Why has MSC Meraviglia Undergone Such Significant Changes on the 7-Day Christmas Cruise

[michelle.zhang.90]

We recently concluded our 7-day Christmas cruise aboard the MSC Meraviglia. Despite having sailed with MSC multiple times (five times with Divina, two times with Seaside, and two times with Meraviglia, with four of those being during Christmas), we experienced significant disappointment on this occasion. The experience was completely different from what we had before. I highly recommend those who have booked a Meraviglia cruise departing from Brooklyn to reconsider their trip. Here are some of the key reasons:
1. Cabin - Contrary to our previous experiences, during which the steward would clean the cabin multiple times, especially after returning from the pool or other activities, this time our steward only did so once on most days. The bathroom had a persistent unpleasant odor, making it intolerable for anything other than a quick shower. I tried to call the service desk for helping but never had anyone answered. The entire family had to cut short their teeth-brushing routine due to the pervasive smell in the bathroom. Additionally, the carpet was noticeably filthy. Even attempting to open the door to our balcony did not alleviate the issue. Despite these challenges, we considered ourselves "lucky" compared to our cousin, who encountered a toilet plumbing problem. Unfortunately, they were relocated from their balcony cabin to an inside cabin without any compensation or apology.
2.     Dining - The food left much to be desired, but we could tolerate that. What made the experience terrible was the crowded and chaotic atmosphere. The buffet was consistently packed, except for early mornings. On multiple occasions around 9 in the morning, I encountered long queues and struggled to find a table for my family of six. The lengthy lines led to frustration, with several instances of arguments breaking out over line-cutting or taking excessive amounts of food. People were even blamed for taking food for their kids or elders, creating a tense environment. Personally, my search for pancakes for my son at the designated section proved futile.

One port day, we decided to dine at the buffet, which turned out well as it was less crowded. However, we noticed three waiters in our dining area, none of whom seemed inclined to clear our empty plates. Consequently, my dad took the initiative to bring the plates to them multiple times. Due to the hectic environment, we opted to frequent the Wave (formal dining room) for most breakfasts and lunches, where the experience was relatively better. However, during dinner, we encountered some peculiar situations. Has anyone ever experienced a waiter refusing to provide an extra spoon because you already have one? My aunt's request for an additional spoon to share food with her son was denied, and I had to approach our very friendly head waiter (the only amicable person in the dining room) to obtain one. Moreover, our waiter declined to bring me another appetizer, citing that there were two more seatings to follow, despite my parents skipping dinner that day. The dining experience seemed absurd, but fortunately, it improved after I spoke to our head waiter. I believe these peculiar incidents were a result of the venue operating at full capacity, akin to the bustling dim sum restaurants in Chinatown.

3. Entertainment - I might have a high expectation because we were so in love with the kind of shows in MSC Divina and seaside before (nice vocal, high quality acrobatics, etc), as well as the show in other cruise lines we loved (Princess and Norwegian) the show this time were mostly disappointing. The singing and dancing were just okay. there were two magic shows and you know what, even my 10 year old can can simply find out what is going on. the magician who played poker were good though, very interactive and funny.

4. Family - nothing really exciting. The pool were packed, again. Jacuzzi has 15 minutes limit most of the days. Meaning you have to get out of the jacuzzi and go back to the end of the line after 15 minutes. My kids never liked their kids club so I cannot provide much information.

5. Fitness - We used the fitness center daily. 25 minutes limit on the treadmills but if there is nobody waiting, we can do another 25 minutes. Bring your own water though because the only fountain there is weak.

6.  Sanitization - Despite my kids never falling ill on any previous MSC or Princess cruises, this time was an exception. Both my son and our cousin developed fevers between days 2 and 5 of the cruise. The prevalence of coughing was noticeable everywhere – in the buffet, main dining room, theater, and even the elevators. While we acknowledge it's flu season, we cruised in 2022 during a similarly challenging time, and no one got sick. We suspect insufficient sanitizer measures may be a contributing factor.

I observed that several public bathrooms lacked adequate water pressure, and some sinks were without soap. Outside the main dining room, two out of three sanitizer machines were consistently empty, with no effort made to refill them. In the past, crew members would typically sing "washy washy" outside the buffet, reminding guests to use sanitizer, but such reminders were absent this time.

7. Service - There was a noticeable lack of attention to guest needs during this cruise. The shift in service was perplexing until we attended the welcome back party. The event was brief, and the captain appeared for only five minutes before disappearing with other officers. There was no effort to engage with repeat guests. In contrast, in numerous past instances, the captain not only stayed to converse with us but also took pictures and occasionally even danced. If the management team is indifferent, it seems likely that the crew would follow suit. We chat with people and found there were some guests flew back home in the first port due to dissatisfaction of this cruise. I also found the lead customer service were very unfriendly and unpleasant.  Perhaps that's why I feel compelled to write this extensive review. I might be wasting my time by writing this review, but delaying and dismissing them wouldn't be fair. I hope my review reaches the cruise line and our fellow cruisers because we all anticipate a fantastic or at lease a pleasant sea experience. No one should have to endure a prolonged wait and pay for an experience that totally suffering.

 

Attached image description:

After enduring a lengthy line to return to the ship from Ocean Cay, our cousin discovered a plumbing issue in his cabin. Clad in a wet suit and now running a fever, he faced the challenge of having no suitable cabin to retreat to. Despite his mom's efforts at the reception, it wasn't until 11:46 PM that day that they reluctantly decided to assign him a nicer inside cabin. Initially, we all had balconies on the same deck.

The reception staff, specifically Kim and Dave, were notably unfriendly throughout the ordeal. They initially insisted that the only available cabin was one beneath the pool. After an hour of discussion, they mysteriously "discovered" another inside cabin, although it came with the caveat that the ceiling-hanging beds couldn't be fully secured. Frustration mounted over the next two hours as they declared we were wasting their time. Eventually, they conceded and provided my aunt with another inside cabin that presented no additional issues. Throughout this ordeal, our cousin lay in the lobby, visibly unwell, but received no sympathy; the staff seemed more intent on expediting our departure than addressing our concerns.

 

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, michelle.zhang.90 said:

The bathroom had a persistent unpleasant odor, making it intolerable for anything other than a quick shower. I tried to call the service desk for helping but never had anyone answered. The entire family had to cut short their teeth-brushing routine due to the pervasive smell in the bathroom.

 

This was mentioned about Meraviglia in another thread.

I posted a comment that quoted a very knowledgeable forum member....

 

 

 

Maybe that was the issue. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Wow. I’m so sorry this was your Christmas cruise. Sounds dreadful. I hope everyone is feeling better. 

[michelle.zhang.90]

16 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

This was mentioned about Meraviglia in another thread.

I posted a comment that quoted a very knowledgeable forum member....

 

 

 

Maybe that was the issue. 

Thank you very much! Wish I knew that earlier ^_^

[michelle.zhang.90]

3 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Wow. I’m so sorry this was your Christmas cruise. Sounds dreadful. I hope everyone is feeling better. 

Thanks! It's quite surprising, honestly. We've had such great experiences with MSC in the past. The kids fully recovered two days ago, and I'm grateful for that! Thank you! I'm curious to know if what happened on the Meravigalia is also occurring on other MSC ships.

[Georgia_Peaches]

8 minutes ago, michelle.zhang.90 said:

Thanks! It's quite surprising, honestly. We've had such great experiences with MSC in the past. The kids fully recovered two days ago, and I'm grateful for that! Thank you! I'm curious to know if what happened on the Meravigalia is also occurring on other MSC ships.

I’ve sailed Meraviglia, Seashore, and Seaside. We haven’t had issues on any of the ships like you’ve described. But I have certainly read about some of the things you mentioned:  crowding in the buffet, slow and lacking service, rudeness at guest relations. Honestly, it’s the reason we’ve only sailed on MSC in the YC. It may not be so affordable for a family of six but I would say MSC  does  seem to be selling two different products. 

[michelle.zhang.90]

5 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I’ve sailed Meraviglia, Seashore, and Seaside. We haven’t had issues on any of the ships like you’ve described. But I have certainly read about some of the things you mentioned:  crowding in the buffet, slow and lacking service, rudeness at guest relations. Honestly, it’s the reason we’ve only sailed on MSC in the YC. It may not be so affordable for a family of six but I would say MSC  does  seem to be selling two different products. 

 

5 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I’ve sailed Meraviglia, Seashore, and Seaside. We haven’t had issues on any of the ships like you’ve described. But I have certainly read about some of the things you mentioned:  crowding in the buffet, slow and lacking service, rudeness at guest relations. Honestly, it’s the reason we’ve only sailed on MSC in the YC. It may not be so affordable for a family of six but I would say MSC  does  seem to be selling two different products. 

Thank you! I will totally consider YC since another friend had also recommended it to me multiple times. I was being cheap and thought since I had such good experience what’s the point to pay extra. Now I see the point lol. It’s a shame that the quality goes down so drastically. 

[quattrohead]

Meraviglia seems to have a management and morale issue now that we did not experience when we sailed on her last year out of PC.

Any chance it is partly due to the type of Pax sailing out of NY ?

[shipgeeks]

One cabin cleaning per day appears to be the standard now among all mainstream lines.

[MsTabbyKats]

4 hours ago, quattrohead said:

Meraviglia seems to have a management and morale issue now that we did not experience when we sailed on her last year out of PC.

Any chance it is partly due to the type of Pax sailing out of NY ?

And what do you think that type of Pax is?

Most of OPs disappointments (food, entertainment, lack of service) have nothing to do with "that type of Pax".

[tony s]

15 hours ago, michelle.zhang.90 said:

We recently concluded our 7-day Christmas cruise aboard the MSC Meraviglia. Despite having sailed with MSC multiple times (five times with Divina, two times with Seaside, and two times with Meraviglia, with four of those being during Christmas), we experienced significant disappointment on this occasion. The experience was completely different from what we had before. I highly recommend those who have booked a Meraviglia cruise departing from Brooklyn to reconsider their trip. Here are some of the key reasons:
1. Cabin - Contrary to our previous experiences, during which the steward would clean the cabin multiple times, especially after returning from the pool or other activities, this time our steward only did so once on most days. The bathroom had a persistent unpleasant odor, making it intolerable for anything other than a quick shower. I tried to call the service desk for helping but never had anyone answered. The entire family had to cut short their teeth-brushing routine due to the pervasive smell in the bathroom. Additionally, the carpet was noticeably filthy. Even attempting to open the door to our balcony did not alleviate the issue. Despite these challenges, we considered ourselves "lucky" compared to our cousin, who encountered a toilet plumbing problem. Unfortunately, they were relocated from their balcony cabin to an inside cabin without any compensation or apology.
2.     Dining - The food left much to be desired, but we could tolerate that. What made the experience terrible was the crowded and chaotic atmosphere. The buffet was consistently packed, except for early mornings. On multiple occasions around 9 in the morning, I encountered long queues and struggled to find a table for my family of six. The lengthy lines led to frustration, with several instances of arguments breaking out over line-cutting or taking excessive amounts of food. People were even blamed for taking food for their kids or elders, creating a tense environment. Personally, my search for pancakes for my son at the designated section proved futile.

One port day, we decided to dine at the buffet, which turned out well as it was less crowded. However, we noticed three waiters in our dining area, none of whom seemed inclined to clear our empty plates. Consequently, my dad took the initiative to bring the plates to them multiple times. Due to the hectic environment, we opted to frequent the Wave (formal dining room) for most breakfasts and lunches, where the experience was relatively better. However, during dinner, we encountered some peculiar situations. Has anyone ever experienced a waiter refusing to provide an extra spoon because you already have one? My aunt's request for an additional spoon to share food with her son was denied, and I had to approach our very friendly head waiter (the only amicable person in the dining room) to obtain one. Moreover, our waiter declined to bring me another appetizer, citing that there were two more seatings to follow, despite my parents skipping dinner that day. The dining experience seemed absurd, but fortunately, it improved after I spoke to our head waiter. I believe these peculiar incidents were a result of the venue operating at full capacity, akin to the bustling dim sum restaurants in Chinatown.

3. Entertainment - I might have a high expectation because we were so in love with the kind of shows in MSC Divina and seaside before (nice vocal, high quality acrobatics, etc), as well as the show in other cruise lines we loved (Princess and Norwegian) the show this time were mostly disappointing. The singing and dancing were just okay. there were two magic shows and you know what, even my 10 year old can can simply find out what is going on. the magician who played poker were good though, very interactive and funny.

4. Family - nothing really exciting. The pool were packed, again. Jacuzzi has 15 minutes limit most of the days. Meaning you have to get out of the jacuzzi and go back to the end of the line after 15 minutes. My kids never liked their kids club so I cannot provide much information.

5. Fitness - We used the fitness center daily. 25 minutes limit on the treadmills but if there is nobody waiting, we can do another 25 minutes. Bring your own water though because the only fountain there is weak.

6.  Sanitization - Despite my kids never falling ill on any previous MSC or Princess cruises, this time was an exception. Both my son and our cousin developed fevers between days 2 and 5 of the cruise. The prevalence of coughing was noticeable everywhere – in the buffet, main dining room, theater, and even the elevators. While we acknowledge it's flu season, we cruised in 2022 during a similarly challenging time, and no one got sick. We suspect insufficient sanitizer measures may be a contributing factor.

I observed that several public bathrooms lacked adequate water pressure, and some sinks were without soap. Outside the main dining room, two out of three sanitizer machines were consistently empty, with no effort made to refill them. In the past, crew members would typically sing "washy washy" outside the buffet, reminding guests to use sanitizer, but such reminders were absent this time.

7. Service - There was a noticeable lack of attention to guest needs during this cruise. The shift in service was perplexing until we attended the welcome back party. The event was brief, and the captain appeared for only five minutes before disappearing with other officers. There was no effort to engage with repeat guests. In contrast, in numerous past instances, the captain not only stayed to converse with us but also took pictures and occasionally even danced. If the management team is indifferent, it seems likely that the crew would follow suit. We chat with people and found there were some guests flew back home in the first port due to dissatisfaction of this cruise. I also found the lead customer service were very unfriendly and unpleasant.  Perhaps that's why I feel compelled to write this extensive review. I might be wasting my time by writing this review, but delaying and dismissing them wouldn't be fair. I hope my review reaches the cruise line and our fellow cruisers because we all anticipate a fantastic or at lease a pleasant sea experience. No one should have to endure a prolonged wait and pay for an experience that totally suffering.

 

Attached image description:

After enduring a lengthy line to return to the ship from Ocean Cay, our cousin discovered a plumbing issue in his cabin. Clad in a wet suit and now running a fever, he faced the challenge of having no suitable cabin to retreat to. Despite his mom's efforts at the reception, it wasn't until 11:46 PM that day that they reluctantly decided to assign him a nicer inside cabin. Initially, we all had balconies on the same deck.

The reception staff, specifically Kim and Dave, were notably unfriendly throughout the ordeal. They initially insisted that the only available cabin was one beneath the pool. After an hour of discussion, they mysteriously "discovered" another inside cabin, although it came with the caveat that the ceiling-hanging beds couldn't be fully secured. Frustration mounted over the next two hours as they declared we were wasting their time. Eventually, they conceded and provided my aunt with another inside cabin that presented no additional issues. Throughout this ordeal, our cousin lay in the lobby, visibly unwell, but received no sympathy; the staff seemed more intent on expediting our departure than addressing our concerns.

 

Please tell us you yanked that Service Charge. One it sends a powerful message. Two why pay for something you obviously didn’t get.

[michelle.zhang.90]

35 minutes ago, tony s said:

Please tell us you yanked that Service Charge. One it sends a powerful message. Two why pay for something you obviously didn’t get.

Oh I did not. Just did not leave extra tips this time. We normally leave extra to our waiters and stewards on the last day.

[michelle.zhang.90]

1 hour ago, MsTabbyKats said:

And what do you think that type of Pax is?

Most of OPs disappointments (food, entertainment, lack of service) have nothing to do with "that type of Pax".

I observed a significant proportion of Chinese passengers, around 50-60%, and noticed sizable groups of Indian passengers, one of which had 154 members. This differs from our past experiences. While we're fine with diverse fellow travelers, our dissatisfaction arises from the poor service quality.

[michelle.zhang.90]

5 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

One cabin cleaning per day appears to be the standard now among all mainstream lines.

Are you sure about that? We sailed out from NYC last May with Norwegian to Bermuda and our cabin was cleaned every time we left it. 

[Two Wheels Only]

34 minutes ago, michelle.zhang.90 said:

Are you sure about that? We sailed out from NYC last May with Norwegian to Bermuda and our cabin was cleaned every time we left it. 

 

It can vary by stateroom type on NCL. Some get twice a day, some get once. 

[njhorseman]

10 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

It can vary by stateroom type on NCL. Some get twice a day, some get once. 

Correct. 

[William W]

2 hours ago, michelle.zhang.90 said:

I observed a significant proportion of Chinese passengers, around 50-60%, and noticed sizable groups of Indian passengers, one of which had 154 members. This differs from our past experiences. While we're fine with diverse fellow travelers, our dissatisfaction arises from the poor service quality.

I was off the Anthems of the Seas on 24 December.  I would say it has similar demographic to what you observed.  In fact, I shared some of the observation you experienced. 

 

• The buffet was a zoo during breakfast and lunch.
• Crappy weather and heavy waves.
• Once per day cabin services.
• Lines everywhere for activities like bumper car, laser tags, etc.

 

Though, when I compared with your notes, I guess I justified paying the "premium" that Royal Caribbean charges over MSC is when things goes wrong how they handled the issues.  I also had an issue with my premium, but they showed up at my cabins within 10 minutes, apologetic, somehow found another adjoining cabins when the ship is sold out and offered compensation without being asked.  Also, I don't have any issued with the services received from the dinning room staff, or the cabin crew, nor Casino or Bar staff.

 

After having your review, I'm a bit nervous with my March break cruise on the Merviglia.  Though, MSC was charging one third of what Royal Caribbean wants for the same week sailing out of Bayonne.  I have a very low expectation on my very first MSC cruise, so hopefully, they can somehow manage to at least meet expectation.      

Edited December 31, 2023 by William W

[gizfish]

20 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

One cabin cleaning per day appears to be the standard now among all mainstream lines.

MSC has not made that downgrade in service...yet.

[luckyinpa]

for comparison id love to hear a YC christmas experience.

[luckyinpa]

to the OP

 

was there really a line at the hot tubs? ive never seen that on any cruise , including one christmas cruise. how could one even enjoy their 15 minutes with people just standing there? seems bizarre

[Two Wheels Only]

12 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

for comparison id love to hear a YC christmas experience.

 

I'll post one when I get around to it. 👍

[michelle.zhang.90]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

to the OP

 

was there really a line at the hot tubs? ive never seen that on any cruise , including one christmas cruise. how could one even enjoy their 15 minutes with people just standing there? seems bizarre

That is correct. I was in the Jacuzzi and also had a talk with the pool boy in the evening, that's how it goes during the busy time. And there is really a line for getting in everyday. However before 9 am or after dinner it's quite empty so the 15 minutes rule does not apply during that time.

[luckyinpa]

30 minutes ago, michelle.zhang.90 said:

That is correct. I was in the Jacuzzi and also had a talk with the pool boy in the evening, that's how it goes during the busy time. And there is really a line for getting in everyday. However before 9 am or after dinner it's quite empty so the 15 minutes rule does not apply during that time.

 

how is it monitored/enforced. on all the ships ive been on , clocks really arent ubiquitous

[michelle.zhang.90]

2 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

 

how is it monitored/enforced. on all the ships ive been on , clocks really arent ubiquitous

The pool boy walked over and tell you when it was time. I've never experienced this before either. Oh I should mention that this is in the bamboo pool which is indoor. There are two outdoor Jacuzzi in deck 16, no one is watching, so no 15 minutes limit thing.

Edited January 1 by michelle.zhang.90

[stefanel]

Same cruise, we did not use the indoor pool space. I do not see how a solution can be found with few indoor jacuzzis for 5000 people so we did not even consider them. Used the jacuzzi on Dec 18 aft and did not have any issues getting in or staying as long as we wished. We also used the slides and were consistently amazed to see that nobody was on them for the first hour or so each morning (they opened at 8:30). We are morning people.

 

I agree that the ship was crowded, but given the timing and the embarkation port we expected it. People seemed impatient everywhere, from embarkation to debarkation, cutting in line and just being rude. I guess two decades of living in NYC came in handy. The stop in Ocean Cay was short. What was planned to be a full day ended up severely shorter with docking completed after 2pm. We were one of the first hundreds of people to get off the ship and when we were walking back at around 4:30-5pm we were amazed to see people were only them getting off. By 6:30pm a mass of people was making its way back to the ship and the gangways were hammered. That was the time when we thought of leaving the ship again but we wisely chose not to. I think MSC could improve the procedures for getting on and off the ship but we have seen a similar mess on other cruise lines. 

 

No complaints about the MDR. The service was excellent in the Waves consistently for our Early Dining (5pm) seating. We also had breakfast and lunch in the the MDR rather than the buffet. Buffet seemed busy at 9am, but that was also the time when the restaurant breakfast was over so it became the only option. Despite this, you could always find space in the back of the buffet.

 

Agree that the sanitizing stations at the Waves entrance were not functioning for most of the time, but after three years with the virus we learned to walk around everywhere with a small bottle of sanitizer. The welcoming hostess also had a sanitizing spray bottle that one could avail to.

 

We had the opposite experience with the customer service. When one of us had the pants dirty due to seating on a chair with soot, we called the front desk and they offered to clean them free of charge. They even called back to check if it was done satisfactorily (it was).

No foul smell in our balcony cabin 9th floor aft but noticed the smell on some of the corridors.

 

With a full ship, MSC offered the shows three times each evening (7pm, 8:30 and 10pm?) Agree that the magic shows were lame but found the singing and dancing shows (one was a Christmas show, one a collection of Broadway pieces and one a collection of songs connected to various european countries) to be quite good. It does not help if large groups let kids as young as 3-4yrs to sit by themselves with their friends, but MSC could only be blamed for not enforcing the age limits for the shows.

 

Overall, we went on a Christmas cruise that was conveniently departing from the same city we live, and of course we expected crowds. We liked it and would do it again.