Review: MSC Meraviglia 08/13/21-08/16/21

[zackarykeef]

Hey, y'all!

 

We just returned a few weeks ago from this sailing, so I wanted to give a quick review. Hopefully, this will help those trying to decide whether or not to sail this ship or with MSC, as many reviews helped me make my decision!

 

My fiance and I took this cruise...kind of booked last minuted based off of work schedules. This was my 12 or 13 cruise? Not really sure...but I had definitely been missing it since the pandemic. It was my fiance's first cruise, and both of our first with MSC. I had been wanting to sail MSC for some time, but have previously mostly sailed NCL. I started off on Carnival, as many do, then transitioned to NCL. I love NCL...so many things about them that I enjoy. I sailed once on RCCL, which was nice as well...I just happened to be on a specific sailing that did not have the exact crowd we were looking for. I've heard good things about MSC and have several colleagues who rave about them. That, coupled with the fact that they are one of the first sailings started from Miami (we live across from the port, so a two-minute Uber ride helps) AND the current healthcare worker discount, made this decision easy.

 

I've done several reviews before, which are linked in my signature, so I will do this one in a similar manner. Final thoughts will be at the end. Feel free to ask any questions...I'm happy to help!

 

Happy cruising!

[zackarykeef]

Booking: We booked via my friend who is a travel agent. Booked a Fantastica balcony with the all-in drinks and wifi, which included the easy beverage package and browse internet package. It was an amazing deal, as they are giving healthcare workers 50% off (hello BOGO) if booked by the end of September. I'm an ER physician, and this cruise was definitely needed, so the promotion was welcomed!

 

We received the upgrade bid offer email exactly a week before (we only booked 2 weeks out), and I bid on a whirlpool suite and Deluxe YC suite. Minimum bids on both. We found out 3 days later (Monday morning before Friday sailing) that our bid to the Deluxe YC suite was accepted! Amazing! First time on MSC, and we get YC! We knew we would be spoiled and would not want to sail any other way from now on (and this was definitely the case).

 

Of note, while on board, we received full YC perks EVERYWHERE on the ship. Yes, this includes drinks. YC comes with the premium beverage package and the browse internet package. No, you don't get refunded if you already had something booked prior, and that is completely understandable. Our "experience" on our documents and luggage tags continued to say "Fantastica," but there was an extra page that noted the YC experience. As you will see below, it was YC all the way without issue.

 

Embarkation: Since we live across from the port, we actually packed the morning of (I hate packing), and we got to the port at our assigned time of 1:30pm. (We initially had an 11:00am time, which changed to 1:30pm when we received our upgrade). We checked in at the YC tent, our luggage was handled, and we were escorted to the front of the line for COVID-19 testing after security. It was quick and painless, and were sitting in the waiting area awaiting our results within 10 minutes. Our entire waiting group was called within 20 minutes (all negative), and escorted to check-in. We had stickers on our shirt designating us as YC, and were taken to the YC room off to the side. They had a table set up with sodas and snacks, and we were able to sit on the couches while the staff took our documents, passports, and vaccination cards. Everything was done within 10 minutes, and we were quickly on the ship. We were escorted straight to the Top Sail Lounge in the YC for a drink and taken to our room, which was ready.

 

Looking back, we definitely could have gotten to the port earlier, mainly because of YC status. You can pretty much do whatever you want with YC, so in the future, I would probably go early to fully enjoy day 1.

 

Room: 15018, forward starboard side balcony. Our original Fantastica balcony was starboard as well, as I picked that side in order to be facing Ocean Cay. So glad our upgraded room stayed starboard, as the Ocean Cay views were amazing! (Although, any balcony in YC is worth it 🤣).

 

The room was very nice. Much bigger than typical balconies, good closet space, a large bathroom and shower with marble interior. Bed was comfortable. The only issue we had was that it had that "carpet" smell. It didn't smell bad, per se, but just like...carpet. This was really our only gripe the entire trip.

 

Cruisers: This was a complete mix. All American, obviously due to COVID travel restrictions from Europe. I'm sure during non-COVID times, there are many more Europeans on board, as it is an Italian line. Many local Miamians/Floridians, given the convenience, but plenty of out-of-towners as well. Good mix of kids, young, old, etc. The overwhelming majority were vaccinated, as designated by the white bracelets. This will no longer be an issue, given they are now transitioning to fully-vaccinated for the time being.

[zackarykeef]

Activities/Entertainment/Casino I cannot comment on this. Given it was such a short cruise (I have only ever been on 7+ day cruises, so this was my first weekend cruise), we just didn't attend any shows or activities. Walked through the casino just to take a look...very nice, but much smaller than other cruise casinos I've seen. No smoking due to COVID (or always?), which is a nice plus. We spent the majority of our time in the YC, as we wanted a more relaxing and mindless trip. It was much needed!

 

Food: We mainly ate in the YC restaurant and YC buffet, so I can really only comment on that. We did peruse the main buffet for a snack on day 1, as we really just wanted fries and to try their famous pizza (being an Italian line). They seemed to have a good range of options. The pizza was good...for cruise pizza. I wasn't blown out of the water as people have talked it up prior, but it was good. Honestly, I still think Carnival wins the pizza game (don't hate on me for saying that).

 

The YC restaurant was really good to outstanding. We're pretty picky with food and tend to eat at fancier places in the US, and I thought MSC did a great job. Stand-outs were the veal chop, eggs benedict, filet mignon, and all of the pastas. Glad to see they do a good job with the pasta, which is all handmade on board--it all really was delicious!

 

Bars/Alcohol/Drink Package: We had the premium beverage package included from YC, which worked everywhere on the ship. This included drinks up to $12. However, it was only $17 per person per day to upgraded to premium plus, which allows you to have whatever you want that is served on board. For a quick cruise, this meant $100 total for the two of us, which we didn't think twice about. We did it right away, and boy, was it worth it! We spend our nights at the champagne bar, drinking all of the Veuve Cliquot we wanted. We were also drinking a champagne that was $250/bottle on the menu, which was divine. It was nice not having to think about anything. As soon as the YC sommelier knew we had this package, he hand selected top-tier whites, reds, and dessert wines for us each night to pair with dinner, giving us the whole bottle, even though technically bottles aren't included. We were so spoiled! It was nice being able to order regular cocktails but with top shelf liquor which would other not have been included. I highly recommend this upgrade if you like to drink, drink more fine wines/champagnes, and have the budget. However, be aware the their packages are changing in a few months, and I don't think even the highest package will include everything 😭 sad day.

 

Staff: Every staff member was great. Not a single issue. YC of course was amazing, but even outside the YC, everyone was extremely personable and friendly.

[dolphin1313]

28 minutes ago, zackarykeef said:

Activities/Entertainment/Casino I cannot comment on this. Given it was such a short cruise (I have only ever been on 7+ day cruises, so this was my first weekend cruise), we just didn't attend any shows or activities. Walked through the casino just to take a look...very nice, but much smaller than other cruise casinos I've seen. No smoking due to COVID (or always?), which is a nice plus. We spent the majority of our time in the YC, as we wanted a more relaxing and mindless trip. It was much needed!

 

Food: We mainly ate in the YC restaurant and YC buffet, so I can really only comment on that. We did peruse the main buffet for a snack on day 1, as we really just wanted fries and to try their famous pizza (being an Italian line). They seemed to have a good range of options. The pizza was good...for cruise pizza. I wasn't blown out of the water as people have talked it up prior, but it was good. Honestly, I still think Carnival wins the pizza game (don't hate on me for saying that).

 

The YC restaurant was really good to outstanding. We're pretty picky with food and tend to eat at fancier places in the US, and I thought MSC did a great job. Stand-outs were the veal chop, eggs benedict, filet mignon, and all of the pastas. Glad to see they do a good job with the pasta, which is all handmade on board--it all really was delicious!

 

Bars/Alcohol/Drink Package: We had the premium beverage package included from YC, which worked everywhere on the ship. This included drinks up to $12. However, it was only $17 per person per day to upgraded to premium plus, which allows you to have whatever you want that is served on board. For a quick cruise, this meant $100 total for the two of us, which we didn't think twice about. We did it right away, and boy, was it worth it! We spend our nights at the champagne bar, drinking all of the Veuve Cliquot we wanted. We were also drinking a champagne that was $250/bottle on the menu, which was divine. It was nice not having to think about anything. As soon as the YC sommelier knew we had this package, he hand selected top-tier whites, reds, and dessert wines for us each night to pair with dinner, giving us the whole bottle, even though technically bottles aren't included. We were so spoiled! It was nice being able to order regular cocktails but with top shelf liquor which would other not have been included. I highly recommend this upgrade if you like to drink, drink more fine wines/champagnes, and have the budget. However, be aware the their packages are changing in a few months, and I don't think even the highest package will include everything 😭 sad day.

 

Staff: Every staff member was great. Not a single issue. YC of course was amazing, but even outside the YC, everyone was extremely personable and friendly.

Thanks for taking the time for giving us your review.  I'm glad to hear that you had  a great time.

[zackarykeef]

Ports: We were scheduled for Ocean Cay on Saturday with a sea day on Sunday. However, due to tropical storm Fred, we headed all the way to Nassau on Saturday and Ocean Cay on Sunday to give us better weather. This was such a great decision by the captain, as we only had 10 minutes of rain while in Nassau. We had beautiful weather the rest of the trip and got to fully enjoy Ocean Cay.

 

Not much to comment on Nassau. It's no one's favorite port, and with it being a bonus unexpected stop, we enjoyed time on the ship on the YC sun deck. We did step off to venture into the shops for about an hour, as I somehow forgot flip-flops for this trip 🤣  Found a nice, cheap pair for the next day at Ocean Cay and headed back on board. Activities were also limited due to COVID, as hotels like Atlantis and Baha Mar where you could typically obtain a day pass are currently requiring PCR testing.

 

Ocean Cay is beautiful. They've done an amazing job. We ported slightly later than planned due to weather...at first, they weren't sure if we would even be able to call due to waves and winds. This is common at many of the lines' private islands, as they are small, shallow, and man-made. However, the seas calmed and we finally docked around 12:00pm. It truly is a sight to watch that huge ship pull in and do a complete 180 so close to the dock. Do not miss it!

 

Again, treated like royalty with YC. Escorted off the ship to a tent where the tram picks you up and takes you directly to the YC beach and Ocean House restaurant. It's walkable, but definitely a hike, as it is at the far end of the island. The food was decent...nothing mind-blowing, but it was nice to be sitting at an actual restaurant and being waited on hand and foot. Food included ceviche, lobster rolls, skirt steak, dessert...much nicer than the rest of the island. It seemed like everywhere else on the island was just food trucks/stalls with burgers, hot dogs, etc. We did get ice cream from the fish cone place on the walk back, which was good. They took our room number, but we were never charged...not sure if that was due to YC, or just a mistake. It was a nice little bonus.

 

The YC beach is definitely NOT the best place on the island. Again, plenty of space and exclusivity with servers, attendants, towels provided, and chairs/umbrellas. However, the beach is extremely rocky and painful, and the waves on that side are rough. The water was nice and refreshing, but after an hour there, we headed back to the lighthouse beach...much softer sand and calm water. Also, nice view of the ship is a plus! The lagoon beach seemed to be the same, but we wanted to be facing the ocean.

 

The full island was not open due to capacity, which is understandable. However, plenty of space for everyone, and I'm sure is amazing when fully open. Remember to bring your towel if you're not in YC...when we walked back to the lighthouse beach, we left our YC towels provided at that beach, and there were no towels to be found. Non-YC guests have to bring their towels from the ship.

 

Typically, the ship stays at OC until after midnight. Since our itinerary was altered, we had to leave slightly earlier to make it back to Miami on time. Because of this, the lighthouse show was done earlier, around 8:30pm I think. I was not completely dark, so the light effects did not project as well...it was underwhelming compared to photos I have seen when it is completely dark out.

 

Spa: The only reason we got to experience this is because access to the Thermal Suite is included with YC. This was a highlight for us. The Thermal Suite is incredible. They have everything you could possibly want...locker rooms, salt room, aromatherapy showers, saunas, steam rooms, mediterranean baths, relaxation rooms, hot stone loungers, and whirlpools. We spent 1-2 hours here daily, and it was completely worth it. Definitely worth a day pass or upgraded to Aurea for, which it is also included in.

 

Ship: The ship was beautiful. It is expertly done, and it is the 8th largest ship in the world. The Swarovski staircases everywhere are truly spectacular. The YC is arranged nicely, and I love the views of the front of the ship from each venue. It's a plus that the YC sundeck has it's own pool. Although we didn't attend shows in the Carousel Lounge, it looked like an amazing Venue as well. The Sky Lounge was amazing views and amazing smoked cocktails. It's also 21+, which is nice. On a longer cruise or not in YC, we would've spent more time here. The champagne bar is extremely beautiful, which is where we spent our evenings.

 

The LED screen ceiling is beautiful...I don't care much for the "shows" they put on display, but when not moving, they had beautiful architectural designs. I didn't care too much for the overall layout of the ship...it really does feel somewhat like a mall. This is similar to some of the newer RCCL ship designs like the Oasis/Oasis+ class ships. I prefer the more traditional cruise ship layout. I also missed the lower deck promenade, similar to the Waterfront on the newer NCL ships. It's so nice to be down low close to the water and walking along the edge of the ship. The NCL Waterfront is probably one of the best venues on any ship, so I look forward to sailing on MSC Seashore, as this class has a similar promenade. Also, I just felt like much space was underutilized due to the "mall" like layout. The champagne bar traverses two sides of the ship, and although beautiful, could have only been one side, with the other side available for a separate bar or venue. Again, beautiful ship nonetheless.

 

The Horizon pool and bar on the back of the ship also provide spectacular views, and definitely would be where I would have spent time had I not been in YC. The main pool is HUGE for cruise ship standards...basically like two pools, which is nice. It's crazy to me how some other large ships can barely fit a small pool, and this one basically had 4 outside of YC (so 5), in addition to the waterslide/polar zone aqua park. The solarium is also very nice, although too chlorine-y and steamy for me. There was an abundance of hot tubs, which was also nice to see, many cantilevered over the side of the ship. You could always easily find one for sail-away or nighttime relaxation.

 

Debarkation: Extremely simple...no rush living across from the port. Had our luggage out of our door around midnight (it needed to be out by 2am), and woke up around 7:30. Had to be out of the room by 8:30. Had a nice breakfast in the YC restaurant, and then were escorted off the ship by our butler. Quick and easy picking up luggage with a simple facial scan through immigration, and off we went.

[zackarykeef]

A Note on COVID: Masks were required indoors on board due to not mandating vaccines. Although others mentioned this seemed to be strictly enforced, I have to disagree. I saw people walking around without or with improper masks. Even when they passed employees, they were not addressed. This irked me. Not that I'm a die-hard mask person, but like...it's their rule. Cruising is a privilege, and it's not hard to follow a simple rule. It's just rude, rebellious, and self-serving to flat-out disobey them. Sail NCL or Celebrity if you don't want to wear a mask. Again, this was few and far between, as most guests wore their masks properly (because it's not that hard...we've all been doing it for 1.5 years now). It was interesting to notice the correlation between improper mask wearing and no white vaccination band 🙃

Everyone also has to wear the MSC for Me wristband for contact-tracing purposes. All staff have them as well. It also serves as your room key and can be used for charges.

 

Final Thoughts: We had an amazing time! One thing I forgot to mention...this ship is specifically designed for minimal sound/movement, and that was definitely noticed. I could barely feel a thing. It normally doesn't bother me, but this was a nice added touch. Whether it was because we were YC or not, we definitely loved sailing MSC and will sail again with them. We really had no complaints, and it was a nice glimpse into post-pandemic sailing. I definitely want to try sailing MSC without YC to see how it compares, and look forward to hopefully sailing on Seashore in January. The ship looks beautiful! I am still partial to NCL, mainly for the ship layout and variety of specialty dining, but with MSC continuing the healthcare worker promotion for another month, it's too good to pass up. Definitely going to book one or two more with MSC for now to score the deal. I will probably return to NCL, but glad to know I can add MSC into my rotation or book based on itinerary and pricing moving forward!

 

Again, any other questions, feel free to ask! Welcome back to the seas, y'all! Happy cruising! 😎

 

~Zack

[9876]

3 hours ago, zackarykeef said:

Activities/Entertainment/Casino I cannot comment on this. Given it was such a short cruise (I have only ever been on 7+ day cruises, so this was my first weekend cruise), we just didn't attend any shows or activities. Walked through the casino just to take a look...very nice, but much smaller than other cruise casinos I've seen. No smoking due to COVID (or always?), which is a nice plus. We spent the majority of our time in the YC, as we wanted a more relaxing and mindless trip. It was much needed!

 

Food: We mainly ate in the YC restaurant and YC buffet, so I can really only comment on that. We did peruse the main buffet for a snack on day 1, as we really just wanted fries and to try their famous pizza (being an Italian line). They seemed to have a good range of options. The pizza was good...for cruise pizza. I wasn't blown out of the water as people have talked it up prior, but it was good. Honestly, I still think Carnival wins the pizza game (don't hate on me for saying that).

 

The YC restaurant was really good to outstanding. We're pretty picky with food and tend to eat at fancier places in the US, and I thought MSC did a great job. Stand-outs were the veal chop, eggs benedict, filet mignon, and all of the pastas. Glad to see they do a good job with the pasta, which is all handmade on board--it all really was delicious!

 

Bars/Alcohol/Drink Package: We had the premium beverage package included from YC, which worked everywhere on the ship. This included drinks up to $12. However, it was only $17 per person per day to upgraded to premium plus, which allows you to have whatever you want that is served on board. For a quick cruise, this meant $100 total for the two of us, which we didn't think twice about. We did it right away, and boy, was it worth it! We spend our nights at the champagne bar, drinking all of the Veuve Cliquot we wanted. We were also drinking a champagne that was $250/bottle on the menu, which was divine. It was nice not having to think about anything. As soon as the YC sommelier knew we had this package, he hand selected top-tier whites, reds, and dessert wines for us each night to pair with dinner, giving us the whole bottle, even though technically bottles aren't included. We were so spoiled! It was nice being able to order regular cocktails but with top shelf liquor which would other not have been included. I highly recommend this upgrade if you like to drink, drink more fine wines/champagnes, and have the budget. However, be aware the their packages are changing in a few months, and I don't think even the highest package will include everything 😭 sad day.

 

Staff: Every staff member was great. Not a single issue. YC of course was amazing, but even outside the YC, everyone was extremely personable and friendly.

Thanks for the beverage package suggestion.  I never would have thought about it but will definitely look to upgrade. 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the review!

[drugdog]

Trying to find information on kids with this ship,11 year old granddaughter will be sailing with us ,we are in vaccinated granddaughter is not,. Need info,dailies excursions,ship venues she can go to with or without us. Msc phone agents couldn’t help 

[maureencruiser]

14 hours ago, drugdog said:

Trying to find information on kids with this ship,11 year old granddaughter will be sailing with us ,we are in vaccinated granddaughter is not,. Need info,dailies excursions,ship venues she can go to with or without us. Msc phone agents couldn’t help 

 

Some info from the website:

Will the Kids Club be open and what kind of kids’ activities will be available?

 

Our Kids Club and family activities will welcome kids and parents in a healthy and safe environment while ensuring a fun and enjoyable experience.

New measures include reduced capacity, a streamlined registration process, contactless temperature check and hand sanitization upon entry. We're adding new exciting activities and family game shows that will be available for booking up to one day in advance. Toys and water will be provided by our staff, while personal belongings are not permitted as an additional safety measure.

 

 

Will there be any restrictions to visit some ports?

 

Fully vaccinated are free to go ashore in each port of call, including our exclusive private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, or enjoy one of our many offered shore excursions.

 

Not fully vaccinated guests will not be allowed to go ashore unless they purchase a shore excursion through MSC Cruises.   On Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, not fully vaccinated guests may spend the day as they wish or purchase one of our many offered shore excursions. .

 

Can I go ashore freely if my kids are not vaccinated?

 

Any fully vaccinated guests in the same traveling party with a not fully vaccinated guest or a child 11 years old or younger are considered not fully vaccinated for the purposes of shore excursions. Everyone will need to purchase a shore excursion as not fully vaccinated guests. 

 

Example - A family of four, two adults and two children under 11 years old: All guests will be required to participate in a shore excursion for not fully vaccinated guests. 

 

Will guests still be able to enjoy the theater shows and other activities? 

 

Yes, guests will enjoy our onboard award-winning entertainment with a few modifications:

 

- Reduced theater capacity to allow for empty seats between guests

- Extended entertainment program so tall guests can enjoy our award-winning shows

- Pre-booking of shows and activities to manage the number of participants

 

How will the Main Dining experience change?

 

Our main dining restaurants will continue to serve our guests with a wide array of inspiring dishes and high-quality cuisine. We are modifying the seating layout to enable safe physical distancing, and guests will have the same table and waiter throughout their cruise for extra peace of mind.

 

We have enhanced the cleaning and disinfecting of all venues, providing appropriate protective equipment to all servers and increasing the number of hand sanitizer stations at all restaurants.

 

Guests are required to wear face masks when entering the venue but are not required when seated in the restaurants.

 

[Two Wheels Only]

On 8/28/2021 at 8:16 PM, zackarykeef said:

The pizza was good...for cruise pizza. I wasn't blown out of the water as people have talked it up prior, but it was good.

 

The trick is to get the fresh/made to order pizza. Any pizza that sits under a heat lamp in the buffet won't measure up to the fresh, hot, delivered in a box MSC pizza. 😋

 

On 8/28/2021 at 8:16 PM, zackarykeef said:

Honestly, I still think Carnival wins the pizza game (don't hate on me for saying that).

 

Hate? No.

Disagree? Absolutely. 🤪

 

 

[igorjrr]

Hi! Thanks for the review!

I read about your ice cream free at the island (mistake or not, we don't know exactly).

What about onboard? We are in YC as well and would like to know if Atmosphere Ice Cream Bar is all included, partially included or not at all. I read somewhere that soft-serve might be included, but no the gelato.

If you have anything to share...

Thanks!

Edited August 30, 2021 by igorjrr

[rkacruiser]

On 8/28/2021 at 8:00 PM, zackarykeef said:

15018

 

In January, my suite was 15016.  I thought the location was great.

Do you remember your Butler's name or the Assistant Butler?  My Butler was Jean Paul and the Assistant was Anna.

 

On 8/28/2021 at 8:16 PM, zackarykeef said:

Stand-outs were the eggs benedict, filet mignon, and all of the pastas. Glad to see they do a good job with the pasta, which is all handmade on board--it all really was delicious!

 

Agree; the beef entrees that I ordered were very good as were the pastas.  The YC Chef during my cruise liked pesto and I tried some pasta dishes with pesto that were very good.  Seemed odd, at first, eating a pasta dish that had a green sauce, though.  

 

On 8/28/2021 at 8:16 PM, zackarykeef said:

Staff: Every staff member was great. Not a single issue. YC of course was amazing, but even outside the YC, everyone was extremely personable and friendly.

 

That was my experience as well.  And, if I had a drink at a bar outside YC, the pour was very generous.  At Atmosphere Bar, I ordered a Bloody Mary one morning.  I watched as the bartender prepared it.  He nearly half filled the glass with Vodka.  As I finished the drink, he asked me if I wanted a second one.  I declined.  

 

On 8/28/2021 at 8:47 PM, zackarykeef said:

This was a highlight for us. The Thermal Suite is incredible. They have everything you could possibly want..

 

I was very impressed with their facilities.  

 

On 8/28/2021 at 8:47 PM, zackarykeef said:

The ship was beautiful. It is expertly done, and it is the 8th largest ship in the world. The Swarovski staircases everywhere are truly spectacular. The YC is arranged nicely, and I love the views of the front of the ship from each venue. It's a plus that the YC sundeck has it's own pool.

 

Agree with your views.  The YC sundeck could only be improved with a bit more shade in the area around the bar and grill area.  

 

On 8/28/2021 at 8:47 PM, zackarykeef said:

The Sky Lounge was amazing views

 

CC's M&G was held in this Lounge.  If it had not been, during a 7 day cruise, I don't think I would have found it.  A very pleasant and quiet lounge during the day and a good place to watch the antics of the pool side games in air conditioned comfort.  During my cruise, there was a jazz music group playing in the evening, but I never got to hear them.  

 

On 8/30/2021 at 2:10 AM, Two Wheels Only said:

The trick is to get the fresh/made to order pizza

 

Agree.  The pizza that I enjoyed was from the pizza venue aft of the Atmosphere Pool.  It appeared more freshly made than what was being offered in the Buffet Restaurant's pizza section.  

[kelikea]

Are they no longer doing covid testing at the pier? This would be BEYOND convenient if they would continue doing this. We're on this boat on October 16, and I'm bringing my kids and my parents and the coordinating of testing for everyone no more than 3 days prior to sailing is a hassle. Testing everyone at the pier would be so convenient!

[tlmaule]

20 hours ago, kelikea said:

Are they no longer doing covid testing at the pier? This would be BEYOND convenient if they would continue doing this. We're on this boat on October 16, and I'm bringing my kids and my parents and the coordinating of testing for everyone no more than 3 days prior to sailing is a hassle. Testing everyone at the pier would be so convenient!

As of now they have stopped doing testing onsite.  I hope they bring it back.  For my cruise next week we are scrambling to coordinate testing between my work schedule and my son's school.  With all the changes, who knows? They may bring it back (I hear CCL is introducing pier-side testing in the near future).  Good luck!!

Edited September 3, 2021 by tlmaule

[Match Game 72]

On 8/28/2021 at 8:57 PM, zackarykeef said:

A Note on COVID: Masks were required indoors on board due to not mandating vaccines. Although others mentioned this seemed to be strictly enforced, I have to disagree. I saw people walking around without or with improper masks. Even when they passed employees, they were not addressed. This irked me. Not that I'm a die-hard mask person, but like...it's their rule. Cruising is a privilege, and it's not hard to follow a simple rule. It's just rude, rebellious, and self-serving to flat-out disobey them. Sail NCL or Celebrity if you don't want to wear a mask. Again, this was few and far between, as most guests wore their masks properly (because it's not that hard...we've all been doing it for 1.5 years now). It was interesting to notice the correlation between improper mask wearing and no white vaccination band 🙃

Final Thoughts: We had an amazing time! One thing I forgot to mention...this ship is specifically designed for minimal sound/movement, and that was definitely noticed. I could barely feel a thing. It normally doesn't bother me, but this was a nice added touch. Whether it was because we were YC or not, we definitely loved sailing MSC and will sail again with them. We really had no complaints, and it was a nice glimpse into post-pandemic sailing. I definitely want to try sailing MSC without YC to see how it compares, and look forward to hopefully sailing on Seashore in January. The ship looks beautiful! I am still partial to NCL, mainly for the ship layout and variety of specialty dining, but with MSC continuing the healthcare worker promotion for another month, it's too good to pass up. Definitely going to book one or two more with MSC for now to score the deal. I will probably return to NCL, but glad to know I can add MSC into my rotation or book based on itinerary and pricing moving forward!

 

Again, any other questions, feel free to ask! Welcome back to the seas, y'all! Happy cruising! 😎

 

~Zack

I agree with you on these comments. 

As a passenger in August on Meriviglia, I did not feel that the mask rule was a bother. It was really only needed when we were walking between venues. Not a big deal.

 

And you are also correct about the minimal movement felt when underway. In fact, when we sailed from Miami, I had no idea we were underway.

 

Thanks for the review!

[zackarykeef]

On 8/30/2021 at 4:46 PM, igorjrr said:

Hi! Thanks for the review!

I read about your ice cream free at the island (mistake or not, we don't know exactly).

What about onboard? We are in YC as well and would like to know if Atmosphere Ice Cream Bar is all included, partially included or not at all. I read somewhere that soft-serve might be included, but no the gelato.

If you have anything to share...

Thanks!

I’m so sorry, but we didn’t try to get ice cream on board! Honestly, there was just so much we didn’t get to explore on such a huge ship with only 3 days! Would definitely like to sail her again for a week!

[zackarykeef]

2 hours ago, Match Game 72 said:

I agree with you on these comments. 

As a passenger in August on Meriviglia, I did not feel that the mask rule was a bother. It was really only needed when we were walking between venues. Not a big deal.

 

And you are also correct about the minimal movement felt when underway. In fact, when we sailed from Miami, I had no idea we were underway.

 

Thanks for the review!

Yes! We were relaxing in the thermal suite and though we had timed it well, but when we got back to our room, Miami was already in the distance! We were shocked!

[zackarykeef]

On 8/28/2021 at 11:17 PM, 9876 said:

Thanks for the beverage package suggestion.  I never would have thought about it but will definitely look to upgrade. 

Definitely one of my biggest take-aways, but will definitely be sad in November once the new packages kick in 😭

[zackarykeef]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:40 PM, kelikea said:

Are they no longer doing covid testing at the pier? This would be BEYOND convenient if they would continue doing this. We're on this boat on October 16, and I'm bringing my kids and my parents and the coordinating of testing for everyone no more than 3 days prior to sailing is a hassle. Testing everyone at the pier would be so convenient!

Right…now that everyone is required to be tested, there is no more testing at the pier. Who knows what will happen in the future, but I think it’s cheaper and more efficient for them overall.

[zounds]

Thanks very much for the useful info.  We'll be on her next month.

[deliver42]

Thank you for your review. I'm glad you liked MSC. We've been on the Divina twice, and loved it, and are booked on the Seashore in May.