Meraviglia Western Med Review - Dec. 17-24

[hamrag]

5 hours ago, SquishTheWhale said:

.....Maybe they didn't book a Fantastica cabin with the promise of flexible dining, only to have that taken away with no notice....

Assuming that by flexible dining you mean 'anytime' within MDR hours dining, then nowhere does MSC promise flexible dining with a Fantastica cabin. They state clearly that MDR flexible time dining is available with the Aurea experience, which is one of the reasons for its pricing differential.

[SquishTheWhale]

1 minute ago, hamrag said:

Assuming that by flexible dining you mean 'anytime' within MDR hours dining, then nowhere does MSC promise flexible dining with a Fantastica cabin. They state clearly that MDR flexible time dining is available with the Aurea experience, which is one of the reasons for its pricing differential.

 

No, I don't mean that. When I booked, you could choose Flexible dining if you booked Fantastica on the Meraviglia. I don't know if it was on any other ships. It differed from Anytime in that you chose a time slot- off the top of my head around 5-7 or 7-9- and the idea was that you could dine anytime in that slot.

MSC I presume couldn't cope with it and canned it after a few months of operation.

 

For someone who hates traditional dining this was very dissapointing, but also the way they dealt with it sucked. I only found out from CC, not MSC. When I emailed to ask about it, their answer was basically 'sucks to be you'. I only booked Fantastica for the sake of flexible dining but they would not modify my reservation down to Bella and refund the difference. To be honest I probably wouldn't have booked at all if I knew I'd be stuck with 5.30pm traditional dining. It's just not our style.

 

I know in the world of cruising nothing is guaranteed, but to offer a perk of booking a certain cabin class then remove it without notifying you is just typical of MSC service standards.

[hamrag]

5 minutes ago, SquishTheWhale said:

 

No, I don't mean that. When I booked, you could choose Flexible dining if you booked Fantastica on the Meraviglia. I don't know if it was on any other ships. It differed from Anytime in that you chose a time slot- off the top of my head around 5-7 or 7-9- and the idea was that you could dine anytime in that slot.

MSC I presume couldn't cope with it and canned it after a few months of operation....

Deluded, or misread the blurb! Never have MSC offered that dining style.

[stp_mmh5]

7 hours ago, SquishTheWhale said:

I am the writer of a slightly scathing (although I hope balanced) review, and for me the above explanation is not the case. We are easy going and not demanding in the slightest. I don't think I've ever once asked for anything special or made extra requests of the staff on board. We are from the UK so much more used to European service than the OTT American style- so while maybe for Americans I do believe the above explanation has some merit, just not us.

 

The source of my problems with the Meraviglia is food and service. We aren't fussy on either count and don't expect more than we paid for. But, for us, dining in the MDR is one of the most enjoyable parts of cruising. The food in the MDR was so bad that we gave up after 2 nights. The buffet was fine, but really- should the quality in the buffet be superior to the MDR?!

 

The service problems stemmed a lot from the organisation and systems on board so hopefully can be fixed. For instance, I shouldn't have to make 8 or more trips to the photo gallery and spend hours of my time arguing with them just to get the photos I've paid for- and then not even get them all! If the system worked- you are given the VIP card, take photos, scan photos on, done- then none of that would have happened. 

It shouldn't take an hour to disembark, being crammed into corridors with nobody know whats going on and them not letting you leave. Every other cruise I've done you just walk off the ship in 5 mins or less.

 

I can imagine how someone can have a different experience to us. They only dine in the yacht club or buffet. They don't interact with the photo counter. They are part of a tour so manage to disembark easily. Maybe they didn't book a Fantastica cabin with the promise of flexible dining, only to have that taken away with no notice. But those are just a few examples of the problems we encountered.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the ship is stunning so they just need to work everything else out. We will not be cruising MSC again, theres so much other choice out there so why would we?

 

SquishtheWhale,

 

 I am very sorry for your experience on the Meraviglia. It is very unfortunate, and I'm sorry that the experience was terrible. 

 

It was not my intention to put words in the mouths of those who had a bad experience on the Meraviglia. It was a grasp at what may be the issue, but as we are American we can only truly look at how Americans would not enjoy the ship.

 

As for our cruise, we had book a Fantastica Inside last year and had traditional dining at 9pm every night. Which was a bit later than we are used to, but we made it work. We dined often at the buffet for lunch and snack times, but did dinner almost every night in the MDR except for one dinner at Hibachi. We did not purchase a photo package so I do not have any input/understanding of that aspect. We also did not book any excursions for cruise as we did everything on our own. 

 

Truly, it is very unfortunate the experiences you had and really puts into perspective those who did not have a pleasant experience. I wish it were better of course, but cannot do anything to improve a past experience. As for the many other options for cruising, that I completely get! We are big fans of RCCL as well, but will give any cruise line a try. We are not loyal to any line and book with the one that gives us the itinerary we want at a price we are willing to pay. 

 

Please accept my sincerest apologies if it sounded like I was trying to diminish your experience. Everyone goes through something different no matter what. 

-Macon 

[SquishTheWhale]

9 minutes ago, stp_mmh5 said:

 

SquishtheWhale,

 

 I am very sorry for your experience on the Meraviglia. It is very unfortunate, and I'm sorry that the experience was terrible. 

 

It was not my intention to put words in the mouths of those who had a bad experience on the Meraviglia. It was a grasp at what may be the issue, but as we are American we can only truly look at how Americans would not enjoy the ship.

 

As for our cruise, we had book a Fantastica Inside last year and had traditional dining at 9pm every night. Which was a bit later than we are used to, but we made it work. We dined often at the buffet for lunch and snack times, but did dinner almost every night in the MDR except for one dinner at Hibachi. We did not purchase a photo package so I do not have any input/understanding of that aspect. We also did not book any excursions for cruise as we did everything on our own. 

 

Truly, it is very unfortunate the experiences you had and really puts into perspective those who did not have a pleasant experience. I wish it were better of course, but cannot do anything to improve a past experience. As for the many other options for cruising, that I completely get! We are big fans of RCCL as well, but will give any cruise line a try. We are not loyal to any line and book with the one that gives us the itinerary we want at a price we are willing to pay. 

 

Please accept my sincerest apologies if it sounded like I was trying to diminish your experience. Everyone goes through something different no matter what. 

-Macon 

 

No no apology neccessary at all! I realise not everyone will have had the same experience and I'm very glad you had a better one than me. I do accept your explanation could be totally valid for some people, especially showing the American perspective.

 

I guess my reasons for weighing in are more to show that there actually IS a problem here on MSC's side- it's not customers with unrealistic expectations. At least on my cruise there was problems- I hope they have been resolved since! But sadly I will never be able to reccomend MSC to anyone as a result of our experience.

[SquishTheWhale]

2 hours ago, hamrag said:

Deluded, or misread the blurb! Never have MSC offered that dining style.

 

My that's a bit rude isn't it? MSC themselves would disagree with you in the form of this reply when I queried my dining status

 

Funny that MSC themselves would be 'deluded' enough to withdraw a dining style they have 'never offered'

 

Oh, and here's a CC topic discussing flexible dining being withdrawn:

 

 

And here's a news article about them introducing it:

 

https://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/MSC-Cruises-Introduces-Flexible-Dining-New-Specialty-Options

 

Is Sir satisfied yet or shall I continue?

Edited November 8, 2018 by SquishTheWhale

[Até]

2 hours ago, hamrag said:

Deluded, or misread the blurb! Never have MSC offered that dining style.

Meraviglia was initially touted as Flexi Dining.  If think it was canned by about the second voyage.

 

http://cdn.msccruises-platform.com/msc/press//media/press-materials/attachments/meraviglia-dining-factsheet_2.pdf

[hamrag]

6 hours ago, SquishTheWhale said:

 

My that's a bit rude isn't it? MSC themselves would disagree with you in the form of this reply when I queried my dining status

 

Funny that MSC themselves would be 'deluded' enough to withdraw a dining style they have 'never offered'

 

And here's a news article about them introducing it:

 

https://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/MSC-Cruises-Introduces-Flexible-Dining-New-Specialty-Options

 

Is Sir satisfied yet or shall I continue?

 

I suggested you were deluded, or misread the blurb. You confirm that it is the latter, as the news item confirms the following was the 'flexible' dining offer:

Guests who have booked the Fantastica Experience are able to preselect their preferred time slot before embarking,

 

True flexible dining, as in the Aurea experience, is the freedom to eat at any (and different) times each evening whilst on board. With respect, that is totally different from preselecting a preferred time slot!

 

Is Squish (Ma'am or Sir) clear now that what was removed was a preselected preferred (but not guaranteed) time slot, which was never truly flexible dining?

[Até]

...wow.  Sorry to stp_mmh5 for diluting your interesting post.

[SquishTheWhale]

7 hours ago, hamrag said:

 

I suggested you were deluded, or misread the blurb. You confirm that it is the latter, as the news item confirms the following was the 'flexible' dining offer:

Guests who have booked the Fantastica Experience are able to preselect their preferred time slot before embarking,

 

True flexible dining, as in the Aurea experience, is the freedom to eat at any (and different) times each evening whilst on board. With respect, that is totally different from preselecting a preferred time slot!

 

Is Squish (Ma'am or Sir) clear now that what was removed was a preselected preferred (but not guaranteed) time slot, which was never truly flexible dining?

 

I already corrected you that it is titled FLEXIBLE dining, not ANYTIME dining. These are the titles that MSC themselves gave it. If you do not agree with these names then perhaps you should take that up with MSC's branding department.

 

I never claimed it was true anytime dining, I stated I had FLEXIBLE dining removed from my booking, which I did. This dining option you claim never existed and are now doing some furious back pedalling on when presented with proof it did. FLEXIBLE dining was offered to Fantastica cabins booking the Meraviglia as an alternative to traditional dining but then was withdrawn shortly after she launched. It was very dissapointing for those of us who selected it.

 

The 'blurb' PDF itself from MSC was posted for you above stating it works exactly as I stated in my initial post that you labelled 'deluded'.

 

OP I'm very sorry to derail your topic. It was not intentional.

[hamrag]

10 hours ago, SquishTheWhale said:

 

I already corrected you that it is titled FLEXIBLE dining, not ANYTIME dining. These are the titles that MSC themselves gave it....

 

The 'blurb' PDF itself from MSC was posted for you above stating it works exactly as I stated in my initial post that you labelled 'deluded'.

 

 

OK, I hear you shouting.....so, since you clearly wish to be pedantic, the title MSC themselves gave it was Flexi Dining....according to the news item link you posted!!

 

I did not label your post deluded....what I said was you were either deluded, or had misread the blurb. Later, after you posted the news item, I stated you had confirmed it was the latter i.e. misread the blurb!

 

Please have a lie down, it seems to me you need some rest.

 

Over, and out.