Review: MSC Magnifica 2 nights. A comedy of errors.

Where do I start.....?

 

• The cruise documentation detailed the wrong port in Hamburg. I actually had to point it out to MSC UK that the address was wrong and they sent out second documents a few days later which still had the wrong address in and then with a little addendum giving the right address
  
• Boarding was chaos. The building was not large enough to cope with the number of people trying to board.
  
• No separate doorway for Black/Priority members. Once inside, the regular queue had barriers so the queue snaked around in an orderly fashion. The Black/Priority line had no order and it was every man for your self, elbows at the ready.
  
• There were no announcements of what was causing the delay and no expectation set of how long we would have to wait. Otherwise we would have taken ourselves off to lunch at the FischMarkt opposite
  
• There was no visibility of any MSC officers. There was no one offering water or seats for the elderly.
  
• Boarding started around 1.45
  
• On board you were ambushed immediately by staff trying to sell you the drinks package; until they saw you were on for just 2 days when they then said you couldn't have it. Thankfully we got him to sell it to us otherwise I would be furious if I had been asked every few minutes whether I wanted a package, that I couldn't have
  
• Our room steward never smiled, or introduced himself, or left a card
  
• The room was not ready, we did not have our kettle, our bathrobes or even face cloths.
  
• We did have 2 invites to the specialty restaurant. I did not receive my invite to the Spa. We did receive 4 chocolate ships (that were actually of the Musica...)
  
• We went for dinner at the Oriental Specialty restaurant. Blacks members dine from a set menu. They had no salad and no noodles. Dinner was sushi and a bowl of fried rice. No senior staff around explaining why there was no food. Hardly worthy of a buffet let a long a specialty restaurant. There were noodles for lunch in the buffet the next day. Go figure.
  
• Before going to dinner I had left a note on the bed asking the steward to please bring kettle, bathrobes and face clothes. When we returned to the room, we had had no turn down service and the note was still in place. By this time I was not a happy bunny. I went to GR and told them. Now this is the best part....at 3.00am in the morning, yes, 3.00am in the morning we were awoken by the delivery of the missing items.......
  
• The following day, our steward gave us 2 more bathrobes. He then returned in the afternoon to deliver one solitary face cloth.
  
• There were no cartons of milk on board so you couldn't use the kettle anyway
  
• There had been a change over of staff. Never before have I seen dirty plates and cups left on tables for hours (the ones by the pool were there for well over 4 hours)
  
• Disembarking was chaos. Only one announcement advising about issues with the gangway. Nothing more. No visibility of officers explaining what the issue was, no further announcements telling people to stay away. No officers seeing you off the ship apologising for the issues. It appeared that some people had not done the mandatory immigration face to face the day before; and some people had not registered their credit card which caused further delay.
  

On the plus side, the ship itself was spotless, did not show her age. The music was good, the disco was great, the drinks were flowing (when you could get served).

 

 

I feel very disappointed. For their first trip in the UK, I'm afraid this was a PR disaster. I suspect many were trying MSC for the first (and probably the last) time. I spoke with some who had already cancelled forthcoming trips. I know they can do better than this. This was DH's first cruise with MSC. I have managed to convince him to give them one more go....

Edited April 4, 2018 by little britain

Oh no! I'm sorry it was such a chaotic trip. I hope you can get your husband to give MSC another try...it's not always like that. Glad to hear the ship itself was in good shape. Hopefully they will get the other issues sorted out (and the pantry restocked!) before we embark in June. Thank you for sharing your experience.

3 am? ;p;p the whole ship would hear me screaming :eek:

A bit concerned about you saying no turndown service as we are on Magnifica soon and the grandchildren will be sleeping on sofa bed. I just asked the question on here was the sofa bed made up every night and back to a sofa during the day. The answer was yes, so now concerned they won’t make the sofa bed up now.

A bit concerned about you saying no turndown service as we are on Magnifica soon and the grandchildren will be sleeping on sofa bed. I just asked the question on here was the sofa bed made up every night and back to a sofa during the day. The answer was yes, so now concerned they won’t make the sofa bed up now.

 

Our guy was useless. I wouldn't take him as the measure of how things were meant to be done :confused:

I've had turndown on both other MSC cruises

Thanks for the review.

 

Just a quick question, did you get your black card bottle of Prosecco in the cabin. My son was onboard and never got his, he asked at GS and was told it wasn't available on a 2 night cruise. He did however have bathrobes and slippers in the cabin and went to the speciality dinner on Sat night and had the full menu apart from the salad! Not sure what it was supposed to have consisted of but he mentioned spring rolls and Pad Thai.

 

He quite enjoyed the cruise but it was his girlfriend's first ever cruise and unfortunately it hasn't converted her.

 

Julie

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like MSC needs some organizational work on that ship.

Finally a true view of this cruise (we were on it too). Yesterday I read the review added by another member and he was praising MSC for such a wonderful cruise...

 

Anyway, the whole cruise was a chaos, not just embarkation and disembarkation. Staff was acting like they have just woken up from a long sleep and didn't know where they were and what was happening. Everything was disorganised.

 

We are also black members and we did receive a bathrobes, sleepers, spa vouchers, bottle of cava and two chocolate ships into our cabin. We didn't receive invitation to the black members party (we were passing through the atrium on Sunday midday and stumbled upon this party by accident) and also gift and our upgrade pin (this was our first cruise as a black members). We got a gift and a pin from the future cruise consultant, who at first told us that we should be getting them delivered to our cabin after we leave Southampton. We told him, we are disembarking in Southampton, as a mater of fact, a half of the ship was disembarking in Southampton. He was just like "Oh, really..". Clearly wasn't aware that this cruise was heavily sold as a 2 day cruise.

 

Overall we didn't get upset at this experience, as it was only two nights. However, if we had booked this cruise as a 7 or more nights, we would be very disappointed. And if it was our first cruise ever, it would likely put me off cruising.

A bit concerned about you saying no turndown service as we are on Magnifica soon and the grandchildren will be sleeping on sofa bed. I just asked the question on here was the sofa bed made up every night and back to a sofa during the day. The answer was yes, so now concerned they won’t make the sofa bed up now.

 

What to do with sofa bed its up to you. We always ask our steward not to put it back during day time so she can always have a nap if she needs to. He set it up as our bed but never fold it.

...We didn't receive invitation to the black members party (we were passing through the atrium on Sunday midday and stumbled upon this party by accident) and also gift

.......Gift...what gift!!!? And no invite to a party either....

Just a quick question, did you get your black card bottle of Prosecco in the cabin..

- yes we got our bubbles and chocolate covered strawberries.

Inconsistency is becoming my middle name...

LB ... There really is large amounts of inconsistancy currently with MSC! The complimentary meal should now be one per cabin as they are doing with Seaside yet along with yourself others have had two meal cards.

I was surprised to see that they had a Black card party on a 2 night sailing, and they did forget our invite at Xmas on Seaside but made sure that all the status matchers to Black got theirs.

We will be on Magnifica in September and it will be our first MSC cruise. We have cruised many times with other lines but thought we would give them a go as the cruise is from Southampton. Reading this I am wondering if I have made a mistake.

 

I hope they have had time by then to get their act together!

 

I think I will keep a close eye on what people are saying and consider my options if things dont improve.[emoji848]

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

We will be on Magnifica in September and it will be our first MSC cruise. We have cruised many times with other lines but thought we would give them a go as the cruise is from Southampton. Reading this I am wondering if I have made a mistake.

 

I hope they have had time by then to get their act together!

 

I think I will keep a close eye on what people are saying and consider my options if things dont improve.[emoji848]

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

We are on in three weeks time and I'll be posting when we get back. Hopefully they will have sorted themselves out by then.

 

Julie

Thanks for the review.

hmmmmmmmm I have a feeling many Black card members with all these expected lovely privileges may not have become Black card members from sailing with MSC ??????

LB ... There really is large amounts of inconsistancy currently with MSC! The complimentary meal should now be one per cabin as they are doing with Seaside yet along with yourself others have had two meal cards.

I was surprised to see that they had a Black card party on a 2 night sailing, and they did forget our invite at Xmas on Seaside but made sure that all the status matchers to Black got theirs.

Dave ... We have received only one voucher for the complimentary dining meal. The CC was in YC a couple of days ago so I spoke with her and let her know exactly how we feel about it. I also pointed out the inconsistencies around the issue. She told me that she enforces the policy for that reason!

 

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Thanks for your report.

Keith

LB - most of the benefits don't apply to cruises of less than 4 days, eg the black party, dance lesson, That's why these benefits weren't delivered

hmmmmmmmm I have a feeling many Black card members with all these expected lovely privileges may not have become Black card members from sailing with MSC ??????

 

 

 

I’m sorry but why does that matter?

 

If MSC instigate a programme to attract new cruisers by doing a status match; which has clearly worked, given the number of people trying MSC on board: then those new cruisers have an expectation of benefits, facilities, events and services they will receive on board as advertised by MSC.

 

When the benefits, facilities, events and services are severely lacking, clearly inconsistent or not delivered (or delivered at 3am in the morning [emoji849]), are they keeping their side of the bargain?

 

The “real” Blacks encountered these failings too.

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

LB - most of the benefits don't apply to cruises of less than 4 days, eg the black party, dance lesson, That's why these benefits weren't delivered

 

 

 

I didn’t expect the dance lesson or the black party as I know they are not on the short cruises..... ( as clearly shown on the list of benefits); however in #8 there clearly was a Black party (although probably meant to be for those on the longer cruise). If they didn’t want us “shorties” to know about it, or to stumble across it, then they shouldn’t hold it in such a public open venue.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

hmmmmmmmm I have a feeling many Black card members with all these expected lovely privileges may not have become Black card members from sailing with MSC ??????

Funny I have got a similar feeling....

Ivi

The Black card has become a joke due to status match which has resulted in those who earned theirs and having their benefits Cut, MSC have become like Insurance companies who offer their loyal customers a worse deal than those who switch to them from another company. The Ryanair of the seas.

Finally a true view of this cruise (we were on it too). Yesterday I read the review added by another member and he was praising MSC for such a wonderful cruise...

 

Anyway, the whole cruise was a chaos, not just embarkation and disembarkation. Staff was acting like they have just woken up from a long sleep and didn't know where they were and what was happening. Everything was disorganised.

 

We are also black members and we did receive a bathrobes, sleepers, spa vouchers, bottle of cava and two chocolate ships into our cabin. We didn't receive invitation to the black members party (we were passing through the atrium on Sunday midday and stumbled upon this party by accident) and also gift and our upgrade pin (this was our first cruise as a black members). We got a gift and a pin from the future cruise consultant, who at first told us that we should be getting them delivered to our cabin after we leave Southampton. We told him, we are disembarking in Southampton, as a mater of fact, a half of the ship was disembarking in Southampton. He was just like "Oh, really..". Clearly wasn't aware that this cruise was heavily sold as a 2 day cruise.

 

Overall we didn't get upset at this experience, as it was only two nights. However, if we had booked this cruise as a 7 or more nights, we would be very disappointed. And if it was our first cruise ever, it would likely put me off cruising.

 

The Black Card Party isnt a secret, the reason they dont offer it on Cruises of less than 4 days is they have two parties a week and cant guarantee it would fall during your cruise, clearly there were people on the ship for 4 days or more and therefore they did get one as per advertised. They are not holding one for everyone else just because your on board and feel some slight from MSC that you werent invited when it clearly states you wont be.

Funny I have got a similar feeling....

Ivi

 

So many people falling out over a chocolate ship lol

hmmmmmmmm I have a feeling many Black card members with all these expected lovely privileges may not have become Black card members from sailing with MSC ??????

 

MSC issued me with a Black Card to try and tempt me over from Norwegian. Their decision to do this seems to have been quite contentious amongst cruisers who obtained theirs in other ways, but to me it seems like a brilliant way to get experienced cruisers to sample the MSC product. Regardless of how the card (or indeed the cruise fare itself!) was obtained, we all have one now - if you have a complaint about that I suggest you add it at the bottom of the list.

 

Several of the benefits, I noticed, are unavailable on 3-night sailings. I wrote to the status match department to ask if they would apply on this cruise. Roxanne wrote back: Since this is a 2-night sailing, the exclusions that apply to a 3-night sailing do not apply, and all of the benefits will be available.

 

Obviously, like much else that wasn't delivered on this cruise, neither was this promise. I took Roxanne's email to reception, and the benefits were eventually delivered - but as an NCL cruiser I'm not used to having to 'chase' staff to fulfil their promises. I'm just happy that they were delivered at a reasonable time, and not 0300hrs!

 

I understand that some Black Card members feel as though they have 'earned' their card, through many years of MSC cruises. During that toil, you may have come quite accustomed to this sort of service. Indeed some of you are even defending it. Someone on this cruise even said (and I paraphrase here) that after years of MSC cruises, 'real' black card members have 'learned to use their elbows' to get to the front and fight for the service they're entitled to.

 

 

Whilst that may be your preference, as an NCL cruiser I'm not one for elbows. The concierge takes care of everything.