Orchestra Worst cruise ever

From the beginning to the end.....a nightmare!! We waited for over three hours to board the ship, half of the time outside and half inside in long winding lines. The food was awful and most crew members did not speak good English. Some of the crew members were quite rude. We even waited over an hour in the breakfast buffet line. They charge for ice cream, ice tea and many other things which are normally no charge. There was no midnight buffet the first night, only small sandwiches served around the ship. We felt we were being held hostage on the ship. Many people were actually cheering when we finally got off. No comment cards were given at the end of the cruise. They even knew the comments would not be positive. We would never recommend that anyone take an MSC cruise. I predict this cruise line will not last here in the US. We give this one "ZERO" stars!!!!!

We were on that too and totally agree, it was awful- see my review: MSC was horrible

Ditto

Don't book with MSC.

Bad Service!!! Most of the staff do not speak or understand english. This could be very dangerous in a emergency. During the Emergency Drill not one person made eye contact or directed us to our stations.

Crew did not say good morning or good evening.

Bathroom towels were frayed and ragged.

It took us over 3 hours to board. Broken computers and Xray machines were to blame. All 3 xray machines broke at the same time. I think not. Very poor communication to passengers.

Breakfast lines were over 45 minutes long.

Everytime I ordered a drink the drink was not correct.

They ran out of Italian beer. I thought this was an Italian ship.

This morning no fresh fruit all canned. Grapes last night looked like they came from the Trans Atlantic.

Everything was extra - Even a glass of Milk - $2.20 a glass.

I would not recommend MSC to any one!

I can not stand in one more line! (It was like going to Disney World but WORSE)

Please do not waste your money or your time! All i have are headaches and heartaches and stomachaches! People left starving due to food shortage, no water, no one spoke english, no entertainment, ship not adapted for americans, shrugged off and ignorged plenty, 5 hour delay while boarding, 5 hour delay trying to get off of ship... Turned into a free for all... Everyone paniced!!!!!!! No organization, no food, no entertainment, no cleanliness, no friendliness, nothing!!!!! Run away!!!!!! this is not a cruise it is a prison!!!!!!

All passengers on the sailing will be given a credit toward a future cruise, with the amount to be determined, said Sasso. The line will contact the cruise agents involved; passengers who booked with the line directly will be contacted directly. Passengers can contact Sasso by writing Richard Sasso, MSC Cruises (USA) President, 6750 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale 33309.

:eek:

http://miamiherald.*****.com/travels_with_jane/2009/01/msc-orchestra-h.html

You can keep your credit toward a future cruise unless it's with a cruise line of my choice!!! No more MSC for us!

Wow! That article printed fast!

Anyone else find it strange that Sasso said items like iced tea, bagels, and brewed decaf will be on board 'within a few weeks'?? Exactly how many sailings does it take to get iced tea to a ship? I'm hoping that is typical newspaper mis-quote.

The other thing that isn't sitting right in my gut is that, while the 2 day cruise got press, the recent 17 day cruise seemed to have some of the same complaints.

I suppose the good news in all of this is that MSC has heard loud and clear from the folks on this sailing. I, for one, am glad to see this made the paper.

Sympathies to those on this voyage.

Cheryl

Well, we decided to cancel or MSC cruise for April...We were able to book with Princess on thier new ship the Ruby Princess. I explained that we were a family of five and what we thought of the MSC reviews. WE got the same week we had with MSC AND cost us400 dollars less then we were paying, BUT Oceanview not Balcony. I could not imagine wasting our vacation, and we were getting really worried. We about broke even since we had only paid the deposit and had not yet made any other payments, thank goodness...Good Luck Everyone!

You will love Princess. The Ruby is great lots of small bars, You never feel the crowds. Every crew member MUST speak english and nothing else in front of passengers. They know how to feed you 24 hours a day for FREE! Milk, Tea is always available for free. They are also very big on saftey, Not a 5 minute life jacket presentation.

MSC can also keep my future credit. NEVER again.

Good choice on canceling.

And I just got off the Solstice and am now going on a review cruise on this ship? Can anyone say apples and oranges?

Hmm, where are my sedatives?

And I just got off the Solstice and am now going on a review cruise on this ship? Can anyone say apples and oranges?

 

Hmm, where are my sedatives?

When are you going on the Orchestra and for how long?

Where can we read your reviews?

Do you know where the Orchestra is this week?

I can't find anything about it. The webcams show her at sea and with paxs on it.

When are you going on the Orchestra and for how long?

Where can we read your reviews?

 

Do you know where the Orchestra is this week?

I can't find anything about it. The webcams show her at sea and with paxs on it.

The Orchestra is on a Jam Cruise which left yesterday (late) until the 9th. Below is the link. They are at sea today. In Belize tomorrow.

http://www.jamcruise.com/jc7/voyage.php

Cheryl

I nearly fell off my chair laughing at that article, not for the unfortunate experience, but for Mr Sassos claim that one cause of the problems was that the good/ experienced staff had been transferred to the new ships in Europe. See Fantasia reviews etc and then think heaven help them if those were the good ones. Sasso is basically admitting that the line has expanded too fast and service isn't up to it. Maybe they should take a ship out of service until they get it right? I can't imagine an airline would fly a plane with imadequately trained flight attendants or pilots...

The Orchestra is on a Jam Cruise which left yesterday (late) until the 9th. Below is the link. They are at sea today. In Belize tomorrow.

 

http://www.jamcruise.com/jc7/voyage.php

 

Cheryl

Thanks. :)

That would explain the large crane and 2 huge trucks loading sound equipment to the pool deck. I sure hope they are having a better time.

That would explain the large crane and 2 huge trucks loading sound equipment to the pool deck. I sure hope they are having a better time.

The folks that attend the Jam Cruises are a skewed population. SOmething tells me they are having a fantastic time. :) :)

The folks that attend the Jam Cruises are a skewed population. SOmething tells me they are having a fantastic time. :) :)

Sorry I am a little slow. :o

What do you mean by "skewed population"?

Was this the type of cruise that anyone could of booked or was it more of a invitation only type cruise?

Jam cruises are all about the music. Food, service, etc... all take second seat. Think woodstock, but much more laid back :). I"d personally love to be on one, but they never sail when I have time off.

This was a chartered cruise, however I've read that some people booked 7 days directly with MSC and ended up combining the 2 day trip with the 5 day jam cruise for a total of 7 days.

Cheryl :)

January 5, 2009

Dear Travel Partner,

First, I want to express my personal regrets and apologize for all the inconveniences and disappointments you experienced on the January 2, 2009 cruise aboard MSC Orchestra. I am very much aware that so many aspects of our service to you as a valued guest were not in keeping with our reputation for exceptional service and guest satisfaction.

A series of quickly occurring events had a severe trickle-down effect on every aspect of our service to you. Unusual immigration delays coupled with a critical computer failure at the terminal and an unprecedented early arrival of our 2,000 guests for a scheduled 4:00 PM embarkation made it virtually impossible for us to get back on track. The subsequent stress on the schedule we typically follow and the compression of staff and crew to manage the rolling delays prevented us from doing the job you expected, particularly in the short time you were onboard.

As a family-owned company, MSC Cruises has a special understanding of the value of a quality vacation experience for each of our guests, and we are committed to your satisfaction. We obviously fell short of meeting that commitment on this cruise, and we want to make that up to you.

As a gesture of our sincere apology for the disappointment you experienced and for your patience and understanding, we are sending each paid guest on the January 2, 2009 cruise a voucher for a $200 cruise credit on any future MSC Cruises Caribbean sailing. You will receive this voucher through the mail in the next few days. In the meantime, please feel free to forward this email to your clients.

Sincerely,

Richard E. Sasso

President & CEO

MSC Cruises (USA) Inc.

Just HOW does "an unprecedented early arrival of our 2,000 guests for a scheduled 4:00 PM embarkation made it virtually impossible for us to get back on track." And that resulted in sour or nonexistent service, late meals, running out of food, long lines on board ??

Nice gesture, Rick, but it's going to have to be an AWFULLY GOOD cruise deal for most passengers to use that cruise credit. I think we'd be wise to take a "wait and see" approach to see when/if they get their act together. Future cruisers: Please post your experiences, both good and bad, to help all of us assess the progress of this family-owned company. Your comments will be sincerely appreciated.

It is beyond me how 2000 people all show up early. Reading the boards it doesn't sound like anyone was unreasonably early. Looks like MSC isn't willing to take responsibility for anything that went wrong. We are booked on April 18th cruise and trust me it will take some extremely positive reviews to keep me from canceling our reservation. Although, perhaps I'll keep it as it seems like we won't have a lot of company. Offering any upgrades for future booked passengers Mr. Sasso?

Wow... I think some of you have blinders or are still too bitter from this experience to see things clearly.

That letter is impressive how much blame they are publically owning up to.

"...we are committed to your satisfaction. We obviously fell short of meeting that commitment on this cruise, and we want to make that up to you." Wow - well said!

200$ x 2,000 guests = 400,000$. Thats an impressive guesture.

I will let you know how my Jan 24th with orchestra cruise goes.

Wow... I think some of you have blinders or are still too bitter from this experience to see things clearly.

You had to see it in COLOR.

 

That letter is impressive how much blame they are publically owning up to.

 

"...we are committed to your satisfaction. We obviously fell short of meeting that commitment on this cruise, and we want to make that up to you." Wow - well said! Exactly - just words. How do you fall short on one cruise only? Minor kinks were to be expected but not meeting your commitments of service? It shouldn't matter where in the world the ship is. That part should run like clockwork.

 

200$ x 2,000 guests = 400,000$. Thats an impressive guesture.

Why is the credit for just future MSC Caribbean sailings and not any future MSC cruise?

 

I will let you know how my Jan 24th with orchestra cruise goes.

It'll be better than the TA or the 2-day - MSC is well aware they MUST make improvements and fast.

It appears that there are those out there that are also whistling in the dark, trying to somehow justify the fact that all of these past passengers that are sharing their bad experiences are somehow just naturally disagreeable people who have unrealistic expectations of what a cruise should be and what you should get for your money. I checked this board daily for months in advance of my sailing searching for information on MSC. Usually only 1 or 2 new posts per week, with a higher number than usual of complaints. I tried to prepare myself, saying that it was a really good value, and I looked forward to experiencing new cultures. Nothing I read prepared me for the rude, uncaring, almost distain for the passengers that most of the ships crew exhibited, the lack of order, or the poor planning and communication. Had I read only one negative review I would have most likely overlooked it, but when you are on a ship with 3000 people of all nationalities and virtually every conversation centers around how bad the staff have handled requests, complaints, or comments something is wrong! The offer of $200 credit for a future cruise is a joke, because none of the people I know or heard from will EVER take another MSC cruise, so $200 x 0 = $0 cost to the company! If you are determined to take a cruise with them, or are already committed financially then by all means go, and try to make the best of it. Just be thankful that someone took the time to at least make you aware that the company and this ship in particular has problems.

It appears that there are those out there that are also whistling in the dark, trying to somehow justify the fact that all of these past passengers that are sharing their bad experiences are somehow just naturally disagreeable people who have unrealistic expectations of what a cruise should be and what you should get for your money. I checked this board daily for months in advance of my sailing searching for information on MSC. Usually only 1 or 2 new posts per week, with a higher number than usual of complaints. I tried to prepare myself, saying that it was a really good value, and I looked forward to experiencing new cultures. Nothing I read prepared me for the rude, uncaring, almost distain for the passengers that most of the ships crew exhibited, the lack of order, or the poor planning and communication. Had I read only one negative review I would have most likely overlooked it, but when you are on a ship with 3000 people of all nationalities and virtually every conversation centers around how bad the staff have handled requests, complaints, or comments something is wrong! The offer of $200 credit for a future cruise is a joke, because none of the people I know or heard from will EVER take another MSC cruise, so $200 x 0 = $0 cost to the company! If you are determined to take a cruise with them, or are already committed financially then by all means go, and try to make the best of it. Just be thankful that someone took the time to at least make you aware that the company and this ship in particular has problems.

Amen to that! There's one poster on another thread who thinks we are all the same person....because our opinions regarding the ship are all the same! Unbelievable! Like I've said, you had to see it in color. And WE did, didn't we?