Semi-Live Meraviglia 15-22 Dec 18

[stp_mmh5]

Ciao everyone! Macon and Shane here on our second cruise aboard the MSC Meraviglia! Our last time on the Meraviglia, we had a Fantastica interior stateroom and this year we decided to splurge on a Yacht Club Interior! We've also been able to chat a few friends into joining us on this cruise. One couple, with 2 younger children (3 and 2- The L Fam) are booked in an aft Fantastica Family Balcony and our other friend is booked in an Aurea Balcony. With all that, we will be sure to include all information for all for all cabins in this Semi-Live review. 

 

To start off, we caught a train to Genoa and arrived to the port around 11:15am. The L Fam went to check in for their cabin and we headed to Yacht Club check in. As early as we were today, we beat all the crowds. The L Fam received priority boarding because of the kids in tow, and we got to hang out at YC reception. Seeing as there were no real lines, they breezed through check in and security and were on the ship before we left the YC area.  When it was our turn, we boarded with three other groups. Not quite the individual service we presumed based on our interpretations from other reviews, but no biggie. Although it seems like only one other group was as excited as we were, because the other two groups moved slowly. 

 

Upon arrival into the YC, we were greeted, then escorted towards our room. Unfortunately it wasn't quite ready so we went to the lounge to hang out and get our first official drink, a lovely glass of Prosecco. We then were told our room was now ready, so off we went again. Only to find it was in the exact same state as last time. This time we dropped off our jackets, then were escorted to the restaurant for lunch. 

 

All the while the L family is wandering the ship. They were trying to figure out the new account set-up machines, as well as enroll the kids into child care. Enrollment doesn't start until 1800, so they went to the buffet instead. 

 

Well that's all for now, stay tuned and we will update as we go. At some point our odd sense of humor will return, probably after a few more Prosecco s or other drinks. So bring the popcorn, leave the kids and ask away on the questions

 

-Macon and Shane

[puppycanducruise]

Great pictures - looking forward to more.

Thanks.

[jimbri]

Great photos!

[stp_mmh5]

So good news, we finally got our room!

 

So below are pictures of a YIN

 

Mini bar is included. And we still get the Med by MSC. 

 

Coming soon is the Super Family Balcony minus the connecting inside room

 

[stp_mmh5]

Surprise bonus content, the Meraviglia now has the "express" elevator system.

 

 

And sadly they no longer sell coffee or beer packages onboard

 

-Shane

[HLR]

Aha! Is this elevator express service on ALL the elevators? Or just for the YC? 

And I suppose you mean no more coffee "card" for the 15 coffees for however much it was?

 

Howard

[kevinrobedm]

The express is only on the elevators marked as "Yacht Club".  It really does freak the other people out if they are already in the elevator.  It came to our floor and the doors opened and they people were surprised that they were not on the floor they picked.  We got in and the elevator when to the floor we picked, the others got off on that floor with us as they thought there was something wrong with the elevator.

[HLR]

2 minutes ago, kevinrobedm said:

The express is only on the elevators marked as "Yacht Club".  It really does freak the other people out if they are already in the elevator.  It came to our floor and the doors opened and they people were surprised that they were not on the floor they picked.  We got in and the elevator when to the floor we picked, the others got off on that floor with us as they thought there was something wrong with the elevator.

 

Huh? Well, how did "the other people" get on there if they are not YC? So if someone from the YC club orders up the elevator it ignores other people's choices and skips their floors? S'plain Lucy?

[kevinrobedm]

The elevators were not exclusive to just YC.  When anyone walks up to the elevator and selects their floor, if that one YC car is not being used by YC guests, it will be used for other guests. If a YC guest then calls the elevator, it will come to the floor the YC guest is on regardless of who was in the elevator currently.  You could tell the people in the elevator already were confused/surprised at what was going on.

 

A good idea but I don't think it was implemented as well as it should be.  They should either designate the elevator for just YC (which would not fully utilize it if there are not alot of YC guests using it) or somehow let the current occupants know what is going on (but that could be prolematic as well).

[HLR]

20 minutes ago, kevinrobedm said:

The elevators were not exclusive to just YC.  When anyone walks up to the elevator and selects their floor, if that one YC car is not being used by YC guests, it will be used for other guests. If a YC guest then calls the elevator, it will come to the floor the YC guest is on regardless of who was in the elevator currently.  You could tell the people in the elevator already were confused/surprised at what was going on.

 

A good idea but I don't think it was implemented as well as it should be.  They should either designate the elevator for just YC (which would not fully utilize it if there are not alot of YC guests using it) or somehow let the current occupants know what is going on (but that could be prolematic as well).

 

I think that is stupid! That's like getting on a bus and then they don't stop at your stop cause someone more important got on and you are s#%^^#d. What an inconvenience. 

 

And now we have hijacked a thread so I will say no more!

[stp_mmh5]

Due to a technical difficulty (misplaced phone charger) we were unable to keep the updates rolling as planned, but since we arrived in Civitavecchia I plan on fixing that soon.  

 

First to all debarking cruisers, people are walking off as soon as we docked, around 7.  I'll ask around for embarkers to get info on how that goes. 

 

Now to lift the elevator discussion. So there are two versions of express. There are the "Priority Service" elevators in the front of the ship that YC members can "hijack". It works only occasionally and the idea is that moves to YC floors quickly without stopping elsewhere. The other four remain in service as usual. The pictured express elevator is exclusive to the bank of port aft elevators where it assigns you an elevator based on your destination. Only perk I've seen about this elevator is you know exactly which one you'll be taking, but it sure doesn't seem any faster than the other ones. The panoramic elevators midship still tend to be the fastest and least used.

 

Hope that clarifies a little bit.

 

And once I reacquire a type c charge cable I will get back to posting photos.

 

-Shane and Macon

[stp_mmh5]

15 hours ago, HLR said:

Aha! Is this elevator express service on ALL the elevators? Or just for the YC? 

And I suppose you mean no more coffee "card" for the 15 coffees for however much it was?

 

Howard

Howard,

 

Correct! The coffee card was around €30 or so for the 15 coffee vouchers. We have friends who wished to purchase this as they love coffee, but didn't want to utilize all of their Fantastica vouchers solely for coffee. However, it appears that with the updated drink package, they have done away with the coffee and beer cards. So now one would have to purchase a non alcoholic package in order to have that covered. Kind of a bummer as it was a nice option to only buy what you wanted, but MSC has gotta make money somehow. 

 

Hope to be back soon with info from Civitavecchia! Enjoy!

 

Macon and Shane

[SirWolf]

following... great photos ! Thanks for taking the time and writing this review. We are on Bellissima (YC) in April 2019 and interested in every detail. We have not seen the express elevators on Seaview last September, must be new on Meraviglia and maybe on Bellissima.

[puppycanducruise]

Great pictures.

Thanks.

[plucasana]

So glad you are back. Will be on mera for the second time in april so cannot wait to hear about all the changes. If you get a chance to check: Do they sell the unlimited internet package (I know they do on seaside and seaview but have not yet heard of anyone on the Meraviglia who had the chance to buy this?)

 

thanks for taking the time to post - I like your positive style!!!

[CarrieAP]

Anxious to hear about your stay in YC interior cabin. We are balcony folks but can’t afford one in YC during our 2020 TA so have booked the interior. Aware storage will be super tight but other than that hope it’s worth it to sacrifice a balcony for the great YC service and amenities. 

[stp_mmh5]

We're back!

 

Promise we never forget about our reviews, we just like to throw in some suspense as to when we get back to it.

 

Speaking of suspense, we are currently waiting anxiously to see whether we get Malta this go around or not. Incredibly high winds so we are race tracking around until a decision is made. My guess is we're going to Palma...

 

So I'll take this time to plug in some overall thoughts. The ship is still beautiful as ever, and still impresses us as if it was the first time we saw her. The L Fam has been trying to enjoy themselves, unfortunately they have a member who is very prone to seasickness and the wind/waves have not been kind to her. Also one on the kids got ill, so he has been in the cabin. 

 

On Sunday we all had lunch in the Waves restaurant at different times, but we had a common theme. Service was awful. It was very slow, and we had poor communication from our waiter. Tried ordering a rum and cola, but was only brought a Pepsi and then was told that rum isn't offered in the dining room. Would have been nice to know before our friend had used a one of his drink tickets.  Maybe someone else can chime in, but I recall a bar in the galley for dining room drinks, but I may be confused with Symphony of the Seas. But we weren't the only ones, as an Italian family behind me kept asking for Prosecco, and was only brought a still white wine. That family was becoming very agitated, and understandable to as they were asking for a bubbly wine in every way one could without a menu to point at. We left after they were brought a still wine, so not sure how that ended. Although the roasted veal was decent enough. 

 

Last night was Gala night, so we had some of our fancy dress picked up for express service. Our butler, Jacques, had whisked away before 9 and was back with it just after 5. Total cost for a dry cleaned dress, and ironing for a suit, three dress shirts and a pair of pants was around €20. Not bad at all. Dinner was excellent in the YC restaurant, although we ordered way too much food and didn't make it to dessert. By this time we had been rocking and a rolling for some time, so we took a dip in a hot tub at the bamboo pool, which helped ease a bit of our incoming seasickness then we retired very early. 

 

I'm sure there's a lot I've missed so far, but this is just some quick thoughts while we're close to shore

 

Will keep updated one way or another with some photos and whether we make it to Malta...

 

-Shane and Macon

[stp_mmh5]

If the below images seem to be way out of order, that would be because these winds are blowing them all over the place. 

 

Also apologize for how dark the dinner photos come out, but my side of the table is behind a pillar and therefore blocked from a good light. 

 

...Aaaannnnddd as I was waiting for the photos to upload, the PA came on announcing the port is closed. Surprise sea day and return to Palma!

 

-Shane

[stp_mmh5]

14 hours ago, plucasana said:

So glad you are back. Will be on mera for the second time in april so cannot wait to hear about all the changes. If you get a chance to check: Do they sell the unlimited internet package (I know they do on seaside and seaview but have not yet heard of anyone on the Meraviglia who had the chance to buy this?)

 

thanks for taking the time to post - I like your positive style!!!

 

Plucasana,

 

There was not an unlimited internet package that I have seen since boarding. They had only offered the standard package and the premium package. I'll drop by the concierge desk today and ask. Maybe even purchase it, you know, for science...

 

1 hour ago, CarrieAP said:

Anxious to hear about your stay in YC interior cabin. We are balcony folks but can’t afford one in YC during our 2020 TA so have booked the interior. Aware storage will be super tight but other than that hope it’s worth it to sacrifice a balcony for the great YC service and amenities. 

 

Carrie,

 

So far we are enjoying our stay in the interior room. We too are Balcony people, but an experience offer as good as this is, you just can't pass it up. So the downsides to the interior other than missing that balcony life, is yes storage is a little tight, and would feel much tighter on a TA, but a solution for that would to pack the suitcases in such a way that they would be used as under the bed drawers if that makes sense. Also feel that the bathroom is much smaller, but not so small one couldnt turn around in. Definitely not two person friendly unless one is in the shower. 

 

On the plus yet negative side is that at night the room is super super dark. Great for helping us fall asleep, but very disorienting when waking up. There are plenty of times where weve felt we have overslept only to see its two or three in the morning. Maybe just us, but it is a thought.  Also without a good horizon to look at, the pitching and rolling feels more exaggerated. My solution today was to run the shower and watch how it pooled up on the floor and sloshed about.

 

But the rest of the YC experience more than makes up for it, with a nearly empty pool deck, lounge, and restaurant, all with outstanding views. Do I miss the balcony and feel a little jealous each time I see one or stand out on our friends? For sure. But we utilize all the other spaces and spend such little time in the cabin that we almost don't even truly miss the balcony.  Hope that helps a little and gets you all that more excited for your crossing!

 

-Shane and Macon

 

 

[stp_mmh5]

Quick update, the captain has tried again to make into Malta with no luck, so now we sail onwards to Barcelona, with no stop in Palma. While we always enjoy a good sea day, the rougher seas are making it less pleasant for those more prone to seasickness. But found reception offers free meds!

 

Will report in again in Barcelona. Ciao Ciao for now!

 

-Shane and Macon

[hamrag]

12 hours ago, CarrieAP said:

Anxious to hear about your stay in YC interior cabin. We are balcony folks but can’t afford one in YC during our 2020 TA so have booked the interior. Aware storage will be super tight but other than that hope it’s worth it to sacrifice a balcony for the great YC service and amenities. 

It absolutely is worth sacrificing a balcony to get the YC experience....we had B2B cruises, the first was interior and the second was deluxe balcony suite. Yes, there is no comparison between those cabins but we would do interior again in a heartbeat and certainly the deluxe balcony is not worth a 50% price premium from interior!

[DLA57]

Thank you for posting all the lovely pictures we too will be taking the Meraviglia on the TA in April 2020 in the Yacht Club.  It will be our first time on this ship.   

Question: are any of the pools heated? 

Edited December 18, 2018 by DLA57

[stp_mmh5]

2 hours ago, DLA57 said:

Thank you for posting all the lovely pictures we too will be taking the Meraviglia on the TA in April 2020 in the Yacht Club.  It will be our first time on this ship.   

Question: are any of the pools heated? 

 

DLA57,

 

All of the pools are heated, including the slides and water park. It is great once in the water, but once you're out it gets cold quick. Mostly because we've had more wind than industrial fan would know what to do with. 

 

Also to anyone boarding soon, Maria in the Sky Lounge is wonderful and will surprise you with very strong drinks if you so desire. She is also is a hoot and an all around awesome person. 

 

From someone who may have had two or three "Maria Surprise" drinks...

 

-Shane

[Sandypaws21]

Enjoying your report.  We are on this ship mid-January so are anticipating some choppy seas too!  Still looking forward to our first MSC cruise.

[stp_mmh5]

Semi-Live from the Sky Lounge. Today we finally had excellent cruising weather. Ship was cutting through the water like butter with very light winds. Although it did cloud over in the early afternoon, but no complaints. Spent a good amount of time at the sportsplex doing the 4D theater, flight/rollercoaster simulator and the F1 simulator. Tonight is another elegant night, so excellent dinner. Also we caught the Born to Rock show, which was awesome. 

 

Also, the express elevators I reported earlier have seemed to have been reverted to standard elevators. At first I thought I was crazy, but then our friends noticed it as well. I'll give MSC one thing, their ability to change things on the fly with little to no warning is impressive.

 

Now some viewing pleasure...

 

P.S.

Plucasana,

As far as the internet experiment is going, it's about what one expects. Text browsing, internet chats, and the msc for me app run smoothly. Once images or video come it slows down considerably. Uploading the below pictures takes some time. Luckily I have a Maria surprise to help pass the time lol

 

P.P.S

In the time it is taking to upload the second photo, I walked down to 15, grabbed a plate of desserts, mostly Panna Cotta as its Macons favorite, and back up to the Sky Lounge before the second photo is done. Killing it

 

P.P.P.S.

Figured out the trick, don't let photos upload in background. If the screen goes idle so does the upload. So battery goes down, photos go up.

 

Maria, another round if you'd be so kind....

 

-Shane and Macon