Jump to content

just got back from opera jan28 eastern carribean


benzer

Recommended Posts

the good:

service from the non-italian staff is fantastic!

seafood and pasta dishes are excellent

spotless ship. very very clean!

entertainment is the best! Really vegas show quality!!!!

entertainment team is really good.

 

the not so bad:

 

other food dishes in the dining room are not prepared consistently well, but still acceptable.

 

ask for omelettes or other dishes made with real eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

the bad:

dealing with the italian staff (reception, excursions, etc).

 

the tipping policy! :

make sure you opt out of the mandatory tipping of 12.00/day/person that is added to your bill. this money is not given to the staff as a bonus for good service, it is merely used to pay the service staff their fixed salaries.

instead, give a cash tip at the end of the cruise. They work really hard for this money. dont give it to the cruise line!

 

2 of 3 excursions cancelled at the discretion of msc! bioluminescent tour in san juan and snorkelling at cayo laventado. dont count on this line honouring any excursions that you book with them.

 

any complaints regarding the cancellation or mishandling of excursions will fall on deaf ears! the italian staff at reception and at the excursion desk will do nothing to reslove the issue to the satisfaction of the customer!

 

one of the excursions was taken to the wrong place in st maarteen. snorkelling was supposed to be the excursion, but the tour group was only offered kayaking instead. money for the excursion was not refunded even though the group paid for snorkelling and didn't get to snorkel!!!!

 

 

more to come, but need more time to comment

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad you had a great cruise We are looking forward to our 2/18 Opera cruise as well. Sounds like we will book our own tours if we book anything. That is what we usually do anyway. We have learned over the years that as long as you are careful of the time needed to get back to the ship it is not difficult to do it on your own. It is always much cheaper as well.

 

Thanks for your comments

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the good:

service from the non-italian staff is fantastic!

seafood and pasta dishes are excellent

spotless ship. very very clean!

entertainment is the best! Really vegas show quality!!!!

entertainment team is really good.

 

the not so bad:

 

other food dishes in the dining room are not prepared consistently well, but still acceptable.

 

ask for omelettes or other dishes made with real eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

the bad:

dealing with the italian staff (reception, excursions, etc).

 

the tipping policy! :

make sure you opt out of the mandatory tipping of 12.00/day/person that is added to your bill. this money is not given to the staff as a bonus for good service, it is merely used to pay the service staff their fixed salaries.

instead, give a cash tip at the end of the cruise. They work really hard for this money. dont give it to the cruise line!

 

2 of 3 excursions cancelled at the discretion of msc! bioluminescent tour in san juan and snorkelling at cayo laventado. dont count on this line honouring any excursions that you book with them.

 

any complaints regarding the cancellation or mishandling of excursions will fall on deaf ears! the italian staff at reception and at the excursion desk will do nothing to reslove the issue to the satisfaction of the customer!

 

one of the excursions was taken to the wrong place in st maarteen. snorkelling was supposed to be the excursion, but the tour group was only offered kayaking instead. money for the excursion was not refunded even though the group paid for snorkelling and didn't get to snorkel!!!!

 

 

more to come, but need more time to comment

 

 

 

My husband & I will be sailing on the Opera on 2/ll and I have two questions for you. Were you charged for room service and how was it?

Also, were you able to purchase liquor on board and take it to your cabin?

I've heard totally opposite reports on CC regarding these two subjects.

Thanks alot, Donna

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to agree with the previous statements. We had a great time on the cruise but MSC has some unpleasant quirks and we had a hard time understanding the logic behind some of them.

 

The senior staff from the officers on down through the shore excursion desk and reception desk are indifferent at their best and sometimes downright surly. They will be smiling and laughing with one another as you approach and when they turn to ask if they can help you, the smiles are replaced with indifference or scowls. None of the reception or shore excursion employees will take the initiative to just make something right - there is always a mysterious person that they have to call. They talk rapidly in Italian to the mystery person and then turn back to you and say - I can't help you. It was very frustrating. And the cruiser is not allowed to speak to the above mystery person.

 

Shore excursions are very poorly organized and communication at times was conflicting. Perhaps part of the problem is based in translation issues? All written information is translated into about 5 different languages from the original Italian. This particular cruise was 80% English speaking and I would think that it would be to MSC's advantage to always have a native english speaking staff member at both the shore excursion desk and the reception desk. I personally believe that some of the language issues were faked by desk personnel who just didn't want to deal with certain things - but that's just my opinion.

 

Many of the support staff speak little or no English. However, they were very friendly and tried very hard to please.

 

The boat is beautiful and immaculate. The rooms had lots of storage and there was always plenty of hot water. There are few announcements done and the ones that are given go on forever because they are repeated in 5 different languages. So read the documents that are slid under your door for direction. Watch for conflicting information in these documents. Particularily when it comes to areas of the ship where you are supposed to gather for one thing or another. This staff is fond of last minute changes. Always go early. We experienced shore excursions that left the meeting place 15 minutes before the scheduled time. One couple shared with us the experience of arriving to the meeting place for a shore excusrion, only to be told that the shore excursion had already left and they were told they could not get off the boat until the rest of the passengers disembarked. In fact, the shore excursion group was standing just outside the boat waiting for the rest of the group to disembark. Another time, conflicting instructions for a gathering place were given and one group almost got left behind because they were in the wrong location. I was part of the group that was supposed to get snorkeling instruction at Little Bay beach and the bus took us to Dawn Beach where beginner snorkeling was impossible due to a very rough Atlantic surf. I also was disappointed to have my shore excursion cancelled in San Juan because not enough people signed up for it. I know that some of the tour operators depend on these tours to be able to put food on their tables and I would think that they would appreciate that half of a tour group is better than none.

 

Booking independant tours online was very difficult due to the ship's schedule and docking locations. The Puerto Rico stop is after dark, the St. Maartin stop is at 11:00 AM, there are virtually no independant tours operating out of La Romana and none that you could get in Cayo Levantado either.

 

Cayo Levantado is the highlight of the ports. If you take this cruise during the season when the humpback whales are calving - don't miss the whale watching excursion. We saw lots of whales and they were very active and playful. Many times they were so close to the boat that you could see their shadows under the water. Mommas and babies popped up their heads and fins and tails. Many times we observed them jumping stright up out of the water and the huge spashes as they landed. It was magical and to us was worth the price of the whole cruise and all of the annoyances.

 

The entertainment staff is very inventive and funny and the evening entertainment is refreshingly different and done very well. In La Romana, don't bother with the Kandela show - it is old and tired and doesn't hold a candle to the entertainment offered on the boat. One very nice feature was that the singers on the boat could actually sing. I've been on cruise ships where the singing was done by American Idol rejects. Don't miss the performances by the tenor and the soprano. Even if you don't like classical music.

 

The food is average. We found that most dishes had no salt which is good if you are on a salt restricted diet. The majority of the desserts were only mildly sweet which was a huge disappointment to this sweet tooth. One irony about the low salt in the dishes, the drinking water on the boat is very tasty and it is processed sea water. Some salt must remain in the water after processing because the universal complaint on the last few days of the cruise was the amount of water our bodies were retainng. Lots and lots of swollen feet and legs.

 

All soft drinks are charged to your account at $2.15. Juice is only free during breakfast and is $1.90 any other time of the day. Ice Tea is only free during dinner and coffee is also only available during meals. During the late night buffets, you will be charged for all beverages except for ice water.

 

Water glasses are very small so bring your own other wise you'll be going back for refills every few sips. It's the same with coffee. If you like to get coffee in a mug and sip it over an extended length of time, like I do, bring your mug to breakfast and get it filled at that time. Otherwise, once breakfast is over, you can't get coffee again until lunch.

 

The coffee was very good (I didn't try the decaf) and the coffee bar was one of my favorite places to go. There is also some very tasty ice cream hiding in a corner of the pool deck. The signs around the location all advertise vitamin drinks but that's where you can get ice cream. A sundea costs $3.50 but is was very tasty on hot afternoons.

 

It was refreshing that no one is constantly hawking drinks and in the theater, all the seats face forward and you aren't disturbed by servers walking in front of you to deliver a drink.

 

I found the boat hard to navigate and never really did get used to it. But I might be navigationally challanged.

 

If you are booked on the Opera, a little fore-knowledge and a little preperation can go a long way toward making your cruise much more enjoyable. Otherwise have a great time!

 

-yergie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

did you "try" to get a discount on photos by talking to one of the staff (not the manager) we did that on last day (8AM on day of disembarkation) and that's when we did get "a break"... on Lirica that is... and that was after we bought one 8X10 at regular price the prior night (a black & white reprint) then got one at regular price third and 50% off (so we already spent $50) and then told... just take what you want.... we didn't take everything... found the 8x10 a bit pricer than RCCL but then the oversized items (that were printed out w/out asking) tempting.. but for $40 had the reprinted to a more traditional 8x10.

On Lirica the guest relations and excursion staff were clones (as on Opera)... indifference.... NO NO and scouls... more like customer dis-service.

Carolyn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i agree with everything you have stated.

 

i would also like to mention that there was no discount selloff at the end of the cruise for the onboard photos taken by the ship photographer.

I have a stupid question for our sailing 2/11 opera...If I purchase the soda card..does it include juices and ice tea??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We asked on Opera about purchasing a soda card and were told that there was none. The first stop was San Juan and we got off the boat and bought 3 six packs of soda which we were allowed to bring back to our room. We emptied the mini fridge of the Opera property and filled our fridge with our cans and drank that for the rest of the cruise. We did not attempt to bring cans of soda into the restaurant but took them everywhere else on the ship and had no problems whatsoever.

 

You can get milk at breakfast easily but what we learned is that you can request milk at lunch time from the staff member that is minding the desserts. The milk is stored right under the dessert buffet in the cafeteria. Both chocolate and white. We like milk, so we would ask for two cartons and drink one with lunch and take the other one back to the mini fridge and have it available for whenever we wanted.

 

Someone mentioned that creamers are in short supply and the waiters do seem to hand them out judiciously. Splenda was also sometimes not available with the other sweetners. Asking for Splenda was a fun exercise in language skills. I started pointing to the pink and blue stuff and asking for "yellow" and that seemed to work.

 

Like Benzer said - get juice from room service if it's after breakfast. You just have to be a little inventive with the beverages. Hopefully MSC won't read these posts and change things around on you because everyone is starting to work the system. ;-)

 

You will also get fruit in your room and it is free. We ate a bunch of the fruit and our basket was often stocked twice a day as we emptied it. The apples weren't always the best but the rest of the fruit was always excellent.

 

-yergie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all of you for the recent updates. I have to admit that I now have a very tempered view of my upcoming 2/25 Opera cruise, and I appreciate the information.

 

I actually like having lowered expectations for a cruise lines that I have not tried before...it usually means that my actual experience will be better than expected. ;) I expect to have a great time regardless of the particular problems with the line and ship, but I will be very interested to see if there are any changes or improvements down the line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ella2,

Sounds like you have the right attitude for a MSC cruise. You know that old saying about if you don't expect much than you won't be disappointed, I think thats how that saying goes. Anyway, hopefully you will meet some nice folks and enjoys some wonderful ports and with the help of this board learn some tricks to make your trip more enjoyable. Have a great time!!!

Cindee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, were you able to purchase liquor on board and take it to your cabin?

I've heard totally opposite reports on CC regarding these two subjects.

Thanks alot, Donna

 

Donna,

While their written policy says you can't, you can. I'd been told that, and when I asked in the duty free shop they confirmed it. It is for in cabin consumption only though.

Marsha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ella2, My husband and I are scheduled for the 2/25 cruise on the Opera, also. We were on her last year at the same time and had such a wonderful time. The food was fantastic as was our waiter, Antonio. Love to have him again. We really enjoyed the different venues for entertainment at night. The major shows were wonderful, a little bit of everything. We loved to walk from lounge to lounge to listen to the live music. Didn't care much for the casino as most of the machines were of European origin. Hope that is different for this cruise. We were very happy to find another great deal for the trip this year. We are anxiously looking forward to the cruise. I know you will have a wonderful time. The one drawback is the many languages that the announcements are given in the main show theatre, but you get used to it.

We are Catholics and met the most wonderful priest on board, Father Jack. Hope he is still there. Anyway, have fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

GERIL and ELLA2

 

My DH and I are also going on the Opera February 25th. (Along with another couple.) We have started a roll call thread here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=292697

 

Another thread were we've been discussing the cruise.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=288918

 

I've only seen one other poster here who will also be on this sailing. (Buttons the cabinboy)

 

Post your info. Hopefully we can meet up sometime for a drink or something!

 

Kayla

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just wanted to say hi and how happy I am that a friend told me of this site today. As a first timer to cruising, I've found the dialogue and information vital. I now know how to dress and what to expect.

 

I'm going to be joining the Opera from San Juan on Feb. 20 (not sure why this option was out there, but hey, what a great rate and I get to visit my friend in PR for a few days before setting sail). I'm very excited.

 

I was going with a good friend of mine, but he's had to bow out, so I'll be at it solo. Do many people sail on their own? Is it easy to meet 30-something people? (or of any age if they are fun!)

 

I posted elsewhere about hoping to meet up with some of you on board on the 20th and later. Wish I knew which room I'll be in, but I know it won't have a view!

 

Can't wait!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...