For me, this cruise was good, but apart from the cool digital screen over deck 6, I was not really wowed by anything. All members of our party had sleep disturbed by neighbors who were extremely loud in the halls and on their balconies at 2 and 4 a. m. What is wrong with people??
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived at 11, our assigned time, and everything moved very well. If not for a member of our party missing something that should've been removed from the backpack (it escaped into a hole in the liner) , we would have been on the ship very quickly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The food and drink did not wow at all. We felt it was mediocre and enjoyed the buffet more than the MDR. Those in the party who drink (one is a bartender) did not enjoy the flavor of the drinks. This is the first ship in 17 cruises that would not allow my daughter and her friend to join us for dinner on the first night because there was a cut off time we were unaware of. They were three minutes beyond that and were not allowed in to join us. They had been waiting for their final luggage piece to arrive to have what they needed to be ready and then they got lost on the way to the restaurant. We have never experienced anything like that before.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I guess they were ok. We didn't attend any of them. The lighthouse show was cool, but we didn't stay for the beach party because we didn't like the music. The mid-twenties in our party didn't like it either. The water slides are fun!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We didn't attend the main shows, but we went to both of the carousel lounge shows. They were quite good. We enjoyed the Houdini show more than the Rock Circus show.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our stateroom attendant was fantastic! I asked for towel animals and he certainly delivered!! (even though they aren't supposed to... 😔) Other than that, we were not super impressed with the rest of the staff. They did their job, but mostly just the minimum. I truly think they are still understaffed. In addition to many not knowing the answers to questions and quickly passing us off to someone else, the communication was not always clear and consistent. The first day, we had in writing that we would disembark a port at 2:00, but when the day came, it was really 12:00.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship itself is BEAUTIFUL!!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was standard size, but the balcony was great!
I think they had it set up to be organized, but the terminal had technical difficulties and it ended up with everyone being dismissed at the same time. We got lucky with our line, but the other one was really long.
@Popdog, yes, we do not usually take cruises less than 7 days. However, we were traveling with our adult children in order to be together for a few days and none of us could take off 7 days.(I am a teacher) As to the second part of your comment, we did stay away from the party areas. You would think your stateroom at the aft of the ship should be pretty safe at 2 & 4 in the morning. We try our best to be courteous to all, and we only hope others would do the same. The 4:00 group was next door to a room with a baby whose parents already don't get a full night's rest. We have never had that problem on any other ship. In fairness to MSC, they did send help when we reported it.
We avoid cruises less than 7 days. Short cruises tend to be 1 big party, so unless that is what you want, find locations and activities that meet your likings and not the partier's. And as the say goes "that ain't gonna be easy".
@SandRMiller, yes we are aware of what the contract says. This was our 17th cruise. I really think the first one that said 1:30 boarding, departure at 2 was a typo because the original boarding and departure was 11:30 & 12. That was not the only instance of communication issues on the Meraviglia, just the one I chose to point out. The ship is beautiful, but they have room to improve.
All cruise ships carriage contracts state itineraries are subject to change - ports can be changed or dropped. Arrival and departure times can change. It's part of the variability of ocean cruising.
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8 Comments
frenchiemommy 1 year ago
Popdog 1 year ago
javawoody 1 year ago
frenchiemommy 1 year ago
SandRMiller 1 year ago
AuntPinkie 1 year ago
GriffFamily 1 year ago
Gwbigdog 1 year ago