1kaper

Overall out thoughts - Ship - my husband liked the ship. Ship is fine to me. I prefer smaller, especially now that I have some issues. My kid loved it. Food - dining room was fine. The steaks were tasted by razor thing. Buffet was terrible. We all agreed. Drinks - hit and miss as always. They are fine. I do like the different drinks on carnival better. Room - room was fine. I didn't pick the balcony and we were overlooking other balconies. Not my favourite but it's what we got. I hate the beds on MSC. Husband agreed. The pop up cot in the couch my kid has was super comfy. He was happy. We took turns sleeping on it. Customer service - no. Embarkation - great. Debarkation - nightmare.

So so far it was going better. So now the less favourable. I have sailed MSC twice prior to this. I loved the food. Thought the buffet was fantastic. This time round I did not. It was my husband's first time on MSC and he felt that they had the same food for lunch and supper at the buffet every day. I agree. And what they had was generally not good. I had a ham and cheese sandwich and fries or potato wedges (depending what they had) or a slice of pizza. I regularly tried the other offerings and ended up wasting it. I was always so confused how people didn't like the food. Now I know. The ship itself was clean. A lot of sinks were missing hand soap the whole trip. No, I did not report it. On all my trips I find dealing with someone frustrating. Either they don't understand what I am telling them, or I get sent off to 4 different people. I had two issues this trip and that was my experience again. I also had the joy of dealing with customer service to move this trip and that was an exercise in frustration in itself. We played Bingo this trip. My first time. We were not happy they had a filled room where people bought multiple cards at $10 a pop for ONE game. Winner got $1000. Debarkation was a mess again. Last time we lined up all through the ship to get off. This time there was a huge line in the terminal. Getting on was a breeze both times. I sailed without my kid last time. This time he came. He loved the water park and the kids club. He did Master Chef Junior at Sea.

I won't bother doing a whole trip review but did want to mention some of the things I noticed this time round on Seaside. It was a whole different trip this time. I sailed a 4 night in May and just got off a 7 day this month. I had heard we were a full sailing but I don't quite believe it. I do believe we were full in May so that may affect some of these things. In May my #1 complaint was the elevators. I was with my mother who can't walk far and I'm also having health issues. Normally I'd have just taken the stairs. I found the elevator was always full. You select the floor you are going to and it told you which elevator to get on. Frequently the doors would open to a full elevator and you'd have to pick again. Only now there were others standing in front of the new assigned elevator and often would just get on despite you being there first. I noticed that it didn't matter what floor you were going to, if you were going up, you got the same elevator assigned as everyone else going up. This time round I noticed that you didn't always get the same one assigned. I also had almost no issues with the elevator, even at peak times. Maybe less people. Maybe the fixed that issue. Maybe both. But bonus it wasn't an issue. Coincidentally I also had almost no issues with rude people on this cruise. In May it was unreal. In May getting a spot with a chair and umbrella stand at the lagoon beach on Ocean Cay was almost impossible. The bar was a zoo and it took forever to get a drink. Maybe the ship wasn't as full this time, maybe it was the fact we were there two days this time, but it wasn't an issue at all. They had a line at the bar instead of everyone sitting around the bar trying to get the bartender's attention to order. Back on board on the second day wasn't until 4 or 4:30 but they closed the bars down at 1 pm. All of them. They also cleared the beach at 2:30. I am not sure if it was weather - it looked like rain coming but I didn't see lightning or anything- or if they just do that normally. I met a lot of people on their way to the beach on our way back to the boat. Overall it felt way less crowded at the pools and pool bars. It wasn't nearly the nightmare of trying to get a drink. So I suspect we were less full. Or maybe less people on a longer trip were drinking. I really wish I knew the numbers. Second seaday was really hard to find a lounger anywhere at all, not just in prime spots. It was frustrating because there were stacks of them and open areas, but I couldn't find anyone to ask (I would do it myself but they were tethered down and I have limited mobility in my arm at the moment). (continued)

You are required to be in your cabin during the muster. People were told to go to their cabin.

Yes. there is a tent set up, closest to where you enter the terminal. You won't miss it.

I didn’t think I’d need to alter my booking when I made it either. The problem is most of the situations you end up need to change/rebook are totally unexpected. you maybe even end up in a situation where the cruise line makes the change. We had to rebook due to medical issues. It was an absolute nightmare. NIGHTMARE.

Couldn’t see it from where we were

Totally possible but you'd definitely have to rent a car. It's about an hour away from the port.

I just got back from my 3rd MSC trip. The first two I loved the buffet food. This trip - it felt like we had the same things at the buffet for lunch and supper everyday. My husband felt the same way. The only thing consistent about MSC is the inconsistency.

We missed it and were disappointed. I have a 9 year old. We had a balcony but on the wrong side.

I bet the Seaside embarkation when I got off went the same way.

Are you sure it was Seashore? I only ask because we came in on Seaside. We were late into port. We were walk off but made the mistake of waiting to get off. We were trying to delay getting the rental car so we didn’t have to wait at the airport so long the next day. It was a mess getting off. Apparently luggage hadn’t made it to the terminal and they wouldn’t let people move until all the luggage was in the terminal. There was a long long long line to get off that didn’t move for a long time. We didn’t get off until close to 12 and there were still people behind us who hadn’t even been called to debark her. When we finally got off the shuttle driver told us there was a line of traffic of people waiting to get into the parking garage. They would let anyone in until our ship got off. I can’t imagine embarkation wasnt messed up.

I know this is probably too late for you but I had read this post and wanted to know the same thing. We did Costa Maya last week. Took a cab to Krazy Lobster ($4 pp) and my husband got a massage. $20/hour.

There are places to snorkel but nothing amazing. I’ve done lighthouse beach. The lagoon wasn’t clear the day I did it. My husband and son did it last week and not much to see. there are other beaches that aren’t netted in but I haven’t tried snorkelling there. There may be stuff there. I don't think the fear rental is an excursion - just bring your own. I think the only excursion they have is the shipwreck one. Not sure how great it is. It was cancelled on our friends because of too few signed up.

What I’m saying is I don’t really see an “experience” in Bella fantastica or aurea. like in YC, that’s an experience. a butler. Not waiting in lines. Better food. Better drinks I don’t think picking your room is “an experience”. I can choose to do that or not do that on any line. Same with choose your own dining. It’s a perk maybe. Not an “experience”. you can get passes to the thermal spa. the only thing different in Aurea experience is access to one area. I agree that may be an experience.

I don’t get the whole thing about the “different experiences”, yacht club aside for obvious reasons. The only benefit I see for aurea is the anytime dining. I think you get the thermal spa but if that isn’t your thing, then it’s not a big deal. I had an hour free at the thermal spa I never used on my last cruise. I would like the anytime dining. We dined with people who booked Bella and got a balcony. The only experience difference I see between Bella and fantastica is you get to order a very limited breakfast. And pick your room. the only real difference I see in “experience” is aurea and the other two with the thermal spa. I also remembered while typing that they have an extra area. None of that affects my own personal experience. I hope that makes sense. I’m on my way home from my most recent cruise and delayed on the airport. I am tired.

I spoke someone in my last cruise that had missed the embarkation in the US and met the ship at the first port. while it was possible it was a HUGE hassle because they entered via plane and were leaving via ship. They had to go into the town that wasn’t as close to the port, go to the immigration office there and then back to port. She couldn’t do whatever she had to do at the port. She said if she had known how much of a hassle it was she would have just skipped the cruise.

I don't do the hot tubs but on our cruise last November they had to shut down the hot tub because it was way too hot.

There are no "hidden" charges. They are the same charges you pay on every single cruise you book. Whether the cabin fee is $50 pp or $1000 pp. You are right about the room though. Unless you have the ability to select your room or pay more to It is a roll of the dice. Our $100 room was under the galley. I didn't mind but there was noise. And regular price would be far more.

My friend just booked a trip tonight for herself and husband. Then she booked a solo cabin for her BIL. He got one of the studio rooms, that was all she could select for a solo booking. Did they mean you couldn’t book solo for one particular cruise? It is possible that all the solo allocated rooms were taken. I know that it isn’t uncommon to get incorrect information from the call centres. Sadly that isn’t limited to MSC.

I have to admit - I don’t care about Turkey dinner 😂 but I agree that looks like the better option. I prefer mashed to sweet potatoes. Not sure what the buffet options are. I don’t think I cared for the pice that seems to be dark meat mixed with something. also we are Canadian so it wasn’t our Thanksgiving so we didn’t mind. Lots of people had big feelings about the portion sizes. There were some posts on here.

We sailed last thanksgiving. This was our meal. I do know there were complaints on other ships about the meal. It may have been that they ran low and meals didn’t have as much.

It’s been awhile - I was pregnant with my now 9 yo when went to St Thomas. I booked an excursion for my husband and I with St Thomas Scuba and Snorkel. https://www.stthomasadventures.com he picked us up, took us on a private boat ride. Took my husband scuba diving while I snorkelled, stopped at Megan’s Bay beach and back. It was a super reasonable price. I had booked again with them for our March 2020 trip but as you can imagine, that didn’t happen. They were great with the refund. Theybhave different options - not just scuba. You can do beach breaks or snorkel ling. We had planned to take our 6 yo snorkelling with them.

I sailed with a friend during covid and we had an overnight in Ocean Cay. I rented an umbrella for both days. We have a cruise next month and have an overnight on Ocean Cay again (day 2 and 3). I went to book the umbrella and booked day 3. When I went to day 2 and tried to add it on, it said it was already in the cart. I bought the one day and went back. On day 2 I don’t have the option to buy it. Ok day 3 it says already purchased. Do I have the umbrella both days? I absolutely need to have shade for a medical reason. I guess I could buy it on board but would rather do it ahead. Plus it saves at least a couple dollars.

My CCL pet peeve - John Heald. I’ve actually sailed with him before I even knew who he was. I initially liked him and his page on another social media. Maybe it was because I was following it closely during and post covid that I started noticing thing. I truly believe he either exaggerates the messages he receives in order to inflame people. Or he intentionally chooses to share the worst, knowing full well it doesn’t represent the majority. Or maybe both. I dislike the rage farming. But I guess it gets him read and clicks so who am I to criticize. I enjoyed the other posts with information, pictures from different trips and such. But I can’t follow it anymore because the baiting drives me crazy.