Meraviglia - good choice for us?

[SerraLK]

I lost my previous user name as I haven’t been on CC in awhile. Long time cruiser growing up/as an adult and have sailed RCI (10x) , NCL, Disney and my last Cruise was in 2014 on Carnival. 

 

I always enjoyed cruising as growing up I cruised a lot with my parents. My husband has been on only 2 cruises the last was in 2014 on Carnival Breeze which he HATED and made him swear off cruising. 

 

We are going to be in Europe visiting family in a few weeks and he’s open to the idea of trying a cruise again. I am debating on the MSC Meraviglia from Genoa or Rome. 

 

I have a few questions... 

1) We always tend to cruise in a balcony in the Caribbean. Given the weather at the end of February is it still worth it to have a balcony? I have been on cruises in the past with unpleasant weather that made the decks/balcony windy and unpleasant. Thoughts on ocean view VS balcony?

2) I am leaning towards the fantastica pkg or the aurea. If I went with fantastica is it possible to upgrade after I book or on-board if we change our minds? 

3) I drink a lot of water- I have read that on MSC they don’t fill your water glass in the MDR or in the buffet like other cruise lines? Is that correct? 

 

... I am drawn to MSC as my parents have been on several of them in the recent years with fabulous things to say. My husband and I reside in Canada but he was born and raised in Portugal and I was born and raised in Italy until I was 10. We are both in our early/mid 30s no kids.

 

Thoughts? 

Edited January 19, 2019 by SerraLK
Forgot

[hamrag]

1. Personally I would not go near a balcony at that time of year, it will be cold and windy!

2. It is highly unlikely you would be able to upgrade on board.

3. With a North American booking i.e. USA/Canada they will.

 

Meraviglia is a fantastic, vibrant and lively ship ideally suited for your age group....our kids are your age, and we loved the ship. 

[Tapi]

We sailed on MSC in the Mediterranean in November and had an absolutely fantastic time. Truly a wonderful cruise experience. In my opinion, the ship has a “wow” factor similar to Oasis class ships on Royal.

 

You can read my full review here:

MSC Meraviglia by Tapi

 

To answer some of your questions:

 

1- Balcony: We sailed in November, so it was chilly a few times, but we absolutely loved having a balcony, specially going in and out of ports. It provided a great place to relax and watch the scenery, even if it wasn’t warm.

 

2- Fantástica vs Aurea: We did Fantástica on a previous MSC cruise and Aurea on our last one. The main reason to choose Fantástica that time was simply because of stateroom location. Fantástica provided a better location than Bella. Otherwise our stateroom would’ve been located over a late night lounge.For our last cruise we selected Aurea, and it was well worth the upcharge. Priority embarkation, complimentary access to the Aurea spa’s thermal suite, complimentary massages, complimentary drink package, access to a private solarium deck, and reserved section in the MDR with open seating. 

 

Water: Yes, they will replenish your water. Also keep in mind that, if you choose the Aurea experience, you get complimentary bottled water, both sparkling and still. We’d order bottled water with our meals in addition to our other drinks. You can also stop by any bars around the ship and get bottled water to take with you (and they are a good size). Great to take ashore.

 

One more thing since you’ve sailed other cruise lines: MSC will match your highest loyalty level on any other cruise line to the equivalent level in their program. Pretty neat to sail on them for the first time and already have some perks thrown in. 

 

Overall, our cruise on the Meraviglia was wonderful, and I now consider them one of my favorite cruise lines. The ship was beautiful and an absolute technological marvel, food was good, entertainment was good, stateroom was wonderful, the itinerary was perfect, and the overall experience was superb. I’d highly recommend it to anybody. Please feel free to ask if you have questions that I may be able to answer 

 

Edited January 19, 2019 by Tapi

[SerraLK]

50 minutes ago, hamrag said:

1. Personally I would not go near a balcony at that time of year, it will be cold and windy!

2. It is highly unlikely you would be able to upgrade on board.

3. With a North American booking i.e. USA/Canada they will.

 

Meraviglia is a fantastic, vibrant and lively ship ideally suited for your age group....our kids are your age, and we loved the ship. 

Good to hear!

 

We don’t mind mingling with different age groups! We went to a resort Las Palmas a few years ago where pretty much everyone was in their 60s! Had a great time and keep in touch with some people we met. 

[SerraLK]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

We sailed on MSC in the Mediterranean in November and had an absolutely fantastic time. Truly a wonderful cruise experience. In my opinion, the ship has a “wow” factor similar to Oasis class ships on Royal.

 

You can read my full review here:

MSC Meraviglia by Tapi

 

To answer some of your questions:

 

1- Balcony: We sailed in November, so it was chilly a few times, but we absolutely loved having a balcony, specially going in and out of ports. It provided a great place to relax and watch the scenery, even if it wasn’t warm.

 

2- Fantástica vs Aurea: We did Fantástica on a previous MSC cruise and Aurea on our last one. The main reason to choose Fantástica that time was simply because of stateroom location. Fantástica provided a better location than Bella. Otherwise our stateroom would’ve been located over a late night lounge.For our last cruise we selected Aurea, and it was well worth the upcharge. Priority embarkation, complimentary access to the Aurea spa’s thermal suite, complimentary massages, complimentary drink package, access to a private solarium deck, and reserved section in the MDR with open seating. 

 

Water: Yes, they will replenish your water. Also keep in mind that, if you choose the Aurea experience, you get complimentary bottled water, both sparkling and still. We’d order bottled water with our meals in addition to our other drinks. You can also stop by any bars around the ship and get bottled water to take with you (and they are a good size). Great to take ashore.

 

One more thing since you’ve sailed other cruise lines: MSC will match your highest loyalty level on any other cruise line to the equivalent level in their program. Pretty neat to sail on them for the first time and already have some perks thrown in. 

 

Overall, our cruise on the Meraviglia was wonderful, and I now consider them one of my favorite cruise lines. The ship was beautiful and an absolute technological marvel, food was good, entertainment was good, stateroom was wonderful, the itinerary was perfect, and the overall experience was superb. I’d highly recommend it to anybody. Please feel free to ask if you have questions that I may be able to answer 

 

Great review thanks! Very helpful! 

[johnstoc13]

On 1/19/2019 at 3:53 PM, Tapi said:

We sailed on MSC in the Mediterranean in November and had an absolutely fantastic time. Truly a wonderful cruise experience. In my opinion, the ship has a “wow” factor similar to Oasis class ships on Royal.

 

 

We just got off Meraviglia on Saturday. Had a great cruise in a YC Deluxe Suite!

 

That said, we have sailed with RCCL many times and MSC left us lacking something. I've read MANY reviews stating how amazing MSC and the YC is, but we just didn't have the same experience. Our favorite cruise ships have been and still are the OASIS class ships. I have to disagree in saying Meraviglia has a "WOW" factor similar to Oasis class ships. IMO you'll have an amazing cruise and vacation and there are definite aspects of MSC that blows RCCL out of the water! Form your own opinion after cruising with MSC, and then you'll know who to cruise with after. For us, we'll be going back to RCCL for the next cruise, but we won't rule out sailing with MSC again if the itinerary fits our needs.

[panamapd]

Hi SerraLK - how long are you planning to sail for?  What are you planning on spending?  I hope I am not being too nosy!! The reason I ask is that for a short trip, say less then a week, the MSC Meraviglia in a Fantastic category will be fine   (I too would go for a balcony as we have sailed in the med at the end of Feb before and the weather was fine). For price comparison, we are sailing on the Meraviglia for 3 nights as I do like the LED promenade (that for me was the only thing that had the "wow factor"). We have managed to get an ocean view fantastica, at the front of the ship, so we will have a view of the bow without having to pay the yatch club price!  We are sailing for approx £400 for 2 adults and 1 child , which I think is a good price for MSC and over the Easter holidays (not Good Friday, Easter Sunday or the Bank Holiday Monday in the UK!) 

 

For me, for longer or for a considerable higher cost, just wouldn't appeal and I must say I agree with Johnstoc13's review particularly as they sailed in the yatch club, that MSC does lack what the other cruise lines offer.  

 

I have been on many cruises and with different cruise lines, including most of the MSC ships.  I like MSC but my main "bugbear" is that there is no access to the bow of the ship unless you are in the Yatch Club. Most of the MSC glowing reviews are from those who have had cabins in the Yatch Club! My husband didn't mind that but after sailing on ships such as Cunard, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Princess, where you access to the front,  I couldn't help but feel short changed throughout my trip.  That being said, the kids club is really good and the shows. 

 

For our next trip, before the Meraviglia in April, we are sailing for the first time with AIDA for a week in Feb to the Canaries,  

[Captain-John]

50 minutes ago, panamapd said:

 

For our next trip, before the Meraviglia in April, we are sailing for the first time with AIDA for a week in Feb to the Canaries,  

 

Completely off topic but I can't help myself - did you find it easy to book your AIDA cruise? I was of the impression they actively discourage non-German guests (not because they are nasty, just because they think we won't enjoy it and it will result in more complaints for them). I have liked the look of the ships I've seen in various ports but always thought it was 'out of bounds.'

 

[Tapi]

10 hours ago, johnstoc13 said:

I have to disagree in saying Meraviglia has a "WOW" factor similar to Oasis class ships. 

I believe that my satisfaction with the Meraviglia, and the reason why I considered myself “wowed” by it, had a lot to do with the expectations that I set. Our previous MSC cruise had been on the Divina out of Miami, and while I enjoyed that cruise, it was also marred with glitches, snafus, and lackluster customer service. So I set my expectations accordingly lower for our cruise on the Meraviglia, and she far exceeded those expectations.

 

While Meraviglia did “wow” us, objectively speaking, Oasis is on a class of their own. But I do feel that Meraviglia comes close. From a technical standpoint, she’s is an engineering marvel which takes advantage of existing technology to make the cruise experience much more enjoyable. The layout with its Galleria Meraviglia, amenities, like the Polar Aqua Park and the Sportsplex, entertainment (like Cirque du Soleil at Sea and understanding how it all works), as well as the vast selection of stateroom categories (we booked an Aurea Duplex Suite, similar to a Crown Loft Suite on Oasis), are among the areas where I found myself comparing Meraviglia to Oasis and saying “wow”.

 

But the biggest “wow” came from cost. The type of stateroom that we booked on MSC would’ve cost 4 times more on Royal Caribbean. What would’ve been cost prohibitive on Royal became a reality on MSC thanks to their competitive pricing. 

 

With all of that said, if pricing between Oasis and Meraviglia were exactly the same, I agree that Oasis provides a bigger “wow”. But factoring in cost, the playing field is more even. Still, I consider Meraviglia a wonderful ship, and one that truly lived up to its name. 

 

Edited January 22, 2019 by Tapi

[panamapd]

Hi Captain John - I have replied on the AIDA website!!

[panamapd]

Captain John - AIDA board "AIDA for non-German speaking" topic!