When I booked my first MSC cruise, I was honestly a bit skeptical. I had seen several negative reviews about MSC cruises, with people complaining about the service, food options, crowds, and embarkation process. However, my experience on the MSC Meraviglia was the opposite. In this review, I’ll give you the good and the bad of my first MSC cruise – a 7 night trip from New York to the Bahamas. I’ve been on more than 25 cruises, so I’ll compare my MSC experience with many other popular cruise lines. Since I didn’t book a stateroom in their exclusive Yacht Club, this review focuses on the regular non-Yacht Club cruise experience on MSC.
Great Value
You can’t beat the price of MSC cruises. Our 7-night cruise for 3 people costs $2500, which works out to around $119 per person per night for a mid-ship balcony cabin. Note that the price doesn’t include gratuity or extras like beverage packages or WiFi. We ended up not buying any cruise extras and enjoyed the cruise just fine.
The Embarkation
I thought there would be chaos and long lines at the cruise terminal, but it was one of the easiest cruise embarkation process I’ve ever experienced. A porter helped us with our bags, and the line was short and moved quickly, even though I didn’t have any priority boarding status and wasn’t staying in a Yacht Club cabin. The cruise staff were all professional, and the process was impressively easy.
Buffet on the First Day
To be honest, I was dreading the lunch buffet on the first day. I’ve been on over 25 cruises, and I know the lunch buffet on embarkation day can be a real madhouse. I braced myself for chaos and crowds, but to my surprise, the first day buffet at MSC Meraviglia was easy and calm. We found a table for 8 without any trouble, which was impressive because we were a big group. There were plenty of empty tables, and the buffet layout was easy to navigate. Plus, the food was delicious!
My Cabin
After having lunch, we headed to our cabin, and it was ready as promised. They said cabins would be ready by 1 pm, which was true. I booked a balcony cabin for three people with a queen-size bed and a twin bed. The only downside was that our cabin was smaller than I expected. It was narrower than what I’m used to on other cruise ships, and even the bathroom was smaller than usual.
Closet Space
There is definitely not enough storage space in our cabin. The closet is tiny, and there just aren’t enough shelves and drawers for three people. As a result, my son wasn’t able to unpack his clothes and had to leave everything in his luggage.
No Smell
I was pleasantly surprised by how clean my cabin was. Usually, on the first day of a cruise, the toilets are haphazardly cleaned, and there’s often a lingering odor. I’ve gotten used to asking the cabin steward to clean the toilets again to get rid of the smell. But on MSC, my cabin was spotless with no lingering odor! I didn’t have to ask for it to be cleaned again.
Crowded Main Dining Room
One negative of MSC Cruise is that the main dining room was too crowded and noisy. It didn’t have the upscale feel that you usually expect. The tables were too close together, and the waiters had barely any room to move around. They crammed too many people at each table, too. Our table for 8 was actually meant for 6, but they squeezed in 2 extra people. It just felt really crowded and noisy.
No Menu
One thing I don’t like about MSC Cruise is the lack of paper menus. They will provide one or two paper menus for our table of eight. They expected us to scan the QR code to get the menu online, but it was tough because not everyone at my table had a phone, especially the kids. So, we always end up sharing menus, which ruins the upscale dining experience I love on cruises.
Main Dining Room Service
Despite the crowd and the lack of menu, the main dining room service is amazing. We had a main waiter and an assistant waiter serving us. There is also the assistant Maitre D’ that took care of food allergy orders.
Food Allergies
I was impressed with how they handled food allergies in the main dining room. They had given that task to the assistant maitre d’. He not only took my son’s food orders but also served his food. If we had any questions about the food, we asked the assistant maitre d’, not the waiters. It was great to have one person consistently in charge of my son’s food.
The Food
I’m a foodie, and the food is one of the main reasons why I go on cruises. MSC Meragvilia does not disappoint. In fact, it is one of the best cruise foods I’ve ever had. I’d say it even beats Celebrity Cruise’s food! Everything is so flavorful and delicious. Whether it’s the buffet, brunch, or dinners at the main dining room, the food is just exceptional. Check out 14 Best and Worst Foods to Eat on Cruises
The Dinner Rush
One thing I don’t like about my MSC dining experience is that dinner always feels rushed. When we’re enjoying our dessert, there’s never enough time to savor it with a cup of coffee. The waiters are in a hurry to get ready for the next seating. I found out later that my dining room had three seatings, while most dining rooms on other cruise ships have only two seatings. That’s why dinner always feels so rushed. Check out 8 Reasons Why Cruise Ship Beverage Packages are a Waste of Money
Brunch
One thing that I like about MSC Cruise is their brunch. On sea days, the brunch in the main dining room runs continuously from breakfast to lunch hours without any break. It’s great for late risers. The menu is extensive, with a variety of brunch options from all over the world, like Japanese Karaage (Fried Chicken), Steak and Eggs, and classic breakfast dishes like pancakes and eggs benedict. Check out 9 Cruise Main Dining Room Mistakes You’ll Regret Making
Ocean Cay
The MSC private island, Ocean Cay, is a big reason why I’d definitely go back on a Bahamas cruise with MSC. The island itself is just stunning, with soft, white sand and beautiful turquoise water. What’s really convenient is that the cruise ship docks right at the island, so there’s no need for tender boats. Families with kids will love the calm, shallow, and seaweed-free lagoon—it’s perfect for a relaxing day at the beach. And finding lounge chairs was easy. Check out 22 Things to Pack in Your Cruise Private Island Beach Bag (Free Packing List)
No Paper Daily Planner
I’m not a fan of MSC’s approach to daily planners. They don’t give you a printed daily planner, instead, they expect us to scan a QR code to access the daily planner. I’m old school, and I like to physically circle the activities. Not having a physical planner is a major adjustment for me. Plus, I can never seem to find the QR code when I need it, which is really inconvenient. Check out 12 Free Things on MSC Cruises that You Need to Know About
Shows
I enjoyed the shows on MSC. They weren’t big Broadway productions, but there was a great mix of performances, including singing and dancing, acrobatics, magic shows, and stand-up comedy. Another thing that I liked was that the theater on the MSC Meraviglia wasn’t too big, so no matter where you sat, the view was great. Check out What to Pack: Alaska cruise (free packing list)
Public Space
Another thing I like about the MSC Meraviglia is that it doesn’t feel crowded. I’ve been on some cruises where the common areas get so packed that it’s a real pain to get around. The ship is set up so the public spaces are spread out nicely, so you never feel like you’re stuck in a big crowd or a bottleneck. Check out 25 Things People Forget to Pack for a Cruise
Pool Lounge Chair
I always find it so hard to get a pool lounge chair on cruise ships but not on MSC. I’ve had no trouble finding an empty lounge chair by the pool, even by the indoor pool. I think it’s because they clear out chairs if no one’s using them. I really like how organized the cruise staff is on this ship. Check out What to Pack: Caribbean cruise (free packing list)
Disembarkation
Disembarkation was easy on MSC Cruise. The cruise staff was organized, and there wasn’t a long line to get off the ship. Our luggage was waiting for us at the cruise terminal when we got off the ship. It was a fairly seamless process. Check out 14 Important Things to Do on Cruise Disembarkation (Free Checklist)