9-Day Caribbean Cruise aboard MSC MERAVIGLIA

We did a 7 day cruise from Naples. I will start with the positive. The food was quite good, especially given the extraordinary number of people served. Water slide was fun. And we were quite impressed with the quality of the theatre shows - especially the ensemble singing/dancing (but always have earplugs with you, as everything from shows to live music is ear-splitting loud). However, overall the ship felt very crowded and loud. For a massive ship, there was a lack of public space where one could sit in peace, no library to find a good book, no wood floor for ballroom dancing. We gave up on the buffet cafeteria for breakfast after the first day as while there was good food variety, it was frenetic, with no free tables. (Fortunately main dining room breakfast was excellent and efficient.) With only two main internal elevator shafts, there was always a long wait for an elevator. Even the bathrooms in public areas had insufficient stalls for the crowds (and more than once were out of soap). Finally evenings that should have felt elegant and special did not because guests were frequently coming to the dining room or evening shows in shorts or torn jeans. On the sea day, there was little in the way of activities we wanted to join. Admittedly, it may just be that MSC is not the right line for us, as we are loyal Cunard and Holland-American Line customers.

My biggest complaint of the whole voyage was the water situation. Multiple staff said the water in the stateroom was unsafe for drinking. However, the free water from the dispensers at the buffet (whether cold water or hot for tea) was foul and perhaps the worst tap water I have ever tasted. (The did offer water dispensers for a charge that seemed to have better water - .50 for a glass, 1 euro to fill a bottle!!). Even the hot tea in the dining room tasted bad, and the buffet ran out of black tea after the first day of the cruise and never replenished.

There was a peculiar issue the first day/night of the cruise. Though seas were calm, the ship had a very noticeable roll. (Even the water in the toilet bowl was sloshing side to side!). This should not happen in the age of stabilizers. I am thinking there was a mechanical problem, as thankfully, after the first day, this did not happen.

Cabin was simple but functional. When the toilet stopped working, cabin steward got it fixed within minutes. There was a constant sulfur smell when showering. The main thing the room lacked was a bidet spray on the toilet (common for much of the world).

Overall, not terrible, but would not sail on MSC again.

We are a family of four (2 adults/2 kids) currently finishing a 14-day Mediterranean cruise on MSC Sinfonia (June 13–20 from Bari) followed by MSC Maraviglia(June 20–27 from Naples).

What made this trip particularly disappointing is that we previously sailed with MSC in Northern Europe and had an excellent experience. We expected similar food quality, service, and atmosphere, but this cruise felt completely different.

The ports were fantastic. Greece was absolutely beautiful, and destinations such as Corfu, Kefalonia, Olympia, Santorini, and Mykonos were the highlight of our vacation.

Unfortunately, the onboard experience did not meet our expectations. Both ships felt extremely crowded, but Maraviglia was especially overwhelming. Public areas were constantly busy, elevators were packed, and finding a quiet place to relax was difficult. Even our children commented on how loud the ship felt throughout the day.

The buffet was chaotic during most meal times, with long lines and limited seating. The dining room experience at Panorama Restaurant was also disappointing. We booked the Aurea Experience with My Choice Dining, but service was consistently slow and the food quality was well below what we experienced on our previous MSC cruise. Simple requests, such as a refill of water, often took much longer than expected.

Our cabin also had an unpleasant odor at times, and we experienced several toilet issues during the voyage.

As English-speaking guests, we were surprised by how much of the entertainment and onboard atmosphere was geared toward the local market. American guests are not welcome.

One area that deserves special praise is the Pub Bar team. They provided outstanding service throughout the cruise and were consistently friendly, professional, and attentive. It was one of the few places onboard where we truly enjoyed spending time.

Overall, the ports were wonderful, but the onboard experience left us disappointed. Based on our previous MSC cruise in Northern Europe, we know the company can deliver a much better product. Unfortunately, this Mediterranean itinerary did not provide the relaxing family vacation we were hoping for.

The ship was very large and had about 6000 people. Plus 1,500 crew. Many passengers commented that it was very disorganized. I agree with that assessment. The buffet was on the 15 floor and very crowed. Always out of coffee and hot water. Breakfast meats were very greasy. Most of the food was blah and I called it the ' barff' buffet, as half of the food I took went into the trash. Lunch at the buffet was only slightly better, usually the carved meats were very good. Burger station was below average. Pizza, though people raved about it, was only average. I have had much better pizza. Everything else served was only average or below average. It's only two giant buffet lines on the whole ship, as a result, very crowed and noisy.

Dining room food was much better. Tia, my server was excellent. Dinner was usually a 90 minute to a two-hour affair. That is average for most cruises.

My single cabin only had a stool. Bathroom was very small. No sofa or chairs. Television only had six channels, three of them British news channels. Movie channels on t.v. were $12 each! I refused to pay!

Most cruise lines provide complimentary movies in your stateroom.

My steward, Constanio, did an excellent job keeping my cabin neat and tidy.

Most of staff did a good job, not quite as friendly as other lines, and most appeared overworked.

Entertainment in the main theatre was below average. Most shows ran 35 minutes and only had canned music, no live orchestra. Most major cruise lines have live with in house bands. Most of the live entertainment was rock music. Even the ' soft' music played was too loud, making it impossible to enjoy the music or a soft conversation. Even the quiet bars played music much too loud.

There is no movie theatre or library. No guest lectures, no complimentary movies. They did have outside movies on the pool deck, but no blankets!

I joined a clay class. As the instructor began to speak, she was drowned out by a loud aerobics class in the main corridor.

I finally found a quiet sundeck on the 16 floor, but at 7;30 pm. they begin collecting the lounge chairs. And blaring loud music to inform you it is time to leave. Why not leave the lounge chairs out until midnight? They have a 24-hour crew.

Excursions were good. I took three jeep tours. I did make a complaint since I was wearing a knee brace and should be assigned a front seat due to limited mobility. Staff did ensure I had a front seat after that and sent a complimentary appetizer platter and a bottle of Champayne to my cabin. I was happy with the excursions I took and they were explained in detail before you sign up.

Alcoholic drinks averaged close to $20 each. There were no half price happy hours.

I discovered staff does not receive tips on prepaid gratuities. It is added to their base salary. I then had the front desk removed that charge and tipped employees with cash. I saw red on that policy!

There is no quiet place on this ship. Loud music, lack of activities, lectures, and decent music or entertainment. I would not sail on this ship again, though it was a good value, you pay in other areas, such as peace and quiet.