8-Day Bahamas and Caribbean Cruise aboard MSC WORLD AMERICA

I recently cruised on MSC World America from 9/12-9/19. The racism that I experienced from staff and cruisers was disgusting. I witnessed and experienced staff coughing on Black cruisers as well their children. I was also followed in the shopping center.I witnessed staff ignore and bump into Black patrons. I witnessed cruisers do the same as well as yell at us when we got off the elevator. I spoke to other Black cruisers who reported the same experiences. I was able to speak to 1 Black staff member and she quietly said that there is a lot of racism here. Here’s more examples of racism.

A Black woman, who wore an officers uniform, purposely bumped into my mother and I and Coco Cay. She walked away from one metal detector to one we were at to bump into us. This happened while we were embarking. A staff confirmed that I paid for an excursion. During that call, she said, “ if you did pay for it, you will get the ticket.” Also the food is disgusting. The lobby smelled like mold too. I paid for a double bed and they gave me a single one. It took housekeeping 6 hours to fix the bed. To this end, I won’t be cruising with them again

I had a wonderful time on my 7-night cruise in the Caribbean. The perfect weather also helped. I was a solo traveler and was pleased that meetings were scheduled for us every day. I met some nice people there, at mealtimes, and on my land tours. I was also placed at a dinner table with solo travelers, as I requested. My room was adequate, and attendants were helpful. Glad I can adjust the A/C to my liking. The TV acted up but Guest Services were there quickly. They also helped me set up my MSC app twice. The food was good. The buffet lines were not long at all. Activities and shows were available at times convenient to me so I made the most of them. I enjoyed my shore excursions. My room attendant left my info in my room every time, for the tour next day. The ship itself was awesome. So much to see and do. Disembarkation was smooth. Ocean Cay waters were beautiful. Could not see the Lighthouse Light Show because we had to board just as the show started. I hope MSC changes that and let us board half hour later. Enjoyed the special nights like Tropical, Gala, 70's & 80s, White Night ,,,,,,and the after parties. The captain addressed us and introduced Senior officers. I think there were too many jewelry shops. I needed a shop with household items, and OTC meds, as I needed some glue for my shoe .... smile.

We are currently on MSC World America (day 2) and so far we are very disappointed, even though we are loyal MSC guests with Diamond and Gold status.

Embarkation: Nobody explained where we needed to go, and we were sent back and forth. Since I have been sick for several days, this was extremely exhausting.

Cabin: None of the Voyagers Club benefits we are entitled to were there, not even the bathrobes. Our cabin steward told us he had not been informed about our Diamond status, although it is clearly shown on our booking. In addition, the USB-C outlets in our cabin do not work.

Restaurant: Although we had requested a table for two in writing before the cruise, we were given a shared table. Only after about 30 minutes of discussion, on an empty stomach, was this corrected.

General: The ship is very crowded and loud, and we have hardly found any quiet places to relax. Every time we tried to go to Guest Services, the line was so long that we still haven't been able to raise our concerns. We find the drink prices very high, and most of the service staff have not been particularly friendly so far.

The big positive: our cabin steward Nyuman. He is incredibly friendly and helpful, brought us the bathrobes right away and is taking care of the broken outlets. He is the only reason we are giving even one star. MSC, you should truly value this employee!

Unfortunately, our complaint by email has had no effect so far. We hope MSC will respond now so that we can still enjoy the rest of our cruise.