ZandZ

I purposely ordered and took a picture of this same dish in the MDR on the Magnifica 3 weeks ago.  Of course I promptly forgot about it, but here it is. 

And yes, to my surprise the room was straightened out at least 3 times a day.  And while overall it was a nice cruise I will not be back on that ship - the low dining room and spa ceilings, the lack of promenade... I am planning my next cruise on the Meraviglia.  MSC is a solid brand that, hopefully, continues to stay affordable for those of us who prefer multiple vacations a year vs. one luxurious one.

On 5/6/2024 at 12:08 AM, rrraydon said:

Thanks for your reviews! I'm on Magnifica for the 2nd time tomorrow. 😊

haha, that was quick!  enjoy!  

i am crying over not being able to take the time off from work to go on the really cheap one of new england this month.... from the site you recommended on your prior review.

Hi.  I was on the same cruise as you. I am sorry you got stuck in a sucky cabin! 

This was my second time with MSC and while I am planning another cruise on the Meraviglia, I will not be back on Magnifica.  Maybe it is just too small for me, although I really liked all my cruises with Majesty of the Sea which is also a smaller ship.  And yes, finding public bathrooms was a pain!  They are not marked properly and I had to keep asking staff.

My son and I had the non-alcoholic package and every venue we went to for drinks was great.  Bar service was one of the best out of any cruise I've been on.

I agree with your overall assessment of the MDR - I wasn't crazy about any of the entrees, the appetizers were fine.  I do not like sweets but my son said the cheesecake was good.  As a mafist (pescatarian+poultry, basically no mammals, and yes, there is a name for everything nowdays), I found that my body was craving protein other than eggs and salmon, and there wasn't much there unless i wanted to eat the dry chicken breast.  Again, I did not have this issue on the Mera, there were more choices both in the buffet and the dining room.  Plus the low ceiling in the MDR made me a bit uncomfortable.

Our room was tidied up *at least* 3 times a day, and that was very impressive.  That was actually better that the other MSC cruise I was on.

The gym was surprisingly large and really nice.  The Spa area (I purchased the Aurea experience) was ok but not enough variety and I really only used it once vs. on Mera where we went at least once a day.  Again, maybe it the smaller ship/lower ceiling, but something was off for me.

We did not partake in any entertainment so I cannot comment on that.  

I do think it was a good value for how much I paid (and we were upgraded to a balcony from an inside) but I would not do it again.

I've cruised RCI exclusively pre-pandemic.  My last two cruises with them I began to get tired of the food options, especially at the buffet.  Cruised with MSC last May, really enjoyed it, so much more than RCI.  We were Balcony Aurea, which gave us the "my time dining" experience.  We used the spa heavily and stayed clear of entertainment - just best friends enjoying card games, Netflix and books.  My only dislike about MSC Meraviglia was that for me, their gym was too small and crowded, as compared to most RCI gyms.  

Booked into Magnifica with my 14yo later this month.  We plan on doing more "partying" and socializing than my last cruise.

For me, even if price and itinerary are the same, I would chose MSC at this point.  Maybe I will go back to RCI at some point, but certainly not at their current prices!

Booked a Bella Guarantee inside cabin, received my stateroom assignment today and its a BM2 balcony room, towards the back.

Customer service not willing to accept you as the speaker for another passenger - that one is a positive.  Imagine how upset you would be if someone spoke in your name without your permission.  

11 minutes ago, rrraydon said:

Yes, exactly…I love the smaller vessels for this exact reason! 

Cannot wait to check her out! Thank you.

In May on Meraviglia it was never overly crowded but went from busy to completely empty.  We went at least once a day - it was that type of vacation.

Thank you, great review.  Will be on next month.  Second MSC cruise, first time ever traveling in an inside cabin.  Your review gave me Majesty of the Seas vibe... is that accurate? 

Hello and thank you so much for taking the time to take questions!

I am curious about the smoking policy and how its being enforced.  I've heard that the cruise line tends to slack on this and lots of areas smell like smoke and folks smoke in their cabins/balconies.  Are you experiencing any of this?

Thanks!

After 40 plus years on this earth i still stumble over folks who surprise me, in a same way as the nasty old oil smell while walking past a a take out place in Brooklyn in the middle of August does... meh. I sure wish you voice that opinion when you get the opportunity - see where it gets you 🙂

3 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

🤣🤣

i see little squares.

1 minute ago, DarrenM said:

My dog guards the door to the basement, and is trained to rip their legs off if they escape.

 

 

lucky you. i have a dachshund. 'nuff said.

1 minute ago, DarrenM said:

Ah your a Balcony type. Nice one.

 

Dont have one so its the basement for mine.

yup.  that way the dog is also out there so if im out on a date and decide to stay out all night, they all got a place to pee. 

9 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

you want to borrow my basement?

i got a balcony - they stay out there when im at work. 

5 minutes ago, StormTight said:

Well said.  Forget the DarrenM & Clo comments.  Just keep on being a single parent that loves & cares about their kids and would never even think of making the type of comments they have made on this post!  

Thank you!

I am finding this whole thing super amusing... The original question makes sense, the poster did say what the reasons for this are and yet now there are some heavy statements being made.

Yes, when we sign up for parenthood we know that our lives will not be the same.  However, we do not die for the next 18+ years.  Nor do we give up our own identities.  Nor do we expect our kids to.  And not everyone can be a one income family.  And not everyone has a partner - sometimes for reasons entirely outside of our control.  I think this type of discussion is the reason why i do very little posting around here....   People are too righteous and its funny - cause I know exactly what happens when life decides to change it up for ya.

~ A single full time employed parent of two kids.  One of them wants nothing to do with organized activities, sunshine, or tourism, while the other one LOVES the kids club. 

1 minute ago, Son of a son of a ... said:

 

And, I would pick you as a juror.  

 

The questions are whether it is reasonably foreseeable that someone would put their child on the rail and whether it was reasonably foreseeable that items, including children, fall from the rail through an open window.

 

There might have been signage warning about the railing, but its effectiveness is arguable is not in the grandfather's language or not depicted by symbol given that the grandfather may have sight or comprehension issues.  

 

Let the lawyers fight about it.

 

my hope here is that the family is not being victimized further by the attorney(s).  Yes, this might have started out as a fear of criminal/negligent charges but it will quickly escalate into a lawsuit - even if for the simple reason of a family's need to make sense of this tragedy and put blame outside their loved ones.  A horrible situation all around and on many levels.

As a side note, the world LOVES to sensationalize anything  cruise related.  I wonder how many times kids fall from balconies while on land vacations.  Is it talked about so much? Unless, ya know, it happens in DR (<-- sarcasm).

Great point!!!!  

this brought back a memory.  When my now teen was a baby/toddler, my MIL sat him on a balcony railing (second floor).  I saw this, i remember that feeling, when the bottom drops under you...  I had a complete meltdown.  She complied with my wishes (at least when I was around lol), but never understood what my issue was as she "was holding him tight".  She was a wonderful woman, may she RIP,  a caregiver for my kids and I consider them to be very lucky to have known her.  She was one of the most interesting, caring and compassionate human beings I have ever met.  Who made some bad judgement calls, clearly.  

12 hours ago, cruise52 said:

Seriously?  No one knows if the grandfather has vision issues.  Maybe he couldn't easily discern that it was an open window or see it as well as you or me.  Maybe they were all so excited and distracted getting on the cruise that he wasn't as attentive as he should have been.  Maybe an attorney was hired because grandpa was worried he could be prosecuted for dropping his grand daughter to her death.  I don't believe the cruise line was negligent, but I also don't believe this family is making up a story or that they are now trying to profit from this tragedy.  Accidents happen and We all make mistakes from time to time.  I truly feel for this family, but I'm shocked at how cold and judgmental people are that have no idea what actually occurred.  Who knows what details were first provided or by whom and if they were just plain wrong.  

11 hours ago, Maya1234 said:

As an attorney I was surprised that they had an attorney making these kind of statements so quickly. But then one of my partners pointed out that Puerto Rico authorities had been quoted as saying the grandfather was under investigation. My partner used to be a criminal defense attorney and said that under the circumstances here he might advise someone like the grandfather to hire a civil attorney too to try to make a strong argument that he was not at fault and thus even if the family had no interest in a civil lawsuit against Royal Caribbean this was a smart move from a criminal defense standpoint. 

This and This and thank you!  The local paper DID say they were looking into possible charges. 

Its an absolute tragedy.   I imagine part of trying to reconcile what just took place is trying to rationalize - not necessarily placing blame.  Having said that, I cannot imagine not seeing that the window is open, but then again, I am not an elderly person.  

There are cameras everywhere - we will know exactly what happened eventually..

15 hours ago, DarrenM said:

On a serious note, what self respecting and loving parent would leave a child on a cruise ship whilst they go off enjoying a new City/port/island??????

The kind whose kids have zero interest in playing tourist.  Seriously.  Lets be nice and understand that kids, just like adults, have personalities and preferences.  

2 minutes ago, Wyoming2010 said:

 

Informative article on this:  https://www.tourepublic.com/blog/how-to-travel-to-cuba/

Yes, its got a bunch of links too.  

1 hour ago, kathy49 said:

your information is so wrong. Land trips where you fly in and explore Cuba under "support for the Cuban people" have not changed at all and in fact is a much better way to see the culture.

did you read everything I said?  cause thats what i said, pretty much.  lol. 

Maybe things will change - until that time this is what has to be done....  😞

12 minutes ago, Wyoming2010 said:

 

yes, but I thought that was only for business purposes or visiting families.  I don't know if the average US citizen is still allowed to just fly into Cuba from a US airport. 

no, not from a US airport.  Even before Obama allowed travel, anyone residing in the States wishing to enter Cuba would first travel to a third country.  At least that's how everyone I know did it.

https://www.tourepublic.com/blog/how-to-travel-to-cuba/#Planning-a-Trip-to-Cuba