Splendid 8 Days!!!
MSC Meraviglia Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 21
7 Night Florida & Bahamas (New York Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 18, 2023
Ship: MSC Meraviglia
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
For my first time cruising, I have to say it was a wonderful experience and has made me a cruise junkie I'm afraid. I'm actually planning my next cruise for next year, which will be a transatlantic cruise. I'm so excited!! A cruise is all about you and what you want it to be!! So just relax and be patient and just enjoy yourself. Don't let the small stuff interfere with your happiness!!!Embarkation
They definitely need improvement in this area. It shouldn't take so long to get passengers onto a ship. This holds true in the ports as well. Passengers (myself included) were left standing in the rain for 45 minutes in Ocean Cay.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The buffet was excellent, with just a few exceptions. Some of the juices were extremely watered down, and the potatoes were always dry and rubbery. The 1st time I tried a hamburger, I wasn't a fan, but then I was told I could order it cooked any way I wanted it. That made all the difference in the world. The pizza was above and beyond what I had expected. If you had dietary needs, all you had to do was contact a supervisor, and it was done for you. Way to go, MSC!!! The Wave Restaurant was exceptional!! The waiters and waitresses were friendly and helpful. The food was delicious!! Never had to wait long to get drinks EVER!! Served within 5 minutes every single time.
Onboard Activities
The pools were excellent and kept exceptionally clean. They tend to be a bit crowded, but with thousands of people on board, you have to expect that.
The fitness center is a bit tiny and crowded in the morning, but you could still use the equipment. If you don't like the crowd, they have a great walking track on deck 16 as well. I used that most of the time.
Bowling was fun, but it's bowling!! I went on the roller coaster simulator and loved it. Little pricey, but I love roller coasters, so it was worth it to me.
Entertainment
The shows were phenomenal!! I went and saw almost all of the shows, and the cast was amazing at each one.
The events that took place throughout the ship awed me. So much talent in one place astounded me. From singing to dancing and everything in between, there is something for every taste.
The Sky Lounge became my 2nd stateroom. Just for the atmosphere and the live jazz.
Special shout out to the waiters and waitresses in the Sky Lounge!! It was an absolute pleasure to be in such great company every single night!!
Children's Programs
I personally didn't travel with children, but the last night on the ship, I got to witness just how wonderful their program and staff were.
In the promenade, they held a parade with the children. It was absolutely adorable, and once again, the staff showed just how amazing they were. The staff from the children's clubs are unsung heros in my eyes. Mainly because if you don't travel with kids, you don't even know they exist.
KUDOS to the entire staff of the Kid Clubs!!
Service and Staff
My cabin (8239) attendant, William, was the absolute best!! My stateroom was clean and spotless every single day!! If I needed anything, all I had to do was ask, and it would be there by the time I returned. He always greeted you with a smile and happy words. One morning, I forgot to hang my pajamas, and when I returned to my stateroom, William had made made the bed and folded my pajamas and placed them on my pillow.
WILLIAM, YOU ROCKED!!!
Despite the fact they work 11 hour days most days, I never met one that didn't greet you with respect and happiness!!
If you don't tip your cabin attendant at the end of your cruise, you might want to reconsider it the next time if you had the kind of experience I did.
The waiters and waitresses were beyond measure the best. I made sure to personally tip all my waiters and waitresses that went above and beyond!!
All of the ship personnel I had contact with were nothing but polite and friendly. Always with a smile and pleasant greeting!!
Ship Quality
The ship was absolutely beautiful!! The ceiling in the promenade captivated me, and I absolutely couldn't wait to see what design they had on it when I went down to deck 6.
They held "shows" on the ceiling that were just terrific!! Jurassic and the Abyss were my all-time favorites!!
I spoke with many different people during my cruise. Some very seasoned cruisers, and they all said the same thing. They never saw anything like that ceiling in any other ship they had been on.
The Swarovski staircase was breathtaking, especially at night.
Every single area was spotless, and the cleaning crew was outstanding. These young men and women were up by 4 am cleaning the common areas. Most of us were still sound asleep and would never even notice them, but I did!! Thank you for keeping our ship so clean!!!
Cabin / Stateroom
My cabin was beautiful and exceptionally clean. My cabin attendant, William, was the absolute best!!
Like even hotel rooms, they tend to be a bit cramped, but I'm only in there to sleep so who really cares!!
It was equipped with everything you needed to be comfortable.
Ports of call
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas
Wish I could give this 5 stars, but I just can't. The island is just absolutely beautiful and the staff was amazing!! The staff you see there live on that island year round!! What an amazing job!!
I didn't do any excursions on the island because that was the day I slated for relaxation, and I wanted to explore the island. It is stunning in its beauty and KUDOS to the MSC Foundation and everything they've done out there and everywhere else in the world!!
The lighthouse is gorgeous, and the light show was amazing. But that's where it ended.
The beach was just littered with trash and debri. There are not enough chairs or umbrellas, and they shouldn't have those beanbag seats out there!! Some were ripped open, and the little round pellets had spilled out of them. They were ALL OVER THE BEACH!! They had blown into the ocean, which now made all that hard work and dedication to the ocean seem pointless. I know that rocks and shells are a part of the beach, but what's on the lighthouse beach was over and beyond acceptable to the point of being dangerous.
Some of the other beaches further away from the ship were in much better shape and less crowded, but you truly need to take the carts out there. So my day of relaxation was cut short 1st by a pop-up thunderstorm, which was a very bad embarkation experience, and then, by needing to travel around the island looking for somewhere to relax at.
Thumbs Up
0
Have to say this was the worst excursion in my eyes. I decided to do the Blue Lagoon excursion, and I'll never do it again.
Missed a lot of time because of the slow disembarkation and the long walk from the ship to the Tour boat. Then, a 20-minute boat ride there. I lost almost 2 hrs of my time just with that.
The beach itself was extremely crowded and not well maintained at all. Garbage was lying about everywhere and not enough umbrellas or chairs for everyone. I wound up in a clam shell, which I didn't realize was going to cost me an extra $60.00 to sit in, but there literally was nowhere else to go.
Everything was way overpriced in the shops, and the food wasn't very good. The staff that patrolled the beach weren't very friendly or helpful at all.
That excursion was a waste of money and left me with no desire to return to Nassua. If I ever decide to do so, I won't return to Blue Lagoon ever!!
Looked like a nice port, but unfortunately for me, the day we docked there, some severe storms were lurking about, which caused some minor damage and problems on the ship. Nothing major, though.
My excursion that day was canceled due to weather. I was supposed to do the Historic Cocoa Beach Tour and Wildlife Sanctuary Tour. But with cloud to ground lightening about it was obviously safer to cancel.
It's Brooklyn, so expect it to be Brooklyn. I lived in the north my entire life, so Brooklyn really holds no fascination to me. But New York is a beautiful and bustling city so take some time to experience everything it has to offer.
Disembarkation
The disembarkation at the ports leaves a little to be desired. Could definitely take some lessons from other cruise liners here, but if you exercise patience, you'll eventually make it.
Disembarkation at the end of the cruise was actually very smooth. I decided to do the walk-off and was extremely happy I did. I was off the ship by 8:15 am and home by 10:15 am. If I had waited for the regular disembarkation, my time to meet wasn't until 10:10 am and then I would've had to hunt for my luggage. I'm guessing I wouldn't have gotten home much before 2 pm if I had waited.