MSC Meraviglia - Bermuda Cruise (09/29/24 - 10/06/24)
My cruise partner had the itch to take a cheap cruise a month before our planned NCL cruise to Bermuda. Although we were shopping for an Eastern Canada / New England cruise, we ended up selecting a 7-day cruise to Bermuda on MSC as it was in our price range. I was a little ambivalent on taking my partner on the MSC Meraviglia, given how I felt on my previous cruise on this ship. Fortunately, both my partner and I were pleasantly surprised about how we felt about this ship after our cruise.
But first things first....
We snagged a good price for this trip:
$784 fare (Balcony Cabin)
$170 tax/port fees
$112 gratuities (charged while on ship)
$110 (Specialty Dinner & Beverage Package upgrade)
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$1344 pp Total.
This is not a bad price for a solo traveler taking a 7-day cruise out of New York at this time of year.
- This ship sails out of Brooklyn, not Manhattan. We'd need an Uber to get there on time.
- Our booking was for a Balcony Cabin - would we feel comfortable in it?.
- My prior experience on this made me apprehensive about taking my partner on this cruise, but her need to get away for a week justified the risk.
Would the cruise be worth it? Would I regret taking 7 days out of our lives for a cruise line I was ambivalent about? But as I found out, most of my questions would be answered, and both my partner and I would no longer be ambivalent about cruising with MSC again.
Itinerary:
As most people who cruise often know, itineraries are plans that can change in a moment's notice. And that was the case on this cruise. We were originally scheduled to spend 3 days in Bermuda. However, due to the possibility of high winds preventing the ship from leaving port on time, our ship left Bermuda 2 days early. On a cruise which was scheduled to have 3 port days and 4 days at sea, we had 1 port day and 6 days at sea. We were disappointed to say the least, and we felt that a refund of $50 for port fees and $50 for losing 2 port days was not enough.
Transit to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal:
This is not an easy place to reach via mass transit, unless one can use the NYC Ferry system to reach Red Hook. Given that my partner lives in the outer boroughs, we used an Uber to reach the terminal. As expected, we encountered a traffic slowdown on the BQE from the Williamsburg Bridge area to where we exited at Atlantic Avenue. And then, we encountered slow traffic trying to make it on narrow streets to reach the cruise terminal. This caused us to file away a plan to use the NYC Ferry system to travel from Red Hook (where the cruise terminal is based) to Atlantic Avenue before summoning an Uber for our return trip to my partner's house.
Embarkation:
Since the MSC Meraviglia is a large ship, the lines to both get into the cruise terminal, and inside the cruise terminal can be quite long. Unlike my prior cruise on MSC, I decided that we should arrive around 1:30 pm and avoid the crowds - and this was a wise choice. Instead of dealing long lines which slowly snaked through the terminal, we made it through security, to the check-in desk, and to our cabin in less than 15 minutes after we entered the cruise terminal. We'll consider arriving at this time for any future cruises we take out of Brooklyn.
Stateroom:
We chose a Balcony stateroom in the near aft of the ship. Our cabin, 12256, was easy to reach and was comfortable for 2 people. However, both of us felt that storage space was barely enough for two people, as most of the storage space available to us was in the cabin's closet. Unlike the studio cabin closet on my previous cruise, this closet had sliding doors - a feature which should be retrofitted to closets in studio cabins.
In regard to the bathroom, the best and worst thing I can say about it was that it was adequate for our needs, with a shower area that my partner found small. Although counter space might have been lacking, there was enough storage space in the bathroom for two people to store their toiletries.
Entertainment:
We attended 3 shows in the main theater, as well as 1 show in the Carousel theater. Of these performances in the main theater, the first was a magic show, the second was a comedian, and the third was a juggler. Of these acts, the comedian was the best, as he was both clean and funny. Although an act that depends on the understanding of the English language seems to be an anomaly on MSC, it might indicate changes in entertainment that MSC may be using to attract more North American cruisers. As for the one show we attended in the Carousel theater, one need not understand a word of English to enjoy the show, as it was music without a plot. The performers were both acrobatic and good singers.
Lounge entertainment was entertaining, and often unobtrusive enough that one could have a conversation with people sitting across from you. There is not much to say about these performers, save that they were competent in their crafts.
Food/Dining Venues:
- Buffet.
The design of the buffet area leaves a lot to be desired. Cruisers getting food from the buffet tables are being bumped into by people transiting the aisles through the buffet area. Crew members are also rolling their carts along the same aisles, causing traffic jams in the pathways going through the buffet area.
The quality and variety of the food found in the buffet was better than my last cruise on this ship, with the exception of the desserts - they were best forgotten. However, it is not as good as the buffets I've eaten at on several other lines, with the exception of the pizza. The pizza was very good, and better than that we have had in other cruise lines' buffets.
- L'Olive Doree Main Dining Room (Breakfast and Lunch):
We often arrived shortly before the morning breakfast window ended. The greeter saw that we were quickly directed to our table. And that's when things slowed down. It often took a while for us to be handed our menus, to be supplied with juice, coffee and/or water for our breakfast beverage, and then for our orders to be taken. Although the service was often slow, the plentiful food made up for it.
When we decided to have lunch here, there was a decent number of choices available on the menu. One of these choices was the pasta with clam sauce, a dish whose quality was equal (or better) than that served in MSC's specialty restaurant on my previous cruise. - L'Olivo D'Oro Main Dining room (Dinner):
The MSC Meraviglia uses fixed dining times and assigned tables for its main dining rooms for non yacht club passengers. Unlike my last cruise on this ship, I had a cruise partner with me. Unlike my prior cruise, there was little delay on the first night of the cruise. Once the doors to the dining room were opened, we were quickly directed to the table we'd use for our 4 main dining room dinners. Although this was a minor issue for us, we didn't mind fixed time dining that much. Others who would prefer "anytime dining" might feel a little constricted by MSC's dining time assignments, unless they have chosen the "Aurea" fare package which allows them access to anytime dining in one restaurant.
On a former trip as a solo traveler, I found that assigned tables reduced the pleasure I took when dining in the main dining room. Normally, when dining solo, I ask to be seated at a shared table, so that I (like other solo travelers) have others to talk with over our meals. If one plans to travel solo on MSC, one should keep this in mind when booking one's cruise.
I feel that MSC may have improved both the quality and quantity of the food served in the main dining room. Both my partner and I felt satisfied by these meals - even on Gala Night, where we paid an extra $5 to have an extra serving of lobster tails with shrimp.
The waiters and staff manning this dining room did their best to accommodate our wishes, and I applaud them for their efforts. Our waiter, Jordan, went beyond what was expected to make us happy, and I appreciated that very much.
One thing of note (and I'm not sure if it was because we had the Easy Plus drink package) was that we had unlimited bottled water (Panna, San Pelegrino, etc.) at our table for all meals in the main dining room. This was a pleasant part of dining with MSC which I enjoyed at every meal. - Hola Tacos! Specialty Restaurant (Dinner):
This restaurant was a pleasant surprise for my cruise partner. This was one of the 3 specialty restaurants available to us in our dining package, and it was the only one without any restrictions on what food could be ordered without incurring extra charges. Both service and food were of high quality, equivalent to some of the best Mexican restaurants I have visited on my travels.
Like all specialty restaurants on the Meraviglia, Hola Tacos! is just off the main walkway on deck 6, the Galleria Meraviglia. The best way to describe the Galleria is "Freemont Street, Las Vegas meets an Indoor Strip Mall" This restaurant, like the other specialty restaurants, looks like it could be at home in a mall's food court. Yet, once inside, we were not aware of what was going on outside the restaurant. - Ocean Cay Seafood Specialty Restaurant (Dinner):
This was the first of the specialty restaurants we dined at on this cruise. Each diner is able to select a starter, a main course, and a dessert from the selections offered to dining package customers. If one wanted other selections listed on the menu, they were offered at 50% of the price listed on the menu.
My partner selected the Dover Sole for a main course, while I chose the chicken dish as I had selected a seafood dish for lunch. Both dishes were well done (as in quality) and I would be happy eating either of these dishes again on a future cruise. - Butcher's Cut Specialty Restaurant (Dinner):
Both of us had drink packages for this cruise, and we asked for a red wine to go with our meals here. We were pleasantly surprised to find a Mondavi Cabernet was available on the drink package, as it paired perfectly with our meals. In my case, I had ordered the lamb chops, and I couldn't finish them all off. They were both good and plentiful. What more could you ask of a restaurant at sea.
Unlike the two restaurants found on deck 6 (Hola Tacos! and Ocean Cay), this restaurant on deck 7 had both inside and outside seating. Inside seating was isolated from what was going on in the Galleria, outside seating was not. Luckily for us, there were enough inside tables available for us to feel comfortable when dining here.
Debarkation:
- I'm glad that we didn't have to catch a flight to get home. Although MSC makes it possible for passengers with flight plans to debark early, those with self-arranged flight plans might want to consider choosing 1:00 pm (or later) flights from the 3 NYC regional airports.
We were assigned to the second from the last debarkation group. People are expected to leave their cabins by 7:30 am, so that room attendants could prepare the cabins for the next cruise. This meant that we would vacate the cabin by 7:15 am, and proceed to the main dining room for breakfast. Once done with breakfast, we decided not to go to the ship's theater to wait for our debarkation group to be called. Instead, we hung out in the area reserved for mobility impaired cruisers (my partner sometimes depends on her cane for support), and were able to depart the ship a little quicker than had we waited in the theater. - 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.
- Because 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, we chose to take the ferry to the Atlantic Avenue stop and summon an Uber from there. My partner was surprised to find that the Uber fare to reach her house from Atlantic Avenue was $30 less than the fare for the ride that took us from her home directly to the terminal Additionally, it gave us the opportunity to see NYC at water level - a short diversion which made the trip home less jarring.
- The use of highly reflective, silvery surfaces next to each other (such as the wine walls between the L'Olivo D'Oro and the L'Olive Doree dining rooms) is stressful for people (like my partner) who have visual problems, as it can magnify any visual problems they may have. Future ship design should consider people with sensory disabilities in their design.
- Since we had the Easy Plus drink package, we were able to go to any bar and get bottled waters 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.
- There were not enough electrical outlets in the cabin, as the only ones were found by the desk area: North American and European. We would have liked USB ports near the bedside (as I've had on other ships) so that our devices could be charged nearby.
- Given that this cruise had to leave Bermuda two days earlier than planned, we both thought that receiving $100 compensation from the cruise line ($50 in port fees and $50 from MSC) was thought by many to be too little for the loss of 2 port days, especially when another ship of this size (the NCL Joy?) was able to make port in Bermuda after we left. Given that Hurricane Milton was coming, and that other cruise ships may have needed to make a foreign port before returning home, I wonder about the full list of factors which forced this ship to leave port when it did.
- There were a lot of people from one non-Western ethnic group whose behaviors (in places such as the buffet) are considered rude by most American cruise bloggers I watch. Although the behaviors of this group didn't bother me, having a disproportionate share of people from this group may be upsetting to many from the American market.
Conclusion:
On the whole, I consider MSC a good value for the price charged. My partner and I will consider it for future cruises, but not for "Bucket List" cruises which we will take on more "premium" lines such as Princess Cruises. Given how ambivalent about MSC I was after a prior cruise on this line, I would no longer hesitate to recommend MSC to people who want to take a nice cruise on a tight budget. However, 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. This line/ship is best for people who prefer a lively atmosphere while at sea.
