My Meraviglia Experience Part 1

I have just returned from a cruise on the new MSC ship Meraviglia and I had an amazing time. I had only been on MSC Magnifica previously and that was only for 2 nights back in 2010 for the launch. I was going with an open mind because they are different to other cruise lines I have travelled with before.

Check in at Barcelona was smooth and we were onboard within 30 minutes of arriving. Because you can embark/disembark in all the ports of call with MSC we didn’t have to queue with a whole ship load of people trying to get on. Embarkation time was 2.30 but as we had stayed in Barcelona the night before we arrived around 12pm and was onboard by  12.30pm. We didnt have to register our credit card at check-in and had to do this onboard at one of the self service stations. This was a really fast and easy procedure and only took a couple of minutes. Everything was done by inserting your card into the machine and using the touch screen.

When we embarked this was straight onto the inside  promenade and  we were hit by the wow factor from the minute we stepped on board. It was lovely that the ship wasn’t crowded as a lot of people who had already been on board were off  in Barcelona for the day or on an excursion. One of the first things that hits you is how spacious the ship is with nothing feeling crowded. Even in the lobbies where the lift were  there was seating areas.

The Domed ceiling on the Promenade was also one of the best and most exciting features of the ship. Different themes were shown every night and even a fireworks display on bonfire night. Another favorite of mine was the beautiful Swarovski staircase in the atrium area.

We had a balcony cabin on Deck 11  Midship which was tastefully decorated with plenty of space. If I had one criticism it would be that there wasn’t enough storage space. There was a double wardrobe with sliding doors but about a third of this was taken up with a shelving unit to put your clothes on. The dressing table area was large but there was a big void where a chest of drawers could easily have fitted. This is my personal opinion but then I can’t travel light, the more storage space the better for me! Our cabin steward was called Mohamed Ally (true story) and he was like a Ninja! We hardly seen him but everything was done when it should have been. We only had 4 coat hangers in the Wardrobe when we arrived, which certainly wasn’t enough for me with  all my clothes plus spares. We couldn’t find him so left a note and low and behold a pile of coat hangers appeared!

The bathroom was really modern with plenty of storage space and a spacious shower cubicle with glass door (no dreaded shower curtain that sticks to you!)

We had opted for late dining for dinner but hadn’t realised how late that would be. On other cruises late dining is usually 8.30m but we were allocated 9.30pm. There were 4 main dining rooms, Waves which had 3 sittings 17.45-1945 and 21.45, Panorama 18.30 and 21.00 and L’Olivo d’Oro and L’Olive Doree  19.00 and 21.30. We didn’t bother to change it and dined between the buffet, specialty restaurants and the pub! I will tell you more about the dining and drinking options in my next blog.

There were  3 lovely pool areas with plenty of sunbeds and one of the pools had a retractable roof which made it like a solarium. This area didn’t have any sunbeds in though only tables, chairs and benches ,which I did find a bit odd. On the open decks there was also the water park ,water shutes and play area for adults and children.

The theatre was very bright and decorated in Silver and Red and this also had a small bar at the back for drinks. All of the bars were beautifully decorated and the English Pub “The Brass Anchor” just looked like a typical British Pub.

The Carousel Lounge was the venue that hosts the Cirque du Soliel which had 2 different shows during the cruise .Each was shown 3-4 times to allow everyone a chance to see them. We booked “Viaggio” with dinner which was a spectacular show and the 3 course meal we had was really good. This is served 1 hour before the show starts and if you don’t want the dinner there was the option to come in 45 minutes after the diners and just have a cocktail. We had booked the 2^nd show “Sonor” with a cocktail for our last night but unfortunately there was technical difficulties and the show was cancelled.

The Sportsplex Area offered room for football and basketball indoors and the Youth Area  had facilities for Baby, Mini Juniors, Young and Teen Club. There was also the Lego family Fun area for the smaller children which was a really popular area. There was also the Virtual Games Arcade which was open 24/7 and the 4D Cinema, F1 Simulator, Flight Simulator and Bowling which there is a charge for but these could be paid for individually or you could purchase credits to mix and match them .

For my first experience on MSC I thoroughly enjoyed it and definitely wouldn’t hesitate to sail with them again. Ill be back next time to tell you about the food, bars and entertainment!