Thanks anyway MSC (06/25 - 07-02)

[new_cruiser_75]

I am a fairly seasoned cruiser, but this was my first with MSC.  We booked a great deal for us and 2 cabins for our adult "children" (non YC).  The ship was beautiful, though difficult to navigate - I never could get my bearings while traversing her.  The staff we interacted with was pretty great, but nothing about the ship (nor our disastrous experience before getting to board) was even at a Carnival level.  We will probably never sail with them again. 

We started our vacation with a red-eye from the Pacific Northwest to FLL.  Flights were good - uneventful and smooth.  We landed in FLL and arranged for SAS transportation to drive us to the port. (SAS was awesome!  I highly recommend them!).  After stopping to pick up 2 other families (traveling on NCL) we arrived at the port at 10am with all our luggage (a carryon each and one larger checked suitcase).  While in the transport, our driver filled us in about what was happening at the port and that in their MANY decades in that area this was the 1st time they had heard of anything like this; so we started Googling and were aware of what was happening, but what could we do, there was no where else to go and no one had any idea how long we might have to wait.  So, we tipped the porters to take all our luggage (should have pulled a few things out first, but hindsight...) and went to the terminal entrance.  We were turned away - they were letting no one in but we could walk down to the Carnival terminal and wait in there; so we did.  Ahhhh the AC was so awesome!  We get seated and start chatting with others who were offered a bus over 😒 and were there about 15 minutes before we are told that we would have to leave - we could take a bus back to the MSC terminal to wait there; so we did of course.  We are in line outside when the people there say that they are not letting anyone inside yet!?!?! After MUCH grumbling from other passengers they open the scanners to start letting people inside.  Again, ahhhh the AC!  But then we are just let into the lower inside check-in area (lucky us - many others were stuck outside when this got full).  We get comfy sitting on the floor, playing many games of cards, and wait some more. After about an hour they let us upstairs to wait so that they can accommodate other passengers downstairs (it is now around noon and we are getting hungry but there is unlimited food waiting for us on board, right?).  Again, we find a "comfy" spot upstairs where we can see outside and start to play some more cards. Some staff brings out a few cases of bottled water and we are lucky enough to snag 2 for our party of 6 😵  About an hour later, they send us back downstairs "so that they can process our boarding" 😄  - hahahahahahahaha!  What did they do with the people who were down there?  I'm imagining they sent them back outside and I am soooo sorry for them - I just can't imagine, it was sooo hot and humid! 😵 We are pretty close to the front of the line and we wait for about another hour before they start processing passengers.  We heard rumor that they couldn't do anything until the tablets come off the ship... then we see the ship through a door to the outside that some of the staff are using; woohoo!  We get processed (our pictures taken and room cards are printed) and head back upstairs for more waiting.  We can see the ship through the windows!!!!

Around 4:30 we are told that they don't expect to start loading passengers until 8:30 or 9pm! We haven't eaten (save some travel snacks we had left over) since grabbing breakfast at 6:30am at the airport!  Also, not sure what they changed, but when we got back to the upstairs waiting room the second time, there was essentially no more wifi nor cell service.  There are 2 vending machines in this area but by now they only have gum and breath mints. People are tired, and grumpy, and HUNARY! At one point some police officers come through to yell at the upper deck people waiting in the room next door... No word from the staff and we can see the ship docked right in front of us!  Around 7pm we finally see guests starting to debark! But then the flow of disembarking passengers stops and we start to hope - then we are "informed" that there is still over 1,000 passengers still on the ship - WHAT!?!? At almost precisely 10 pm we finally cross the threshold onto the ship and beeline it straight for the only food available - the buffet.  Around midnight they (LOUDLY) announce that we still have to muster before we can even pull away from the dock!  I seriously can't even imagine what family with young children experienced.  NCL docked before MSC and was the first to leave; Carnival was the 3rd to dock and second to leave; MSC was 2nd to dock and 3rd to leave with quite a bit of time after Carnival 😝

Yes, I know that someone was killed leading up to this and I do feel for their family but this review isn't really about them.  After TWELVE HOURS without any real word from MSC (except the $20 OBC given) and hearing that Carnival passengers were at least given cookies... this could have been better handled by MSC!  As @PharmacyRx said in their report "If this "non- emergency" overwhelmed them then what would they do in a true maritime, ship involved event where life boats had to be deployed?" 

 

After 6 days on this ship, the only thing that we thought was as good or better than Carnival was the décor (and the price).  The staff was good, but not better.  The food was good, but not as good.  Ocean Cay was beautiful and you could use your drink package there so I guess that was better.  Anyways, we will probably never cruise with MSC again, at least not for many years.  Thanks for the stories, MSC... but no thanks

Here are some pictures we took of the ship.  Most of the others contain one or more of us so keeping those private 😉 

 

 

[lcpagejr]

Thanks for your review… yours and the cruise prior were difficult and frustrating.  I agree with many of your on ship observations. I’ve mentioned this numerous times… I would never cruise MSC outside Yacht Club … just too many customer service and overall service inconsistencies which fortunately are greatly minimized in Yacht Club 

[Illbcruzn4life]

What was the. Name of the ship you were on?

[new_cruiser_75]

On 7/10/2023 at 5:39 AM, Illbcruzn4life said:

What was the. Name of the ship you were on?

The MSC Seascape

[richs52]

Sorry that you didn't get any cookies. 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

So sorry for your bad experience!  We looked at that cruise but ultimately ended up booking the Seaside the same dates because Port Canaveral is much closer. We heard about this before leaving our hotel that morning and we’re thankful for our choice. I wonder if those in the yacht club were treated any better. Did they refund a day of the cruise since you essentially lost a day? You would think they would have had some food delivered to the terminal. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Deleted 

 

what was the reason for the delayed boarding?

Edited July 14, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[cruiseguyinorl]

7 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

You would think they would have had some food delivered to the terminal.

 

They tried 15 - 20 different restaurants and catering companies. They were laughed at when they told them how much they needed and how quickly. They would have had to bring enough for everyone at the terminal, otherwise you would have had riots. And no, bringing prepared food off the ship was not an option due to US agriculture rules.

 

Bret

[KKB]

@new_cruiser_75 I'm pretty much the same as you

20+ cruises on various mainstream lines & I got a DEALon MSC.

Caribbean on Divina in Feb.

Well...it was a HOT MESS from day 1.

And never really recovered.

But I had already booked Proezia in Europe in May.

Had hoped Feb was situational...and yet, it wasn't as much as it should have been.

Rude passengers in Feb...and rude passengers in May.

TOTALLY different demographic...and yet, the same.

LOOK--I am VERY much a "the glass is half full" gal.

And yet...NO real interest in sailing MSC again...

MAYBE if I could get a DEAL on YC.

I'd be willing to try.

But not otherwise...

[xcell]

One and Done....   If I had done that, I would have stopped cruising after my first NCL Epic cruise but we gave NCL another chance and enjoyed NCL (plus I would have missed the chance of experiencing the Haven -- unfortunately, that also means my wife only wants to cruise Haven/YC, so that back fired a little).

 

Any ways, sorry to hear about the issues pre-boarding (cookies), I hope MSC will learn from that. 

 

I wonder if that jaded your views for the rest of the cruise?

 

In terms of ship amenities, I like RCCL, then NCL and then MSC.

 

You should give MSC another chance...

 

 

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, xcell said:

One and Done....   If I had done that, I would have stopped cruising after my first NCL Epic cruise but we gave NCL another chance and enjoyed NCL (plus I would have missed the chance of experiencing the Haven -- unfortunately, that also means my wife only wants to cruise Haven/YC, so that back fired a little).

Our first NCL experience was also on Epic.  We made the epic  mistake of booking the first cruise after repositioning from over seas.  We were supposed to embark at 11 but got a message telling us not to arrive until 2 due to the requisite coast guard inspection.  Of course nobody headed that message, (including us) and we showed up at the pier anyway.  It was nothing less than a Charlie foxtrot!   As far as the eye could see...nothing but a mass of sweaty humanity baking in the hot Florida sun with no shelter or water...literally for hours.  By the time we boarded, all we wanted was a fruity umbrella drink in order to put the lousy embarkation experience behind us.  We got in line and were literally the next ones up when the bar tender told us we were too late because they had to shut down for muster.  Right then, I swore I'd never book NCL again....until I did...also in the Haven on Breakaway.  Really glad we gave them another try because the experience was great!  

 

I just can't fathom writing off a cruise line due to the way they handled an unexpected situation brought on by someone else's tragedy.  I read that Carnival did a much better job with communication and food vouchers...MSC could likely learn from that and perhaps rethink their protocols...but I'd definitely give them a second chance...JMO.

[clarky213]

From what I read at the time, they were emailing people to let them know about the delay and suggesting you do not go to the Terminal. Did you not get anything?

 

 

[Brighton Line]

For any transatlantic you also have the entire ship's company and guests have to go thru customs. Usually, CBP goes on board for the crew. It always slows down the turnaround process. 

[GPPhilly]

48 minutes ago, Brighton Line said:

For any transatlantic you also have the entire ship's company and guests have to go thru customs. Usually, CBP goes on board for the crew. It always slows down the turnaround process. 

We were the first sailing of the Meraviglia in October after a repositioning.  The delay was crazy and the lack of staffing that first sailing sue to visa issues was huge.  I would never book the 1st cruise after a repositioning again.  .    

[Selion]

Sorry to hear the OP had a horrendous embarkation day.  I would like to hear more about the cruise and ship itself.

[thistimeplease]

14 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Deleted 

 

what was the reason for the delayed boarding?

A boat hit a ferry and someone died and the passenger was seriously injured.  

[new_cruiser_75]

4 hours ago, clarky213 said:

From what I read at the time, they were emailing people to let them know about the delay and suggesting you do not go to the Terminal. Did you not get anything?

 

 

We did get the email, but flew in from the west coast that morning so had nowhere else to go

As to the others wondering why I might not choose MSC again, mostly because if they can't handle this (minor for them) emergency, I'm not too confident in how they would handle an actual emergency.  Also, there are plenty of other lines to choose from in the same price range.  Our experience, plus those of many others from other cruises/dates/ships that have been reported here just left a sour taste in my mouth... MSC would have to offer one hellofa deal for me to feel the need to give them another shot anytime in the near future since my other options are plentiful.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, thistimeplease said:

A boat hit a ferry and someone died and the passenger was seriously injured.  

That's what I thought...just wanted to be sure.  Thanks!

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, new_cruiser_75 said:

We did get the email, but flew in from the west coast that morning so had nowhere else to go

As to the others wondering why I might not choose MSC again, mostly because if they can't handle this (minor for them) emergency, I'm not too confident in how they would handle an actual emergency.  Also, there are plenty of other lines to choose from in the same price range.  Our experience, plus those of many others from other cruises/dates/ships that have been reported here just left a sour taste in my mouth... MSC would have to offer one hellofa deal for me to feel the need to give them another shot anytime in the near future since my other options are plentiful.

Agreed...flying in from the west coast left you with little options given that your bags would be in tow.  Grace under fire does not seem to be MSC's strong suit, I will give you that but I don't think this is a fair representation of how they would handle a true maritime emergency involving the actual ship.  But none of us really knows and fortunately, MSC has not had to prove themselves in this arena.  I hope you found things to enjoy about the cruise once you got past the terrible embarkation and agree, there are plenty of cruise lines from which to pick.  Personally, I remain loyal to none of them and go for what gives me the best price for the amenities I'm seeking.  Happy cruising ☺️!

[insidecabin]

I like to distinguish a difference to a unforeseen unexpected deviation from normal turnaround  routine.

 

Shore side needing to step up as the ship has been delayed,  for this one at the time a unknown delay.

(ship could not help it was not there).

 

Well rehearsed and trained emergency protocols for incidence on ships from relatively minor like some one falls over to full evacuation.

 

 

IIRC from posts onthe day Carnival stepped up by shipping people to Bayside, that probably took that option away from the other 2 lines as Bayside would have been Mobbed already.

What's the next nearest option that can accommodate a few extra 1000 people.

 

Not sure about Miami terminal capacity were they taking peoples bags as normal?

Once free of checked bags much easier to look at options.

 

If we had abandoned a cruise line when the shore side failed to step up due to delays we would have crossed a few off.

 

RCL Oasis, very late into Southampton total chaos at the terminal no organization for different lines for priority, disabled, new crew etc, then once the ship arrived and people crew were getting off  no return to ship option it was back of the check in line.

Bag drop was in operations which helped .

Once on ship not ready(post drydock)  venues shut on the ship and they were still installing cats, theatre unusable by anyone else which had knock on to other venues.

Arrived US(FLL) on a Sunday chaos, long delays, reduced border staff, over 4hrs late getting off and had a cruise to catch in Miami.

 

Southampton roads Gridlock due to number of ships in port unless within walking distance a couple of extra hours for both getting in and out of the terminals.

Pick a cruise line for any of those days if you were booked that's off the list.

 

Our big recent  MSC delay was due to French strikes, detour to Amsterdam 4 hours late into Southampton, they did fine for those getting off we had the car close no idea for those getting on, any that did not get the message would have been not happy turning up and no ship.

 

I am sure many have stories where shore side failed to step up, its pot luck if you get hit but to be consistent people need to look at any line that has failed at any time and cross them off. 

 

Our current strategy is build in contingency and work around the common issues.,

 

Getting on ships, aim for early as possible, any messages about delays either official or on CC/FB we consider staying away, do not like queues, come back later.

 

By car is easy just go somewhere(might try the bag drop if not traffic), if flying we would look for options like pick a hotel shuttle/taxi camp out till the all clear.

(Rare we fly/drive in same day too easy to miss a ship these days often in a hotel already).

 

 

Getting off plan to be as close to last as possible, never been on a ship where getting off early does not involve lines to get off, crowds in baggage halls lines for immigration/border check, taxis/shuttles.

Let the lines clear, end up in a near empty baggage hall,  car parking/flights picked to allow for delays.

 

As UK flights out of Florida are usually later we consider, go camp at a hotel with facilities after a cruise.

Sometimes an overnight and have 2 full days at any destination by picking a late flight day after. 

 

[xcell]

No use to convince OP to give MSC another chance...she will or she won't...

 

Her loss is MSC's gain....

[LMaxwell]

We heard the midnight muster but were still waiting at the terminal with another 1000 people behind us. 

[LMaxwell]

31 minutes ago, xcell said:

Her loss is MSC's gain....

You weren't there that day to see how poorly MSC handled it, so you don't get to whitewash it. 

[LMaxwell]

On 7/14/2023 at 12:33 AM, cruiseguyinorl said:

 

They tried 15 - 20 different restaurants and catering companies. They were laughed at when they told them how much they needed and how quickly.

Sorry but I don't believe this claim at all. Where would you get this information? MSC did nothing to keep 5500 waiting to embark guests up to date on anything; silence from 330PM-9PM. We finally got onboard about 1:30AM. Not so much as a bottle of water and every vending machine at the terminal was empty.  Where is your information coming from that they tried 15-20 companies?? 

[MsTabbyKats]

So, honestly...if I flew in from somewhere to go on a cruise and this happened....I'd never fly in for a cruise again.  I can guarantee....DH would have said "Let's just check into a hotel for the week" after sitting around without food for a couple of hours.

I'm not even gonna ask about "the bathroom situation".