MSC newbie - booking for a large group

[gratamama]

Hi all,

My parents are celebrating their 50th (!!) wedding anniversary in 2020 and they so very graciously want to treat our group of 12 (4 cabins) to a vacation. We're a diverse group of age and lifestyles, so it looks like maybe a Christmas break trip, and more specifically a cruise.

 

We've done Carnival and RC before - never MSC. Looking at Meraviglia for 12/20/20 or 12/27/20 sailings.

 

This ship looks beautiful and it looks like it can have a lot for our group (4 kids ages 6-16) and my active 72 yo parents. Also considering this is for my parents to enjoy, I love that its a little more glam. My mom is a lover of Europe/ Italy specifically and i can see her enjoying Eataly, Cirque de Soleil, etc.

 

It might be silly but a few things give me pause on this ship over something like maybe the newer Carnival ships. Are any of these justified? Or tell me they are easily surmountable?

1. To get the equivalent of My Time dining, it looks like added cost, which is maybe not in the cards? correct?

2. I know this sounds insanely silly, but no soft serve ice cream machines? That is my kids' favorite part?!?! 🙂

3. Evening entertainment for kids: beside shows, what's available? I don't think they do movies on the big screen?

 

I say all the time that I want something different/classier than Carnival/ RC, but maybe that's not totally true!?!?

[perakcruiser]

4 hours ago, gratamama said:

Hi all,

My parents are celebrating their 50th (!!) wedding anniversary in 2020 and they so very graciously want to treat our group of 12 (4 cabins) to a vacation. We're a diverse group of age and lifestyles, so it looks like maybe a Christmas break trip, and more specifically a cruise.

 

We've done Carnival and RC before - never MSC. Looking at Meraviglia for 12/20/20 or 12/27/20 sailings.

 

This ship looks beautiful and it looks like it can have a lot for our group (4 kids ages 6-16) and my active 72 yo parents. Also considering this is for my parents to enjoy, I love that its a little more glam. My mom is a lover of Europe/ Italy specifically and i can see her enjoying Eataly, Cirque de Soleil, etc.

 

It might be silly but a few things give me pause on this ship over something like maybe the newer Carnival ships. Are any of these justified? Or tell me they are easily surmountable?

1. To get the equivalent of My Time dining, it looks like added cost, which is maybe not in the cards? correct?

2. I know this sounds insanely silly, but no soft serve ice cream machines? That is my kids' favorite part?!?! 🙂

3. Evening entertainment for kids: beside shows, what's available? I don't think they do movies on the big screen?

 

I say all the time that I want something different/classier than Carnival/ RC, but maybe that's not totally true!?!?

 

If it is more "classier" or not, that solely depends on your fellow passengers. The Meraviglia empty is definitely "superclassy", more or less unmatched. But as you realized the prices are so cheap and the kids policy is so italian that many low or no income families can afford to book (in Europe, not in US), maybe this will make you feel it is even less classy than Carnival. That´s why some people are hiding in the YC :D

 

But enough from the class struggle in Beverly Hills, let´s bring some good news. For your mom (who seems to be like my mom) it will be surely great as for your kids. Problem, other moms and other people are not like our moms. For the vast majority of cruisers speciality dining is about expensive beef cuts and seafood. So the Eataly is not too popular, even it is exactly what you expect from it. And second problem, the pasta in the MDR and the pizza at the buffet is already so good, it is hard for the Eataly to gain customers. Not sure if it will survive. Anyway, Eataly is always Gragnano pasta which you will get in the MDR only two times or so. And you can buy the pasta and bring home. 

 

About your questions.

 

1. To get the equivalent of My Time dining, it looks like added cost, which is maybe not in the cards? correct?

-> You cannot buy My Choice Dining and you cannot book yourself in this area. On some ships the My Choice restaurant has it´s own menu that is close to the MDR menu but with some upgrades (more often Gragnano pasta, some signature dishes from speciality restaurants). Actually I don´t know if that is true for the Meraviglia, for the Armonia it is. My Choice is only for Aurea passengers. Don´t worry, the MDR will make you happy also.

 

2. I know this sounds insanely silly, but no soft serve ice cream machines? That is my kids' favorite part?!?! 🙂

-> Oh, long time that I have seen machines for soft ice cream. Cannot say if still available, but my guess is that your kids will lose the interest for soft ice after they tried gelato :D

 

3. Evening entertainment for kids: beside shows, what's available? I don't think they do movies on the big screen?

-> Yes, no movies. Actually the entertainment for kids usually happens at the kids club, also for older kids and also at night. Maybe you will not be too happy to heat, but on MSC ships the kids usually don´t have much interest to spend the evenings with the parents and vice versa. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2019 by perakcruiser

[emmas gran]

We were on Meraviglia in Nov and there is soft serve ice cream on the pool deck --staff serve you. Gelato is not free and 4 kids wanting it every day can add up

[jkgourmet]

I thought eataly was gone from the Mera - maybe it's still there for shopping, but is there still a restaurant? 

 

To clarify the My Time dining situation, if you book a cabin with the Bella or Fantastica experience,  you cannot get My Time dining.  You must book an Aurea experience.   The Aurea cabins are more expensive, but I believe come with some extra perks and cabins in 'better' locations.  Your entire group will have to book the Aurea experience to get My Time dining.  And yes, Aurea IS more expensive. 

 

Bella and Fantastica means you will be assigned a restaurant and a dining time.  You can request a preference for early or late, but it will not be guaranteed.

 

If My Time is an important requirement to your group, yes, you will have to pay more.

 

Frankly, had I known about this and the limitations of the Easy package, I would have reconsidered booking MSC again.  My bad for not researching more throughly before pushing the purchase button.

Edited December 30, 2019 by jkgourmet

[gratamama]

These are all really helpful points, and maybe my information about Eataly is outdated. I looked into Yacht Club but I think those options are basically gone, unless we all got suites, which is not happening. I'm sure we'll all survive ;) 

However, I looked at things a bit more closely and I may suggest Seaside over Meraviglia to my parents. It seems like that ship is a bit stronger in the pool/outside game and that's what we're all there for anyway. And, as PP mentioned pasta on board is great wherever you eat it. We can do Eataly any day we want here in Chicago anyway.

 

 

12 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

 

 

 

 

 

[perakcruiser]

9 hours ago, gratamama said:

However, I looked at things a bit more closely and I may suggest Seaside over Meraviglia to my parents. It seems like that ship is a bit stronger in the pool/outside game and that's what we're all there for anyway.

Your parents probably prefer the Mera, but both ships are great. The Mera is the classy beauty queen on the seven seas, but the Seaside has the wunderful outdoor deck 8 and the amazing water park. 

 

12 hours ago, jkgourmet said:

I thought eataly was gone from the Mera - maybe it's still there for shopping, but is there still a restaurant? 

Not surprised to hear this, this concept cannot work when you serve excellent pasta in the MDR and pizza at the buffet, that customers love for many years. 

 

9 hours ago, gratamama said:

And, as PP mentioned pasta on board is great wherever you eat it. We can do Eataly any day we want here in Chicago anyway.

Wow, a branch in Chicago, how lucky you are. Then also the shopping is useless for you, it is the same Afeltra pasta you get in any Eataly. 

 

By the way, I would love to know if the My Choice menu for Aurea on Seaside and Mera class is different from the MDR (like Armonia class) or not. If anyone is on the ships right now, please check.

[jkgourmet]

9 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

 

 

By the way, I would love to know if the My Choice menu for Aurea on Seaside and Mera class is different from the MDR (like Armonia class) or not. If anyone is on the ships right now, please check.

 

Wait - are you saying that the menu for My Choice dining is different than the set dining time menu?

[Até]

9 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

By the way, I would love to know if the My Choice menu for Aurea on Seaside and Mera class is different from the MDR (like Armonia class) or not. If anyone is on the ships right now, please check.

There was no dinner menu difference for Aurea on Divina, Seaside or Meraviglia.  The only difference was Aurea got embarkation lunch in a main dining room, that one time menu was different and a little better than the regular lunch menu.

[perakcruiser]

4 hours ago, jkgourmet said:

 

Wait - are you saying that the menu for My Choice dining is different than the set dining time menu?

It is on Armonia (and probably the other ships from this class). Some dishes on the menu are the same as in MDR, but there are some upmarket alternatives. Actually the my choice menu on Armonia sounded close to a YC menu. 

[perakcruiser]

4 hours ago, Até said:

There was no dinner menu difference for Aurea on Divina, Seaside or Meraviglia.  The only difference was Aurea got embarkation lunch in a main dining room, that one time menu was different and a little better than the regular lunch menu.

Thanks. So this is limited to Armonia class ships. 

[mnocket]

I would be hard pressed to say MSC is classier than RC.  If this is a key point for you I'd probably look elsewhere (Celebrity, Princess, or above)