15-Day Caribbean Cruise aboard MSC MERAVIGLIA

First cabin sewer odor could not be removed, after two days changed cabin. Second cabin has badly stained furniture (we cover it with towels to minimize unwanted bodily fluids transfer), and an unstoppable faucet leak onto the sink counter for five days still not fixed. The crew smoking/party spot is right below our balcony, and they stay up all night.

Itinerary changed to take away two ports days, making eight straight days at sea. Did not offer any compensation, not even a discount on tap water.

That’s right: they charge for tap water!

Morning room service gets missed/lost.

Food offerings remain constant, unchanging, without variety.

Extra charges if you want entertainment, shows cost extra, movies on TV cost extra.

I repeat; unscheduled eight straight days at sea without even a kind word of compensation.

I’ve been on many other lines, and never before had a bad experience.

They did give me four hours to reconsider as we waited in line to board the first day.

Every port visit was handled like the crew had never done this kind of thing before. Grade school children could do better planning.

“Guest Services” average standing in line waiting time is over an hour, and you will be visiting them often.

Never had a bad cruise before MSC

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.