The lack of organization for getting on and off the ship in each of the ports (including tendering) was severely mismanaged.
The MSC website and app need a complete rework.
The staff management on the ship is lacking and the crew is clearly overworked and exhausted.
The MDR layout in Golden Olive was too tight and you could not enter or exit without getting in the way of servers or other diners. The food was mostly great. Some MDR staff busted their butts and never stopped working, while several just stood around half the time not working at all. We only saw one of the MDR management guys in the black coats helping refill drinks, help guests and waitstaff, etc. The rest acted like they were too good to help even when the staff was clearly falling behind.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had a 2-2:30 arrival window and got there right at 2pm. Embarkation was smooth and super simple.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food is above Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean's level in taste. Not everything came out as described in the menu though. We never had a good steak in the Dining room and the fish was hit and miss. The pasta and Italian dishes were outstanding. Buffet had excellent variety and quality. The soft serve ice cream on the pool deck was the best we've ever had and was dispensed by crew to reduce germs and came with sprinkles if desired.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
It rained most of our cruise so we didn't get to enjoy many of the outdoor activities. The machines in the gym were poorly laid out and caused a lot of congestion between users.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The pay for show Rock Circus was a huge disappointment. The performers were lack luster at best. They had soft movements, no sharpness and sang and danced like they were at the very end of their contracts and didn't plan on ever getting another job with MSC. The singers in the show were no great talent either unfortunately. The opening act before the performance began was really great though. He was a standout and did an admirable job getting the audience involved and pumped up. He had a great voice.
The magicians were entertaining. The musicians around the ship were quite good as well.
Children's Programs
We don't have kids
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The staff management on the ship is severely lacking and the crew is clearly overworked and exhausted with little sympathy or help from management. You could tell most of the crew were trying especially hard to have smiles and be friendly under pretty bad conditions.
The stateroom stewards have too many rooms to handle by themselves and cross contaminated rooms by not changing gloves between rooms. We saw room attendants with latex gloves with finger tips broken off several times, so they were obviously not changing them frequently enough. We didn't have a bath mat until day 3 and no wash clothes until I asked on day 4. The hand soap at the stateroom sink was empty when we arrived and we had to ask for it to be filled.
We were asked by a Maitre D' and the MDR door greeter to give perfect 10s on our surveys. I understand this helps them get bonuses, etc, but I don't want anyone to push me to give anything less than an authentic rating and feedback.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship overall is designed well, but there are not enough free dining venues. Only the MDR, buffet, and pool grill. Although the soft serve ice cream was by far the best we've had on any cruise! The carpets in the stairs were clearly worn out and the stateroom sofa was stained.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Well designed cabin with the biggest shower we've had in a non-suite balcony room. The room felt more spacious than expected. The artwork in the room was incredible. The sofa was stained and needed replaced. The mattress was firm but still pretty comfortable but the surface was pilled so badly I could feel it through the sheets. Our room steward was particularly friendly and helpful whenever I pointed out something we needed. He was obviously overwhelmed with too many cabins. They all were. We were almost to the back of the ship so passed a few different stewards sections and they all seemed overworked.
Ship tip
Do not take the first cruise on a new itinerary for the ship. Getting on and off the ship in ports was a nightmare! They had no logistics in place to ease the lines and it generally took over an hour of standing in line to get back onboard. Customs was mishandled and an arduous process as well. We didn't get off the ship for ports 2, 3, or 4 because the queues were so long. I have a feeling they will get this issue squared away for future cruises with these ports but this one was pretty bad.
Loved the port but the tender process to get back on the ship was a disaster. We waited 45 minutes before boarding the tender; then 20 minutes sitting on the tender after it arrived at the ship; and another 25 minutes in the hull of the ship trying to get through security.
Loved this port. Lots to see within walking distance of the ship. Plus we rented a car and drove to the northern coast and the Anne of Green Gables property. We really enjoyed this port thoroughly. Getting back on the ship wasn't a pleasure though.
HORRIFIC! We were self-assist and were stopped in line on the ship and then again in the terminal at the top of the stairs because the terminal was "over crowded". The staff in the terminal was particularly rude and yelling at passengers. When. we were finally allowed to enter the main hall were bags were waiting on guests to pick them up there was hardly anyone in there. We walked straight to customs and left with no line at all. The excuse of over crowding was not realistic and just finished off a frustrating experience of long lines and disorganization that was displayed the entire cruise.
That is a large resort ship which is not suitable for those smaller ports. Use the smaller ships from other lines like Holland America and you will have a great experience.
I really appreciate your review. This was the cruise I was originally trying to do for my birthday, and it sounds like I dodged a bullet in certain regards. I do hope they'll greatly improve the process for getting off the ship and back on at the ports, and I hope your next cruise is so amazing in every way!
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