Thanks for checking out my FULL REVIEW of my cruise onboard MSC Meraviglia. If you're new here, please click that SUBSCRIBE button to support my channel, and remember to give the video a THUMBS UP too! Thanks a lot, and welcome onboard!
Thank you Fraser for your very informative, in-depth, and personal videos! I loved watching this series and it's even prompted me to be a subscriber! To be honest, I had previously been thinking about going on an MSC cruise but your series has helped me decide that I never want to cruise MSC, despite the lower price-point. Your videos aren't the only reason I've made this decision, but they've added to the voluminous other negative press I've seen from other vloggers about their experiences on MSC. After recently watching videos of other vloggers being harassed by on-board staff, being kicked off ships for suspected "negative" reviews, etc., your videos only solidify the impression that MSC is awful and will do anything to hide it from the public. Try cruising on Princess - it's my favorite!
Hello! Thanks a lot for watching - really appreciate the support! I’m usually a massive fan of MSC, but lots on this cruise didn’t go to plan, which I’m still really disappointed about to be honest! I’ve actually cruised with Princess before really launching my RUclips channel, and LOVED them! Maybe one day… 🤞🏼
Side topic, but this guy has the most amazing accent I’ve ever heard! I could listen to him speak all day. I’m an American, by the way, and we rarely get to hear such an amazing accent. 👍🏼 Now, carry on.
This is SUCH a lovely comment, and I need to thank you so much for it. I get really mixed reviews on my accent, and it can sometimes be difficult not to take it personally, so thanks so much for your positive sentiment - it’s so appreciated!
This was my first time watching your videos. I believe that, what happened to you, was not the cruise line's fault, but the crew's fault. I have heard many good things about this ship. I have sailed with MSC, but on other ships, and I really liked them. It was good to hear that, after the first days, everything improved, what makes me think it was lack of organization and leadership onboard.
Hi! Thanks for watching, and I’d probably agree for most of the factors. Unfortunately though, the crew do represent the cruise line, so both are probably at fault here… I’ll probably give them another try - just not yet… Thanks for watching!
You are a better man than I. I would have been furious to experience this type of service. Let’s face it, ships are ships, but service can make the customer return.
Have to say that I had far better service on msc than with Ambassador. It's a bit strange with passengers leaving and arriving en-route but you get used to it.
Three cruise lines I'm very reluctant to patronize, despite their lower price points: MSC, Carnival, Costa. I've tried them all, but it was one and done.
Just a point regarding customer service. We had a Yacht Club Duplex Suite on the Meraviglia in May 2023. Without boring you with details, The A/C was shut off by maintenance because the temperature could not be controlled from day one and the balcony hot tub was not repaired until our last evening on the ship. We requested a room change and/or compensation which was declined on three occasions when requested. So poor customer service obviously extends to all categories on the MSC Meraviglia.
@@keithballweg9356 oh my goodness - I’m so sad to hear you had issues while cruising in such a premium cabin type - that’s awful 😞 Thanks for watching!
I have never been on a cruise but have been considering it. You pointed out some very important details about things that would have driven me nuts and the company's inefficient operations practices. I cannot stand adjoining doors in hotel rooms. The fact that you had several is astonishing. As a solo traveler myself this is a deal breaker. Also, you talk in great detail about the queues (lines) for just about everything that can also make you late for everything. And, the fact that there was NO clarity on the time you had to be back on the ship is unacceptable. Great info and thank you for sharing. Lots to think about. Happy sailing!
Thank you for the summary video, Fraser; you were much, much more than fair in your assessment! I was disappointed for you for the many challenges and downright bad service you experienced, and especially as a solo passenger and an MSC Voyagers Club Diamond member (a fact you kindly waited to mention, and their highest loyalty tier). I truly hope that MSC reaches out to you with a partial refund (taking responsibility for their dismal performance rather than OBC or future discount). My favorites so far have been Royal Caribbean, Celebrity (Edge class), and hopefully soon, Princess! Always enjoy your vlogs and looking forward to forthcoming ones from Scotland!
Hey, thanks a lot for messaging! I was SO disappointed with what I experienced on this ship, largely due to the fact that I’ve been such a public advocate of MSC before… Hopefully it’s not fleet-wide, and the issues on Meraviglia get resolved ASAP! 🤞🏼 Thanks for watching!!
I’ve been watching your videos on this particular cruise. It’s such a shame that customer service was so poor. I have not cruised with MSC yet. I think I will be very reluctant to do so
Your experience is exactly how I would describe the 125 day world cruise I took with MSC. Our room was the super small kind but was fine except the bed was so incredibly hard that we had a backache most of the cruise. I was offered pillows to line the bed each night which helped.. at the middle of the cruise I was up to 9 pillows after trying for 1 months just sleeping on the bed itself. Others bought 3 inch foam in port. Arrival time for ports was never correct and they would change departures all the time. Checking the app while we were on our private (just us in a car with a tour guide) tours was frequent daily. MSC excursions were $150 to $200 pp on a big bus with very few stops for only 4 hours, mostly drive bys, so for that same $200 to $400 we could get a totally private guided tour for 8 hours or more. Tendering was just a pushing and butting in line mess. Tender tickets were given out at 6:30am but that line started at 3 am and was halfway through the ship at 6:30. Tender boats were not filled because the pushing and standing up at disembarking was a safety hazard for the crew unloading passengers. The staff never explained why they asked us to stay seated. I had to find this out from customer service about rocking the boat or worse if everyone stands and moved to one side of the tender. We ran out of food. No fresh food , fruits, veg, eggs, so we had frozen weird food for time in the Indian ocean and our week crossing to America from South Africa. There's more but it matches what u say exactly.
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear you didn’t have the best experience. Thanks a lot for watching my video, and thanks for also sharing your experience. I bet the 125 nighter was still amazing though!
@@FraserAtSea OMG.. The world is Soo incredible. It was my first time out of Western Hemisphere. Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Rio, Manaus in the Amazon (we did a survival camp where we ate bugs and caught pirahnas in a location 100 kilometers from the ship), Iceland, Northern Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Sweden and so much more!!! Every port was the most incredible!!
Hello Fraser. Thank you for the video series, I watched them all! I was on Meraviglia for the New Years Eve cruise. I was also in a tiny cabin #10004 with the sofa bed. You're luck you got out of that one. I had to call the room steward everytime I needed the bed opened and closed so I could access the wardrobe. As for your experience, it is typical for holiday times. All the kids are out of school at the moment, the ships are crowded, it was also the Fourth of July holiday. The price is higher, the service is not great. I was surprised and disappointed they did not allow you to change the dining time. Keep on crusin' and posting!
Hey, thanks a lot for watching! I’m SO sad to read that MSC haven’t changed the configuration of that wardrobe - how simple a change is that?! Hopefully they make the change soon, as that’s VERY annoying when cruising! Thanks for your support of my little RUclips channel!!
My family and I sailed in August and we had a fantastic time. Food was wonderful, service excellent, shows outstanding and atmosphere beautiful. Try sailing during the summer because it you may have a completely different experience.
Ah, it’s so great to hear you had a great time - you’re not alone in the comments here! I’ll deff try MSC again - just not yet… Thanks a lot for watching - appreciate your support!
My first MSC cruise was in 2012 (Opera) and my last was three months ago on board the Euribia. I definitely see the things that could be improved, but most of all I enjoyed all these cruises. I've never really experienced anything unpleasant.
What a shame that such a beautiful looking cruise ship had so many problems. The irony is that most of what went wrong for you and some other passengers could so easily have been rectified with no extra cost! The ship is not at fault, but the operation and management of it. Someone needs to up their game! Those involved should be able to be identified, and the future situation improved. What you have described would put me off, in case it happened to me. Thus I would look at a different cruise line. What you paid was not insignificant. I think you delivered a very precise and what appears to be an accurate summary. It wouldn’t take many minutes for the higher management of the cruise line to see this and make sure they instigated rectifications immediately. Time will tell!
Thanks Hazel - I was worried this video might seem like a moan, so I’m delighted to see that you think it’s a fair and balanced view. I do hope the relevant people watch this one - I’d love to see MSC deliver what I’m used to on this ship too - I’ve previously been such a fan! Thanks for watching!!
@@FraserAtSeaThe thing that struck my hardest was hearing you “didn’t pay enough” for proper service. It would be one thing if it was access to certain dining rooms, etc., but the hear that in the MDR where I would have thought everyone was “equal” would probably be enough to be off them for good. I think we will be sticking to Holland America! I do really enjoy your videos!
@@jeffkellyb7712 yeah, I didn’t really know what to say to that. Ah, I’ve actually got HAL coming very soon to my channel - in a few ships’ time - stay tuned!!
Chances are that had you gone a month later you my not have had those issues because of crew changes in the Dining rooms and different senior managers in the areas you had issues with.
Thanks for this thorough analysis. I think I’ll pass on the Meraviglia but am willing to try MSC if the price and itinerary are too good to pass up. It comes down to bad management in my opinion and is sort of analogous to a restaurant franchise that is not up to the standard of the company. Treating paying customers like dumb cattle is not a solid business model. Thanks very much for taking us along this cruise with you!
That all checks out... We were on MSC Meraviglia for 7 days in the Caribbean early 2023. Long queues... 45 min wait to get a drink at their beach bars on Ocean Cay. No outlets near the bed for phone charging or CPAP, no extension cords available or allowed... so I had to move the bed against the other wall just to plug in a CPAP. Booked Tora restaurant one night, got there to be told they're out of a bunch of key ingredients. I left. They ran out of ice cream up on the pool deck part way through the week. The list goes on.. none of what you listed surprises me at all. Unfortunately it was our first cruise experience. Likely won't ever do MSC again.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t have a great experience. I’ve previously been on (and featured on RUclips) some great MSC cruises, but this one didn’t deliver! Don’t let it put you off - you need to try another cruise line!
A very balanced review Fraser thank you and what a shame you’re not sure about travelling with MSC again. I have been on 3 MSC ships and never experienced what you did on this ship (except a long queue at a tender port which is often the case) What a crazy itinerary……… I just can’t imagine why they would do this, an extra day at sea would have been a better option maybe. As for customer service, I’ve had to speak to customer service a couple of times on other MSC ships and they have always been so helpful and friendly (even sending a bottle of wine to our room as a goodwill gesture). I honestly think the problem you had with guest services and the dining room manager is all to do with the senior management on the ship its self. Their attitude has percolated down and they probably are due a good shake up. 😀👍
Joy, thanks for this comment. I do hope it’s ship-specific, as I’ve previously been a huge advocate of MSC as a cruise line. I couldn’t believe how wide-spread the problems felt on here - hopefully a one-off! Thanks (as always) for watching, and therefore your support of my little channel!!
I have been on many cruises in my lifetime on various cruise lines, I sailed on ONE MSC cruise, it was on the MSC Divina and I was not impressed. You are correct, , MSC offers cruises at great prices; however, I would prefer to pay a little more and have a better experience. By the way, I was on the same cruise with you on the Norwegian Escape last October, it was a New England/ Canada cruise as well. Thanks for making this video, it only reinforces my reluctance to sail on another MSC cruise.
Hi Mark, I was on Escape right after this. Stay tuned - my vlogs from that ship are coming up next! Thanks for watching, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
Thanks for giving such a great honest review. My experience with MSc world Europa found a similar lack of good customer service. I don’t think I’ll ever travel with MSc again . I’ve been with a few cruise lines and I’ll happily go back to them instead.
Thanks for watching, Brenda - always appreciate seeing your name pop up! I do hope it’s something they re-think, as I’m hearing so many consider it a ‘one and done’ experience, rather than one they’d love to go back to…!
Thank you so much for your detailed and honest review. I am thinking about cruising for the first time in my life and was considering MSC because it has two ports near my home town. But your helpful review has caused me to rethink. What you pay for your cruise should not impact customer service! How disappointing. So glad I found your channel!
Hey! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. It’s never my goal to make people not book, but I do pride myself in offering really honest reviews. If it’s not great, why lie and pretend it is? Thanks so much for watching!
This is a great video! We've never sailed MSC. We're scheduled on MSC out of Port Canaveral, Florida in the Yacht Club next October. If we like it, then we'll look at booking another MSC/Explora cruise in Europe for 2026. We've heard a lot of mixed reviews with MSC. I'm wondering if FraserAtSea's experience would have been better in the Yacht Club.
Thanks a lot for watching, Tony! I'd love to one day experience Yacht Club - I've heard such good things. Haven't made it to the other side of that doorway to my cabin yet, though!
That first cabin was a cell not a stateroom and no amount of glitz and bling in those ‘fit inducing’ flashy public areas can make up for it (all fur coat and no knickers as the old saying goes). Anyway thanks for a quality and fair video because I now know I will 100% never cruise with MSC. In 6 weeks time I’m sailing Cunard Queen Victoria from Istanbul back to Southampton and can’t wait. Great presentation Fraser 👍
Hey, thanks for watching! Istanbul to Southampton will be such a gorgeous route from Cunard - I hope you have some interesting ports in there! Thanks for watching - I do agree re: my initial cabin - how on Earth that is suitable as a cabin, I'll never be able to understand, ha!
Been on a couple of MSC cruises and I suspect the problem is what you expect. It is either the ship experience, or whether you view the cruise as a way to travel and get to a lot of places with a minimum of fuss.
We were on the MSC Euribia last year in the Yacht Club. We thought the food would be of a better quality. We were wrong. Food quality was really poor; service within the Yacht Club was great! Outside though it was a nightmare trying to get service. We had a great time and met some really nice people. But I don’t think we would sail again on MSC. Inconsistent service and food quality being the primary reasons.
Oh wow - this is an interesting comment - I’ve always assumed that the Yacht Club would be amazing in terms of service. Sorry to hear you struggled - what a huge amount of money to spend on something sub-par. I’d really like to try YC at some point, but a little out of my price range currently… Thanks a lot for watching, and thanks for waking the time to leave this comment!
Totally agree, I was on Euribia in May and Grandiosa in Yacht Club. The food was poor and mostly bland. The " whipped cream" was cream substitut, come on!! The service was top notch though. I had to change cabin 2 times, due to noise problem. The situation was handled quickly by the head receptionist. It's sad what the fantastic facilities in Yacht Club, don't offer real gourmet food. At least they don't call it fine dining anymore
We've seen so many mixed reviews on MSC - we'd love to try them. Their ships are so glam! Ok that cabin is pokey and the bed would have been an issue for us for sure. It seems you had a catalogue of disasters on this cruise. We've never seen queues that long to get off or back on a ship! Sounds like a nightmare - I'd have had the worst anxiety with all those different on board times!! Great review. Cheers 🍻
I just found you & have subscribed right away. My husband & I took the exact same cruise last September. I knew MSC had a hit or miss reputation but we got an amazing deal so I figured what the heck. We used to live in a couple of the New England states & had been to some of the Canadian ports as well so nothing to lose. I was surprised to hear that the itinerary had not changed. We were told there had been an over-booking of dock area at one of the ports so this in and out of the US was a one-off. guess not. It did make for an incredible delay when a large group of travelers decided they didn't have to to go immigration, either time, so none of us could disembark till they were called by name to come down. Twice! Dinner service started out great but deteriorated over the course of the cruise. Because we paid such a small price for the cruise, we took the inconveniences in stride. I think we might do another MSC cruise again only if we can get the same kind of deal. I can put up with quite a bit just to be on the water :)
Ahh, hello! Also, thanks so much for subscribing - I so appreciate your support! I probably will try MSC again, but only at one of these irresistible rock-bottom prices. Who knows - stay tuned. Welcome to my channel! 😊
Very interesting and detailed review. Never been on a MSC cruise, l see in comments a lot of people appreciate the wow factor of MSC mega ships. Unfortnately for me it would likely be Wow this Sucks. I'm good sticking with my top 3 (Celebrity, HAL and Carnival) - nothing huge and got status for tenders.
Hey, thanks a lot for watching my video and taking the time to comment. To be honest, this is what my channel is all about - showing the whole industry, to help people see what could and could not work for them. Again, thanks for being here!!
Fraser you have been lucky so far. Many MSC reviews online begin with the phrase "never again". MSC are building big ships faster than they can manage them. The ships are great, but the management of the crew and customer service is poor. They even stopped vlogers Ben & David filming. Why, because they have a hell of a lot to hide. In contrast, RCCL CAN manage big ships!
Thanks for watching! I’ve previously had such good experiences with MSC, so this recent one makes me sad 😔 Thanks a lot for watching, and let’s hope they turn it around!
Thanks Fraser. I wouldn’t cruise with MSC if you paid me, even in the yacht club. It’s like a bus service with new people embarking/disembarking at every port. Not for me. Hope your next cruise is a better experience😊
I convinced my family to join me on a 6 night Mediterranean cruise with MSC on the Armonia after having an amazing time on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas as my first cruise. Not only did we lose the majority of the itinerary as they allowed 70 Illegal Immigrants on board all the way from Bolivia (we were sat in Barcelona for three days) the response to this from staff on board was absolutely horrendous. I cannot put into words just how bad the experience was- truly the cruise from hell, never again. Since then I have stuck with Royal Caribbean and have not looked back, thankfully they instantly reignited my interest in cruising.
Oh, sorry you had a bad experience. The situation with the migrants sounds difficult - I've never been on a ship that collects people mid itinerary, but it must be so difficult. I actually think Maritime Law states that ships need to offer assistance, but I'm not totally sure. Keep cruising!!
I will never sail with MSC after seeing these videos. The ship is beautiful, but I prioritize service and good food! Hopefully, I’ll bump into you on a Virgin voyage! Cheers 🥂
Hello! I’d agree that this cruise has been POOR, but I would echo that this isn’t the MSC that I’m used to - some of my best cruises have been with them, which is what makes this so frustrating 😩 Thanks for watching, Drew!
Its a difficult one... The average cruise passenger save to go on holiday , taking leave from work and all that it entails. I think its different for travel bloggers as they'll go on nore cruise ships more frequently. So although it may be disappointing for them they know theyll go on another trip soon. Where as the average cruise passenger won't and a bad experience will really affect their view of the overall holiday. We had a disastrous MSC Virtuosa trip and won't go on a mega ship again. Food poisoning was so bad, my 78yr old dad getting it first then I got it. Day 4/7 were spent in the cabin . Off on Sky Princess in November. MSC ships are beautiful - all show no substance 😢
Thanks for watching! While I do understand your view on travel bloggers, I do disagree - I pay the same for my cruises as non travel blogging guests, and so don’t think I should feel any different about a bad experience. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience on Virtuosa - she’s actually one of my favourite ships, and I find she offers a consistently strong experience (in my case, anyway). Thanks for watching!!
Oh yes I'm sorry I know you pay for you're own trips , I'm sorry I worded it wrong. The issues you had with MSC were unacceptable and we all should get an acceptable standard of cabin and communication from the staff. What I was trying to say was the impact on a negative cruise experience would potentially put people off future cruises because of the fact they may do one a year and they want a quality holiday. Those in the social media cruise will have more opportunities to move on with the next cruise experience quite quickly. I'm sorry I didn't explain myself very well. I love your vlogs and I love the MSC ships unfortunately I had a bad experience and it certainly made me think about an MSC cruise in the future. Can't wait for the next cruise vlogs coming out 😁😁
That seemed like an absolute nightmare!! I don't think any of your requests were unreasonable. MSC has got to do better with their customer service or they will lose customers. Low fares or not...good customer service is key!!
Thanks! This video series has attracted really mixed reviews, so I'm glad you don't think I was being unreasonable! Thanks for watching, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
The first shoe box of a cabin you were allocated was not fit for purpose. Furthermore it did not give you or the passengers on the other sides any privacy as not only could you hear conversations from both sides , they could hear you. I get it it’s immigration laws but surly it was up to MSC to make sure their passengers were comfortable whilst waiting and not standing for prolonged periods of time. If they could not give out accurate and consistent timings to board on port days I shudder to think how you could prove this whilst standing on the port seeing the ship sail off. Thank you for your Frank and honest review, MSC will not be a company if my choice in the future as I’ve also heard similar reports from other cruisers.
Hi Scotty, thanks very much for watching - I’m glad it sounds like you’ve enjoyed this one. I agree re explaining yourself as the ship sails out - that was be stressful, and near impossible. Thanks for your support!!
I've heard way to many complaints about MSC. 🙁 I must disagree about it being a fair point to base service on accommodations. Receiving more amenities is valid and expected in suites compared to insides, but the rudeness you encountered at every turn was horrible and should've never happened regardless of class booked. I'm still amazed at how bad their organization was with long lines everywhere. Making you wait for your key that long was unacceptable. They could've sent you off to enjoy your day and moved your bags over for you allowing you to pick up the new key on your return. Then again they probably would've deactivated your old one so you couldn't get back on-board. 😂 You are a good sport making the best of a bad situation.
I almost took this same cruise out of NYC in May, but I had heard some very bad things about MSC's food. Something like " You want to be in port every day so you don't have to eat on the ship." I took HAL for my eastern Canada and Bar Harbor cruise. I prefer the smaller ships. Nicer than expected cabin, tender and immigration was very easy and efficient. Very glad I missed the Meraviglia!
Ah, it’s VERY different on here to HAL, but I’d also say that it’s much cheaper to cruise with MSC, so it’s important to remember that when you compare. I’ve got a HAL series coming soon - you might enjoy that! Stay tuned! 😊
We have done 3 cruises with MSC, but we probably will not return to MSC again. Had very similar experiences as you did. Waiting and queuing forever the whole cruise it was awful. MSC ships are just too crowded and way too many people on board for what they can handle. And yes we cruised all of them off season so at their lowest pax points. We will get back to Celebrity, Holland America and Azamara are much nicer experience.
Hi Mario, thanks for watching, and thanks for taking the time to comment - both of these actions really do support my channel, so it's much appreciated! Sorry to hear you haven't had the best experience with MSC - I probably will try them again, but it'll need to be at the right price point, for sure! Thanks again, and HAPPY CRUISING!
good video Fraser............enjoyed it and found it interesting..... .....my wife will not go on any boat for more than 14 days because she is still working.......... I want to on a world cruise...........but as a single retiree...........it's not value for money................ even for the cheapest room..........so I cycle instead...........keep up the good work......cheers
Hey Ken, thanks for watching, and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this video. Hope your wife flies to retirement soon, and you can get that world cruise booked… Thanks again - happy cycling!! 🚴🏽 😊
Hi Fraser, I've seen the video's made on this cruise and from the start I thought I would run away if this would happen to me. Giving you that cabin was really outrageous. Following other channels as well I already decided not to cruise with MSC but this made me even more serious about it. I'll stick to NCL and Princess and next year Costa gets another chance. Regards, Maya
Hi Maya, great to see your name pop up - hope you’re well! I agree - that room really was mad to check in to - I still can’t believe that’s an actual cruise ship cabin 😂 Interesting that Costa’s getting another chance - I’ll look forward to your review of that!
@@FraserAtSea Last May I was on Grand Princess for 15 days in Alaska. That was the best vacation I had all my life. A friend I met last year on NCL Gem joined me with her sister in law. And they both will join me in December on Regal Princess to Mexico. Costa gets another chance (May 2025) because I will travel with my sister this time so that will be totally different then cruising solo. And in May 2026 I booked (solo again) on Sky Princess for a 28 days Northern Europe cruise. So you see you got me totally edicted on cruising LOL. Stay safe and enjoy life!
Hi Fraiser, you know I love your video synopsis. I have been out of pocket as I was on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady cruise out of Barcelona ( I recognize your tee shirt.). As I catch up I was excited to se your enthusiam with Manhattan the city i was born, raised and have fond memories. I have never cuised out of Brooklyn and the ferry info was invaluable. Was this trip September 2024? I hope they have made some changes since your challenging cruise. I wish you would've captured the sail away. While MSC is not the cruise line for e based on many reviews and customer service experience. I appreciate you commentary and please keep the reviews coming and let us know in advance when you are cruising out of Miami or Barcelona. Remember everyone time is PRICELESS!
Hello! Ahh, thanks a lot for following along - I so appreciate it! I’ve just released my first NCL video, featuring a Manhattan sailaway - you might enjoy that, too! ruclips.net/video/KJpTHAgZo0Y/видео.htmlsi=KSYRDb2tBs5CEmZl Hope you enjoy catching up - welcome back!!
I sailed on the Meraviglia twice last year with very similar experiences to yours. My feeling is like yours. It would have to be a very good deal to try MSC again.
We've done 2 MSC cruises on the Virtuosa. Both of these were in the Yacht Club and although we had issues on both, generally we remember them fondly. The same can't be said for our Regent cruise on the Grandeur, we won't cruise with them again.
Oh no - what a horrid shame that your Regent cruise wasn’t amazing - I can only imagine your price point for that…! Virtuosa is one of my favourite ships - I’ve consistently had great experiences on there! Thanks a lot for watching!
I have never heard a good thing about MSC. I wouldn't sail with them even if it was free. The interiors are tacky and there are way too many people. You shouldn't have to go to an extra-fee restaurant to get good food and service. Thanks for a detailed review.
Hi Joan, thanks for watching! Their ships are really beautiful in the flesh, although very ‘over the top’ in a lot of cases. I totally agree re service - good service should be a basic - not an extra! Thanks again for your support!
So, you are going by word of mouth? The interiors are far from tacky...., and the number of people depends on each sailing....clearly you do not know what you are talking about!
Fraser, I am sorry you had such a bad situation on this cruise. I would write a long letter to the CEO, and I wouldn't sail with MSC again. Your first cabin was absurd. I enjoy watching all your videos....thank you.
Also a regular (Diamond) MSC sailor and also had similar issues with customer service issues when something went wrong. Poor management seems to be the issue, the hotel director told me that I'd have to wait to getting post cruise survey to complain
I traveled on the Meraviglia two years ago. It was my first MSC cruise although I’ve been on over 50 cruises on various other cruiselines. I went with my husband and adult daughter. We all agreed we will not sail MSC again.
Hi Mildred, thanks a lot for watching my video, and therefore supporting my little channel - I really appreciate it! Sorry to hear you also had a bad experience - I’ll probably try again, but at a really low price point!
Hi Fraser, Long time no see lol, We have sailed with MSC since 2012 in-between other cruise lines and land holidays. MSC are not known for their organisational skills as you may recall I have told you before especially when disembarking at port stops and when coming up against poorly organised routes and US border control. With regards to the dining room issue that is likely down to either one person who refuses to change or Incompetence, Had it been me who was told you have not paid enough I would have reported that person to a superior and handed in a written letter with my complaint on it to the Captain. Sadly there are a few bad apples in every walk of life and some are on cruise ships, we have had the not interested tactic of guest services on a few issues while onboard MSC ships the worst of which is that when you ask to speak to a senior manager you are told they are in a meeting! once or twice maybe but not on every ship. The problem with MSC is that each ship is allowed to do it's own thing within certain parameters which becomes annoying when you know it has been different on other ships. The route you sailed on was certainly stupid in terms of sailing out of and back into USA, borders only to sail out once again, we ourselves looked at doing this cruise but having sailed on Meraviglia at Xmas 2019 decided against as we don't like the ship design and had hoped that things would have been better on Virtuosa but again we did not like that ship either. Seaside is our favourite ship from MSC that we have sailed on so far.
Hi David, thanks for watching and thanks for taking the time to leave this comment. It sounds like those MSC Managers love a meeting, haha! I do reckon I’ll give MSC another try - I’ve previously had such great cruises with them (as you know), so I’m not ready to write them off in my eyes after one bad experience. Watch this space…!!
Not been disappointed with MSC. Been on several cruises, and have two more booked in the future. I guess if I continue to cruise enough once in a while, had a few bumps in the road.
There is no way I would tolerate all those avoidable problems without being miserable. Good customer service can turn a disaster into a tolerable situation. We spend so much to cruise but to have a horrible room, limited time in port, long lines, lack of customer service, and a general lack of cruise line concern would put me over the edge. You are very kind in your explanations but the reality is that for most of us, we save all year to take our cruise. It would be horrendous to experience what you did. No MSC for me. Ever.
Hey! Thanks for this comment, and I totally agree. I was fortunate to be spending a long time on ships last year, but that doesn’t make my experience any better! Thanks for watching - really appreciate your support of my little channel!
I just now stumbled upon your Vlog -- nice to hear a fellow Scot. My travel agent REFUSES to book us on MSC, so I watched this with interest to get your view. After this, I think we'll stick with Celebrity and Regent.
Hi Tony, thanks for watching! Always great to find a fellow Scot on here - at least you’ll understand what I’m saying, haha! I think the MSC experience would be VERY different to Regent for you - that in itself would make a fascinating perspective! I have a few MSC series on here now that you may find useful 😊 Thanks for commenting and supporting my little channel!
Don't be afraid I've been on Meraviglia 3 times,and had a great time even the one that I didn't go where it was suppose to,and the cruise it,s self was fun!!!!🎉
I am a stickler for discipline and proper service. Going by the first two cabins allocated to you Fraser at Sea; there is *NO BLOODY WAY I'D BE CRUISING WITH MSC FUUL STOP. Slàinte!*
I been on Meraviglia twice and noticed there are two types of interior solo cabins. I realized on my second round that website does list them at different prices. So I booked the more expensive one the second time and it was fine.
I've been on this ship twice.. first time they ran out of food and drinks.. gave it another go and the amount of people on the ship because of lines to do anything ruined it for me!
Just got off a 7 day out of Rome on the Seaside. It was a nightmare! Every single day to the point we were looking up airfare home for each port. We are avid dcl, carnival, and royal fans and the environment on this ship was a shock.
Oh no! I’m SO sorry to hear you had a bad experience - what was it that caused the issue? I do think you must remember the prices when comparing to lines like Disney, but you’ve also named some comparable companies there, so keen to hear more. Thanks for watching!
It’s seems like MSC is okay until something happens that’s not okay. There is no consistency in the customer service. It’s like once they have your money they don’t care at all about your experience on the cruise- I can’t risk my valuable vacation time on inconsistent experiences. MSC is not for me. Things happen on all cruises, it’s the way the cruise line handles it that makes or breaks your vacation experience. Love the content Fraser🎉🎉
Heyy, thanks so much for watching and therefore supporting my little corner of RUclips! I couldn’t agree more with this - how a cruise line handles an issue is the real determination of how much they care! I’m not sure I fancy another vacation on this ship in the short term… Maybe one day! 👀
All aboard timings etc. If there's a communication problem why not lie and say its 2 hours before sailing in order that people don't miss their cruise? This is a SERIOUS problem needs to be sorted.
We took the Meraviglia in 2022 for a Mediterranean cruise. One thing we didn't like was there is no adult only pool. We had kids unatteneded in hot tubs and even sitting at the bars.
Hello! Ah, this is an interesting point - I thought the pool at the back was adult only, but my cruise was too cold to test that logic as we were cruising to Canada in the Fall. An interesting observation! Thanks a lot for watching!!
@@FraserAtSea That's what we thought. It would have been the perfect place for an adults only area. It was separate from everything, had a small bar and pool plus a seating area. Nope...it was open to everyone. There are so many pool areas that are for kids.
I have mostly cruised MSC under YC and it has been nothing short of amazing. But I will say when we venture out to main ship it seems like hunger games. The standard buffet dining would never be an experience we would pay for. I hope they work to elevate all classes or it will be a race to the bottom.
Hi Shawn, thanks for watching, and great comment. I’d love to see what goes on inside YC, as it must be so different to the main ship areas! Thanks for your support!
We just done a cruise on MSc World Europa in the med, a bit disappointed the ship was great buffet was lousy fine dining was brilliant the shows were amazing, deck entertainment was absolutely crap , due to the European soccer we absolutely loved Malta , we have only been on 2 cruises 🚢 & I think princess was better !
Hi Mark, thanks for commenting, and thanks for supporting my channel by watching this video. World Europa is a ship with SUCH potential - will be intrigued to see what happens with World America…!
In the past year I have sailed on the Virtuosa (from Southampton) and the Spendida (from Genoa). Both are mighty fine ships, lots of facilities and wow factor. Enjoyed the cruises very much, would be happy to sail on these newer larger ships again. Yes, the Virtuosa can get overcrowded, especially in school holidays when there are lots of children onboard and the cabins are using the 3rd & 4th beds, but with careful planning there are solutions to these problems. Also, on the Virtuosa the tender service did strugle to provide capacity, I didn't go ashore that day but comments from other passenger left me in no douby that MSC failed to provide an adequate level of service. Your cabin was abysmal, clearly the ship oversold single cabins and you should not have been offered such. Likewise seating at meal times. I want to visit the Adriatic, MSC only offer their very old & smaller ships on these cruises, I feel they will lack the wow factor, I am avoiding MSC for this reason.
Great comment - thanks for watching! I’m actually replying to you from my Adriatic cruise, and we were docked beside MSC Armonia multiple times this week. You’re right - she’s a much older and smaller ship, and isn’t like the big ones from a ‘wow’ point of view. That said, I’d like to give her a try at some point!
@@FraserAtSea Thanks, I haven't ruled it out, it is certainly a cheaper option compared to going with Marella, and possibly with P&O too. I can arrange my own flights and transfers, did so in May with no problems. Which ship are you on, I have a work colleage on a Celebrity ship from Ravenna, but these are 10 day cruises and as still I work are too long for me.
Beautiful ship, Fraser! So it’s a shame about the problems but it’s an even bigger shame that the crew weren’t willing to help when it sounds like they could have done more!
Hi Ben, thanks for watching - glad we’ve found each other! I totally agree - I felt as though so much more could have been done… Thanks for watching mate!
I was about to book a 7 day cruise to ocean cay and Nassau on Meraviglia, when I found your series of MSC Meraviglia (with the same studio inside cabin) and I have truly mixed emotions as the price is good and I reallly want to cruise out of NYC.
I'll tell you it starts and ends with the Captain. From what I can tell from this trip they need to replace the Captain!!! Seascape, Seashore, you never hear about these complaints!! Mind you they don't have any control of the room complaints you had for the inside room. WOW what a horrible room! MSC should be ashamed!!! Absolutely unforgivable! What a sham of a ship!! I won't EVER be on this ship! Customer service seemed to be an absolute shxx show! MSC give your head a shake and I know you're looking at these comments. My husband are trying MSC next month. Be aware I Am video taping things, I am making notes of everything that goes on and I will be just as critical!
Tina, thanks for watching. I usually love MSC, but this cruise felt a bit different unfortunately. I’m sure you won’t need to worry about your upcoming trip - there have been lots of reassuring comments from recent cruisers on these videos to say it has really improved!
The route was weird because of a 100 year old law we have in the U.S. . .The Jones Act treats U.S. cruise ships and passengers differently from foreign cruise ships and passengers. While the act allows U.S. ships to travel directly from U.S. port to port, it prohibits foreign ships from traveling directly from U.S. port to port. So you can't blame MSC for that.
Yeah, this is a fair point. I totally do understand that though - my criticism when it comes to that law is the overall route planning, and also the onboard management of the situation. We had passengers passing out in line - just put a few chairs out and offer free water when you know that guests are going to be standing in lines for hours… Thanks for watching, Rob!
Yeah, this is a fair point. I totally do understand that though - my criticism when it comes to that law is the overall route planning, and also the onboard management of the situation. We had passengers passing out in line - just put a few chairs out and offer free water when you know that guests are going to be standing in lines for hours… Thanks for watching, Rob!
No excuse. HAL does the same ports but we only had one tender and immigration and it was smooth as silk. Very poor management on the Meraviglia is the cause here.
MSC cruises are fine until you need Customer Service. If you don't need to contact them the cruise can be great. Once you have to make contact with 'Customer Service' it's almost easier to get off at the next port.
Hi Barry, unfortunately this was my finding too. Lots of people with no authority or ability to help sadly. Thanks for watching and therefore supporting my channel!
That's strange planning. I went on a cruise like that on the QM2 last year, we went from NYC to Canada. Then we went to Boston, where we had to go to immigration; folks who had excursions went first and it went pretty smoothly. It sounds like MSC slapped this cruise together quickly.
Thanks a lot for watching! Yes, lots didn’t go to plan on here unfortunately, so I’d probably agree - not a huge deal of planning for this itinerary, by the looks of things. Thanks again for your support!
Oh wow, 22 days will be such a long time on there! Don’t worry - I’ve had good cruises in addition to this rogue one with MSC - hopefully you’ll be in the good category! Where are you going?!
Beautiful ships......take some food with you !...Fraser is right though MSC can deliver but I think are failing currently...they are not alone in that respect !
@@FraserAtSea my only other cruise was on Princess last December and it was 33 days! It was awesome! This MSC cruise starts in Genoa and does 7 stops in the Med then transatlantic with 3 stops in Carribean and ending in Miami! It was really affordable so hopefully it isn’t a case of “you get what you pay for”! $1100 fare and taxes/port fees. I don’t drink so that will help.
Don’t listen to every body saying their opinion… go and check for yourself. MSC is a great line and you are going to have a great time … his experience may be exaggerated just for clicks
I think the £1400 was a lot to pay for the first cabin you were given. That’s very poor value for a single cabin like that. I always thought of MSC as being cheap but maybe not. I have done a lot of cruises with various lines and I don’t think we have ever arrived late in port. Very strange.
Yeah, I think lots of people assumed I had paid very little for this cruise when they saw the cabin, so I wanted to be open about pricing in this video. I agree - poor value for that tiny cabin!
I would have been very upset too. You experienced a lot of convenience and to spend almost 2 grand for this. The ship does look beautiful thou. Love the sparkly staircase
My wife and I are going on a couple christian cruise on one of the MSC ships in February.i will see how it will be. Worst comes to worst we will go back to celebrity cruise ships.and wont look back.
The solo room you got is disgraceful. A sofa bed? Are you kidding! It should have been seriously discounted and you should have been aware of what you were getting.
My experience with MSC is that they truly don’t care about customer service. Most of the time things generally work ok. But when there is a problem, customer service doesn’t care.
You know, I’d have disagreed with this before this cruise, but then I’d never had anything go wrong. Sorry to hear you’ve also seen this side 🤦🏻♂️ Thanks for watching!
5642 passenger capacity ridiculous amount of people to disembark and embark especially with tender as the ship is too massive for some ports. Am on a cruise taking in a Caribbean island where 19,000 passengers (if all full capacity) dock on same day! When cruise booking the size is the first factor not the price!
Yeah, I now totally agree - this ship was far too large for tendering, especially when it was so disorganised too! Thanks a lot for watching, and enjoy those ports!! 😊
Hey! I cruised on Celebrity a good while ago before I started vlogging. Hoping to get out with them again at some point, so ‘Watch this space’ I guess!
Those single room really just need a dedicated bed. The lines would have done me in...just can't keep on my feet standing for that long anymore. I did think the itinerary for a little strange, but I'm not sure is this is even something the cruise line can control. I know specifically here in Halifax, the port authority has total say in when a ship and come and go, and there has been various challenges for cruise ships entering while container ships are navigating an exit making a late arrival. But really, a lot can be excused if one receives exemplary customer service...which it seems was a little lacking on this voyage for sure! Sure do hope it hasn't put you off on visiting our little part of Canada here on the east coast once again.
Looks like your first room was for performers and/or staff! Bet that sofa bed was meant to be used conjunction with the connecting room. Not as stand alone. Either as day sofa and/or bed for staff on different shifts. Second bedroom with a lock!
Hi John, thanks for watching! I’ve actually done some research on this room, and have more context behind it now. You can read more on my website, here: www.fraseratsea.com/the-worst-cruise-ship-cabin-ive-ever-seen
All pre-covid: Best included food we've had is NCL Bliss. Good staff all around. Best on/off ship - start, ports of call and end - RCL - and their big ships are best. eg Symphony. Worst Queen Mary 2. Best customer service - RCL hands down. They admit mistakes (or accept you made an error in good faith) and fixed them with no arguments. Also got some compensation we didn't expect and didn't ask for. Princess? My 'cardigan' liner. OK but nothing exciting, even on their flagship the Regal. Australian admin goes into denial, slow mode and play 'ping pong' between them, the agent and the customer. They didn't understand the common law of agency until I spelt it out for them. Once they pay commission to a travel agent, it becomes a Princess agent (not the customer's agent) and Princess are liable for the actions of travel agents. That includes refunds. You do NOT have to go through the travel agent. That may be their preference but by law you can dump the agent anytime you like and deal direct.
It looks like such a beautiful ship, too bad the experience didn't match. I was wondering if you decide not to disembark, do you still need to get your passport checked?
Hi Rocco! Agreed - it’s such a gorgeous ship, and I really do hope they fix the onboard experience, as it would be wonderful if it were to match! I believe that everyone needed to get checked, yeah. If you weren’t heading ashore, you would go down in the last available window, which I think was around 1pm! Thanks for watching!
I've been of 2 MSC Cruises. Divina and Seashore just to give them a fair shake. They were the worst. Food was so bad in the MDR I went to the buffet instead. Not much better but at least I could se the food before selecting it. Entertainment was boring. Restrooms mid ship were always broken. My shower drain was backing up and it took 2 days for them to fix it. There island is so basic that if you just wasnt a beach day then fine but unless you were Yacht Club you wont get anything but food Truck food and cheap plastic chairs and table. You get what you pay for so cheap is cheap or Yacht club great food and service. will never sail MSC again
Hi Dianna, thanks for watching and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I really want to try Seashore - that class of ship looks amazing, but saddened to hear your review 😔 Hope you’re still cruising!!
Hey Toni! 👋🏼 I believe the studio/solo rooms on this ship are all on the inside, but you’re obviously able to cruise solo in a ‘regular’ cabin too, meaning a cabin for 2 passengers. So you could cruise solo in a balcony, but you would probably pay the full double fare!
I was on the chair in May going to Canada and New England, and to be honest it was actually one of the better customer service experience that I ever had down to our waiter in the main dining room and the staff in the pun of that I spent a lot of time in. I am not really sure how you had such a horrible experience. Maybe it also had to do with your cabin and your location.
Hi Rob, thanks for watching, and thanks for commenting! I’m so glad to hear you had a great trip - I’m so hopeful that my cruise was an example of a one-off. Fingers crossed the next one is better… Thanks again!
![25 Things Cruisers MUST Know Before Your First MSC Cruise [MSC Cruise Tips 2024]](/img/1.gif)
Thanks for checking out my FULL REVIEW of my cruise onboard MSC Meraviglia. If you're new here, please click that SUBSCRIBE button to support my channel, and remember to give the video a THUMBS UP too!
Thanks a lot, and welcome onboard!
Treat yourself to a celebrity edge class ship. You will never go back
@@barrygleen2042 oh, I’d absolutely love to try EDGE class!
Some of them are okay. I had a friend who just went on one and they said it was okay. Lots of charges for things like Norwegian I guess.
It’s not until you go on other cruises till you realise who rubbish Msc!!!! Princess cruise is absolutely amazing, even p&O are way ahead of
After having watched several reviews, i will never book a cruise ship.. thank you for your honesty 🙏
Ahh, that’s a shame. You never know - maybe one day you’ll give it a go and love it!
Thank you Fraser for your very informative, in-depth, and personal videos! I loved watching this series and it's even prompted me to be a subscriber! To be honest, I had previously been thinking about going on an MSC cruise but your series has helped me decide that I never want to cruise MSC, despite the lower price-point. Your videos aren't the only reason I've made this decision, but they've added to the voluminous other negative press I've seen from other vloggers about their experiences on MSC. After recently watching videos of other vloggers being harassed by on-board staff, being kicked off ships for suspected "negative" reviews, etc., your videos only solidify the impression that MSC is awful and will do anything to hide it from the public. Try cruising on Princess - it's my favorite!
Hello! Thanks a lot for watching - really appreciate the support! I’m usually a massive fan of MSC, but lots on this cruise didn’t go to plan, which I’m still really disappointed about to be honest!
I’ve actually cruised with Princess before really launching my RUclips channel, and LOVED them! Maybe one day… 🤞🏼
Side topic, but this guy has the most amazing accent I’ve ever heard! I could listen to him speak all day. I’m an American, by the way, and we rarely get to hear such an amazing accent. 👍🏼 Now, carry on.
This is SUCH a lovely comment, and I need to thank you so much for it. I get really mixed reviews on my accent, and it can sometimes be difficult not to take it personally, so thanks so much for your positive sentiment - it’s so appreciated!
What a great accent. It was so interesting to listen to that sometimes I would run it back just to hear it! Thanks for sharing!
Scottich
This was my first time watching your videos. I believe that, what happened to you, was not the cruise line's fault, but the crew's fault. I have heard many good things about this ship. I have sailed with MSC, but on other ships, and I really liked them. It was good to hear that, after the first days, everything improved, what makes me think it was lack of organization and leadership onboard.
Hi! Thanks for watching, and I’d probably agree for most of the factors. Unfortunately though, the crew do represent the cruise line, so both are probably at fault here…
I’ll probably give them another try - just not yet… Thanks for watching!
My wife and I enjoyed meravigia. Crowded but beautiful ship. We got off Quantum of the seas two months ago and my wife said to me. "I miss MSC"
I took a cruise on MSC Meraviglia in July to Bahamas and Ocean Cey and I absolutely loved it!!!
Oh, I'm SO glad that you enjoyed it - hopefully they've made some much needed changes onboard!!
You are a better man than I. I would have been furious to experience this type of service. Let’s face it, ships are ships, but service can make the customer return.
Hi Chris, thanks very much for watching. This cruise tested my patience, but I’m glad I weathered the storm, haha! Thanks for your support!
Have to say that I had far better service on msc than with Ambassador. It's a bit strange with passengers leaving and arriving en-route but you get used to it.
Three cruise lines I'm very reluctant to patronize, despite their lower price points: MSC, Carnival, Costa. I've tried them all, but it was one and done.
Fair - I do think you need to try them before you knock them. Thanks for watching!
Love Carnival HATED MSC
@@charla6548 I will never ever cruise with MSC again.😡
Just a point regarding customer service. We had a Yacht Club Duplex Suite on the Meraviglia in May 2023. Without boring you with details, The A/C was shut off by maintenance because the temperature could not be controlled from day one and the balcony hot tub was not repaired until our last evening on the ship. We requested a room change and/or compensation which was declined on three occasions when requested. So poor customer service obviously extends to all categories on the MSC Meraviglia.
@@keithballweg9356 oh my goodness - I’m so sad to hear you had issues while cruising in such a premium cabin type - that’s awful 😞 Thanks for watching!
I have never been on a cruise but have been considering it. You pointed out some very important details about things that would have driven me nuts and the company's inefficient operations practices. I cannot stand adjoining doors in hotel rooms. The fact that you had several is astonishing. As a solo traveler myself this is a deal breaker. Also, you talk in great detail about the queues (lines) for just about everything that can also make you late for everything. And, the fact that there was NO clarity on the time you had to be back on the ship is unacceptable. Great info and thank you for sharing. Lots to think about. Happy sailing!
Hello! I’m so glad you found me and have enjoyed my insights here. Thanks so much for supporting my channel by watching today! 😊
Thank you for the summary video, Fraser; you were much, much more than fair in your assessment! I was disappointed for you for the many challenges and downright bad service you experienced, and especially as a solo passenger and an MSC Voyagers Club Diamond member (a fact you kindly waited to mention, and their highest loyalty tier). I truly hope that MSC reaches out to you with a partial refund (taking responsibility for their dismal performance rather than OBC or future discount). My favorites so far have been Royal Caribbean, Celebrity (Edge class), and hopefully soon, Princess! Always enjoy your vlogs and looking forward to forthcoming ones from Scotland!
Hey, thanks a lot for messaging! I was SO disappointed with what I experienced on this ship, largely due to the fact that I’ve been such a public advocate of MSC before… Hopefully it’s not fleet-wide, and the issues on Meraviglia get resolved ASAP! 🤞🏼
Thanks for watching!!
I’ve been watching your videos on this particular cruise. It’s such a shame that customer service was so poor.
I have not cruised with MSC yet.
I think I will be very reluctant to do so
Thanks a lot for watching, Donna. I really appreciate your support!
Not a all.. I was cruising 2 times on this ship and I love it
This ship is notorious for terrible customer service and terrible food!
Your experience is exactly how I would describe the 125 day world cruise I took with MSC. Our room was the super small kind but was fine except the bed was so incredibly hard that we had a backache most of the cruise. I was offered pillows to line the bed each night which helped.. at the middle of the cruise I was up to 9 pillows after trying for 1 months just sleeping on the bed itself. Others bought 3 inch foam in port. Arrival time for ports was never correct and they would change departures all the time. Checking the app while we were on our private (just us in a car with a tour guide) tours was frequent daily. MSC excursions were $150 to $200 pp on a big bus with very few stops for only 4 hours, mostly drive bys, so for that same $200 to $400 we could get a totally private guided tour for 8 hours or more. Tendering was just a pushing and butting in line mess. Tender tickets were given out at 6:30am but that line started at 3 am and was halfway through the ship at 6:30. Tender boats were not filled because the pushing and standing up at disembarking was a safety hazard for the crew unloading passengers. The staff never explained why they asked us to stay seated. I had to find this out from customer service about rocking the boat or worse if everyone stands and moved to one side of the tender. We ran out of food. No fresh food , fruits, veg, eggs, so we had frozen weird food for time in the Indian ocean and our week crossing to America from South Africa. There's more but it matches what u say exactly.
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear you didn’t have the best experience. Thanks a lot for watching my video, and thanks for also sharing your experience.
I bet the 125 nighter was still amazing though!
@@FraserAtSea OMG.. The world is Soo incredible. It was my first time out of Western Hemisphere. Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Rio, Manaus in the Amazon (we did a survival camp where we ate bugs and caught pirahnas in a location 100 kilometers from the ship), Iceland, Northern Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Sweden and so much more!!! Every port was the most incredible!!
Hello Fraser. Thank you for the video series, I watched them all! I was on Meraviglia for the New Years Eve cruise. I was also in a tiny cabin #10004 with the sofa bed. You're luck you got out of that one. I had to call the room steward everytime I needed the bed opened and closed so I could access the wardrobe. As for your experience, it is typical for holiday times. All the kids are out of school at the moment, the ships are crowded, it was also the Fourth of July holiday. The price is higher, the service is not great. I was surprised and disappointed they did not allow you to change the dining time. Keep on crusin' and posting!
Hey, thanks a lot for watching! I’m SO sad to read that MSC haven’t changed the configuration of that wardrobe - how simple a change is that?! Hopefully they make the change soon, as that’s VERY annoying when cruising!
Thanks for your support of my little RUclips channel!!
Great series of videos, I love the way you compose the videos. It feels like we are cruising with you. Great work!!!!
Thanks so much! I’m really glad you enjoy - thanks very much for watching!
My family and I sailed in August and we had a fantastic time. Food was wonderful, service excellent, shows outstanding and atmosphere beautiful. Try sailing during the summer because it you may have a completely different experience.
Ah, it’s so great to hear you had a great time - you’re not alone in the comments here! I’ll deff try MSC again - just not yet… Thanks a lot for watching - appreciate your support!
My first MSC cruise was in 2012 (Opera) and my last was three months ago on board the Euribia.
I definitely see the things that could be improved, but most of all I enjoyed all these cruises. I've never really experienced anything unpleasant.
Hello! 👋🏼 Great to hear - I’ve previously been a huge fan of MSC. Happy to hear you had great trips - thanks for watching my video!
What a shame that such a beautiful looking cruise ship had so many problems. The irony is that most of what went wrong for you and some other passengers could so easily have been rectified with no extra cost! The ship is not at fault, but the operation and management of it. Someone needs to up their game! Those involved should be able to be identified, and the future situation improved. What you have described would put me off, in case it happened to me. Thus I would look at a different cruise line. What you paid was not insignificant. I think you delivered a very precise and what appears to be an accurate summary. It wouldn’t take many minutes for the higher management of the cruise line to see this and make sure they instigated rectifications immediately. Time will tell!
Thanks Hazel - I was worried this video might seem like a moan, so I’m delighted to see that you think it’s a fair and balanced view. I do hope the relevant people watch this one - I’d love to see MSC deliver what I’m used to on this ship too - I’ve previously been such a fan!
Thanks for watching!!
@@FraserAtSeaThe thing that struck my hardest was hearing you “didn’t pay enough” for proper service. It would be one thing if it was access to certain dining rooms, etc., but the hear that in the MDR where I would have thought everyone was “equal” would probably be enough to be off them for good. I think we will be sticking to Holland America! I do really enjoy your videos!
@@jeffkellyb7712 yeah, I didn’t really know what to say to that. Ah, I’ve actually got HAL coming very soon to my channel - in a few ships’ time - stay tuned!!
@@FraserAtSea , looking forward to that!
Chances are that had you gone a month later you my not have had those issues because of crew changes in the Dining rooms and different senior managers in the areas you had issues with.
Thanks for this thorough analysis. I think I’ll pass on the Meraviglia but am willing to try MSC if the price and itinerary are too good to pass up. It comes down to bad management in my opinion and is sort of analogous to a restaurant franchise that is not up to the standard of the company. Treating paying customers like dumb cattle is not a solid business model.
Thanks very much for taking us along this cruise with you!
Hello! You’re so welcome - thanks so much to you for watching, and therefore supporting my RUclips channel!
@@FraserAtSea No, no, thank you! 🤓
Also please come back to New England, there’s more to see/do/eat/drink, etc!
That all checks out... We were on MSC Meraviglia for 7 days in the Caribbean early 2023. Long queues... 45 min wait to get a drink at their beach bars on Ocean Cay. No outlets near the bed for phone charging or CPAP, no extension cords available or allowed... so I had to move the bed against the other wall just to plug in a CPAP. Booked Tora restaurant one night, got there to be told they're out of a bunch of key ingredients. I left. They ran out of ice cream up on the pool deck part way through the week. The list goes on.. none of what you listed surprises me at all.
Unfortunately it was our first cruise experience. Likely won't ever do MSC again.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t have a great experience. I’ve previously been on (and featured on RUclips) some great MSC cruises, but this one didn’t deliver!
Don’t let it put you off - you need to try another cruise line!
OMG...You have the patience of a saint. I would have been going crazy. Thank you for the video and honesty!
Ha, I didn’t feel it at the time, so really appreciate this. Thanks for watching!
A very balanced review Fraser thank you and what a shame you’re not sure about travelling with MSC again. I have been on 3 MSC ships and never experienced what you did on this ship (except a long queue at a tender port which is often the case)
What a crazy itinerary……… I just can’t imagine why they would do this, an extra day at sea would have been a better option maybe.
As for customer service, I’ve had to speak to customer service a couple of times on other MSC ships and they have always been so helpful and friendly (even sending a bottle of wine to our room as a goodwill gesture).
I honestly think the problem you had with guest services and the dining room manager is all to do with the senior management on the ship its self. Their attitude has percolated down and they probably are due a good shake up. 😀👍
Joy, thanks for this comment. I do hope it’s ship-specific, as I’ve previously been a huge advocate of MSC as a cruise line. I couldn’t believe how wide-spread the problems felt on here - hopefully a one-off!
Thanks (as always) for watching, and therefore your support of my little channel!!
@@FraserAtSea yes I think it’s ship specific. I’ve always been impressed with their customer service 😀
For you to say it was bad, it must of been. You are the most impartial voice of cruising on you tube. Onwards and upwards my friend.
Hi Dawn, thanks so much!
I have been on many cruises in my lifetime on various cruise lines, I sailed on ONE MSC cruise, it was on the MSC Divina and I was not impressed. You are correct, , MSC offers cruises at great prices; however, I would prefer to pay a little more and have a better experience. By the way, I was on the same cruise with you on the Norwegian Escape last October, it was a New England/ Canada cruise as well. Thanks for making this video, it only reinforces my reluctance to sail on another MSC cruise.
Hi Mark, I was on Escape right after this. Stay tuned - my vlogs from that ship are coming up next!
Thanks for watching, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
@@FraserAtSea oh, I liked the Escape pretty well!!! Great spa. And don't miss the Pincho's Tapas Bar!!!
I hated Divina
Thanks for giving such a great honest review. My experience with MSc world Europa found a similar lack of good customer service. I don’t think I’ll ever travel with MSc again . I’ve been with a few cruise lines and I’ll happily go back to them instead.
Thanks for watching, Brenda - always appreciate seeing your name pop up! I do hope it’s something they re-think, as I’m hearing so many consider it a ‘one and done’ experience, rather than one they’d love to go back to…!
Thank you so much for your detailed and honest review. I am thinking about cruising for the first time in my life and was considering MSC because it has two ports near my home town. But your helpful review has caused me to rethink. What you pay for your cruise should not impact customer service! How disappointing. So glad I found your channel!
Hey! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. It’s never my goal to make people not book, but I do pride myself in offering really honest reviews. If it’s not great, why lie and pretend it is?
Thanks so much for watching!
This is a great video! We've never sailed MSC. We're scheduled on MSC out of Port Canaveral, Florida in the Yacht Club next October. If we like it, then we'll look at booking another MSC/Explora cruise in Europe for 2026. We've heard a lot of mixed reviews with MSC. I'm wondering if FraserAtSea's experience would have been better in the Yacht Club.
Thanks a lot for watching, Tony! I'd love to one day experience Yacht Club - I've heard such good things. Haven't made it to the other side of that doorway to my cabin yet, though!
That first cabin was a cell not a stateroom and no amount of glitz and bling in those ‘fit inducing’ flashy public areas can make up for it (all fur coat and no knickers as the old saying goes). Anyway thanks for a quality and fair video because I now know I will 100% never cruise with MSC. In 6 weeks time I’m sailing Cunard Queen Victoria from Istanbul back to Southampton and can’t wait. Great presentation Fraser 👍
Hey, thanks for watching! Istanbul to Southampton will be such a gorgeous route from Cunard - I hope you have some interesting ports in there!
Thanks for watching - I do agree re: my initial cabin - how on Earth that is suitable as a cabin, I'll never be able to understand, ha!
Been on a couple of MSC cruises and I suspect the problem is what you expect. It is either the ship experience, or whether you view the cruise as a way to travel and get to a lot of places with a minimum of fuss.
A fair point - thanks a lot for watching, and thanks for commenting too! 🛳️ 🌊
We were on the MSC Euribia last year in the Yacht Club. We thought the food would be of a better quality. We were wrong. Food quality was really poor; service within the Yacht Club was great! Outside though it was a nightmare trying to get service. We had a great time and met some really nice people. But I don’t think we would sail again on MSC. Inconsistent service and food quality being the primary reasons.
Oh wow - this is an interesting comment - I’ve always assumed that the Yacht Club would be amazing in terms of service. Sorry to hear you struggled - what a huge amount of money to spend on something sub-par.
I’d really like to try YC at some point, but a little out of my price range currently…
Thanks a lot for watching, and thanks for waking the time to leave this comment!
Totally agree, I was on Euribia in May and Grandiosa in Yacht Club. The food was poor and mostly bland. The " whipped cream" was cream substitut, come on!! The service was top notch though. I had to change cabin 2 times, due to noise problem. The situation was handled quickly by the head receptionist. It's sad what the fantastic facilities in Yacht Club, don't offer real gourmet food. At least they don't call it fine dining anymore
@@christinajensen2985 thanks for this comment, Christina - sorry you had a bad experience in terms of food on there 😞
We've seen so many mixed reviews on MSC - we'd love to try them. Their ships are so glam! Ok that cabin is pokey and the bed would have been an issue for us for sure. It seems you had a catalogue of disasters on this cruise. We've never seen queues that long to get off or back on a ship! Sounds like a nightmare - I'd have had the worst anxiety with all those different on board times!! Great review. Cheers 🍻
Thanks a lot for watching - really appreciate it! I probably will try MSC again - just not yet… Thanks again - always good to see you pop up!
I just found you & have subscribed right away. My husband & I took the exact same cruise last September. I knew MSC had a hit or miss reputation but we got an amazing deal so I figured what the heck. We used to live in a couple of the New England states & had been to some of the Canadian ports as well so nothing to lose. I was surprised to hear that the itinerary had not changed. We were told there had been an over-booking of dock area at one of the ports so this in and out of the US was a one-off.
guess not. It did make for an incredible delay when a large group of travelers decided they didn't have to to go immigration, either time, so none of us could disembark till they were called by name to come down. Twice! Dinner service started out great but deteriorated over the course of the cruise. Because we paid such a small price for the cruise, we took the inconveniences in stride. I think we might do another MSC cruise again only if we can get the same kind of deal. I can put up with quite a bit just to be on the water :)
Ahh, hello! Also, thanks so much for subscribing - I so appreciate your support! I probably will try MSC again, but only at one of these irresistible rock-bottom prices. Who knows - stay tuned.
Welcome to my channel! 😊
There is your issue ROCK BOTTOM PRICES.
Very interesting and detailed review. Never been on a MSC cruise, l see in comments a lot of people appreciate the wow factor of MSC mega ships. Unfortnately for me it would likely be Wow this Sucks. I'm good sticking with my top 3 (Celebrity, HAL and Carnival) - nothing huge and got status for tenders.
Hey, thanks a lot for watching my video and taking the time to comment. To be honest, this is what my channel is all about - showing the whole industry, to help people see what could and could not work for them.
Again, thanks for being here!!
Fraser you have been lucky so far. Many MSC reviews online begin with the phrase "never again". MSC are building big ships faster than they can manage them. The ships are great, but the management of the crew and customer service is poor. They even stopped vlogers Ben & David filming. Why, because they have a hell of a lot to hide. In contrast, RCCL CAN manage big ships!
Thanks for watching! I’ve previously had such good experiences with MSC, so this recent one makes me sad 😔 Thanks a lot for watching, and let’s hope they turn it around!
Thanks Fraser. I wouldn’t cruise with MSC if you paid me, even in the yacht club. It’s like a bus service with new people embarking/disembarking at every port. Not for me. Hope your next cruise is a better experience😊
Louise, thanks a million for watching - I so appreciate your support! Next one, coming right up!
I convinced my family to join me on a 6 night Mediterranean cruise with MSC on the Armonia after having an amazing time on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas as my first cruise. Not only did we lose the majority of the itinerary as they allowed 70 Illegal Immigrants on board all the way from Bolivia (we were sat in Barcelona for three days) the response to this from staff on board was absolutely horrendous. I cannot put into words just how bad the experience was- truly the cruise from hell, never again. Since then I have stuck with Royal Caribbean and have not looked back, thankfully they instantly reignited my interest in cruising.
Oh, sorry you had a bad experience. The situation with the migrants sounds difficult - I've never been on a ship that collects people mid itinerary, but it must be so difficult. I actually think Maritime Law states that ships need to offer assistance, but I'm not totally sure.
Keep cruising!!
I will never sail with MSC after seeing these videos. The ship is beautiful, but I prioritize service and good food! Hopefully, I’ll bump into you on a Virgin voyage! Cheers 🥂
Hello! I’d agree that this cruise has been POOR, but I would echo that this isn’t the MSC that I’m used to - some of my best cruises have been with them, which is what makes this so frustrating 😩 Thanks for watching, Drew!
Its a difficult one... The average cruise passenger save to go on holiday , taking leave from work and all that it entails.
I think its different for travel bloggers as they'll go on nore cruise ships more frequently. So although it may be disappointing for them they know theyll go on another trip soon. Where as the average cruise passenger won't and a bad experience will really affect their view of the overall holiday.
We had a disastrous MSC Virtuosa trip and won't go on a mega ship again. Food poisoning was so bad, my 78yr old dad getting it first then I got it. Day 4/7 were spent in the cabin .
Off on Sky Princess in November.
MSC ships are beautiful - all show no substance 😢
Thanks for watching! While I do understand your view on travel bloggers, I do disagree - I pay the same for my cruises as non travel blogging guests, and so don’t think I should feel any different about a bad experience.
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience on Virtuosa - she’s actually one of my favourite ships, and I find she offers a consistently strong experience (in my case, anyway).
Thanks for watching!!
Oh yes I'm sorry I know you pay for you're own trips , I'm sorry I worded it wrong.
The issues you had with MSC were unacceptable and we all should get an acceptable standard of cabin and communication from the staff.
What I was trying to say was the impact on a negative cruise experience would potentially put people off future cruises because of the fact they may do one a year and they want a quality holiday. Those in the social media cruise will have more opportunities to move on with the next cruise experience quite quickly.
I'm sorry I didn't explain myself very well. I love your vlogs and I love the MSC ships unfortunately I had a bad experience and it certainly made me think about an MSC cruise in the future.
Can't wait for the next cruise vlogs coming out 😁😁
@@soniauk4284 ahh, I get you Sonia - sorry - I read that wrong, haha! Thanks so much for continuing to support my little channel!!
That seemed like an absolute nightmare!! I don't think any of your requests were unreasonable. MSC has got to do better with their customer service or they will lose customers. Low fares or not...good customer service is key!!
Thanks! This video series has attracted really mixed reviews, so I'm glad you don't think I was being unreasonable!
Thanks for watching, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
The first shoe box of a cabin you were allocated was not fit for purpose. Furthermore it did not give you or the passengers on the other sides any privacy as not only could you hear conversations from both sides , they could hear you.
I get it it’s immigration laws but surly it was up to MSC to make sure their passengers were comfortable whilst waiting and not standing for prolonged periods of time.
If they could not give out accurate and consistent timings to board on port days I shudder to think how you could prove this whilst standing on the port seeing the ship sail off.
Thank you for your Frank and honest review, MSC will not be a company if my choice in the future as I’ve also heard similar reports from other cruisers.
Hi Scotty, thanks very much for watching - I’m glad it sounds like you’ve enjoyed this one. I agree re explaining yourself as the ship sails out - that was be stressful, and near impossible.
Thanks for your support!!
Sounds as bad as Princess cruises.
A very balanced summary of that cruise, Fraser. So, so disappointing from MSC. Glad the remainder of 2023 was good for you !
Hey Stephen, I’m glad you think so. Thanks very much, as always, for your support!!
I've heard way to many complaints about MSC. 🙁 I must disagree about it being a fair point to base service on accommodations. Receiving more amenities is valid and expected in suites compared to insides, but the rudeness you encountered at every turn was horrible and should've never happened regardless of class booked. I'm still amazed at how bad their organization was with long lines everywhere. Making you wait for your key that long was unacceptable. They could've sent you off to enjoy your day and moved your bags over for you allowing you to pick up the new key on your return. Then again they probably would've deactivated your old one so you couldn't get back on-board. 😂 You are a good sport making the best of a bad situation.
Thanks for this Tammy - I’m glad you think so! I hope you’ve enjoyed this series - I promise the next one will be different…!!
I almost took this same cruise out of NYC in May, but I had heard some very bad things about MSC's food. Something like " You want to be in port every day so you don't have to eat on the ship."
I took HAL for my eastern Canada and Bar Harbor cruise. I prefer the smaller ships. Nicer than expected cabin, tender and immigration was very easy and efficient. Very glad I missed the Meraviglia!
Ah, it’s VERY different on here to HAL, but I’d also say that it’s much cheaper to cruise with MSC, so it’s important to remember that when you compare.
I’ve got a HAL series coming soon - you might enjoy that! Stay tuned! 😊
We have done 3 cruises with MSC, but we probably will not return to MSC again. Had very similar experiences as you did. Waiting and queuing forever the whole cruise it was awful. MSC ships are just too crowded and way too many people on board for what they can handle. And yes we cruised all of them off season so at their lowest pax points. We will get back to Celebrity, Holland America and Azamara are much nicer experience.
Hi Mario, thanks for watching, and thanks for taking the time to comment - both of these actions really do support my channel, so it's much appreciated! Sorry to hear you haven't had the best experience with MSC - I probably will try them again, but it'll need to be at the right price point, for sure!
Thanks again, and HAPPY CRUISING!
good video Fraser............enjoyed it and found it interesting..... .....my wife will not go on any boat for more than 14 days because she is still working.......... I want to on a world cruise...........but as a single retiree...........it's not value for money................ even for the cheapest room..........so I cycle instead...........keep up the good work......cheers
Hey Ken, thanks for watching, and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this video. Hope your wife flies to retirement soon, and you can get that world cruise booked… Thanks again - happy cycling!! 🚴🏽 😊
Hi Fraser, I've seen the video's made on this cruise and from the start I thought I would run away if this would happen to me. Giving you that cabin was really outrageous. Following other channels as well I already decided not to cruise with MSC but this made me even more serious about it. I'll stick to NCL and Princess and next year Costa gets another chance. Regards, Maya
Hi Maya, great to see your name pop up - hope you’re well! I agree - that room really was mad to check in to - I still can’t believe that’s an actual cruise ship cabin 😂
Interesting that Costa’s getting another chance - I’ll look forward to your review of that!
@@FraserAtSea Last May I was on Grand Princess for 15 days in Alaska. That was the best vacation I had all my life. A friend I met last year on NCL Gem joined me with her sister in law. And they both will join me in December on Regal Princess to Mexico. Costa gets another chance (May 2025) because I will travel with my sister this time so that will be totally different then cruising solo. And in May 2026 I booked (solo again) on Sky Princess for a 28 days Northern Europe cruise. So you see you got me totally edicted on cruising LOL. Stay safe and enjoy life!
Cruised the Meraviglia Thanksgiving 23. Wonderful cruise, no problems. Would go again.
Ahh, I'm so glad you enjoyed - thanks for watching my channel! You just need to book the next one now!
I’ve been cruising since 1996. Thanks for your video. This confirms that I will not be booking with MSC in the U S.
Thanks for watching! I’m confident I’ll go MSC again, but will choose the ship and itinerary really carefully…
Hi Fraiser, you know I love your video synopsis. I have been out of pocket as I was on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady cruise out of Barcelona ( I recognize your tee shirt.). As I catch up I was excited to se your enthusiam with Manhattan the city i was born, raised and have fond memories. I have never cuised out of Brooklyn and the ferry info was invaluable. Was this trip September 2024?
I hope they have made some changes since your challenging cruise. I wish you would've captured the sail away. While MSC is not the cruise line for e based on many reviews and customer service experience. I appreciate you commentary and please keep the reviews coming and let us know in advance when you are cruising out of Miami or Barcelona. Remember everyone time is PRICELESS!
Hello! Ahh, thanks a lot for following along - I so appreciate it! I’ve just released my first NCL video, featuring a Manhattan sailaway - you might enjoy that, too! ruclips.net/video/KJpTHAgZo0Y/видео.htmlsi=KSYRDb2tBs5CEmZl
Hope you enjoy catching up - welcome back!!
I sailed on the Meraviglia twice last year with very similar experiences to yours. My feeling is like yours. It would have to be a very good deal to try MSC again.
Oh no - sorry to hear you had a similar experience! Thanks for watching my video and supporting my little channel!
We've done 2 MSC cruises on the Virtuosa. Both of these were in the Yacht Club and although we had issues on both, generally we remember them fondly. The same can't be said for our Regent cruise on the Grandeur, we won't cruise with them again.
Oh no - what a horrid shame that your Regent cruise wasn’t amazing - I can only imagine your price point for that…!
Virtuosa is one of my favourite ships - I’ve consistently had great experiences on there! Thanks a lot for watching!
What happened on the Grandeur? I’m going on my first cruise and picked RSS because my sister loved her cruise.
I have never heard a good thing about MSC. I wouldn't sail with them even if it was free. The interiors are tacky and there are way too many people. You shouldn't have to go to an extra-fee restaurant to get good food and service. Thanks for a detailed review.
Hi Joan, thanks for watching! Their ships are really beautiful in the flesh, although very ‘over the top’ in a lot of cases. I totally agree re service - good service should be a basic - not an extra!
Thanks again for your support!
So, you are going by word of mouth? The interiors are far from tacky...., and the number of people depends on each sailing....clearly you do not know what you are talking about!
Fraser, I am sorry you had such a bad situation on this cruise. I would write a long letter to the CEO, and I wouldn't sail with MSC again. Your first cabin was absurd. I enjoy watching all your videos....thank you.
Thanks so much, Nancy. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed watching the channel so far - hope you continue to do so!
Also a regular (Diamond) MSC sailor and also had similar issues with customer service issues when something went wrong. Poor management seems to be the issue, the hotel director told me that I'd have to wait to getting post cruise survey to complain
Hey, thanks for watching! Annoyingly, I’ve been told this by quite a few people 😞 Thanks a lot for watching my video today!
I traveled on the Meraviglia two years ago. It was my first MSC cruise although I’ve been on over 50 cruises on various other cruiselines. I went with my husband and adult daughter. We all agreed we will not sail MSC again.
Hi Mildred, thanks a lot for watching my video, and therefore supporting my little channel - I really appreciate it! Sorry to hear you also had a bad experience - I’ll probably try again, but at a really low price point!
I still can’t get over that first ‘cupboard’ you had as a cabin lol
Ha, me neither - I laugh watching that video back…! 😂
I was a year ago on that one and it was beautiful experience .. loved it and will go over and over again
Thanks for this comment Donna - I’m so glad my experience seems to be unique - fingers crossed it stays that way…!!
Hi Fraser, Long time no see lol, We have sailed with MSC since 2012 in-between other cruise lines and land holidays. MSC are not known for their organisational skills as you may recall I have told you before especially when disembarking at port stops and when coming up against poorly organised routes and US border control. With regards to the dining room issue that is likely down to either one person who refuses to change or Incompetence, Had it been me who was told you have not paid enough I would have reported that person to a superior and handed in a written letter with my complaint on it to the Captain. Sadly there are a few bad apples in every walk of life and some are on cruise ships, we have had the not interested tactic of guest services on a few issues while onboard MSC ships the worst of which is that when you ask to speak to a senior manager you are told they are in a meeting! once or twice maybe but not on every ship. The problem with MSC is that each ship is allowed to do it's own thing within certain parameters which becomes annoying when you know it has been different on other ships. The route you sailed on was certainly stupid in terms of sailing out of and back into USA, borders only to sail out once again, we ourselves looked at doing this cruise but having sailed on Meraviglia at Xmas 2019 decided against as we don't like the ship design and had hoped that things would have been better on Virtuosa but again we did not like that ship either. Seaside is our favourite ship from MSC that we have sailed on so far.
Hi David, thanks for watching and thanks for taking the time to leave this comment. It sounds like those MSC Managers love a meeting, haha!
I do reckon I’ll give MSC another try - I’ve previously had such great cruises with them (as you know), so I’m not ready to write them off in my eyes after one bad experience. Watch this space…!!
Not been disappointed with MSC. Been on several cruises, and have two more booked in the future. I guess if I continue to cruise enough once in a while, had a few bumps in the road.
Ahh, nice - I’m glad it’s been smooth sailing for you so far! 😊
There is no way I would tolerate all those avoidable problems without being miserable. Good customer service can turn a disaster into a tolerable situation. We spend so much to cruise but to have a horrible room, limited time in port, long lines, lack of customer service, and a general lack of cruise line concern would put me over the edge. You are very kind in your explanations but the reality is that for most of us, we save all year to take our cruise. It would be horrendous to experience what you did. No MSC for me. Ever.
Hey! Thanks for this comment, and I totally agree. I was fortunate to be spending a long time on ships last year, but that doesn’t make my experience any better!
Thanks for watching - really appreciate your support of my little channel!
I just now stumbled upon your Vlog -- nice to hear a fellow Scot. My travel agent REFUSES to book us on MSC, so I watched this with interest to get your view. After this, I think we'll stick with Celebrity and Regent.
Hi Tony, thanks for watching! Always great to find a fellow Scot on here - at least you’ll understand what I’m saying, haha! I think the MSC experience would be VERY different to Regent for you - that in itself would make a fascinating perspective!
I have a few MSC series on here now that you may find useful 😊 Thanks for commenting and supporting my little channel!
Don't be afraid I've been on Meraviglia 3 times,and had a great time even the one that I didn't go where it was suppose to,and the cruise it,s self was fun!!!!🎉
Ah, I’m so happy to hear you’ve loved it - thanks for dropping this comment!
I am a stickler for discipline and proper service. Going by the first two cabins allocated to you Fraser at Sea; there is *NO BLOODY WAY I'D BE CRUISING WITH MSC FUUL STOP. Slàinte!*
Thanks for watching, Gordon - appreciate it!
I been on Meraviglia twice and noticed there are two types of interior solo cabins. I realized on my second round that website does list them at different prices. So I booked the more expensive one the second time and it was fine.
Yeah, I think mine was the cheapest one - good point!
Anyone who has been on holiday to Italy cannot be surprised by these kinds of situations. This is their culture. They don't know any better.
I've been on this ship twice.. first time they ran out of food and drinks.. gave it another go and the amount of people on the ship because of lines to do anything ruined it for me!
Oh no, I didn’t have issues with food etc, but I found the lines due to lots of people to be mad - it was so so busy on there!
Just got off a 7 day out of Rome on the Seaside. It was a nightmare! Every single day to the point we were looking up airfare home for each port. We are avid dcl, carnival, and royal fans and the environment on this ship was a shock.
Oh no! I’m SO sorry to hear you had a bad experience - what was it that caused the issue? I do think you must remember the prices when comparing to lines like Disney, but you’ve also named some comparable companies there, so keen to hear more.
Thanks for watching!
It’s seems like MSC is okay until something happens that’s not okay. There is no consistency in the customer service. It’s like once they have your money they don’t care at all about your experience on the cruise- I can’t risk my valuable vacation time on inconsistent experiences. MSC is not for me. Things happen on all cruises, it’s the way the cruise line handles it that makes or breaks your vacation experience. Love the content Fraser🎉🎉
Heyy, thanks so much for watching and therefore supporting my little corner of RUclips! I couldn’t agree more with this - how a cruise line handles an issue is the real determination of how much they care!
I’m not sure I fancy another vacation on this ship in the short term… Maybe one day! 👀
All aboard timings etc. If there's a communication problem why not lie and say its 2 hours before sailing in order that people don't miss their cruise?
This is a SERIOUS problem needs to be sorted.
We took the Meraviglia in 2022 for a Mediterranean cruise. One thing we didn't like was there is no adult only pool. We had kids unatteneded in hot tubs and even sitting at the bars.
Hello! Ah, this is an interesting point - I thought the pool at the back was adult only, but my cruise was too cold to test that logic as we were cruising to Canada in the Fall. An interesting observation!
Thanks a lot for watching!!
@@FraserAtSea That's what we thought. It would have been the perfect place for an adults only area. It was separate from everything, had a small bar and pool plus a seating area. Nope...it was open to everyone. There are so many pool areas that are for kids.
I have mostly cruised MSC under YC and it has been nothing short of amazing. But I will say when we venture out to main ship it seems like hunger games. The standard buffet dining would never be an experience we would pay for. I hope they work to elevate all classes or it will be a race to the bottom.
Hi Shawn, thanks for watching, and great comment. I’d love to see what goes on inside YC, as it must be so different to the main ship areas! Thanks for your support!
We are planning on doing this ship in October!! 🐸
Ahh, I think it’s now doing the Caribbean? Looks like a nice itinerary! I’ve got a full series from this ship that you might enjoy 😊
I took MSC Meraviglia to the Bahamas, Ocean Cay, and Miami. Customer service was amazing. Maybe it was just a different set of staff?
@@tannerfingledin8873 oh, that’s good to hear - I hope so! Thanks for watching!
We just done a cruise on MSc World Europa in the med, a bit disappointed the ship was great buffet was lousy fine dining was brilliant the shows were amazing, deck entertainment was absolutely crap , due to the European soccer we absolutely loved Malta , we have only been on 2 cruises 🚢 & I think princess was better !
Hi Mark, thanks for commenting, and thanks for supporting my channel by watching this video. World Europa is a ship with SUCH potential - will be intrigued to see what happens with World America…!
In the past year I have sailed on the Virtuosa (from Southampton) and the Spendida (from Genoa). Both are mighty fine ships, lots of facilities and wow factor. Enjoyed the cruises very much, would be happy to sail on these newer larger ships again. Yes, the Virtuosa can get overcrowded, especially in school holidays when there are lots of children onboard and the cabins are using the 3rd & 4th beds, but with careful planning there are solutions to these problems. Also, on the Virtuosa the tender service did strugle to provide capacity, I didn't go ashore that day but comments from other passenger left me in no douby that MSC failed to provide an adequate level of service. Your cabin was abysmal, clearly the ship oversold single cabins and you should not have been offered such. Likewise seating at meal times. I want to visit the Adriatic, MSC only offer their very old & smaller ships on these cruises, I feel they will lack the wow factor, I am avoiding MSC for this reason.
Great comment - thanks for watching! I’m actually replying to you from my Adriatic cruise, and we were docked beside MSC Armonia multiple times this week. You’re right - she’s a much older and smaller ship, and isn’t like the big ones from a ‘wow’ point of view. That said, I’d like to give her a try at some point!
@@FraserAtSea Thanks, I haven't ruled it out, it is certainly a cheaper option compared to going with Marella, and possibly with P&O too. I can arrange my own flights and transfers, did so in May with no problems.
Which ship are you on, I have a work colleage on a Celebrity ship from Ravenna, but these are 10 day cruises and as still I work are too long for me.
Beautiful ship, Fraser! So it’s a shame about the problems but it’s an even bigger shame that the crew weren’t willing to help when it sounds like they could have done more!
Hi Ben, thanks for watching - glad we’ve found each other! I totally agree - I felt as though so much more could have been done… Thanks for watching mate!
I bet the crew got tired of his whining so they just ignored him and helped passengers that actually needed help instead
I was about to book a 7 day cruise to ocean cay and Nassau on Meraviglia, when I found your series of MSC Meraviglia (with the same studio inside cabin) and I have truly mixed emotions as the price is good and I reallly want to cruise out of NYC.
To be honest, for the right price, I wouldn’t say no. However, it would need to be cheap… Cruising from NYC is so cool!
I'll tell you it starts and ends with the Captain. From what I can tell from this trip they need to replace the Captain!!! Seascape, Seashore, you never hear about these complaints!! Mind you they don't have any control of the room complaints you had for the inside room. WOW what a horrible room! MSC should be ashamed!!! Absolutely unforgivable! What a sham of a ship!! I won't EVER be on this ship! Customer service seemed to be an absolute shxx show! MSC give your head a shake and I know you're looking at these comments. My husband are trying MSC next month. Be aware I Am video taping things, I am making notes of everything that goes on and I will be just as critical!
Tina, thanks for watching. I usually love MSC, but this cruise felt a bit different unfortunately. I’m sure you won’t need to worry about your upcoming trip - there have been lots of reassuring comments from recent cruisers on these videos to say it has really improved!
The route was weird because of a 100 year old law we have in the U.S. . .The Jones Act treats U.S. cruise ships and passengers differently from foreign cruise ships and passengers. While the act allows U.S. ships to travel directly from U.S. port to port, it prohibits foreign ships from traveling directly from U.S. port to port. So you can't blame MSC for that.
Yeah, this is a fair point. I totally do understand that though - my criticism when it comes to that law is the overall route planning, and also the onboard management of the situation. We had passengers passing out in line - just put a few chairs out and offer free water when you know that guests are going to be standing in lines for hours…
Thanks for watching, Rob!
Yeah, this is a fair point. I totally do understand that though - my criticism when it comes to that law is the overall route planning, and also the onboard management of the situation. We had passengers passing out in line - just put a few chairs out and offer free water when you know that guests are going to be standing in lines for hours…
Thanks for watching, Rob!
No excuse. HAL does the same ports but we only had one tender and immigration and it was smooth as silk. Very poor management on the Meraviglia is the cause here.
MSC cruises are fine until you need Customer Service. If you don't need to contact them the cruise can be great. Once you have to make contact with 'Customer Service' it's almost easier to get off at the next port.
Hi Barry, unfortunately this was my finding too. Lots of people with no authority or ability to help sadly. Thanks for watching and therefore supporting my channel!
That's strange planning. I went on a cruise like that on the QM2 last year, we went from NYC to Canada. Then we went to Boston, where we had to go to immigration; folks who had excursions went first and it went pretty smoothly. It sounds like MSC slapped this cruise together quickly.
Thanks a lot for watching! Yes, lots didn’t go to plan on here unfortunately, so I’d probably agree - not a huge deal of planning for this itinerary, by the looks of things. Thanks again for your support!
Your first room was a dreaded "mother-in-law" room.
Haha, this comment put a smile on my face - what a reference!
I just paid for a 22 day cruise on MSC. Now you are scaring me!
Oh wow, 22 days will be such a long time on there! Don’t worry - I’ve had good cruises in addition to this rogue one with MSC - hopefully you’ll be in the good category! Where are you going?!
You send this video to MSC customer service.
Beautiful ships......take some food with you !...Fraser is right though MSC can deliver but I think are failing currently...they are not alone in that respect !
@@FraserAtSea my only other cruise was on Princess last December and it was 33 days! It was awesome! This MSC cruise starts in Genoa and does 7 stops in the Med then transatlantic with 3 stops in Carribean and ending in Miami! It was really affordable so hopefully it isn’t a case of “you get what you pay for”! $1100 fare and taxes/port fees. I don’t drink so that will help.
Don’t listen to every body saying their opinion… go and check for yourself. MSC is a great line and you are going to have a great time … his experience may be exaggerated just for clicks
I think the £1400 was a lot to pay for the first cabin you were given. That’s very poor value for a single cabin like that. I always thought of MSC as being cheap but maybe not. I have done a lot of cruises with various lines and I don’t think we have ever arrived late in port. Very strange.
Yeah, I think lots of people assumed I had paid very little for this cruise when they saw the cabin, so I wanted to be open about pricing in this video. I agree - poor value for that tiny cabin!
Thanks for watching!
I would have been very upset too. You experienced a lot of convenience and to spend almost 2 grand for this. The ship does look beautiful thou. Love the sparkly staircase
Thanks a lot for watching, and I really appreciate your message! I do agree - a lot of money to have a bitter after taste!
My wife and I are going on a couple christian cruise on one of the MSC ships in February.i will see how it will be. Worst comes to worst we will go back to celebrity cruise ships.and wont look back.
Ah, enjoy! You’ll need to stop back and let me know how it goes!
I would only do yacht club on MSC. It’s like a cattle ship in the general public area.
I’ve heard a few people use this reference sadly 😞 Thanks for watching, Linda!
The solo room you got is disgraceful. A sofa bed? Are you kidding! It should have been seriously discounted and you should have been aware of what you were getting.
Hi Chris, I totally agree - I was so surprised that this is what I found in that cabin… Thanks a lot for watching - appreciate your support!
My experience with MSC is that they truly don’t care about customer service. Most of the time things generally work ok. But when there is a problem, customer service doesn’t care.
You know, I’d have disagreed with this before this cruise, but then I’d never had anything go wrong. Sorry to hear you’ve also seen this side 🤦🏻♂️ Thanks for watching!
5642 passenger capacity ridiculous amount of people to disembark and embark especially with tender as the ship is too massive for some ports. Am on a cruise taking in a Caribbean island where 19,000 passengers (if all full capacity) dock on same day! When cruise booking the size is the first factor not the price!
Yeah, I now totally agree - this ship was far too large for tendering, especially when it was so disorganised too! Thanks a lot for watching, and enjoy those ports!! 😊
I don't see any videos of you on Celebrity. They are my favorite cruise line, especially the Edge class.
Hey! I cruised on Celebrity a good while ago before I started vlogging. Hoping to get out with them again at some point, so ‘Watch this space’ I guess!
Those single room really just need a dedicated bed. The lines would have done me in...just can't keep on my feet standing for that long anymore. I did think the itinerary for a little strange, but I'm not sure is this is even something the cruise line can control. I know specifically here in Halifax, the port authority has total say in when a ship and come and go, and there has been various challenges for cruise ships entering while container ships are navigating an exit making a late arrival. But really, a lot can be excused if one receives exemplary customer service...which it seems was a little lacking on this voyage for sure! Sure do hope it hasn't put you off on visiting our little part of Canada here on the east coast once again.
Hey! Oh, don’t worry - my next series is in Canada and the East coast again, and it was wonderful - stay tuned!! 😊
Do you think Costa is a better product than MSC right now? You enjoyed your Diadema cruise I think?
Hmm, that’s suuuuch a difficult question. There are so many variables, but both do a decent job with the entry end of the market, I’d say!
Looks like your first room was for performers and/or staff! Bet that sofa bed was meant to be used conjunction with the connecting room. Not as stand alone. Either as day sofa and/or bed for staff on different shifts. Second bedroom with a lock!
Hi John, thanks for watching! I’ve actually done some research on this room, and have more context behind it now. You can read more on my website, here: www.fraseratsea.com/the-worst-cruise-ship-cabin-ive-ever-seen
@@FraserAtSea My guess was good.
All pre-covid: Best included food we've had is NCL Bliss. Good staff all around. Best on/off ship - start, ports of call and end - RCL - and their big ships are best. eg Symphony. Worst Queen Mary 2. Best customer service - RCL hands down. They admit mistakes (or accept you made an error in good faith) and fixed them with no arguments. Also got some compensation we didn't expect and didn't ask for. Princess? My 'cardigan' liner. OK but nothing exciting, even on their flagship the Regal. Australian admin goes into denial, slow mode and play 'ping pong' between them, the agent and the customer. They didn't understand the common law of agency until I spelt it out for them. Once they pay commission to a travel agent, it becomes a Princess agent (not the customer's agent) and Princess are liable for the actions of travel agents. That includes refunds. You do NOT have to go through the travel agent. That may be their preference but by law you can dump the agent anytime you like and deal direct.
It looks like such a beautiful ship, too bad the experience didn't match. I was wondering if you decide not to disembark, do you still need to get your passport checked?
Hi Rocco! Agreed - it’s such a gorgeous ship, and I really do hope they fix the onboard experience, as it would be wonderful if it were to match!
I believe that everyone needed to get checked, yeah. If you weren’t heading ashore, you would go down in the last available window, which I think was around 1pm!
Thanks for watching!
That first cabin was horrible especially for the price! 😮
Oh, wasn’t it just?! No, thank you, ha!
I've been of 2 MSC Cruises. Divina and Seashore just to give them a fair shake. They were the worst. Food was so bad in the MDR I went to the buffet instead. Not much better but at least I could se the food before selecting it. Entertainment was boring. Restrooms mid ship were always broken. My shower drain was backing up and it took 2 days for them to fix it. There island is so basic that if you just wasnt a beach day then fine but unless you were Yacht Club you wont get anything but food Truck food and cheap plastic chairs and table. You get what you pay for so cheap is cheap or Yacht club great food and service. will never sail MSC again
Hi Dianna, thanks for watching and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I really want to try Seashore - that class of ship looks amazing, but saddened to hear your review 😔 Hope you’re still cruising!!
@@FraserAtSea It's the same all the way around there ships. None of my customers have enjoyed their cruises.
I’ve watched the other videos in this series - can’t remember, but do solo travellers only get inside cabins?
Hey Toni! 👋🏼 I believe the studio/solo rooms on this ship are all on the inside, but you’re obviously able to cruise solo in a ‘regular’ cabin too, meaning a cabin for 2 passengers. So you could cruise solo in a balcony, but you would probably pay the full double fare!
I was on the chair in May going to Canada and New England, and to be honest it was actually one of the better customer service experience that I ever had down to our waiter in the main dining room and the staff in the pun of that I spent a lot of time in. I am not really sure how you had such a horrible experience. Maybe it also had to do with your cabin and your location.
Hi Rob, thanks for watching, and thanks for commenting! I’m so glad to hear you had a great trip - I’m so hopeful that my cruise was an example of a one-off.
Fingers crossed the next one is better… Thanks again!