It did not take the four seasoned cruisers in our party long to decide that we prefer Seaside to the Meriviglia. We felt there were design flaws, like the overcrowded galleria area. We found navigating to the water park was confusing, going up & down steps.There are some bugs that need to be worked out-the name on our cabin phone showed the previous week's tenant for the entire week. I wouldn't care if my name was on the phone or not, but I didn't want someone else's name on it. Reservations got mixed up a bit, but it all worked out. Overall, it was a good cruise.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
There were some delays, but since this was the first time Meraviglia embarked from Miami, it was not bad at all. In the Yacht Club waiting area, there were beverages and light refreshments.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We loved the Yacht Club dining room where we had most of our meals. Also, the selection at the pool was great. Our only disappointments were Ocean Cay and dinner at the Cirque du Soleil show. The entrée choices were limited and my choice, the sea bass was inedible, full of bones. The eggplant was not much better. In addition, you could not get a glass of wine; you had to buy a bottle, overpriced at that.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We liked the addition of a walking/running track. It would have been better had a smoking section not been just of the rack. The Yacht Club pool area on Deck 19 was very nicely laid out. But only one hot tub for that number of people was insufficient.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The singers and dancers were very good. We missed the acrobats which apparently have been moved out of the regular shows and included in the Cirque shows (for an upcharge). The one magic show was not very impressive and seemed like '60's era entertainment. We enjoyed the "Born to Rock" show, a tribute to Elvis, Queen, Tina Turner and others as well as "Way", international favorites from opera to can-can. Our favorite was "One Day More", a tribute to Broadways best - West Side Story, Chicago, Oklahoma, Cats, Le Mis, and others.
Children's Programs
Our party was all adults
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We found the staff on Meravilia outstanding. From the waiters in the Yacht Club restaurant, Alex and Juni, and the maître d, Authur, to the cabin stewards, Sudi and Catherine, service was great/
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship is well maintained. We found the galleria area now well designed. It was much too crowded. In addition to the shows on the ceiling, causing passengers to stop in their tracks to take pictures, the cruise director and others used the balcony for announcements, adding to the crowds and making walking through the area next to impossible.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The suite was clean and comfortable with plenty of storage.
We did an excursion to Altun Ha, a Mayan ruins site and a city tour. It was an hour bus ride to the ruins and an hour back and the city itself was not impressive. Not very much to see.
We did an excursion which included a glass bottom boat ride and a visit to the West End Village. The boat tour was excellent, with a knowledgeable guide; we saw lots of sea life, including fish and coral on the tour. The visit to West End Village was too long. There was not much to see there.
The stop at Ocean Cay was cancelled with not much explanation. We stopped at Cozumel instead, a big disappointment. However, MSC did compensate us with a shipboard credit and 20% off this cruise fare on our next MSC Cruise.
Thank you for the review. I am booked on Meraviglia on January 5...did seaside this past February. I'll be happy if I even like it half as much as I really enjoyed seaside. I did put in a bid for an upgrade to yacht club so we will see....otherwise we have a standard balcony cabin with premium plus beverage package.
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