MSC1 Day 2: At sea

Posted by Sparky on February 5, 2020

First morning at sea

The first day was spent entirely at sea, cruising along the north coast of Cuba. The weather was considerably warmer – in the high 70s – and mostly sunny, so it was a lovely, smooth day to cruise the Caribbean Sea. We slept in until after 8, then I embarked on a search for cappuccino. I knew there had to be some on board an Italian ship and I was right. But there was nothing on the ship map that said “Coffee Bar” or “Get Your Cappuccino Here”. So I went to to the reception area and corralled a staff person who was speaking to another staff person at the nearby bar. When I asked where I could find cappuccino he said, “Well, here, for one,” pointing at the bar. Sure enough, the bar had a cappuccino machine. I got a cup, along with a few pastries, and returned to the cabin.

Jett’s verdict: weak. And she was right. The cappuccino was very bland compared to other cappuccinos I have tasted, both on board ships and on land. Very disappointing. Fortunately, the free coffee available in the buffet restaurant is quite good. I made a second trip out to get a large cup of that brew, along with more pastries. That sated Jett.

Waiting for free jewelry

Proof of winnings

I then spent some time exploring the ship, partly on my own and partly in the service of Jett. She sent me down to the “grand opening” of an EFFY jewelry section of the boutique which was handing out free pendants. More standing in line, but I am getting good at it by now. We napped and before dinner checked out the Irish pub, “Brass Anchor”. They have some decent ales and stouts and surprisingly inexpensive pub fare – a cheeseburger or a small fish and chips for $5 each. Very tasty.

My appeal for a later dinner seating was successful so we had some time to kill before 8:30. We decided to drop a few bucks in the casino – which, much to our surprise and Jett’s joy – has a smoking section. She lost a few dollars but I had my best casino day ever, winning over $570 – most of it coming on some “free spins” on a 50-cent machine.

We met for dinner at the Panorama Restaurant, at the stern of the ship. It was dark at 8:30pm, of course, so the panorama was a pitch black wall. But the food was quite good and the service was outstanding.

After two days on board the Meraviglia I can make some comments about it. First, a few things that set it apart from every other ship we have been on:

The size. With 4,500 passengers, this is nearly twice the size of the next largest ship we have sailed. The is neither a plus nor a minus, just something that makes it different. The only negative due to its size was the horribly long boarding line and for that I assign some of the fault to the Port of Miami.
The lack of an entertainment staff. On every other cruise there was a cadre of entertainers who ran daily events and put on evening shows. On this ship the featured entertainment are two extra-cost Cirque de Soleil shows. This ship has a cruise director, but no entertainers and no shows (at least no free ones). The director’s job seems to be limited to making announcements. I am sure he has many other responsibilities, but he is much less visible than cruise directors on other ships.
A dearth of elevators. Or, more to the point, a dearth of elevator locations. There are enough elevators, but they are clustered in just two locations: forward and midship. There are no elevators in the stern half of the very large (and long) ship. This became immediately apparent on the first day as we had to make the long trek to our cabin in the rear quarter. Jett calls it the “death march”. We have gotten used to it now, but I am still amazed that the designer didn’t see a need for aft elevators.
The plainness of the dining rooms. Most of the other ships had grand dining halls with high ceilings and glitz. Not much of that on the Meraviglia. The dining rooms (4 of them) have low ceilings and are not grand at all. They are pleasant, but the tables are more crowded together and it they feel more like family restaurants than grand venues.
There is a Japanese restaurant (extra cost, of course), complete with hibachi tables.

The arcade with pastel ceiling

The arcade with classic ceiling

Looking down on the shopping arcade

I am not sure any of this is bad, just different. There is much to like about the Meraviglia.

The casino is bright and pleasant (and the slots are not stingy). And it has a smoking section, a big plus in Jett’s view. It is also placed in the rear of the ship rather than in the middle which makes it less “in your face” than on other ships.
The shopping/dining arcade is spectacular, with an arched video ceiling which can be alternately classy and dazzling.
The Irish pub, “Brass Anchor,” is very nice with an excellent variety of draft beers and inexpensive food.
The buffet offers a wide variety of food, all of which has been very good to excellent. The pizza is, in my opinion, some of the best I have had anywhere. Who knew that Italians could make good pizza?
We have no need for them, but a large section of the ship is devoted to kid’s clubs. This looks like it would be a good ship for young children. Or teens.
There are bars galore, with different themes. The overriding theme is white faux leather, which probably wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it is consistent, visually striking and very comfortable.