10/13 MSC Meraviglia total disaster

[slk1000]

My family just got off the Meraviglia and it was a total nightmare.  We were in line for 4 1/2 hours just to get on the ship.  An older women in front of me actually passed out.  We got there at 1:30 and finally boarded at 6:00. After boarding, I went to the MDR and waited for it to open at 6:30.  People were still in line outside.  It took 30 minutes and asking 3 people to get a glass of water and one hour later at 7:30 we had still only had one piece of bread.  By the third night we ended up going to the buffet because dinner took so long.  This is my 5th cruise with MSC and I can't believe our experience.  I understand there are issued but it was really upsetting that they didn't seem to care at all. Eventually they ended up giving a $50 obc on the 3rd day.  The clincher for my husband is when he went to get my son soft serve ice cream near the pool and was told they no longer offer free ice cream unless you have the drink package . Other issues included not getting the proper OBC and waiting hours in line to resolve that and trying to get on the internet. I've never seen so many unhappy customers on one cruise which even as we were trying to put the on-boarding experience behind us made it hard. Getting off the ship was unbelievable as well.  We were walking off carrying our own luggage and  the line was huge.  It took 1 1/2  hours to disembark. I feel badly for those people that were on for their first cruise.  I don't won't to write off MSC for good but hope no one else has this bad of an experience.  The ship was full and they were maybe staffed for half that many people.  The guy in luggage said for the people boarding today there will only be 2500 on board so it shouldn't be a problem.  I hope they have a great experience.

[luvavacation]

100% agree.

 

We were Yacht Club and Diamond members on this cruise.  While our butler and his helper tried to make up for the failings of the MSC main office (no information about pre-cruise questionnaire, no delivery of Diamond perks, newspaper only one day, err make that the 2nd night at turndown, etc), there was no excuse for the overall lack of care nor service on this sailing.

 

Not to mention, this is not the first time MSC has had a ship at Port Canaveral, nor the first time a ship has had a Coast Guard inspection.  The 4+ hours in a line that snaked around with 3 different turns (at least), the MSC rep that was directing everyone into the crazy long line at boarding, denying that Yacht Club reservations were supposed to go to the white tents to the right (as he told us and and the family in front of us, "they are just going to send you right back to this line and you will lose your place").  

 

Numerous erroneous charges on shipboard accounts, numerous times being told "trust me, I will take care of it, it will be removed", only to find it never was.  Even being told that an email had to be sent to Naples for accounting (Naples FL? No, Naples Italy!).  Onboard personnel that should have the power to take care of problems can't do anything because they need permission from Naples, Italy.

 

The whole cruise was just a cluster "flip" (don't believe I am allowed to really say what it was).  

 

Then debarkation.  Another cluster "flip".  Shipboard account all finally correct on last morning, no issues according to concierge, then we aren't allowed to exit the ship because when the card is scanned, the shipboard account shows "not settled".  Grrrrr.  Get us off this ship!

 

The one thing this cruise did do was make us glad we were Yacht Club, because not only was boarding easier for us once we walked around the MSC rep that denied we were supposed to go to the white tents (though it still took about an hour to actually get on the ship, which has not been what we have experienced on previous MSC Yacht Club cruises, but at least we were inside and had refreshments), but our butler escort off the ship also helped rectify the issue with the "not settled" shipboard account glitch without having us have to go back up to the concierge.

 

People not in Yacht Club cabins with the same issues (and oh were there many!) had to get out of line and go back to guest services, figure it out, then once again had to go back into the very long, hours long, line to get off the ship.

 

MSC Meraviglia was a huge disapointment. 

 

Oh, and that extra $50 shipboard credit given on the day before we depart, when there isn't really time to go spend that non-refundable credit?  That should have been given on the first night.  No way MSC should have dragged out any type of Goodwill gesture, as it just made people more and more irritated and feeling that MSC had no desire for good (I won't even expect "excellent"!) customer service.  Don't get me wrong, I am glad the MSC powers that be in Naples, Italy, finally realized they had to do something, but it was too little, too late.  

 

Jury is still out if my family decided to do MSC again.  What we do know is that, if we do sail again, there is no question we will be in Yacht Club, because at least we had a more personal experience with our butler and concierge trying to rectify bad situations.  The people at guest services having to deal with 4,000 or so angry people is something we are so glad we did not have.  If it's going to be a cluster "flip", at least have it be in an area with fewer people!

 

But hey, Ocean Cay was nice!  At least there was that!

[mafig]

Wow.  I wouldn't go back.

 

[travelberlin]

I am sorry to hear about this experiences! Unfortunately no one from MSC will reply, so we will never know the reason. I hope this is not going to be a standard procedure.

Ivi

[gramy]

My husband and I just got off this mess! We have cruised in over one hundred cruises, all lines. Never have I seen anything like this. It took us 6 hours to board, no food, no water no bathrooms and standing on concrete. One ornery staff member, when I asked what was wrong said didn't you read your Email! We are late 70's this exhausted us for most of the cruise!  Today we were in line at 7:00, and once again they were not cleared, took 3 hours and only half were off yet!! The ship came from Europe without proper documents for staff, this is not the fault of customs MSC is a cruise line it should have been handled that is the business they are in. WE will never cruise this line again! PS the food wasn't good!

[MainStreetMouse]

Oh no .... we are booked on the Meraviglia early next month. I hope things will be sorted out by then. This will be our first MSC cruise and hopefully not our last. 

[mackfam]

Not happy to hear this. Hoping this is just a one off following the repositioning cruise and these issues will be resolved. We are booked on the November 6th sailing, and thankfully we are in YC. This will be our second MSC cruise and might be our last if our experience ends up being similar to the posters in this thread.

[Georgia_Peaches]

It has been our experience (on NCL) that the first cruise in the US after repositioning from Europe is a charlie foxtrot....every...single...time...The coast guard inspection takes hours and the extra legwork for customs coupled with the boarding of new crew makes for a lot of the issues you experienced.  When we sailed on the NCL Epic after repositioning (also out of Canaveral) we received an e-mail from NCL indicating that our boarding time would be delayed until 3 PM and that we shouldn't show up early.  We ignored the e-mail and ran smack into the very lines described by the OP.  It took hours in the hot sun with no bathroom, water, or shade.  I will never again take a cruise that immediately follows a repositioning.  I blame in part the cruise line and the other part on how things are handled at the port itself.

 

We are on Meravilgia next month for a 4 nighter.  I hope I can report that things have settled down by then.  YC or not, nobody should have the kind of service described here!  

 

 

[shipgeeks]

GP, You just beat me to it.  We have done a couple of first-cruise-after-a-crossing, and they were just like that.  So many factors come into the whole process.

For those of you who were affected, I'm sad to hear of all the problems you had.  It can happen on any line, though, and I hope you won't give up on MSC.

[luvavacation]

3 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

GP, You just beat me to it.  We have done a couple of first-cruise-after-a-crossing, and they were just like that.  So many factors come into the whole process.

For those of you who were affected, I'm sad to hear of all the problems you had.  It can happen on any line, though, and I hope you won't give up on MSC.

Yes, it can happen on any other line. The true colours of how a line is run show in the handling of an event that affects so many guests in a negative way. MSC handled the whole 3 day sailing very badly. 
 

This isn’t their first rodeo. They should know what to expect and accommodate.  At least pass out bottles of water and have tents for shade set up. 
 

My family had a cruise on a different line that had what was an unexpected delay in boarding. A ship full of people were waiting outside. That other line had the foresight to set up tents and hand out water. After awhile, the cruise line mascot even came out to greet people. And that was all for an unexpected situation. 
 

This was not unexpected. Then, the continuing onboard issues many experienced were just a lack of quality control. MSC’s home office handled it all terribly. 
 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, luvavacation said:

Onboard personnel that should have the power to take care of problems can't do anything because they need permission from Naples, Italy.

This truly blows my mind.  That customer relations reps do not have the autonomy they need to resolve an issue staring them right in the face without first consulting headquarters in Italy is enough to make me cruise elsewhere.  Fortunately, we had a good experience on or first MSC cruise but there are just too many mainstream lines to choose from to battle such illogical management practices.  Should we ever encounter a situation like this, we simply wouldn't go back.  I hope our cruise with MSC next month has improved results.

[mafig]

Now that I think of it, we've also been on a couple of cruises that were the first into the US from Europe.  One on Celebrity.....this was so bad we didn't cruise Celebrity again for years.

Two were on Princess.  Also bad.  And one on Costa, which was not a return from Europe, but was a surprise Coast Guard inspection.

Now we know better.

[Nunagoras]

54 minutes ago, mafig said:

Now that I think of it, we've also been on a couple of cruises that were the first into the US from Europe.  One on Celebrity.....this was so bad we didn't cruise Celebrity again for years.

Two were on Princess.  Also bad.  And one on Costa, which was not a return from Europe, but was a surprise Coast Guard inspection.

Now we know better.

All the way, all the time: 1st and last cruise in season will always be the same. I had one on MSC here in Europe and it was as bad as this situation presents. Or better the 2 last days of the week were that bad. Been there, done that, lesson learnt!...

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

We have done a couple of first-cruise-after-a-crossing, and they were just like that.  So many factors come into the whole process.

For those of you who were affected, I'm sad to hear of all the problems you had.  It can happen on any line, though, and I hope you won't give up on MSC

 

MSC in the past has had "issues" when ships sailing in Europe return for a season of sailing from the United States.  If USPH and a USCG inspection was involved before guests could embark, that is not MSC's fault.  The reported time to board does seem excessive, however.  

 

Quite right that such a delay can occur on any line.  Sailing on the original Royal Princess from Port Everglades, she had not ported in the United States for some time and the USCG and USPH needed to do their inspections before guests were allowed to board.  A smaller ship than Meraviglia; maybe at that time more inspectors available (?).  

[gramy]

We had a similar experience on the Oasis. But they checked us in to rooms to wait with water and snacks.  They knew it was going to happen and planned ahead.  Class act!

 

[slk1000]

The baggage handlers told the people in front of us that the computer system was down.  I believe that also may have played a factor. Several people we spoke to on the ship said they were being charged for their drinks even though they had the drink package due to a computer issue. I agree, this could have happened and sounds like it does happen on other lines but MSC didn't handle it well.  I am sorry to hear this has happened to quite a few people with a first sailing back in the US or back in Europe.  I won't make that mistake again. 

Edited October 16, 2022 by slk1000

[slk1000]

8 minutes ago, gramy said:

We had a similar experience on the Oasis. But they checked us in to rooms to wait with water and snacks.  They knew it was going to happen and planned ahead.  Class act!

 

I'm glad to hear this.  I'll look at RC for our next cruise.  I probably won't give up completely on MSC because we have had good experiences with them but will look around more.  

Edited October 16, 2022 by slk1000

[GA Dave]

I was also on this cruise.  I normally cruise in YC but decided to make this my "retirement experiment" cruise.  I booked a basic interior cabin on deck 11, no wifi, but I did buy the drink package once I boarded (Easy Plus).  I also waited three hours and forty minutes in the lines to board.  It was not pleasant, but I think I may be immune at this point to any "pain" people find doing this as I am also a huge Universal Orlando fan and find 2-3 hour waits on top attractions all the time.  I did also think the $50 OBC should have come sooner, but I just used it to offset part of my drink package charge. 

Overall, I had a pretty good time.  Obviously, it was nowhere near as wonderful as all of my previous YC cruises, but I went in with very low expectations and came out pretty happy.  I learned to avoid the front area in the buffet and always went straight to the back for my food and sat out on the outdoor deck behind the buffet to eat (usually pretty much alone).  The diversity of food was more than I thought it would be, and I had things like Prime Rib, Pork Loin Roast, many grilled vegetables, etc. that I never expected.  I also found the bars on decks 6 and 15 to be packed all the time, so I just went up to the Sky Lounge on deck 18 when it opened and enjoyed a mostly empty lounge every evening.  Knowing that the ship was at lifeboat capacity, I got off at first announcement for Ocean Cay and got a wonderful spot with an Adirondack chair, table and umbrella right by the bar at the Lighthouse Beach.  For disembarkation this morning, I was at the buffet for a quick muffin and coffee at 6:00 AM and got onto the line to disembark at 6:20 AM.  Spent the waiting time talking with many wonderful people, and I was off the ship, in my car and traveling down A1A/FL528 by 7:50AM.

Sometimes when everyone else is zigging, you need to zag.  😁

[Georgia_Peaches]

15 minutes ago, GA Dave said:

Sometimes when everyone else is zigging, you need to zag.  😁

What a great perspective, GA Dave!  So if I may, I have a few questions...

1.  How did you find the interior stateroom and more specifically, how was the a/c?  We have booked one in the YC for next month and picked interior because I'm hoping the a/c may be better than it was last time in our balcony stateroom....

2.  Did you visit the casino?  if so, was smoking allowed?

[eagletwo]

We are booked on Meraviglia with a Fantastica experience, aft balcony on deck 12 leaving on October 23rd.  Have been on two MSC cruises, both in the YC on Meraviglia and Divina.  With the reviews we have seen, I hope we don't have the issues with check-in, food and service. I am a Diamond member, but that does not mean much during check-in.  Any advice?

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, gramy said:

My husband and I just got off this mess! We have cruised in over one hundred cruises, all lines. Never have I seen anything like this. It took us 6 hours to board, no food, no water no bathrooms and standing on concrete. One ornery staff member, when I asked what was wrong said didn't you read your Email! We are late 70's this exhausted us for most of the cruise!  Today we were in line at 7:00, and once again they were not cleared, took 3 hours and only half were off yet!! The ship came from Europe without proper documents for staff, this is not the fault of customs MSC is a cruise line it should have been handled that is the business they are in. WE will never cruise this line again! PS the food wasn't good!

I copied your post for posterity. Thanks for posting the reason to watch out for on future repositionings.

[GA Dave]

48 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

What a great perspective, GA Dave!  So if I may, I have a few questions...

1.  How did you find the interior stateroom and more specifically, how was the a/c?  We have booked one in the YC for next month and picked interior because I'm hoping the a/c may be better than it was last time in our balcony stateroom....

2.  Did you visit the casino?  if so, was smoking allowed?

Hi GA Peaches!  Good to hear from you again.  I have not been on here much.

1.  I found the interior fine.  Plenty of room, they have two different porthole camera views on the TV if you need to see outside.  When I got there, I turned the AC temp down all the way as I usually do.  After dinner, I went back to get something, and it was FREEZING!!  I had to turn it up to a notch or two below the "middle" setting to make it comfortable for me.

2.  Yes, I walked through the casino a few times.  There were a few people smoking but I really did not find it bad at all.  I am very sensitive to it as a former smoker (30+ years ago), but it really did not bother me.  They have very good ventilation.

 

BTW, the attached picture should give everyone a good idea of what I talked about related to being used to waiting on lines.  This was today at Universal just to ride that one ride.

[APDMOM]

1 hour ago, GA Dave said:

 

Sometimes when everyone else is zigging, you need to zag.  😁

Love this!  Thank you for sharing.  I think we will get along very well. 😁 

 

Looking forward to our Thanksgiving cruise on Meraviglia.  Note to self to avoid post TA cruises, but will still see the glass “a little over half full”.

 

…I always have my balcony to go zagging. 

[GOLDENBONNY]

4 hours ago, gramy said:

The ship came from Europe without proper documents for staff

how would you possibly know that.

[GOLDENBONNY]

was it first cruise after Europe? no surprise here. always a mess by US customs