Many Bright Spots but sweat the details

MSC Meraviglia Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 34

Overall rating:

4.8 out of 5
MSC Meraviglia

7 Night Caribbean & Bahamas (New York Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 02, 2024

Ship: MSC Meraviglia

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 months ago

Review summary

Summary: Arrival is Chaotic. Now some will write how smooth it was but they, in most cases, arrived at 8:00a.m. For those that arrived at scheduled time it was an Old School Chaotic check in. So we were dropped off and there we were with our bags. Every other port you are greeted by a bag handler. In Brooklyn, you have to bring your bag to the Handler. Then you cross the street and get in a line about 10 rows long. Then you get in and you are in another line about 25 rows long, and that's to get through customs. At that point another line to check in and finally you sit down for 5 minutes and are called. The total time is on par w other cruise companies but if you are older you stand through 90%of the process. Once onboard we signed up for specialty dinners. 2 were outstanding. Ocean Cay and Steakhouse. Service was very good. Cris in Ocean Cay our waiter was spectacular. Head Chef was in the Kitchen and stopped at every table. Steakhouse was excellent. Third Restaurant, The Food was good. Service Excellent but it wasn't what I would call a Specialty Restaurant. Rather than dragging you through a line by line review, I will simplify it by saying they need to be more detail oriented. If anyone wants details I can Provide. Mostly just listening. We skipped the Circus and the Magic Of Houdini. I won't pay for Entertainment. Our wait staff in the MDR were off the first night but spot on after that. Again details. The layout in Waves sucked for the wait staff. They had beer or wine Ltd at their stand. Anything else you were told would take a half hour as the bar was quite a ways away. Coppucino, a half hour as every bar makes coppucino but the dining room doesn't have a bar. Free Entertainment was fabulous. Their dancers did many shows one better than the other. I did not go to Comedy Show but my wife said it was good. Karaoke Bar was always crowded and layout was poor. You will understand if you experience it. Lighting in many spots was bright. Not intimate or mood setting. Ceiling Displays are fantastic.

Embarkation

4 out of 5
As a senior I don't agree with the system. Carnival and NCL, about the same amount of time, however you are sitting rather than standing. Getting your bags taken by bag handler is chaotic as you have to take your luggage to the person where as most other cruise companies come to the car. It's a now that you know situation.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
They do all the standard stuff. Love and Marriage, Trivia, Yoga, crafts, Cooking Competition, Drink Tastings, it's all good I would not pay for Activities. Sky Lounge is a fantastic spot for Blues in a very relaxed setting. Cigar bar is there also.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
No issues here. All good. Be sure to visit hard to find Sky Lounge. Outstanding musicians. Dancers in the Broadway shows great job

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Waiters 5 Star, Room Steward 5 Star Bar Staff 3.75 stars. They just don't listen. I order basic drinks. Manhattans Martinis Margaritas, Bloody Mary's Scotch and Soda Pinot Noir Manhattans if you don't say on the rocks, the standard drink is up. 50% on the rocks No bitters 15% bitters Martinis twist and Olives up Lime20-25% of the time Scotch and Soda Lemon slice Came w Lime Slice Details.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Cabin was typical size. Card needed in room for lights only. If you open your balcony door the AC will shut off. You will need to reset. Room Steward was outstanding

Ship tip

Be patient. It's a work in Progress. More in my final statement. Decide first day what events you want to attend. Scan the daily planner Code. Crew show sells out.

Ports of call

Nassau, Bahamas

5 out of 5

Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas

5 out of 5
By far feel of a Private Island. Beautiful Layout

Port Canaveral, Florida

5 out of 5

Brooklyn, New York

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
Traffic Director got hit by Uber driver. Chaotic. Luckily just a glancing blow Building their own terminal in Manhattan by late 2025. Hopefully this will improve Emb,and Deb
Was this review helpful? 8

9 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe     5 months ago

Thanks for sharing

BreeDee     5 months ago

Do they tell you about tea time? I also heard there was ice cream in the buffet area but only during certain hrs. Is that posted (paper or app)? My family enjoys tea time and my 5 year old LOVES ice cream.

TheBigSalad     5 months ago

Thank you for sharing your review.

Gwbigdog     5 months ago

Thanks for sharing

javawoody     5 months ago

Appreciate your post

Skooby     5 months ago

Thanks for your review. Brooklyn Cruise port is a disaster no matter which cruise ship you embark on. I hope Cunard Queen Mary 2 moves over to the Manhattan cruise port too! I can only wish.🙏

cruising2004     5 months ago

Thank you for the detailed review. Glad you had a wonderful time!

HeavySeas     5 months ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise experience and glad you enjoyed your cruise

24MyLuckyDragon     5 months ago

Thank you for very well detailed review. Glad you had a good time. Happy cruising 🤩⚓️😎❣️‼️

Other reviews of this sailing