Balcony

Inside

Suite

Outside

MSC Cruises

Family Cruises

First-Time Cruisers

New York (Manhattan)

Southampton

Kiel

Copenhagen

U.S.A.

Caribbean - All

Bahamas

Europe - All

Mexico - All

Caribbean - Western

Mediterranean

France

Europe - Western Mediterranean

Belize

Spain

Italy

Jamaica

Africa

Canada & New England

Baltic Sea

Germany

Caribbean - Eastern

Norway

Denmark

Caribbean - Southern

Europe - British Isles & Western

Iceland

Portugal

Europe River

Douro River

Seine River

Transatlantic

Bermuda

Norwegian Fjords

Scotland

USVI

Netherlands

Mexican Riviera

Terrible

Average

Very Good

Poor

Excellent

MSC Meraviglia

Riga

The price leaving NYC 13 day cruise  was great we even got a balcony , the balcony was tight for luggage space, ,embarking from NY was smooth , disembarking was havoc  , The main dining food was not that good ,they push specialities dinning ,thecrew was inexperienced and very new to working on a ship,but very eager to please, and we took care of our waiter, assistant waiter and steward with cash gratuities, most ships allow you to go down to guest services and get envelopes to give cash ,do not allow the cruise line to decide who gets your tips, its there job to pay for higher earning labor ,which comes out of your purchase price. Alot of guest did get sick coughing due to (we were told)very cold air conditioning and hot weather, it plays with your lungs.Save yourself $125 to $175 from going to ships Doctor, bring a z pack  or antibiotic, benadryl,inhaler albertoul  de-congestion etc, just in case , If you go to one of the islands ,stop at a pharmacy and try and get cough medicine with codeine, works great on suppressing coughs. The maitre d were in main dinning room great overall I recommend this ship especially if they can keep cost low. If you have the money great spend it, but if your on a budget, this ship can be negotiated, just dont get stupid with spending on excursions, and alcohol  if your looking for a beach for example in Aruba it will cost you $49 dollars on ship excursions ,were as a local bus will take you there and back for $2.50 each way,Curacao anther ex, $59 dollars tour to town , blue curacao liqueur factory, and beach, $25;to $30 neg. same tour in van with locals, for first ,timers,newbies,, who are inexperienced , go to ship excursion ,  By the way the ship cancelled their new island,(not ready) and we went to Jamaica instead, not my choice: but it was class act by MSC who gave every cabin $100 back and %20 off next cruise, they were not obligated to do that and are allowed to change ittertinary any time, MSC PROVED TO ME THEY ARE A Class Act 

Thank You

They were very accomodating 

New York Boarding was a breeze .the shows were excellent . The meet and mingle was a highlight to meet and  greet  cruise critics fans. Outstanding! Staff in all areas were very friendly and helpers with our internet.ship was different than our usual cruises. Enjoyed our new cabin after we had to change due to problems in our original cabin. Cruiser were friendly except that we had trouble communicate with different languages. The islands we visited were good, took a few tours with local vendors.  Some of the island’s celebrate an holiday so many stores and museum s  were not open and we had a lot of rain. Enjoyed the food , ice cream  and the hot tubs. The ship was very clean and the bed and pillows were excellent. There always a problem getting off any cruise which is normal. We enjoyed the cruise which was the first on MSC Different but still enjoyable

First time on MSC 

First, although Cruise Critic insists on calling this a 5-night leaf-peeper run, it was in fact a 13-night repo from New York to Miami via the Eastern Caribbean.

My wife and I booked this cruise as a target of opportunity: a nice way to celebrate her birthday, a nice opportunity to see our kids in New York before the cruise, and a nice opportunity to visit cousins in Florida afterward. We chose the Meraviglia partly because of a good experience with MSC a little more than a year ago and partly because we were curious to see whether a ship this big was really too big.

This was our 35th cruise since our first in 1976. Coincidentally, we marked a full year at sea during this run. We realize that to many people who spend every possible moment at sea, a year is no big deal. And since it took us well over 40 years to reach that milestone it’s obvious that we average less than a cruise a year. We differ from many on board this cruise in that we’ve always taken more vacations on land than at sea.

Pre-Cruise

Three days before the cruise we took the train from our home in the DC area up to New York and checked in to the Conrad Midtown on West 56th Street. This was an excellent headquarters for our activities with the kids, and made for a very easy 10-minute cab ride to the ship.

Embarkation

Absolutely no issues boarding. Bags were dropped within seconds of the cab pulling up to the West Side terminal, our Diamond status got us to an agent immediately, check-in was very efficient, and we were onboard quickly with no fuss. This was surprising given the dire warnings about long waits to board previous cruises here.

The Ship

Meraviglia is big. Very big. If your cabin is at one end of the vessel or the other (or even if it isn’t) you walk a lot. That’s not necessarily bad, it’s just a fact. A big plus is that getting around the public areas of the ship is extremely straightforward. No hidden public rooms, no “you can’t get there from here” adventures. The customer service desk is on five. On six, the main restaurants are aft and the main theater is forward. On seven, the casino and the big Carousel Lounge (Cirque de Soleil and other things) are aft and the spa is forward. In between on both six and seven is the central core of the ship, with all the shopping, boutiques and specialty restaurants easily found under the huge and very clever semi-circular LED “ceiling” that functions variously as décor, light show and video screen. Overall, the ship gets high marks for being quite attractive in a Las Vegas sort of way.

If you’re past MSC customers and/or Diamond (formerly Black) card holders you’ll be invited to one or more parties in recognition of your status. Unless you’re absolutely desperate for a free glass of champagne, you’d be wise to skip these assemblies. Where on most ships these events are held in one of the larger lounges, with seating and reasonable breathing room, the size of the Meraviglia and the number of eligible guests forces them into the promenade on deck 6, with no seating and little room to move. They use crowd control barriers to be sure only those with invitations get in, while others are forced to the sides of the promenade to get by. The feeling is distinctly one of a cattle pen. The program consists of the cruise director appearing on the deck 7 bridge over the promenade to say a few words and to introduce the captain, who does a quick welcome. The Cruise Critic party, on the other hand, was held in the deck 18 lounge on the morning after embarkation and was very well done. Although those who sign up are supposed to receive invitations, we did not. However, we saw it listed in the daily program and found our way up there in good order. So if you’re signed up for such a party, keep your eyes open. You may not get a personal invitation.

Accommodations

We booked an Aurea suite on the 13th deck, in the bow just under the bridge. We had a large balcony and a private hot tub which was very nice. The ergonomics of the suite, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. While it was nice that there were two closets, it seemed strange that one of them was in the living room. Similarly, the only access to the bathroom was from the living room. Entering from the bedroom would have made much more sense. Finally, although the total area of the suite was fine, parts of it felt really cramped, especially along one side of the bed, where the open door between the rooms all but blocked access. To boot, that door was extremely heavy, and would not remain in the open position by itself. MSC provided a very flimsy doorstop to wedge under the door, but it was awkward to use and only marginally effective. A sliding pocket door would have been the best solution here. Overall, an annoying setup for a premium room.

Shipmates

We always enjoy situations where we can meet and chat with people from other countries, and MSC ships reliably provide plenty of opportunity for that. We had great fun talking with Canadians, Brits, Norwegians, Australians, Kiwis, Danes and many others. Not so enjoyable were some Americans whose sole focus seemed to be on the rock bottom price they paid for the cruise. This seemed to be the only thing they could talk about except for their further proclamation that small inside cabins are the only way to go because, “all you do is sleep in the room anyway.” I resisted pointing out that this is the classic self-fulfilling prophecy. One person with an inside room told us frankly that it was virtually unlivable compared to similar rooms he’s had on other ships.

I realize that ship dress codes have largely fallen by the wayside, and I’ve never been a big fan of dressing up on cruises. But I have always respected the traditions of the sea and followed the code of whatever ship I was on, including digging out the tux back in the days when they were expected. On this cruise several nights were designated as “elegant,” which to me meant nice slacks, tie and jacket. I was conspicuously overdressed. A very few people did dress up, but many more arrived at dinner every night looking like—how shall I say it?—slobs. Torn clothing, ratty shorts, t-shirts with all sorts of inscriptions, some of which were downright obscene. MSC says that they forbid shorts and t-shirts in public areas after six, but no attempt was made to enforce this rule. 


Food

Compared to most other cruises we’ve been on, except for the specialty restaurants the food on Meraviglia was borderline dreadful. Yes, we’re foodies, but we also understand the limitations imposed by steam-table operations when cooking for thousands at a time. But the fact is that if you got a mediocre, “just OK” dinner in the main dining room, it was a good night. On embarkation evening, my wife’s “blackened” fish entrée was stone cold and showed no signs of blackening. On the next night I opted for the “always available” New York strip steak. What arrived was a piece of meat roughly 4 inches square and a quarter inch thick. I just stared at it. A few nights later we ate at the specialty steakhouse where I held my breath and again ordered a New York strip. Happily, what arrived was an excellent steak, cooked as ordered, with a nice array of sauces. When the waiter asked if everything was OK, I told him that it was, and suggested that he have the chef take one of those steaks over to the main dining room and show them what a New York strip looks like. At a main dining room “fish and chips” lunch the fish was 90% soggy, greasy breading. On another night, “Maryland Crab Cakes” were on the menu. Our home in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area boasts the best crab cakes anywhere, and we just laughed at what the Meraviglia’s version might be like. We didn’t order them. In the main dining room, soups were generally OK, salads tended to be less than fresh and quite small, entrees ranged from awful to just bland, and the best bet for dessert was ice cream. 

Upstairs in the buffet, at breakfast the omelet station turned out a perfectly credible product, the bakery items were OK, as were some of the meat products. The highlight of the place is the “mozzarella factory” where they make fresh batches of the cheese while you watch. They evidently supply mozzarella from here to all the restaurants on the ship, and the quality is excellent. The much-publicized pizza, on the other hand, is utterly ordinary and not up to MSC’s standards. Neither New York nor Chicago (nor Washington, for that matter) need fear competition from these pies. Most items in the buffet are just OK, generally under-spiced and, well, dull.

The best food we had was in the specialty restaurants. We ate at the steakhouse twice, the seafood restaurant once and the Japanese restaurant once. All were very good to excellent, with high quality, well-prepared food, and a healthy dose of imagination.

Also good were the various bars around the ship where, in addition to booze, you can get very credible specialty coffees. I think we used the drinks package that came with our room much more for coffees than for liquor. But drinks package or no, the availability of good coffee all over the ship is a big plus.

Entertainment

I think it is now a well-established law of the sea that no cruise ship is allowed to complete any itinerary until somebody sings Andrew Lloyd Weber’s feline anthem, “Memory.” Meraviglia’s entertainment troupe didn’t pussyfoot around, getting that chore out of the way on the second night. In their version of the standard Broadway mash-up show, which was performed to an entirely pre-recorded and synthesized orchestra, “Memory” was sung by a trio (odd). “Singin’ in the Rain,” which is actually a lilting, laid-back swing tune, was given the full aria treatment (very odd). On the other hand, the show managed to channel some moments from Chicago pretty well, and the contemporary stagecraft which made ample use of scenic projections was impressive in this and a number of other shows.

After that first experience we imagined that there was no stage band aboard, but in fact, there was. They played a number of other evening shows, but they were most enjoyable at a pair of afternoon jazz sets in the large theater. This was some of the most authentic and best music on the entire cruise. Also good was an afternoon classical concert, consisting mostly of arias and guaranteed-to-please Italian fare from the operatically trained young singers in the entertainment troupe.

And, to their credit, MSC paid tribute to its roots by taking a swing at an opera, namely La Boheme. This Cliff’s Notes version of Puccini’s hit opus was credibly performed by the house singers. It’s interesting that the threadbare plot of young love thwarted (boy meets girl, boy courts girl, girl gets sick, girl goes away to recover, girl doesn’t recover, girl comes back to boy, girl dies) is about as well-developed in this 40-minute version as it is in the hours-long original. But the real point is that some of the music is gorgeous. Two magicians and a Canadian improv troupe were featured in other evening shows.

The main theater is pretty, but does have some flaws. There are no railings to help folks up and down the aisles, and the LED floor lighting sometimes creates optical challenges for people with balance and visual issues. Most surprisingly, not only are there no drink holders at the seats, but drinks are prohibited in the room. Drink service at the shows represents a solid revenue stream on most ships, but not on Meraviglia.

Drinks are available (and come with the price of admission) at the two Cirque de Soleil shows that are performed onboard. We saw both of them and enjoyed them. You can choose the “drinks only” version or the “drinks-and-dinner” package. We did drinks only after seeing some pretty bad comments about the set dinner that is served there. We think this was probably the right choice, especially since the dinner people are seated in the back of the room while we had prime seating up front.

TV

Television offerings were minimal. Something like ten or twelve channels were devoted to shipboard stuff, including shopping, tours, safety, bridge cams and ship’s technical data. They carried CNN US, CNN International and CNN Spanish, two ESPN channels, and two Turner movie channels, both of which experienced several audio and video dropouts per minute for the entire 13 days, and therefore were useless. A few other channels featured the languages of the international clientele on board. A small menu of pay-per-view movies was available for $8 each, and an even smaller array of hard-core porn films could be seen for $16 each. Noticeably missing was a morning broadcast by the cruise staff. While these shows are never Emmy material their absence was unusual, especially since one of the bars is called the “TV Studio,” but except for a nice little control room behind glass panels seemed to be just a bar.

Ports

We’d been to these islands a number of times, so we took no ship’s tours. We did pick up a local tour in Curacao, the one port we hadn’t visited before, and had a nice three-hour introduction to the island. We were due to be the first cruise to visit MSC’s new Bahamian private island, but that stop was cancelled because evidently the place wasn’t ready yet. We went to Ocho Rios instead, where we were among the many, many passengers who absolutely did not get off the ship. MSC gave everyone a $100 per room credit and a certificate worth 20% of their current fare on a future cruise to compensate for missing the private island.

Debarkation

The cruise staff warned us that owing to the large number of passengers and the fact that there would be many ships pulling into Miami that morning, getting off the ship could be a lengthy ordeal. Bottom line: it wasn’t. We were eligible to get off early, but we lingered over breakfast, chatting with another couple. When we did go, we waited in line maybe ten minutes. Once we got to customs we waited less than five more minutes. Out on the sidewalk, it was another 20 minutes to catch the shuttle bus to the rental car lot at the airport. The whole process was efficient and well managed.

This and That

•	Our room steward, the dining room and bar staffs, and the cruise staff were universally very good to excellent. Absolutely no problems on those fronts. 

•	The “MSC for Me” app tied to the shipboard internet system is excellent. There’s no need to subscribe to an external internet package to use it, so the service is free. It’s a welcome alternative to carrying around the printed daily schedule to keep track of your planned activities. You can also make restaurant and show reservations with the touch of a screen. The app gets high marks for usefulness.

•	Our room included the standard internet package for general uses like emails and web surfing. It, too, was very good and we didn’t come close to reaching our data limit, even on this 13-day cruise. The wi-fi signal was strong everywhere on the ship, and it was nice that the data package could be shared between two devices.

•	The cruise spanned the last two games of the baseball World Series, where our home team Washington Nationals emerged victorious. Although the games were carried on one of the ESPN TV channels, it sure would have been nice if the cruise staff had turned them into special events, maybe with hot dogs and popcorn under the big screen on the pool deck. I realize that MSC is a European line, but this cruise started and ended in the US, and the cruise director was American, so this was an obvious missed opportunity.

•	Lines at the customer service desk on five were hellishly long for the first four or five days of the cruise, as people waited to get various problems straightened out. The lines diminished later in the cruise, but this was a two-week run. With such a high passenger count, the lines could be long for the entirety of shorter cruises.

And Finally. . .

Is the Meraviglia, for all its good features, just plain too big? Our answer: yes it is. We feel that many of the negatives we encountered were directly tied to the 4,000+ passenger capacity. We remember back around the turn of the century when we were worried that the new 2,000+ passenger ships like Celebrity’s Millennium would be too big. We found that they were not. But we think that 4,000 people, many of whom are on board solely because they scored dirt-cheap rooms, are a bit too much. We’re likely to stick to smaller ships on future cruises.

Many plusses. . .Many minuses

This ship is absolutely beautiful. Everything was clean and fresh and shiny.

The food was good to delicious in the MD and the buffet. In fact, the prime rib was better than we had recently at a local steak house.

We enjoyed the Cruise Critic party. It was held in the Sky Lounge and was the largest number of guests to attend. There were drinks and snacks and we got a chance to meet the Officers.

The crew we met were mostly friendly and efficient in their duties. We did see 2 occasions when guests were rude or aggressive in their behaviour towards crew. Sad but common nowadays. 

The itinerary was especially appealing. Most days we went to the beach and soaked up the sea and sand.

Entertainment on the ship was top notch. The evening shows were Very professional. We did see Cirque show Sonar. We thought it was amazing. The theatre is attractive and interesting.

A cruise is what you make of it. Your attitude will go a long way to determine your enjoyment.

Gorgeous ship, great itinerary 

After 36 cruises (on different cruise lines), we found a team at the Edge Bar that went above and beyond to be helpful and friendly.

They were always courteous, hardworking and very professional.

They were Neptin Alie, Gregory Jean, Mariel Magallano, Angela May Lamog, Max Magotsi and Yange Ndayi. They took  care of us for 23 days.

The atmosphere with them around was always pleasant and made our cruise unforgettable. Service like this is very hard to find.

We tried to recommend them on the cruise, but they do not have a system in place to do it as on other cruise lines.

We have to compliment Meraviglia on their shows, as they were excellent and very entertaining.

We battled with the packing space in the stateroom, as it was very limited comparing to other cruise lines.

The buffet area is very busy and sometimes chaotic and the variety is limited.

Cruise staff going the extra mile

Had a really good time as usual we dont let the little stuff get to us.The crew were unreal and worked harder than ever to make our vacation as good as it could be. THE PROBLEM?

The company completley misses the mark on the importance of quality and making tools available to the staff. We have done about 15 cruises now Royal Caribbean, celebrity,Cunard, Seabourn, viking and even Carnival and have never had such poor quality of food.the chicken breast was frozen the soups were thin tasteless even the cheese on the onion soup was welded to a round wafer of bread I think That was not eatable.  The pasta was limited to 2 or 3 different sauces that resembles wallpaper paste. Italian cruise line? The cheeseburgers were ok and pizza was good. The waiters at the table were inexperienced but tried hard but not even supplied with bottle opener and had to search around for one before opening my beer every night even in the specialty  restaurant. My wife even asked for a cranberry spritzer that after 10 days and multiple explanations couldn't get it right. We went to the specialty restaurant using a package of 3 that includes a show. Sorry to say that even didn't measure up.  So was below avarage and food just ok.The ship is beautiful and is not really crowded dispite the amount of people aboard.The shows were ok and didnt see anything that wowed us. The bingo was expensive and we didn't play but the last game they proudly boasted a $500 grand prize. No art auction or inside movie theater although they have a few cool things like bowling, f1 race cars and simulators at extra charge. The pools were crowded the hot tubs were small and cold the slides were fun and oh yes dont forget your room supplied beach towel that needs to go everywhere with you ( even on excursions) and if you lose it $20.Overall disappointed and would not return to MSC. There are too many companies out there that work really hard and deserve our business but Hope's of MSC improving are slim. GEORGE l

How can I do my job?

13 Day reposition cruise NYC to Miami

Due to the fact that it was a two week cruise down to my preferred destination, southern Caribbean, and that it left from New York (bused to Manhattan from Montreal/flew back from Miami) which meant I would sail by the statue of Liberty, as well as it was totted to be an interesting ship and my introduction to MSC line. Could not resist. Ship was good sized, slightly unique (French builder), easy to get around. Good food, very good entertainment. The itinerary enabled us to visit some favourites like Grenada, Curacao, Aruba, Barbados as well as be introduced to Martinique (liked).

Disliked the classing (being pushed more and more by cruise lines) of people by category purchased. You don't get to eat in the same dinning room as Fantastica category guests or have a decent hour to dine. We were given 5:15!  Pay more get treated better is back!!

In general we have noticed this trend throughout the cruise lines and its becoming a turn-off! 

Cost has also been increasing so value is dropping for us. After 17 cruises we are starting to rethink cruising. Too bad.

First MSC cruise

This ship is beautiful and the shows were outstanding but cold food and lack of hygiene and sanitation made it undesirable.  There are no hand sanitizers at all entries to the buffet.  It was not until the ship became a cough fest did MSC stand a crew member to spray hands and this was only at the one entrance with sanitizers in place. MSC allowed guests to refill water bothles bu putging the used botgle right up into the water nozzle on thewater machine this also occurred on the pumps of coffee creamers.  People reused glasses to get beverages also.  MSC failed to changed serving utensils when they replenished the food. Not only is this disgusting it can contribute to illness and food poisoning as well. All utensils were used the duration of the food service.   People also urinated in showers and pools as we seen one gentlemen pull his trunks outwards to rinse of his private area.  Many people but no water on floors leading into bathrooms and it wasnt bc MSC squeegeed the floors nonstop. The ladies bathroom by the buffet had no soap or water for a few days but remained open.  On many occasions the guests onboard failed to wash after using the restroom even in working facilities.  Seating is very minimal in many music venues so if you want to listen to it be prepared to stand.  I have cruised NCL  Carnival Holland America and Disney snd the careless concern for spreading of illness would more than make me think twice about booking again.  I want all health and sanitation to be top notch not simply the facade

The facade was wonderful but....,

Just a note: I can't seem to select just the 10-day portion, we couldn't do the 23 day due to job/time restrictions.

MSC Meraviglia Review: 18 Oct 2019 – 28 Oct 2019

Passengers: me (CH), my husband (BH), and our adult daughter (SH). 

Package: Fantastica: inside cabin, the Easy Drinks, Spa, Arcade/Amusement Park Fun Pass, and Internet (which we upgraded onboard). We reserved both Cirque Shows for the first two full nights (early cocktail show, as the meal didn't appeal). We also reserved two excursions: Tall Ship Sailing Cruise (Halifax) and Lighthouses of Maine (Portland)

Cabin# 13300

Steward: William

Panorama MDR; 1st seating: 

	Main Server: Rakesh

	Assistant: Russel

	Both were excellent, and quickly learned and provided for our preferences.

OK, right off the bat, would I sail on the Meraviglia again? Yes. Like all ships, she has good points, bad points and meh points.

She's a beautiful ship, with most of the amenities we look for in a cruise ship. Such as:

	Pools

	Ropes & trees course

	Spa

	Waterslides

	Specific specialty restaurants: 

		steakhouse

		teppanyaki

	Entertainment

		shows

		4-d theater

		bowling

		f-1 simulater

		flight/roller coaster simulator

Good points:

	The Aurea Spa: For me the Spa on any ship is an important yes/no, make-or-break deal. This one was great. With a whirlpool, a bubble bench, 2 steam rooms (dark and light), four saunas (though one seemed down the entire time), an ice/cold room, multiple rain-showers with add-ons, the walk-through alternate hot/cold shower, a salt room, two nice relaxation rooms, some warm lounge chairs in the bubble tub room, and free robes during the cruise (part of our package) It was the best one I've been in on a cruise. All it lacks is a large thlasso pool such as NCL has.

	Food: The meals in the Buffet and Panorama MDR were very good. I even occasionally wandered off the standards to experiment with new-to-me items.

	Specialty Restaurants:

		The Butcher's Cut: excellent, I'd definitely eat there again. We used the Dining Experience option and it was quite filling. Unfortunately, I don't remember our server's name, but he was excellent.  (I recall it being Marco -BH)

		Kaito Teppanyaki: also excellent, and very good at dealing with dietary issues, they were quite willing to swap out for the shellfish, and verified that it was dietary not allergy multiple times. William was our cook and he was one of the best we've had on a cruise.

	Cirque du Soleil: [note: it's almost impossible for a Cirque show to be bad.] 

		Viaggio: excellent

		SONOR: the seeming lack of a coherent story makes Viaggio the better of the two. (Corrected to SONOR -BH)

Meh Points:

	General:

		The white tea/coffee cups in the Buffet are too small. The blue ones were the right size, but were not at every station every day.

		The tea selection was OK, but needed more plain black tea. MSC, there's a reason the Vanilla/Raspberry tea was almost all that was left when we got back to NYC.

		The cabin seemed smaller than most other ships.

		They ran out of San Pelagrino! On an Italian ship! Granted, there were other brands of sparkling water available, but still!

		No menus posted by the MDRs for the daily meals.

	Boarding: Not bad, not great: we were told boarding was to start at 1 PM, so we made plans for meeting with a friend for lunch. We got to the Port at 10:30 AM, only to learn boarding had already started. Even then we were in group 13. Boarding went smoothly otherwise.	

	Aurea Spa: No easy in-and-out for the whirlpool and bubble tub tubs in the Spa. I'm short, 5' 1/2” and the entry/exit was doable but awkward. No Color bar! I loved that on the Divina, and it was included in their drinks package. I'm a real fan of teas and those were fantastic.

	The Drinks Package: We had the Easy Drinks Package,which is nice, but the $6 limit cuts out my favorite drink (Strawberry Daiquiri). It also doesn't include some of the special items (such as gelato and the snack items in the Piazza del Doge) the coupon package on the Divina did.

	Towel Animals: No towel animals or a program on how to make them. I miss my towel animals.

	Sea Day Brunches: The breakfasts at the MDR were OK, but when you wind up eating most breakfasts in the Buffet, it's an issue. In fact, one sea day [Thursday the 24th, I believe] they were out of one specialty of the day.  Maybe it's just me, but the best sea-day breakfasts/brunches I've had were on Carnival. Steak and eggs! When you're being beat out on food by Carnival, you're doing something wrong. 	

	The Buffet: Could we get more beef in the carving stations? None of us like ham, and BH cannot eat any pork.

       Excursions: Well, the one(s) we went on were good, but the one I was most looking forward too (the Tall Ships) was cancelled due to 'insufficient registration', though when we got to Halifax, they said that particular ship usually stops on the 18th. SH added the Salem Witch Excursion on board and enjoyed it very much.

Bad Points:

	The Specialty Dining Packages: Not quite what we've seen elsewhere. Even MSC Divina had better options. Meraviglia's Dining Packages are, in our opinion, unnecessarily limited. Your specialty restaurants are pre-chosen and the meals provided are fixed. Not that the one in Butcher's Cut is bad, in fact, it seems to be the most relaxed, allowing choices from a limited menu, with options to swap out at an additional cost of half the listed cost of the item swapped. Ocean's Cay? We're not seafood lovers and BH has shellfish issues [dietary restrictions], so only the tuna dinner was even an option. Kaito Teppanyaki is NOT included, just the Sushi bar. Again, seafood issues. Same with the Tapas bar. Even the best plan, the Two + One included Ocean's Cay in the package, though the other was Butcher's Cut and the plus was a Cirque dinner show. We'd have taken that one or the Tryptic if we could have swapped out Ocean's Cay.

	General: MSC's seeming lack of (or just poor) communication. For example; Italian/Mediterranean Night was just listed as an Elegant Night, so if we hadn't seen the waiters and the tables dressed for it before we got to the Panorama, we'd not have known. Another example was on our last day, a sea day. Around 12:30 PM, while we were already in Panorama and had ordered, they announced that the specialty restaurants were half-off for lunch. I'd have seriously considered Butcher's Cut again if we'd known earlier and BH would have re-done Kaito Teppanyaki. Another communications point is our repeated attempts to get confirmation that MSC knew I used a CPAP. In fact, the only line we've used that acknowledged my CPAP was Carnival.

Things I'd like to see in the future:

	A list of Elegant/Specialty Nights posted/provided on the first day.

	A listing of the dates for the various shows available on the first day.

	Menus for the MDRs posted daily (as on every other ship we've been on)

	I'd also love to see MSC have a ship based out of New York, as it's much easier for us to sail from. Maybe one that does that Grand Cruise Meraviglia is making in Oct 2020 as a routine sailing, allowing for both north and south trips regularly. Both routes seem very nice, missing only St. Kitts, our favorite island.

	Add a Brazilian style steakhouse as well.

	And, yes, Towel Animals, please!

The best parts were Cirque at Sea [Viaggio] and the Aurea Spa

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