Impressions of ships/cruise lines mostly based on recent sailings

 Originally Posted: 06/15/26

SS United States
(Courtesy of SS United States Conservancy)

If I had been able to do so when it sailed, I'd have tried to make a transatlantic crossing on the SS United States. This ship held the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing, from an age where fast crossings of the Atlantic Ocean were the norm for transatlantic travel.  Sadly, there is little market demand today for this kind of ship.  I am glad to have been able to sail on Cunard's Queen Mary 2, the last Ocean Liner in active service.  And this got me thinking: What do I think of the cruise lines I've sailed on recently?

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Over the past year or so, I have sailed on the following cruise lines:

• MSC
• Princess (twice)
• NCL 
• Cunard
• Virgin Voyages

Each of these cruise lines have their strengths and weaknesses. Depending on what I want from a particular cruise, I might sail with any one of these lines in the future.  For example, I might choose MSC for a cheap cruise if they were to sail from Brooklyn some time in the future.  Princess tops my list for both: (1) its all-inclusive simplicity, as their Premier Fare is truly an all-inclusive fare; and (2) for its routes, which are some of the best in the industry.  Cunard would be chosen for its understated elegance and for the Queen Mary 2's transatlantic crossings.  NCL would be chosen for convenience in the NYC area and for its monopoly on the 7-day Hawaii cruise market.  All excel for specific cruises, and I'd gladly sail on each of these lines in the future.

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MSC:

Originally, I had misgivings about taking a cruise on the MSC Meraviglia, given all the bad reviews I have read about this ship.  My first cruise on the Meraviglia made me one of the people who would never recommend this ship to anyone.  Yet, after a second cruise on this ship (suggested by my partner), I recommend this ship with caveats:

• Dinner service for most cruisers is at fixed times.  It took me a while to get used to eating on a fixed schedule, but my waiters got to know me and my preferences and anticipated my selections.  This would likely not happen with "any time" dining as I've experienced on NCL.
  
  
• Food quality in the main dining rooms is middling, and leaves something to be desired.  Nothing I ate there could be labeled: "Knock Your Socks Off."  But everything was flavorful, especially if one had European tastes.
  
  
• Buffet offerings tend to be bland, and the buffet's layout tends to result in crowding in the passageways.  However, one will find one of the best pizzas at sea on MSC ships.
  
  
• Entertainment in the ship's theater is adequate, but not long enough for a truly enjoyable show. Most shows are 30 minutes long, and leave the audience wanting more.  Contrast this with the shows on other lines, which usually last 45-60 minutes, and MSC comes out lacking in this area.
  
  
• Shore Excursions sold by MSC are reasonably priced, albeit with frills cut out of their offerings. When I compared two Bermuda shore excursions that went to the Crystal Caves, MSC's excursion cost 65% of that NCL charged for a similar excursion.  However, NCL also included a second stop on its excursion that wasn't in MSC's excursion.  So, one has to examine what one gets from an MSC excursion before buying it from MSC.
  
  
• MSC's ships are modern and glitzy.  They are a feast for the eyes.  However, the glitz can be a problem for visually impaired people due to the amount of highly reflective surfaces on the ship.
  
  
• I found no dedicated quiet areas on the Meraviglia.  This may not be a problem for younger adults who like to party.  However, this can be a problem for older adults who enjoy a more sedate environment in which to relax and have a drink.
  
  
• Cabin space is mostly adequate for two people.  However the cabin layout in many cases is not ideal.  For example, if sailing in a Solo cabin (which I've done in the past), the cabin layout is sub optimal for most passengers.
  
  
• MSC's customer service (by many accounts) leaves much to be desired.  I have not had to have any problems addressed by the line.  However, one gets what one pays for, and this line relies on phone calls instead of written information.

In conclusion, MSC is a "Value Oriented" line which can provide predictable service for a good price.  Other than its pizza, its food is equivalent to that one would get at a midrange restaurant.  Much of what it provides is "no frills".  But what it does provide is good value for money spent.   Sadly, it no longer sails out of New York City, as of April 2026.  But if you are near one of its American home ports, I'd sail with MSC if I wanted a quick "getaway" cruise.

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Princess:

My first cruise ever was on a Princess ship during the Summer of 1997.  It would be unfair of me to rate this cruise line based on that cruise.  Luckily, I have taken several more cruises in the past few years on which to form my opinions.

When I first started sailing again with a cruise partner, the first cruise I sailed on was a Princess cruise on a standard New England and Eastern Canada route.   Since then, I have taken other cruises with Princess, including ones to the Norwegian Fjords, Alaska's Inside Passage, and the California Coast.  For each of these cruises, I chose the Princess Premier fare package, as it is truly all-inclusive.

Unlike MSC, I never had any concerns about sailing with Princess.  For the most part, this line strikes a perfect balance between price and what is delivered.  Although Princess is not as premium a line as Cunard, it is a step above NCL in many ways.  

• Cabin service (at the time I started writing this entry) is still performed twice on each day:
  
  - Day service: Making up beds, replacing towels, etc.
  - Turndown service: Preparing the room for bedtime.
  
  
• Most ships have a dedicated Steakhouse (Crown Grill) and an Italian restaurant (Sabbatini's). In addition, they usually have dedicated casual dining restaurants, and a pop-up restaurant (Crab Shack) that reuses space occupied by another restaurant for lunch or dinner depending on ship size.  Food service may start off slow.  Yet, this can work out to a diner's advantage, as there never is a rush to move diners out so that new diners can be seated at the tables.  Food quality at these restaurants is excellent, though it may not be at the same level as luxury lines not covered by this post.
  
  
• Food quality in the main dining rooms is very good, and portions are plentiful.  The only time one will get charged for an extra main is on "surf and turf" night, where a nominal fee is charged for an extra "surf and turf" dish.
  
  
• Princess' entertainment is hit and miss.  One day, a cruiser might get a second rate rock singer.  The next night, one might get a first rate show from the ship's music and dance performers.
  
  
• Princess offers 2 "All-Inclusive" fares: Plus and Premier. For a few dollars more than the "Standard" fare, they include: drink and soda packages; wi-fi/internet packages; specialty/casual dining packages (premier only); and gratuities.  Although Princess recommends the Plus fare package to people, I feel that the Premier fare package provides the greatest value for dollar spent.
  
  
• The ships in Princess' fleet are well maintained, and do not belie their age in obvious ways.  Cabin space is well designed, and there is more than enough storage space for two people sharing a cabin.
  
  
• Princess offers one of the best Alaska cruise routes available.  When we sailed last summer, our cruise spent a full day in Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan; as well as sailing through Glacier Bay. This is a rarity among cruise routes, as many of them (including those from Princess) will make only half-day stops in some Alaskan ports, as well as skipping Glacier Bay for another Glacier area.

In conclusion, I feel that Princess ranks among the top lines I would choose for general cruising.  (The others are Cunard and Virgin.)  Its routes include many of the "Bucket List" destinations I'd want to visit, as well as the "standard" routes I'd sail on more than once (e.g. New England/Canada, Alaska, and California Coast routes.)

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NCL:

This is the cruise line I've sailed on most often in the past 15 years.  Although NCL has ships sailing the world over, most of their routes leave a little to be desired.

• When one could sail deep into the Norwegian Fjords, they did not have routes that reached Flam, a town whose railway is one of Europe's most scenic trips.
  
  
• Unlike Princess's California routes, NCL only offers sailings to the "Mexican Riviera".  I feel that NCL should consider 7-day cruises which touch a Mexican port, but whose route sails mostly along the California coast with a single stop in Ensenada Mexico to satisfy US legal requirements.
  
  
• Most of NCL's Alaska cruises make at least 1 port stop which lasts only 1/2 day.  Cruises stopping at Victoria, BC will often only make 3-hour night time port stops only to satisfy a US law that requires foreign flagged ships to make port at 1 foreign port before returning to the US.
  
  
• Due to NCL's development of their Ward Cove pier (Ketchikan), people getting off the ship to visit Ketchikan will need to take a shuttle bus from Ward Cove to Ketchikan, a 15+ minute trip.
  
  
• NCL has an advantage over other cruise lines with its Hawaiian sailings, as it has a monopoly on the 7-day cruise market for cruises which start and end in Honolulu due to its ownership of the single US flagged cruise ship, the Pride of America.

Unfortunately, NCL seems to be delivering less value for dollars spent these days.  For example, after cruise lines had their post-pandemic reopening, NCL cut back to once per day room service.  This didn't bother me as much as their decision to stop licensing Broadway shows for the ship's theater, and to reduce the quality of food served in their main dining rooms.

When I see NCL's "Free at Sea" promotion, I feel that NCL is trying to make people think that "free" offerings are really free.  If the specialty dining and drink packages were really free, NCL wouldn't be making their guests pay "Gratuities" for each selected package.  Couple this with a measly 150 minutes of Wi-Fi and overpriced shore excursions, and it's hard to feel comfortable with this line's pricing policy.  If I buy an "All-Inclusive" package, I want one like Princess' Plus or Premier fare packages, where I get unlimited streaming Wi-Fi, unlimited soft and adult drinks (premier fare only, plus package is a combined 15 soft and adult beverages per day), with included "gratuities".  However, if one purchases the full Free at Sea and  the Free at Sea Plus package, then the combination becomes more of an "All-Inclusive" package, as drinks, internet (1 device), and gratuities are all included.

This is not to imply that NCL is a bad cruise line.  Of all the mainstream cruise lines (excepting maybe, Virgin Voyages), it has some of the best specialty restaurants at sea, and more of them on each ship. Their ships are well maintained, though one can see some wear and tear on their older ships.  Like Princess and Holland America, some NCL Alaska cruises go to Glacier Bay, a "must visit" place recommended by many people who have visited this national park.  NCL has the best Hawaii presence with its 11-day cruisetour that allows the cruiser to take a 3-day tour of Oahu island, followed by a 7-night cruise with 4 port stops on each of 3 islands: Maui (overnight stay - 1 port) , Hawaii (2 ports, Hilo and  Kona), and Kauai (overnight stay - 1 port). 

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Cunard:

If there are two words that define this cruise line, they would be: Casual Elegance.  Cunard has the last purpose-built Ocean Liner in service, the Queen Mary 2, that has regular service on the Transatlantic route.  The QM2 is both a living museum and a relatively modern ship.  The QM2 inherits the elegance which defined traditional Atlantic crossings and uses that elegance to make the ship seem as special as she is.

Cunard has only 4 ships: Queen Anne, Queen Elisabeth, Queen Victoria, and the Queen Mary 2.  All try to be models of perfection, and the staff on the Queen Mary 2 comes close to being so for voyages on this ship.  In doing a fair review of my sailing on the Queen Mary 2, I had to focus on Cunard's imperfections instead of what they get right - too many things are done too well to list all the things they get right.

Most of the problems I encountered with Cunard focus on a cruiser's technological user experience. They include:

• A wonky website which forces a person to look up their booking number offline, so that they can log on to the website and: (1) Check in for the cruise, and (2) Purchase upgrades (internet package, drink package, shore excursions, etc.) for the cruise.
  
  
• The lack of a fully functional App which one can download pre-cruise to interact with the cruise line for both pre-cruise functions (check in, purchasing upgrades, etc.) and for on-cruise functions (dining reservations, checking account balances, chat between passengers, etc.).  
  
  
• We purchased 2 internet packages (one for me and one for my partner).  Yet, staff at the purser's desk originally said we only had one package, and had to share it.  Several days into the cruise, my partner found the confirmation we had purchased 2 packages, and we were told that we didn't have to share anymore.  Cunard promptly refunded us the money for the unused half of one package we were originally told we couldn't use.
  
  
• Once I could log on to my own account, I found that the location being sent to my cell phone (when at sea) was either Tromso, Norway or Southampton, United Kingdom.  This caused pictures I took onboard with my cell phone to have both bad time and location stamps.

The only time I noticed service problems in the dining room, I felt that differences in service were related to restaurant logistics.  For example, most of the time, a full set of flatware would be set on the table after placing one's dinner orders.  If I ordered 2 appetizers, a salad, a main, and 2 desserts, wait staff would place flatware for all appetizers, salads, and mains in front of me, and then place new flatware in front of me before dessert was delivered.  However, several times wait staff delivered only the flatware I'd need for the course being served.  I expect that this was related to the delivery of flatware from the dishwashers to the dining room while dinner service was underway.

Unlike other cruise lines, Cunard's onboard activities seem to keep people occupied during long periods at sea.  Yes, there are the usual jewelry promotions, salon promotions, etc. made during the cruise.  But they are low keyed.  But we also found art classes given several times during a day, enrichment talks, and even shows in the ship's planetarium (you read that right!) to keep one busy.  The library on the QM2 is the largest of any ship I've sailed, and has books to satisfy anyone's taste in books.

If I were to rate the cruise lines on whose ships I've sailed on, Cunard might be at the top of the list. It is not the cruise line it used to be.  It is far from the cheapest cruise line.  But it is not the most expensive either.  If you can afford it, and are willing to wear clothes you'd wear to a wedding for Gala Nights - try it!

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Virgin:

This cruise line has a vibe that is completely different from all of the other cruise lines.  As my cruise partner put it, the Virgin vibe is Industrial Beachcomber Chic. As I see things, Virgin has rethought what a cruise experience should be and has targeted its product for the 30-50 year old (child free) demographic.  No children are allowed onboard the ship, resulting in a more mellow, adult vibe.

When I say that Virgin is a party cruise line, I don't mean that it is an alcoholic party line.  Neither my partner nor I saw the usual group of people getting it on with their 9 am drinks.  This must be related to the fact that there is no unlimited drink package on Virgin.  Instead, one can buy drink credits at a discount before the cruise and spend them while on the ship.  Another thing of note: the Casino area on the Valiant Lady was pleasantly free of tobacco smoke.  Since we are not gamblers, we didn't bother to investigate things further. 

Unfortunately, Virgin focuses on the use of high-tech in virtually all customer interfaces.  This can be a problem when its app doesn't want to recognize photos it takes of one's driver's license and passport.  (I had to resubmit my photos just before our cruise, as Virgin's AI couldn't process what I had captured for them several weeks beforehand.  Additionally, its app is not the most user friendly of apps, as we couldn't make brunch reservations without assistance from ship personnel.

The high point of any Virgin cruise should be the food.  If one looks at each of the ship's complimentary restaurants that require reservations as the equivalent of specialty restaurants on other cruise lines, one will not be disappointed by the comparison.  Each of the restaurants served excellent food, often with a unique twist on a cuisine.  The Galley replaces a traditional buffet, something I'd like to see more cruise lines emulate.  Cruisers do not touch food, nor do they serve their own food portions.  Instead, waiter service is available to order food from many stations and deliver it to one's table.  This is much more hygienic than a typical buffet, and it eliminates the crowds that usually appear near popular food stations.

The one important thing that bothered us was the lack of communication between ship's crew and ship passengers.  On disembarkation day, no one communicated to cruisers why disembarkation was being delayed.  A queue formed that extended from mid-ship to one end of the ship and doubled back on itself.  No one knew why the line wasn't moving, nor was any effort made by ship's crew to make people more comfortable.  Eventually, the line started to move and we were barely able to catch our ferry on time.

If one prefers informality and enjoys sailing on a line geared for the young at heart, Virgin is the cruise line for you.  Service may not be as formal and as structured as Cunard.  But it is there, and noticeable from the little things the crew does for cruisers.  It is great value for the money, and it is pleasantly child-free!  

MSC Meraviglia - Bermuda Cruise Review (04/27/25 - 05/03/25)

 MSC Meraviglia - Bermuda Cruise (04/27/25 - 05/03/25)

My cruise partner and I wanted to take a cheap Spring cruise, and saw this 6-day cruise from Brooklyn to Bermuda and back. We had taken a similar cruise before on this ship, and figured that we'd try it again.

But first things first....

We snagged a good price for this trip: 

$827 fare (Inside Cabin, inclusive of taxes and port fees)  
$  96 gratuities (charged while on ship)
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$923 pp Total.

This is a decent price for travelers taking a 6-day cruise out of New York at this time of year.  

• This ship sails out of Red Hook, Brooklyn - a hard to reach part of NYC.  
• Our booking was for an Inside Cabin (the same cabin as on our last trip)
• We planned to eat all of our meals in the complimentary restaurants.

We knew what we were getting into on this cruise.  It would not be as luxurious as cruises we have taken on Princess cruises or NCL.  But we expected we'd be able to relax for the better part of a week.

Itinerary:

Itineraries are plans that can change in a moment's notice.  On our last Bermuda cruise with MSC, we were scheduled to have 3 days in Bermuda before returning home. However, due to high winds that could have stranded this ship in port, our ship left Bermuda after 1 day.  So we hoped that we'd be able to spend a full 3 days in Bermuda this time around. 

Transit to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal:

The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal's website provides information on how to reach it using various modes of transportation.  As usual, we planned to summon an Uber from my partner's house in Queens, leaving my car at home due to the high price of parking in the cruise terminal's lot ($45/day).  If possible, avoid driving to this terminal if possible, as the traffic jams in and out of the area are horrendous.

Embarkation:

Most people try to arrive at the cruise terminal as early as possible. This cruise virtually demanded that people arrive early for their cruise - the ship has propulsion problems which would require that a following 7-day cruise be cancelled to make needed repairs to the ship. Unlike our prior early arrivals, things went very smoothly, and we were in our cabin about 20 minutes after arriving at the terminal. 

One thing of note to new cruisers of this line: Room key cards are not given out at the reception desk at the cruise terminal.  Instead, they are in a packet by the cabin door.

Stateroom:

We chose an interior cabin, 14204, in the near aft of the ship, as we had stayed in this cabin on a prior cruise.  This cabin is easy to reach and is comfortable for 2 people.  However, we both feel that storage space in the cabin (as structured) is barely enough for two people, as most of the available storage space available is in the cabin's closet.   

Entertainment:

1. Main Theater.
   
   
   
   
   
   Since we had seen most of the shows available in the main theater on our last cruise in January, we decided to avoid the theater until the comedian, Joe Matarese, performed.  As much as I have a hard time laughing at most comedians these days, I found him very entertaining - especially when he talked about his "odd couple" marriage to his PhD wife.  Although some of his jokes were self-deprecating, they weren't overly so.  He only made fun of his position in his marital relationship and that of his ethnic group.  And, like the last comedian we saw on this ship, I wouldn't mind seeing him again.
   
   We encountered one problem with the main theater as a venue - the theater's entrance/exit doors were left open, and the overly loud music in the Meraviglia Galleria distracted us from the comedian's performance.
   
   
2. Lounges.
   
   Often, the lounge nearest the ship's theater has decent performers.  On this trip, we stayed away from this lounge because of the over-amplification of the music. There were never enough seats available when someone was performing, and we usually proceeded past this area without stopping because it wasn't a pleasant enough place for us to sit and enjoy a relaxing drink.
   
   One night, we decided to explore the ship and visit the adults only Sky Lounge on deck 18.  By the time we got there, the music was so loud that it hurt our ears.  We have nothing against reasonably loud music.  But when one can't hear one's partner when shouting, it is way too loud.
   
   
3. Other venues.
   
   
   
   
   The Meraviglia Galleria is an arcade where all of the ship's stores are located. Above it is a video display which stretches the length of a football field.  Around 10:00 each night, a program is displayed on this display similar to that done in Las Vegas's Freemont Street.  MSC uses the Galleria for loud parties and entertainment, and some of this interfered with our enjoyment of the comedian in the main theater.
   
   
   

Food/Dining Venues:

1. Marketplace Buffet.  (Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks.)
   
   Since this would be our third cruise together on this ship, there is not much new I can add to what I've said in prior reviews of MSC's Meraviglia cruises.  The design of the buffet area causes cruisers getting food from the buffet tables to bump into people transiting the aisles through the buffet area.  Couple this with the chaos caused by crew members rolling their carts along the same aisles, and a visit to the buffet can easily become an experience one wants to avoid.
   
   One of the things I look forward to having at the buffet is the pizza - it is one of the best pizzas you can get on any cruise ship.  As much as I enjoyed the pizza, it was a little bit too oily for my taste.  And despite my precautions, I ended up getting some of the oil on my shirt, requiring the use of some detergent to remove the stain before it set.  Next time, I will be much more cautious before eating this ship's pizza.
   
   While in port, we decided on having a late breakfast in the buffet area.  Breakfast offerings were tasty, varied and plentiful.  However, the (powdered?) scrambled eggs left much to be desired.  Luckily, fresh hard-boiled eggs were available to eat. 
   
    
2. L'Olive Doree/L'Olivo D'Oro Main Dining Rooms (Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch):
   
   Our first encounter with these dining rooms on this trip was for brunch on a sea day. The restaurant was very busy, and we were asked if we wouldn't mind sharing a table.  We said yes, and were seated with two other couples near a window.  Although brunch service was mediocre, the worst part of the meal was the noise level - we had to almost shout to be heard by others at the table.  This was an omen for what happened later on that day.
   
   If we eat in the main dining rooms, we try to arrive before 9:00/9:30 am, when the breakfast window ends.  The greeters will see that we are quickly directed to our table.  Unfortunately, that's when the mechanical part of breakfast begins. At seemingly random times, pastries are presented to the table, coffee is poured into our cups, and juices are delivered to the table.  It is not that easy to request these things if one is seated out of the delivery sequence.  Eventually, one's order is taken.  I usually order the "Express Breakfast" which consists of eggs, breakfast meats, and toast.  Sadly, I often forget that their "scrambled eggs" are made from powdered eggs, and end up skipping eggs when I could have ordered soft boiled eggs instead.
   
   
3. Waves Main Dining room (Dinner):
   
   On embarkation day, the Waves dining room was open for lunch between 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm.  However, due to overcrowding by 1:00 pm, there weren't going to be enough tables to seat everyone in this restaurant.  As a result, we were turned away and forced to have our lunch in the buffet - not a pleasurable experience due to crowding. 
   
   
   
   
   
   Every night in the main dining rooms is a celebration.  MSC's wait staff lines up to serenade diners coming for their nightly meal with song, tambourines, hand drums and song as they enter the dining rooms.  If someone is having a birthday, several wait staff members will surround the birthday boy (or girl) and sing "Happy Birthday to You" with gusto.  The staff does its best to make each meal a memorable experience - even if it is the experience of a catering hall.
   
   Gala night is usually held on the first sea day of the trip.  And this is where we were disappointed not by the food, but at the seating arrangements.  The night before, we had two of the most pleasant people sitting next to us.  However, this couple was seated to join other members of their travel group for the rest of the cruise, leaving the table next to us open.  This table was moved over to allow a group of 8 loud people to sit together, with two other friendly couples sitting nearby.  This time, we couldn't hear each other, and the volume of the group next to us made it impossible for us to enjoy our gala night meal.  So, we went to the Maitre d's station as we were leaving and asked to be seated away from this group.  Although our request was accommodated, we felt sorry that we couldn't keep our waiter, a man who was giving us excellent service.
   
   The MSC Meraviglia uses fixed dining times with assigned seating for its main dining rooms used by non "yacht club" passengers. Unlike my first cruise on this ship, I had my usual cruise partner with me on this cruise.   We both know the routine in how to get value from MSC's packages.  For example, if I have a drink package, I am sure to drink a lot of diet soda during the day (as I would on land), and have a couple of glasses of wine in the evening.  But this routine would be interrupted a little with our second table assignment.  Our new waiter was training an assistant, and they forgot to deliver my wine order.  It took at least 2 requests of our waiter to get my wine.  And, when dessert came, my partner got the sugared ice cream, instead of the sugar-free ice cream that she ordered.
   
   On our second night at Waves, service was much more on-target, and both our food and drinks were delivered promptly.  If there is one thing that MSC does well, it is pasta.  And when cruising on MSC, I make sure to have a side dish of pasta at every dinner.  Sometimes, when it is the Buccatini Carbonara, or the Linguine in Clam sauce, the dishes are divine.  But I have never had a bad plate of pasta on MSC.  The Mussels in a creamy wine sauce were excellent, and I wish I had thought to order a dinner portion instead of the appetizer portion I ordered.  (Sadly, I didn't think to take my own picture of this dish.)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The last day we dined on the ship was "Italian Night"  All the tables at Waves were decorated with "Italian" bunting, and the wait staff made an extra effort to make this a celebratory night.  After the main course was finished, The staff encouraged us to make happy noises and twirl our napkins around, while selected kitchen staff (Chefs, Sous Chefs, Pastry Chefs, etc.) were recognized for their efforts.  Shortly after this, the wait staff started to sing and dance for one last celebration of this cruise.
   
   

Excursions: 

Bermuda is an archipelago with roughly 70,000 residents.  Having ridden the public buses and ferries, I felt safe wherever I went on the archipelago. One shouldn't hesitate to take an excursion here, unlike some other destinations in warm weather climes.  

Last year, we took a reasonably priced MSC sponsored shore excursion to the Crystal Caves.  This year, the available shore excursions either involved physical activities (such as snorkeling), bus excursions (mostly shopping trips), and day/night excursions on small craft. (Note: The Crystal Caves excursion was still offered.)  Instead, we decided to take Bermuda's ferry to St. George to explore the other end of the archipelago.  While there, we had the pleasure of revisiting a memory, watching someone being "Dunked" while having lunch across the way. 

For those on a budget (when on a multi-day stay in Bermuda), it makes sense to take the ferry to St. George and return by Ferry (or Bus) to the Dockyards area.  Many of Bermuda's attractions are accessible via its transportation network, which is safe and easy to use.  (Words to the wise: All roads in Bermuda lead to/from Hamilton.)

Debarkation:

1. Living in New York, we know many of the ins and outs of the city.  Regarding the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, we often find that it's easier to take the ferry from the cruise terminal to the Atlantic avenue stop, then summon an Uber home from there. Passengers with self-arranged flight plans might want to consider choosing 1:00 pm (or later) flights from the 3 NYC regional airports, as traffic can get quite bad on New York City roads.
   
   
2. Each room is assigned to a debarkation group.  The last time we cruised on this ship, our cabin was assigned to one of the last groups to leave the ship.  This time around, it was assigned to one of the earliest groups to leave the ship.  Being able to leave the ship early usually makes it possible to catch an early ferry away from Red Hook, allowing us to avoid the long morning jams that take place near the cruise terminal.
   
   
3. Unlike some of our cruises, it was easy to find our luggage in the Brooklyn cruise terminal. Having smaller debarkation groups is very helpful, as it is easier to batch a group's luggage in a smaller area making it easier to find.
   
   
4. Catching a cab or summoning an Uber to transport us home from the cruise terminal would have added to the confusion we faced when leaving the terminal. So we chose to take the ferry to an easier to reach stop.  Since the Atlantic Avenue stop on the South Brooklyn route wouldn't open for another hour, we chose to take the ferry to the South Williamsburg stop (with a free transfer at Pier 11 for the East River route) and summon an Uber from there.  My partner was surprised to find that the Uber fare to reach her house from South Williamsburg was $30 less than the fare for the ride that usually takes us from her home directly to the terminal  Additionally, it gave us the opportunity to see more of NYC at water level - a short diversion which made the trip home less jarring.
   
   

Miscellaneous:

1. The Meraviglia was designed to impress people with its use of reflective light, and it does that to excess. My cruise partner has a visual impairment, and has trouble with the Meraviglia's use of reflective surfaces near the main dining rooms.  As one approaches the casino, the floor uses a reflective illusion to have lights illuminate an infinite well.  This can be troublesome to people without good depth perception.  (Note: On our prior cruises, one safety glass floor panel had shattered.  This was finally covered up on this cruise.)
   
   
2. Having the Easy Plus drink package allowed us to go to any bar and get bottled water and canned sodas whenever we wanted.  This made it possible for us to store a few beverages in our room's refrigerator (we had asked for the mini bar to be emptied) for consumption while in the cabin. (Note: MSC has changed the drink package offerings since we took this cruise.)
   
   
3. We encountered a couple of minor issues on the ship which were resolved by a couple of polite requests we made to our stateroom attendant, Emilio.  The first was related to MSC not stocking facial tissue in bathrooms. One request, and we had a box of tissues delivered promptly.  The second involved having washcloths delivered to our room.  This took longer to resolve as (believe it or not) there was a shortage of washcloths on the ship.
   
   
4. My travel partner and I were not able to use the MSC for Me app to chat with each other.  Although we followed all of the instructions to link our cell phones together, nothing worked as expected.  This is a minor glitch in the grand scheme of things for us, as we usually are together when on the ship.  However, this can be a problem for those people who spend a lot of time apart from each other while on the ship.  (Note: One change I'd make to this app would be an option for an audio indicator that a intra-ship message has been received.  Depending on a tiny visual indicator is not enough from our experience.)
   
   
5. Like many ships, the Meraviglia has in-room TV with both live and pay-per-view offerings.  However, the live video channels on this ship are limited to CNN, TCM Movies, Sports, Cartoon Network, and several "Reality" networks from Discovery networks' offerings. (Note: I'm not including the foreign language offerings from Europe - I focus on an English speaking audience.) The pay-per-view offerings leave much to be desired, as there were less than 25 mainstream movies available to rent.  Yet, there was an adequate supply of X-Rated offerings for those into adult entertainment.
   
   
6. Sometime during 2026, the Meraviglia will leave its Brooklyn home port to spend the Summer sailing Mediterranean routes.  However, it will return to Brooklyn after the Summer ends.

Conclusion:

On the whole, I consider MSC's American offerings a good value for the price charged.  Yet, an MSC cruise is not a cruise for everyone. My partner and I will consider MSC for future cruises, but not for "Bucket List" cruises which we will take on more "premium" lines such as Princess Cruises. 

Given our more recent experiences on this cruise line, I no longer hesitate to recommend the MSC Meraviglia to people who want to take a nice cruise on a tight budget.  This line/ship is best for people who prefer a lively atmosphere while at sea. I would not recommend it for people who like to spend their time in quiet, relaxing places on the ship, as we didn't find enough of these on our cruise.

Addenda:

Beverage Packages:

Internet Packages:

Menus:

Day 1 Lunch Menu

Day 1 Dinner Menu:

Day 2 Brunch Menu:

Day 2 Dinner Menu:

Day 3 Breakfast Menu:

Day 3 Dinner Menu:

Day 4 Dinner Menu:

Day 5 Lunch Menu:

Day 5 Dinner Menu:

Day 6 Breakfast Menu:

Day 6 Lunch Menu:

Day 6 Dinner Menu:

Debarkation Day Breakfast Menu:

Sample Meal Images:

Day 1 Dinner:

Day 2 Dinner:

Day 4 Dinner:

Day 5 Dinner:

Day 6 Dinner: