cruiserzockel Posted January 6, 2018 #1 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Returned yesterday after a weeks cruise on MSC Meraviglia, 2 adults and 2 teens. We had two ocean view cabins on deck 8 fantastica experience. We embarked in Barcelona (had 2 nights there before the cruise) and visited Marseille, Genoa, Rome, Palermo and Palma (rearranged as Malta was cancelled due to bad weather in the med). We really enjoyed the cruise, the staff were great especially our restaurant waiter and cabin steward, food was very good and plentiful, enjoyed the shows (especially Paz with flamenco dancing, Virtual and Cirque de Soleil). If anyone has any questions, please ask and I will try and help :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyboy Posted January 6, 2018 #2 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Glad you enjoyed your cruise. How was the weather temps in the Med at this time of the year? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riclop Posted January 7, 2018 #3 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Thanks for your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatlinburg Posted January 7, 2018 #4 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Did the Buffet have any Asian or Indian food? Trying to stay away from too much pasta......which I happen to love.....lol. Was the indoor pool warm enough to swim in? Our kids are bummed that we are cruising the Western Mediterranean the first week in April....and too cold for the awesome water park slides. Did they have the rope bridge open? Do you have to have a certain internet package to access the MSC for me App? Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted January 7, 2018 #5 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Appreciate the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perakcruiser Posted January 7, 2018 #6 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Can answer some stuff, we´ve been on the Meraviglia six weeks before. Did the Buffet have any Asian or Indian food? Yes, "Ethnic corner", but I guess real Indians would not call it authentic, same with Chinese. Trying to stay away from too much pasta......which I happen to love.....lol. Worst idea I ever heard. The pasta on the Meraviglia was best I ever had on a cruise. 8 from 10 pasta dished were just excellent, only their Lasagne still is disappointing and I am not a Gnocchi fan. Really think twice before you skip one pasta dish! Was the indoor pool warm enough to swim in? Sure. and too cold for the awesome water park slides. I don´t think so, the slides were fine End November. Did they have the rope bridge open? Yes, I never saw it closed for wind. Let´s see what cruiserzockel says :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted January 7, 2018 #7 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Glad you enjoyed the cruise. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babyeddiedog Posted January 7, 2018 #8 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Hi cruiserzockel, could you tell me if they had a White Night or a themed night Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatorfamily Posted January 8, 2018 #9 Share Posted January 8, 2018 We are traveling to basically the same ports. Did you do the excursions through the ship or can many of them be done on your own and if so which ones are easiest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserzockel Posted January 8, 2018 Author #10 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Hi cruiserzockel, could you tell me if they had a White Night or a themed night Thanks! Hi Yes they had a white night and also a 70s/80s night and a tropical night. Not many seemed to dress up for tropical night but quite a few did for white night and the 70s night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserzockel Posted January 8, 2018 Author #11 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Glad you enjoyed your cruise. How was the weather temps in the Med at this time of the year? Sent from my iPhone using Forums hi The temperatures were in the mid teens centigrade mostly although Palma was much warmer (late teens). There was a bit of rain on the day we were in Rome but only for an hour or so.The night that we were meant to be leaving Rome the wind picked up a lot and the Captain delayed our leaving port for 24 hours because of the sea conditions. Hope this helps please ask if you want more info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserzockel Posted January 8, 2018 Author #12 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Did the Buffet have any Asian or Indian food? Trying to stay away from too much pasta......which I happen to love.....lol. Was the indoor pool warm enough to swim in? Our kids are bummed that we are cruising the Western Mediterranean the first week in April....and too cold for the awesome water park slides. Did they have the rope bridge open? Do you have to have a certain internet package to access the MSC for me App? Hi, yes the buffet did have an ethnic station which changed daily, sometimes thai, sometimes indian or Chinese. As this station was in a corner it did sometimes get quite busy. A tip for the buffet - if it is busy head to the very back of the ship where it is much quieter, there are some tables outside too which were lovely to sit at. The indoor pool was warm enough to swim in, bring flip flops. There were a few brave souls in the outdoor pools too as they are heated. You should be fine in April. The rope bridge was open and was great fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserzockel Posted January 8, 2018 Author #13 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Did the Buffet have any Asian or Indian food? Trying to stay away from too much pasta......which I happen to love.....lol. Was the indoor pool warm enough to swim in? Our kids are bummed that we are cruising the Western Mediterranean the first week in April....and too cold for the awesome water park slides. Did they have the rope bridge open? Do you have to have a certain internet package to access the MSC for me App? You did not need an internet package to access the MSC for me App. It worked really well too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recruit18 Posted January 8, 2018 #14 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Did you need to book the cirque shows before you boarded? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babyeddiedog Posted January 8, 2018 #15 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Hi Yes they had a white night and also a 70s/80s night and a tropical night. Not many seemed to dress up for tropical night but quite a few did for white night and the 70s night Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserzockel Posted January 8, 2018 Author #16 Share Posted January 8, 2018 We are traveling to basically the same ports. Did you do the excursions through the ship or can many of them be done on your own and if so which ones are easiest? We caught the MSC shuttle bus from the ship to the centre of Marseille (think it was about 12€ return). It was very convenient and we didn't have a wait at either end. Once in Marseille it was easy to walk around the port area. We caught a local ferry from one side of the port to the other (2€). We also went on the mini train up to Notre Dame where the views were amazing. There were also amazing views of the coastline on the journey. There was a very big queue to board the mini train at the time we went (about midday) but later on there were no queues so I would recommend waiting until the queues go down. In Genoa we caught a taxi into the old port area. We made the mistake of not asking the price first and ended paying double what we paid to return to the ship. So confirm price first. I think it would be possible to walk from the ship to the old port but it looked like you would have to cross some main roads. Our two teens went to the aquarium and loved it. We wandered around the town and it was great. Very easy to see all the main sights and well worth visiting. Picked up some local pesto from the market too. For Rome we did the MSC Rome on your Own tour which was basically a coach transfer to the city from the port (about 1.5 hours). As it was New Years Day the trains were not very frequent so we felt this was the best and safest option. It worked very well and was hassle free. We then walked from the Spanish Steps to Trevi fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and then on to the Coliseum. We caught the metro back to the Spanish Steps from the Coliseum and had lunch near the Spanish Steps. It was all really easy to do and we had a great day. In Palermo it is a short and easy walk from the ship to the town centre. We only pottered around here for a few hours to get a feel for the town. Again it was very easy to wander about on our own but we probably missed a lot of very interesting sights and facts by not going on an organised tour. We stayed in Barcelona for a few days before the cruise and would recommend a visit to the Sagrada familia. It was fantastic. We booked a time slot in advance and did a self guided tour with headphones. It was very enjoyable and informative and one of the highlights of the whole trip. I hope all of this is helpful. If you have any more questions please ask and I will try and help:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserzockel Posted January 8, 2018 Author #17 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Did you need to book the cirque shows before you boarded? Thanks We were fortunate to have the cirque show included in our cruise price so we had a voucher in our room when we boarded the ship. We had to take the voucher to the theatre and book the day and time we wanted (think we had to do this between 9am and 3pm so did it on the second day and had a choice of day and time slots). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perakcruiser Posted January 8, 2018 #18 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Great information, only one point I disagree. In Genoa we caught a taxi into the old port area. We made the mistake of not asking the price first and ended paying double what we paid to return to the ship. So confirm price first. I think it would be possible to walk from the ship to the old port but it looked like you would have to cross some main roads. Only by car you cannot go direct. It is a very short walk, just go down the stairs outside the harbour buildung and walk a few minutes along the seaside. I would say in Genoa, Palermo and Malta you can easily walk to the town center, in Barcelona it is a little bit longer (maybe 20 minutes), in Marseille the ships docks far away from the city and Civitavecchia of cause is not Rome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkrunal Posted January 9, 2018 #19 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Wanted to know about water charges, would these be charged in buffet area? I understand it will be in the dining area..... Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare little britain Posted January 9, 2018 #20 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Wanted to know about water charges, would these be charged in buffet area? I understand it will be in the dining area..... Sent from my iPhone using Forums No plenty of free water tea and coffee in the buffet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare little britain Posted January 9, 2018 #21 Share Posted January 9, 2018 We were fortunate to have the cirque show included in our cruise price so we had a voucher in our room when we boarded the ship. We had to take the voucher to the theatre and book the day and time we wanted (think we had to do this between 9am and 3pm so did it on the second day and had a choice of day and time slots). There seem to be 2 Cirque shows - can you advise which one you saw and whether it was very 'loud'. Travelling with elderly mother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare little britain Posted January 9, 2018 #22 Share Posted January 9, 2018 In Palermo it is a short and easy walk from the ship to the town centre. We only pottered around here for a few hours to get a feel for the town. Again it was very easy to wander about on our own but we probably missed a lot of very interesting sights and facts by not going on an organised tour. I hope all of this is helpful. If you have any more questions please ask and I will try and help:) Hi, when you say 'short and easy' can you advise how far it is please? Flat or up any hills? Travellng with elderly mother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CruiseIreland Posted January 9, 2018 #23 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Hi, when you say 'short and easy' can you advise how far it is please? Flat or up any hills? Travellng with elderly mother! Here's what we did at Palermo. See post #12. I would say you walk to main street in 15mins. Ken https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2516282 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare little britain Posted January 9, 2018 #24 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Here's what we did at Palermo. See post #12. I would say you walk to main street in 15mins. Ken https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2516282 Thanks! I'll work on 30 mins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatlinburg Posted January 9, 2018 #25 Share Posted January 9, 2018 thanks for all the feedback. Think I am now going to eat Pasta!!!! LOL Can answer some stuff, we´ve been on the Meraviglia six weeks before. Yes, "Ethnic corner", but I guess real Indians would not call it authentic, same with Chinese. Worst idea I ever heard. The pasta on the Meraviglia was best I ever had on a cruise. 8 from 10 pasta dished were just excellent, only their Lasagne still is disappointing and I am not a Gnocchi fan. Really think twice before you skip one pasta dish! Sure. I don´t think so, the slides were fine End November. Yes, I never saw it closed for wind. Let´s see what cruiserzockel says :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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