My View: From Mazda to Meraviglia

[APDMOM]

1 hour ago, lucyandricky said:

Thank you for these great pictures!  We are in this cabin (12348) December 18th.  We are following you on your journey.  Have fun!!!

 

Fun! Let me know if you want any additional pictures or if you have other questions. 🙂

[APDMOM]

3 hours ago, coscab said:

Thanks so much for pics, we have 11269 this time in 6 days and then 11386 for march meraviglia 7 day, I am panicking that the bed is not by the balcony, that's the only way I like it, if you happen to be able to peak in one of those or both when door is open could you check where bed is, although if its near entrance door I really don't want to know😝  Oh, and thanks for being my private cruise consultant!

I will see if I can get some extra steps in that way 😁 If I run into the cabin attendant for that room I will ask. 

[coscab]

1 minute ago, APDMOM said:

I will see if I can get some extra steps in that way 😁 If I run into the cabin attendant for that room I will ask. 

Thanks, I actually found a video for 11386, bed is near balcony so all is right in the world for that cruise!  If you do pass by 11269 and get a peek (spelled it wrong before) that would be great.  Enjoy your evening.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Really enjoying your review!  We were on Mera last week and I’m just amazed how unique each experience really is. We also discovered the back of the buffet and found an even more remote aft outdoor dining area…completely covered. I couldn’t believe all the available seating!

Oh and I’m loving what ya’ll did with the balcony. 😊

[APDMOM]

8 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Really enjoying your review!  We were on Mera last week and I’m just amazed how unique each experience really is. We also discovered the back of the buffet and found an even more remote aft outdoor dining area…completely covered. I couldn’t believe all the available seating!

Oh and I’m loving what ya’ll did with the balcony. 😊

Yes, we loved eating out there too on our previous Meraviglia cruise - tried twice on this cruise, but so far it was too cold in Port Canaveral yesterday and too windy with blowing rain this morning.  Hope to get out there tomorrow! 

[APDMOM]

We had a mixed bag of rain, sunshine, rain, sunshine, and extreme humidity today.  We did not leave the ship but enjoyed seeing other ships in port.  We also found that our balcony was quite sheltered from the rain, thanks to the overhang (except if the wind blows strongly while in port).

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Celebrity Reflection:

I love seeing our ‘future ships’ in port.  We are booked to board this beauty for a New Year’s cruise next month!

 

 

We could even spot our next balcony!

 

[APDMOM]

We enjoyed lunch in the MDR with excellent service from Lawan and Japeth.  

 

TIP: If you want to enjoy a more relaxing lunch on a sea day, or when the ship arrives at port right around lunch, the MDR is a great choice. They had very efficient service and the food we ordered was very good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

After lunch, we enjoyed our balcony.  The ship was still pretty busy as it seems like many passengers opted to stay onboard.  

 

Afternoon coffee was enjoyed at Jean Philippe:

Although our selections were very good, it is obvious that inflation has hit MSC too- the servings are much smaller than they were in 2019.  It was still worth the splurge for us, but we will not be stopping here as frequently as we had planned.

 

 

 

 

A view of Reflection from Jean Philippe:

 

[APDMOM]

The Jean Philippe Menu:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

That is all I have energy for tonight.  Will close out day 2 sometime tomorrow.

 

Thanks for the likes, comments, and for ‘cruising’ along!

 

[B&P!!!]

I'm LOVING this as I'll be sailing on the Mera this spring. A few questions:

Is breakfast really just available until 8 or 8:30? We have a few late risers (and a teen) who will find that a challenge in our group!

What's the sportsplex like? Is it busy? Are ther activities going on? Can you play tennis or soccer or basketball??

[APDMOM]

7 hours ago, B&P!!! said:

I'm LOVING this as I'll be sailing on the Mera this spring. A few questions:

Is breakfast really just available until 8 or 8:30? We have a few late risers (and a teen) who will find that a challenge in our group!

What's the sportsplex like? Is it busy? Are ther activities going on? Can you play tennis or soccer or basketball??

Thank you for reading along!

 

Breakfast is available from 6:30 AM until 11:30 AM. Buffet is open at 6:30 for “early risers” (me), MDR is open for about 1 hour around 7:30 or 8, depending on the port/sea day.  Then there is a grab-and-go smaller selection at the pool until 11:30.  The buffet breakfast seems to end at 10:30, but that could also be dependent upon port/sea day.  If you look at this page on the daily planner, you can see all the open times for food 🙂

 

Also, Seaplex is quite busy on this cruise since we have over 1,000 kids and teens on this sailing.  I have seen them play soccer one time I walked through.  It probably also has a schedule that I just have not checked in detail.  

 

[APDMOM]

Ships Leaving Nassau:

 

Celebrity Beyond (No plans to cruise on this one yet)

 

 

Explorer of the Seas:  Have been on her sisters, Navigator and Adventure.

TIP: If you ever plan on taking a cruise on this class ship, try to book 7388 of 7688 for an extra large balcony.  See my Adventure of the Seas review for details and pictures.

 

 

 

Harmony of the Seas - It was bitter-sweet to see this ship in Nassau.  The last time we were on Harmony, we cruised with my mom and dad from Namibia (November 2019).  That was the last cruise we got to enjoy with my dad, who passed away in 2021 after a 37-year-long battle with leukemia.  It was such a blessing to have him for so many years of grace. We cherish the memories of our cruises with him. 

 

[APDMOM]

Casa Blanca (the first time we saw this house, it had a helicopter landing and taking off from their own personal helipad.  I will have to find a picture of it when I get home):

[APDMOM]

Dinner in the MDR:

We decided to skip dessert, but enjoyed our meals.  I only posted new dishes, since DH had the Salmon again and DS sticks to the shrimp cocktail.

 

TIP:  MSC food portions are smaller than other lines - sometimes significantly so.  This is one thing I LOVE about MSC but it can be a shock to people who are used to other cruiselines.  So, be sure to order 2 entrees if you like a bigger meal for dinner.  Just order them at the same time to save the staff a bit of extra trouble 🙂

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Tonight’s Show:  COOL

The show was very enjoyable and we could tell that most of the cast had fun performing.  The harmonies were not perfect, but like DH said, that did not matter as much since the show was perfectly entertaining.  The band is amazing!

 

 

 

 

[mnpurple]

Enjoying your review! The portion size was something I really appreciated about MSC and I consider a major pro for the line. DH and I normally share entrees when we go out and sometimes still have leftovers. It really bothers me to waste food and I didn't worry about that on MSC as much.

 

I noticed Casa Blanca on our cruise this past March. Would be interesting to see what it looked like before if you find that photo.

[APDMOM]

These two talented performers from Ethiopia are on roller skates!  Made me think of the ice skating shows on Royal Caribbean ships.

 

 

 

 

 

The show was truly 70’s style COOL!

[APDMOM]

1 minute ago, mnpurple said:

Enjoying your review! The portion size was something I really appreciated about MSC and I consider a major pro for the line. DH and I normally share entrees when we go out and sometimes still have leftovers. It really bothers me to waste food and I didn't worry about that on MSC as much.

 

I noticed Casa Blanca on our cruise this past March. Would be interesting to see what it looked like before if you find that photo.

I agree 100% with the food portions.  I always said, “I wish there were still such a thing as a ‘ladies’ portion.” We had that growing up in South Africa and would love a ‘smaller portion’ option on all cruises!

[APDMOM]

The Galleria tonight:

This was 70’s night. Due to bad weather, it was moved from the pool deck to the galleria.  That was just a bit too crowded for me to participate, but it was fun to watch from the pub area.

TIP:  Pack your 70’s flower power outfit if this s the kind of thing you enjoy!  Also, there was a glow party that I forgot to mention (we did not attend and I am not sure it happened, since there was inclement weather).  Pack some glow sticks for that event.

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

A bit of the action:

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

The Daily Program: Day 2 - Nassau, Bahamas

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

My Sunset View: End of Day 2

 

[coscab]

So sorry about your dad but glad you able to travel with him, sounds like he was a fighter, memories are definitely bitter sweet but we are so blessed to have them.