MSC Meraviglia Review

A mostly positive experience on a beautiful ship - incredible value for money

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on MSC Meraviglia
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inmotion
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
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Dining
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Entertainment
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Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2020
Cabin: Interior Studio Stateroom
Theatre Show
Docked at Ocean Cay
Docked at night at Ocean Cay.

This was my first MSC cruise and I have to say that the experience was quite positive and made me want to consider MSC again for future cruises.

The Meraviglia is an absolutely stunning, and extremely glitzy vessel. The promenade and atrium, with it's Swarovski decorated staircases, are as nice as anything I've seen on any ship! The lounges are plentiful, comfortable and very nicely decorated.

Boarding was a multi-stage, multi-queue affair but, with a little patience, wasn't all that bad. It took an estimated 45 minutes from arrival at the main doors of the terminal to arrive onboard. It was 45 minutes of progressing through queues but also a good time to meet other cruisers. Once onboard, it took a while to get the MSC for Me app working and there also were a few glitches using the electronic kiosk to set up a credit card on my account. With these first steps completed, I went to find my room, about an hour before the time we were told rooms would be ready. By chance, the room steward was just finishing the room and after a mild warning about being there too early, I was welcomed to my inside studio.

Cabin Review

Interior Studio Stateroom

This was my first cruise in an inside cabin. The Inside Studio (10074) was very compact at 100 sq. ft. but was comfortable and had everything I needed. It seemed strange and a bit chintzy that the "Bella Experience" room did not include a gown, hair conditioner, or facial tissues but everything else was of a high standard. The "sofa bed" was very comfortable for sleeping but not the best place to sit for reading or watching the news or sports on TV. A virtual porthole (40+ inch display with a feed from one of the deck cameras) was a welcome feature.

Port Reviews

Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve

The nicest private island I have visited and it will improve with time as the trees grow and the on-island facilities mature.

Belize City

Not my favorite Caribbean port. There are some cultural sites but not much else.

Costa Maya

Created by the cruise industry, this place feels artificial.

Miami

A beautiful city with lots of culture, a world-class beach and lots of other facilities. The cruise terminal was only average.

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