MSC sailing in USA versus in Europe?

[HLR]

So I have a question.....having been reading the Meraviglia's reviews which are either 100% NO! or 100% Yes! 

 

The Meraviglia is sailing in Europe now and things that people are complaining about in the reviews:

 

1) Rudeness, cutting in lines and pushing and shoving, etc.... Do you think that this will change when the ship is sailing in the US? 

 

2) Having to fight to get free water at dinner... Will everyone get free water when the ship is sailing in the US?

 

3) What will the ship's currency be? Euros or US Dollars?

 

HLR

[Até]

11 minutes ago, HLR said:

1) Rudeness, cutting in lines and pushing and shoving, etc.... Do you think that this will change when the ship is sailing in the US? 

 

2) Having to fight to get free water at dinner... Will everyone get free water when the ship is sailing in the US?

 

3) What will the ship's currency be? Euros or US Dollars?

 

HLR

1) Some cultures do not recognize queuing and it's not only seen on MSC ships.  5K people on a ship can be a bit scary.  At least the only free for all is usually at the buffet.

 

2) Even now US bookings for the Med get free bottled water in the dining rooms.  Ships sailing from the US have figured out how to provide tap water.

 

3) The ship will use the USD for sailings from the US, the transatlantic over to the US will be in Euros.

[deliver42]

Water is free and plentiful on U.S. sailings

[HLR]

22 hours ago, Até said:

1) Some cultures do not recognize queuing and it's not only seen on MSC ships.  5K people on a ship can be a bit scary.  At least the only free for all is usually at the buffet.

 

2) Even now US bookings for the Med get free bottled water in the dining rooms.  Ships sailing from the US have figured out how to provide tap water.

 

3) The ship will use the USD for sailings from the US, the transatlantic over to the US will be in Euros.

 

Thanks for the responses! I suppose the clientele sailing out of NYC will be more the standard clientele sailing out of NYC...though hopefully more Europeans! But in Europe MANY US booked guests have posted that they had to fight to get their free water in the dinning room.

 

Three more reviews were posted in the last day or so...one was raving how good the sailing was, but the other two were SCATHING! What to think???

[Hlitner]

The water "thing" is simply cultural.  In Europe, the norm is to ask diners what kind of bottled water they prefer ("with gas" or "without gas") and MSC simply follows this European tradition.  In the USA, they will generally offer free tap water at meals.  Just understand that this line is a European (Italian) company and simply follows the norm of that continent.  Yes, they have "Americanized" their North American cruises, but that does not mean they are totally abandoning their European roots.

 

When we travel in Europe, and prefer to not have bottled water, we simply ask for "house water."  In many places this will get you a glass of tap water...often with no ice.   I should add that most Europeans (and those who travel a lot in Europe) tend to ask for water "con gas" or with gas.  This would be a product such as Pelligrino or Perrier.  

 

Hank

[sidari]

Only since May of this year have UK and Irish passengers had water, Tea and Coffee included in their sailing packages for use in the MDR at Lunch and Dinner. Prior to this you had to leave and go to the Buffet for Tea and Coffee and pay for bottled water. US cruisers have always had bottled water included for a number of years on MSC in Europe.

[Até]

I'm not sure of the date MSC started including bottled water for US bookings on the European sailings, I thought it was more recent.  Every once in  a while I still see people posting reviews saying it wasn't included and they couldn't get tap water, I figured it was bookings made a while back before it was added.

 

HLR, I assume you are thinking about booking the Meraviglia out of NYC.  Yes a majority of her reviews are not good, remember this website is heavily slanted to/by US cruisers.  Take the last three you mention as they are fairly representational.  When you read those poor ones you can tell those people went in with no idea what to expect and probably very little to no research.  Didn't know you had to register a credit card, had to put down $15 to borrow an extension cord for a CPAP, didn't like the multiple embarkation ports, fellow passengers and crew didn't have American etiquette, food and entertainment was different than RCI.   I attribute a lot of it to US cruisers sailing first time on MSC in the Med/Northern Europe and expecting it to be like NCL or RCI.  The third review kind of sums it up:

 

Only take notice of negative reviews on here if you are looking for an English or US style cruise. If you are cosmopolitan, love a lively atmosphere, enjoy European food and are nice to staff then you will not find fault.

 

I bet the Meraviglia TA to NYC will be the same mess as Divina recently.  I'd say the same for at least the first Canada/NE.  Who knows what will happen on the repo from NYC to Miami, MSC doesn't have a good track record for efficiently handling new situations.  I can only imagine the reviews about rudeness with the combination of New Yorker's and Europeans.  I only say that in partial jest as I've sailed Breakaway with quite a few Jersey City folk on board. 

 

I think you are doing the right thing researching and asking questions here.  I do think those first Meraviglia sailings will be tough on a lot of people who aren't expecting what MSC is providing.  There's plenty of time, perhaps first try out Seaside on a simple run where they have worked out most of the kinks.  There you will still get MSC's unique experience, but be eased more slowly into their way of doing things.

 

Edited November 1, 2018 by Até

[HLR]

1 hour ago, Até said:

I'm not sure of the date MSC started including bottled water for US bookings on the European sailings, I thought it was more recent.  Every once in  a while I still see people posting reviews saying it wasn't included and they couldn't get tap water, I figured it was bookings made a while back before it was added.

 

HLR, I assume you are thinking about booking the Meraviglia out of NYC.  Yes a majority of her reviews are not good, remember this website is heavily slanted to/by US cruisers.  Take the last three you mention as they are fairly representational.  When you read those poor ones you can tell those people went in with no idea what to expect and probably very little to no research.  Didn't know you had to register a credit card, had to put down $15 to borrow an extension cord for a CPAP, didn't like the multiple embarkation ports, fellow passengers and crew didn't have American etiquette, food and entertainment was different than RCI.   I attribute a lot of it to US cruisers sailing first time on MSC in the Med/Northern Europe and expecting it to be like NCL or RCI.  The third review kind of sums it up:

 

Only take notice of negative reviews on here if you are looking for an English or US style cruise. If you are cosmopolitan, love a lively atmosphere, enjoy European food and are nice to staff then you will not find fault.

 

I bet the Meraviglia TA to NYC will be the same mess as Divina recently.  I'd say the same for at least the first Canada/NE.  Who knows what will happen on the repo from NYC to Miami, MSC doesn't have a good track record for efficiently handling new situations.  I can only imagine the reviews about rudeness with the combination of New Yorker's and Europeans.  I only say that in partial jest as I've sailed Breakaway with quite a few Jersey City folk on board. 

 

I think you are doing the right thing researching and asking questions here.  I do think those first Meraviglia sailings will be tough on a lot of people who aren't expecting what MSC is providing.  There's plenty of time, perhaps first try out Seaside on a simple run where they have worked out most of the kinks.  There you will still get MSC's unique experience, but be eased more slowly into their way of doing things.

 

 

Great Response Ate! But guess who is going to be on the first Canada cruise??? ME! I'm booked.

 

Yes! The third review really does sum it up and I am hoping for a good experience. This will be my 23rd cruise? I know how things work....but now I have to find out about this mess on the TA on the Divina! Sounds exciting. 

[sidari]

HLR ... Read the thread on it, some of it does not make sense and bear in mind while reading it what "Ate" posted here.

[HLR]

Having Trouble finding a specific thread on the TA on Divina...anyone have the thread link?

[sidari]

What can we expect on MSC Divina is the thread title.

The other one is titled MSC.

Edited November 1, 2018 by sidari