made-up because they expected to be there that night, then they might rent that room to someone else without clean sheets!! Makes sense to me. So, unfortunately, hotels really aren't catering to us when they change our sheets daily...they are covering their ____!!!!

One thing about a ship..no early check-outs!

[czechmate]

:mad:

 

No one person, no one place is better than the other. But some cruise lines are better than others.

 

QUOTE]

 

Norma - how very true these words are. We agree with you 100%.

 

For us MSC IS BETTER than many other cruise lines which is why since we discovered them we return and return again. Please respect that. We do NOT WANT MSC to change.

 

MSC shipping company should NOT have to change to meet the demands of one group of people who already have many cruise lines providing exactly what they require. Even if in the opinion of many those lines are far far from perfect.

 

On MSC we have never had less than excellent first class service from courteous but friendly, willing and very capable staff. Although some items on the menu were not to our taste we still dined with a consistently high standard of food. If/when we did encounter a problem then by making polite and considerate requests with respect to the appropriate people the situation was swiftly resolved.

 

Like you we work extremely hard to be able to cruise - especially in the warmth of the caribbean when our temperatures are many degrees below freezing. It seems logical therefore that when on an Italian cruise line we would like to be catered to as we desire.

 

This is not intended to be rude or hostile it is simply an expression of a view shared by many and a plea for tolerance on the part of those who demand that change be made simply to suit them. If you are now offended then I am indeed sorry.

[Rotterdam]

I have 40+ cruises under my belt - I'm American live in NYC....I've seen tourists here go into Disney stores, Mconalds, Macy's while by passing small restaurants & stores that don't fit the Mall mentality.

 

I like Costa for the Europeans onboard & the service. Its discrete & if one takes the time to be cordial you meet wonderful people with very high service standards.

 

Americans that want hamburgers & tons of food on the plate for cheap will not do well on Costa. I imagine this is teh situation on MSC also.

 

As regards to cost - you get what you pay for. MSC is smart to have low fares their first season here - but the people that cruise just by cost will move on (or back to RCCL, Carnivore brands).

 

To each their own...

 

I'm sailing NCL Dawn for New Years...only wish it was MSC or Costa

 

See you inboard Eroller!

[jknezek]

Just a quick reply Czech. I'll be sailing on Opera on 1/8 and I'm looking forward to something a little different from the American style mega ships. That's one of the reasons I selected MSC in addition to the low introductory fares. BUT... MSC is making a big deal of wanting to break into the American/Canadian market based on their press releases and website quotes and information they are releasing to TAs. I think they probably will need to be more responsive to whatever might be considered "American" style cruising. Like it or not, the Carribbean market for cruising focuses primarily on American money, and any company that rejects American expectations will probably suffer. HOWEVER, as an American I certainly don't condone what most of the world construes as our arrogance in these matters and anyone who boarded this ship expecting Princess, RCL or Carnivale probably went for the wrong reasons.

[CruiserCarol]

:mad: :mad: Dear Norma, I totally agree with you . the service was terrible, and the crew needs an attitude adjustment. the language problem was really anoying, and the times in the ports was not very good. However.. the food was quite good as long as you did not ask for anything out of the relm of the menu. Forget about any condaments, and very small drinking glasses. ( bring your own coffee and tea mugs)Also NO brewed decaf. the shows were fantastic. The best of any shp we have ever sailed on. Our rooms were sooo very small as was the shower. but the room steward was excellent, however you had to wait hours for room service. So yes they have some big changes to make to serve the American cruiser.

:(

 

I was very disappointed in this cruise line. We had a pleasant week, however, this ship has a long way to go before they know how to cater to Americans. And as Americans, we like to be catered to when we go on vacation.

 

It is a beautiful ship!

 

The inside cabin was very, very small. There was, however, lots of nooks for storage. The shower was so tiny, most people would have to hang half way out! My cabin guy would not give us clean drinking glasses - he wiped out the dirty ones. Didn't have clean sheets every day. The SAFE, is hidden very well. HINT: look behind mirror! The safe was a big plus. Our guy didn't put bedspreads on the beds. They were folded up in the closet.

 

The lack of communication on this ship was unacceptable. No one understood a thing you said.

 

The buffets on deck 11 was bland. The food in resturant however, was very good. The first night it took 2-1/2 hours to have dinner. Which is horrible! The buffet served only water and hot tea and coffee. No juices at all.

 

The entertainment was great. Except for the last night.

 

The age group really surprised me! 95% was 50 up. 50% of that group was 70 and up. But they had a great time. No stopping the older crowd.

 

The arrival times at ports left a lot to be disired. The port at St. Croix was a big joke. 1 shuttle to take a thousand people to the shops.

 

The gift shops - well forget it. They cater to the cruises with money. They were very expensive.

 

All in all, I WILL NOT cruise this line again. Even though we got a good bargain, we were not treated as well as we should have been. A lot to be desired on this ship. I do not recommend spending money on this line. Give me Princess Cruise line anytime. Worth the extra.

 

In fact, so many things were wrong with this ship, I am sending a letter to them. Everyone we met on the cruise was disappointed.

 

If I can think of anything else to add, which is a lot, I will post.

 

Norma

[czechmate]

jknezek there is no reason that you could not enjoy a fabulous cruise with MSC except that I believe you are a reasonably young man and you may well have to befriend the entertainment crew becaue the majority of the passengers are "senior citizens".

 

That said Norma did report that there was no stopping the older crowd and they had A GREAT TIME so perhaps????????? Remember you will we part of the huge majority having A GREAT TIME.

 

I think you seriously underestimate the European Market. Are you aware of just how many holiday/tour operators in Europe provide land based caribbean holidays? There is no reason why these people could not be converted to try cruising at least once. The avenue which Sasso should be exploring is the proper and expanded promotion of MSC within Europe.

 

I think too that you may discover that many Canadians also have different expectations to some Americans with regards to their cruise needs. Certainly this has been my experience whilst travelling and I have also read many very favourable reports from Canadian passengers on MSC which leads me to this conclusion.

 

I must also report that we have encountered on every MSC cruise American passengers who were very happy and contented people. Some like us were repeating MSC cruisers. Why should they be wrong and the others right?

 

When people complain about "communication" they really should remember they are on a foreign vessel in foreign waters visiting foreign lands - it is "they" who are the foreigner and it is they who cannot communicate in other languages. To many of us this is the reason for travelling, enjoying new experiences and gaining knowledge, and having a huge laugh when language problems arise and finding ways to communicate.

 

When you read some of the complaints and groanings you have to reach the conclusion that it is some passengers and not the crew that need an "attitude adjustment". We have always found courtesy begets courtesy and brilliant service with a smile.

 

Have to say there was an ominous sound to that warning "which rejects American expectations will probably suffer"!!

Perhaps you did not really mean it!

Perhaps too much importance is attached to the opinions of the very few vociferous "moaners".

 

Have a Wonderful and Happy Cruise

[jknezek]

I can't deny a single thing Czech. I have no problems cruising with the older crowd. I'm going with my girlfriend and it's just a good week for the two of us to unwind together. I couldn't care less about who else is on the ship. And I'm thrilled to be going. I've traveled extensively in Europe on both business and pleasure and generally love all my experiences with different cultures. it is my attraction to MSC (along with the price!).

 

In general I'm not denying that MSC will and should maintain a more European flavor and American cruisers unhappy with that philosophy should look elsewhere. In fact, that doesn't upset me in the least. I think Costa sold out a bit to their detriment, although I'm basing that more on hearsay than anything else since I have NOT sailed Costa (My apologies to any Costa enthusiasts. The term sell-out refers to a more Americanized experience than was the original Costa party line, not a general remark on the cruise line that i have not experienced and would not judge. PLEASE DON'T FLAME ME. It's just an example of a cruise line that has evolved over the years).

 

However Czech, there is a big push at MSC to cater more to the lucrative American market. That is their literature on Opera and Lyrica in the Carribbean, not my own opinion of their strategy. If they are serious about this, then complaints about coffee, customer service and communication are something they should take under consideration. In fact, my guess is by the time this line has been here for a few more years it will be a wonderful blend of European and American on these ships in the winter.

 

As for the opinions expressed on this site, it always amazes me when people get flamed for posting one. If someone posts a story about a sewer smell or a diesel smell (the latter i have experienced on a Princess cruise and it was quite unpleasant) then I take it at face value. Ships do run into problems. Especially new ones. The same thing with the service. I expected bugs on that 12/4 cruise and the ones that were mentioned do not surprise me. You may not consider them valid complaints, but I think they are things, given MSC's own current party line, that they probably will have to pay more attention to.

 

Sometimes a squeaky wheel just needs oil. Sometimes it needs a new ball-bearing. I think the complaints on this board point to some oil and I can't wait to see how it all shakes out on my own cruise.

 

As always to all who have posted both positive and negative criticism of this ship and line, thank you for your opinions and feedback! We are all curious about how wonderful our cruises will be and these postings help both manage expectations, alert us to interesting information and prepare us for any challenges.

 

I just can't wait to post my own after-cruise thoughts!

[MikeWitte]

CruiserCarol - if you want to order food not on the menu you need to book Queens Grill on QE2 or QM2 - its about $500 per day OR MORE - they will be happy to accomodate you, but on an effectively budget cruise line for what you probably paid - I really don't think so!

 

You unfortunately seem to have had unrealistic expectations.

 

I have cruised both QE2 Queens Grill and budget cruise lines but I never expected that they both offered the same level of service or choice. How can they?

 

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

[trdltli]

:confused:

Norma : could it be that it was you ( NYWILL ) that was bidding on a Jan/Feb MSC Opera cruise ?

Yesterday on skyauction !!!!!!!!!

Did you win ?

:D I did :p

[czechmate]

JKnezek - Thanks for your comments and I take it all on board. I am aware that under Sasso MSC are making a huge push at the USA market and as said before that is what I and others believe is a HUGE mistake. There are rich pickings to be had by attracting more Europeans to Caribbean cruising and that is the market to which Sasso should aim.

 

Next time you travel Europe come visit with us - we have lovel Beskydy mountains 30 minutes away and by travelling road or rail 2.5/4 hours can visit not only beautiful Prague but Vienna/Austria, Bratislava/Slovakia, Krakow/Poland and Budapest/Hungary. Add on 2 more hours and we have Salzburg, Munich, Berlin and many many more fabulous cities plus countries like Slovenia and Croatia. It is a great life.

 

 

Anyway - Have a great cruise- everything that you could wish for will be right there.

[jknezek]

no doubt czech. Unfortunately, I haven't yet spent much time in Eastern Europe although my parents and sister have travelled extensively through the areas you mentioned and loved it. Definitely on my places to see and things to do the next time I make a European swing. Like most tourists, there is only so much time and money to spend. So I did a northern Europe vacation and southern Europe swing in the last couple of years and am looking forward to adding an eastern loop when I have the time and money. Thanks for the good wishes and have a great holiday season!

[NY McUcci]

OK, totally don't want to get involved here but one comment in defense of CruiserCarol.

 

I asked for an item that was on the "Always Available" menu and it wasn't available.

I don't think she meant she was asking for Lobster on the Grilled Rib Eye night, it was more like, "Can I have a Ceasar Salad that is listed as always available on your menu? Oh. I can't??"