Polperro Posted September 16, 2017 #1 Share Posted September 16, 2017 I have put a full review on. Here are the highs and lows Highs Drink package excellent and as long as your not a beer drinker most things included Ship very clean Steak restaurant excellent Bar staff generally nice Cabin very clean Sonar circ show very good Lows Food in main dining room terrible, staff miserable and unhelpful Entertainment okay at best Reception staff rude and unhelpful Ship feels very crowded especially in the evenings around atrium and shops Any questions feel free to ask. Stayed in an outside cabin on fantasia package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hey Tina Posted September 16, 2017 #2 Share Posted September 16, 2017 Did you go to the buffet? I heard, surprisingly (to me at least) that the food is actually better there. What specifically made the MDR food terrible? Did you go to the other cirque show also? Did you eat at any other specialty restaurants? What'd you eat at Butchers Cut? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70054609 Posted September 16, 2017 #3 Share Posted September 16, 2017 Did you go to the buffet? I heard, surprisingly (to me at least) that the food is actually better there. What specifically made the MDR food terrible? Did you go to the other cirque show also? Did you eat at any other specialty restaurants? What'd you eat at Butchers Cut?[/quote Ate in buffet breakfast and lunch. Was okay but very repetative considering an Italian ship was not impressed with the pasta dishes. MDR food just terrible tastless or sometimes just inedible, no presentation and staff unpleasant mostly. Ate at italian and again not impressed portion sizes tiny ( if you decide to try dont have the fish) and staff again unpleasant. Did both circ shows and preferred Sonar to Viaggo, had meal with Viaggo and was okay. Had steak at Butchers Cut it was fabulous and choclate dessert was lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidari Posted September 16, 2017 #4 Share Posted September 16, 2017 There used to be 7 courses, MSC listened to complaints about having too many, reduced them down and people still complain, yes they serve small portions but that does not mean that you cannot ask for more. we have noticed sometimes that the crew can be affected by how the ship is run depending on which Captain they have! we have just returned from Preziosa our 5th MSC cruise where the crew were friendly and happy and always greeted people with a smile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70054609 Posted September 16, 2017 #5 Share Posted September 16, 2017 (edited) There used to be 7 courses, MSC listened to complaints about having too many, reduced them down and people still complain, yes they serve small portions but that does not mean that you cannot ask for more. we have noticed sometimes that the crew can be affected by how the ship is run depending on which Captain they have! we have just returned from Preziosa our 5th MSC cruise where the crew were friendly and happy and always greeted people with a smile. I appreciate that you can ask for more than one course, which I did on one occasion and the look thar I got from the waiter as if I was the greediest person in the world. This however was not the main issue it was the quality, or rather lack if quality of the food. I am not that a fussy eater but I would not eat some of the food, tastless and no presentation. Not all of the staff were miserable main issues for me was the MDR and reception staff. Edited September 16, 2017 by 70054609 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Beamafar Posted September 16, 2017 #6 Share Posted September 16, 2017 we have noticed sometimes that the crew can be affected by how the ship is run depending on which Captain they have! we have just returned from Preziosa our 5th MSC cruise where the crew were friendly and happy and always greeted people with a smile. That has been our experience, too! We were on Magnifica last year. The captain was an amazing guy and took time out to attend the Black Card event - a first for us, and we've been to a number of events. The vibe onboard was great; we put that down his running of the ship. To the OP ............. sorry to hear that your MDR experience was not good. We had the opposite reaction from a waiter when DH enjoyed a meal on one of our cruises. He insisted on getting DH a second helping. From then on, he had a second helping ready at every dinner - whether DH wanted it or not! I can't put my finger on it (as I've said before) but Meraviglia does not quite feel like any other MSC cruise experience we've ever had. It's the one ship I wouldn't consider doing anything less than YC on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riclop Posted September 17, 2017 #7 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Where have you cruised before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70054609 Posted September 17, 2017 #8 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Where have you cruised before?[ Italy, Spain, Greece Canaries , Egypt, Bahamas and Caribbean . Have been cruising on a regular basis for the last 6 years I have never got off a cruise ship that I said I wouldn't go back on or try anothe ship in its fleet. This company is just not the right fit for me I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
live2dive45 Posted September 24, 2017 #9 Share Posted September 24, 2017 That has been our experience, too! We were on Magnifica last year. The captain was an amazing guy and took time out to attend the Black Card event - a first for us, and we've been to a number of events. The vibe onboard was great; we put that down his running of the ship. To the OP ............. sorry to hear that your MDR experience was not good. We had the opposite reaction from a waiter when DH enjoyed a meal on one of our cruises. He insisted on getting DH a second helping. From then on, he had a second helping ready at every dinner - whether DH wanted it or not! I can't put my finger on it (as I've said before) but Meraviglia does not quite feel like any other MSC cruise experience we've ever had. It's the one ship I wouldn't consider doing anything less than YC on. Hope it's not the same on Bellissima when she sets sail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Beamafar Posted September 24, 2017 #10 Share Posted September 24, 2017 Hope it's not the same on Bellissima when she sets sail I didn't like the ship's layout. Bellissima is going to be very similar. It just seemed that everything was packed around the Galleria area. Others liked it - it didn't appeal to me. I prefer the other class ship set-ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerryincork Posted September 24, 2017 #11 Share Posted September 24, 2017 I had no issues with the MDR on a recent Meravigllia cruise. The portions were just the right size for us to be full at the end of the meal. The staff don't necessarily fall all over themselves like they do on US based ships but I rather liked that. I always called my waiters by name and always had a good experience with them. About asking for extra. If I didn't finish all lf my meal my waiter always wanted to know if I wanted something else from the menu 😀 Sent from my SM-N910F using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOLDENBONNY Posted September 25, 2017 #12 Share Posted September 25, 2017 I have put a full review on. Here are the highs and lowsHighs Drink package excellent and as long as your not a beer drinker most things included Ship very clean Steak restaurant excellent Bar staff generally nice Cabin very clean Sonar circ show very good Lows Food in main dining room terrible, staff miserable and unhelpful Entertainment okay at best Reception staff rude and unhelpful Ship feels very crowded especially in the evenings around atrium and shops Any questions feel free to ask. Stayed in an outside cabin on fantasia package. did you cruise on any mega ship which is not feels very crowded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindagop Posted September 25, 2017 #13 Share Posted September 25, 2017 did you cruise on any mega ship which is not feels very crowded? After reading posts by polperro prior to this cruise, he was unhappy re dining times from the beginning and there is no way he was going to enjoy this cruise no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOLDENBONNY Posted September 25, 2017 #14 Share Posted September 25, 2017 After reading posts by polperro prior to this cruise, he was unhappy re dining times from the beginning and there is no way he was going to enjoy this cruise no matter what. Probably, but very strange to go on cruise with 6000 pax and complain about crowds...:* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankmac Posted September 25, 2017 #15 Share Posted September 25, 2017 That's something I often wonder too. How can you expect a ship with nearly 6K passengers not to be crowded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BermudaBound2014 Posted September 26, 2017 #16 Share Posted September 26, 2017 Passenger space ratio is a much better predictor of how crowded a ship will feel. MSC has passenger/space ratios which make it feel more crowded than ships her same size (or larger). This is made worse by the fact that MSC offers kids sail free thus packing in more people per cabin. It's the same reason many carnival ships feel crowded. Profit model. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princessparkles87 Posted September 27, 2017 #17 Share Posted September 27, 2017 I loved this ship. The staff in the MDR are so friendly. Our waiters were brilliant and the rest always had time to say hi and talk to our daughter. We always got offered more food if we finished our meals or if we didn't eat much we got offered a different meal. To sat the entertainment staff are ok at best is harsh. We thought they were incredible. They would go out of their way to find us at night for a chat, so nice. And the evening shows and discos were really entertaining. Only time the ship felt crowded was at night time but it never bothered us because most people were having fun at the promenade which is the best area in the ship. But sure you can't please everyone!! Sent from my SM-G920F using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norwegian Cruiser 73 Posted September 28, 2017 #18 Share Posted September 28, 2017 (edited) Passenger space ratio is a much better predictor of how crowded a ship will feel. MSC has passenger/space ratios which make it feel more crowded than ships her same size (or larger). This is made worse by the fact that MSC offers kids sail free thus packing in more people per cabin. It's the same reason many carnival ships feel crowded. Profit model. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk The passenger space ratio on MSC ships is within the industry standard and comparable with mainstream ships of same size. MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida have the greatest passenger to space ratio in the fleet and even more space than some Celebrity ships. I sailed the MSC Meraviglia this summer and found the ship crowded on the pooldeck but that was due to the fact that I think too much space of the pooldeck is reserved for Aurea Guests. Inside I did find the public areas of the ship very spacious and roomy. My impression is that mainstream ships will feel crowded in the peak season regardless of the line. Last summer I sailed the Jewel Of The Seas on a Eastern Med cruise and I can tell that the pooldeck was extremely busy and crowded. No chance of getting a sunbed after 09AM on seadays. https://www.cruisewatch.com/top-10/ships-space-ratio/ Edited September 28, 2017 by Norwegian Cruiser 73 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankmac Posted September 28, 2017 #19 Share Posted September 28, 2017 Yeah I don't know anything about space ratio predictors. What I do know is that I'm just off the ship and the only problems I had was not with children, but with ill mannered ( mostly Italian) adults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BermudaBound2014 Posted September 28, 2017 #20 Share Posted September 28, 2017 The passenger space ratio on MSC ships is within the industry standard and comparable with mainstream ships of same size. MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida have the greatest passenger to space ratio in the fleet and even more space than some Celebrity ships. I sailed the MSC Meraviglia this summer and found the ship crowded on the pooldeck but that was due to the fact that I think too much space of the pooldeck is reserved for Aurea Guests. Inside I did find the public areas of the ship very spacious and roomy. My impression is that mainstream ships will feel crowded in the peak season regardless of the line. Last summer I sailed the Jewel Of The Seas on a Eastern Med cruise and I can tell that the pooldeck was extremely busy and crowded. No chance of getting a sunbed after 09AM on seadays. https://www.cruisewatch.com/top-10/ships-space-ratio/ I don't disagree with the above statement, MSC is certainly within the industry standards. However; I feel this link paints a more complete picture since it accounts for max berths per cabin (i.e.-kids sail free). http://www.cruisemapper.com/wiki/761-cruise-ship-passenger-capacity-ratings Both of my MSC sailings felt much more crowded than my jaunts on radiance class. Some of the crowded feeling I experienced might be due to personal space differences between cultures also. Happy sails :) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyboy Posted September 30, 2017 #21 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Thanks for the feedback.Very uncharacteristic for the reception staff to be rude and unhelpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kikki21 Posted October 8, 2017 #22 Share Posted October 8, 2017 So the food maybe hasn't improved then! I have to say that when we ordered a couple of starters, the waiters looked at us very oddly & it wasn't just the one time either. We found the portion sizes small, the food wasn't presented nicely & was quite often lukewarm. The desserts were what saved the MDR experience, they were all fantastic! They were the same in the buffet. As the OP said, the reception staff were certainly brusque & not very welcoming. I would try MSC again but would go Yacht Club. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankmac Posted October 8, 2017 #23 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Had three occasions to go to reception/customer service. Found them most helpful and attentive each time. Hit and miss I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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