Yes we would do MSC again

I am just so upset reading the reviews of the Orchestra by some people. We were on the cruise 2/7 to 2/14 with about 54 friends. All the reviews that said the staff was rude......I just approached the desks with a smile and politely stated my request (changing the gratuity, joining the MSC club, etc) and without exception I received the same smile and politeness back.

Pillow problem? Washcloths? All we had to do was ask once, and we had 4 pillows (!) and new clean linens and washcloths every single day. We always had fresh fruit in the cabin and plenty of ice.

Vibrations? Yes. But now we know not to get an aft cabin. Wasn't that bad. Room 10207.

The Italian on the buffet who was making the pasta of the day sang so beautifully as he was serving the pasta. Smiling waiters were walking with the coffee cart so that we never had to get up to get more coffee. If I took something that I didn't like from the buffet, there were tons of other things. We always had a seat.

Some people just don't like certain food, or food prepared a certain way, but all you have to do is just ask for something else. They rush to bring you anything you want. Yes, there were little things to complain about if you just love to look for little things to complain about.

Someone on another thread said something so true, something like this:

(and I'm not quoting verbatim):

You can moan and groan about "no chocolate chip cookies" and "no one to cut up your food and stuff it down your throat" . "there were no animals made out of towels on our bed" Or you can stay home in the cold icy weather where you can fall down in your driveway just trying to get your newspaper.

Or you can be lucky enough to afford to go to islands in the sun, be waited on, have a clean cabin, and enjoy eating out all day, going to shows at night, dancing or just listening to music, etc etc etc.

Our trip on MSC was wonderful. Remember, people, nothing is perfect. This is not heaven.

Had to get this off my chest.

Esther

I am just so upset reading the reviews of the Orchestra by some people. We were on the cruise 2/7 to 2/14 with about 54 friends. All the reviews that said the staff was rude......I just approached the desks with a smile and politely stated my request (changing the gratuity, joining the MSC club, etc) and without exception I received the same smile and politeness back.

 

Pillow problem? Washcloths? All we had to do was ask once, and we had 4 pillows (!) and new clean linens and washcloths every single day. We always had fresh fruit in the cabin and plenty of ice.

 

Vibrations? Yes. But now we know not to get an aft cabin. Wasn't that bad. Room 10207.

 

The Italian on the buffet who was making the pasta of the day sang so beautifully as he was serving the pasta. Smiling waiters were walking with the coffee cart so that we never had to get up to get more coffee. If I took something that I didn't like from the buffet, there were tons of other things. We always had a seat.

 

Some people just don't like certain food, or food prepared a certain way, but all you have to do is just ask for something else. They rush to bring you anything you want. Yes, there were little things to complain about if you just love to look for little things to complain about.

 

Someone on another thread said something so true, something like this:

(and I'm not quoting verbatim):

You can moan and groan about "no chocolate chip cookies" and "no one to cut up your food and stuff it down your throat" . "there were no animals made out of towels on our bed" Or you can stay home in the cold icy weather where you can fall down in your driveway just trying to get your newspaper.

 

Or you can be lucky enough to afford to go to islands in the sun, be waited on, have a clean cabin, and enjoy eating out all day, going to shows at night, dancing or just listening to music, etc etc etc.

 

Our trip on MSC was wonderful. Remember, people, nothing is perfect. This is not heaven.

 

Had to get this off my chest.

 

Esther

Well said!!!

Glad to see others feel like we do.

This is the kind of attitude I try to live my life by! And in so doing, I always enjoy every vacation I go on, which is why I know beyond a doubt my experience in April will be wonderful.:)

~Debbie

Esther,

Love your attitude. Life ain't for whinning, worrying or working. It's for laughing, living and loving. However some people would bitch if they were going to be hanged by a new rope:D

well said...we are going to have a great time March 7-14th...it is what you make it! We are in NW PA, and I am just looking forward to seeing blue sky, green grass, and flowers. It is going to be a great week!

Thank-you for a wonderful review Ester! It just goes to show that attitude has a lot to do with it.

We are looking forward to our cruise in 10 days that much more!

as you stated "nothing is perfect" we are so looking forward to the fire ball in the sky (SUN) - I had to laugh from your comment on falling on the ice getting the news paper - for I fell geting out of the car this past Sunday arriving home from Church! :) I held back on all those colorful words - but boy does my bottom hurt

Esther -Thanks for your great review! We will be going in April with the attitude of having a great time on vacation. When you went to the different Islands - did you get there on time?

Thanks for taking the time to contribute. Glad you got things "off your chest" although I am a little curious why you felt that way. It seems to me when you start out by saying the negative reviews of others made you "so upset" the reader has to wonder where you are coming from. At least, I do. Do you believe that MSC has been unfairly criticized?

If you had a good cruise, that is defintely fine and encouraging. I don't think anyone will seriously dispute that a cruise, even a mediocre one, is better than falling on your behind on a snow laden driveway back at home, but how does pointing that out help us to evaluate the quality of your MSC experience? Sure, a cruise vacation is a welcome break from the daily routine back at home, but to place undue emphasis on that point, and on the utility of a positive attitude, as part of your cruise critique doesn't say a whole lot for the cruise liine. Frankly, when I read that kind of comment it almost comes across as an excuse for some things that were not so good. Perhaps you can can provide a few more specifics to give us a better idea of what your cruise was like. What aspects of the experience did you think were good and not so good, etc, perhaps in comparison with other cruises you have been on.

Food - What did you think of the food in the dining room? How about room service? Were there many times you had to get something else from the buffet because you didn't like your first choice? When that occurred did the wait staff at the buffet clear your table promptly? Did they offer beverages while you were seated? Could you easily ask for a different entree at dinner? Did you do that often? Was the dining area comfortable?

Accommodations - Were the bed mattress and pillows comfortable? Did the cabin attendant change the bed sheets everyday or just the towels and wash clothes?

Entertainment - Did you see many of the shows? I have heard they are great. What did you think? Was there music for dancing in the lounges before or after dinner?

Service - Do you believe that you avoided "service issues" that others have written about because of the nice way you appoached the people providing the service? Did you observe other people having problems or were the staff uniformly pleasant?

Thanks in advance for considering my questions.

"YES, we would do MSC again"........Personally, the title of your thread speaks volumes to me. You've even joined the MSC Club. You obviously had a wonderful cruise. Thank you once again for your post. Frequently, much is said with few words.

Food - What did you think of the food in the dining room? How about room service? Were there many times you had to get something else from the buffet because you didn't like your first choice? When that occurred did the wait staff at the buffet clear your table promptly? Did they offer beverages while you were seated? Could you easily ask for a different entree at dinner? Did you do that often? Was the dining area comfortable?

Answers: as I said, beverages were offered while we were seated at the buffet. Never asked for a different entree in the dining room, I thought the food was fine. Couple of times I went to get a different thing from the buffet. Yes, the dishes were always removed right away at the buffet . Yes we were at the late seating in the dining room, at a table for 8.

Accommodations - Were the bed mattress and pillows comfortable? Did the cabin attendant change the bed sheets everyday or just the towels and wash clothes?

Yes, I asked for extra pillows. Sheets changed every other day.

Entertainment - Did you see many of the shows? I have heard they are great. What did you think? Was there music for dancing in the lounges before or after dinner?

Yes, we saw every show. Best shows I have seen on all the 20 cruises I was on. The most creative...not the same old thing as on the other cruises. Yes, dancing in the lounges before and after dinner. Lots of lounges and lots of different music.

Service - Do you believe that you avoided "service issues" that others have written about because of the nice way you appoached the people providing the service? Did you observe other people having problems or were the staff uniformly pleasant?

Yes to the first question, and yes, I heard a just few people being nasty to the staff. But that didn't get them anywhere.

Thanks in advance for considering my questions.

Yours truly,

Esther

Last edited by owl61; Today at 04:21

Food - What did you think of the food in the dining room? How about room service? Were there many times you had to get something else from the buffet because you didn't like your first choice? When that occurred did the wait staff at the buffet clear your table promptly? Did they offer beverages while you were seated? Could you easily ask for a different entree at dinner? Did you do that often? Was the dining area comfortable?

Answers: as I said, beverages were offered while we were seated at the buffet. Never asked for a different entree in the dining room, I thought the food was fine. Couple of times I went to get a different thing from the buffet. Yes, the dishes were always removed right away at the buffet . Yes we were at the late seating in the dining room, at a table for 8.

Accommodations - Were the bed mattress and pillows comfortable? Did the cabin attendant change the bed sheets everyday or just the towels and wash clothes?

 

Yes, I asked for extra pillows. Sheets changed every other day.

 

Entertainment - Did you see many of the shows? I have heard they are great. What did you think? Was there music for dancing in the lounges before or after dinner?

Yes, we saw every show. Best shows I have seen on all the 20 cruises I was on. The most creative...not the same old thing as on the other cruises. Yes, dancing in the lounges before and after dinner. Lots of lounges and lots of different music.

Service - Do you believe that you avoided "service issues" that others have written about because of the nice way you appoached the people providing the service? Did you observe other people having problems or were the staff uniformly pleasant?

Yes to the first question, and yes, I heard a just few people being nasty to the staff. But that didn't get them anywhere.

Thanks in advance for considering my questions.

Yours truly,

Esther

Last edited by owl61; Today at 04:21

Ester,

thanks once again for updating us on the ships ... This helps out alot ... I will be one of those passangers asking for extra pillows. I've heard that the 2009 Miss Italia USA finals are aboard our March 2st sailings ... hopefully they don't replace our shows with the contest all week long. thanks again :)

Glad to see more happy cruisers. I worked very hard after our Jan 31-Feb 7 cruise to come on this board and sound off against all negativity, and talk about the best cruise we ever had. I got so many people writing to me asking me all kinds of questions. I would say it is the same anywhere: If you treat people with respect and allow them to do their jobs then they will satisfy you. I never demanded something and it was always their pleasure to make things great. The food was fine, and when it was not, like the lobster.... my waiter tried 3 different times to get it right. On each plate came out 2 lobster tails(plus more than the tail) and each time it was overdone until plate number 3 which was lobster number 5 and 6. He never got mad,as a matter of fact I said enough trying, and he said NO, we try until we get it right. I never found anyone rude to me. I loved it so much I am tryign to get some cruise friends to join us on Poesia on Nov 30, 2009. After the new year Poesia will take over wht Orchestra is now doing and will be 7 night since Magnifica is late to arrive. So I really want the 10 night itin that it does. If anyone else is interested in joining us : Picard2117@cox.net

pls write to me for more info .....

Welcome to Cruisecritic, Esther!

Ester,

thanks once again for updating us on the ships ... This helps out alot ... I will be one of those passangers asking for extra pillows. I've heard that the 2009 Miss Italia USA finals are aboard our March 2st sailings ... hopefully they don't replace our shows with the contest all week long. thanks again :)

Hopefully they don't replace the American wives brought on board with themselves...hee hee hee..sorry but I couldn't help it!

I just got off the Lirica on 02/22/09 after 10 days....I would sail on MSC again if the price was right and the itinerary was interesting. my meals ranged from very good to edible. our dinner waiter and cabin attendants were wonderful...very cheerful and accomodating.

I must say...the Lirica was the cleanest ship I have ever sailed on, they were constantly cleaning and polishing the railings, even at 2:00am when I was going to bed. I even saw someone scraping the dirt out of the metal strips on the stairs.

Esther, very well said, i was on the jan 10 sailing of the orchestra, which was my 4th cruise on msc & going again on probably the lirica for the itinerary & yes i had a great time on it 2 yrs ago , although the orchestra has larger & regurlar veranda cabins to choose from.