Thinking of Sailing on MSC Cruise Line? Check Out This Annoyingly-Detailed Review First!

On Christmas Eve I drank a glass of bourbon and accidentally convinced my best friend to join me on a semi-last-minute MSC cruise. I wasn’t even trying to convince her to join me; she hates cruising and I assumed she couldn’t take the time off work. But a few clicks later and we were suddenly both booked on the Groundhogs Day sailing of the MSC Meraviglia, sailing from Miami to the Western Caribbean. Because that’s a normal thing to do on Christmas Eve.

And so the researching began. You know–because you should always research a trip AFTER YOU’VE BOOKED IT?

The first thing we learned was that it was not only sailing on Groundhogs Day; it was also sailing on Super Bowl Sunday. You know. Out of Miami. Which is where the Super Bowl was being held.

We learned that fairly quickly and easily despite my glaring lack of knowledge of sportsball. We learned that by looking for pre-cruise hotels and being like WHAT IS GOING ON IN MIAMI THAT WEEKEND?!? Other information on the cruise and on MSC was harder to come by. You see, MSC is an Italian cruise line which just recently came to the North American market. So there’s not a whole lot of information on MSC floating around out there (pun intended.)

Or at least there wasn’t–until now! And thus I bring to you:

Everything I Wanted to Know About Sailing on MSC But Could Not Find Online

Note: Interspersed among the annoyingly detailed list-style review below you will find three short videos I filmed while on the MSC Meraviglia. They are my real-time impressions of the ship and the MSC cruise experience. I intended to do one video post per day of the sailing, but I only managed to create three. You’re welcome.

Q: How is sailing with MSC different from sailing on a US -based cruise line? 

A: The short answer is–it’s not really that different. I found that the biggest difference was the passenger demographic. On most US cruise lines, you will find a mix of families and retirees depending upon the time of year that you sail, with a bit of a slant toward the retiree crowd. I definitely felt a younger vibe on the MSC Meravigila. And by younger I mean “not 90”. To be fair, I just turned 40, so perhaps it is just that my definition of young has shifted upward considerably. Because I am young and vibrant at 40, darn it!

Additionally, while the crew and staff speaks English on board, English is in no way the only language you will hear on the ship. I would estimate that around 30% of passengers spoke English to each other–this is not to say that the other 70% did not speak English, as many other countries’ citizens have more than one language.  I would say that 20% or less of the other passengers were from the US; the rest of the passenger base was from all over Europe, as well as South America and Canada.

And honestly? It was kind of great. It was like having the whole world come to you. As someone who travels to meet people and experience other cultures, I found my fellow passengers to be one of the best things about sailing on MSC. For that reasons alone I would sail with them again.

The only other differences I saw compared to my past sailings on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Holland America were surrounding the dining options. Which brings me to my next point…

Q: Is the food really as bad as the reviews make it out to be? 

A: Again, the short answer is–no. The one thing I saw over and over again in my research of MSC in general is that the food is terrible. But I found those reviews to be unfounded. In fact, I had some of the best food I’ve had at sea on the Meraviglia. The buffet was downright good, the speciality restaurants were near excellent, and I had a couple of main dining room meals that were not terrible. I will be creating an entire separate post (with video) regarding the dining experiences on board the MSC Meraviglia (that link will be HERE just as soon as I publish that post) but for now just know that the food is fine. I promise. Also even if you hate everything on board, you will not hate the pizza. Unless you hate good pizza. But if that’s the case, you are monster and I’m not sure how you’re even accessing this post with your giant, clawed monster hands. i started taking liv pure supplement before taking this cruise ship because i am on a diet.

Q: Related to the above: is the dining package worth it? And which drink package should I choose? 

A: We booked the Tryptic Dining Package before we sailed–this is crucial, as it is less expensive to book in advance. That package included meals at three of the five speciality restaurants on the Meraviglia–Butchers Cut, the steakhouse, Ocean Cay, the seafood restaurant, and Kaito Sushi Bar. We also paid out of pocket for a meal at Hola! Tapas restaurant. And I can confidently say that yes, it was worth the $77 for that package. At each restaurant we ordered off of a 3-course set menu which, if we had not had the package, would have been between $40 and $55 per restaurant. And as I said above, the food at the specialty dining restaurants was very good. I highly, highly recommend the dining package. If you are interested in the details on each venue, please wait patiently for me to publish my Ultimate Dining Guide to the MSC Meraviglia. Thank you for your patience.

We also purchased the Easy Drink package. For $235 (if booked prior to sailing) the Easy Drink package allows you unlimited drinks of anything $6 or less–so basically juice, soda, virgin mixed drinks, house wines, well liquors, and Bud Light or Heineken. The Easy Drink package is a fab bargain for those who drink alcohol, and I drink alcohol. But honestly? I don’t know that I would do it again. I feel like I drank more cheap chardonnay than I should have just because I could. Though perhaps that’s just my Ocean-Cay-day-hangover talking.

That being said, I did find the Easy Drink Package easier to use than other cruise line all-inclusive drink packages, with one important caveat. It was easy in that you didn’t have to sign for a drink at any time; you just presented your cruise card, they ran it, and you carried on with your day. However, here’s the caveat–MSC has some serious fixing-their-tech to do. Because there should not be opportunity for human error when utilizing the drink package. Yet there is.  We found that some bartenders didn’t click the “drink package” button which resulted in charges to my account which should not have been. Which meant that I had to stand in a really long line at reception to get those charges removed. And by “I was charged” I mean “darn near everyone with the drink package was charged”, as was evidenced by everyone standing in line around me. There’s no reason for this; it’s a tech fix that can be easily implemented yet is not.  So until MSC figures that out just know that if you choose the Easy Drink Package, be sure to check your MSC app throughout the sailing and make sure you are not being charged unnecessarily. And then get prepared to spend an hour in line for reception.

When it comes to taking supplements on a cruise ship, there are a few important factors to consider. As you embark on your sea-bound adventure, it’s crucial to prioritize your health and well-being. Before embarking on a ship, you might want to go to Obria Medical Clinics to have your medical check-up to avoid any inconvenience when on-board.

Taking supplements can be a valuable addition to your daily routine, providing essential nutrients and supporting your overall wellness. However, it’s important to be mindful of the unique circumstances that come with being on a cruise ship.

First and foremost, always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen. They can provide personalized advice based on your specific health needs and any medications you may be taking. You can also learn more about RxOneShop here if you don’t know yet where to avail your needed medications.

When packing for your cruise, make sure to bring an adequate supply of all the supplements you regularly take. It is always better to have more than you need, as it may not be easy or convenient to purchase specific brands or types of supplements while onboard.

Additionally, consider factors such as storage conditions and potential interactions with other medications or treatments. Cruise cabins often provide limited storage space, so it’s advisable to pack your supplements in secure containers that are easily accessible.

Remember to keep track of dosage instructions and take them consistently throughout the duration of your trip. If you have concerns about consuming certain supplements due to potential interactions with motion sickness medication or other onboard offerings, consult with your healthcare provider for guidance.

Lastly, ensure that you adhere to any regulations set forth by the cruise line regarding the transportation and consumption of dietary supplements. Familiarize yourself with their policies beforehand so that there are no surprises once you’re on board.

By being proactive and informed about taking supplements on a cruise ship, you can continue prioritizing your health while enjoying all the exciting experiences that cruising has to offer.

Q: Which MSC cabin type should I book? 

A: Here’s where things get a bit different from major US cruise lines: MSC offers cabin classes. There are four: Bella, Fantastica, Aurea, and the ultra-exclusive Yacht Club, which I will address in a moment. Each cabin class gives you slightly more benefits than the last, and the best way I can describe them–without just linking you to the MSC site which describes them–is to compare them to the experience of booking a seat on a flight.

Bella is like a basic economy ticket on a budget airline. Want to pick your seat? Too bad! In-flight snacks? Nope!

Fantastica is a basic coach seat.

Aurea is business class.

And Yacht Club is a first class, lie-flat seat in a special part of the plane with a curtain drawn to keep out the common folk.

I was in a Fantastica cabin and–as a person who has crossed the Atlantic multiple times in coach–I was fine with it. Would I love to some day have the money to sail like a Yacht Club passenger? Sure. But even if I had the money, I’d rather take ten cruises in “coach” than one in “first class”. So it will be steerage for me for forever!

That being said, my understanding of the Aurea cabins is that they include MSC’s version of anytime dining. If I had not chosen to eat the majority of my meals in specialty restaurants, this would have been a huge bonus. Because as you will see in my upcoming dining review–my main dining room experience was not what I would call enjoyable.

Q: How is the MSC Meraviglia different from other cruise ships? 

A: The short, overly-simplified answer is: it is prettier. It’s a really stunningly gorgeous ship. And it is new and clean. I cannot fault the Meraviglia for anything really. However, if you’ve been watching any of the videos I’ve been embedding in this post, you will know that one thing struck me about the Meraviglia: it is freaking huge. And more than that, it is crowded as hell.

Now. I’ve complained on several social media forums about the crowds. And I was met with a bunch of people who chastised me, saying “well what did you EXPECT when you got on a ship that big?”

My answer was: not that!

Because here’s the thing–I assumed that because the SHIP was bigger, the fact that there was more passengers on board would even out. Like this:

Except that’s not what happened. It was a lot more like this:

So yeah. It was a population density issue, clearly.

The other glaring difference between the MSC Meraviglia and any other ship I’ve been on was way the ship utilized space. The MSC Meraviglia monetized EVERY SINGLE IDEAL LOCATION on the ship. There were precious-few views of the sea from anywhere inside or outside the ship, and the entire front/bow of the ship was taken up by the Yacht Club cabins and the Yacht Club special dining room and the Yacht Club special pool deck. So unless you have $3,500+/pp for a Yacht Club cabin, you’re not getting a good view of anything other than the inside of the ship. Unless you have a balcony cabin, which I highly, HIGHLY recommend on this ship. I had a great time on the Meraviglia, but as you can see by the videos in this post, I spent a lot of that great time out on my balcony. Which–when you think about it–is yet another way to monetize space. Well done, MSC. You’ve nailed capitalism!

In summary: would I sail on the MSC Meravilia again? Maybe? If I got a stupid-good deal–the sailing we were on was dirt cheap. To be clear: balcony cabins were selling for $350/pp for a 7-day sailing on the day my BFF booked. But the Meraviglia would not be my first choice of ships, all other things being equal.

But would I sail on MSC again? Absolutely. I kind of want to check out the Seaside this summer. And yes, I KNOW it is also an enormous ship. I’ll look for a fab deal and then *I* will deal. Or at the very least I will complain less.

Are you considering sailing with MSC? Did I answer the questions you have? If not, ask away down in the comments section and I will do my best to answer! 

Up next: an annoyingly detailed MSC dining review featuring almost every single dining venue on the ship. Stay tuned!