This was the 12th cruise I have been on with the 5th cruise line I have cruised with. This was the WORST cruise I have EVER been on and the first and LAST time I will ever cruise with MSC. I spent the first 4 days in line at the Guest Relations desk for Internet (did not have Internet access until the afternoon of the third day) and billing issues...long wait in line each time. There was false advertising for both "unlimited" Internet access and "unlimited" onboard drinks. The cabin beds were like sleeping on bricks and I had to call more than once for towels and cleaning of the bathroom. The food was absolutely terrible both in the buffet and the restaurant (food was sent back EVERY night because it was simply inedible). The theater shows were amateurish and only mildly entertaining; the only show that was really entertaining was the crew talent show. There were no separate activities targeted to 18-30 year olds...a single lounge disco was provided for all ages (ridiculous). There were few onboard entertainment activities for adults (shuffleboard...really??...and the arts and crafts were designed for children). The movies shown in the theater and on TV were at least 3 years old (also only 2 English-speaking non-sports channels on TV) and there was no streaming capability whatsoever. To cap it off, there was no published pricing for the guest pictures for sale at the end of the cruise and pricing appeared to be established on a random basis and very unprofessionally and unethically sold ("pick out which pictures you want and we'll tell you the price"). The price quoted for 10 pictures was more than double the pre-boarding price offered online and more than I have EVER paid for pictures on any cruise. I received a lower price (albeit still higher than I have ever paid) for the pictures only after complaining to the photo department manager. And the quality of the pictures was poor, specifically the background scenery was shabby and every shot had wrinkled "flooring" which makes it clear that the poses were taken in front of fake scenery. I cannot express the extent of my disappointment in this cruise and my experience with MSC...but I will endeavor to share this poor experience with as many people and as many cruise review sites as possible.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
The food was absolutely terrible both in the buffet and the restaurant (food was sent back EVERY night because it was simply inedible). Buffet menu rarely varied from day to day; food was tasteless, undercooked, overcooked/dried out, or simply inedible. There was NEVER space to sit in the Buffet; always crowded.
False advertising of "unlimited drinks" which guests didn't discover until they were onboard ship..."unlimited drinks" were actually MSC's lowest drink package consisting of drinks valued at $6 or less with a maximum of $35 in drinks per day. And bartenders would only give you 1 drink at a time (alcoholic drink requests had to be 10 minutes apart "to prevent sharing drinks"). MSC pushes upgrade to their top drink package from the second guests board the ship...turns out to be $35 per person per day.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Shuffleboard...seriously??? Latin dance lessons. Karaoke. Bingo. Adult arts & crafts were designed for children. No streaming capability. Only 2 English non-sports channels on TV; movies shown were 3 years old...or older.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Theater shows were amateurish. Only 1 disco available...for all ages. No comedy shows, nothing really available to do in lounge areas except listen to music/DJs (varied quality).
Children's Programs
No kids with me
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Room steward was rude to me the first 15 minutes after I entered my cabin and I asked for more hangers. Had to call frequently for towels and had to call to request cleaning of the bathroom.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
No problem with layout, but there simply wasn't enough room for guests in the common areas (e.g., days at sea, Buffet, around the pool).
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
The mattresses were so hard and uncomfortable, it was like sleeping on bricks. Room service was impractical because there was no place to put more than 1 tray. The TV was the smallest I've seen in years and there was only 2 English non-sports channels (movies shown were 3 years or older). Didn't have enough hangers...I was given wire hangers to hang my clothes on. Had to call maintenance re: the toilet continuously running. The shower seemed smaller than other cabins I've been in (could barely turn around and shower curtain always stuck to you!).
The ship did not dock until 12 noon!!! Once we disembarked, we had to literally walk a half mile to the meeting point for our excursion...and the excursion had to be cut short because there was not enough time in port to do all of the things on the tour. And Coxen Hole was on the opposite side of the island from Mahogany Bay...the first part of the excursion was spent touring the poorest, non-scenic sections on the island...unpleasant and wasted time.
Once we disembarked the ship, the walk to the meeting point for the tour was at least a mile from the ship and out of the way. The excursion itself was very good.
Once we disembarked the ship, the walk to the meeting point for the tour was more than a mile from the ship...and there was no way to contact anyone associated with the tour (scavenger hunt). After arriving at the meeting point, I was informed by the excursion guides that the scavenger hunt totalled 4.1 miles of walking! I requested a refund for this excursion and spoke to the president of the excursion (Scott Helikson) who assured me a refund would be issued right away...I never received the refund.
I believe it would benefit you greatly to actually determine the true length of a mile. I believe that you are perhaps confusing miles with blocks. They are not the same length. If you’ve cruised so many times, I would think that you’d be better prepared for the 3 to 5 minutes of walking to get to the piers at any of the destinations you reviewed. One mile is equal to almost 6 thousand feet. An average cruise ship is around 1000 feet. One mile would be equal to about 6 cruise ship lengths. I’ve never seen a pier that long.
I am disabled and at times walking can be a challenge but when you go on a cruise do some planning. I make sure that if I do any walking it's at the beginning of the cruise. I also research the excursions prior to booking and make sure I know how far to the meeting place. Sometimes they provide alternatives to walking but you need to do some research before you cruise.
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