MSC Opera

[njwill]

:(

 

I was very disappointed in this cruise line. We had a pleasant week, however, this ship has a long way to go before they know how to cater to Americans. And as Americans, we like to be catered to when we go on vacation.

 

It is a beautiful ship!

 

The inside cabin was very, very small. There was, however, lots of nooks for storage. The shower was so tiny, most people would have to hang half way out! My cabin guy would not give us clean drinking glasses - he wiped out the dirty ones. Didn't have clean sheets every day. The SAFE, is hidden very well. HINT: look behind mirror! The safe was a big plus. Our guy didn't put bedspreads on the beds. They were folded up in the closet.

 

The lack of communication on this ship was unacceptable. No one understood a thing you said.

 

The buffets on deck 11 was bland. The food in resturant however, was very good. The first night it took 2-1/2 hours to have dinner. Which is horrible! The buffet served only water and hot tea and coffee. No juices at all.

 

The entertainment was great. Except for the last night.

 

The age group really surprised me! 95% was 50 up. 50% of that group was 70 and up. But they had a great time. No stopping the older crowd.

 

The arrival times at ports left a lot to be disired. The port at St. Croix was a big joke. 1 shuttle to take a thousand people to the shops.

 

The gift shops - well forget it. They cater to the cruises with money. They were very expensive.

 

All in all, I WILL NOT cruise this line again. Even though we got a good bargain, we were not treated as well as we should have been. A lot to be desired on this ship. I do not recommend spending money on this line. Give me Princess Cruise line anytime. Worth the extra.

 

In fact, so many things were wrong with this ship, I am sending a letter to them. Everyone we met on the cruise was disappointed.

 

If I can think of anything else to add, which is a lot, I will post.

 

Norma

[eroller]

Sorry to hear you had a bad time.

 

Perhaps your expectations were a bit off? If you were expecting Princess Cruises then you were misled into thinking MSC would be the same. MSC is a European cruise line catering to a minority of Americans, not the other way around. Someday this may change, but for now they are just getting started in N. America. This is one of the reasons the rates are so cheap. I don't expect them to cater to Americans and frankly I'm looking forward to trying something different besides bland Princess Cruises and other American cruise lines.

 

Regarding St. Croix, all the cruise lines stopping there are having problems with the shuttle. It's because of the pier construction and they can't let people walk through there. It has nothing to do with MSC Cruises. It's also going to take some time for St. Croix to get up to snuff as they are a relatively new cruise port after most cruise lines had pulled out a couple years ago..

 

I look forward to more specifics, but hopefully you remembered you were on the first cruise out of N. America on this ship and at very discounted prices ... so everything was not going to be perfect. As with anything, as the crew and ship gains experience dealing with mostly demanding Americans, things will get better. For now, they are still used to dealing with Europeans who tend to be a bit more laid back and not as demanding. There is definitely going to be a learning curve and a period of adjustment.

 

I'm sailing on January 22 and for what I'm paying, I'll be happy with a nice new and clean ship, eatable food and good bar service! Add in some sunshine and one of those cool deck chairs by the pool (that only MSC seems to have) and I'll be in heaven.

 

Ernie

[Benitad]

I have to agree with Ernie ... as for a 2.5 hour dinner, how I long for those instead of the waiter hovering to turn over the table! That's the European way, Norma, and I'd love to linger!

[mancunian]

I find it interesting that you think that Americans have higher standards than the rest of us.

[eroller]

:(

 

Didn't have clean sheets every day.

 

 

FYI no cruise line changes the sheets everyday. I've sailed on Princess 10+ times and the sheets are changed once during a 7-day cruise. Same with every other cruise line I've sailed on. It's not like a hotel where different people are occupying the room each night and the sheets have to be changed.

 

Ernie

[jknezek]

bummer the review wasn't better. however i have to admit that it's about what i expected. I'll be sailing on this ship Jan 8. as a younger veteran of several cruises, i'm 26 and have been fortunate to cruise 6 times on 3 different lines, i wanted an alternative to the princess/rcl mega ships. hopefully msc and opera will provide that opportunity. for what i'm paying for this cruise i don't expect much although i am curious to hear more specifics of what people did or didn't like on the maiden carribbean voyage. any opinions would be appreciated.

[cod]

I'm sorry too that you didn't have a better time. I just have a few comparisons and comments.

 

In my review of our recent 12 night cruise on the Celebrity Galaxy I noted that our sheets had not been changed once! How do I know? There was a small, old stain in a corner that leaped out at me every night..for 12 nights!! I did write on my comment sheet that I change my sheets at home faithfully every week and that I didn't think one change in 12 nights was too much to expect! And that was one of OUR premier lines. So I have to admit that the same sheets for 1 week would not have bothered me. I also was not impressed with the entertainment on Celebrity..at least on this cruise. So if the entertainment and the food in the dining room are good on the Opera I will be a happy camper. As for the cabin size, I know the inside cabins are 140 sq. ft. and that that is not very big but I do not intend to be in there any more than is necessary.

 

All comments are welcome here and I'm not trying to defend a ship/line I haven't been on but I agree that this is new territory for them and am willing to give them some leeway...temporarily at least. As for Princess, we made some friends on Galaxy who had some serious problems on their last cruise with Princess and were saying 'never again'..this was after 15 cruises with them! They said no one would even talk to them about it...they just did not care. So, unfortunately, nothing is perfect in this world. Unless we stay home and create our own perfection and who wants to do that!?

 

And I have a slight edge..my husband is Italian and so at least we won't have any communication problems. If need be, I'll let him request clean sheets after day 7!

 

I guess all can tell that I'm still 'gung ho' and looking forward to April 2nd!!

[giabra]

Have ever heard about "Ugly Americans"?

Fortunately they are a minority, as most Americans I know don't think they are any better than other people

[girlcruiser]

Ernie, you have the perfect attitude for this ship, I myself was on the December 4th sailing and had a wonderful time. The entertainment staff is the best I have ever seen and the food was really good in the dining room. As is quite often the case not as good in the buffet but I have found that on many ships. The ship itself is really lovely and lots of lounges to try out my favourites were the Cotton Club and the Caruso lounge where the comedians

were playing every night. Those deck chairs you are looking forward to are great no getting too much sun on your face in the afternoon.

 

Yes there were complaints mostly from Americans who found the line not American enough. I met lots of Canadians on the ship and we all seemed to enjoy it I guess we didn't have the same expectations.

 

Amber has written a wonderful very detailed review and I am sure she will post it once she gets back from the Constellation next week.

 

Margaret

[eroller]

 

Yes there were complaints mostly from Americans who found the line not American enough. Margaret

 

 

Thanks Margaret. I look forward to the full review. Frankly if the ship and cruise line were 100% American like Princess or Royal Caribbean I would be very disappointed. I think the whole reason for choosing MSC is to experience something a little different, both with your fellow passengers and the staff/crew. If you can put your expectations in line and realize it's not going to be like at home, or even on a "popular" cruise line, then I think you are well on your way to a great vacation. This is probably a good philosophy whenever you travel and I have yet to have a bad cruise or vacation. Some are better than others, but I always manage to have a great time and meet new people.

 

Considering that you can sail on MSC OPERA for $495 for 7-days, I think it's quite a bargain especially considering it's a brand new ship.

 

Ernie

[RD64]

Margaret

 

Just a few quick questions from a fellow Canadian...

 

We are three high school teachers (Toronto)who are thinking about the Opera on March 12/05. We are 35-40 years in age, and for the last three years have gone with Holland America. Between us, we have also travelled on Carnival, Costa, NCL and Princess.

 

WE would like to know:

 

1. What the gym facilities were like if you used them.

 

2. What the night life is like - on HAL we have always found a very social group of 30/40 somethings. Is it a quiet ship after 11:00 PM?

 

3. And lastly, did you find there to be an Italian/European ambiance on the ship. Were there any bands that actually played Italian music in one of the lounges? I made my first trip to Italy in 1965 (just a baby) by ship, and for the next ten we travelled annually by ship to go visit my grandparents. I guess I am looking for some of the atmosphere I still remember from the Italian Line.

 

Thanks for your assistance

 

Robert

[Benitad]

From the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel Dec. 13

 

 

MSC Cruises said its MSC Opera got a 98 in its first U.S. Public Health Service inspection. The ship left Port Everglades on Dec. 4 on its first voyage from an American port and was inspected in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 7.

 

The score contrasts with the first inspection of sister ship MSC Lirica in May. Lirica was graded 85 on a scale of 1 to 100 where passing is 86 or better. Problems were corrected immediately, MSC officials said.

 

This winter, Opera is doing seven-night Caribbean cruises, while Lirica will do 10- and 11-night Caribbean and Panama Canal trips when it arrives at Port Everglades in January.

[Magwa]

Norma did you actually look into MSC & their ships before booking this trip? Or did you purely book the cruise because it was the cheapest thing you could find, expecting it to be mainstream American? I only ask as you did not ask any pre cruise questions in here, it does not seem to have been a choice you should have been recommended and this was your first post. It does not bode well with regulars when a first post is a poor report.

 

Pam

[Lill]

Robert, I was on the same cruise with Margaret. As far as the night life goes.........she, Amber and I normally closed the Caruso Lounge down at 2:00 am. We found that the disco is still active after that. We had a blast!

 

I guess all ships aren't very everyone but I would love to cruise again on the Opera! :D

 

Norma, sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise. :(

 

This is one American who hopes that they don't change. Well, maybe the buffet. :)

 

Edited to add that I've sailed on Celebrity, HAL, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Princess in the past.

[tofubeast]

I just thought I would share my parents review...having just gotten off the MSC OPERA just a few days ago.

 

My parents sailed last week out of Ft. Lauderdale. My dad seemed to like it more than Mom. He felt that there are some kinks that need to be ironed out around customer service, but after these problems are fixed, things should be alright. He does understand that this is a European line entering the American market.

 

HOWEVER..

 

They did have a *major* problem onboard. Their cabin was emitting some sort of "sewer" smell, and it was beyond aweful at night. They requested that it be looked at SEVERAL times over the course of 3 days, but no one truly addressed the problem. They were told that the ship was sold out and they could not move. The sewer gas smell was coming from the vents.. and then from the faucet as well!! They were in an inside cabin on one of the high decks. Their steward had told them that there had been several complaints about that cabin in the past few weeks, so this wasn't the first time.

 

After several complaints and requests to see the manager, my mom was finally able to get an appointment with him (Anthony C....). She was very angry because she felt that the staff was giving them the total run around. She actually was told... "don't worry it will be fixed in a couple of days" and this was mid-way through the cruise. UNACCEPTABLE!! So they saw the Manager, and he said there was a cabin available for them to move to because some people left the ship in St. Thomas. Wonder why?

 

Later in the week, my parents noticed the same smell when going toward the cabins in the back of the ship which was verified by a staff member. So there must be some weird "sewer ventallation" thing going on that they are not properly addressing!

 

My mom's review: the food "just alright..nothing spectacular" ... service "great steward, but the people at the front desk were rude. The situation they went through with the room was ridiculous. She also said that the waiters treated them like it was the last night of the cruise...every night." She also said it took an extremely long time to board the ship.

Mom was also very upset about St. Croix, but understands that it was probably out of the ship's hands.

 

On a positive note, my parents said that the ship is quite beautiful and tasteful. They also commented that the entertainment was the best they had ever seen.

 

That said, Mom says she has no interest to sail MSC again, while Dad is receptive to sailing them again once they get things worked out. As a referece, in the past they have sailed with Holland, Celebrity, RCCL and Costa. Mom plans to write one huge letter to MSC about the problems on board.

[njwill]

I am not saying Americans are better than anyone. I am just stating that Americans like some things that others would not. For instance, ice. Juice for lunch and not just water. Communication. Simple things.

 

As for the sheets - I have always had fresh sheets on my cruises. Maybe this is not the norm - I thought it was.

 

I did get a good bargin, however, to me it was not worth it.

 

Everyone has an opinion and I respect that as mine should be respected.

 

I hope that those of you who are going on the Opera will enjoy it very much.

 

Norma

[deharry]

Sailed on the Innaugural Cruise 12/4/2004. Found the ship very tastefully decorated with a certain "modern" elegance. Evething was spotless. The entertainment was tops, best afloat by none! The dancers are mainly Russian, with ballet and modern dance training since they were very young, and it shows when they perform. The magician was as good as David Copperfield, the tenor excellent. I have never been on a cruise where the performers get standing ovations at the end of the show.

 

The restaurant service was sluggish the first two nights, due to the fact that the kitchen had to deal with the maximum load of passengers. It got progressively better, with acceptable service by Thursday. They were never fully booked in Europe, and therefore never had dealt with so many people, I guess. They also had the culture shock of suddenly having to deal with Americans' distinctive tastes. How would a RCC ship stationed in FL, deal with a ship load of Russians on their next cruise off the Russian coast? They quickly learned about our preference for coffee with dessert.

 

Yes there was some complaing about the European flavor. I actually heard a woman complain to her husband that there were too many foreigners on board, and she heard too many languages! That lady belongs on another cruise line.

 

MSC is the new kid on the block, and will not always get the best docking spots or times at the ports. The ship and staff makes up for it. I actually felt sad that the cruise was over, and had to leave. Will I sail with MSC Opera or Lirica again, you bet!

[giabra]

A general issue whenever Americans go on a foreign ship is that something like food, service, language etc. does not suit the American taste.

Although this is mostly true, I wonder why some Americans pretend to have the same habits they are used to, whenever they go abroad, yes abroad as sailing on non-American vessels is like going abroad.

I’ve been all over the world from Asia to Africa and never pretended to find the same things I’m used to at home. On the contrary, whenever I go to a different Country I try to appreciate the differences, as I feel different cultures and habits enrich my knowledge.

Having this behaviour helped me in finding something positive even in the middle of the jungle, and anytime I found something not to my taste I always thought “this is not to my taste, better avoid it next time” rather than “how terrible is this, I’ll never try something new as I found this thing so unacceptable”.

 

I think the main reason why on some boards you find comments like loved it or hated it about the same cruise is that some go with open mind and some don’t. I do not blame others for not being open-minded, only wonder why, as they know they are, they tend to comment as absolute negative rather than say this is not for me.

 

A general issue whenever Americans go on a foreign ship is that something like food, service, language etc. does not suit the American taste.

Although this is mostly true, I wonder why some Americans pretend to have the same habits they are used to, whenever they go abroad, yes abroad as sailing on non-American vessels is like going abroad.

 

I’ve been all over the world from Asia to Africa and never pretended to find the same things I’m used to at home. On the contrary, whenever I go to a different Country I try to appreciate the differences, as I feel different cultures and habits enrich my knowledge.

 

Having this behaviour helped me in finding something positive even in the middle of the jungle, and anytime I found something not to my taste I always thought “this is not to my taste, better avoid it next time” rather than “how terrible is this, I’ll never try something new as I found this thing so unacceptable”.

 

I think the main reason why on some boards you find comments like loved it or hated it about the same cruise is that some go with open mind and some don’t. I do not blame others for not being open-minded, only wonder why, as they know they are, they tend to comment as absolute negative rather than say I'm not the right person to appreciate it.

[czechmate]

Robert (RD64) I believe you will find the gym and exercise facilities to be absolutely first class. Rather under utilised too in view of the many elderly persons that are normally encountered on MSC.

 

Looking on the bright side I sincerely hope that MSC NEVER cater to Americans specifically! Sasso really should be a wise man and cater to the huge market that exists in Europe where people look for style and elegance and are educated to respect other languages and cultures.

 

It really is the best for everyone fellow passengers, staff and the company if those like the mum of tofubeast and norma (njJwill) do stick to their world of tinsel, plastic and big macs and leave those of us who enjoy quality to continue to do so.

 

Ernie I feel sure that you like the huge contingent of happy Canadians Europeans, Australians and open minded Americans will have a wonderful cruise.

 

I always have to smile when I hear Americans talk about "service" - as by far the worst service I have experienced has without doubt been in/on USA hotels, restaurants, stores, airports, airlines and cruiseliners.

[YourCoach]

Many future Opera customers, lke myself, next week Dec. 18, have been anxiously waiting for feedback from those who are going before us. I think we are doing a disservice to this person with some negative things to say, as well as others who are waiting for more feedback. It is one thing to ask the person who had a few negative comments what their perspective is, but another to basically call them ignorant, because they probably went into the cruise with the "wrong" attitude. I am sure there are others who have honest feelings that may contain some, or even quite a bit of criticism that some of us want to hear, are reluctant to post, because they don't need the agrivation of being accused of being the problem. I am very optimistic about having an absolute blast on my holiday cruise. There sounds like there are a lot of great stuff to look forward to, the dining room, the shows, etc. I might keep an eye out for some of the things that were brought up as trouble spots, and avoid them if I see them as trouble spots as well. I see no problem asking people who make negative comments about their perspective to better understand where they are coming from, but some of the comments made come accross as insulting to me. Just my opinion. Everyone has one. We all know that joke, don't we.

 

Carl

[spongerob]

This sounds like a ship/line that we might enjoy as a change of pace from the usual. I, too, question the validity of some of the complaints expressed by the OP. Princess does not change sheets every day, for example.

 

It's one thing to respect an opinion, but when such are presented as "facts", and are clearly from an uninformed perspective, I find it helpful that others provide additional information to support or refute those claims.

[antcindee]

An opinion is just that, someones true perpective and everyone has one, beit good or bad. I am shocked at the response to someones honest feelings about their experience, to be closed minded to something that is negative is what is ignorant, isnt that why this board exists, to know the good and bad, not just the good. Everyone's experience is different and I personally think we need to respect that.

 

I will go on board on Dec 28th with an open mind and think I am pretty realistic in my expectations but thanks to all of the comments posted here, if something "negative" does occur, I wont be surprised.

 

I thank all of you that have commented on your Dec 4th cruise for your postings and your honesty.

[novie]

For now, they are still used to dealing with Europeans who tend to be a bit more laid back and not as demanding. There is definitely going to be a learning curve and a period of adjustment.

 

 

Ernie

 

I can't say I agree. We deal with both European and American tourists in our business, and the Americans are more laid back and not as demanding. The demanding people are a small, small minority in either case. OTOH the Europeans are generally more likely to ask first for what they want and to reward good service with better tips and poor service with none, while the Americans may voice their displeasure afterwards when the staff didn't have their ESP working, but never vary their tip for any reason! What was it they taught us in management school, make your expectations clear, then reward good behavior???

 

Back to the original point, I would consider MSC based on the review above because, while I love the Princess/Carnival/RCI cruise experience, I also love new tastes, styles, and the European experience. The faults, many of which Princess shares, don't seem too serious. And they're all better than the faults on our Triumph cruise last year.

 

The opinions expressed herein are exclusively the property of Novie's DH and Novie expressly disclaims all knowledge of, and responsibility for them.

 

novie's DH

[eroller]

I can't say I agree. We deal with both European and American tourists in our business, and the Americans are more laid back and not as demanding.

 

 

I also deal with European's and American's all the time. I'm a flight attendant for a major US airline and I fly to Europe all the time. My experience from a customer service perspective is not much different than that of the crew onboard ship. The European's are generally much more laid back than the American's. They take snafus in their travel plans generally with stride. Things like not getting your first meal choice, flight delays, video problems, etc. Many of the American's (which BTW I am American) tend to have a hissy fit the minute things don't go their way. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard "I'm never going to fly this airline again" I'd be rich! The funny thing is they will be right back (lucky me) as these are the same people that book the cheapest ticket regardless of the airline/routing. They love to complain about that $59 r/t ticket they "paid good money for". Yeah right!

 

Unfortunately, it's these same American's that love to take cruises in droves! Many flight attendants I know refuse to take cruises because many of the cruise ship passengers remind them of the same mentality they have to deal with on the airplane. Many will not fly routes to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and San Juan on weekends as they don't want to deal with disembarking cruise passengers making demands. Some of these people act like they are still on the ship ... and that just doesn't work on an airplane anymore. We don't put up with it. Me, well I love ships too much to ever give up cruises. I do find myself gravitating more towards the upper end of the cruise spectrum or at least something that is different like MSC.

 

As I stated earlier ... if you can go with the flow and overlook the fact that everything is not going to be like Carnival or Princess, then MSC seems like a nice fit. I think you also have to be tolerant of other cultures and languages. If this is not you, then there are a many other lines to choose from besides MSC that will cater exclusively to American's. Of course those cheap $495 rates on MSC are going to attract a lot of people .... and these same people often forget how much they paid when everything doesn't go exactly as they expected.

 

Ernie

[Magwa]

That's just it Ernie. In the UK at least, those having a 'Hissy fit' will be ignored, and 'sent to the back of the queue'. Those who take it in their stride and then make a firm but polite complaint, will be dealt with pronto, and sent a bunch flowers. [OK not a cruiseline/airline but you get the gist]. Those who say nothing and don't complain, walk with their feet, and won't be back. Sometimes there is just no point in shouting and screaming as it's not going to get one anywhere.

 

I can certainly understand the reluctance to work the weekend 'cruise flights', I've seen some FAs treated like dirt on non cruise flights, and there's no tip;)