MSC Meraviglia - Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review (01/23/25 - 02/02/25)

 MSC Meraviglia - Eastern Caribbean Cruise (01/23/25 - 02/02/25)

My cruise partner had the itch to take a cheap cruise early in the year, and we found a cheap, last minute 10-day cruise out of Brooklyn.  Given how we felt about this ship when we cruised to Bermuda last year, we figured that it was worth the price to book an inside cabin, just to get away from the cold.

But first things first....

We snagged a good price for this trip: 

$968 fare (Inside Cabin, inclusive of taxes and port fees)  
$160 gratuities (charged while on ship)
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$1128 pp Total.

Note: We booked the "Fantastica" Fare, with a package including the "Easy Plus" Drink package, as well as unlimited internet (non-streaming) for 1 device each person.

This is not a bad price for a traveler taking a 10-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 an Inside Cabin - would we feel comfortable in it?.
• The location of our cabin was not ideal.  Could we deal with the noises from the deck above us?

Itinerary:

As most people who cruise often know, itineraries are plans that can change in a moment's notice.   On one of my prior winter Eastern Caribbean cruises on another cruise line, we skipped a port, so that we could avoid the worst of the weather at sea as we hightailed it to New York.  This ship once changed a cruise originally destined to sail to Florida and the Bahamas to Eastern Canada and New England.  So, we had to be ready for anything when preparing for this cruise.

Transit to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal:

This is not an easy place to reach via mass transit, unless one uses the NYC Ferry system to reach Red Hook. Getting here via automobile isn't much better, as most cars will need to transit both the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (which is almost always snarled up) and then take narrow local roads en-route to the terminal.  Given that my partner lives in the outer boroughs, we used an Uber to reach the terminal like many other people and encountered the expected heavy traffic on the way there.

Embarkation:

The MSC Meraviglia is a large ship. As a result, the lines to get into the cruise terminal, and then onto the ship can be quite long.  Unlike our previous cruise to Bermuda, we arrived at 12:30 pm and encountered the long, snaking lines that I hated so much   It took us at least 30 minutes from the time we arrived at the terminal to the time we made it onto the ship.  However, we found the room to be ready for us when we got there, and were able to relax.

Stateroom:

We chose an interior cabin in the near aft of the ship.  Our cabin, 14204, 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.  

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 be lacking, there is enough storage space in the bathroom for two people to store their toiletries. 

As much as we feared that this would be a noisy cabin, it wasn't.  Yes, we occasionally heard noises from the buffet area above us, but they weren't enough to keep us awake or to wake us up from our sleep. I can't say that other inside cabins would be this pleasant.  But we would consider cruising in this cabin again if it were available to us.


Entertainment:

We attended 4 shows in the main theater: 

1. Encore - A musical revue performed by the ship's song and dance company. This was our favorite show.  The company sang and danced to tunes from West Side Story, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and others.  With one minor exception, the singers were spot on with the music, and even that exception was due to a production choice for one tune as both performers sang very well.
   
   
   
   
   (The ship's Song & Dance Company
   performing a tune from West Side Story.)
   
   
2. LaShonda's World - LaShonda Reese is a Las Vegas performer who choose to do a set of songs made famous by male singers such as James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie and others. Although her song selection may seem like a gimmick, her style of performing did justice to these songs.
   
   
   
   
   (LaShonda Reese singing.)
   
   
3. Harris Stanton (2 shows) - Harris is a very talented comedian who did both a PG show (evening) and a R rated show (late night).  Although he got the audience laughing during the earlier show, his real talent came out in the late night show - where he even got me to laugh hard.  (I'm one of the hardest people for a comedian to entertain, so I judge comedians by how much they get the people around me to laugh.)
   
   
   
   
   (Harris Stanton entertaining the audience.)
   
   

Of these shows, I enjoyed Encore the most, followed by Harris Stanton's late night show, then LaShonda Reese.  MSC has realized that if they are to sail in the North American market, that they have to have entertainment tailored for that market. Employing comedians such as Harris Stanton is part of that tailoring.

Food/Dining Venues:

1. 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.   There is not much that can be done about this, as it is a common problem with buffets on most cruise ships.
   
   The quality and variety of the food found in the buffet was good, but not great.  My cruise partner noted that most of the dishes looked much better under the lights than when on the plate.  Additionally, she noted that something subtle about the flavor of each dish was missing.  I believe that MSC's chefs are under-seasoning their food by American standards, resisting the temptation to over salt and over sweeten their foods.
   
   There is one thing that stands out about MSC's offerings - their pizza.  I feel that it is as good as any pizza I have enjoyed on land.  With this being said, I wish they offered more varieties of pizza at the pizza station.
   
   One thing of note about the buffet is that it is partially open for late night snacks.  Don't expect a full menu - the only hot food available after 9 pm is Pizza.  Yet, I found myself gravitating to the pizza station after an evening show.
     
2. L'Olive Doree Main Dining Room (Breakfast and Lunch):
   
   We often arrived shortly before the morning breakfast window ended.  The greeters saw that we were quickly directed to our table.  Once at our tables, service deteriorated into something less than acceptable. During breakfasts and brunch, we had trouble getting water, juices, tea and coffee with our meals.  Desserts were served at the same time as the main courses, and at one meal, dessert never came.  The only day in which we had decent service in this main dining room was disembarkation day, the only day where service met our expectations.
   
   
3. L'Olivo D'Oro Main Dining room (Dinner):
   
   The MSC Meraviglia uses fixed dining times and assigned tables in its main dining rooms for non yacht club passengers. Unlike my first cruise on this ship, I had a cruise partner with me and we did not dread waiting on line for our embarkation day dinner.  We were quickly directed to the table we'd use for our 10 main dining room dinners.  Although this was a minor issue for us, we didn't mind fixed time dining that much. If anything, we'd make only one change - and request a 7:30 pm seating instead of the 5:30 seating we had on this cruise, as this would have allowed us more time to spend onshore.  
    
   
   
   
   (Our waiter, Dodo.  He's a gem!)
   
   My cruise partner and I feel that MSC has improved the quality and quantity of the food served in the main dining room since my first cruise on this ship, as well as dinner service in the main dining room. Like our last cruise, Dodo, our waiter (and other staff) was very attentive to our needs, as well as trying to accommodate the special needs of one passenger at our shared table.
   
   The following are sample photos of the tasty food on this ship.  You definitely will not starve on the selections from the main dining room.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Hola Tacos! Specialty Restaurant (Dinner):
   
   This restaurant is as good as any Taco joint we have visited on land.  Unlike our prior cruise, we chose to have lunch here instead of dinner.  However, one should not arrive at this restaurant later than noon if one wants to have lunch here, as they will be in the process of shutting down to prepare for that evening's service. 
   
   

Debarkation:

1. 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, as airport bound traffic often gets stuck in traffic jams.
   
   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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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. To reduce our anxiety, we chose to take the ferry to the Atlantic Avenue stop then 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, the ferry gave us the opportunity to see NYC at water level - a short diversion making the trip home less jarring.
   
   

Miscellaneous:

    

1. The use of highly reflective, silvery surfaces on this ship (such as the wine walls between the L'Olivo D'Oro and the L'Olive Doree dining rooms) as well as the crystal staircases in the Atrium is stressful for people (like my partner) who have visual problems.  Future ship designs should consider the needs of people with sensory disabilities.
   
2. We had the Easy Plus drink package and 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.
   
   
3. Throughout our cruise, ship photographers tried to take our pictures.  We only found this to be of value on the two gala nights onboard the ship, as we wanted a nice picture of us dressed to the nines.  
   
   
4. We both had the unlimited, non-streaming internet package for one device.  Unlike other cruise lines' internet service, MSC's service does not allow the cruiser to switch from one device to another.  Knowing this from prior experience, we knew to first log on to the ship's wi-fi from our laptops, then only use our phones for the free services provided by the ship, such as viewing menus and daily programs from the cruise line's app.
   
   
5. There were 2 North American and 2 European electrical outlets in the cabin, with an USB outlet by the desk.  This configuration forced me to use an extension cord, so that I could supply power to my CPAP machine.
   
   
   
   
   (Desk space in our cabin, showing electrical outlets and USB ports
    Pardon the mess, as I was  setting things up for us to work.)
   
   
6. This cruise made all ports as scheduled.  However, there is no shade at St. Maarten, and one will experience the full heat of the day if walking to/from the pier.  Fortunately, there is a small (8 person) open-air shuttle that will take cruisers to/from the main shopping area at the port.
   
   
7. According to our room steward, there are no rules against people putting their handicap scooters in the hallway when not in use.  (I will be writing MSC about this.)  Our cabin was next to the cabin of a scooter user. She said she couldn't fit the scooter in her cabin (we had a cabin of the same size), leaving it in the hallway.  This often blocked our hallway access a little.  When it was parked in the main area of the hallway, it could block the path for another scooter user, thus creating the potential for danger in case of an emergency.
   
   
   
   
   (A mobility scooter blocking the hallway)
   
   
8. This ship has no dedicated full-time space for quiet relaxation. Most ships have a library/card game room dedicated for this purpose.  However, the MSC Meraviglia does not.  The photo below captures what once was the ship's library area - there are no seats and no cruise line provided books available to the cruiser.
   
   
   
   
   (Would you consider this a real library?)
   
   
9. MSC sells waterproof wristbands with an RFID chip which can be programmed as a replacement for a key card. They can be used to open your cabin door, as well as act as a substitute for one's key card. Unfortunately, these wristbands are not a true replacement for a key card, unlike Princess's Medallion. 
   
   Let's focus on what the Princess medallion is and what it is not, to give you an idea how the MSC wristband misses the mark.  The Princess medallion is a complete replacement for cruise key cards. New medallions are issued for every cruise, but accessories for the medallions can be reused - such as wristbands that hold medallions and the necklace accessory that many women purchase. 
   
   MSC's wristband is not meant to be used on multiple cruises.  MSC has imbedded an RFID chip inside the wristband, instead of having the RFID chip in a "Jewel" that can be replaced with every cruise. As a result, there is much less of a reason to buy the wristband, save to have an insurance policy against leaving one's key card in one's cabin.
   
   There are posts in Cruise Critic and on Reddit regarding the reuse of MSC wristbands. Some people claim that MSC's wristbands can be reused, others say that they can not be reused.  My advice is to bring previously used wristbands with you and ask MSC's staff yourself. You might just get lucky and either have your wristband reprogrammed or have it replaced free of charge.  
   
   Would I buy the wristband again?  Maybe.  I have forgotten my key card in my cabin on two separate MSC cruises.  It was worth the money I spent on the wristband not to ask anyone for help in getting back inside my cabin.  But only you can decide whether the wristband is worth it for you.
       
   
   
   (MSC Wristband - Is it really worth the price?)
   
   

Conclusion:

On the whole, I consider an MSC cruise a good value for the price charged. Outside of MSC's Yacht Club, the cruise line does not provide a premium package. Instead, it competes in what is called the "value focused" customer segment.  My partner and I will consider it for future cruises, but not for the "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 no longer hesitate to recommend MSC to people who want to take a 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.

Addenda:

Beverage Packages:

Internet Packages:

Day 1 Dinner Menu:

Day 02 Dinner Menu:

Day 03 Dinner Menu:

Day 04 Dinner Menu:

Day 05 Dinner Menu:

Day 06 Dinner Menu:

Day 07 Dinner Menu:

Day 08 Dinner Menu:

Day 09 Dinner Menu:

Day 10 Dinner Menu:

      

Is NCL worth the price anymore, given its post-pandemic changes?

Is NCL worth the price anymore?

When I first started cruising regularly, NCL provided the best value of all 3 resort category cruise lines available in the New York City area.  Carnival competed mostly in the "Value Oriented" (low price) category with its fares, while NCL and Royal Caribbean competed with their Entertainment and Food Quality.  A decade and a pandemic later, the price/value equations have changed, along with the competitive pressures in this market.

What has changed in the past decade (a biased personal perspective)?

Immediate Post-Pandemic Cruising:

In the early 2010's, I began cruising with a friend, sailing mostly on NCL out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.  Although we cruised with Princess a couple of times, my friend's loyalty level with NCL allowed me to get used to the benefits I now enjoy by having a platinum level in its loyalty program, such as 2 free specialty meals for all in my cabin and a free laundry bag.  

The pandemic related cruise line shutdown was a gut-punch to all major cruise line corporations, as cruising came to a halt from March 2020 to June 2021, when the gradual resumption of cruising began. Cruising had not returned to normal by the time I took my first post-pandemic cruise in December 2021, as I was on a ship sailing with less than 33% capacity.  It was a surreal feeling to see hang tags on the doors of empty staterooms reading "This room has been cleaned and sanitized" on the way to my cabin. When I dined in the main dining room, I had better service than I will ever have again in any dining area, as there was an excessive number of wait personnel to diners.  This couldn't last, as all the cruise lines would be bleeding money until cruising had fully resumed.

Although it took a while, cruising finally restarted, with NCL's unique 7-day Hawaii cruise being one of the last circuits to return to normal.  This would be one of the last NCL cruises I'd take where cost-cutting changes would not be that noticeable, as the only important change that had been made by December 2022 was to cut cabin service (bathroom and stateroom cleanup) to once per day.  NCL's Hawaii product was still in recovery while the rest of the fleet in other regions had already started to sail with normal staffing and capacity.

Post-Recovery Cruising:

In Autumn 2022, I took 2 cruises on NCL, and noticed changes which bothered me a little. NCL used to provide excellent food and service in the main dining room.  However, my cruise partner and I both noticed that the quality of steak being served was not as good as it was in the past.  Before, the steak stood on its own, and didn't need any sauce to add flavor, or cover up its flaws.  Now, the steak was served with some kind of sauce, unless one specifically asked for the sauce on the side.

On 3 of my first 4 post-pandemic shutdown cruises, I opted for the Free at Sea (FAS) promotion and sailed in the balcony cabin of my choice.  Combined with my platinum loyalty status, I enjoyed 4 specialty meals on each of these cruises.  If I had chosen an inside cabin with the Free at Sea promotion, I still would have received these 4 meals at that time.  (2 for FAS, and 2 for Loyalty Status)  However, this would change during 2024, where NCL would give only 1 FAS specialty meal on 7-day cruises if an inside or ocean view cabin was chosen.  Only if one chose a balcony cabin or mini suite would the 2 FAS specialty meals be available.  In either case, if I wanted more specialty meals, I could always buy a package for extra specialty meals at a nominal price.

Another post-recovery change that I noticed was that NCL was cutting back on the "Broadway Show" entertainment, with special versions of Broadway Hits presented in the ship's theater.  Now, NCL has cut back on these shows, with nothing of equivalent quality to replace this entertainment.  Instead, NCL has replaced these shows with revenue generators, such as "Deal or No Deal" games where a form of Lotto ticket is sold to audience participants in hope of winning prizes.

But these aren't the only changes.

"Free at Sea" becomes "More at Sea."

This is a subtle change which might not be noticed by many.   However, it is a big change for some NCL cruisers.  The old Free at Sea (FAS) package allowed the cruiser to order an unlimited number of alcoholic beverages priced $15 and below.  People who opted for the Free at Sea Plus (FAS+) for an extra $49/day would be exempt from this $15 limit.  Additionally, FAS+ cruisers would get 2 additional specialty dining meals plus unlimited Wi-Fi.

There are some advantages to the More at Sea (MAS) package.  One gets a fixed number of specialty dining meals based on the length of the cruise and the cabin category in which the cruiser is sailing. Additionally, there is no MAS+ package.  One gets MAS or one opts out from it.  However, NCL has eliminated the cruiser's ability to purchase extra specialty dining packages, and has reduced the number of minutes of "free" Wi-Fi each cruiser can get.  To make things worse, cruisers who purchased an extra specialty dining package with FAS will lose it for sailings after 1/01/25.

The site Travel-dealz.com provides an in-depth explanation of the differences between the old Free at Sea package and the new More at Sea package.  Given the nature of the changes, many cruisers who'd be willing to pay extra for these cruise perks may start looking for a different cruise line to cruise with.

Comparing NCL to Princess.

I've noticed the debasement of NCL's product on my post-pandemic cruises.  Others, more sensitive than I am to these changes, have noticed them as well, and are very unhappy about them. When I do a price/value comparison between NCL's Free at Sea/More at Sea packages and Princess Cruises' Princess Premier package, I find that I get greater value for each dollar spent on a cruise. For $90/day more, one gets a decent drink package, a great specialty dining package (unlimited meals in Princess' specialty restaurants), some free photo prints (with unlimited downloads), and pre-paid gratuities!  

NCL - Canada / New England Cruise out of NYC:

Princess - Canada / New England Cruise out of NYC:

You'll note that at first glance, NCL is roughly $670 cheaper than Princess.  However, if one subtracts $280 from the price charged by Princess for the cruise to account for included gratuities, we have a rough $390 difference between the two fares.  Choose the Princess Plus fare ($30/pp/day less than Princess Premier), and the difference drops to roughly $20 in Princess' favor.  Given that Princess hasn't yet debased its product as much as NCL has, and one can easily see why some NCL cruisers are making the switch. 


New Ships v. Old Ships.

I started cruising on NCL over a decade ago when the Gem was one of the ships that regularly sailed out of New York.  Older ships tend to be less expensive to sail on, but do not have as many bells and whistles as newer ships. Lately, NCL is sending more of its newer ships (both the Breakaway class and the Prima class) to service the New York market.  This has resulted in higher prices being charged for what were once cheap and affordable cruises out of Manhattan.

Ships such as the Breakaway and Breakaway+ class vessels are now being altered to remove many free spaces on the ship (such as part of the observation areas) replacing them with revenue generating spaces.  Is NCL trying to charge more for less?

NCL now appears to be trying to attract a clientele which is more comfortable paying for things that used to be free.  For example, although NCL claims there is more public space available on NCL's Prima class ships, more of the public space requires a fee for use - including the Mini-Golf, which is free on older vessels such as NCL's Jewel class ships.

Given NCL's desire to charge more for fewer amenities, I wonder whether there is a limit to what NCL will do to its ships.  Luckily, there is a practical limit to how much NCL can alter the public spaces on its older ships, as NCL would have less time in the ship's life cycle to earn a return on any changes made to the ship.

What about other cruise lines?

My cruise partner and I decided to take two different cruise lines' 7-day Bermuda cruise offerings, and we found that MSC delivered this cruise for several hundred dollars less than NCL. (See last month's blog entry, "Comparing two 7-day Bermuda Cruises sailed by MSC and NCL") Although MSC didn't have any theater shows of the came caliber I've grown used to on NCL, they were entertaining.  But for the price, it provides excellent value for when a couple simply wants to cruise on a budget. 

Given what I'm experienced on my recent cruises, I'll likely choose MSC for when I simply want to get away for a week, and choose Princess when I want to take a bucket list cruise (excepting Hawaii).  Yet, there are certain cruises for which NCL has no competition.  And for those cruises, I will still choose NCL.

What do you think?