Good if you get in cheap, otherwise I would go with someone else.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Long lines at embarkation. It was not very organized. The check in time they gave us made me think that this would go smoother, but it did not matter.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The MDR was a huge disappointment. We were seated at a two person private table, which could be a pro or con based on your own personality. I thought the food was WAY below the standards set on other cruise lines. For example, my caesar salad was floating in water and the steak I had was a low quality cut of meat. It was supposed to be a NY strip, but the taste and texture was not to the level I was expecting. The service was unacceptable. Simple things like getting water refills and having the empty plates removed from our table were huge hassles. The buffet food was okay. Burgers, hot dogs, and pizza are served every night. On top of that there is a variety of pasta/rice dishes, salad bar, a meat carving station, and desserts. Nothing really special here, but it is ok. Service could be improved in the buffet as well. Plate clearing and table cleaning could be improved. They are also not very nimble reacting to changes. When it rained at Ocean Cay, causing a flood of people to go to the buffet on board, they did not react by opening more seating. One thing I LOVED was the optional outdoor buffet seating. I wish this was standard on all cruise ships.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We went to several shows and enjoyed them all. I cant remember their names, but I enjoyed the Peter Pan type show and the Michael Jackson show the best. We made reservations for all of our shows, but except for the Michael Jackson show, the theater was not full and walk-ins had no problem getting a seat. The pools are over 6 feet deep, but they are salt water, so if you are a decent swimmer, you can easily float in them. We had no issue getting a poolside chair at all during our cruise.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
Waiters were very uninterested in doing anything above the requirements of their job. If you ask for a refill or order food, they will bring it, but they are not proactive at all. They also forgot my wife's desert that she ordered one night. The room steward was also not very good. Several times he took our dirty towels and did not replace them with clean ones. He did not refill the tissue or toilet paper. At least once a day we had to hunt him down to request items that he should have replaced while cleaning our room. The bar tenders on board are really slow. My wife would go to the bar and order a drink while I would have a cigarette. I would walk to the smoking section, have a cigarette, and walk back before she got her drink. This was at an empty bar. I figure they lost over a hundred dollars in bar sales from us because of how slow the service was.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship is absolutely beautiful. Incredible design and really nice atmosphere. The staff do a pretty bad job of cleaning. I would often see empty glasses sitting on tables for hours. I would go to the smoking section in the morning and see a group of glasses on a table. After going on a excursion and shopping in port, I would see the same group of glasses sitting on the table.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Absolutely beautiful. I don't know the specific sqft, but it seemed about the same size as the balcony rooms we have been on with other cruise lines. This room has a full bathtub. The hairdryer is located in a drawer on the desk under the mirror in the cabin (not in the bathroom). I point this out because it took us a while to find it.
Ship tip
If you can book MSC cheap and can enjoy your vacation even if the food and service is poor, go for it. We loved our trip even with the issues we encountered.
Booked an excursion to jump the rocks into Blue Hole. It was fantastic. Blue Hole is absolutely beautiful and the tour guides were very helpful and funny. We booked though third party and had no problem with transportation or getting back to our ship on time.
Took a taxi ($18 each way) to the all inclusive Mr. Sanchos and had a great time. I would highly recommend it. If you are interested in doing an all inclusive I would check out youtube videos on mr sanchos and other all inclusive to find the one that you would like
Not a lot to do here yet. Feels like the opening was rushed. Didn't help that it rained the last five hours we were in port. The rain washed out any night time activities that they had planned. Not MSC's fault that it rained, but they own the island, so I would expect them to have some kind of backup indoor activity in case it does rain. It is the Bahamas after all, it's not like rain is uncommon in this area. Have a plan.
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