14-Night Caribbean Cruise aboard MSC WORLD AMERICA

14 DAYS OF DISAPPOINTMENT – MSC WORLD AMERICA: OVERPRICED EXCURSIONS, SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS AND POOR ORGANISATION

We booked a 14-day cruise for two people on msc world america with high expectations. Unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing. Honestly, after this experience, i would think twice before booking another msc cruise.

1. Excursions: Extremely expensive and disappointing

Our first excursion cost $110 per person. The following day, we were surprised to discover that it had been cancelled. We had to choose another excursion and pay extra. We accepted this, hoping to enjoy a good experience, but unfortunately, we were disappointed again.

The replacement excursion cost $159 per person and was nothing special. It mainly involved watching a traditional dance performance on the island of roatán.

However, the biggest problem was the transportation. We were taken on a very small boat that was clearly overcrowded. There was not enough space for all the passengers on the boat. People were squeezed together, passengers started shouting, and the situation became extremely uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. We genuinely feared for our safety.

On the return journey, they had to use two separate boats because there was not enough space for everyone.

This is extremely serious. You cannot play with people’s lives just to organise an excursion. Msc has a responsibility to ensure that the boats used for its excursions are safe and have sufficient capacity for all passengers.

We paid $159 per person, and instead of enjoying our excursion, we were worried about our safety. This is completely unacceptable.

2. Second excursion: Disappointing experience, hidden costs and lack of transparency

Our second excursion cost approximately $150 per person and was equally disappointing.

We had to walk for around 45 minutes to reach the waterfalls, only to discover that there was very little water and almost nothing worth seeing. We managed to do just two jumps, had less than five minutes to swim, and then returned much faster than we had walked to get there.

The waterfalls were practically dry, with very little water and no particularly impressive scenery. For $150 per person, this experience was absolutely not worth the money.

But that was not the only problem.

Throughout the activity, the staff repeatedly insisted on taking photographs of us without first asking whether we wanted to be photographed or explaining that these photographs were part of a paid service.

At the end of the day, we were surprised to discover that they wanted to sell us these photographs for $70 per person.

This is unacceptable. If photographs are a paid service, customers should be clearly informed from the beginning. We should not have to stop repeatedly during an excursion to take photographs without knowing that we will later be asked to pay for them.

Customers must have the choice from the beginning. Do not waste people’s time repeatedly taking photographs if the intention is to sell them afterwards without having explained the price.

Furthermore, we were not properly informed beforehand about what we needed to bring or wear. We only discovered once we arrived that we had to pay extra to rent equipment such as appropriate shoes and lockers to store our personal belongings.

Why are customers not informed about these additional costs before booking? We should know what we need to wear, what equipment is required and what additional expenses we may face.

Between the excursion price, equipment rental and unexpected photo offers, the experience became much more expensive and frustrating than expected.

Customers deserve transparency. We should know exactly what is included in the price, what is optional and what additional costs we may have to pay before booking an excursion.

3. Other destinations

For the other destinations, we decided to organise our own activities independently. We spent less money and enjoyed much better experiences.

This makes us question why msc charges such high prices for excursions that do not offer the quality or experience customers expect.

4. Poor organisation of the 14-day cruise

For a 14-day cruise, we expected to discover many different destinations and enjoy a varied itinerary.

Instead, we were disappointed to find that we had to return to miami, go through the check-in process again and board the ship for the second part of the cruise.

We also had to visit ocean cay again, even though we had already visited this island. Repeating the same destination instead of offering more variety was disappointing.

When booking a 14-day cruise, customers expect a rich itinerary with several interesting destinations, not to spend so much time repeating places or remaining on the ship.

5. Overcrowding on board

Another major disappointment was the overcrowding on the ship.

The swimming pools, jacuzzis and buffet areas were constantly full. Finding a place to relax, enjoy the facilities or even have a comfortable meal was difficult.

We paid for a 14-day holiday, but often felt confined on a crowded ship rather than enjoying a relaxing cruise.

6. Final opinion

A cruise should be an opportunity to relax, discover beautiful destinations, enjoy activities and create unforgettable memories.

Unfortunately, our experience was very different. We paid a significant amount of money for this holiday, only to encounter:

* an excursion cancelled at the last minute.

* extremely expensive and disappointing replacement excursions.

* a dangerously overcrowded boat that raised serious safety concerns.

* waterfalls with almost no water after a 45-minute walk.

* unexpected photo sales costing $70 per person.

* additional equipment rental costs that were not communicated beforehand.

* repeated destinations and disappointing itinerary organisation.

* overcrowded swimming pools, jacuzzis and buffet areas.

Honestly, i would rather pay for flights and hotels, organise my own trips and enjoy each destination freely than spend another holiday feeling confined on a crowded cruise ship.

I am particularly disappointed by the excursion arrangements and the safety concerns we experienced. Passenger safety should always come before profit.

I would not choose this experience again, and based on our experience, i would not recommend msc world america for a 14-day holiday.

I am sharing this honest review to help future passengers make an informed decision before spending their money.

Msc needs to take customer feedback seriously and improve the quality, transparency, organisation and safety of its excursions, as well as the overall onboard experience.

Customers pay a lot of money for their holidays. They deserve quality, safety, transparency and respect

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.