MSC MERAVIGLIA 13 DAY REPO NYC- MIA OCT 2019

[Rotterdam]

I just wanted to add some info on MSC, the MERAVIGLIA and a repo cruise I sailed in back in October 2019.

As background I have been on countless cruises & crossings since 1975.  I live in NYC & have sailed on MSC 4X in the past when the line was new to the states(POESIA,OPERA).

I booked the cruise as it was easier to get on the ship than to deal w airports/JFK. For the last 3 years I was trying out fla as a second home( that's a no go..its not for everyone). I stay between 3 & 6 months.  My goal was to sail down to fla & then take a msc repo from mia to italy in march 2020.

It was my first time on a mega ship & my first sight of her as I got out of the cab at the westside piers was " oh my...I dont know about this".

I booked a fantasia balcony cabin midship on deck 12.  The cabin & balcony were quite comfortable & every morning i had coffee croissants & fresh fruit delivered which I enjoyed on the balcony.  Coffe good & hot, fruit fresh & sweet & croissants warm & flaky...delish way to start the day.

As I was getting away from life I spent a great deal of time on the balcony reading, resting & just loving my sea days.

I only ate in the main dining room once & the staff were very accommodating in getting me a single table at a late seating.

I found the food to be well prepared(except 1 meal), varied and the staff willing to go the extra mile for me when requested. I ate almost all meals while at sea in the " buffet" area. It's best if you walk around it first to see what is on offer. They had all the standards...cutting stations w po, beef chicken, salads...the pizza was great & they custom made them( I even took a pie up to a bar one nite for us to snack on after many cocktails & dancing...they even had pizza boxes. There was plenty of ethnic foods that changed daily. Along w grilled hamburger, frank's & fries.

Each day I would get a drink & snack such as guacamole & chips & sit outside on the aft deck...wonderful.

I didnt eat in the dining because on this trip I'd rather be outside..I was alone. Free & knew i would never go hungry.  I do try local restaurants when in port & even enjoyed thai food w a bartender from the ship in Aruba.

I also ate dinners in the buffet...choices of fresh fish, vegetables and various baked good & desserts kept me happy.

Try the gelato on deck 6/ indoor promenade...wonderful & you can watch the parade pass...i dont know why more people dont enjoy it.

I tried the Spanish restaurant onboard which i found lacking...there was only 2 other people there, service was slow & the food not seasoned enough. The Pub was a popular spot as a sports bar, great hamburgers & pub food & fun entertainment each nite.  I dont eat sushi & am not a big steak eater do I didnt try them.( both were well attended).

The chocolate shop was popular & interesting in the displays & process..delicious.

The evening entertainment varied from small bars to the theater w shows.  I am not a show person but did see the opera show.  In one lounge people were up dancing. in the lobby w bars people sat at the champagne bar listening to the pianist or violinist playing.

I usually went to the bar on the upper deck where there usually had a band playing...my bar stool & drink were ready.

There was also an outside disco/ club most evenings weather permitting on the aft decks...fun.

Each evening there was FOD/LGBT MEET...it was posted in the daily news program.  I didnt attend tho in passing  I did see a group of 6-8 men in the designated area.

MSC is an European product & I prefer that.  There were people who looked for things to complain about...lack of tissues in cabin, small portions & even one person composing about the size of the free soft serve ice cream out by the pools.  Any issues I had I simply asked my steward(who I hardly ever saw) or waiter/ supervisor & it was taken care of.  MSC is adapting but it's not the Ritz carlton...people expect too much compared to cost.

Getting on & off the ship was very easy. Boarding in NYC there were plenty of dockworkers to take luggage(I had 😎 it took about 20 minutes to board and my luggage was already in the cabin.

Disembarking in miami also was easy.  I stayed in my cabin til last call..walk off, the bags were all there & my ride at the doors. 15 minutes.

We did have an itinerary change as & didn't get to the new msc island as it wasn't ready.  A generous credit + refund of port charges were immediately applied to my onboard account. MSC has some cutting edge tech onboard..easy to put in credit card, check on balance & close out at atm type machines. There were snags but the problems were nothing compared to how badly some passengers treated guest relations & staff.

After years of carib cruise I stay onboard at ports like Jamaica, Nassau,Dominican Republic and such & really enjoy the ship. One nice perk when reboarding the staff had set up cooltowels, water, ice stations w water spray to keep people cool.

A few things that can be improved...they need more staff in dining rooms, staterooms & bars & at security.  In one port the line to get back on the ship was so long, it was blazing hot & the security team were not professional...I alerted an officer & it was straightened out immediately.

The ship was immaculate & the constant cleaning was obvious all over the ship at all hours. 

As I had planned to be in italy now of course due to covid I returned to NYC😊🤗🌇 I  stayed 8n ft laud,& palm beach for 6 months..8 weeks longer than I expected.

I'll be back on a msc ship again & it sure beat getting on a plane.

[Rotterdam]

Just an extra thought I've sailed on the old ITALIAN LINE, FRENCH LINE. HAL, CUNARD, Regent, RCCL... I wont do Carnival Line, Disney, RCCL.

IM LOOKING AT SILVERSEA( THO I DONT LIKE THE IDEA OF THEM BEING BOUGHT) AND VIKING AS GO TO LINES NOW.

I'll avoid CARNIVORE CORPORATION LINES AS MUCH AS I CAN.

I LOVE BEING AT SEA ...EVEN A MEGA SHIP 8S BETTER THAN NO SHIP.🤗👑🍸

[tompeter]

Great report....Thanks!

[Rotterdam]

On 7/2/2020 at 7:07 AM, tompeter said:

Great report....Thanks!

You're welcome TomPeter...

Friends asked me to include the following...

The gym onboard was  on the small size w free weights &machines, tread mills  & bikes. There were several classes offered.

There was a small locker room w showers & a sauna. Towels were also supplied & plentiful. Again the gym & locker room were spotlessly clean. I used the free weights, bike & sauna.

The spa was in another area of the ship...I'm not a spa guy but I usually like getting a haircut onboard.  I made 2 appointments and both ran late & I ended up cancelling after sitting & waiting for 30 minutes.  Funny thing is that the hair salon area was glass enclosed & visible to the reception area..so I  sat & watched someone getting their hair dyed, mani, pedi , & a face scrub...and it was a guy🤯

 

I also travelled in a FANTASTICA BALCONY CABIN/ midship.  As I stated the the room & service were great.  The FANTISTICA LEVEL gave me some flexibility in dining & also free room service..all I did was tip the stewards that brought my morning coffee and🍌☕🥐  each day. PERFECTO....🤗🤗🤗