Fabulous Ship, Lacked Customer Service

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 52

Review summary

Overall I would give the MSC Fantasia cruise 3 out of 5 stars. I think two of the destinations we docked at should have been reconsidered. My husband and I took the city tour bus when we arrived at the port in Naples, Italy. The whole thing was so unorganized and took so long we only had time for one of the 4 routes offered throughout the city. One of the routes was completely blocked off due to construction and the red route was extremely pointless as we saw nothing but graffiti (including swastikas) and garbage. The city was an absolute dump. We did find a lovely little Italian Pizzeria which served homemade pizza and wine. It was by far the best restaurant we dined at in Italy! I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant, but I only remember the older gentlemans name who served us Antonio. We attempted another little Pizzeria prior to this one and it was absolutely atrocious. The pizza they served me was cold and contained cut up hotdogs and French fries. The other stop which could have been reconsidered or scheduled for a better date was the stop in Palermo, Sicily. We arrived on a national holiday so 90% of the shops in the city were closed, which in my opinion is devastating to any tourist. We decided to take a horse drawn carriage ride which was definitely worth the 60 Euros. (hint: its easy to negotiate the price down) The sites were beautiful and we were so happy with the experience. One recommendation I have for those scheduled to stop in Genoa is to book the Portofino excursion at the front desk. It is absolutely worth the cost! Portofino is a lovely, quaint town about a 35 minute drive and 15 minute boat ride from Genoa. Unfortunately, many of the restaurants didnt open in time for us to experience. We were only in Portofino for about an hour and a half before we had to be back at the boat to head back to the port. The food served on the ship left much to be desired. The menus were repeated daily with the exception of dinner. The day we embarked in Barcelona, we had our first dinner together with 3 other American couples. One of the couples bought a wine package which offered 5 bottles of wine. When they purchased the package, they specifically asked if they could have the same type of wine each evening at dinner if they so desired and were told they could. Once they were seated and mentioned this to the head waiter he informed them they could not request the same type of wine for each meal and would have to try each variety listed. Perhaps Im accustomed to American services where this would not be a problem to adjust to, but I was rather disgusted with the staffs inability to accommodate to their guests. The couple I just mentioned also celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary while on board. They went to the reception desk and requested a small celebration at dinner on the night of their anniversary. The receptionist told them a marriage certificate was required as proof and when asked why, she simply stated because they would be receiving a free cake and champagne. They were disgusted with her attitude and lack of customer service. They talked to the dinner staff, which were much more accommodating and provided the cake and champagne without a problem. In my opinion, anyone who can afford a luxury cruise can afford a cheap bottle of champagne and a cake. Its ludicrous to expect people to bring documentation aside from what is required at each countrys entry point. Aside from juice and coffee in the morning, every other beverage (including water) had to be paid for. I can understand paying for alcoholic beverages, but not water. The ship has a 4D Cinema on board which plays a movie that lasts approximately 6 minutes and costs 6 Euros to watch. Also, they had a clay pigeon shooting contest with a Frisbee and fake pellet-type guns, which also required a fee to play. For the cost of such a vacation, it seems ridiculous to nickel and dime the guests while onboard.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Pros: Beautiful Ship with Many On-Board Activities

Cons: Lack of Friendly Customer Service and Willingness to Accommodate Guests

Recommends MSC Fantasia? Yes!