MSC Grandiosa Review

MSC Grandiosa European Style cruising - works for me!

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on MSC Grandiosa
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davidmantz
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Dec 2019
Cabin: Fantastica Balcony Stateroom

MSC has some grand ships and wonderful dining. And this one was amazing. The weather was colder and rainier so we had a lot more time inside the ship. For the most part, it seems consistently reported that the customer service and ability to resolve issues seems solidly lacking with regard to the staff. Our group had lots of technical issues before the cruise online etc. On the Grandiosa, the ship had only been in service less than 30 days. Maybe it 2nd or 3rd cruise. I witnessed a few shortcomings but the ship, food, and the service outweighed any problems I had encountered. I have sailed twice on MSC cruises and was blown away by the Grandiosa. I could still smell the new paint and carpeting! She was only in service less than a month. I had never sailed on such a new cruise ship and I have been on plenty of megaships and this one so far is my favorite. The public rooms, promenades, and outdoor deck spaces are "easy on the eyes." The colors decor and placement of walls and seating allows for easy flow for crowds. I encountered lots of huge windows in some common areas with lots of natural light and amazing views of the ocean which is why I was there. Elevators were cutting edge. You select floor where you want to go, and the screen assigns you an elevator! The shipboard App had some great features but locked up often. But it pushed notifications of pertinent info to us like security warnings and changes to itinerary. Main dining room was wonderful. Food and service was European fare and portions, perfect for me! Marketplace Buffet was solid. The variety of global food was amazing. I loved an outdoor open air seating verandah outside Marketplace situated on the stern. A very nice shipboard feature. One experience I discovered was with the fitness center. The windows were facing the jumbotron video above the outdoor central pool area. At dawn the jumbotron aired a slow steady sunrise video which was fully viewable from fitness gurus and anyone else getting outdoor laps in on the track or watching the real sunrise! The deck music was spa-like and relaxing. It seemed that the video sunrise was purposely timed with the actual surnrise! Amazing. The stern Horizon Pool and bar was multi-tierd and was very nice place to gather to watch sunsets and sunrises and a favorite to watch our departure from port, etc. It was well designed, spacious and appealing. Horizon Pool was very well thoughtfully done. Another area we enjoyed was outside deck areas on deck 16 and 17. Perfect place to stroll, watch the ship enter or leave port and catch a glimpse of changing scenery. It provides unobstructed long views from the shipboard side and easy to get too and less visited by others. I noticed these promenades were where a lot of photo buffs set up their tri pods there to film the views. Overall, the public spaces were nicely organized and finished. The use of LED lighting throughout the interior and exterior made the ship look more like the luxurious smaller series of cruise ships. It was easy on the eyes and was adjusted with outdoor lighting creating a wonderful ambience on outdoor decks and inside public spaces. Bravo with that concept. It was well received. The perception of passengers moving from one section or event on the ship to another flowed well it seemed. There were fewer choke points for the masses. The entertainment was very good. The food while European fare, was not as well received by many Americans in my group. But for me it was perfect. For US customers specifically, we had a certain allotment of bottled water at dinner seatings for free. And we were pleased to see it and used it. The staff. Hmm. Maybe because the ship was so new, they were more junior on the job perhaps. Many seemed not certain how to resolve seemingly simple requests outside the norm. One example was that all four of our cabins needed vaccumming when we first arrived. It was a buzz kill to see this on a brand new ship. Maybe the vaccums didnt work? There were no nose tissues on the entire ship either. Maybe the ship was never stocked right. Who knows. Little things, Not a big deal. The Grandiosa is amazing and I cannot wait to sail on her again soon. Thanks to Delpeshe for taking such great care of our group with every need in the dining room. And Rajan for anticipating our needs on the Bistro deck 6. Most employees were amazing and we enjoyed their service on a beautiful ship.

Cabin Review

Fantastica Balcony Stateroom

very good appointments. decor was great. newer sized bathroom which worked well. very pleased.

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