This was our fifth cruise on MSC. We have been on Divina twice and Seaside twice. I had expected that MSC had learned their lessons with the Divina and the Seaside, but was terribly disappointed. We cruised on the Meraviglia because Portland and Boston stops were desirable, as was Peggy's Cove in Halifax. The ports were fine; it was the experience on the ship that was disappointing. MSC failed to transition from European cruises to what is expected on this side of the ocean. There was also a large number of people who must have been sick when they boarded because coughing and sneezing quickly became the norm on the ship. I think many people board with illnesses because they're too cheap to purchase travel insurance. At boarding, we were never asked if we were sick. Most other cruise lines always ask that question and hope that people will be honest. The ship is absolutely beautiful, as are the other MSC ships cruising in the US.

Dining: The Main Dining Room menu was broken down in two parts; there were items that changed each day and a standard menu that was basically the same during the entire cruise. The food that changed each day was not typical American fare and appeared unappetizing at best. The standard menu had NY strip steak, chicken, and salmon, so we usually ordered from that side of the menu. Shrimp cocktail the first few days was cool, not cold,and very small in size; I think they were left over from the previous weeks cruise. Also, presentation was terrible; a few shrimp dropped in a bowl on top of some lettuce and a little cocktail sauce. Definitely looked like mass production. The quality and temperature of the shrimp improved on about day 3 or 4 to where they were very good; presentation never changed. Our waiters were fantastic and did their best to make us feel welcome; absolutely no complaints there. The Buffet was horrible. The food was bland and selections were very limited and not tasty. We had a large contingent of Europeans and Japanese on board and it seemed that MSC catered to their tastes rather than to the Americans on board. Passengers actually touched the food on the Buffet with their hands rather than using serving utensils. Maybe it's a cultural thing. Also, people cutting lines was the norm rather than the exception. The specially restaurant menus were uninspiring so we didn't even try them. Hopefully, someone in Miami with Divina or Seaside will help them get their menu selections and presentation up to par.

Embarkation: This went fine and we boarded the ship without much difficulty. I just wish someone would have been screening for passengers who were obviously sick as they passed through embarkation in New York. Read more