Another Meraviglia review - Bermuda

[noshoobie]

DH and I just got back from a 6 day Meraviglia cruise from Brooklyn to Bermuda. We were on the Mera last May (different itinerary) and loved it. This was our 3rd time cruising to Bermuda. 

 

Arrival and embarkation - we took the train from NJ to Penn Station and Uber to Brooklyn. The parking at the pier is $45 a day so this saves us money and the aggravation of driving. We arrived at the pier at 1:30pm and had no wait at security. You heard me right - NO WAIT! We talked to a few people on the cruise who arrived between 9:30 and 10:30am. They said the line to get in the building was at the end of the street. Once we passed through security we waited about 15 minutes to check in. 

 

Dining room and buffet - We were assigned at L'Olivo d'Oro at 8pm. I thought that was a little too late and tried to get it changed to 7:30 like we had last time but there was no availability so we just kept the 8pm. In retrospect, it worked out fine. Luckily, we were seated next to a very nice couple. Every meal that we had was very good. Neither us or the couple next had a complaint about the food. The buffet food was good also. I did miss the freshly made mozzarella that they had on board last year, but the salad bar did not disappoint. It is loaded with so many options and the lettuce was always crisp and fresh. We never had dinner at the buffet but enjoyed the pizza on late nights. Wow, is it good. The only specialty dining we did was Hola's. I highly recommend as it is reasonably priced and delicious!! Try the Lavender Margarita - so good!

 

The ship - We really love this ship. It is easy to navigate and it is super clean. The Horizon Pool is my happy place. The seating is tiered and you get a beautiful view of the ocean. We had an inside cabin on deck 9. The cabin (9074) was in a "secret" hallway and there were only a total of 6 cabins there so it was very quiet. I highly recommend this cabin if you are booking inside. If not at the pool we spent our time at the Sky Lounge or in the casino. Pino Grigio lovers beware - they did not have it onboard. They had either Savignon Blanc or Chardonnay. 

 

Shows - We saw two shows which were good. The entertainers on the ship are very talented. The comedian, George Casey, was very funny. He did a regular show and then a late night show. We went to both and they were both hilarious. We also went to the Love and Marriage Game show which is always funny.

 

Casino - We did good the first day and then put it all back. You know how that goes! Fortunately, I won an $803 major jackpot on the last day so I was one happy camper. This is the first time I did better on a cruise casino then my DH. They also put slot machines where half of the Champagne Bar was. Don't worry @JamieLogical half of the Champagne bar is still there in case you didn't already know. 

 

Bermuda - Beautiful!! We were so lucky that we had great weather. It was hot but not uncomfortable hot. We experienced beautiful beach weather. We took the ferry to St Georges and walked around a bit. We then walked to Tobacco Bay and stayed for a while. The water was a little cool but was refreshing from the sun. I forgot how expensive Bermuda was. It was $60 for two beach loungers and an umbrella. At Tobacco Bay we got mozzarella sticks and fries for $19. The 10 ounce can of beers were $9. We decided to take a cab back to the main part of town instead of walking. We were going to go to the Whitehorse Tavern but the cabbie suggested Wahoo's so we went there for a late lunch. It was a few doors down from Whitehorse. The food was very good but, again, it was expensive. We tried the Bone Fish Bar & Grill at the dockyard also and it was good. When in St Georges try to take the ferry back. We decided to take the bus back since we wanted to stay later then the last ferry and what a nightmare. We had to take the bus from St Georges to Hamilton. When we got to Hamilton there was a bunch of people waiting for the bus to St Georges. It was 5:30 and the ferry from Hamilton to the dockyard was not until 7:30. A bus never came so we ended up taking a mini van for $10pp. I never realized how far St G was to the dockyard. Anyway, we all had a good time in the mini van. 

 

Disembarkation - Walked out of our room at 7:45 and took an Uber to Penn Station. Were on the train by 8:50am. Overall we had a great, relaxing time. Feel free to ask any questions. 

 

 

[JamieLogical]

Glad you had such a great trip! I knew about the slot machines in the Champagne Bar, as that's how it was my last time onboard. Can't wait to be back in October!

[oceans.calling]

We had a very nice Pinot Grigio in Hola and every day in the YC. 

[perakcruiser]

12 hours ago, noshoobie said:

I forgot how expensive Bermuda was. It was $60 for two beach loungers and an umbrella. At Tobacco Bay we got mozzarella sticks and fries for $19. The 10 ounce can of beers were $9.

How crazy is this!!! Thanks for the warning if we ever go there. I will leave the wallet on the ship and tell the family I "forgot" it. 

 

Even more crazy is that a MSC ship runs out of Pinot Grigio 😄

[cruisebeachgirl703]

12 hours ago, oceans.calling said:

We had a very nice Pinot Grigio in Hola and every day in the YC. 

We were onboard as well. No pinot grigio in Hola or YC, even with multiple requests. Told chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. Care to share what the pinot grigio was?

[oceans.calling]

In YC restaurant it was Danzante and can’t remember which one in the lounge but it was in a brown bottle. We didn't see the bottle at Hola.

[Best Cat Mom]

We don't drink pinot grigio often, but have been served Santa Margherita in the YC restaurant a few times.

[cruisebeachgirl703]

Just now, Best Cat Mom said:

We don't drink pinot grigio often, but have been served Santa Margherita in the YC restaurant a few times.

Confirmation that it depends on where and when. Asked for Santa Margherita since there was no other choice in YC restaurant. Told, no, only by the bottle. Disappointing that sailing on an Italian cruise line unable to get a glass of pinot grigio. 

[perakcruiser]

20 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Disappointing that sailing on an Italian cruise line unable to get a glass of pinot grigio. 

Well, even more disappointing is the Pinot Grigio from the Easy package 😄 

[noshoobie]

14 hours ago, oceans.calling said:

We had a very nice Pinot Grigio in Hola and every day in the YC. 

So that's where they hide the Pinot!!

[JamieLogical]

My favorite was when I was on the Celebrity Summit and we ran out of limes after having stopped in Key West!

[PTC DAWG]

10 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

How crazy is this!!! Thanks for the warning if we ever go there. I will leave the wallet on the ship and tell the family I "forgot" it. 

 

LOL…you would get nothing and like it. 🙂

[cruisebeachgirl703]

On 5/7/2024 at 7:57 AM, oceans.calling said:

In YC restaurant it was Danzante and can’t remember which one in the lounge but it was in a brown bottle. We didn't see the bottle at Hola.

Lucky for you! We were told no pinot grigio repeatedly. Total bummer.

[cruisebeachgirl703]

On 5/7/2024 at 8:08 AM, Best Cat Mom said:

We don't drink pinot grigio often, but have been served Santa Margherita in the YC restaurant a few times.

Good news for you. We asked 2 times and told no. Consistently inconsistent.

[Scottdalfonso]

 We thought about also taking a train to Penn station and Ubering to the port, for a Princess cruise,  but it almost seems worth it to be able to drop the family and luggage off and park, then have the car waiting for us at the port- BUT we are coming from Philly so the train ride to and from Penn station is a bit longer, but man, $45 a day is painful!! lol. Anyway, thank you for this review- we are considering the Mera for our next cruise, and this was great. 

Edited May 8 by Scottdalfonso

[RandomUser123]

Will be doing 7 day cruise to Bermuda on Meraviglia in October, looking forward to it.

[LorraineP]

1 hour ago, RandomUser123 said:

Will be doing 7 day cruise to Bermuda on Meraviglia in October, looking forward to it.

Us too October 6th in YC balcony. Can’t wait. Did the Seashore a few years ago & absolutely the best cruise out of 70 or more & many different cruise lines. Cruising since 1970.