A great Mediterranean cruise

MSC Meraviglia Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 51

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5
MSC Meraviglia

7 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 02, 2018

Ship: MSC Meraviglia

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8120

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

Great experience, different from a traditional Caribbean cruise nevertheless just as enjoyable once you make the adjustment for culture and climate. The downside to this cruise was that we experienced a lot of cold and rainy weather. This is not a complaint, as a matter of fact expected, late winter, almost spring. Normally would't have cruised but this was a birthday cruise.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Embarkation was smooth and fast, no worries, no problems. We landed at BCN and used the metro to make our way to the ship port. The most difficult part was navigating the Metro.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
The food and drinks were not exceptional or great they were acceptable. Food at buffet was repetitious, boring and not as warm as I like. I much preferred having my meals at the restaurants

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
I enjoyed learning popular dance moves with the entertainment staff. I loved people watching and making new friends. I met a nice couple and became friendly with them and even dined with then in Barcelona after the cruise.

Entertainment

3 out of 5
The shows run from exciting to painfully boring. I enjoyed the Flaming Dance. The show that spoof the digital world was boring to me.

Children's Programs

I traveled with my partner and no children

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
The service was excellent. The staff I encountered were professional, friendly and happy to resolve any issue that I might have had.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The ship was well clean and well maintained in my opinion.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Our cabin was clean and comfortable. A bit smaller than I expected but adequate for my needs.

Ship tip

Have an open mind. Life on Meraviglia was not like life on a sunny Caribbean cruise. Fellow cruisers were of various age, culture and sophistication. There was a large group of Japanese cruisers that I enjoyed watching as they dressed in their traditional garments, took pictures and interacted as thought the rest of the world did not exist.

Ports of call

Barcelona, Spain

5 out of 5
My love for Barcelona flourished after the cruise. We spent three days post trip. We did not participate in any excursion

Marseille (Provence), France

4 out of 5
We enjoyed walking and browsing in Marseille, did not join any tour or excursion.

Genoa, Italy

4 out of 5
At this port we didn't do much as it was a weekend day and sort of rainy and dreary

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

5 out of 5
We went on an excursion to the Vatican. It was a rainy day and the crowd seemed extremely large. I was happy to experience Rome however if another occasion was to present itself i would choose a summer cruise.

Palermo, Sicily

5 out of 5
I loved Palermo, again it rained and that sort of damped my spirit.

Valletta, Malta

4 out of 5
Nice quaint port, nice and warm. Enjoyed outdoor strolls and vendors even had a bite at a little cafe.

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
We packed lots of patience and the disembarkation process went smoothly.
Was this review helpful? 51

3 Comments

Copentravelcom    5 years ago

Very good outlook, thanks.

PietVis    6 years ago

Hi, thank you for your review. Which month did you go there?

port73    6 years ago

we're you in Spain, Italy or where, I need to prepare for the cold