MSC Meraviglia - Bermuda Cruise (04/27/25 - 05/03/25)
My cruise partner and I wanted to take a cheap Spring cruise, and saw this 6-day cruise from Brooklyn to Bermuda and back. We had taken a similar cruise before on this ship, and figured that we'd try it again.
But first things first....
We snagged a good price for this trip:
$827 fare (Inside Cabin, inclusive of taxes and port fees)
$ 96 gratuities (charged while on ship)
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$923 pp Total.
This is a decent price for travelers taking a 6-day cruise out of New York at this time of year.
- This ship sails out of Red Hook, Brooklyn - a hard to reach part of NYC.
- Our booking was for an Inside Cabin (the same cabin as on our last trip)
- We planned to eat all of our meals in the complimentary restaurants.
We knew what we were getting into on this cruise. It would not be as luxurious as cruises we have taken on Princess cruises or NCL. But we expected we'd be able to relax for the better part of a week.
Itinerary:
Itineraries are plans that can change in a moment's notice. On our last Bermuda cruise with MSC, we were scheduled to have 3 days in Bermuda before returning home. However, due to high winds that could have stranded this ship in port, our ship left Bermuda after 1 day. So we hoped that we'd be able to spend a full 3 days in Bermuda this time around.
Transit to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal:
The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal's website provides information on how to reach it using various modes of transportation. As usual, we planned to summon an Uber from my partner's house in Queens, leaving my car at home due to the high price of parking in the cruise terminal's lot ($45/day). If possible, avoid driving to this terminal if possible, as the traffic jams in and out of the area are horrendous.
Embarkation:
Most people try to arrive at the cruise terminal as early as possible. This cruise virtually demanded that people arrive early for their cruise - the ship has propulsion problems which would require that a following 7-day cruise be cancelled to make needed repairs to the ship. Unlike our prior early arrivals, things went very smoothly, and we were in our cabin about 20 minutes after arriving at the terminal.
One thing of note to new cruisers of this line: Room key cards are not given out at the reception desk at the cruise terminal. Instead, they are in a packet by the cabin door.
Stateroom:
We chose an interior cabin, 14204, in the near aft of the ship, as we had stayed in this cabin on a prior cruise. This cabin is easy to reach and is comfortable for 2 people. However, we both feel that storage space in the cabin (as structured) is barely enough for two people, as most of the available storage space available is in the cabin's closet.
Entertainment:
- Main Theater.
Since we had seen most of the shows available in the main theater on our last cruise in January, we decided to avoid the theater until the comedian, Joe Matarese, performed. As much as I have a hard time laughing at most comedians these days, I found him very entertaining - especially when he talked about his "odd couple" marriage to his PhD wife. Although some of his jokes were self-deprecating, they weren't overly so. He only made fun of his position in his marital relationship and that of his ethnic group. And, like the last comedian we saw on this ship, I wouldn't mind seeing him again.
We encountered one problem with the main theater as a venue - the theater's entrance/exit doors were left open, and the overly loud music in the Meraviglia Galleria distracted us from the comedian's performance.
- Lounges.
Often, the lounge nearest the ship's theater has decent performers. On this trip, we stayed away from this lounge because of the over-amplification of the music. There were never enough seats available when someone was performing, and we usually proceeded past this area without stopping because it wasn't a pleasant enough place for us to sit and enjoy a relaxing drink.
One night, we decided to explore the ship and visit the adults only Sky Lounge on deck 18. By the time we got there, the music was so loud that it hurt our ears. We have nothing against reasonably loud music. But when one can't hear one's partner when shouting, it is way too loud.
- Other venues.
The Meraviglia Galleria is an arcade where all of the ship's stores are located. Above it is a video display which stretches the length of a football field. Around 10:00 each night, a program is displayed on this display similar to that done in Las Vegas's Freemont Street. MSC uses the Galleria for loud parties and entertainment, and some of this interfered with our enjoyment of the comedian in the main theater.
Food/Dining Venues:
- Marketplace Buffet. (Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks.)
Since this would be our third cruise together on this ship, there is not much new I can add to what I've said in prior reviews of MSC's Meraviglia cruises. The design of the buffet area causes cruisers getting food from the buffet tables to bump into people transiting the aisles through the buffet area. Couple this with the chaos caused by crew members rolling their carts along the same aisles, and a visit to the buffet can easily become an experience one wants to avoid.
One of the things I look forward to having at the buffet is the pizza - it is one of the best pizzas you can get on any cruise ship. As much as I enjoyed the pizza, it was a little bit too oily for my taste. And despite my precautions, I ended up getting some of the oil on my shirt, requiring the use of some detergent to remove the stain before it set. Next time, I will be much more cautious before eating this ship's pizza.
While in port, we decided on having a late breakfast in the buffet area. Breakfast offerings were tasty, varied and plentiful. However, the (powdered?) scrambled eggs left much to be desired. Luckily, fresh hard-boiled eggs were available to eat.
- L'Olive Doree/L'Olivo D'Oro Main Dining Rooms (Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch):
Our first encounter with these dining rooms on this trip was for brunch on a sea day. The restaurant was very busy, and we were asked if we wouldn't mind sharing a table. We said yes, and were seated with two other couples near a window. Although brunch service was mediocre, the worst part of the meal was the noise level - we had to almost shout to be heard by others at the table. This was an omen for what happened later on that day.
If we eat in the main dining rooms, we try to arrive before 9:00/9:30 am, when the breakfast window ends. The greeters will see that we are quickly directed to our table. Unfortunately, that's when the mechanical part of breakfast begins. At seemingly random times, pastries are presented to the table, coffee is poured into our cups, and juices are delivered to the table. It is not that easy to request these things if one is seated out of the delivery sequence. Eventually, one's order is taken. I usually order the "Express Breakfast" which consists of eggs, breakfast meats, and toast. Sadly, I often forget that their "scrambled eggs" are made from powdered eggs, and end up skipping eggs when I could have ordered soft boiled eggs instead.
- Waves Main Dining room (Dinner):
On embarkation day, the Waves dining room was open for lunch between 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm. However, due to overcrowding by 1:00 pm, there weren't going to be enough tables to seat everyone in this restaurant. As a result, we were turned away and forced to have our lunch in the buffet - not a pleasurable experience due to crowding.
Every night in the main dining rooms is a celebration. MSC's wait staff lines up to serenade diners coming for their nightly meal with song, tambourines, hand drums and song as they enter the dining rooms. If someone is having a birthday, several wait staff members will surround the birthday boy (or girl) and sing "Happy Birthday to You" with gusto. The staff does its best to make each meal a memorable experience - even if it is the experience of a catering hall.
Gala night is usually held on the first sea day of the trip. And this is where we were disappointed not by the food, but at the seating arrangements. The night before, we had two of the most pleasant people sitting next to us. However, this couple was seated to join other members of their travel group for the rest of the cruise, leaving the table next to us open. This table was moved over to allow a group of 8 loud people to sit together, with two other friendly couples sitting nearby. This time, we couldn't hear each other, and the volume of the group next to us made it impossible for us to enjoy our gala night meal. So, we went to the Maitre d's station as we were leaving and asked to be seated away from this group. Although our request was accommodated, we felt sorry that we couldn't keep our waiter, a man who was giving us excellent service.
The MSC Meraviglia uses fixed dining times with assigned seating for its main dining rooms used by non "yacht club" passengers. Unlike my first cruise on this ship, I had my usual cruise partner with me on this cruise. We both know the routine in how to get value from MSC's packages. For example, if I have a drink package, I am sure to drink a lot of diet soda during the day (as I would on land), and have a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. But this routine would be interrupted a little with our second table assignment. Our new waiter was training an assistant, and they forgot to deliver my wine order. It took at least 2 requests of our waiter to get my wine. And, when dessert came, my partner got the sugared ice cream, instead of the sugar-free ice cream that she ordered.
On our second night at Waves, service was much more on-target, and both our food and drinks were delivered promptly. If there is one thing that MSC does well, it is pasta. And when cruising on MSC, I make sure to have a side dish of pasta at every dinner. Sometimes, when it is the Buccatini Carbonara, or the Linguine in Clam sauce, the dishes are divine. But I have never had a bad plate of pasta on MSC. The Mussels in a creamy wine sauce were excellent, and I wish I had thought to order a dinner portion instead of the appetizer portion I ordered. (Sadly, I didn't think to take my own picture of this dish.)
The last day we dined on the ship was "Italian Night" All the tables at Waves were decorated with "Italian" bunting, and the wait staff made an extra effort to make this a celebratory night. After the main course was finished, The staff encouraged us to make happy noises and twirl our napkins around, while selected kitchen staff (Chefs, Sous Chefs, Pastry Chefs, etc.) were recognized for their efforts. Shortly after this, the wait staff started to sing and dance for one last celebration of this cruise.
Excursions:
Bermuda is an archipelago with roughly 70,000 residents. Having ridden the public buses and ferries, I felt safe wherever I went on the archipelago. One shouldn't hesitate to take an excursion here, unlike some other destinations in warm weather climes.
Last year, we took a reasonably priced MSC sponsored shore excursion to the Crystal Caves. This year, the available shore excursions either involved physical activities (such as snorkeling), bus excursions (mostly shopping trips), and day/night excursions on small craft. (Note: The Crystal Caves excursion was still offered.) Instead, we decided to take Bermuda's ferry to St. George to explore the other end of the archipelago. While there, we had the pleasure of revisiting a memory, watching someone being "Dunked" while having lunch across the way.
For those on a budget (when on a multi-day stay in Bermuda), it makes sense to take the ferry to St. George and return by Ferry (or Bus) to the Dockyards area. Many of Bermuda's attractions are accessible via its transportation network, which is safe and easy to use. (Words to the wise: All roads in Bermuda lead to/from Hamilton.)
Debarkation:
- Living in New York, we know many of the ins and outs of the city. Regarding the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, we often find that it's easier to take the ferry from the cruise terminal to the Atlantic avenue stop, then summon an Uber home from there. Passengers with self-arranged flight plans might want to consider choosing 1:00 pm (or later) flights from the 3 NYC regional airports, as traffic can get quite bad on New York City roads.
- Each room is assigned to a debarkation group. The last time we cruised on this ship, our cabin was assigned to one of the last groups to leave the ship. This time around, it was assigned to one of the earliest groups to leave the ship. Being able to leave the ship early usually makes it possible to catch an early ferry away from Red Hook, allowing us to avoid the long morning jams that take place near the cruise terminal.
- Unlike some of our cruises, it was easy to find our luggage in the Brooklyn cruise terminal. Having smaller debarkation groups is very helpful, as it is easier to batch a group's luggage in a smaller area making it easier to find.
- Catching a cab or summoning an Uber to transport us home from the cruise terminal would have added to the confusion we faced when leaving the terminal. So we chose to take the ferry to an easier to reach stop. Since the Atlantic Avenue stop on the South Brooklyn route wouldn't open for another hour, we chose to take the ferry to the South Williamsburg stop (with a free transfer at Pier 11 for the East River route) and summon an Uber from there. My partner was surprised to find that the Uber fare to reach her house from South Williamsburg was $30 less than the fare for the ride that usually takes us from her home directly to the terminal Additionally, it gave us the opportunity to see more of NYC at water level - a short diversion which made the trip home less jarring.
Miscellaneous:
- The Meraviglia was designed to impress people with its use of reflective light, and it does that to excess. My cruise partner has a visual impairment, and has trouble with the Meraviglia's use of reflective surfaces near the main dining rooms. As one approaches the casino, the floor uses a reflective illusion to have lights illuminate an infinite well. This can be troublesome to people without good depth perception. (Note: On our prior cruises, one safety glass floor panel had shattered. This was finally covered up on this cruise.)
- Having the Easy Plus drink package allowed us to go to any bar and get bottled water and canned sodas whenever we wanted. This made it possible for us to store a few beverages in our room's refrigerator (we had asked for the mini bar to be emptied) for consumption while in the cabin. (Note: MSC has changed the drink package offerings since we took this cruise.)
- We encountered a couple of minor issues on the ship which were resolved by a couple of polite requests we made to our stateroom attendant, Emilio. The first was related to MSC not stocking facial tissue in bathrooms. One request, and we had a box of tissues delivered promptly. The second involved having washcloths delivered to our room. This took longer to resolve as (believe it or not) there was a shortage of washcloths on the ship.
- My travel partner and I were not able to use the MSC for Me app to chat with each other. Although we followed all of the instructions to link our cell phones together, nothing worked as expected. This is a minor glitch in the grand scheme of things for us, as we usually are together when on the ship. However, this can be a problem for those people who spend a lot of time apart from each other while on the ship. (Note: One change I'd make to this app would be an option for an audio indicator that a intra-ship message has been received. Depending on a tiny visual indicator is not enough from our experience.)
- Like many ships, the Meraviglia has in-room TV with both live and pay-per-view offerings. However, the live video channels on this ship are limited to CNN, TCM Movies, Sports, Cartoon Network, and several "Reality" networks from Discovery networks' offerings. (Note: I'm not including the foreign language offerings from Europe - I focus on an English speaking audience.) The pay-per-view offerings leave much to be desired, as there were less than 25 mainstream movies available to rent. Yet, there was an adequate supply of X-Rated offerings for those into adult entertainment.
- Sometime during 2026, the Meraviglia will leave its Brooklyn home port to spend the Summer sailing Mediterranean routes. However, it will return to Brooklyn after the Summer ends.
Conclusion:
On the whole, I consider MSC's American offerings a good value for the price charged. Yet, an MSC cruise is not a cruise for everyone. My partner and I will consider MSC for future cruises, but not for "Bucket List" cruises which we will take on more "premium" lines such as Princess Cruises.
Given our more recent experiences on this cruise line, I no longer hesitate to recommend the MSC Meraviglia to people who want to take a nice cruise on a tight budget. This line/ship is best for people who prefer a lively atmosphere while at sea. I would not recommend it for people who like to spend their time in quiet, relaxing places on the ship, as we didn't find enough of these on our cruise.
Addenda:
Beverage Packages:
Internet Packages:
Menus:
Day 1 Lunch Menu
Day 1 Dinner Menu:
Day 2 Brunch Menu:
Day 2 Dinner Menu:
Day 3 Breakfast Menu:
Day 4 Dinner Menu:
Day 5 Lunch Menu:
Day 5 Dinner Menu:
Day 6 Breakfast Menu:
Day 6 Lunch Menu:
Day 6 Dinner Menu:
Debarkation Day Breakfast Menu:
Sample Meal Images:
Day 1 Dinner:
Day 5 Dinner:
Day 6 Dinner:
