msc meraviglia yacht club dinner menu

This Cruise Life

Msc yacht club menus (2024) with pictures.

In January, we sailed on MSC Meraviglia for a 9-night cruise. Each night, we dined at the private Top Sail Restaurant – exclusive to Yacht Club guests. Because food is such an important part of our cruise experience, we captured every dinner menu to share with you.

To make it easier to digest (see what I did there!!), we’ve split the 9 dinners into 3 separate pages, complete with photos of the food. Scroll down to see just how well we ate during the course of our cruise!

MSC Yacht Club – Night One Dinner Menu

For our first dinner in the Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge, we each enjoyed multiple starters and entrées. We both ended our meal with the Tiramisu.

MSC Yacht Club Menus (2024) with Pictures

I got the Nordic Salad and the Fire-Roasted Tomato Cream Soup as my Starters. Because I couldn’t decide on my meal, I got two: the Tortellini Stuffed with Asparagus and Mascarpone Cheese along with the Punjabi Tadka.

MSC Yacht Club – Night Two Dinner Menu

The second night in the Top Sail Lounge was the Gala Dinner (aka, Formal Night). There were so many wonderful options on the menu, and we, once again, each ordered several appetizers!

I ordered the Williams Salad and Burgundy Snails (fun fact: escargot is one of my favorite starters). For my entrée, I ordered the Champagne Risotto. While I won’t rehash our Yacht Club Food Review on YouTube here, let’s just say it was one of the best dishes I had in the Yacht Club. I ended my meal with the Crepes Suzette.

MSC Yacht Club – Night Three Dinner Menu

Our third dinner in the Yacht Club’s Top Sail Lounge was no different than our previous nights; we couldn’t decide what to order! So, both Rocky and I each got several appetizers. I stuck with the risotto for my main as I enjoyed it so much the previous night and I finished off with the evening’s featured dessert.

To start, I had the Cream of Argenteuil Asparagus Soup from the “Deliciously Healthy” section of the menu. Side note: I find it kind of funny that the Deliciously Healthy section is placed directly under the full Desserts menu. haha

I also enjoyed the fried Asiago Cheese Fritters (definitely not from the Deliciously Healthy section). For my main, I ordered the Truffle Risotto. Again, I don’t want to give too much away, but WOW. This was fantastic; I highly recommend. Finally, for dessert I ordered the Cherries Jubilee which was flambéed by the maître d’. Extra points for both presentation and flavor. Once again, another highly recommended dish.

MSC Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge Menus

Keep on eating and enjoying; check out the next set of menus below:

MSC Yacht Club Menus (2024) | Top Sail Lounge Nights 4, 5, and 6
MSC Yacht Club Menus (2024) | Top Sail Lounge Nights 7, 8, and 9

Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge Full Review

We’re working on a complete dinner service food review from our time on board. If you haven’t already, subscribe to our YouTube channel so you’ll be notified when that goes live. In the meantime, check out our entire MSC Meraviglia YouTube Playlist !

MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Menus Download

Yes! We have the MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club menus for download.

Here is a quick and easy download of all the Yacht Club menus, and a few bonus menus from the MSC Meraviglia. These were collected during our 7 night Mediterranean cruise aboard the MSC Meraviglia. We did the best we could with the available lighting in the dining room. They may not be pretty, but you’ll get a good idea of some of the food selections available. Click the menu thumbnail to the right to open or download all menus or use the following link to download all menus in a zip file: MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Menus

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MSC Dinner Menus

by Prof. Cruise · November 27, 2022

Here are the current 7 night dinner menus for the Caribbean itineraries on MSC.

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 1

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 2

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 3

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 4

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 5

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 6

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 7

And with that…

Class Dismissed!

Homework (10 points): Have you cruised on MSC? If so, what did you think of the MDR food? Share to the comments! If you haven’t cruised MSC yet, which items are you most excited to try?

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5 Responses

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Is this for Meraviglia?

It’s for the 7 night Caribbean itineraries regardless of ship. Other itineraries will be similar, but will have some port specific items.

I haven’t even considered MSC or Costa despite the wonderful pricing and variety of offerings, because of I’ve read such really bad reviews for MSC food, including that meals are repetitive, that mostly pasta is offered again and again, and that rampant tobacco smoking makes meals unappetizing. These menus are wonderful. Have things changed? How can the menus look so different from the reviews. I’d love to learn that the food is good.

I’ve watched maybe 30 different YouTube reviews in the last few days. Have to say only about 3-4 bad reviews of food. And there’s only smoking in one area in the casino. Don’t know how there’s rampant smoking that effects food

Thanks for this helpful good news. I did read that passengers don’t comply with the smoking restrictions, but that was years ago.

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About Prof. Cruise

Given name Sarah, but also answers to Prof. Cruise. Retired after 10 years as a college professor to focus full-time on her primary research interest: travel. With a concentration in cruising. Home port: Seattle. Mom of a shaggy-haired dog and a shaggy-haired human. Lover of books and dessert. Fancies herself a bit of a comedian – you’ve been warned.

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Msc meraviglia: main dining room review & menus.

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Hi Everyone! I am back with another review of the MSC Meraviglia. In my last post, which you can find here , we reviewed the whole ship and mentioned a bit about the dining. This time, we’re digging in a bit deeper into the Main Dining Room Menus and food. I’ll be back with another post with specialty menus, buffet information and with daily planners.

During my sailing on the MSC Meraviglia, we had set dining at the L ’Olive Doree Restaurant on deck 6 for the early seating at 6:00 pm. The alternative option for dining for dinner is the Marketplace Buffet on deck 15.

Different Dining Rooms

There are four main dining rooms onboard the MSC Meraviglia. These include the Waves Restaurant, the Panorama Restaurant, L’ Olivo d’Oro and L’ Olive Doree. The Panorama Restaurant, L’ Olivo d’Oro and L’ Olive Doree are all located on deck 6. The Waves Restaurant is located on deck 5.

Waves Restaurant

Waves Restaurant, located on deck 5, offers guests set time dining for either first seating at 5:30 pm, second seating at 7:30 pm or third seating at 9:30 pm. This restaurant is included in the price of your cruise and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Panorama Restaurant

Panorama Restaurant, located in the back of deck 6, offers guests in Aurea class anytime dining between 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm. Set dining times at Panorama are at 5:30 pm for first seating, 7:30 pm for second seating and 9:30 pm for third seating. This restaurant also offers dinner.

L’ Olivo d’Oro and L’ Olive Doree Restaurants

L’ Olivo d’Oro and L’ Olive Doree are both located on deck 6, across from each other and are essentially exact copies of each other. Dining times at these restaurants include early seating at 6:00 pm and late seating at 8:30 pm. Dinner is the only meal available in L’ Olivo d’Oro and L’ Olive Doree.

The Food and Menus

During my voyage, I took photos of the menu each night as well as the items I ordered during my cruise. There is only one night where I do not have the dining menu because we were on a shore excursion in Port Canaveral. Below is a review of the food and menus for each night.

Night #1: Brooklyn, New York- Welcome Aboard

MSC offers dress code suggestions each day in their daily planner. The first night they suggest casual attire. Given that the first day is the day you board and that you don’t always get your luggage in time, you are able to wear whatever you would like to dinner.

Night #1 Menu

During our sailing, we were not given a paper menu in the Main Dining Room. There are QR codes left on the table where you can scan the menu. Here is the menu for night #1.

Night #1 Our Meal

On the first night, I ordered the Chicken Croquettes, the Slow-Roasted Prime Rib of Beef Crusted with Freshly Cracked Peppercorns, the Lasagna Bolognese and the New York Cheesecake with chocolate. The Chicken Croquettes were cold when they got to the table and tasted like chicken nuggets. The Prime Rib was very dry and had no flavor. The best part of the meal was probably the Lasagna but even that was not the best and the Cheesecake was fine, although it’s not served very cold.

Other members of my party ordered the French Onion Soup, the Penne Alfredo, the Shrimp Cocktail, the Caesar Salad, the Blackened Grouper with Lime and Creole Spices, the Grandma’s Chocolate Cake, the Coconut Pistachio Dacquoise and the Warm Apple Crumble. Members of my party didn’t love the French Onion Soup. They also said the Caesar Salad was very lemony and the Grouper was very fishy.

Night #2: At Sea- Gala Night

Traditionally, onboard MSC, the first day at sea is when you should have your Gala night. The intention behind Gala night is that it is supposed to be a bit more formal, but in the daily planner, they say to wear whatever you feel is your favorite outfit to impress. It could be a tux, evening gown or even nice jeans and a polo shirt. They only ask for no flip-flops, tanks or t-shirts.

Night #2 Menu

Again, we were not given paper menus for night #2. Here is the menu for night #2, gala night.

Night #2 Our Meal

On gala night, I ordered the Lobster Bisque Soup, the Surf & Turf and the Cheesecake with Chocolate. Of all of our meals onboard, I would say this one was one of the better ones. I love lobster bisque and jump at the opportunity to have it whenever I can. The flavor wasn’t terrible, I think they just went a bit overboard with the sherry. The lobster tail was delicious but a bit small as was the filet that it came with but it was a little cold.

**Story Time… As I’ve mentioned I’ve been on many cruises and know you can usually ask for more food at the MDR and they usually gladly bring these things. On gala night, since the portions were small, we asked for another round of the lobster tails for the table. At first, our waiter said no and then said well I’ll need to speak to a supervisor. I understand it’s lobster and it’s fancy but I’ve never heard something like that before. We did end up getting another whole meal each which ended up being hot this time but just something to note that there is often hesitation when asking for additional items or more food.**

Other members of my party ordered the Eggplant Parm, the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio and the New York Strip. The group enjoyed the eggplant parm. Note that the aglio e olio has a lot of red pepper, so whenever we ordered it, we asked for no red pepper. The person who ordered the New York Strip liked the steak much better than the Prime Rib the night before.

Night #3: Port Canaveral- Casual

Night number three onboard the MSC Meraviglia was deemed as a casual evening. This means you can wear formal shorts for men, jeans and sundresses for women. All kinds of outfits were relatively accepted.

Night #3 Menu

Unfortunately, I do not have the menu for night #3. Since this was Port Canaveral day, part of our group went to Walt Disney World and did not make it back in time for dinner. While I don’t have a photo of the menu or photos of the food from this night, I did hear about the meal from my family.

Night #3 Our Meal

The item that most of my family members ordered that night for dinner was the Texas-Style Pulled Pork with Mac and Cheese. They said that the taste was pretty pleasant but the portion size was very small and they could have gone for a bit more.

Night #4: Ocean Cay- Tropical Night

On Day #4, we visited MSC’s private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. For dinner that night, the theme was tropical/caribbean. They asked guests to wear their best tropical themed outfit.

Night #4 Menu

Night #4, we also were asked to use the QR codes for the menu on our tables. Here are some screenshots of the menu from Caribbean Night, #4.

Night #4 Our Meal

Caribbean night probably had the least amount of things that I would eat, so I looked to the classic favorites menu for some inspiration. That night, I ordered the French Onion Soup, the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Grilled Chicken and the Florida Key Lime Pie. I’ve had French Onion Soup on many cruises in the past and there was something about this French Onion Soup that was strange. It was almost too sweet and the crostini that accompanied it was very hard to cut in the bowl. I ordered the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Grilled Chicken and no red pepper, which was delicious. Again, while simple, this was one of the better meals I had on the ship… I just wish I had a bit more to eat. The Key Lime Pie was very tart and very lime tasting but it was ok.

Other members of my party ordered the Shrimp Cocktail, the Marinated Rotisserie Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Fresh Herbs, The Fisherman’s Plate, the Arroz con Leche and the Caribbean Rum Cake. Members of the party said that the Shrimp Cocktail was ok but they poured the cocktail sauce on it so they don’t give you that option if you aren’t a sauce person. They said the Marinated Rotisserie Chicken was pretty good, was flavorful and was a good go-to if you couldn’t find anything else on the menu. The person who ordered the Fisherman’s Plate said that the calamari was inedible since it was very rubbery and that the fish filet was also very fishy. In terms of the other desserts, everyone said that they were just ok.

Night #5: Nassau- White Night

While our stop in Nassau was pretty much a bust for all guests, with all shore excursions being canceled due to the rain, it was still white night aboard the MSC Meraviglia. Tonight, all are encouraged to wear white while we sail away from Nassau.

Night #5 Menu

On night #5, we again used our cell phones to access the menu via QR codes. Here are the menus for night #5.

Night #5 Our Meal

On night #5, I ordered the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio as an appetizer, the Rosemary-Braised Lamb Shank and the Chocolate Duo Cake. The Spaghetti was a good go-to item and worked perfect as an appetizer. Surprisingly, the Lamb Shank was probably my favorite MDR meal of the cruise. The lamb was very tender and flavorful. The duo cake was ok and worked as a dessert.

Other members of my party ordered the Crispy Hand-Rolled Vegetable Spring Rolls, the Fruit Plate, the Bucatini alla Carbonara, the Dry Rubbed Wild Fennel Barramundi Fillet and the Coconut Cake. Members of my party said that the spring rolls were ok and had some flavor. The fruit plate was extremely disappointing and I don’t think it can be called a fruit “plate” since it had four little pieces of fruit. Other members of my party said that the Bucatini alla Carbonara was good and that the Filet was again quite fishy tasting. As for the coconut cake, I heard that it was pretty good.

Night #6: At Sea- Casual

As we approach the end of our cruise, we are greeted with another casual evening onboard but the theme for the evening was music. Again, guests can wear some more casual outfits such as shorts, jeans and sundresses.

Night #6 Menu

We used the QR code on our tables to access our menus for the evening. Here are a screenshot of the menus for night #6.

Night #6 Our Meal

On night #6, I ordered the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, the Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs and the Cheesecake with Chocolate. Again, the spaghetti was a great option since I didn’t like the other appetizer options. The Braised-Short Ribs were very disappointing. They were almost like a stew rather than pieces of short rib and everything was just mixed together in the bowl. It was definitely not what I was expecting. The cheesecake was again a classic, solid option.

On this night, most of my family ordered the same items as I did, so there is nothing new to report here except for the Gateau Opera dessert, which was just ok and nothing amazing.

Night #7: At Sea- Casual/Italian Night

On the final night of our cruise, they encouraged guests to wear casual outfits. Since it’s the final night and there are logistics involved with getting your luggage outside by 10:00 pm, some guests wear the same outfits to dinner as they will wear off the ship the next day. In addition, the final night is also an Italian themed menu.

Night #7 Menu

For our final night, we accessed our QR code on the table and scanned it to see the menu on our phones. Here are screenshots of the menus for Italian Night.

Night #7 Our Meal

On night #7, I ordered the Fried Calamari, the Sicilian-Style Arancini, the Chicken Breast Parmigiana and the Limoncello Cake. The Fried Calamari was a bit fishy and all of the breadcrumbs were coming off of the pieces. It was on the rubbery side and was not crispy. I am from an Italian family so I understand I am not getting truly authentic calamari but I think this could have been better. Sicilian-Style Arancini traditionally has peas in the rice ball, but this one did not have any and none of the people at my table had them either. I personally was happy there were no peas and thought this was the better of the appetizers that night. Oh the chicken parm… aside from the portion size which was small for chicken parmigiana, it tasted like a chicken tender that they poured some sauce on top of and added cheese. I tried the Limoncello cake for dessert which was very tart and something I didn’t care for.

On this night, other items ordered included the Penne Alfredo, the Caprese Salad, the Tiramisu and the Chocolate Ice Cream. The person who had the Penne Alfredo did not like it at all. The Caprese salad was ok and was not a bad salad choice. I heard the Tiramisu again was just an ok option. As for the chocolate ice cream… well that’s another story. It was almost two different colors and the person who ate it said it tasted strange.

Overall Review of the Main Dining Room

I think a major issue that MSC has is that they are understaffed. While this doesn’t matter for the taste or portion size of the food, it does matter for experience. The first few days of the cruise we were told no to coffee after dinner because they needed time to clean up for the next seating and weren’t offered beverages with dinner. If someone did ask they were told to go to the bar themselves to get it.

MSC is not accommodating in the MDR with requests such as things without sauce or changing up sides. I’ve been on many cruises and the staff is always more than happy to change things if I don’t like something or offer me something else. I’ve had times where the staff would bring me another portion because they thought I’d like it. That wasn’t the case here. I also noted throughout that the food was never really hot when we received it.

I think that MSC has a long way to go in terms of food and compared to other major cruise lines like NCL or Royal Caribbean. Being a European Cruise Line, I expected more out of the food than I actually received.

Notes about Dinner

There are a few other things I do want to mention about dinner in the MDR:

If you are eating the MDR, please make sure you bring someone’s phone with you to scan the QR code menus. We were never offered a paper menu so I am just assuming you need to always have a phone to view the menu.
If you are a group larger than 9 people, you will most likely be seated at 2 separate tables. In our case, the tables were next to each other but just keep in mind that groups larger than 9 will be separated.
All of the desserts we had in the MDR were never cold. Things like cheesecake which should be cold were only just warm.
Most of the fish dishes that members of my family had were very fishy. I’ve had fish onboard other cruises before and the fish onboard the MSC Meraviglia was very, very fishy.

Have you sailed aboard the MSC Meraviglia? If so, did you enjoy the food? Head over to @thehappiesttravelsonearth on Instagram and follow me to see more!

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MSC Meraviglia Bar & Restaurant Menus

Cruise Podcast

The MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Experience Review

Doug Parker

February 3, 2024

A year-round cruise ship from MSC Cruises floats gracefully in front of a lighthouse in Ocean Cay.

Contents Show

Doug talks with Mark and Rocky of TheCruiseLife this week about their nine-night cruise aboard MSC Meraviglia.

They dive into their bougie MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club experience, from exclusive embarkation to dedicated amenities like a butler, private lounge, dining room, and sun deck. They discuss the superior dining options, including specialty dishes and a unique cheese trolley, and the benefits of their status-matching loyalty program status.

One of MSC Cruises’ larger vessels , Mark and Rocky also touch on the onboard entertainment, the ship’s atmosphere, and ports of call, including a visit to MSC’s private island, Ocean Cay.

Find Rock and Mark’s coverage of MSC Meraviglia :

ThisCruiseLife YouTube channel features their cruises across all lines.
The MSC Meraviglia playlist has several videos from their sailing.
Read the MSC Yacht Club experiences on ThisCruiseLife website .

MSC Meraviglia Review Transcript

Doug (00:01:01) – Mark and Rocky had just returned from a nine-night cruise aboard MSC Maravilla. It was out of New York City, in the Bahamas, Florida area, and staying in the yacht club. They join us on the line right now. Hey, guys, how are you?

Guest (00:01:16) – Good, Doug.

Doug (00:01:17) – I’m excited to talk about this because we haven’t had an MSC Yacht Club experience in a long time. We’ve had the ones that were like three-nighters and were fast, but I’m excited to hear what it’s like spending extended time beyond seven nights in that yacht club. So what we’ll do here before we get started, we’ll get some pre-cruise thoughts. You’re in the Phoenix area. What made you want to take this nine-niner out of New York City.

Guest (00:01:40) – Honestly, it was just the idea of getting to check out a new cruise line. We’ve been looking at MSC for a long time, and the idea that sailing out of New York in the heart of January, when it is very cold outside, uh, the pricing was very lucrative to get ourselves onto that ship, as well as to fly across the country to New York.

Guest (00:02:01) – So all the stars aligned and just made it worthwhile for us.

Doug (00:02:04) – Now, there were some, uh, a little bit of weather going through the country about the time when you all boarded. It might have missed you by a day or two. Did that impact your flights going into Manhattan?

Guest (00:02:14) – It did not impact the flights at all. It did impact sail away a bit. Um, as you can imagine, uh, the storms, uh, it was pretty rocky on the seas. Uh, it was really cool because it was the first time ever.

So we’ve been to Alaska several times, but it was the first time ever we’ve actually seen snow on a cruise ship. And so to see the crew, it was the first time many had seen snow on a cruise ship. And they were out running out, uh, TikTok ING and taking selfies. It was a really special experience, uh, being able to see that snowstorm.

Doug (00:02:48) – That is so cool.

Doug (00:02:49) – So did you any pre cruise time in the city before boarding in Brooklyn?

Guest (00:02:57) – You know, we always suggest that the best way to do it is to fly a day ahead of time. Uh, this time we flew in two days in advance to take some time and explore Brooklyn, because that’s where the cruise terminal is for MSC. And then we also took the subway into Manhattan and just kind of hung around Times Square, went to a couple of bars, a couple of restaurants, and, uh, just kind of got ourselves situated in New York before we set sail. We met up with we met up with one of, uh, the solo’s that I met on board, uh, Norwegian Cruise Line. So I did a Norwegian cruise line earlier in 2023. Uh, we met a bunch of solos in our solo cabins, and we actually met up with them to hang out, and they showed us New York, which was a ton of fun.

Guest (00:03:36) – You see.

Doug (00:03:36) – You never know what connections you’ll make on a ship, right? Right.

Guest (00:03:39) – Exactly.

Doug (00:03:40) – Yeah. It’s it’s so awesome. So you make your way to Brooklyn the following day and you go to embark MSC Maravilla. How was that embarkation process? And, did you get any kind of special treatment embarking since you were in the Yacht Club?

Guest (00:03:54) – Goodness gracious. It was an embark like none that I’ve ever experienced. We’ve all been through embark. We know the lines, we know the queues. We know all of the seating areas. Um, the moment that we got there, immediately there was signage for yacht club. And so the, the, the porter, the luggage porter whisked us over and tagged our bags with yacht club tags and pointed us to his colleague standing at the door with a yacht club sign. They literally escorted us through the terminal to our own dedicated security line for yacht club. Um, they didn’t have a they didn’t have us waiting in the general queue.

Guest (00:04:28) – And so we went through that security queue, uh, very quickly. And another, yet another Yacht Club representative whisked us to our private lounge, where they did one on one check ins with us, um, and then handed us glasses of champagne and canapés and sparkling water. Um, and it was a private area, very quiet, very secluded from the rest of the terminal. And we enjoyed mimosas and, uh, sparkling water, uh, that as we waited to board the ship.

Doug (00:04:57) – How long did it take you from curb to ship, then?

Guest (00:05:00) – It took us about an hour and a half. So unfortunately the the sailing before ours was the New Year’s cruise. And so they had a lot of passengers to disembark from that ship. So they were slightly delayed on clearing the ship down to zero counts for us to start the embark process. So yeah, about an hour and a half from when we arrived. Fortunately, the lounge was great. We had butlers in there waiting on us, so it was a really pleasant experience getting to stand around and wait until the ship was ready.

Guest (00:05:28) – Literally. Butlers, butlers, refilling our champagne glasses, walking around with bottles of champagne, saying, oh, would you like a refill on your champagne? Well, okay. Yes, we would love that.

Doug (00:05:38) – It’s like being stuck in an airport and being able to be in an airline lounge instead of in the regular common area, right? Just kind of, uh. Yeah, yeah, living it up in there. So you make your way on board the ship. You’re mentioning this was your first time on the ship. So what were your first impressions of MSC Meraviglia?

Guest (00:05:54) – So it’s kind of funny you ask that we didn’t actually get to see the whole ship for the first four hours that we were on board when they when the yacht club boards, we get priority boarding service. So they bring us into the main atrium, and that’s about the most of the ship we get to see. From there, we walk down a corridor of rooms to the very forward of the ship, where they have elevators that they can badge in, giving you priority access to the elevator.

Guest (00:06:21) – They loaded us into these elevators and took us up to the 16th deck where the topsail lounges, which is the exclusive lounge space for the top or the yacht club. Uh, and they put us in there with, again, more champagne and more canapés and live music that was being performed for us. So we spent most of the first four hours on board in that topsail lounge. Well, they took us from the Topsail Lounge. Then they opened up the Topsail Restaurant, the exclusive restaurant for yacht clubbers. And so we literally went from canapés and champagne up to the lunch in the Topsail restaurant.

Normally we run around taking pictures and exploring the ship. We literally were just kind of in the lap of luxury those first several hours onboard. Oh, we met our butler as well during that time. And so we didn’t actually leave the yacht club as Rocky mentioned, until about four hours after boarding.

Doug (00:07:12) – So a lot to unpack here. So I want to actually take a step back.

Doug (00:07:15) – And I want to ask, um, we were chatting before we started recording here, and you mentioned you had an upgrade offer. So how much of a premium, um, once you accept that upgrade, is it for the yacht club against just staying in a regular balcony cabin?

Guest (00:07:29) – So that’s exactly what we had booked. We booked a balcony cabin and received an offer to bid on an upgrade. Now, because we had already booked that balcony and paid for a balcony, the upgrade amount was not wildly expensive. I think it was. We we could have started the upgrade process offer at $300 per person. Wow. And Rocky was like, okay, should we just start there? And I was like, how often will we get to stay in the yacht club? We are maxing that bit out. And so I think we each maxed our bid out at about $600. So for another $1,200 or so plus tax and all of that stuff, um, we could move from the balcony we had into.

Guest (00:08:09) – We actually dug and bid for an interior yacht club cabin because we were like, okay, we’re just gonna make sure we get into this thing. Well, they were they must have been sold out because our dreams were answered. We got the upgrade and they put us into a deluxe suite.

Doug (00:08:24) – I love it. Let’s discuss that deluxe suite in the yacht club and give us all the details.

Guest (00:08:30) – As you walk in, the first thing that meets your eye is the size of this cabin. I would say that this cabin is the same depth as your standard balcony cabin that you find on any cruise ship. However, the width is probably equivalent to one and a half to anywhere up to two times the width of a standard balcony cabin. Huge space, um, between the foot of the bed and the credenza and wall units that they had where all of the minibar was located. There was probably a good 4 to 5ft of space between those two areas. Um, inside the bathroom, it was upgraded amenities.

Guest (00:09:05) – You had marble tile throughout, a very large, spacious walk in shower with a rainfall head, uh, or the rain shower head. Um, the balcony was the same width as the room, so it was a pretty sizable balcony. They only put two chairs and one side table out there, but you could have easily had another two. Uh, very large and spacious room.

Doug (00:09:29) – So the question is, how do you use the butler on your cruise? Well.

Guest (00:09:33) – You know, because we often have butlers on our cruises. Uh, I kid, um, it was the first experience. And so literally the butler introduced himself. We were in the room. He he knocked and came in and he said, what questions do you have for me? And we said, well, we don’t even know what questions to ask. And so he’s like, well, let’s start with your pillow selections. Are your pillows up to your liking? And Rocky joked, he’s like, well, we’ll sleep on him tonight and let you know.

Guest (00:09:59) – Um, but but the. Butler took care of our minibar, so he asked us specifically for our preferences in terms of sodas, juices and beers.

He asked for our liquor selection because the yacht club comes with a bottle, comes with bottle service, a single bottle. And so we, uh, we shared our, uh, bottle selection with him, and then he just let us know that he would be the person that would escort us to dinners if we wanted. He would escort us to the theater for shows.

He would arrange our bookings if we wanted to go to any specialty restaurant. And so it was, you know, Rocky and I asked as we were getting ready, we’re like, is this just going to be an upgraded room steward, like a room steward that wears a suit? Um, and no, it was it was significantly more than just a room steward. In fact, we had a junior butler as well and, and a third person who helped service the room.

Guest (00:10:50) – So there were three people servicing the room. But that Butler experience was really unique and new to us. Yes, I love it.

Doug (00:10:58) – So you were on there for nine nights. Was there enough space in your room to put everything?

Guest (00:11:01) – Yeah, there was um, I think one of the challenges that we discovered when we were unpacking our room was the closet space was a little bit smaller than what we’re used to on some of the other balcony rooms that we’ve had in the past. Um, the way it’s set up, you walk in and the, the closet space is your entrance to the bathroom.

And so it’s kind of a strange layout. We discovered that there were some challenges with that. However, there was a three-drawer storage space in the main room area that was part of the main. I don’t know what you call it. Credenza. Yeah. And so that actually made up for some of that lost space. And fortunately, these beds were designed to hold luggage under or suitcases under them.

Guest (00:11:41) – It was easy to unpack our room and get moved in for those nine days. Oh, and don’t forget both of the nightstands next to the bed. So there were additional storage tables next to the bed as well. And so there was plenty of storage. But to Rocky’s point that the closet seemed to be a little bit smaller than than other rooms.

Doug (00:11:59) – ThYacht Club is like Norwegian’s Haven, a ship within a ship concept. So outside of your room, what amenities did you have within your ship?

Guest (00:12:07) – I’m telling you, they design it so you don’t have to leave the yacht club. They tell you when you’re going through the booking process. They say it’s exclusive and it’s private. And that is very true. And so the entrance to the yacht club on each of the floors are glass doors. Truly. They look out into the elevator bank. I think MSC has designed it so that people can see in and you can see out, but you have to badge in and out to get in.

Guest (00:12:33) – And so the spaces are beautiful. They’ve got those crystal staircases. What are those crystals? The Swarovski, Swarovski, uh, staircases, the spiral staircases. So we would leave our room and take the staircase up to the next deck. Uh, the 16th deck, which is where the concierge was at the Topsail lounge. Topsail lounge was windows all at the front of the ship.

The view of of New York, we commented that was probably the best view of New York we’ve ever had in that topsail lounge. Oh yeah, the canopy. Like, there’s just so much to unpack in that, um, the full bar.

And then again, you take up another spiral staircase and you are there at the exclusive restaurant, and then one more spiral staircase up, and you are at deck 19, which is your dedicated, uh, lounging space, pool, and hot tub. There’s a daily buffet that they put up there for, for just yacht club guests, along with a bar.

Doug (00:13:23) – Let’s talk about some of the food on MSC Maravilla.

Doug (00:13:26) – Once you get out of your haven complex and go to the buffet with the common folk, how was the buffet and the food throughout the nine days?

Guest (00:13:34) – So we didn’t discover the buffet area until that first night. It was the second day that we discovered it. Yeah. Uh, now that I think back on the experience, um, we like to refer to those areas as Jen and Pop. And, uh, as we walked in to the buffet, we were we kind of felt like we were in someone else’s place. We didn’t feel like we knew that our way around, because we had spent so much time on the ship before we found the buffet. But once we did find it, I’ll tell you, Doug, we spent a good amount of time there, especially for late-night buffets. Uh, this was the first time that we’d really seen a cruise line dedicate a late-night buffet to its passengers consistently. Every night from midnight until 2 a.m..

Guest (00:14:14) – They served food. And we’re not just talking about just, you know, a quick little grab here and there. They have their pizzas available. They have little small sandwiches that you could grab. They had burgers and hot dogs. They sometimes had nachos. Sometimes, they would do a breakfast with some scrambled eggs and bacon every night. I think I got scrambled eggs and bacon every single night of the cruise.

They had the healthy corner like they had salads. And so it wasn’t even just that fried stuff that you sometimes find on the late night buffet. They had salads in a healthy corner. I mean, it was the largest. So we’ve seen late night buffets right on Carnival. We’ve seen it on, uh, we’ve seen it on the other lines. This was the I mean, it was the size of a regular buffet at from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m.. It brought me back to old days of cruising.

Doug (00:14:57) – Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sounds like it. So for your main. You were mentioning.

Doug (00:15:01) – You had your dining room in the topsail area. So how was the dining in the yacht club, and was there much of a selection like, do they rotate the menus? How does that play out?

Guest (00:15:12) – Very much a dedicated menu for the, uh, those that were in the yacht club. Um, the options that they, they had on the menu, there was some mirroring that happened to the main dining rooms on the ship, but they were elevated to a different level with the offerings and the types of food. Uh, there was a selection of classics that were served every night.

For example, you could get your classic filet mignon, or a salmon would be available. And I think they also had a lobster on that classics menu. On the classics menu, you had lobster and filet mignon. I mean, this is this is next level here. Right. And then uh, for the regular offerings every day they had a rotation of several different items. Usually there was a daily result of that was available.

Guest (00:15:53) – There was also a different daily lamb that was on the menu. Uh, so definitely a higher caliber of food offerings on the menu. And the way that they were prepared and plated were very beautiful. Uh, you had, of course, your main waiter and then you had your, your waiters’ assistants and they would all work in harmony together to deliver your breads, appetizers, entrees, and desserts.

Speaking of desserts, don’t forget that the maitre d would flambé the dessert. So we had cherries jubilee one night where he flambé and served that, um, they, they did the cheese trolley where they would literally, they literally had a cheese trolley where you could choose the cheeses and, and jams and jellies that you wanted as part of your dessert option. It was it was definitely. Where do you find a risotto on a cruise on the difficulty to actually prepare that correctly for the masses. Um, you can’t do that. But you can in a private small restaurant that’s dedicated to a subset of your passengers.

Doug (00:16:53) – And how were the lines up there?

Guest (00:16:57) – We don’t know what you mean by lines.

Doug (00:17:00) – Fair enough.

Guest (00:17:02) – Yeah, because there was such a small capacity within the yacht club itself on the ship. Right. And because you only have those people that have access to it, our dining times for dinner was available from 6 p.m. until 830.

That was when you could get seated, and it was open to your time. Whenever you wanted to go in, you would show up. There was one knife that I can think of, and I believe it was the second gala night. We had to wait maybe three minutes, maybe get seated. Yeah. Um, overall, the amount of seating that they have both in the lounge and the restaurant are ample for the number of people that are in there, and they know that they’re going to turn over tables throughout the evening from guests that are doing early versus later dining.

Doug (00:17:42) – Did you enjoy any specialty dining on board this one?

Guest (00:17:45) – So this sailing specifically, we chose to stick to the yacht club so that we could capture each of the menus and actually record some reviews each dinner. We actually are right now looking at booking, uh, another MSC cruise, we committed to ourselves that we would do a yacht club and we would do non-Yacht Club. And so that is where that’s sailing, where we plan to actually explore some of those additional, um, upstairs upcharge specialty restaurants. But for this sailing we literally stuck to the Yacht Club restaurant. That exclusive restaurant.

Doug (00:18:16) – I meant to ask you, before you sailed, did you do the status match with them?

Guest (00:18:20) – Yeah, both of us actually ended up doing status match. Um, with Mark having diamond status with Carnival and I have platinum status, we were both able to match into their gold status or gold level with the Voyagers club.

Doug (00:18:33) – So you stepped right into gold. So do you know, like what that gets you compared to just being a first-time MSC cruiser?

Guest (00:18:39) – Great question.

Guest (00:18:40) – Because, uh, MSC is not known for their loyalty program having the strongest perks, but what it did get us is it it got us a welcome back reception where they had cocktails, which when you’re in the yacht club, it doesn’t really have a huge impact. Uh, because we had champagne up and up in our private lounge.

We also got a little gift. It was a little backpack or drawstring backpack that we got. There’s also when you’re part of the when you’re part of the loyalty program, you get a discount on sailings with MSC, and on future sailings with MSC. And so I think it’s a 5% discount that you get as, as a member of that level. And so there are some perks.

They don’t actually do priority. Like many lines have priority boarding and don’t do that until you hit their very top level, which is diamond. And that’s the only group with priority boarding and demarcation. So that’s our goal. My goal is to hit Diamond on Carnival and MSC.

Guest (00:19:36) – We’ll see how long it takes.

Doug (00:19:37) – Double diamond. There you go.

Guest (00:19:39) – I like it I like.

Doug (00:19:40) – That. How about around the ship like you mentioned Carnival. So we’ll stick with that. Uh, they have the guys burger joint, which is complimentary dining. Does MSC have anything like that around the ship? Kind of a grab and go type place. Yeah.

Guest (00:19:52) – So, uh, it was kind of surprised. And that was one of the conversations that we had at Post Cruise is the fact that there really aren’t those. Types of grab and go quick serve restaurants on board. You do have the buffet, which is very well divided. They have their ethnic corner and they have their pastas, and they have a pizza spot and some burgers, but it’s really only confined to that area as well as the main dining restaurant restaurants. Aside from that, everything is upcharge. They have a Mexican place that’s an upcharge. They have, uh, I can’t remember all of them. There’s a there’s a couple other ones.

Guest (00:20:27) – One thing that I would call out that was unique, that I’ve never seen before on any of our sailings, is they had a kid’s buffet, a dedicated buffet for the kids so that they didn’t have to be in the main area of the buffet. And then the only other kind of separate areas that they had were out on the lido deck.

They had that kind of they had like side buffets. It was the same buffet food on the inside of the buffet, but it was just right outside on Lido, so you didn’t have to go in. But there was no you know, I think about even Celebrity Apex had the burger and fries station and Carnival and all of their side restaurants that they have that are included. None of that. It is focused on the buffet and their and their main dining room for the included options.

Doug (00:21:10) – Let’s discuss the entertainment on board Maravilla. I know that MSC gave up the Cirque partnership located at the back of the ship. What’s going on back there now?

Guest (00:21:22) – So I will say that we were pleasantly surprised with the show performances that were put on in the main Broadway theater, which is their main theater in the forward of the ship. We actually attended one of the Meet the cast type of, uh, presentations, if you will, and we had a really great interaction with them.

We found out that all of the shows in that forward lounge were designed specifically for that cast and this ship. So in all, we were very impressed and enjoyed all of the shows we saw in that forward lounge. Now, going to your question about Cirque du Soleil partnership, you can see that there still is some residual, um, design with the shows that they have in that back lounge that does still exist, they still do aerial acts, and we very much enjoyed those performances. But one thing to be aware of is MSC still continues to consider that an upcharge and add-on type of experience.

Guest (00:22:20) – So if you buy it on the ship, it’s $18 a person to get into one of those shows. The nice thing is they sweeten the deal because they throw a drink at you that you can enjoy during the show, but it’s definitely a bit different of an experience than what we’ve seen on most of the other cruise lines.

Doug (00:22:37) – Gotcha. And did you guys, uh, like, what kind of show was you mentioned? It was like an acrobatics thing, but it was just an MSC-branded show.

Guest (00:22:47) – Yeah. So they put on a magic show. Houdini is the name of the show. And so there’s a lot of singing, dancing, acrobats flying through the air, and a little juggling and jumping out into the audience. And so definitely had, I would say Cirque vibes, but just not with the branding. But to Rocky’s point, they’re still charging that upcharge for the Cirque like show.

Doug (00:23:10) – Gotcha. Okay. Historically, MSC Cruise Entertainment is more visual and less like comedians because of the international audience. Is it like this on MSC Meraviglia?

Guest (00:23:22) – Actually, no. I feel like there was a lot, a lot of the presentations that we saw were done primarily in English, surprisingly. Okay. Uh, the one thing that caught us off guard was the overhead announcements.

Anytime the captain would make his announcements, it would always be done by the captain. Again in Italian. Uh, during the safety briefings when we were on the embark day, they were doing announcements in both English and Mandarin. For safety reasons, there were so many Mandarin-speaking passengers on board. But overall, most of the shows were done and performed in English leading up to the show’s start.

They would do a couple of announcements in Mandarin and Italian and English and German. So they did do several pre-calls for those shows. But overall the actual shows themselves were primarily in English, if there was any speaking at all. Yeah, it turns out it turns out those songs are universal. You know, the journey is universal across all languages.

Doug (00:24:19) – Let’s talk about the sea days. As far as crowds and congestion, I know that you were up there in the yacht club for probably most of it, but as you made your way further south, you mentioned the snow on the sail out, but that it eventually warm up once you got around the Carolinas or Florida.

Guest (00:24:36) – Warmed up is relative. Uh, it was warmer than than the snow, but we there weren’t a lot of folks spending time out on deck or making use of of the water slides. Um, it was still pretty chilly until, honestly, the nicest day we had was in Nassau. And so it took us, uh, five days into the cruise before the weather was, was to a point where you would want to actually be out on deck or layout, you know, you could be out. I mean, we were like, jackets and jeans, uh, throughout the sailing. Uh, but but it wasn’t it didn’t get really warm until we got down into the Bahamas.

Doug (00:25:07) – As far as the crowds and congestion around the ship, was there any of that since everyone was inside?

Guest (00:25:16) – Really? Honestly, the only crowds we experienced were in the Meraviglia Galleria Meraviglia, which is a domed area. If you deck six and deck seven, it’s a two-story area. They’ve got a beautiful dome, similar to the Fremont Experience in Las Vegas, where they’ve got that led that runs almost the entirety of the ship. That’s where they would do many of their dance parties and events, because it was too cold up on deck to do it.

We didn’t feel that space was designed to host those parties. And so it’s a throughput for traffic on the ship. And so you’ve got people trying to make their way throughout the ship and people dancing and singing. And that was really the only time we felt like we were crowded, or that we were kind of annoyed a little bit by the traffic flow of the ship. Otherwise I would I would tell you, we didn’t feel crowds, even the buffet, the buffets, were sometimes a little bit busy, but but not to the point where we’ve seen it wear on other lines.

Guest (00:26:12) – What did you think of that promenade area with the ceiling that lights up?

Guest (00:26:15) – Beautiful. Uh, we were stunned by the design and how gorgeous that space was, and they really maximize the usage of those LED screens throughout the sailing, including on Embark day, when they’re showing you where all of the different muster stations are located. But overall, that space was beautiful.

It was definitely wide enough to walk through it when there wasn’t an event happening, you could easily take yourself up onto the next deck up and look down from the mezzanine and really enjoy the sights and the and sounds and even the smells coming from the chocolate factory. As you were sailing along, so it was very enjoyable.

Speaking of speaking of those multi-use screens, remember, even on the welcome back party, they played the Welcome Back video that that that MSC sizzle reel. They played the video thing. Welcome back. I appreciate your loyalty. They played that up on those screens. And so literally everyone at the Welcome Back party headed to the sky watching them talk about what a great experience MSC is.

Doug (00:27:11) – The casino. How was that as far as the smoking situation in and around it?

Guest (00:27:17) – They had a smoke-free casino. It appears that it was an afterthought based on our conversations with the other passengers on board. The smoke-free casino was nice. However, they didn’t have any gaming tables for the smoke-free gamblers.

Now, the exciting thing was the placement of the Cirque theater. You have to walk through the smoking casino to get to the theater, which was kind of a strange setup, but the way the casino was set up. They put the main bar in the center of it. So you’re not diving into the main casino itself. Overall, the casino seemed like a pretty ample size, comparable to what we’re familiar with on some of Carnival’s Vista ships .

Doug (00:27:59) – Okay. Very cool. So, let’s talk about the ports of call you hit on this nine-night cruise. And what we’ll do here is hit the first one, give us a highlight, then we’ll go to the next one and so on.

Guest (00:28:10) – The first cruise port we visited was the exotic location, Port Canaveral in Florida. We had something else arranged. We have some really good friends that we’ve also met through going on cruises who live in the Orlando area, they ended up picking us up, and we had a fun day at SeaWorld for the day. So, it’s definitely a little bit different. We didn’t book anything through MSC because we’ve been to Port Canaveral before, so we wanted to check it out through the locals.

Doug (00:29:01) – So what was after Port Canaveral?

Guest (00:29:04) – Next was Miami and the day was unexpected. Icon of the Seas was scheduled to arrive in Miami the day before.

However, due to the weather, they kept her out for an extra day. And so we literally got to see icon of the seas sail. And we did a live, uh, we did a YouTube live where we streamed her sailing into Port Miami for the first time. We watched her turn around in the basin, return, and dock at the Royal Caribbean Terminal. There.

We got off the ship, and we hiked our excursion that day. We hiked about a mile up to the Royal Caribbean Terminal, climbed up to the very top of the parking garage, Royal Caribbean parking garage, and we just took pictures and filmed a bunch of stuff up there because it was like such a wow moment for for a couple of cruise nerds.

Doug (00:29:53) – Yeah. No, definitely. So after Nassau, you headed over to the Bahamas. Uh, what was the first Bahamas port?

Guest (00:29:59) – We first stopped at MSC’s Private Island, MSC’s Ocean Cay Marine Reserve. It’s a beautiful private island destination.

You can tell that MSC put a lot of thought and consideration when they were designing this port. It’s huge. It is massive, huge. And it’s nice because the ship can dock directly onto the port there, instead of you having to do a water shuttle taxi service to get in.

It is a very large and sprawling island, with tons of places for people to go out and lounge and layout, grab food, and have a nice relaxing day. Now. Now they don’t have, you know, big water parks and they don’t have hot air balloons that go up in the air like some, you know, private islands do. But but I mean, it had everything that you could want.

Guest (00:30:48) – It had many different beaches. Uh, to Rocky Point food trucks, uh, included food trucks throughout the island, as well as some upcharge food trucks where you could get, you know, seafood, you could get your lobster rolls and some of that fresh seafood.

Doug (00:31:00) – You were in the yacht club, right? So I know they have that yacht club area on the other side of the island, like on the other side from where the ship docks. How was that space, or I guess, did you utilize that space? And would you think of it if you did?

Guest (00:31:12) – Yeah, we actually, uh, as soon as we got off of the ship via escort from our butler. It’s just fun to say that. I’m sorry. Uh, we were escorted over to the yacht club’s meeting point, where they picked us up by golf cart and drove us to that exclusive area. It just made it a little bit easier to get there so we can maximize our time. Uh, the area is referred to as the Ocean House.

And so that’s actually where they serve lunch. And it’s a lovely, large colonial-style building. Uh, the lunch there included amazing bites from a lobster roll to crab ceviche. The ceviche was so good. The beach was delicious. Uh, they also had your standard fare of burgers on the menu, and then a couple of salads and other options.

Overall, it was a great area. As you approached it, there was signage, so you knew it was reserved for the yacht club guests. Uh, there was a private beach. And that’s the one downside that I would say about the exclusive area is the Yacht Club’s Ocean House. The beach is probably the least nice of the beaches that are found on the island.

It’s a little bit rough. Uh, there’s some larger sand bits, if you want to call them that. Uh, so getting in the water makes it a bit tough. And due to the weather that we encountered, we really didn’t even touch the water because we touched the water.

We just didn’t get into the water. It’s it’s rocky, says sand. But I would say sharp rock. So the folks that had been there before had water shoes and were in the water. That was a that’s a great tip. If you’re going to Ocean Cay and in the yacht club, make sure to bring water shoes because. It will make your day better.

Doug: .That’s a good tip. There are a lot of beaches around the island so you get to explore most of them?

We did. We met people on the cruise, as we always do on cruises. And so we went out and we got to explore a little bit with them. In hindsight, I wish we had done the exploration first because it started to pour. Uh, it started to downpour and it was a cold downpour in the Bahamas. And so we we didn’t get to explore as much as we’d like, but we got to see several of the lagoons.

Guest (00:33:15) – We got to see the lighthouse. We got to enjoy one of the food trucks. We did eat at one of the food trucks just so we could say we, you know, ate with our friends. Um, Rocky. Rocky always says we ate with the common people. Um, and so we enjoyed the food on the mainland. And then there’s shops, there’s shops, there’s you can buy ice cream cones and various things on land as well. Before we headed back to the ship. And, and unfortunately, that was the only we were this point spoiled us, Doug. Um, we were looking for our butler escort back onto the ship, but but there was not one on to the ship. And so we had to wait in the rain with the rest of the ship that had all run back to get onto the ship as well.

Doug (00:33:55) – Oh, no. Horrible. Did you get to stay at night to see the lighthouse lit up? Yeah.

Guest (00:34:01) – Back on board wasn’t scheduled until 8:00 that evening. Uh, most of the passengers had embarked on the ship by about 330 or 4 due to the weather, but we stayed docked there, and we were wondering about that lighthouse show because we’d heard about it. And so we went to the concierge, who gave us a great recommendation on where to go to view it, so we could also hear the music playing through the show.

Uh, and so we had the opportunity to watch it and it was impressive. We enjoyed it. And hopefully, we’ll be able to return to Ocean Cay again in the future, where we won’t encounter poor weather. We can be on the beach and see the light show from the ground.

And because of the concierge tip, we know the crew smoking area on MSC Meraviglia. And so it was a great tip and we got to hang out with crew as they watched the light show.

Doug (00:34:54) – He probably know this, but if you’re ever feeling energetic or you want to work out, you can climb that lighthouse. It’s like $15 or 20 maybe, but you got some great views up there and there’s quite a few steps, so, uh, yeah, pack your energy. Yeah.

Guest (00:35:06) – No. And that’s another reason why we want to go back. You know, I don’t think, uh, the weather was really in our favor to be able to do that type of an excursion, but definitely in the books for us to do it again.

Doug (00:35:16) – So your final port of call was Nassau. How was your day there?

Guest (00:35:19) – Nassau was great. Uh, as Mark had mentioned, it was the best weather that we saw on the entire cruise, and we were a little bummed that it was our final port day, but we made the most of it. We were docked in Nassau with four other ships. So a standard busy Nassau day. Uh, nothing unusual there.

Guest (00:35:36) – Uh, we have a tradition whenever we’re in Nassau, where we go visit a rum distillery in a little bit deeper into town. And so we decided to do that at this time. We took the trek and walked around and checked out the updates that they made to the port of Nassau, because that was our first time there since they did all the construction since they finished the construction.

Yeah, we’ve been several times during. Yeah. And then from there we walked up to the distillery and enjoyed a little tasting up there before returning to the port and getting on the ship. It was a pretty quiet day, but we’re looking forward to the opportunity to get to lay out on deck on the cruise ship before sail away took place.

Doug (00:36:12) – Yeah, perfect day for it. So you leave Nassau for a couple of days and you head back to Brooklyn. How were your sea days going up?

Guest (00:36:19) – The weather, I will say, was more cooperative on the way back, but. So it wasn’t as bumpy and rocky, but there were times when you would sleep at night and roll on or you would.

Guest (00:36:31) – You knew you were on a ship. You know, when Rocky and I first boarded, one of the things we commented as we were sitting in, I think it was the topsail restaurant. After spending time in the lounge, we said, we don’t feel like we’re on a cruise ship, but you just felt like you were almost at an all-inclusive resort.

We knew we were on a cruise ship on the sea days out and on the sea days back. The weather was left, the ocean a bit rocky. We had some. You saw some gale-force winds. There were some swells, but they had the magnetic, uh, bags out, the thick bags out in the elevator banks. They had those out for, for all of the passengers. We did talk to several folks who said they might not sail again in January, but but we liked it. But I know the sign us up.

Doug (00:37:18) – So it’s time to get off the ship in Brooklyn.

Doug (00:37:20) – Was the process as smooth and bougie as that embark?

Guest (00:37:25) – I love that you say the bougie because it continued through. Uh, we always go for a very relaxed, dark morning. We try to stay on the ship as long as possible.

We book later flights knowing that there’s always the possibility that a ship could be delayed returning to port. Uh, and fortunately for us, the ship did arrive on time, however. We didn’t end up disembarking from the ship until much later.

We we decided to go down and have breakfast down in the main restaurant, the topsail restaurant, in the yacht club area. And once we were done eating there, we went down to the lounge and enjoyed a quick beverage and a couple of little canapés. You know, just trying to get our last bits in and chatted with the bartenders.

The bartenders were tremendously friendly the entire sailing, and we just hung out with them and enjoyed some coffee and drinks. Yep. And then once we were ready to get off of the ship, we went to the concierge and actually, we ended up seeing our butler at the concierge desk, and he offered to help us get off the ship.

Guest (00:38:26) – And so he took Marc’s two suitcases that he was carrying from his hands and wheeled them to the elevator, took us down to the lower deck, and wheeled us over to where they take you off the ship. Or they scan your card to say you are officially disembarked from the ship. So we continued that experience as long as we could.

And the cool thing about the luggage program, if you decide to put your luggage out the night before the cruise ends, all of the yacht club luggage gets delivered to one specific spot, so you’re not rushing to get off.

You’re not rushing to go find where your luggage was placed. When it’s in that terminal building, it’s very easy to locate and get to pick up your suitcases and you’re on your way. Once again, those yacht club signs. Right this way. Um, a dedicated area, even for your luggage.

Doug (00:39:16) – Awesome. Very cool. Does Brooklyn have facial recognition for the dark?

Guest (00:39:21) – Yes they did. We were very excited when we saw that we’re getting off the ship.

Doug (00:39:25) – Yeah. It sure makes a difference. Looking back here as first-time MSC cruisers and in the yacht Club, do you have any first-time tips to offer anyone sailing MSC or sailing out of Manhattan?

Guest (00:39:39) – Uh, goodness gracious. If you get that upgrade offer and it’s within your means, you bid that upgrade offer up. Suppose you can get into the yacht club from a balcony. That would be my biggest tip because not only does it include all of those amenities that we’ve talked about. They grant you into the premium drinks package as well.

So the premium drinks package on this sailing would have been 790 a person, a person. We paid less for the entire yacht club experience, including those premium drinks. It included Wi-Fi on each of our devices, and it included all of those exclusive amenities that we’ve talked about.

And so that would be my number one tip is if you get that offer to upgrade to the yacht club, really look at what it would cost you to have that experience and just individually and take that for serious take.

Guest (00:40:29) – Be serious about that. And if you can get that upgrade and it’s in your means, do it. Yeah, absolutely. And then I would also say the other thing is that this cruise ship departs out of the Brooklyn terminal.

So instead of paying the 60 plus dollars that it would cost to get an Uber or a lift, you could take the subway, and the train system, all of which will be super easy to get over there. And there’s a water taxi or ferry. Ferry, I guess it is, uh, that takes you from Wall Street.

If you were to go into Manhattan and stay the night out there, you can quickly get onto the ferry from Wall Street over to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Easy. And it’s quite cost-effective.

Doug (00:41:09) – Yeah, that’s one thing I’ve heard over the years is that a lot of people who are doing cruises out of either Brooklyn or Manhattan, they kind of get taken by surprise how much it actually cost to get from the airport to the cruise port.

Doug (00:41:20) – But a little extra research can save you quite a few bucks, and it’s not that bad. I think it’s.

Guest (00:41:25) – Scarier being in New York traffic. Quite honestly. When we the Uber, we took an Uber from the hotel to the cruise terminal. I think that was scarier than the subway was, you know, the night before when we had flown in. And so, yes, I think it’s great.

Doug (00:41:41) – Well, looking back, what was your biggest highlight of this cruise?

Guest (00:41:56) – I would say the biggest highlight was probably being in the yacht club. What a treat it was for us to be able to experience that. Um, it was so exciting walking into the Topsail Lounge in that exclusive yacht Club area, no matter how many times a day we walked in there, we always discovered new canopies that were waiting for us to try.

Guest (00:42:17) – The bartenders and servers in the topsail lounge were all very friendly. They started to get to know us, what drinks we enjoyed the most, and they would start making recommendations based on the spirits we were drinking to make our journey that much more enjoyable. I think for me, um, one of the best bites of food I’ve had on a cruise ship was, uh, in the Eden restaurant onboard Celebrity Apex.

And I would say fast forward. That was a couple of years back now for Thanksgiving. But fast forward to this. To have that daily rotating risotto to me was a surprise and delight that menu in Topsail restaurant. You just don’t see food like that on a cruise ship. And it was fantastic.

And it was included in that experience. It wasn’t we weren’t, you know, dropping 150 for the meal. It was included in that yacht club experience. That, to me was a surprise and delight.

Guest (00:43:10) – I did not expect how good and high-quality that food would be.

Doug (00:43:22) – Well, uh, in closing here, your final thoughts of MSC Maravilla.

Guest (00:43:27) – the MSC Meraviglia is a gorgeous ship. MSC did a great job in designing and developing this class of ship. The size of it was great. We did have a lower capacity on the ship during our sailing, but we still managed to have a great time. We met a lot of great friends.

We found places to call our own that maybe we’re not in the yacht club specifically. Still, we discovered the Sky lounge as a great place to meet people and to be able to enjoy the company of others that were not a part of the yacht club, and really just kind of put ourselves with the rest of the population that was sailing. Very good. The Champagne Bar was another one of my favorites. That the Edge bar.

Guest (00:44:09) – The champagne bar, you know, that looked out over the water as the ship was sailing. That was great. Those champagne cocktails were excellent. And that’s the beauty, right? When you have. We would flash our yacht club bracelets and I will tell you, I joke. I’ve made this joke now lines would disappear and people would just randomly appear.

Servers would appear, you flash that yacht club bracelet and it didn’t matter what bar we were at, if we were at the horizon bar, after the champagne bar, or at the Sky lounge, they just showed up and took such great care of us. You can tell that even the rest of the ship is trained to pay attention to yacht club guests, because it was just such a fantastic experience.

I’m excited to go back on MSC Meraviglia in in the in the standard amenities in the non-yacht club amenities to be able to experience it truly and compare and contrast to be able to talk about what does that value look like and how it feels to sit down in the main dining room each night for dinner versus in your dedicated restaurant? And so I am excited to get back on the ship.

Guest (00:45:10) – We’ve looked we’ve booked on the inaugural on MSC World America, World America. And so it was it was a great experience and great sailing. And so MSC gets a lot of bad rap out there. There’s a lot of negativity about people who love or hate it. And I will tell you from our experience where we’re looking at booking two more already. So it was it was in it was in a really good category for us.

Doug (00:46:34) – Awesome. We’ll link to it also in the show notes at Cruise Radio dot net. Mark Rocky, thank you all so much.

Guest (00:46:40) – Thank you so much, Doug.

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MSC Cruises owns a rich heritage connected to its Italian roots. The cruise line launched in 1989 in Naples, so passengers naturally expect to get great Italian specialties onboard an MSC cruise.

I discovered that the line’s MSC Meraviglia ship certainly delivers when it comes to pizzas and pastas. But there is also a nice range of other cuisines available across a range of specialty restaurants , as well as at the eateries included in your cruise fare.

I sailed on MSC Meraviglia (launched in 2017) for the first time, on a weeklong roundtrip cruise from Miami, in early October 2021. The ship can carry more than 4,500 passengers, but we were sailing with about 1,500 on our voyage as the cruise industry continues to ramp up its restart after the shutdown because of the pandemic.

We visited Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (twice), Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and Nassau, Bahamas, with two sea days mixed in. This itinerary gave me plenty of time to savor all that MSC Meraviglia has to offer when it comes to dining. You have to admit that good food is an essential part of a good cruise .

Let’s check out all the dining options available on MSC Meraviglia.

Included Restaurants

MSC Meraviglia offers four main dining rooms, all serving the same menus of your traditional cruise meals. You’ll find the identically designed and decorated L’Olive Doree and L’Olive D’Oro flanking the hallway entrance to the larger Panorama dining room. These three restaurants on Deck 6 at the aft of the ship offer flexible dining , so you show up when you want.

An Amazing Array of Dining Options on MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia | 24

A deck below, Waves is the main dining room for fixed-time meals (the classic cruise experience for dinner). These restaurants feature a rotating menu of cruise classics like pasta dishes, steaks and tenderloins, as well as excellent seafood preparations and a variety of vegetarian cuisine, including delicious Indian dishes like butter chicken curry.

The Marketplace Buffet is a solid choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The huge space stretches from midship all the way to al fresco seating outdoors at the aft on Deck 15. There are numerous stations, including a carving station serving up pork loin or turkey and other meats and one with fresh-made pizza. The fresh-made pasta dishes are also a mouth-watering choice.

We especially liked the “Wellness” spot where you can get customized salads and fresh fruits . Other areas offer desserts, breads, burgers and hot dogs and plated salads and fruits.

You’ll also find a spot featuring ethnic cuisine, such as Chinese or Indian specialties. The Kids and Family counter offers goodies even the adults will enjoy, like chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

If you book a suite in the MSC Yacht Club, like I did, you get a few more wonderful options for dining included in your cruise fare. The Yacht Club is a ship-within-a-ship concept with staterooms and facilities located on Decks 14 through 19 at the very front of MSC Meraviglia. You get butler service and a dedicated lounge, as well as a menu of other amenities.

For dining, MSC Yacht Club has the Yacht Club Restaurant. This is located within the Yacht Club complex and just steps from your stateroom. The menu rotates nightly and offers a range of dishes in similar fashion to those you would find in the ship’s main dining rooms. The bonus is the more intimate surroundings and the extra-special level of service you get from your staff of servers in the Yacht Club who become like family by the end of your cruise .

One deck up, the Yacht Club Sundeck (with pool, loungers and hot tub) features the Yacht Club Bar and Grill, where you can enjoy breakfasts and lunches outdoors under the sun. Breakfasts offer fresh fruits, yogurts and eggs made to order, and lunches typically have grilled items like vegetables, burgers and chicken as well as a fresh pasta dish and desserts.

On the main Atmosphere Pool deck, you will find a soft-serve ice cream station and a pool grill with burgers, hot dogs and pizza. The pizza on the MSC Meraviglia , by the way, deserves a special shout-out.

We ordered it for in-room dining twice during the week, and our pepperoni and prosciutto and parmesan cheese pies were incredibly tasty, made with a delicious dough.

Specialty Dining

Hola! Tacos & Cantina is located on the Galleria promenade, and this is a delightful eatery featuring Mexican dishes served in the style of street food. The menu is priced a la carte, with tacos, burritos, nachos, guacamole and enchiladas. We had an amazingly tasty lunch, trying all of the taco styles: carne asada, barbacoa, al pastor, chipotle carnitas, ancho tinga and chili fish tacos.

The restaurant offered an all-you-can-eat special during our sailing for $17.99 a person. This meant anything on the menu and as much as you wanted. The fresh-made salsas are fantastic.

Hola! also has a cantina serving up tequila- or mezcal-infused craft cocktails, as well as a range of Mexican beers.

Ocean Cay specializes in seafood served in an intimate setting. You pay a cover charge for a “Dining Experience” for which you can get an appetizer, main course and a dessert. All items on the menu also are available for a la carte pricing.

Seafood aficionados will love Ocean Cay . Appetizers include Boston lobster, crab claws, oysters, caviar, smoked salmon, king crab, little neck clams, octopus and lump crab cake. For main courses, choose from items like sea bass, tuna, lobster tail and black cod.

Butcher’s Cut is the steakhouse on MSC Meraviglia. I always look forward to a special meal at the steakhouse while on a cruise , and Butcher’s Cut delivered a hearty and delicious meal, indeed.

Items on the menu are priced a la carte, and that can add up quickly. We recommend the “Dining Experience” package, which gets you a starter, main course and dessert. The menu here offers starters like burrata and beet salad, foie deviled eggs and bone marrow. The steak cuts include filet mignon, N.Y. sirloin and rack of lamb. Roasted corn-fed chicken and wild salmon are also available.

For an added fee, you might like the premium cuts like the dry-aged tomahawk for two, rib-eye, American bison and dry-aged T-bone. Be sure to try the decadent desserts, such as lava cake, cheesecake or peanut butter and milk chocolate cookie.

Butcher’s Cut also offers sea day brunches.

Kaito Teppanyaki and Kaito Sushi Bar offer popular Japanese selections. The teppanyaki room gathers diners around the chef in a fun , fast-paced dinner show. The sushi counter features expertly hand-crafted sushi and sashimi delicacies.

Jean-Philippe Maury Crepes and Gelato brings onboard the sweet creations from the renowned chocolatier and pastry chef of the same name . The Jean-Philippe Maury Chocolate and Café shop sits across the promenade from the crepes and gelato eatery. The chocolate and café shop is a stunning museum of chocolate creations, with all kinds of sweets for purchase.

The creperie and gelato shop offers fruit- and chocolate-topped crepes, as well as a case filled with smooth and creamy gelatos. A menu of sundaes is also available.

The Brass Anchor Pub is a British-style pub, and I spent every night here listening to live music and participating in trivia contests. This is also where you can watch sports on the TVs at the bar . But I was also surprised to see a selection of delicious bar foods available.

I’ll tell you, don’t underestimate how satisfying an Angus burger with bacon, caramelized onion and fries or fish and chips can be when you get that late-night hunger. These are just $5 each. You also might like the special hot dog (cheddar cheese sauce, jalapenos, caramelized onion and fries) for $3.

It’s pretty convenient, too, if you but don’t want to leave the bar because you’re settled in and having a good time.

The ship offers a wonderful variety of cuisines, as you can see. But the meals were made even better by the friendly and attentive service we saw throughout our weeklong cruise . It was nice to see how engaged the crew was and eager to make their guests happy, a real reflection of how excited they were to be back after such a long time on the sidelines during the pandemic.

I hope that this level of service and quality of the meal experience can also be realized over the long term as more and more cruisers return to the MSC Cruises’ ships.

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MSC Meraviglia review: What it's like to cruise on MSC's 1st New York-based ship

For the first time, MSC Cruises has based a ship in New York. Given that the vessel, MSC Meraviglia, is the fifth-largest in the line's fleet of two dozen ships in terms of tonnage and the sixth-largest by passenger capacity, the ship's presence in the Big Apple is a big deal. As one colleague astutely pointed out, when it's docked there, it's the largest hotel in the city .

I recently sailed on MSC Meraviglia out of its Red Hook homeport in Brooklyn, and I have mixed feelings. Overall, the ship is lively and aesthetically beautiful. Its specialty restaurants and nightly shows are some of the most consistently superb on any vessel, and it offers one heck of a luxury product in its Yacht Club suite enclave .

However, passenger flow is an issue, with many public spaces so crowded they're uncomfortable, and service is painfully slow in some bars and restaurants. You'll likely end up paying a lot more than you originally planned because some of the most enticing things to do come with added fees. And, as my travel companion so succinctly put it, I've never been told "no" so many times on a cruise.

Here, I'll take you through some of the activities I tried, the places I ate and the experience I had so you can better determine if MSC Meraviglia is right for your next voyage.

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Overview of MSC Meraviglia

MSC Cruises' Meraviglia was the first in the line's Meraviglia Class of ships. When it debuted in 2017, it became the line's largest vessel, with space for up to 5,655 people at capacity (4,475 at double occupancy). It has since been overtaken, in terms of passenger capacity, by subsequent vessels in the Meraviglia Class, as well as those in the World Class.

The ship exudes the same glitz that's typical of other MSC vessels, despite its mass-market appeal and penchant for attracting budget travelers. Lavish artwork, chrome accents and bold jewel tones convey a sense of opulence throughout public spaces, and no ship in the fleet would be complete without an atrium staircase adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals.

Like MSC's other modern ships, MSC Meraviglia has an extra-fee chocolate shop on board — this one through a partnership with chocolatier and pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury — where you can purchase chocolate, macarons, candy and specialty coffees.

There's also a sizable water park on the top deck, a shopping mall-style promenade area and several decks of cabins that are part of the line's Yacht Club, which affords passengers exclusive access to a dedicated restaurant, lounge, bar and pool deck just for them, as well as butler service.

What I loved about MSC Meraviglia

Largely, my onboard experience was great. Crew members were friendly, my cabin was comfortable, and the daily activity options were plentiful, varied and fun. At night, most shows fell into the "excellent" category, and the food in every extra-fee restaurant and the Yacht Club was phenomenal.

Specialty dining

MSC's food consistently receives less-than-stellar reviews from passengers, particularly regarding the line's complimentary dining experiences. Much of the main dining room fare is indeed so-so — palatable but largely underseasoned and mass-produced, so that it often looks like it's been sitting under a heat lamp when it reaches you. Food in the buffet is varied and tasty, but it can also become repetitive after a week, and the space is frequently crowded and confusing to navigate.

So why am I including food under the "what I loved" category? I think that MSC's alternative, for-fee restaurants — including the ones on MSC Meraviglia — are some of the best. If you're willing to shell out the money, you can have a fantastic meal on this ship.

Of the ship's specialty restaurants, my favorites are Hola! Tacos & Cantina and Kaito Teppanyaki.

Even though Hola! levies extra charges, passengers have the option of paying a la carte for items individually priced as low as $2.95 or paying $17.99 for unlimited menu items. The salsa and guacamole are wonderful, the tortilla soup always hits the spot for me, and the tacos are small, so you'll be able to try several to find your favorite without feeling overstuffed.

If you know me, you know the fact that I'm recommending Kaito Teppanyaki is shocking. I'm notoriously not a fan of this type of cooking, particularly when it comes with a side of cringeworthy performances by the chefs. However, the food there on MSC Meraviglia was so great that I didn't mind the cook's jokes.

The MSC Yacht Club is a private section on select MSC ships that offers cabins across several categories, including suites. Passengers booked in those cabins have special keycard access to a dedicated guest services and concierge desk; an exclusive pool, sun deck, lounge and bar (with free drinks); and complimentary anytime dining at a special restaurant just for Yacht Club cruisers.

Cabins are outfitted with higher-quality materials and furnishings, and each comes with the services of a butler. Meri was mine, and she was the best. She was able to make dining and spa reservations for me, escort me to priority seating in the theater for nightly shows and have crackers and green apples delivered to my cabin when the second night's rough seas made me feel seasick.

I absolutely loved the special touches MSC provides to Yacht Club passengers, including a special afternoon tea service and a private, intimate final-night performance by Lorraine Crosby — the female vocalist from Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" — who sometimes makes guest appearances on board. (She also put on two larger shows for the entire ship earlier in the sailing.) Additionally, I had access to Yacht Club perks at private island Ocean Cay Marine Reserve , including dedicated trams, a shaded waiting area with cold water and access to a private beach and restaurant.

Although the Yacht Club comes at a premium — at the time of publication, rooms on MSC Meraviglia started at $1,199 per person for a Yacht Club inside cabin on a six-night Bermuda sailing — fares include drinks and tips, along with Venchi pillow chocolates, free room service and minibar selections, plus one round of in-cabin snacks and a choice of one bottle of vodka, gin or whiskey delivered to your room. (I normally drink rum, and they were able to substitute it for me, even though it's not one of the spirits normally offered.)

Above all, the most valuable component of the Yacht Club for me on this sailing was the ability to escape the general chaos that is the rest of the ship. Don't get me wrong: I immersed myself in the buzz outside of the Yacht Club as often as possible, but as an introvert who dislikes crowds and noise more and more the older she gets, I found it essential to have a separate area to which I could retreat.

Galleria Meraviglia

One of the most fun and flashy locations on MSC Meraviglia cruises is the Galleria Meraviglia, a central indoor walkway similar to the Royal Promenade on Royal Caribbean ships. It's a long space flanked by bars, restaurants and shops with a feel similar to a shopping mall. However, the highlight for me is the giant LED screen, which runs the length of the space and hosts what the line calls "dome shows."

During these shows, themed scenes — including deck plans for the muster drill, dinosaurs and volcanos during the "Jurassic" dome show and even famous ceilings — appear overhead. They're the metaphorical heartbeat of the ship, and you can't help but stop to watch.

The nearby chocolateria, Jean-Philippe Chocolate & Cafe, is an excellent place to grab a cuppa, and the adjacent Meraviglia Bar & Lounge is home to trivia, live music and more. Mix in a shore excursion desk; shops that sell high-end jewelry and purses; a counter serving for-fee gelato, crepes and smoothies; and Hola! Tacos & Cantina (one of the best Mexican restaurants at sea), and Galleria Meraviglia feels like the place to be.

There's little I enjoy more than a relaxing arcade day , and MSC delivers with its Sportplex gaming complex. It features a small traditional arcade with air hockey, alien shooter games and first-person driving games, as well as prize machines; several immersive virtual-reality pods (most of which were down for maintenance during my sailing); two Formula One racing simulators; a 4D cinema where several players attempt to take out zombies and killer clowns; and a sports court that hosts basketball, pickleball, dodgeball and other activities.

But my ultimate favorite was the bowling alley. My travel companion and I inexplicably wound up in Sportplex after dinner on formal night. We played for half an hour — enough time for two games if it's only two people and you move quickly — and were ultimately joined by the Yacht Club director, Craig (who won easily). It was a ton of fun, but I don't recommend bowling in a ballgown.

The drawback is that, like lots of other cool pastimes on MSC Meraviglia, it all costs extra (except for sports court use). The arcade charges per game with the tap of your keycard. The simulators can be purchased on a per-ride basis, and bowling is charged in chunks of either 30 or 60 minutes.

To save money, passengers can purchase packages where you get a certain dollar amount free. (For example, if you prepurchase $150 worth of gaming credits, your card will be loaded with $220.)

What I didn't love about MSC Meraviglia

As with all things, in travel we take the bad with the good. While most experiences on this sailing fell in the latter category, it wouldn't be a fair review without calling attention to the things that I think the line needs to address.

The departure port

When MSC first announced that MSC Meraviglia would be sailing from New York, the ship's homeport was Manhattan. I groaned when I heard its docking spot had changed to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood.

Brooklyn's terminal is difficult to reach, particularly if you don't have a car. Anyone venturing to the port from Manhattan will need to take the subway, followed by a ferry — not an easy feat if you're toting luggage. Park-and-ride-style buses also seemed to be an option, according to several passengers on my sailing who arrived from outside of the city. If you're like me and decide to drive to the port, know that parking is at a premium, and fees are steep. (At $45 per night, I paid $360 to park there for eight nights.)

Waits on embarkation day are another concern. When I arrived, lines snaked outside the terminal and down the sidewalk in front of the building. I had multiple passengers throughout my voyage tell me that they waited between two and three hours in line to board the vessel.

It's unclear whether the terminal is ill-equipped to deal with passenger flow for such a large ship or if MSC hasn't quite brought its embarkation processes up to speed, but if you don't have priority boarding privileges, either through a high loyalty status tier or a Yacht Club booking, expect the process to take a while.

On the plus side, you'll have great views of the Statue of Liberty as you sail away, assuming the weather isn't rainy or foggy.

At 19 decks, MSC Meraviglia is huge. On my voyage, the ship was only sailing at about half capacity (about 3,000 passengers out of a possible 5,655, or 53%). However, a perfect storm of events converged to create a situation that was less than pleasant for anyone not booked in a Yacht Club cabin.

A large group booking of about 1,000 people overtook many of the public areas on a daily basis, which drew complaints from cruisers who weren't in the group. For example, trivia was standing-room-only on several days, and the buffet was so continuously crowded that I ate there only twice on the entire voyage.

Additionally, it rained during our first two days on board — embarkation day and the following sea day — meaning that the ship's outdoor spaces weren't utilized. Because everyone was stuck inside, the ship felt even more crowded. (I shudder to imagine what it would have been like if the ship had been sailing completely full.)

Although the weather certainly isn't the cruise line's fault, it seems that the ship should be better equipped to deal with situations where passengers are stuck inside. I also thought that, perhaps, the large group booking was a one-off and that it wouldn't be the norm on other sailings. However, I spoke with one of the officers on board who told me that the cruise line is actively recruiting similar large group bookings.

One of the biggest contributing factors was the ship's layout and flow. Some areas lead to dead ends, while others force you to enter busy areas — like the massive Marketplace Buffet — to find stairs to go up or down a deck. In several bars and lounges in the main atrium, tables and chairs are scattered so close to the main staircase that it's difficult for two-way passenger traffic to move through the space.

The feeling of overcrowding was exacerbated by service inconveniences like long waits for drinks, meals and elevators.

Confusing policies and procedures

Some of the things MSC does truly confuse me, and they began almost immediately after boarding.

When cruises first returned following the 18-month COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, many lines decided to go digital with their muster drills. Passengers watched videos on their mobile apps or on their cabin TVs before reporting, at their leisure (to maintain social distancing), to their muster stations for verification. MSC has chosen to institute a bizarre version where all passengers watch a video and then report to their muster stations at the same time.

If everyone is going to the same place at the same time, why not do the muster drill in person? On the flip side, if you're going to make people watch a video instead of doing a live demonstration, why make everyone go to their stations simultaneously? The process creates a chaotic environment where, in my case, people were required to walk into the theater, do a lap around it (for reasons nobody ever actually explained) and immediately exit again.

Speaking of the theater, no drinks are allowed in there, which is odd, given that all other cruise lines allow passengers to order drinks during shows or at least carry them in with them to enjoy while they watch. We saw several surprised cruisers being told they had to dump their beverages or drink them before they'd be allowed inside.

The drink situation gets worse when you try to order cocktails in the ship's restaurants. When I did so in one of the main dining rooms, I was told that only wine was available. When I visited the alternative eateries, I was told I could only order from what was on the menu, some of which wasn't included with the beverage package. What's the point of selling pricey beverage packages (which can cost more than $70 per person, per day, for the most expensive) if there are so many exclusions?

Specialty coffee from the onboard chocolate shop also isn't included with the packages, nor are coffees on private island Ocean Cay, which leads me to my next head-scratcher. I had the single best coffee drink of my life when we called on Ocean Cay. The Coco-Nilla Latte is espresso, vanilla flavoring and coconut milk, and I loved it so much that I tried to have it replicated on board.

I went to three of the ship's regular bars, each of which is equipped to make espresso that's included in the line's beverage packages, as well as the specialty coffee bar at the for-fee chocolate shop. At each location, I was given some sort of excuse:

"We don't have vanilla syrup at this bar."

"We don't have coconut milk here."

"Oh, those are only made at Ocean Cay."

It's likely if this happened on a ship in any other fleet, the response would have been, "We don't have the ingredients, but let me see if we can find them."

The crew culture on MSC Meraviglia seems to be one that either doesn't encourage them or doesn't allow them to go the extra mile. My request wasn't a lavish one; vanilla syrup and coconut milk are standard accouterments at most cafes on land. The ship has a passenger-to-crew ratio of 3:1, which is better than that of other cruise lines with fares at a similar price point, so I don't feel like I'm asking too much from an affordable cruise line.

I must also mention some weird food-related practices I saw on board. Both times I ate at the Marketplace Buffet, I witnessed crew members stopping adults from taking food from a particular section of kid-friendly foods. "No, those are for children only," a crew member behind the counter told a parent who was trying to grab dessert for his son, who was outside by the pool.

"You mean I can't take this out to my kid?" the guy asked in shock. The crew member told him he would have to go to the pool, get his son, bring him inside and have him pick out the dessert, which he grudgingly did. But talk about a disruptive experience.

On the other occasion, I saw a couple of adults eyeing the chicken nuggets that were on offer. They were forbidden by a crew member from taking any. I have never seen something so absurd on a sailing in my life. Children aren't the only ones who enjoy chicken nuggets, nor are they the ones who pay the cruise fares. Adults, whether they have kids on board or not, should be allowed to eat whatever they wish from the buffet that they paid for — even if it comes from the children's menu.

Another head-scratcher is you might still have to pay a supplement to eat in certain restaurants, even if you booked a dining package that includes a set number of specialty restaurants for a set fee. It depends on what you order.

For example, I had a dining package, but when I dined at Kaito Teppanyaki, the waiter informed me that there would be an extra $10 surcharge to order the Geisha and Samurai options and a $30 upcharge for the Emperor option. Again, what's the point of selling dining packages if they don't cover what they're supposed to?

Additionally, on a ship of 3,000 people, MSC Meraviglia had only one of four main dining rooms open for lunch on a rainy sea day when everyone was stuck inside. It was open for one measly hour, from noon to 1 p.m. I saw the hours posted as I was passing by the line that was quickly forming, so I decided to eat there to evaluate the situation. Spoiler alert: It wasn't great.

Finally, MSC Meraviglia's sports equipment is kept under actual lock and key. You have to sign out everything from pickleball paddles to basketballs for use on the indoor sports court and volleyballs for the pits on Ocean Cay. However, when I tried to sign out a basketball during posted rental hours, the person working told me no and offered no explanation. When I checked with guest services, they told me that shouldn't have happened. But it did. Twice.

On a separate occasion, when my travel companion and I showed up for scheduled volleyball time, the attendant cut the game off at 45 minutes because he said he had to leave. When we asked if we could keep the ball to continue playing, he refused. There seems to be no flexibility, and staff members are not empowered to deviate from protocol on the fly, even when it makes sense.

Most cruise lines' ships have unmonitored equipment available for passengers to use when the courts are open. It's often stored in unlocked chests that passengers can access at any time. Sign-out, which seems like an unnecessary step, is not required with most other cruise lines, which brings me to this: To quote one of my TPG colleagues when she referenced an MSC sailing on a different ship, "I have never said, 'No other cruise line does it like this,' as much as I did on [my cruise]. And it wasn't a good thing."

MSC Meraviglia cabins and suites

MSC bookings can be confusing for first-timers because, in addition to selecting a cabin type (inside, outside, balcony or suite), passengers must also choose from one of three experience packages. Dubbed Bella, Fantastica and Aurea, they all come with different perks and inclusions, as noted below.

Bella: This is the most basic, bare-bones package. It includes accommodations, free meals in the main dining rooms and buffet, and free daily activities and nightly entertainment. Passengers with this package will be assigned to set-seating dining times after they board. They also will be charged for any room service orders, as well as changes to their cruise booking reservations.

Fantastica: This package includes everything listed under the Bella package, plus the ability to change sailing date reservations one time for free, complimentary delivery of room service breakfast and the ability to choose a preferred set-seating dining time for dinner prior to embarkation.

Aurea: Aurea comes with everything in the Bella and Fantastica packages, as well as free access to the ship's top-deck Solarium area, a welcome package that includes prosecco and chocolates, anytime dining (go whenever you want with no set seating time), a 10% discount on spa treatments, priority boarding and free 24-hour room service (not just at breakfast).

MSC Meraviglia houses 2,244 rooms in various types with several configurations, some of which sleep more than two passengers. Of those staterooms, 55 are accessible for cruisers with mobility issues. In those cabins, passengers will find additional space for maneuvering things like wheelchairs and scooters, as well as zero-entry door thresholds and shower grab bars. (Theaters and most public areas are also accessible, but unfortunately, I didn't see a single lift at any of the ship's four pools.)

Cabin types are the standard ones found on just about all cruise ships: inside or interior (no windows or balcony), outside or ocean-view (a window or porthole that doesn't open), balcony or verandah (a sliding glass door that opens onto a small balcony, usually with chairs and a small table) and suite (cabins with balconies and more square footage and/or special perks like those afforded in the Yacht Club).

On my Meraviglia sailing, I was booked in an MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite — a balcony cabin in the Yacht Club suite area — on Deck 18. At about 280 square feet, plus an additional 54 square feet of balcony space, the room felt generously sized for two people. (Note: Yacht Club has all types of cabins, from insides all the way up through massive Royal Suites and two-deck duplexes.)

The room was furnished with a king-size bed that converts into two twins on request, a couch and a desk/vanity area. It featured a closet and cabinet space for storage and an en suite bathroom.

Standard amenities included a hair dryer and a TV (with a random smattering of TV channels, for-fee movies and ship-created programs like jewelry and port seminars and navigational information). My cabin had several electrical outlets, including three 110-volt North American outlets, three 220-volt European outlets and one USB port at the desk/vanity area. One USB port is not enough, and there were no outlets near the bed, which was frustrating.

Special for Yacht Club guests, the suite was equipped with a Nespresso machine, free minibar drinks restocked daily (including bottled water, San Pellegrino, juices, flavored iced teas, soda and beer), one complimentary round of snacks (Toblerone chocolate, Pringles and mixed nuts) and a choice of one complimentary bottle of spirits (whiskey, gin or vodka).

My cabin came with a pillow menu, which I only discovered after two nights of neck pain, thanks to mismatched pillows. The bed was topped with a memory foam mattress, which was like sleeping on a cloud.

Closets in my cabin were just the right size for two people. There were two, one with a bar to hang clothes and another with cubbies for shoes, intimates and the cabin safe. I did find the closets' location in a small enclave that led to the bathroom a bit awkward.

Underbed storage was perfect for hiding empty suitcases. Bathrobes and slippers were provided, and I made good use of both when I went for a massage at the spa.

Cabin bathrooms in the Yacht Club are stocked with MSC's own brand of toiletries, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, bar soap, a shower cap and sewing kit. Fluffy white towels and elevated fixtures like marble countertops and floors and showers with both standard and rainfall showerheads add to the air of elegance.

However, some of that was offset by the fact that the shower in my bathroom had no lip, so water leaked all over the first time I used it. Each time after, I put towels outside the door to sop up the mess. The toilet also often smelled like sewage, even when not in use.

The storage space for toiletries could also have been more generous. There were only two small metal shelves, which weren't enough for two people's things. The rest had to be stored inside cabinets where the garbage can was located.

Gratuities, room service and premium alcohol and Wi-Fi packages are included in all Yacht Club fares. You do not need to purchase add-ons or pay added fees like you would in cabins outside the Yacht Club.

A Yacht Club booking also entitles you to priority embarkation, disembarkation and tender access; 24-hour butler and concierge services; complimentary spa thermal suite access; luggage unpacking and repacking services; daily newspaper delivery and one free pre-cruise booking change.

I made good use of the free Wi-Fi inclusion (for two devices per person). The free room service was handy when I just had to order late-night pizza. Plus, the priority boarding perk meant we went from shore to ship in less than 10 minutes while other passengers waited two to three hours in rainy conditions to embark.

My butler, Meri, went above and beyond to help me make spa and specialty restaurant reservations, and she met us each evening to escort us to dinner and to the theater, where reserved Yacht Club seating was waiting. She did her job superbly, but I generally like to do things for myself. Having someone else handling the minutia felt frivolous and unnecessary; it took a few days for me to acclimate.

Concierge service was generally good. However, on the first day, when I had questions about dining, the person who assisted me waived me off in the face of a long line at the desk and told me to ask my butler. My interactions there improved markedly after the stress of the first day calmed down, and all of my subsequent questions were answered promptly and cheerfully.

The exclusive Top Sail Lounge was a great place to relax with a drink and view, read or get some work done. The Yacht Club sun deck was a lovely space, but it was often too hot for me, so I didn't spend much time up there. The area was home to a pool, a hot tub, tons of seating, solarium access and a daily outdoor buffet at the Yacht Club Grill. Although the food looked tasty, it was, unfortunately, often surrounded by flies.

The indoor Yacht Club Restaurant, however, was a dream. Everything I ordered was fantastic — flavorful, well prepared and cooked to order instead of looking like it had been sitting out for a while. I particularly enjoyed the breakfasts there and highly suggest the omelets and pancakes.

Overall, I found my Yacht Club experience to be a great way to escape when other areas of the ship felt overwhelming, which they often did.

MSC Meraviglia restaurants and bars

Included in the price of each sailing is free dining at the massive Marketplace Buffet, in one of four main dining rooms or in the Yacht Club Restaurant (depending on your booking). The four main dining rooms often felt crowded, and service was inconsistent. The buffet was even worse.

The quality of the complimentary food was unremarkable — not great but not terrible, either. Waiters in the dining rooms often seemed rushed and unwilling to fill drink orders. (I found out later it's because the galleys don't have bars, so waiters have to run all over the ship to fill drink orders, which often take an inordinate amount of time to arrive.)

Due to its size, MSC Meraviglia can offer lots of different cuisines. While the Marketplace Buffet has an "ethnic" section typically serving Asian and Indian fare, the largest variety and the highest quality come from the specialty restaurants. They include seafood, steak, Mexican, sushi and teppanyaki, and all cost extra.

MSC offers dining packages, which allow passengers to pre-purchase a set number of meals in alternative restaurants. When those meals are cashed in, cruisers can choose from a preselected list of menu items designated for package holders. Generally, if you're planning to eat at more than two or three specialty restaurants, booking a package will save you money.

There's at least one bar in every public space, so you won't have to go far to whet your whistle.

Restaurants

Free restaurants

Waves, Panorama, L'Olive Dorée and L'Olivo D'Oro are MSC Meraviglia's four main dining rooms, where passengers can eat dinner for free. (Specific restaurants will also be open on certain days for breakfast and lunch, depending on the day's schedule.) Menus, which change daily, are the same across all four.

Waves, on Deck 5, is the smallest. The largest — L'Olive Dorée and L'Olivo D'Oro, which are mirrors of one another — are found on Deck 6, across from one another and flanking the hallway that eventually leads to Panorama. All four dining rooms offer set seating, except Panorama, which also accommodates passengers with Aurea bookings who have anytime dining.

As mentioned above, I was booked in the Yacht Club and dined in either the Yacht Club Restaurant or one of the specialty restaurants for dinner each night.

However, I did try lunch in Waves twice, as it was the only main dining room open to the ship's 3,000 passengers for lunch. The first time, we were seated at a table for two that might as well have been a table for six; it was so close to the tables for two on either side of it that there were only about 2 or 3 inches separating them.

After we sat, it took 15 minutes for someone to bring us water. We never received bread. It was another 10 minutes until our waiter took our food order, and not once did anyone ask us if we'd like something other than water to drink. When my travel companion finally requested a beer, the waiter's response was, "Be patient, sir." My jaw dropped.

The pacing between courses was silly. Our appetizers arrived shortly after we ordered, which was great, but mine — spinach and artichoke dip — arrived looking dried out and crusty with five broken chips on the side. (The waiter obliged when I requested a few more.) After the starters were cleared, it was another 10 minutes until our mains were delivered. I thoroughly enjoyed my cobb salad, but my beef burrito was build-your-own style, and it was largely flavorless.

My companion never did see the beer he ordered. Eventually, we gave up and left, as did the man at the table next to us, who said he had been waiting half an hour for a dessert that didn't materialize.

The second experience was significantly better, with our waiter seating us at a table for two near a window and asking if we wanted drinks (which arrived quickly). The food was still just OK, and both experiences were crowded and exceptionally loud.

MSC Meraviglia's buffet, Marketplace, spans the entire aft of Deck 15. It has a decent variety of stations, but the food is often the same from day to day. The layout is confusing to navigate, too, with lots of nooks and crannies that can make it difficult to find what you're looking for. It was crowded beyond reason during mealtimes, so I avoided it whenever possible, only eating there twice during the voyage for research purposes.

Stations include bread; salad; soup and pasta; a rotisserie section with a carving station and sides like mashed potatoes, rice and baked beans; cold cuts and cheeses; an "ethnic" counter, which tended to serve Asian and Indian cuisine; and outposts for desserts and both hot and cold drinks.

The pizza was both a highlight and a pleasant surprise. It comes out hot and fresh, and it's available by the slice in several types from two separate counters in the buffet.

There are some other small complimentary food locations throughout the ship, too, including a poolside grill with burgers, fries and hot dogs and an ice cream counter with free soft-serve in cones or cups and optional toppings.

Restaurants that cost extra

Hola! Tacos & Cantina is the Mexican restaurant on MSC's newest vessels. It offers tapas-style small plates; I highly encourage you to order a few, as there's a lot on the menu that's delicious. My favorites are the guacamole, tortilla soup and cheese quesadillas. For tacos, I highly recommend the Chipotle Carnitas (pulled pork with chipotle, black bean salsa and cilantro), Barbacoa (ancho-chili beef, chipotle and red cabbage) and Ancho Tingo (shredded chicken, poblano peppers and pico de gallo).

You can pay a la carte if you're in the mood for something light or go with the all-you-can-eat option if you've worked up a serious appetite.

Margaritas are also a must if you're craving an adult beverage. Basic margs are included in the line's alcohol packages, but specialty ones — featuring frozen flavors like mango and strawberry and on-the-rocks selections with smoky salt or sweet berry sugar rims — cost extra, ranging from $11.99 for a single drink to $30 for a 1-liter pitcher. There's also a selection of Spanish beer, fresh fruit juices, spiked milkshakes and other fun concoctions. The service was so great there that I returned on a different night just to order drinks.

If you've done one teppanyaki restaurant, you've done them all. Or at least that's what I thought when I grudgingly made a reservation at Kaito Teppanyaki, another of MSC's extra-charge dining choices.

Yes, the cheesy jokes, singalongs, "catch this food in your mouth when I throw it" challenges and other performative cooking are standard, but the actual dishes are so much tastier than any of a similar variety I've had on land. Top-notch quality and expert seasoning make the dishes stand out. (For context, I usually skip meat when I order teppanyaki, but the sirloin steak looked so good that I ordered it. I'm glad I did.)

Every person who orders receives miso soup and a small salad as starters, along with sushi and sashimi with tempura vegetables. Then they choose from one of several prix fixe menu options: Geisha (sea bass fillet and chicken breast), Samurai (Scottish salmon, tiger prawns and sirloin), Emperor (yellowfin tuna tataki, scallops and half of a Maine lobster), vegetarian (egg wash roll and sesame tofu steak) and a kids menu (spring chicken teriyaki with vegetables).

I ordered the Samurai, and the salmon and sirloin were absolutely delicious. All options include egg fried rice and a dessert of caramelized pineapple, ginger ice cream and mint. The latter was underwhelming. Drinks are limited to what's on the Kaito-specific menu (Japanese beer, whisky and sake, plus a small selection of wine by the glass and Champagne by the bottle).

Kaito also has a separate sushi bar with an a la carte selection of sushi, sashimi, nigiri, tataki, yakitori and other items, including combo platters and desserts.

Butcher's Cut, MSC Meraviglia's a la carte steakhouse, is heaven for meat lovers, but vegetarians beware: As expected, there's not a lot on the menu for you to eat, with the exception of some of the starters.

When you arrive, your waiter will bring a breadbasket for the table. Ours included baguettes, raisin walnut bread and bacon cheese rolls, but what stood out to me were the smoked maple and paprika butters served alongside them. They were so good.

Appetizers include burrata and beet salad, Caesar and house salads, hearts of palm, a goat cheese tart, shrimp, crabcakes and oysters Rockefeller. Or, if you're feeling extra-spendy, try one of the featured starters, such as caviar, a shellfish platter, bone marrow, Kobe sliders and foie deviled eggs. For soups, choose between smoked tomato and lobster chowder.

Non-steak mains consist of roasted chicken, scallops Benedict, halibut and sockeye salmon. However, if steak is what you're after, you can choose from a 36-ounce dry-aged tomahawk for two, 24-ounce dry-aged T-bone, 12-ounce flat iron, 8-ounce filet mignon, 20-ounce rib-eye, 14-ounce New York sirloin, 16-ounce American bison and 13-ounce double lamb chops.

I ate there on one night of my sailing and decided to go big by adding jumbo lump crab to my filet mignon. However, I misread the menu and didn't realize it was actually jumbo lump crab Oscar, which meant it arrived mixed with hollandaise sauce. It looked like scrambled eggs, and I'm not a hollandaise fan, so I didn't eat it.

The steak, however, was phenomenal, particularly with the accompanying sauces (mushroom, peppercorn, chimichurri and bearnaise). Each steak comes with one side; additional sides cost extra. Choose from Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, French fries, asparagus, onion rings, macaroni and cheese, and more.

Among the dessert options, the best are the chocolate lava cake, the New York cheesecake and the peanut butter and milk chocolate cookie.

I'm not a huge seafood fan, so I avoided Ocean Cay, but I heard rave reviews from other passengers. This intimate restaurant, found on Seaside-class ships and MSC Meraviglia, offers a menu of fresh fish and seafood dishes, as well as a selection of wines for appropriate pairing.

For a between-meal treat or a caffeinated pick-me-up, snacks and coffee tied to chocolatier and pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury are solid options. The cookies-and-cream gelato at the Jean-Philippe Crepes & Ice Cream counter is to die for, as is the Green Goddess smoothie, made with coconut juice, spinach, fresh mint, banana, passion fruit and lemon sorbet. They didn't have the lemon sorbet when I ordered, but I asked to substitute mango instead. It was exceptionally good.

At the cafe just across the way, you can buy chocolate replicas of the ship, chocolate bars with fun toppings like nuts and berries, macarons and candy by the pound, as well as gift boxes of sweets. It also sells coffee drinks that include espresso, cappuccino, Americano, lattes and spiked coffees.

If you're a coffee lover who's heading ashore at MSC's private island, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve , you won't want to miss the extra-fee Coco-Nilla Latte, found at The Smiling Fish. A combination of espresso, vanilla syrup and coconut milk, either hot or iced, it's far and away my favorite coffee drink anywhere, ever.

A more affordable option than most alternative restaurants is room service. My pick is the pizza, which will be delivered to your room hot and fresh, with a variety of options available, including Margherita, vegetable, pepperoni, four cheese, marinara, MSC style (tomato sauce, ham, arugula, mozzarella, Grana Padano cheese and olive oil) and supreme. It's free if you're staying in the Yacht Club. A la carte pricing and delivery fees will apply to other cabin types, depending on the experience package you book.

As with most cruise ships, you don't have to go far to find a stiff drink on MSC Meraviglia.

My go-to was the Brass Anchor Pub, reminiscent of an English local where you can snag a bottle or a pint and some extra-fee pub grub. TVs throughout the space broadcast a variety of sporting events (subject to satellite availability), and trivia and live music take place there throughout the sailing.

I also spent some time at the Casino Imperiale bar, which was open on my sailing longer than any of the other onboard watering holes. It serves a selection of beer and cocktails.

The centrally located Meraviglia Bar & Lounge, found along Galleria Meraviglia (the ship's promenade) next to Jean-Philippe Chocolate & Cafe, is also home to trivia competitions, live music and dancing throughout the day. It's the bar often frequented by passengers before and after shows in the nearby Broadway Theatre.

Sky Lounge is the place to be for sweeping views through floor-to-ceiling windows. It provides a comfy and often quiet space to read, work or gather with friends.

If you're seeking the oft-missed cigar lounge, look for the entrance on the starboard (right, when facing forward) side of the Sky Lounge entrance, or enter the lounge and follow it around to the starboard side.

Edge Cocktail Bar is another centrally located place to grab beer, wine and specialty cocktails — including the delicious Purple Rain, a combo of vodka, white rum, blue curacao, gin, peach schnapps, sweet and sour, and grenadine that turns a shade of purple when you mix it. One deck above it is the Champagne Bar, which sometimes also serves seafood. One deck below is the Infinity Bar, so named because it's found at the base of the Infinity Atrium.

The ship's TV Studio & Bar is where you can find the cruise director filming the ship's daily morning show the night before. It's also the site of trivia competitions, several of which were standing-room-only.

There's a Sports Bar in the ship's Sportplex, but I never saw it open, even when the area was crowded. Three bars (Atmosphere Bar North, Atmosphere Bar South and Bamboo Bar) by the main Atmosphere Pool serve up classic umbrella drinks, as well as beer and other libations. You'll also find bars in the Marketplace Buffet, on the Yacht Club sun deck and in the Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge.

MSC Meraviglia activities

MSC Meraviglia hosts a variety of activities to keep you busy when you're not ashore. You might start your day with a free guided morning stretch or aerobics, or pop into the gym for a self-led session or a for-fee class like yoga or spin.

The daytime schedule features plenty of options for those with a competitive spirit. They range from golf putting, foosball, Ping-Pong soccer and pickleball tournaments to giant darts and trivia (visual trivia like airline logos and "name that place," as well as "name that tune" and general knowledge trivia).

If you'd rather get your groove on, keep an eye out for dance lessons and themed parties hosted by the entertainment team. My favorite was the Snow Party, when the crew blasted fake snow (which appeared to be suds of some sort) as we danced on the blazing hot pool deck.

Napkin folding, bingo, movie screenings, arts and crafts, and passenger talent shows (yes, you have to audition) round out the list of pastimes.

As you pass back and forth between events, don't miss the regularly scheduled dome shows along the Galleria Meraviglia promenade. You'll see the LED projections on the ceiling, covering topics like famous ceilings, dinosaurs, space and the changing of the seasons.

Beware of seminars on jewelry, health and wellness, and other topics that are thinly veiled sales pitches.

Feeling like a day of swimming or sunbathing? Pull up a lounge chair by the main Atmosphere Pool. If you're looking for a more sauna-like experience, head to the Solarium's covered Bamboo Pool; check out the aft Horizon Pool for better views and more peace and quiet. There's also a small pool on the private Yacht Club sun deck.

Looking to relax in a hot tub instead? You can find two of them one deck up from the Atmosphere Pool, as well as two at the Bamboo Pool and one on Deck 18's aft sun deck (behind Sportplex). There's also one at the Yacht Club Pool.

The Polar Aquapark on Deck 19 aft offers plenty of wet fun for kids and adults. Attractions include three slides — a bowl slide, where riders awkwardly end in the bowl and then exit via a flight of steps, and two twisty slides that require rafts — and a splash area with sprayers and dump buckets. There's no fee to use the space, but you'll need to sign a waiver and obtain a wristband before riding the waterslides.

Speaking of children, the ship has a dedicated kids club, called Doremiland (named after the cruise line's mascot, Doremi, as in the first three notes of a musical scale). The club is divided into Baby Club (infants and toddlers up to 3 years), Mini Club (ages 3 to 6 years), Junior Club (7 to 11 years), Young Club (12 to 14 years) and Teen Club (15 to 17 years).

Each group has age-appropriate activities scheduled, and all — except the tweens and teens, who can come and go as they please — are heavily supervised by qualified staff. Sample activities might include storytime, arts and crafts, and Lego playtime for younger children, while tweens and teens enjoy less structured pastimes like video games and dance parties.

MSC Meraviglia shows

As with most MSC ships, MSC Meraviglia's entertainment is stellar. From free live music, theater shows and promenade dance parties to extra-fee Cirque du Soleil-style performances, the options are varied and feature talented singers, dancers, magicians, acrobats and more.

Each production show is offered once per sailing, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the Broadway Theatre. Some are staples, while others rotate.

"Born to Rock," "One Day More," "Cool" and "Journey" are the ship's recurring shows, which each appear once per weeklong cruise. They focus on popular songs in the rock 'n' roll and pop genres, Broadway hits, music from the '70s and '80s, and cultural favorites from Spain, Italy, France and more.

As part of a rotating selection of limited-time performers, English duo The Conjurors performed two shows during my sailing, featuring numbers games, mindreading and pre-show predictions that impressively came true by the end. The duo is scheduled for more than a dozen sailings. Other limited-engagement performers include comedians and pianists.

Speaking of limited-time performances, on the second-to-last night of the voyage, I sat in the theater unsure of what to expect from the headliner, Lorraine Crosby. "You might be thinking, 'She sounds like the lady who sings that Meat Loaf song.' Well, that's because I am the lady who sings that Meat Loaf song," Crosby joked. Her biggest claim to fame is that she rocked the female vocals in Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love, But I Won't Do That."

What followed was a vocal performance that gave me chills. Crosby's range and ability to adapt to different genres are astounding. She belted out favorites by Queen, Tina Turner and Celine Dion and arguably did a better job of it than they did.

On the final night on board, she held an intimate performance for Yacht Club passengers in the suite area's private lounge. Again, I shivered as she took on the likes of Adele, AC/DC and others.

Another free entertainment option worth mentioning is daytime street theater that includes contortionists, roving musicians, magic workshops and flash mob-style performances by the onboard singers and dancers. If you happen to be passing through the promenade area when a flash mob happens, you're likely to see a punk rock-themed song-and-dance routine or, perhaps, one where the cast is dressed up like flowers, insects and birds.

Shows for a fee

Carousel Productions, MSC's own brand of Cirque du Soleil-style shows, are offered six days a week on MSC Meraviglia, with each of two shows — "House of Houdini" and "Rock Circus" — running three nights, on alternating days, with two performances each night (8 p.m. and 10 p.m.). Originally designed to house dinner theater, the Carousel Lounge is set up as a theater in the round and no longer serves food. (That ended when the cruise line shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the line has no current plans to bring it back.)

The for-fee performances levy a nominal charge for attendance and include a welcome drink for each showgoer.

"Rock Circus" is a mix of acrobatics, aerial performances, and song and dance to some of rock's greatest hits, including songs by Guns N' Roses and AC/DC.

"House of Houdini," which follows a clearer storyline than "Rock Circus," loosely tells the tale of Houdini's great underwater escape from a straitjacket and chains. A group of singers, dancers, acrobats and aerialists dressed as circus performers show Houdini the ropes as he prepares for his greatest feat.

MSC Meraviglia itineraries and pricing

Through at least September 2024, MSC Meraviglia is sailing seven- and eight-night voyages to Nassau and Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in the Bahamas from Brooklyn.

It also features six-night Bermuda cruises that spend three days docked at King's Wharf, as well as 10- and 11-night Canada and New England sailings that feature calls on Boston; Portland, Maine; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick. The 11-night itinerary also visits Newport, Rhode Island.

A couple of 11-night Western Caribbean voyages visit Port Canaveral (the port for Orlando) and Miami in Florida, Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico and Ocean Cay.

MSC Meraviglia offers some of the lowest prices in the industry. At the time of publication, inside cabin prices were starting from $299 per person ($43 per person per night) for a seven-night Bahamas cruise, $379 per person ($63 per person per night) for a six-night Bermuda sailing, $449 per person ($41 per person per night) for an 11-night Western Caribbean voyage and $619 per person ($56 per person per night) for an 11-night trip to Canada and New England.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

As with a sailing on any ship, there's certain paperwork you'll need to cruise on MSC Meraviglia. If you're a U.S. citizen sailing from and returning to a U.S. port, you can sail with either an official copy of your birth certificate and a driver's license (both are required) or a passport. I recommend the latter, and it must be valid for at least six months.

MSC Cruises adds an automatic service charge of $14.50 per person, per day, to final bills on all sailings. For children 2 and older, the daily charge is half, or $7.25.

Also, a 15% gratuity is added to bills at bars for cruisers who do not have a drinks package. If you have a drinks package, you'll pay a 15% service charge when you purchase the package, but not on individual drinks. A 15% service charge is also added to items in minibars, salons and spas.

MSC Cruises' Wi-Fi, available through the MSC for Me app, is fast enough to be competitive with all of the other major cruise lines. But pricing varies, based on the number of devices you use and whether you're OK with simply browsing the web and checking e-mail or would prefer to use Netflix or other streaming services.

Expect to pay about $72 for one device with unlimited data on a basic package. A two-device plan for the same runs about $109. There's also a four-device plan for about $223. If streaming video is what you're hoping to do, you'll need one of the more expensive plans, which range from about $100 to more than $300.

Be warned that plans are tied to specific devices, and you cannot switch between them. For example, if you buy a one-device package, you cannot use it for your cellphone, log out and then log back in with your tablet. In that case, you would need to purchase a two-device package.

MSC's MSC for Me app allows passengers on the same ship to chat with one another for free without purchasing a Wi-Fi package. The app also lets you make dining reservations, check the daily schedule and view your onboard bill.

Carry-on drinks policy

MSC does not allow passengers to bring any of their own alcohol on board.

Smoking policy

Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is permitted in a few designated areas, including the port side of the main pool deck. It's also allowed on one side of the casino. Nonsmokers, beware: The separate sides do nothing to keep the smell from wafting. It was enough to keep me away from the area for the duration of my sailing. Smoking isn't allowed in cabins or on cabin balconies; violators will receive a $250 fine.

MSC Cruises does not offer self-service laundry facilities on any of its ships. However, passengers can send their clothing out to be washed, folded, pressed or dry-cleaned for a fee.

Electrical outlets

MSC Meraviglia's cabins all have a mix of 110-volt North American outlets, 220-volt European outlets and USB ports. In my Yacht Club balcony stateroom, I had three North American outlets, three European outlets and one USB port, all at the desk/vanity area — none near the bed.

The onboard currency for MSC Meraviglia when it sails from New York is the U.S. dollar.

Drinking age

You must be 21 to consume alcohol on MSC Meraviglia's sailings from the U.S.

Passengers on MSC Meraviglia's warm-weather itineraries from Brooklyn can be found in T-shirts, shorts, bathing suits and cover-ups during the day, when there's no set dress code.

The line's American clientele tends to dress more casually at night, as well, but the line suggests "smart casual" attire for dinner. That might include khakis with button-down or polo-style collared shirts for men and sundresses or nice pants with a flowy top for women. Dark, unripped jeans are also acceptable for both men and women.

On "gala" evenings (usually one per weeklong sailing), the dress code is more refined. Passengers might choose to wear tuxedos, suits, khakis with button-downs and blazers, cocktail dresses or sparkly ball gowns.

On my sailing, the ship also had "tropical" and "white" listed on the daily schedule as suggested attire. Pack accordingly.

Bottom line

MSC Meraviglia is a beautiful ship with great food, shows and public spaces, but it has a few pain points.

In addition to feeling crowded, the vessel charges extra for many things that will make your overall cruise better. If you're on a strict budget, either resign yourself to doing only the free activities and eating in the main dining room and buffet, or plan to sail with a different cruise line.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
15 ways cruisers waste money
The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

MSC Meraviglia: Food Review and Menus

My preconceptions about msc food.

Before I first cruised with MSC I was a little apprehensive.

I had read a lot of reviews about the food which were less than complimentary.

Once onboard I enjoyed the food. I didn’t experience any of the bad things that I had read about online.

MSC food is certainly more ‘Mediterranean’ than I am used to eating at home – but that’s kind of to be expected from an Italian company cruising around the Med!

Where Did We Eat?

Main restaurant.

For the majority of our evening meals, we ate in the Main Restaurant.

Our assigned main restaurant was called L’Olivo Doro.

The actual Restaurant was nice enough, but it definitely was nothing amazing.

Read my full MSC Meraviglia ship review below to learn more about all of the restaurants and bars onboard.

MSC Meraviglia Photo Guide (Complete Tour)

We also ate a number of lunches in the buffet, but never ate in the buffet for dinner.

We often grabbed a few evening snacks from here before bed. I really appreciated the buffet being open later than 9 p.m.

I cruised on Royal Caribbean recently and the fact that the buffet closed at 9 pm every day was really annoying.

Butchers Cut (Speciality Restaurant at an Extra Charge)

Butchers Cut is a speciality restaurant and we ate here twice for free!

We matched our NCL Platinum Latitudes Loyalty Status to MSC’s Voyagers Black Loyalty Status and this gave us a free meal for two in a speciality restaurant.

So, I took my brother to Butchers Cut, and a couple of nights later he took me!

Find out more about how to status match with MSC here:

MSC Status Match – What Is it And is it Worth Doing? A Step-by-Step Guide

MSC has now tightened up on this perk, and even if there are two black loyalty card status members in the cabin, you only get one speciality meal. It’s per cabin, not per cardholder.

There was not much of a view from this restaurant sadly.

It made me miss the waterfront from NCL ships… It was a gorgeous restaurant though and the staff were really nice.

The Food We Ate

Main dining room.

The food in the main dining room was good.

The portions were not huge but I never found myself hungry. There is always an opportunity to get more food later when you are cruising – so I don’t feel small portions are a big problem.

We had a variety of meat dishes as well as some brilliant vegetarian and vegan options.

The food wasn’t the type I would usually eat at home, but I really liked that.

I do like to try new foods and a cruise is a perfect opportunity. All the photos below are of the main dishes – as you can see they aren’t the biggest …

The next photo is of our Christmas dinner. We boarded the Meraviglia on Christmas Day and disembarked on New Years Eve.

It wasn’t what I would call a traditional British Roast Turkey Christmas dinner…

msc meraviglia food main dining room christmas dinner

I didn’t take many photos of the desserts because for me , they were just fruit. (I have a slight dairy intolerance.) Here’s a photo of my Dad’s dessert though – he said it was very nice.

msc meraviglia food main dining room dessert

There is a huge variety of food available in the buffet.

The majority seemed to be made up of pasta, pizza and bread but there was also a grill section and an “Ethnic Corner” which I enjoyed.

They had Hot Dogs and Burgers too.

I don’t eat much dairy but had no problem finding dairy-free options in the buffet.

The only problem I had was I couldn’t find any dairy-free desserts – but I am pretty used to that.

There was plenty of food in the buffet at breakfast time too.

This is what I chose to eat every day. I am a girl of simple tastes! Those little baguettes were incredible though. MSC makes really good bread!

The food in Butchers Cut was really really good.

The portions were absolutely HUGE which made a change from the food in the main dining room.

The starters In Butchers Cut were definitely bigger than some of the main courses that I had had in the main dining room!

I had an amazing giant melted cookie for dessert. The fact that it was free made it taste even better!

msc meraviglia butchers cut speciality restaurant menu

The menu is absolutely huge. If you are eating for free as part of the Black Membership Perks, you need to order from the “dining experience” part of the menu – which we did.

Other Snacks Around The Ship

We spent quite a lot of time in the Sky Lounge watching the world go by.

msc meraviglia sky lounge sunset cruise ship girl

On a number of occasions, they brought us some little snacks – tapas almost!

I’d love to tell you what these are, but I honestly don’t know. Even at the time of eating, I had no idea what they were…

Check out my full MSC Meraviglia ship tour below:

General Thoughts

I was never hungry onboard the MSC Meraviglia.

The food portions were smaller than I would have at home, and I certainly ate more vegetables than I would normally – but that definitely isn’t a bad thing!

If you are considering a cruise onboard the Meraviglia but are worried having read negative reviews online, I would strongly urge you to ignore those Negative Nellies and try MSC.

To check out more MSC Meraviglia menus click here .

Before You Go

I later took a very cheap Caribbean cruise on MSC Seaview. Find out exactly what I ate on that cruise, and what I thought of it here:

Everything I Ate on my MSC Cruise (Photos and Menus) – Food Review

I took some first-time cruiser friends on a budget-friendly MSC cruise from Southampton. Find out how we got on, and whether they were impressed in the post below:

MSC Cruise Review – in Europe (Food, Service, Entertainment and More)

Taking a Cruise: Recommendations and Resources Book a Cruise Get Travel Insurance Emma Cruises Shop My Favourite Bags – Mia Tui

Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide

Sunday 6th of January 2019

Hi I’m going with my family on this ship in April I’m confused what to do regarding drinks as we haven’t purchased a drinks package my father literally only drinks tea but my kids would want juice etc would you recommend a drinks package or just PAYG?

Kind regards

Emma Le Teace

Sunday 19th of May 2019

Hey Mandy! Definitely just pay as you go. The drinks aren't too expensive and this is what I tend to do. They do have packages but they're all much more expensive than what I would spend in a day. It sounds as though you're in a similar situation.

Have a fabulous cruise, thank you for commenting.

Tuesday 6th of February 2018

Are the pastries/ chocolates free on the MSC Meraviglia? Ive sailed with Princess Crown and i love that they have pastries/desserts available free all day.

Sunday 18th of February 2018

Ummmmmm, only when the buffet is open :) There isn't a free promenade cafe like their is on Royal Caribbean ships.

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MSC Cruises

Yacht Club LUNCH Menus

By Beamafar , November 27, 2019 in MSC Cruises

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Host Jazzbeau

Thanks to some great detective work by @Beamafar we have been able to compile an almost complete set of the lunch menus on Meraviglia as of Oct/Nov 2019 [numbered 1-14] – note that this is missing nos. 4 and 10.

We thought that this post would be a complete set, based on the MD's statement that these are the official menus. But I have also collected some additional YC Lunch menus [labeled x1, x2 etc.] that (a) may fill in the missing nos. 4 and 10, but (b) also seem to include variations on the other menus (at least on other MSC ships).

I suspect that there is, as always [!], a degree of variability in MSC's operations – but these menus should at least give a good sampling of what you will find on your cruise. And – speaking only for myself [and DW] – the food delivered in the YC restaurant lives up to the promises of these menus. Mangia!

@Beamafar and I have now done our part. If you would like to contribute, please feel free to post additional menus (or variations) and 'food porn' pictures. Just please remember that this thread is for Yacht Club LUNCH menus only. See the separate threads for Yacht Club BREAKFAST and DINNER menus.

4 yr Host Jazzbeau pinned and locked this topic

Lunch x1 (Courgettes, tuna, chicken, cabbage)

Lunch x2 (Casarecce, smeraldine, salmon, veal, burrito)-1

Lunch x3 (Small Sardinian gnocchetti, tagliatelle, tuna, sirloin, calzone)-1

Lunch x4 (Fresh Pasta Le violette, scorpion fish, tournedos, pakora)-1

Lunch x5 (Vegetabla lasagna, fish/chips, rooster, curry) - Meraveglia 20191021

4 yr Host Jazzbeau unlocked this topic
1 year later...

happy cruzin

We also REALLY enjoy the YC pool deck breakfast and lunch offerings. So, we divide our time between the dining room and the pool deck - depending on the itinerary, port choices and activities planned for the day!

4 months later...

Recent lunch menus from Grandiosa on Mediterranean, its a week cruise.

QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY1_EN_1624816014.pdf QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY2_EN_1624868844.pdf QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY3_EN_1624972693.pdf QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY4_EN_1625062646.pdf QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY5_EN_1625115956.pdf QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY6_EN_1625206591.pdf QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY7_EN_1625285284.pdf

5 hours ago, elbarney said: Recent lunch menus from Grandiosa on Mediterranean, its a week cruise.

Thanks for posting these. I looked at Day One's menu. What to select? I will look at the others as I have time.

10 months later...

After looking at those menus my wife and I will not be sailing msc. my wife will not eat anything on those menus.

9 hours ago, csoud68 said: After looking at those menus my wife and I will not be sailing msc. my wife will not eat anything on those menus.

A shame! In YC, they will take any item and make it the way you want. Are you saying your wife does not eat meat, seafood, or vegetables?

She's a simple country girl..

On 5/13/2022 at 10:54 PM, csoud68 said: She's a simple country girl..

"Simple" country cooking is called "comfort food" by many of us. It reminds me of "home"; of a Grandmother and Mother who were excellent bakers and cooks. Of my Grandmother's homemade Noodles and Dumplings and Coffee Cakes. Green Beans and Ham and Potatoes was a staple when I was growing up. Pork and Sauerkraut remain a staple for me, particularly, as a New Year's Day dinner.

I was encouraged by my Mother to "try" something different as I was growing up. I came to learn and appreciate different cuisines, different preparations, different foods. Surely don't like them all, however!

On 5/13/2022 at 6:13 AM, csoud68 said: After looking at those menus my wife and I will not be sailing msc. my wife will not eat anything on those menus.

Sir, I agree with your thinking. Your DW would not enjoy the cuisine that is offered in a Yacht Club Restaurant. I hope both of you will find a cruise line that does offer cuisine/menus that both of you like.

Totally agree..I would try anything and probably like it. But I have another half. It is what it is.

Don't forget these are the Yacht Club menus---you could sail in a non-YC cabin and have access to other dining venues. I assume if you're in YC you could eat elsewhere if you like (haven't yet sailed on MSC so I could be wrong about that), but the private restaurant is part of the YC draw.

On 5/26/2022 at 4:09 PM, hiccups said: I assume if you're in YC you could eat elsewhere if you like

Yes, I think that would be possible. All of the specialty restaurants would be available. Speaking to the YC Concierge, I would expect that he/she would be able to secure dining reservations in the ship's main dining rooms.

1 month later...

Two Wheels Only

Seashore June 2022

2 weeks later...

This all looks so good. My problem will be that I can't choose and want to try it all. I will be cruising on the Bellissima in September. Is it acceptable to ask for smaller portions, so I can try out more different dishes? Or when I like it to ask for a certain dish again? And again? 😊

3 weeks later...

On 7/28/2022 at 10:57 AM, HermitageZ said: Is it acceptable to ask for smaller portions, so I can try out more different dishes? Or when I like it to ask for a certain dish again? And again?

Ask for as much as you want. Anything not finished will get ground up and given to the fish in the ocean.

Asparagus Panna Cotta as a Starter: never saw that on a menu. Floating Island's description in the dessert section is something different. These Lunch menus offer preparations that I have not seen on a dinner menu (most certainly on a lunch menu) on other ships that I have sailed. Kudos to MSC!

Two Wheels Only, thank you very much for posting these!

On 8/26/2022 at 4:14 PM, rkacruiser said: Asparagus Panna Cotta as a Starter: never saw that on a menu. Floating Island's description in the dessert section is something different. These Lunch menus offer preparations that I have not seen on a dinner menu (most certainly on a lunch menu) on other ships that I have sailed. Kudos to MSC! Two Wheels Only, thank you very much for posting these!

The lunch menu looks better than a lot of dinner menus. So excited

9 months later...

Last weeks Pool Grill seafood buffet on Seaside.

2 months later...

On 6/8/2023 at 9:04 AM, Fissues said: Last weeks Pool Grill seafood buffet on Seaside.

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MSC Meraviglia

MSC Meraviglia is packed with extraordinary features for the perfect experience at sea in any season. Enjoy outstanding dining options and out-of-this-world entertainment with new panoramic areas, an innovative ocean-view aft lounge, a two-deck "inside promenade" with a 480m2 LED dome and a spectacular amusement area connected to an outdoor water park.

MSC Meraviglia is one of the ships that sail to our exclusive Bahamian destination Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve .

" We've been cruising with MSC for years: good service in restaurant, nice staff around the ship. "

" The ship was beautiful. The staff and crew offered a great service. Every single bartender there treated us like family."

" Really had a fabulous time. The ship, transfers, excursions, staff, food, drinks and entertainment were amazing. "

ITINERARIES

Bermuda, Canada and New England

Get ready to dive into one of our pools, let your hair down at the themed parties, treat yourself to something delicious in one of our amazing restaurants, and much more!

MAIN features

Galleria meraviglia.

This 96-metre-long central promenade is filled with boutiques, restaurants and tranquil spots for shopping, eating and relaxing... as well as socialising with friends and family. And in the evening, it comes alive with music, parties and entertainment.

Horizon pool

The Horizon pool offers superb sea views and yet more open-air deck space for sun worshipers during the daylight hours. At night, the area will be transformed into a stunning outdoor spot for dancing and all kinds of entertainment under the stars.

The Broadway Theatre

Every cruise offers at least 6 different shows - even on a 7-night cruise - featuring innovative world-class and standing-ovation productions.

Carousel Productions at Sea

Enjoy an all-new entertainment concept blending breathtaking acrobatics, dance and live music to create exclusive original productions specially designed for MSC Meraviglia Class ships. It offers avant-garde artistic and immersive performances combined with the innovative technology in a surprising mix of new expressions and experimentation that will make you feel part of the show. On board MSC Meraviglia, you'll have the unique opportunity to admire two spectacular productions: ROCK CIRCUS , featuring acrobats, musicians and the greatest rock hits, and HOUSE OF HOUDINI , a celebration of some of the most wondrous illusions of Harry Houdini. The shows take place twice a night, six nights a week, only at the Carousel Lounge, a glamorous, modern, technology-packed venue. Taste our Signature Cocktail while you enjoy a pre-show followed by this unique entertainment experience. (not included in the cruise fare, limited spaces, a signature cocktail package needs to be booked)

DISCOVER MORE

MSC Aurea Spa

The MSC Aurea Spa is a luxurious Balinese spa offering signature relaxation treatments to revitalise body and soul. Complete with a thermal area, beauty salon and nail boutique, the MSC Aurea Spa will leave you feeling pampered from head to toe.

MSC Gym by Technogym®

Equipped with state-of-the-art Technogym cardio and strength-training equipment, the panoramic gym on board MSC Meraviglia gym offers a wide range of innovative fitness courses and training programmes designed to suit guests of all ages and abilities.

MSC Yacht Club

Discover a place where you can savour exclusivity and privacy in a world of choice. Indulge in the luxury of a private club, while enjoying access to the myriad recreation and entertainment possibilities that the rest of the ship affords. Welcome to the MSC Yacht Club , a cruise experience like no other.

CABINS & SUITES

Surface approx 12-22 sqm, balcony approx 2-14 sqm
Sitting area with sofa
Comfortable double or single beds (on request)
Interactive TV, telephone, Wifi connection available (for a fee), safe and minibar
Bathroom with shower or bathtub , vanity area with hairdryer

Choose the cabin type that best suits you:

Balcony Aurea (best ship position, surface approx 17 sqm, deck 10-13)
Premium Balcony (surface approx 22 sqm, deck 10-14)
Deluxe Balcony (surface approx 17 sqm, deck 8-14)
Deluxe Balcony with Partial View (surface approx 17-20 sqm, deck 8-14)
Studio Balcony (single use, surface approx 12 sqm, deck 13-14)

*Including cabins for guests with disabilities or reduced mobility, which are larger. The image is representative only; the size, layout and furniture may vary (within the same cabin category).

Surface approx. 12-22 sqm, deck 5-11
Window with sea view
Relaxing armchair
Bathroom with shower, vanity area with hairdryer
Premium Ocean view (surface approx 22 sqm, deck 9-11) Deluxe Ocean View (surface approx 16 sqm, Deck 5) Junior Ocean View (surface approx 12 sqm, Deck 8) Junior Ocean View with obstructed view (surface approx 12 sqm, Deck 8)

The image is representative only; the size, layout and furniture may vary (within the same cabin category).

Surface approx. 12-22 sqm, deck 5-14
Relaxing armchair
Bathroom with shower, vanity area and hairdryer
Comfortable double or single beds (on request)
Deluxe Interior (surface approx. 17-22 sqm, deck 5-14 )
Studio Interior (single use, surface approx. 12 sqm, deck 5-1 4)

Entertainment

Polar Aquapark

RESTAURANTS & BUFFET

Panorama restaurant, hola tacos & cantina.

The new fast-casual street food dining concept, offers a selection of Latin American and Mexican-inspired dishes and drinks to be shared and enjoyed in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, open for lunch and dinner. Choose from a tantalising array of dishes from blue corn tacos and nachos, authentic beef empanadas and tasty tamales through to tortilla soup or vegetarian tacos, all to be savoured with our selection of Top 10 Tequilas and Mezcals!

A mouthwatering Seafood menu of fish dishes including oven baked rock salt crust whole Mediterranean seabass, steam king crabs, Boston lobster, brown crabs, oyster, tiger prawns seafood platter to share and so much more, made with the freshest ingredients and complemented by a wonderful international fine wines list: these are the magic ingredients of our fish Seafood restaurant on MSC Meraviglia.

Butcher's Cut

This American-style steak house serves select Linz heritage angus beef, gold standard in high-end angus beef thanks to the best genetics in breed. The highest quality product custom cut by master butchers and aged to perfection. The menu is inspired by the great plains and it is accompanied by bold New World wines and cocktails with swagger.

Kaito Teppanyaki

Tradition and modernity go hand in hand in this stylish teppanyaki restaurant and sushi restaurant. This charming venue offers deliciously authentic Asian cuisine prepared on the spot with only the freshest, highest quality ingredients.

Waves Restaurant

L'olive dorée - l'olivo d'oro, kaito sushi bar, marketplace buffet.

Open 20 hours a day, it’s the ideal place for enjoying a great informal Mediterranean dining experience with a spectacular sea view. Visible kitchens and a Mozzarella-making area allow guests to watch our chefs preparing the fresh food. The extensive buffet area includes various multifunction corners serving international dishes, ethnic cuisine, healthy options and a multitude of other tastes.

BARS & LOUNGES

Carousel lounge.

Sit back and enjoy the fun with an exclusive Signature Cocktail at the Carousel Lounge, a glamorous and modern, technology-packed venue specifically designed to meet the needs of Carousel Productions at Sea . This custom-built lounge covers 1,000 sq.m. and can accommodate up to 400 guests. Taste our Signature Cocktail while you enjoy a pre-show followed by this immersive entertainment experience.

(Not included in the cruise fare. Limited spaces; a signature cocktail package needs to be booked).

Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Café

French master pâtissier Chocolatier Jean-Philippe Maury brings his award-winning touch to this coffee and chocolate bar boutique. As well as choosing from a variety of exquisite Chef created chocolate candies, guests can also create their very own chocolate bar right at the tablet stations. The boutique offers a wide assortment of delectable French macaroons and fresh roasted coffee.

Edge - Cocktail Bar

Our pre-dinner bar is the ideal spot to join friends for an aperitif before a meal, or for a refreshing drink at any time of day. From traditional aperitifs, our Signature Cocktails to the contemporary classics, there is something to suit your taste.

Champagne Bar

With an array of first-rate champagne, bubblies, fresh oysters, caviar and fish, the chic Champagne Bar is a place to indulge in the finer things in life.

Infinity Bar

There are infinite choices in this ideal spot to join friends for an aperitif before a meal, or for a refreshing drink at any time of day. From traditional aperitifs, our Signature Cocktails to the contemporary classics, there is something to suit your taste.

Jean-Philippe Crêpes & Gelato

A gourmet ice cream parlour and French-style crêperiedreamed up by award-winning master pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury. Located in the impressive indoor promenade, it's the perfect place to enjoy a mouth watering made-to-order crêpe, with your choice of delicious sweet or savoury fillings.

Meraviglia Bar & Lounge

Choose from a list of MSC signature cocktails and contemporary classics. Or put yourself in the capable hands of our expert mixologists who will concoct something special just for you.

Brass Anchor Pub

The atmosphere and menu of a traditional English pub await you at the Brass Anchor Pub.

Dance away into the early hours in our chic nightclub. Grab yourself a drink from our extensive list of cocktails, mocktails, Spritz, Mojito’s, classic cocktails, beers or ciders and dance the night away.

Imperial Casino Bar

Hit the jackpot at our spacious bar in Le Grand Casino. Order a drink from our wide variety of selected cocktails, mocktails, beer, wine and fine spirits to refresh yourself while you take a break from play.

TV Studio & Bar

Broadcasting live throughout the ship, our TV Studio and radio suite air live games, quizzes, talent contests and other fun content. An excellent selection of cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks are available to get you ready for your big performance.

Atmosphere Bar South

Hunger can strike at any time and at the Atmosphere Bar South our expert chefs serve up fresh and tasty specialities hot off the grill. Satisfy your cravings from our menu of freshly grilled food while you enjoy yourself by the pool.

Atmosphere Bar North

Relax at the poolside with friends and family, with a refreshing drink from the Atmosphere Bar North. From Signature Cocktails, beers, coladas, soft drinks, coffee and tea there is something to suit everyone’s taste.

Atmosphere Ice Cream Bar

This pool-side ice-cream bar offers six flavours of delicious soft ice-cream and fresh fruit treats, as well as tropical and frozen drinks and coladas.

A fresh juice bar serving a colourful selection of delicious fresh fruit drinks. In the poolside comfort of the Bamboo Bar you'll find a tempting selection of exotic fruit cocktails, smoothies, coolers and fruit lassis. You can add an extra energy or protein shot for an added boost.

Catch the big game, enjoy quality entertainment, or relax with a cocktail at the convivial Sports Bar. Enjoy a selection of cold beer, cocktails, energy drinks, protein shakes or juices and complimentary hot dogs.

Top Sail Lounge

Reserved exclusively for MSC Yacht Club Guests, this elegant lounge with its panoramic views offers the Yacht Club bar list of craft cocktails, beer, fine wine, soft drinks and coffee drinks in addition to a selection of gourmet finger food throughout the day.

Horizon Bar

Magnificent views of the sea, fantastic cocktails, The Horizon Bar is the place to be. Gaze out over the stunning panorama of the ocean while you sip on a cocktail at the Horizon Bar. With our handpicked and carefully sourced drinks and fresh ingredients we are sure that you will be spoilt for choice.

The luxurious surroundings of the Sky Lounge make it a fantastic meeting place. While you listen to live piano music, enjoy a drink after a long day exploring on shore. Or meet up with friends for an aperitif or after dinner cocktail. This multipurpose bar is ideal for any number of sociable moments throughout your cruise.There's a smoking room with a humidor. And a selection of complimentary hot and cold snacks will keep hunger at bay.

Discover a world of frozen delights at a pool-side ice cream bar dedicated to kids and their families.Delicious ice-cream, plus easy-to-eat frozen treats and a range of fun snacks. It's heaven for kids!

MSC Yacht Club Sundeck & Bar

Exclusive to MSC Yacht Club Guests, the MSC Yacht Club Sundeck & Bar, offers a luxurious and tranquil place to enjoy an aperitif. Surround yourself in the lap of luxury and let our artful bar tenders prepare something special for you! For the connoisseur there is a handpicked selection of premium drinks available.

MSC Yacht Club Grill & Bar

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5. Colosseo
7. Taj Mahal
8. Machu Picchu
9. Alhambra
10. Hagia Sophia
11. Acropolis
12. Grand Canyon
13. Kilimanjaro
14. Angkor Wat
15. Tour Eiffel
18. Pyramids
19. Babylon
Studio Interior
Deluxe Interior
Junior Ocean View with Obstructed View°
Junior Ocean View°
Deluxe Ocean View
Premium Ocean View
Studio Balcony
Deluxe Balcony with partial view
Deluxe Balcony
Premium Balcony
Deluxe Balcony Aurea
Premium Suite Aurea with terrace & whirlpool
Grand Suite Aurea with terrace & whirlpool
MSC Yacht Club Interior Suite
MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite
MSC Yacht Club Duplex Suite with whirlpool
MSC Yacht Club Royal Suite

B: Cabin with bathtub | BS: Cabin with bathtub & shower

° Reduced size bed (140x200cm) • All cabins have one double bed convertible to two single beds except for Studio Interior. • 3rd and 4th bed available in all categories except for Studio Interior, Junior Ocean View with obstructed view °, Junior Ocean View °, Studio Balcony and MSC Yacht Club Interior Suite. • Cabins 13245, 13342, 14213, 14256 have only sofa bed.

• Our ships offer the possibility of combining 2 or 3 connecting cabins based on the ship class. Call our Contact Center to choose the best accommodation for you. Ship configuration, data and descriptions may be subject to change depending on the season and on the destination and must be verified at the time of booking.

Gross Tonnage: 171,598 tons
Passengers: 5642
Crew members: 1608
Number of cabins: 2,214
Length/Beam/Height: 315,83 m / 43 m / 75.5 m
Maximun speed: 22.89 knots

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MSC Meraviglia Deck Plans & Reviews

MSC Meraviglia

Activities & entertainment

Arts Classes
Dance Classes
Deck Parties
F1 Simulator *
Flight Simulator *
Hot Tubs (8)
Interactive XD Cinema *
Meraviglia Library
MSC Aurea Spa *
MSC Gym by Technogym
Polar Aquapark
Power Walking Track
Sports Tournaments
Virtual Games Arcade *
Waterslides (2)
Baby Club Chicco
Doremi Studio
Juniors Club Lego
Mini Club LEGO
Broadway Theater
Carousel Lounge
Casino Imperiale *
Comedy Performances
Horizon Amphitheatre
Plaza Meraviglia
Infinity Bar - Atrium Bar *
Marketplace Buffet - Casual
Champagne Bar - Champagne *
Jean-Philippe Chocolate & Coffee - Chocolate & Coffee *
Edge Cocktail Bar - Cocktail Bar *
Meraviglia Bar & Lounge - Cocktail Bar *
Atmosphere Ice Cream Bar - Gelato
Panorama Restaurant - International
Waves Restaurant - International
Food Market - italian *
Ristorante Italiano - italian *
Kaito Teppanyaki - Japanese *
Atmosphere Bar North - Pool Bar *
Atmosphere Bar South - Pool Bar *
Bamboo Bar - Pool Bar *
Horizon Bar - Pool Bar *
Polar Bar - Pool Bar *
Brass Anchor Pub - Pub *
Sports Bar - Sports Bar *
Butcher's Cut - Steakhouse *
MSC Yacht Club Grill - Suite Guests
MSC Yacht Club Restaurant - Suite Guests
MSC Yacht Club Sundeck & Bar - Suite Guests
Top Sail Lounge - Suite Guests
Kaito Sushi Bar - Sushi *
Jean-Philippe Crepes & Ice Cream - Sweets *
TV Studio & Bar - TV Bar *
Excellent 100
Very Good 66
Terrible 124
All languages ( 416 )
English ( 347 )
Spanish ( 25 )
Italian ( 24 )

Upcoming itineraries

The map for this itinerary is not available at this time.

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MSC Meraviglia’s Yacht Club Deluxe Suite Tour #msc #mscmeraviglia #suitelife #mscyachtclub #cruise
Leaving behind MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club… and we are speechless. First look and full review soon! 🚢
MSC Meraviglia
MSC Meravigla Yacht Club Restaurant
MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Pool Area
Is MSC Meraviglia Dining room food as bad as some say?

COMMENTS

MSC Cruises Yacht Club Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner PDF Menus
Come evening, the Yacht Club transforms into a gastronomic paradise. The dinner menu is a testament to MSC's commitment to culinary excellence, with a rotating selection that promises a new adventure with every meal. Classic items that have won the hearts of many are a staple, providing a taste of familiarity amidst the novel flavors.
MSC Yacht Club Private Dining: 7 Days of Menus and Food Pictures
The Yacht Club private dining room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. You do not have an assigned dining table or time and rarely do you wait more than a few minutes to be seated. You can of course request a certain table or to sit in a specific server's section. As the dining room on the Seaside was located on the second floor above ...
PDF The Ultimate Guide to MSC MERAVIGLIA Dining
Inspired by MSC Cruises' European roots, where a passion for food is a way of life, the enjoyment of good food plays an integral . role in creating unforgettable memories so MSC Cruises guests are able to discover new cultures and tastes, while cruising to beautiful destinations. MSC Meraviglia. is no exception. Oering guests 12 dierent dining
Yacht Club DINNER Menus
Rare. 20.7k. August 24, 2011. Member Title: Cruise Critic Host & 20,000+ Club. New York. #1. Posted November 27, 2019. Thanks to some great detective work by @Beamafar we have been able to compile an almost complete set of the dinner menus on Meraviglia as of Oct/Nov 2019 [numbered 1-14 plus '15' for Italian Night and 'E' for the everyday menu ...
MSC Yacht Club Menus (2024) with Pictures
MSC Yacht Club Menus (2024) with Pictures. Mark February 28, 2024. In January, we sailed on MSC Meraviglia for a 9-night cruise. Each night, we dined at the private Top Sail Restaurant - exclusive to Yacht Club guests. Because food is such an important part of our cruise experience, we captured every dinner menu to share with you.
MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Menus Download
Yes! We have the MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club menus for download. Here is a quick and easy download of all the Yacht Club menus, and a few bonus menus from the MSC Meraviglia. These were collected during our 7 night Mediterranean cruise aboard the MSC Meraviglia. We did the best we could with the available lighting in the dining room.
MSC Dinner Menus
Here are the current 7 night dinner menus for the Caribbean itineraries on MSC. MSC Dinner Menu, Night 1. MSC Dinner Menu, Night 2. MSC Dinner Menu, Night 3. MSC Dinner Menu, Night 4. MSC Dinner Menu, Night 5. ... Is this for Meraviglia? Prof. Cruise says: January 12, 2023 at 11:19 am.
MSC Meraviglia: Main Dining Room Review & Menus
Different Dining Rooms. There are four main dining rooms onboard the MSC Meraviglia. These include the Waves Restaurant, the Panorama Restaurant, L' Olivo d'Oro and L' Olive Doree. The Panorama Restaurant, L' Olivo d'Oro and L' Olive Doree are all located on deck 6. The Waves Restaurant is located on deck 5.
PDF MSC MERAVIGLIA
Yacht Club guests have the option to dine at any time they like in the exclusive MSC Yacht Club Restaurant located within the MSC Yacht Club area on deck 18 where chefs will work with the finest traditional ingredients to create innovative and artistic dishes. For those who prefer the classic cruise
MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Food Slideshow
Hey Cruisers, We're finally getting around to our MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Food Slideshow. You can download the menus here: http://www.cruisetipstv.com/msc...
MSC Meraviglia Bar & Restaurant Menus
Menus from various bars and restaurants on MSC Meraviglia, as well as Ocean Cay (MSC's private island). Yacht Club menus are at the end. Submitted by Bill on Mon, 08/23/2021 - 15:55
The MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Experience Review
It was included in that yacht club experience. That, to me was a surprise and delight. Guest (00:43:10) - I did not expect how good and high-quality that food would be. Doug (00:43:22) - Well ...
An Amazing Array Of Dining Options On MSC Meraviglia
The Yacht Club is a ship-within-a-ship concept with staterooms and facilities located on Decks 14 through 19 at the very front of MSC Meraviglia. You get butler service and a dedicated lounge, as well as a menu of other amenities. For dining, MSC Yacht Club has the Yacht Club Restaurant.
MSC Meraviglia Dining: Restaurants & Food on Cruise Critic
Yacht Club Solarium Grill (Deck 19): Again, only open to YC guests, this lovely spot at the top of the ship serves a buffet breakfast and a delicious light lunch, which often includes specials ...
MSC Cruises MSC Meraviglia ship review
At 19 decks, MSC Meraviglia is huge. On my voyage, the ship was only sailing at about half capacity (about 3,000 passengers out of a possible 5,655, or 53%). However, a perfect storm of events converged to create a situation that was less than pleasant for anyone not booked in a Yacht Club cabin.
MSC Meraviglia: Food Review and Menus
Emma Le Teace. Sunday 18th of February 2018. Ummmmmm, only when the buffet is open :) There isn't a free promenade cafe like their is on Royal Caribbean ships. MSC Meraviglia food review, including the main dining room, buffet and butchers cut. Plus my MSC Christmas dinner and a sample of the menus.
MSC Yacht Club Dining
Dining in MSC Yacht Club bestows a decadently sublime measure of good fortune on guests. An all-inclusive gourmet voyage comprised of the finest ingredients, thoughtful menus, innovative preparation and exceptional service will delight travelers staying in this private enclave. Select from delicious healthy fare to gourmet delicacies paired ...
Yacht Club LUNCH Menus
Here are the lunch menus from Meraviglia. Nos # 4 & 10 weren't available when we were onboard. Bear in mind that the menus don't necessarily appear in this order each day; they're numbered for logistical purposes when the head chef sets the dining schedule, so, for example, you may have menu no #2 today and #11 tomorrow. Lunch menu #1. #2. #3 ...
MSC Meraviglia Cruise Ship & Deck Plan
Gross Tonnage: 171,598 tons. Passengers: 5642. Crew members: 1608. Number of cabins: 2,214. Length/Beam/Height: 315,83 m / 43 m / 75.5 m. Maximun speed: 22.89 knots. Discover MSC Meraviglia routes and explore stunning destinations. Take advantage of great cruise deals and be one of the first to sail on MSC Meraviglia.
MSC Meraviglia
MSC Meraviglia. 413 reviews. 1-877-665-4655 Website. All photos (4,076) Traveler ( 722) Common Areas ( 1,997) Dining and Bars ( 1,134)
Category YC1
MSC Meraviglia Cabin # 14006. Category YC1 - MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite. Deluxe Suites have two single beds that convert to a double bed, walk-in closet, and a bathroom with large shower. The sitting area has a sofa, armchairs, and television. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors lead to your private veranda with seating.
MSC Divina Cruise: Expert Review (2023)
The Exclusive Yacht Club is a Highlight of the MSC Divina Deck Plan. The MSC Divina deck plans are well designed and easy to navigate. Despite its length (333 meters or 1,092 feet), 18 decks and ...
Category YC1
Stateroom #: 15019. Category: Category YC1 - MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite. Description: Deluxe Suites have two single beds that convert to a double bed, walk-in closet, and a bathroom with large shower. The sitting area has a sofa, armchairs, and television. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors lead to your private veranda with seating.

This Cruise Life

MSC Yacht Club – Night One Dinner Menu

MSC Yacht Club – Night Two Dinner Menu

MSC Yacht Club – Night Three Dinner Menu

MSC Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge Menus

Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge Full Review

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MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Menus Download

Yes! We have the MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club menus for download.

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MSC Dinner Menus

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 1

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 2

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 3

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 4

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 5

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 6

MSC Dinner Menu, Night 7

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Different Dining Rooms

Waves Restaurant

Panorama Restaurant

L’ Olivo d’Oro and L’ Olive Doree Restaurants

The Food and Menus

Night #1: Brooklyn, New York- Welcome Aboard

Night #1 Menu

Night #1 Our Meal

Night #2: At Sea- Gala Night

Night #2 Menu

Night #2 Our Meal

Night #3: Port Canaveral- Casual

Night #3 Menu

Night #3 Our Meal

Night #4: Ocean Cay- Tropical Night

Night #4 Menu

Night #4 Our Meal

Night #5: Nassau- White Night

Night #5 Menu

Night #5 Our Meal

Night #6: At Sea- Casual

Night #6 Menu

Night #6 Our Meal

Night #7: At Sea- Casual/Italian Night

Night #7 Menu

Night #7 Our Meal

Overall Review of the Main Dining Room

Notes about Dinner

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