Fabulous time! Jan 31-Feb 7 cruise

Hi there, Just back from our best cruise ever on MSC ORCHESTRA! Let me explain something first. This was our 13th cruise and we did Celebrity first on century and while that was good(and nothing better than our RCI cruises) MSC blew us away. Yes there were 1300 people from the super bowl cruise group who complained over every little thing. I would comment at first and then I just would not even discuss it with them. They were looking for CCL with drinking all over the ship and free ice cream all the time. It was not their fault but their agent who booked this cruise. I did my research. I wanted something different, and boy was it ever. REFINED, ELEGANT, GORGOUS, WONDERFUL....are adjectives that come to mind.

From the moment we got on the ship( and fast it was, within 15 minutes and we got there at 12)we were greeted with italian hello and a smile every step we took. The ship is beyond beautiful with marble and granite and statues all over. The people were friendly and gracious, but what we witnessed from the American group was beyond embarassing to be an American. We were not part of the group and I must tell you that some were very nice and loved the ship too, but for the most part they were loud and drunk all the time. They had some issues with tendering at Cayo Levantado and there was a man from the group cursing like he was in a bar to the guest services people. They do not understand English well, but they understood hostility and anger. They were just shrug at his level of screaming. This was such a refined group of staff members, with their European ways. Every issue that they could resolve they tried, no matter the language barrier, they made it an effort to understand us when we spoke calmly. They were happy and gracious to help. No one is there to be yelled at. I can cite instances where this group trashed this ship. It was shameful to say the least. On superbowl sunday they were given the theater to watch the game and allowed to eat and drink in there. THERE IS NO DRINKING SERVED OR ALLOWED IN to the theater during any other time. The show for that night was postponed until 30 min after the game ended. We got in after midnight to see the show and the cruise director was on the stage with tears in his eyes. I went over and said to him that the place is a disaster and how sad, and he said to me"look what they did to my theater". It was a mess. Pigs would be cleaner.

They also overran the pool areas with the amount of beer bottles and cans left all over. They never put it on the tables but all over the pool area. And then one day they took over the entire pool with jumping in with bottles of beer in a pool. Then the men would grab the women in the group and jump in with them too. They were doing swan dives, belly flops, cannon balls and never realizing they were interrupting other people from enjoying that pool. They were so drunk at all times one woman asked me where the elevator was when we were standing within 2 feet of it. They would go into the bathroom and sing and be drinking beer and spilling it all over the floors. They complained about the lack of bar service: IT IS EUROPEAN style. There was a cocktail waitress always walking around but not in your face like all the other lines. This is a reason why I booked this ship. They said the casino was not big enough....it was gorgous and looked big enough to me, but they also did not do the research. Europeans do not spend all day in a casino, hence the need not to make it bigger.

This group on the whole complained about everything. Like no free ice cream. No one I guess ever went on a RCI voyager class or Freedom class within that group since they charge 4.95 and up for Ben and Jerrys ice cream. On this ship they had free ice cream during lunch and dinner and gelato for 1.50 in a cup or 2 in a freshly made waffle cone. And the portions were generous. They complained about this too.

They complained that the food was not good...they only went to the buffet which to use was fine. It was not a feeding frenzy like on american ships. There was salad, pasta and other things too. Plenty of fresh fruit. OH my, the fresh fruit in the dining room included FRESH PAPAYA ....never before have I had such a fruit on a cruise. And the melons and pineapple were the freshest. They served simple looking stuff but boy was it ever mouth watering good. For example, one day they had chicken wings. I tried it and boy was i ever glad I did. Went back for more. The sauce used on it was the best I ever had on a ship. The food was fine to me. I went to the dining room most days and the food for lunch was fantastic. Their chilled soups put RCI and X to shame. The lunch menu was a mini dinner and the lamb skewers that they had was the best I ever ate. The eggplant was great, as was the crepes. There was not anything but the seafood that wassnot good. The shrimp dishes were a bit over cooked as was my lobster meal. Now for that it was a tail plus the middle of the lobster. More than on any ship. They were broiled. Mine was overdone and they tried very hard to make it right for me. I gave up on lobster number 5 and 6 and just ate them. The vegetables all week were great, and the pasta dishes were great. At 11:30 in all the lounges they served something different to snack on( deliteful : crepe night was freshly made there and then grand manier and other liquors poured on it and flambed, and topped with gelato. A delight to say the least.

The shows were FINE ART not the junk we all see all the time. The dancers were gorgous and fit. The costumes were ever changing and a feast for the eyes. The music and every show was breathtaking. They got better and better. People left crying fromt he emotion of the performances of the opera night. The ship had longes with top notch singers in places. The entertainment staff intermingled with guests and the men danced with older women and the women entertainment people danced with the men. This was a joy to see how the worked at giving everyone a wonderful time. ( But where were the complainers? Not here, they were at the bars). I can go on and on about everything they had to offer. Drink prices were the lowest ever. 5.50 including tax and tip. And the drinks were huge. Beer packages were great. Mixed drink packages were great. Wine prices were very low that next time we will do a wine package.

During the day this entertainment group did games and dance lessons around the pool area. At night they did shows and games after the performance shows were over. WE had entertainment every moment of the day on this ship, like never before. The crew did not stop until 2 am each night. They were fantastic. I have all the daily listings and other info for anyone. Just email me at Picard2117@cox.net

I loved this cruise so much we are booking POESIA next year. I hope I did not offend the few people I spoke to fromt he huge group who were really nice.

If you go with an open mind and embrace the differences then you will have a great time. If you want them to comply to CCL or RCI or Princess then you will not have a good time. I learned to be gracious and you get more back. I learned a smile gives you back more than I gave, I learned that it is not the american way or no way. I embraced the differences and loved it. The crew , the fine art shows(every night!!) and the waiter and assistant waiter, and cabin steward, and dining captains were fantastic to us. A wonderful week that I wished would continue.

Have you ever sailed Costa? MSC seems to be similar to them in many ways. We have been sailing Costa for a few years now, and enjoy it.

Thanks for your review--and glad you had a good time. We are definitely looking forward to our trip on the Orchestra on 4/4!!!

CeleBrat

What a great review. So nice to see this. And so true about us Americans. We ALL need to go with the flow. A cruise is what you make it to be.

I will be on this ship in 2 weeks and I cant wait.

Thanks for posting.

:) Thanks for the detailed review.I really enjoyed it. We are looking forward to our cruise in March.:)

I want to go back with you. I cannot wait a year until we do Poesia. Orchestra will be going back to europe. No never did Costa as you can see by the cruises I list. I was embarassed to be American on this cruise with the 1300 group. We made it a point to tell the staff we were not with them. They all seemed very distressed and told us they would never have them back. Go and have the best time. Take part in the games and dancing. Be prepared for the entertainment group to get to know you. They are so wonderful.

Inshape....Sounds as though you had a truly wonderful time aboard The Orchestra. My family of 3 will be sailing on March 14th. Thank you so much for the review. I can only imagine how obnoxious a ship full of superbowl fans can be. Thanks again and I am sending you my email address. I would love to see the daily listings. Questions 1) Did you try either of the specialty restaurants? How was the food? Price? 2) Did you order room service? 3) Did you take any beverages (adult or otherwise) onboard? 4) What type accommodations did you have?

We took the inside cabin on deck 11, cat 3. it was small, 151 sq feet but more than enough storage. The balcony cabins in the lower categories were only 161 ft without the balcony so we opted to save money. The lights they have activated by the sea pass card allows the cabin steward to know when you are in the room so he does not bother you. You leave it in the slot which opens the lights. When you leave the cabin remove it and within 5 mint he lights go off and then a light outside the cabin also goes off telling him that no one is in the cabin.

Great reviews from the chinese onboard but no we did not go to any. The meals were too good to miss in the dining room.

We took 2 bottles of wine onboard..no issue with it wrapped in our checked stuff. Drink prices were low. 5.50 including tax and tip and they were huge. Wine prices were low too so next time buying it there.

Did not order room service, very limiting.

articulate1- are we on the same cruise? Have you signed up for the roll call?

Inshape- thanks so much for the great review! I think that is exactly what I have expected all along!

Another thread talked about not having toga parties, and stick races.... well dah! That is not what I want!

I am so happy to hear the food was good. I will love the fresh fruit! Did you have any kids with? If so, I was wondering about their food situations? Did you find it hard to get ketchup?

How did you like the ports?

I am glad to finally hear some reviews I have been waiting on!

I am going to email you and see if you can send all the info you have? I am an info junkie..:cool:

Inshape....thanks for the review and I do agree with your premise that the European way of doing things maynot be for everyone. It just goes to show you that research before the cruise is just as important if noit more than the cruise itself.

I do appreciate you clarifying the other side...so a few of us can now relax and look forawadr to our cruise.

Andy

wow what a report, thank you for taking the time to tell us how your trip went. We leave on Feb 14th and can't wait!! We have been on MSC before and loved it and really looking forward to the Orchestra in a few days.

I am assuming you did the eastern caribbean did you like the ports?? Also, did you book any excursions with msc while on any of the islands??

cheryl

;)LoveTexas---March 14th Orchestra....33 days and counting down. The reviews lately have been mostly positive. I'm not listening to a bunch of drunk, obnoxious, should have gone to Vegas, football fans.

Inshape thanks for the review. glad to hear you enyoyed yourself so much. I think you hit the nail on the head with your comments. Those who really enjoy this line, appreciate the European way of doing things. Unfortunately many don't do their research before they go and end up with what they don't want. people lokking for party, party, party, gambling and food available 24/7 should never book MSC. It is not what it is about (thank goodness). Sounds like you got right in to the spirit though and had a great time.

To answer the questions on the excursions. After all the cruises we have taken I have been trained to not go on ship excursions: too much money, very crowded.... The people I talked to went on excursions through MSC and LOVED them. The only situation they found and I will report to you is this: they do not tell you what time you meet until thenight before when you get into your cabin and find the paperwork on your bed before you go to sleep. Many were caught off guard getting up earlier than they wanted to meet the group to go on the excursions. All said they were good though and not over crowded. And when I looked into the listings they had I was pleasantly surprised at the prices. Very low compared to other cruises. For instance, a full tour of St Maarten with stops on this cruise excursion was 39$. A private tour with many tour guides listed in the port area are about the same. The advantage of going with the ship is the insurance that if they are late you will not be left at the dock. We found they were not out to rip anyone off with anything on the ship. OH have I spoken about the spa... on my what a delight. I did not do anything extra there but there is a balinese woman there that will tell you to leave all your stuff in a locker then go into the spa. You must take your sea card to get the locker. They do not want any shoes, or shorts in the area left on the chairs where the 3 hot tubs are. The view is just wonderful too. The room is beautiful. Then you can use the 2 steam rooms: beautiful tiled rooms(coed) with aromatherapy. The 2 sauna rooms are also coed and one is musk and the other is opium. Both have beautiful music playing in them. Just a special place to just relax. They have a great vitamin drink package there too on the bar( very resonable prices too). I do not play bingo but it was only 10$ a card. Much cheaper on this line. Muster was funny too. Nothing much to it. Wewent to stations and then heard the directions in all the languages and then left. we never went to any life boats. You will love the entire ship. So easy to get around. So easy to go from dinner to the show, or from the show to dinner and then the nightly entertainment. I never needed to run all over the ship. They planned well for the events so it flowed well.LOVED the cruise is an understatement....hope you all can tell how much fun we had. It was truly a wonderful time unlike any other cruise we have taken. It was more than a cruise...it was an experience.

Hey InShape--

Did you partake in the Mozzarella Game? If so, what is it? And, are there any other off-beat activities you'd recommend?

CeleBrat

Thanks for the amazing review. It was a breath of fresh air to hear your review. I have relatives in europe that cruise on MSC all the time and just rave about this cruise line that's why I decided to book and try it out with my family. I've been very confused and worried about the mixed reviews but you have changed it around for me and I thank you. You mentioned you were in an inside cabinet category 3. I have the same type of cabin in which two adults and two children will be staying in. Did your cabin accommodate 4? if so can you explain the bedding arrangements because i'm having a difficult time picturing it?

Inshape I concur with your review 100percent. I was on the Jan. 10 sailing in a superior balcony & the accomadations were great, the bed was very comfortable, not like a rock in the last few cruises I took. The gialotto was the best I ever had, went for the $2 size & you should see what they gave me. I can`t imagine the impression we Americans are making. My group of 10 constantly were complimenting them. Going back on in March also.

Keep those positive reviews coming. I believe this cruise line deserves it. As I stated before family members in europe refuse to cruise with any other cruise line other than MSC because of the service, food and cleanliness. I'm looking soooo forward to our cruise.

Inshape, thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review. I cringed when I read the description of the drunkards on the Super Bowl cruise -- sounds horrifying to me! I think I will LOVE the Italian style of this cruise line and will appreciate the efforts of the crew. I am going in an extremely optimistic frame of mind. I will save the lobster for Maine and Northern New England and wil instead enjoy the pasta, fresh fruits, and homemade soups. (as well as that lovely gelato)

I rea-l-l-l-y appreciate you review. I tried to talk my partner into canceling after i heard the 1st reviews. but she said .....wait and see.

I've been on about 10 cruises and have, at times, been appalled by some, non-American(and American), loundness, rudeness and offensivness.

I plan to go on this cruise with an open mind and enjoy the different culture, food, music etc.... of MSC. Your review (and a few others) have prompted me to modify my, normal, cruise expectations to a new, perhaps, enlightening experience.

PS....see you CC cruisers on the Feb. 28th cruise

Inshape, I was horrified at what you had to say about the theatre. It was absolutely the most beautiful theatre I have ever seen on a cruise ship and to think they destroyed it and trashed it so bad. Makes me ashamed to say they were Americans that did this.

Inshape, when are you going to be on the Poesia?

boca7, can I go back on the ship with you in March?

I really loved this ship. I think the only thing better than a cruise on the Orchestra would be a B2B cruise on the Orchestra.:D I just got back off NCL with friends and I told them next year we are sailing on MSC! The prices for just about everything was a better deal. I could even afford to buy pictures with the package deals they have. Unlike other cruise lines they are not in your face trying to sell stuff and everyone is so friendly. I have never seen so many people whose only job was to clean.

Thank you so much for this positive review. There have been so many bashers out there I was starting to wonder?? My family has the same cabin category on the 11th deck, and we have 4 kids, 6&9. Did you have any problems with the cabin? So glad that you were able to bring a couple of bottles along, I will try the same.;)

Now THAT'S what I would call a USEFUL REVIEW!!! Thank you!!!!

Pretty interesting that you were actually on board during that "awful" Superbowl cruise...and that you STILL had a great time...and that the "beer" issue did not ruin your whole vacation.

When I was reading the complaints about the lack of beer, I had no idea that those complaints were likely coming from the same pigs that likely helped destroy the theatre.

I've read that there is some hysterical show involving passengers...some kind of man pageant? Can you tell me more about this? I'm always happy to step up for the sake of entertainment, but I'd want to know what I'd be getting myself into.

Thanks again!

I am sorry we did not get a chance to meet on the 1-31 voyage.

I agree with all you reported...even though we booked through the Superbowl group we were not really in tune with them....please believe that!

Our travel buddies also agree with us.

The irish group we are now with (we are b2b) is much different, and we are also enjoying them. We changed dining rooms from the lower Borguese to the upper level...and what a difference. Really quiet and plush.

Thanks for your report, I could not have said it better.

A couple of my co-workers (or as Dilbert would say cow-orkers), were with the Superbowl group. One of them liked it very much, while the other gave it a serious thumbs-down.

After listening to both of them, I came away with the thought that the real complaint that the Superbowl crowd had with MSC was that it is not Carnival.

Both of them have been on cruises before. Jim has been on several Superbowl cruises organized by the same group. Interestly, he said in previous years, on Carnival, people were complaining that the organizers never varied the routine. It was always on Carnival and always the same. Then, on this cruise, the complaints were about things that were not done the way Carnival does them.

Jim said that the food was great. He agreed with my suggestion (based on what I've read here) that this is authentic Italian food, not Olive Garden Italian food. That is, it has not been Americanized and did not consist exclusively of Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Lasagna.

They did run out of Budweiser and Bud Lite on the second day. This is probably as much the fault of the organizer as it is of MSC. It seems to me to be a no-brainer that a giant Superbowl party is going consume a lot of American beer.

He also said that the staff was friendly and courteous, especially if you gave them a smile and a "hello", instead of ignoring them or yelling at them. He said that he saw a passenger berate someone who was vacumning the stairs, because he was in the way and the pax had to switch from the right side to the left side of the stairs to walk around the vacumn cleaner and hoses.

I must admit that, when I first booked our cruise back in September and saw the terrible reviews that MSC got here, I was worried. Then, in January, after the transatlantic cruise and the two-day disaster to the Bahamas, I seriously considered cancelling our cruise. However, the more I read, the more I decided that at least some of the criticism was due to the fact that MSC is NOT Carnival and has no intention of being like Carnival, or any other American line. To me, that is a GOOD thing.

MSC advertises itself as providing a taste of Italy. I'm not sure that they SHOULD try to be like Carnival or RCCL. There are plenty of those. I hope that MSC can find a niche market for those wanting a different cruise experience. I've been on Carnival and I am reluctant to go back. People need to do their homework and realize that not all cruise lines offer exactly the same product. There's room for a variety of cruising styles in the market.

Last year, we sailed on Princess. The cabin was small, the balcony tiny, they charged for ice cream (and it wasn't even premium, like Ben & Jerry's) and the Lido buffet was not always open when I was hungry. Big deal.

I'm keeping an open mind regarding our April cruise. I am sure that I will enjoy myself. I always do. A friend of mine has two rules. 1) Don't sweat the small stuff and 2) Its all small stuff.

Paul