Would Not Recommend

Item: MSC Meraviglia
Rating: 3.5
Author: amandainohio

MSC Meraviglia Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas

amandainohio

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 27

Overall rating:

3.5 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Florida & Bahamas (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 04, 2023

Ship: MSC Meraviglia

Cabin number: GTY

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

The over-all experience is something I would never repeat Based on the horrible embarkation and disembarkation process, overcrowded ship and mediocre food. If we could afford 5k per person it would've been a better experience. This is not a vacation for families on a budget. You have to be able to afford the yacht club to truly enjoy a cruise with MSC. I didn't know this until I cruised. We cruised with Carnival before and the over-all experience was much smoother. However, the entertainment and the private island were wonderful. So it wasn't a complete loss!

Embarkation

1 out of 5

Unorganized, cluttered, pushy and full.of anxiety and madness.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

All the included food is mediocre at best. Very bland. We were happy to eat Taco Bell on the way home for some flavor!

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Pools were ok. A bit overcrowded. Often closed randomly.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Shows were the best part! Excellent shows!

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Room steward was stellar! Dining staff was good. Reception desk was ok. Excursion desk also was ok.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Beautiful ship. Well maintained. Very clean.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Super small interior rooms. Certainly not for more than 2 people. Bathroom much like the size of an airplane. Kept very clean by our excellent room steward.

Ship tip

Pay all the extras in advance! Do the yacht club and all the special dining. Max out the funds you can afford to spend. It will be worth it.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Brooklyn, New York

1 out of 5

City chaos isn't for me.

Thumbs Up 0

Port Canaveral, Florida

5 out of 5

Got an Uber to Coco Beach. Loved it!

Thumbs Up 0

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5

Dirty city. Dangerous.

Thumbs Up 0

Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas

5 out of 5

Just Beautiful...pristine beauty! Tropical paradise!

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

1 out of 5

Disorganized. Long waits. Just over-all messy.

Traveler Photos

12 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 4 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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Itspeace4me 1 year ago

Thank you for sharing.

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CaBaDavis 1 year ago

What was your actual cruise date? You put in June 4, but that cruise is still at sea, since today is June 6. Would like to know

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kelskazoo22 1 year ago

I’m confused. You called Nassau dirty and dangerous and gave it five stars.

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PaulzyJC 1 year ago

You should not let embarking and disembarking ruin your cruise.

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cruising2004 1 year ago

Sorry you were disappointed with your cruise.

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javawoody 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

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jtc1313 1 year ago

We sailed this ship pre pandemic in the yacht club and had an amazing experience. Food in the YC restaurant was fantastic and the overall experience was first rate. That said, we found that our experience would have been completely different had we cruised outside the Yacht Club. In fairness, YC is competitively priced compared to suite experience on Princess or "Ship within a Ship" experience on Celebrity or Norwegian. We would not book an MSC cruise outside the YC (and haven't returned to MSC as YC reservations are now non refundable; we tend to book over a year in advance and a $500 non refundable deposit is a deal breaker).

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Vitaminsea0912 1 year ago

We just tried msc last Oct, and loved it If you're worried about busy and overcrowded don't go during school breaks or holidays. We didn't have yacht club and had a great experience. And it was by far cheaper then carnival which has gone downhill a lot.

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Oops sorry 😞 thanks

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cruisent 1 year ago

This is why I haven't tried other lines yet and have stuck with Carnival for over 20 years. I'm afraid of having an experience like yours and wishing I had stayed with Carnival.

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robyn1013 1 year ago

Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise.

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Other reviews of this sailing

First and NOT last time on MSC

Decent Caribbean Cruise

What a great ship 🚢