Orchestra Worst cruise ever

[love to cruz]

WhoDat and Lawton54:

Amen to your comments. We were with you on this cruise. While the ship is beautiful, the production shows good & the Entertainment Team gave it their all everything else fell apart. Did you notice everyday how full the comment box was at the Reception Desk? Do you think those were all positive comments?

We met with Marcello, the Guest Relations Manager on the ship after turning in a three page letter. All he did was make excuses. For example, Italians do not put spices in their food. Americans are too picky and since there were 800 Germans and only 350 Americans the ship catered to the Germans. He also said their staff is "highly trained." Never did he admit there was any kind of problem.

Our adult son was in the ship's infirmary a few days before disembarking. My husband spent New Years Eve in bed in our cabin with the same illness. Now yesterday I came down with whatever the bug was going around the ship. Perhaps having empty sanitizers most the of trip did not help.

If people did not spend 17 days with us on the ship I do not think they should judge all of us as negative. We are Gold Card holders for MSC and until this cruise they were our favorite cruise line.

[MMDown Under]

WhoDat and Lawton54:

Amen to your comments. We were with you on this cruise. While the ship is beautiful, the production shows good & the Entertainment Team gave it their all everything else fell apart. Did you notice everyday how full the comment box was at the Reception Desk? Do you think those were all positive comments?

We met with Marcello, the Guest Relations Manager on the ship after turning in a three page letter. All he did was make excuses. For example, Italians do not put spices in their food. Americans are too picky and since there were 800 Germans and only 350 Americans the ship catered to the Germans. He also said their staff is "highly trained." Never did he admit there was any kind of problem.

Our adult son was in the ship's infirmary a few days before disembarking. My husband spent New Years Eve in bed in our cabin with the same illness. Now yesterday I came down with whatever the bug was going around the ship. Perhaps having empty sanitizers most the of trip did not help.

If people did not spend 17 days with us on the ship I do not think they should judge all of us as negative. We are Gold Card holders for MSC and until this cruise they were our favorite cruise line.

 

I was so sorry to read that you had such an unpleasant cruise experience. I hope you are all feeling better now.

 

Anyone who read your threads before the cruise would know that you are not a negative person and would value your opinion.

 

I didn't see a comment box on Lirica. In fact, Reception didn't even take my written suggestion, just my room number, with no follow up response.

 

As the ship looks spotless and has a reputation for cleanliness, I was surprised to find empty sanitizers also, in toilets, which I reported to Reception the first time. There was no soap.

 

On a positive note, did you enjoy your visit to Turin pre-cruise? We just love that tourist friendly city and our 3 days return visit pre-cruise was a highlight.

[love to cruz]

MM Down Under:

Thank you so much for your kind comments.

Yes, we loved Turin and spent three days wondering all over. We then saw some fabulous scenery in the train ride to Genoa. Almost the entire journey we saw a white snow coated wonderland.

We have gotten the ship in Genoa several times but had never spent any time there. This time we had 24 hours to explore the city. We were amazed at what a beautiful city Genoa is and what great prices they have.

The Italian food in both cities was wonderful and very tasty. I had quite some fun shopping in both cities. Especially since they both had Christmas Markets. This was our first time actually seeing Christmas Markets after reading for years about them.

[happy1]

I too tried to find the comment box on the Lirica. When I couldn't find it I went to the reception desk and they refused to take the form, stating it had to be placed in the box. However, they were unable to tell me where the box was located . (I found this very strange.) Later in the day I did notice a box had been placed in front of the reception desk so there must have been others struggling to find it too.

 

The sanitizers on the Lirica were often empty (usually before dinner in the dining rooms - we had late seating). I figured it was due to the heavier holiday crowds but it did make me wonder if that wasn't being handled, what wasn't being done that passengers couldn't see.

 

I was disappointed because I really wanted to like this cruisel line. We've enjoyed traveling Europe, Japan, and third world countries. The brochures described the type of cruise experience we were seeking. The pricing was unbelievable. I was prepared for the food, unusually long lines, language barriers, and a different experience. What I wasn't prepared for was the arrogant attitude of the officers and maitra d's. When I feel unwelcome on a cruise, it's a sign I should be cruising with a different line.

[MMDown Under]

MM Down Under:

Thank you so much for your kind comments.

Yes, we loved Turin and spent three days wondering all over. We then saw some fabulous scenery in the train ride to Genoa. Almost the entire journey we saw a white snow coated wonderland.

We have gotten the ship in Genoa several times but had never spent any time there. This time we had 24 hours to explore the city. We were amazed at what a beautiful city Genoa is and what great prices they have.

The Italian food in both cities was wonderful and very tasty. I had quite some fun shopping in both cities. Especially since they both had Christmas Markets. This was our first time actually seeing Christmas Markets after reading for years about them.

 

So pleased to hear you loved Turin and Genoa and enjoyed the train trip between. We spent 3 days in Genoa pre-cruise and wished we had spent longer to explore this beautiful old city.

 

Delighted to hear you got to experience Christmas Markets at both cities.

[wldflr]

Wow everyone....now I'm more than a bit concerned for how our Jan. 31 cruise is going to be like after reading this thread...yikes! And throw in the other 1,300 people in our Super Bowl group sailing on this ship, MSC could have a major disaster in the making if they don't straighten up and sail right pronto. Also the organizer took more than the usual amount of "heat" for changing from Carnival to MSC for this, our 16th annual football cruise, many voiced their disapproval from the initial announcement last February.

 

I will definitely post a review once we return and somehow I don't think our group will be sailing with MSC again unless a miracle happens...

[frankathy]

Are they calliing us idiots?

 

* When in Rome ...

Jan 6 - Ouch! By almost all accounts, MSC Orchestra didn't exactly have a brilliant introduction to the US market on its two-night preview cruise over the weekend. As a result of all the bad word-of-mouth and online comments, MSC is starting off their Caribbean expansion with a black eye (maybe even a pair).

After spending a couple hours reading through the online comments, it's obvious there's a lot of blame to be passed around. It's also quite apparent most of the people complaining bought the cruise without doing any research and expected it to be something it wasn't intended to be.

[SteveHirshan]

Having worked previously for MSC for 7 years, and having spent the last three years on the retail side of the travel business working with Americas Vacation Center, a very large seller of MSC Cruises, I think a second chance is well worth it for those who like me were on the 2 Night MSC Orchestra cruise January 2nd.

 

New ships with new crews always have a bit of a break in period. MSC has not become the fastest growing cruise line in the world by not getting things right most of the time, or fixing things when they are not right.

 

The ships are all elegantly designed, and are as nice as any new ship sailing today. The software issues they experienced last week, can be corrected and quickly and I am sure they will.

 

I think you will find the opportunity to sail on a cruise line whose ships are comparable to the premium new builds, but whose pricing is at mass market levels (not to mention kids always cruise free) will find a solid niche in this cruise market.

 

This is their 10th year sailing out from Fort Lauderdale, they have had a lot of satisfied clients in that time and Americas Vacation Center has booked a lot of them.

 

Steve

[3dogmom]

New ships with new crews always have a bit of a break in period. MSC has not become the fastest growing cruise line in the world by not getting things right most of the time, or fixing things when they are not right.Steve

 

Yes, new ships and new crews need some 'break in' time. That is acceptable. What is NOT acceptable is the poor attitude. And this will show, and has shown when the crew receives zero tips.

[br0kwrx]

Are they calliing us idiots?

 

* When in Rome ...

Jan 6 - Ouch! By almost all accounts, MSC Orchestra didn't exactly have a brilliant introduction to the US market on its two-night preview cruise over the weekend. As a result of all the bad word-of-mouth and online comments, MSC is starting off their Caribbean expansion with a black eye (maybe even a pair).

After spending a couple hours reading through the online comments, it's obvious there's a lot of blame to be passed around. It's also quite apparent most of the people complaining bought the cruise without doing any research and expected it to be something it wasn't intended to be.

 

Yes.

 

The article is saying that MSC is partly to blame for some (i.e. the delays), but the passengers should have done research in order to properly set their expectations for the rest (i.e. Typical MSC below average food & service)

[frankathy]

Yes, new ships and new crews need some 'break in' time. That is acceptable. What is NOT acceptable is the poor attitude. And this will show, and has shown when the crew receives zero tips.

 

This was not a new ship she is two years old. She came out in early 2007.

[love to cruz]

When you have previously sailed on a particular cruise line several times and had impeccible service, wonderful food and friendly crew how do you do research to find out that cruise line has fallen apart?

[3dogmom]

This was not a new ship she is two years old. She came out in early 2007.

 

Yup, I new that, but the reviewer making the statement did not.

[kvo725]

Steve,

 

No offense but AVC in my books isn't much better than MSC. I can't even get a correct itinerary out of AVC for my April cruise. They have been trying to correct it for over a month and keep sending me the correct cruise with the wrong port for one of the islands. If AVC can't even get that correct, I'm not sure I would bank on an AVC recommendation.

[bubbagump4]

I have to completely agree with all of these reviews. We had an absolute horrible experience on board the MSC Orchestra. The food was disgusting and the staff were rude and condescending. We waited at least 3 hours to get on board the ship only to find that we couln't eat dinner. What amazes me the most is that they waited till the following morning to do the lifeboat drill. Which was very uninformative. Thank goodness we didn't sink the night before. I would think they would get in trouble for safety reasons. I absolutely do not recommend this cruise to anyone.

[wldflr]

Right now, I'm thinking that a MSC cruise will be similar to Costa (which we sailed on 4 years ago) in many "international" ways.

 

But I'm already having other MSC concerns since our TA gave us the option of pre-booking shore excursions for our large group and the first excursion request for zip-lining, the TA told us we would have to wait until we were onboard to book it (so much for pre-booking) and the second excursion was no longer available thru MSC!

 

I'm hoping our week-long cruise goes much better than the 2-night Bahama inaugural cruise!

[gracecarmo]

wldflr: we are also with the Supercruise Group, and I understand that we only tender at one port, the private island. All other ports show the ship is docked.

 

I do have some hope that things will be improved when we sail on the 31st. I wish we had a report from the group now sailing.....but being with the group will be fun. I wonder how many in this group read Cruise Critic?

 

I am practicing the MSC stare....lol.....right back.

 

Are you going into FLL early?

[CruiseGem]

I just couldint resist commenting on this one since the only Costa cruise I took was sooo! different first of all they had the most serious muster ive ever been to they scanned our cards and used video I wanted to say lighten up already!!! and the staff reminded me of carnival smileing all day and that singing Amore what a blast !!! Anyway I also have been on MSC and loved it no matter what went wrong I am just amazed that they have allowed this to happen :confused: Every one knows you just dont mess with a cruise passengers food ;)

Right now, I'm thinking that a MSC cruise will be similar to Costa (which we sailed on 4 years ago) in many "international" ways.

 

But I'm already having other MSC concerns since our TA gave us the option of pre-booking shore excursions for our large group and the first excursion request for zip-lining, the TA told us we would have to wait until we were onboard to book it (so much for pre-booking) and the second excursion was no longer available thru MSC!

 

I'm hoping our week-long cruise goes much better than the 2-night Bahama inaugural cruise!

[gracecarmo]

As an aside....I am amazed at some of the posters here telling about the cruise from hell are first time contributors....on some other boards they refer to them as possible Trolls? I am not accusing anyone, just making a statement that has been on other boards.

[wldflr]

Well, it's typical when someone has a bad vacation, they will tell EVERYONE they encounter about it and if it's wonderful, they will tell a few friends/family but probably won't take the time to post a review.

 

But when you read about excessively long buffet lines, mixed up dinner orders and lousy service by more than a few, it's gotta make you wonder.

 

BTW...Grace, DH and I are flying down a day early to FLL on 1/30 but we booked a hotel outside the "group" hotel with some friends. We found last year to be too chaotic in the hotel/restaurant/bar - they obviously weren't prepared for our very large group and our friends and us don't want to suffer a repeat experience. That, and we wanted to stay in a beach-hotel pre- and post cruise. The Superbowl group hotel will be by the airport. It should be an interesting week to say the least!!!

[matj2000]

As an aside....I am amazed at some of the posters here telling about the cruise from hell are first time contributors....on some other boards they refer to them as possible Trolls? I am not accusing anyone, just making a statement that has been on other boards.

 

 

I saw the first time posters also. Usually the same person over & over.

Many are being so "overdramatic" I am sure it was a mess, but I said it on an earlier thread. When people get angry about something, they start looking for anything to complain about and it snowballs from there.

My personal favorite is the one who's "kid is so traumatized that she's has nightmares about the ship sinking and nobody to help them".

[greenrose]

The complainers have come out of the woodwork to put down the Orchestra. I'll grant that TA crossing the are positioning cruises usually are laid back and not known for outstanding service. I'm sure that there were problems on the 17 and the January 2nd quickie cruise. I'll wait for the reviews of the first seven day, January 10th. The should do a good shakedown on the January 9th cruise to nowhere for Travel Agents and press. Lighten up folks. Too many people expect luxury service and amenities at budget prices. MSC should be a good value.

[DavidA23]

As one of the "complainers" about the Orchestra's weekend cruise, I'd like to remind you that MSC is not a budget cruise line. We've been on well over thirty cruises and used about ten different carriers. We have never encountered a "bad" cruise. Our motto is that there is no such thing as a bad cruise, just some better than others. This cruise was not horrible, just way, way below our expectations...to the point that we would never consider using MSC again. There are so many other choices available. If you are booked on the Orchestra, go and have fun. The ship was beautiful, our room was very nice, and the entertainment was excellent. On the other side of the coin, the food was well below average, the crew had great difficulty communicating with us, none of the officers seemed to care about the passengers or their comfort, almost to the point of rudeness. Getting on the ship and again off the ship were very painful experiences. We've taken several European cruises - Baltic and Med - and have never experienced anything similar.

[MMDown Under]

My personal favorite is the one who's "kid is so traumatized that she's has nightmares about the ship sinking and nobody to help them".

 

This is not as funny as it sounds on first reading.

 

On our cruise on Lirica, we observed a complete lack of crowd control, whilst queueing for passport check in the Broadway Theatre.

 

Our group conversations turned to what would happen in a real emergency situation. The consensus was, it would be every man for himself.

 

These are not thoughts I even want to think about on a cruise.

[Bradenton]

Back to the 17 day cruise. Upon arrival at the dining room for lunch I could not find the sanitizer. I walked around to the other dining room door to find one sanitizer empty (this was common). I walked back to the first door and asked the assistant maitre 'd where the sanitizer was. I quote, "Use the toilet."

 

There were many people ill on the ship, my partner was one of them and we are very very careful about hygiene and hand washing.

 

The sanitizers were placed at the bottom of the gangways but usually well out of site of the returning passengers. In fact my partner lifted one up and placed it directly in line with the gangway.

 

On the subject of children, the lack of supervision was so obvious and the endless running up and down the corridor became very annoying. I cannot understand how some people allowed fairly young children to be unsupervised and all over the ship.

 

On the occasion I asked the teenager next door if she would mind shutting her cabin door quietly she was most polite and helpful. I had to ask her because every time she shut the door our bed moved!

 

Could someone explain to me what is meant by a first time poster being a troll? As a first time poster I now wonder if I have come into a club that I was not meant to be?