The cruise ship staff did an excellent job for the curve ball they were handed. We had fun but just don't think the decision to only get a $400 credit per room was fair for not going to the main trip destination. It especially wasn't fair for people that booked suites and spent $4000+.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We are able to board the ship quickly basically without the line. We did get there earily and had premium boarding becuase we paid more than most of the other people on the cruise.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The ship had decent food throughout the whole cruise. The buffets had some pretty good stuff and a lot of different options. The dinner options were average most nights and a few dinner were very good. Small portions but ordering multiple items allowed for someone to have a average sized meal. We booked the all you and drink package and then found out on the ship that there were 3 different all you can drink packages and ours was kind of limited. The other 2 all you can drink packages were very expensive.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The entertainers on the ship did a great job. Their different games, pool parties, etc were great.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The dancers, singers, and entertainers were great on this ship. They were the best part of the MSC cruise experience.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
No children but the website wont let me got the next stop without giving a rating.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The suite we had was nice. It was quite a bit more expensive than the other rooms. We enjoyed it but not sure if it was quite worth the difference in cost.
Where we ported was basically a tourist trap. Just beyond the tourist trap area was a pretty sketchy area. It would have been nice if they ported next to a inviting beach. The snorkeling trip definitely felt like it was thrown together last minute. I thought we were paying for an actual trip to go snorkel at 2nd largest reef in the world. We were on the very edge of it about 200 yards off of the shore.
We only booked this cruise because it was set to visit Cuba. We were disappointed when we heard the news of porting their was no longer an option. MSC could have handled this a little better. The first day they gave people a $200 per room credit and the letter made it seem like it was $400. Then the next day they decided to go ahead and have a $400 in room credit that could only be used on board. This dollar amount seemed like a fair deal for people that only had $1200 room but not for someone that paid $4000. It should have been a reimbursement for a percentage of what you spent on the cruise. It sounds like they made an announcement of more of a reimbursement in the next 2 weeks during the protest as people got off the boat.
It was really easy to disembark the ship. I beleive this was becuase they were expecting a protest. I heard on way off from a cruise employee that the coast guard was coming on to make sure people got off the ship. They must have known or expected the protest on how they handled the reimbursement was going to happen.
Good review. We leave in 8 days. We got a good deal on a suite. I've done the dolphin swim years ago in Cozumel. Booked it for Costa Maya. Hope it's just as fun.
I keep reading comments saying blame the government not the cruiseline. Actually blame both! The POTUS started talking about restricting travel at the end of April. When I read this I called the cruiseline who stated that no specific rules we implemented so it was going to be business as usual as far as they were concerned. At that time they dhould have began to make alternative plans for their ships in case the government did actually restrict travel. The whole situation was unnecessary and shabbily enacted as are most things done by this current administration. So for all those talking about the cruiseline lost money give me a break this is a corporate tax w/o if the compensate us. And yes MSC could have let people who so choose have their money back. They gave everyone who was had reservations or was on board the ship that crashed into the pier in Italy their money back and that was a world cruise prices upwards of $15000. So they obviously have it to lose.
So missing a port somehow made your $4000 stateroom less valuable? I'd feel extremely glad to get $400. They didnt have to give you anything except a refund of port fees.
If a specific port is of importance, I would get a good travel insurance policy that will compensate you for a missed port or itinerary change. At least you would receive some compensation in addition to the ship’s compensation. We use nationwide but others may sell similar policies.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
