MSC Meraviglia Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Msc is good. Some of the people are not the friendliest. Ugly Americans do not exist on this cruiseline. Ocean Cay will be a great stop in a few years when the island matured and all the sea life comes back. Bravo to Msc for taking a dumping ground and making it an oasis.

Disappointing. The ship is beautiful but was very disappointed in the nightlife. Not geared toward Americans at all. Was so excited to cruise with friends and be able to have some fun evenings and there was really nothing that we enjoyed doing. Their dance parties were all foreign music. The DJ really didn’t seem to have a clue what Americans like to listen to. Dining room food wasn’t very good. Ship was beautiful but the activities were disappointing.

We are cruising with a group of 17 friends. Everyone is having a great time. There is something for everyone!

Msc meraviglia caters alot to the European but that's not necessarily a bad thing, always keep an open mind and have fun.

Good enough to take another cruise on the staff, cleanliness of the ship and the atrium nightly show made it an extremely beautiful experience

Meraviglia review-I started off this trip by traveling to Orlando/Disney. We spent a night at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I chose to do this because not only did I want to extend my vacation, but airfare was cheaper flying into Orlando. We rented a car and drove to the Pembroke Pines Hampton Inn. We Iove the freedom of having a car the day before a cruise so that I can shop and pick up some last minute items. Many Florida car rental companies do not have a one way fee for instate travel. We rented from Avis through the Hilton Honors website and got a great deal. The night before the cruise was a Saturday night, so the hotel was not cheap. We paid $199 a night. However, the hotel was clean and the breakfast the next day was nice. We took the car to the Miami airport to return it and paid $27 for a taxi to the port. Avis has a free shuttle but we prefer the cab as we tend to pack heavy and enjoy having help with the luggage. The taxi driver dropped us off in front of the white Yacht Club tent where the butlers and porters immediately assisted us with the luggage and escorted us onto the ship to the Yacht club waiting area. Upon entry to the waiting area, we were given champagne and snacks while we had a short wait to get our sea card and wrist band. The butlers then escorted us onto the ship to the top sail lounge where our personal butler Mevin took over. He was amazing. He showed us to our room. Asked us what our preferences were for the week. He restocked my minibar with all of the Coke Zero I could drink (I am an addict) and filled the fruit bowl with my husband's favorite fruits. Through the week, he restocked these daily. In addition, every night he brought us special treats like chocolate covered strawberries and Macarons. During the course of the week, we mainly dined at the Yacht Club restaurant and at the grill on the private pool deck. Staff were very attentive. In addition, we ate at Butcher's Cut, the steak house. I highly recommend it. It was one of the best meals of the week. During the course of the day, there were always delicious snacks and chocolates available in the top sail lounge. We only left the Yacht club area most days for shows or restaurants. It truly is a relaxing experience and a ship within a ship. Being a person who enjoys the Haven on NCL, I would contend that the yacht Club product is better and more reasonably priced. We went to both Cirque shows. I enjoyed them both. I would say that you should really only do the cocktail show. The dinner part of the show was not great. If you sail in the Yacht Club, your butler will take you past the lines right before the show and seat you. The nightly shows were very good. The quality of the talent was superb. We stopped at Roatan where we went on an island tour and stopped at Daniel Johnson's monkey and sloth preserve. I got to hug a sloth. It was a bucketlist experience. Truly amazing. We did not get off the ship in Belize but stayed on the ship and spent much of the day in the thermal suite, There are 2 bubble pools, multiple saunas, rain showers and relaxation rooms. It was very nice but not as good as the breakaway Class thermal Suites on NCL. The Yacht Club pool area is nice. The pool is great. It is about 4 and a half feet. There is one whirlpool on this deck as well. There was plenty of seating. If you can't find an open seat, one of the butlers will take care of it for you. In Costa Maya, we went on the Nohoch Cay beach break. The food was good. The servers were attentive. However, the drinks were obviously made with not top shelf liquor. The chairs were broken down and uncomfortable. There was a lot of cigar smoking going on making it difficult to breath. I would not go back or recommend spending the money for anyone to buy this beach break. We have been to Maya Chan twice in the past and feel that their product is far superior. Our last stop was Ocean Cay, the private island. We got off the ship. We were escorted to a tram and dropped off in the yacht club area. The butlers provided us with an umbrella and towels at our lounger. Our drink package extended to the island. The butlers also waited on us throughout the day. We ate lunch at the yacht Club restaurant on the Island. The food was good. At the end of the day, they took us back to the ship. The island is beautiful. There are several beaches with activities for everyone. I loved it. Debarkation was fast and easy. We grabbed a porter who assisted with our bags. He got us a taxi and back to reality. If you can afford it, the yacht club experience is the way to go. MSC will status match you from other cruise line. In addition, if you are a government employee, they will give you an extra 5%. The one thing you should also know, this is a European line. As a USA citizen, you may be in the minority and will hear all messages in multiple languages. There is no comedy also because of this. I found the difference in travel to be refreshing. I am a huge fan MSC!

No tenia muy altas expectativas acerca de este por todos los malos reviews que habia leído. Pero me sorprendio mucho toda la belleza del barco, actividades, comida y personal del barco. Los cuales no le hace justicia a este hermoso barco. Este a sido uno en las que he pasado mejor mis vacaciones.

This was a fantastic vacation, but it was a fantastic vacation despite MSC rather than because of them. Everywhere we turned around there were inconveniences - service charges that were incorrect or needed removing, sudden changes to our packages we'd pre-purchased (for instance, being moved from Any Time Dining to a 5PM(!!) dining time), or things just not working the way they were supposed to. I think the moment MSC lost me was when, due to an unexpected extra day in Costa Maya rather than Ocean Cay, I found I needed more cash than I had planned ahead of time. Upon finding the ship had no ATM's (or rather than they specifically disabled them, as I found out on disembarkation) I had to go to guest services and was told there was a 5% fee for any cash advances. I asked them to waive this and the woman looked at me like I was insane and asked me why on earth they would do that. I did not get the fee waived. It seems bizarre to me to insult a guest who has just spent thousands over a three dollar service charge fee, but that's just the kind of cruise this was - a thousand small inconveniences. Overall, I do not regret the vacation AT ALL - we had exactly what we wanted to get, a very relaxing week away from home, work, and life. We had some absolutely magical experiences at port, particularly in Jamaica. We wanted to try MSC because we've been slowly trying all the cruise lines, and I'm glad we did, but we will never be cruising MSC again. I suppose you can't try all the cruise lines without having a last place, and now we know. Not a regret, but an interesting retrospect.

My review... The Basics: We had the pleasure of sailing on MSC Meraviglia from December 29, 2019 to January 5, 2020 on the New Years Cruise. Our cabin, a Interior Fantastica, was located on the 10th floor mid-ship. We were assigned to our requested 2-top table in the Olivio D’oro Dining room for the 715 p.m. seating. The Details: The Ship – The MSC Meraviglia is stunning and absolutely spotless. The design is 100% Italian with lots of sparkle and modern lines. The interior promenade with LED Ceiling is amazing. There was plenty of space for all, even at full capacity. Elevator landings, corridors etc. are offering a very wide design. There was never much of a wait for the elevators. We also did not have a problem finding a chair around the beautiful main pool. Spaces in the shade however are very limited. The Cabin – Our cabin was roomy. Décor was bright and modern. The bathroom had a nice shower with glass door. Shampoo, Shower gel and hand soap were offered. There is a flatscreen TV with some international channels, pay movies and interactive screens to check your pay balance, the daily program etc. We wish we could have traded some of the extra floor space for more storage. More shelving would have been wonderful. Again, everything was extra clean. The cabin was serviced twice a day by our very friendly steward. The Entertainment – The Entertainment team on the Meraviglia was friendly, approachable and 100% fun. The New Years Eve Party was absolutely fantastic. I have never had this much fun on NYE before. If you have a chance, go on sailing over this date. It is so worth it, just for this event alone. The 60/70/80’s Party in the Promenade was very fun as well, but could have featured more 80s tunes. Shows in the theatre were classic cruise fare featuring singers and dancers. All were enjoyable. For NYE MSC brought in the british band Jack Pack. They offered a wonderful concert. Entertainment around the pool offered everything from games to music. All were fun and made us laugh quiet often. We loved the Ibiza Tunes. The Food – I appreciate the European approach of MSC to cruise food. The on ship made fresh Mozzarella was delicious and I really enjoyed the daily changing meats, cheeses and breads. The pizza is definitely the best at sea. There was never a line to get a fresh slice of pizza, great hamburgers or crispy fries. The buffet offered daily changing options. We loved the beverage order buttons in the buffet area. Allow some time for dinner in the Main Dining Room as service is friendly, but not the most efficient. Once again I enjoyed all my selections, especially both duck dishes I tried. The NYE menu of filet and lobster was a lovely upgrade. Misses were the Chicken Parmesan and Martha Stewart Fettucine. Breakfast offered all the egg standards. We wished breakfast hours could have extended a little longer. Overall though a good experience. The Staff – This is where Meraviglia truly shines. The service we received was excellent. Stand out was the entire team in the Sky Lounge. From the moment we boarded they treated us like old friends. The cabin steward, pool waiters, restaurant team and entertainment staff were all friendly and kind. The Spa – We enjoyed a wonderful couple’s massage by the lovely staff. The space was beautiful. We also experienced the thermal area, which offered innovative relaxation rooms in a stunning atmosphere. The Shore Excursions – We booked the exclusive MSC Martha Stewart Tours in Ochos Rios and Grand Cayman. Both were absolutely amazing! Focus is on local experiences in small groups. Both included a history, activity and food component. I will never forget riding a horse through the bright blue waters of Grand Cayman or having the most delicious lunch overlooking the mountains of Jamaica. Unforgettable and 100% recommended. Overall – We loved our cruise on MSC Meraviglia with her wide open spaces, stunning design and friendly service. The European take on food and beverage offerings was appreciated and enjoyed. The exclusive Shore excursions were an absolute highlight. The New Year’s Eve Party was outrageous fun and will never be forgotten. We are excited to travel with MSC again this coming summer through Northern Europe. It should be noted that the minority of travelers on our sailing were American. The vibe was definitely relaxed Mediterranean and we really enjoyed that.

First time with msc we usually use celebrity,the ship is fantastic clean well run and the staff are professional. But it’s a big ship which means more than 5700 customers which brings its own problems with the buffet/ bars / pool area which seemed packed and noisy . But if you like that kind of ship it’s a good choice . If you can download the app it works well you don’t need WiFi you can book shows check bills etc it’s good .

A wonderful family holiday on a beautiful ship with great staff

Ship is really beautiful, and you can tell that it’s a pretty new ship. The itinerary was great.

This experience was very disappointing for myself and my family. It was immediately and consistently apparent that this ship was being utilized to train inexperienced staff, many of whom seemed to have zero previous experience working in customer service. Unpleasant experiences seemed to follow us our entire time onboard the ship to the point where it became a joke. The only saving graces of this vacation were the butchers cut restaurant, the handful of bartenders who did their jobs well and made us feel welcome, and our room stewards. Every other moment on board this ship was incredibly disappointing and based on this vacation we will certainly be avoiding MSC the next time we decide to cruise because thankfully, previous cruises we have taken with other cruise lines have shown us what good service and good food are and what is to be expected from a high quality cruise.

Just getting off this amazing and beautiful ship! Was it perfect? No, but we made the best of it. We missed Ocean Cay. 😞 they refunded all excursions and some port fees. The 1st broadway theater show was cancelled due to technical difficulties all the others show’s were okay. (My husband and I preferred Divina entertainment team) Our favorite show was the last one called “One more day” it was their version of Broadway classic. Very well done. We stayed in a fantástica Oceanview Family suite that sleeps 6 people. It was nice to have 2 bathrooms. Our cabin steward Lester was awesome! They don’t offer washcloth so you have to ask for them. He made sure we had what we needed whenever I left a note for him. He greeted us every morning and took time to ask us about our shore days. Room service messed up twice and never delivered our items. He noticed it and complain for us. I never said a word about it. Manager called us to apologize and sent champagne and sweets. Nice touch! We purchased the Aurea Spa couples package ($425) which included a thermal spa for the week with a 50 minute Bali massage and facial. They gave us robes as well to use. The spa came in really handy on sea days and the cancel port to OC. This spa is a lot bigger than Divina. Well worth it. I just wished I booked it online before we sailed. Online cost $330. We dined in Panorama 6pm. Our waiter Hichael was fantastic. He greeted us by name and knew our drink orders and special needs, likes and dislikes. He made suggestions based off that. We totally enjoy the food, at times couldn’t eat all the food as we definitely over indulge. 😝 I’ll post pictures. **Buffet Pro tip** walk all the way to the back. It is quite and you can always find a table. We sat outside everyday we went. We also went to Waves for breakfast one day. We really enjoyed the quick service. Opens 7:30 -9:30 am. We didn’t do any specialty dining venues but it all looked really good. Next time. We booked all of our excursion on our own. We did Blue Hole in Jamaica 🇯🇲, Stingray City in Grand Cayman, Dolphin swim in Cozumel. My family participated in trivia, soccer tournaments, white party, silent disco, movies on deck, aqua park, night clubs, dance classes and master chef at sea!! We embraced it all and had a blast because we are blessed to experience a holiday like this. Saddest part is going home and having to cook and clean for myself. I hope this review helps. Make your cruise fun and live your best life! Happy Cruising!

Ship is nice. Service was also nice. Just need to work on food quality and pace in dining rooms.

A great cruise onboard a stunning, new ship. The best food I've had at sea so far - and so many activities.

One of the best parts of cruising is the food in my option and this time around it left a lot be de desired. It was very often served cold, wrong, and very slow. This was not one of my better experiences.

This was our second MSC cruise and I don't think we will cruise with MSC again. Yes they offer extremely good deals but one of my favorite parts of cruising is the food and the dining experience. MSC for the second time they left a lot to be desired!

I almost canceled because of the negative reviews. It was actually a very nice cruise. Staff were friendly and food was tasty, although one or two options were not good. The ship is clean and staff were always cleaning. My only negative is staff coming around to offer specialty restaurants or drinks package while you are eating, but I guess those instructions come from the top.

MSC is trying to do better, but they still have a long way to go. Cannot be compared with Royal Caribbean, NCL or Celebrity.