My worst cruise yet GOT WORSE... MSC Meraviglia, Episode 2!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- #cruise #msccruises #mscmeraviglia
In this video, I'm on onboard MSC Meraviglia, and it's time to explore not one, but TWO new ports: Newport, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts! In my last episode, I introduced you to my cruise onboard this ship, and it wasn't the best start.
Unfortunately, things continued to go wrong as the cruise progressed - let me show you how in this video!
Video chapters:
Good Morning, from Newport, Rhode Island - 00:00
Let's talk on the top deck - what's the plan for today? 00:59
NCL Escape - 02:01
Getting off of a cruise ship: Docking vs Tendering - 02:56
Leaving MSC Meraviglia - a shambles... 04:28
We're ashore (but not for long - d'oh!) - 07:15
Looking around town - 09:27
Fall / Autumn Colours in New England? 10:27
The journey back to MSC Meraviglia - 10:48
My SHORTEST cruise call yet! 12:41
Leaving Newport, Rhode Island - 13:53
Convoy leaving port with NCL Escape - 14:44
Recapping on today - 15:19
Tonight: Dining at Hola! Mexican restaurant - 16:07
My previous experiences with MSC Cruises - 16:55
Speciality Dining on MSC Meraviglia - 19:21
Part 2: Welcome to Boston! 22:13
The view from the ship - 24:48
Breakfast at the buffet - 25:17
Faneuil Hall, Boston - 31:42
Quincy Market, Boston - 34:03
The Green Way - 36:08
Lines, lines and MORE LINES! 38:10
Back onboard the ship... 40:38
Wrapping up on visiting Boston on a cruise - 41:26
Sailaway from Boston, featuring NCL Joy! 41:58
Some thoughts on Sailaway... 44:36
My next trip... 45:22
Formal night on MSC - let's talk dress codes! 45:46
If you'd like to see the first video in this series from onboard MSC Meraviglia, check out the video below!
My WORST cruise yet?! Welcome to MSC Meraviglia...! • My WORST cruise yet?! ...
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I love these videos. They are honest and genuine. There is no "click bait" and you get to experience the good and bad from the perspective of a real person. So many of the cruise vlogs just repeat the same info and also try to make simple things overly dramatic. The info here is accurate and what you would experience in real life. Keep them coming - they help me decidr how to plan my future cruises!
Ah, thanks so much for such a lovely comment - these videos have been getting such mixed traction (I think from those who think I’m just criticising the company, rather than providing an honest view).
Thanks so much for this!
Even when you are complaining you are doing it in a friendly manner and make me smile.
What chaos….. love your positive attitude though and Boston’s looks ace
Hey Harry, thanks a lot for watching. What other option do you have than to laugh it off at times? Ha, thanks again!
Wow! That line up was crazy. The more MSC videos I see from cruisers, the less I want to try them! Thank you for sharing your journey. 🌺🌺🇨🇦
Hi Pat, thanks for supporting my channel by watching this video and also leaving a comment! I do hope my channel helps to expand horizons - I’ve done loads of MSC, and they weren’t all like this, so I’m hoping just an isolated bad experience…!! 🤞🏼
@@FraserAtSea I absolutely agree with you. It’s not always like that. I believe the issue was not being able to dock normally. I love Newport RI I lived in RI for 10 years. I would spend my best friend’s birthday on the 5th of July with her starting on the 4th and watching the fireworks show.
You are not critical, you are analytical. Thank you for your honesty, you bring up both good and bad points marvellously well.
Ah, thanks so much! This video has attracted some critique on Facebook, so I’m glad to hear you think so. Thanks so much for watching, and also for taking the time to leave a comment 😊
Wow! You do have to have a sense of humor!
Having no words is probably the only way to deal with it!😂
Haha, oh I know - sometimes you just have the breathe, smile, laugh and then move on. Haha!
We were on the Meraviglia stopping at Newport in October of 2023. We have NEVER in all our cruises seen so much confusion with tendering as at that stop. Far too few tenders running. Such a short stop. Last tender at 2:00. At 1:00, the line to get a tender back was 2 hours long. The sun was beating down. No water available while standing in line. We didn’t get in line until 2:30 and it still took an hour. At the end they finally brought in that same two story ferry. That was when we said no more MSC. So Fraser’s experience in Newport was the norm for that stop with MSC.
Ah, I was actually onboard in October 2023 too, so don’t be surprised if you spot yourself in my videos, haha! Thanks for watching, and thanks for confirming you had the same!!
WOW!! I am booked on the Meraviglia for Jan 2025 and, even though I am booked in the Yacht Club, after watching recent videos I am seriously thinking of cancelling it.
Can't believe the mess with the all aboard time and then such a long line to get back on board. I would have been totally fed up. Love the patience you had that day
Haha, oh I know! Thanks a lot - patience of a Saint at times, haha!
Ive seen quite a few people say that the queuing on MSC is quite common for everything. What astounds me is, that they never seem to learn from the problems and find solutions.
Thank you for another great video Frazer. Well done on looking for the positives.
Well done also for a review of the accessible cabin. This is a rarity on cruise vlogs and needs to be explored more throughly. Disabled people really need to know what those cabins are like. ❤
Thanks a lot for following along and not getting bored of me Suzanne, haha! I agree - accessible cabins are so tricky to get into, so I was delighted when I realised that’s what that room was!
Thanks again for your support - it’s genuinely so appreciated!
I appreciate the honesty and understand how you feel sharing your bad experience. I once had a bad experience with a specific stateroom on Carnival, and although I wouldn't recommend that room to anyone, I definitely wouldn't want someone to NOT cruise with Carnival because of what I said. I love Carnival and it was difficult to share my poor experience. Anyway's, keep being real. Love the videos. Welcome to Canada!
Thanks so much for watching, Kareena- really appreciate it! Totally agree - I usually love MSC, so would hate someone not to book based on my video, but would be unfair of me to pretend everything was rosy…
Thanks again!
THANK YOU for watching this episode from my MSC Meraviglia cruise! If you'd like to support my journey, please LIKE the video and SUBSCRIBE to my channel - welcome onboard! After this video, why not watch episode 1, if you haven't already? Here's the link! th-cam.com/video/G8JdKYM11xI/w-d-xo.html
❤ Both the RI and the Boston vids were quite interesting. I didn’t understand the rapids thing but the water did look different. I use to love walking like you seem to but alas can’t do much walking any more. But I’m still interested in exploring new places and I love cruising just have to find the best way for me to do it all at this point in life. Thanks for taking us along.❤
Thanks for watching - it did blow my mind a little, to be honest! I’ll take you on so many more with me - stay tuned :)
I cruise NCL in the "cheap seats," but I only cruise MSC in the Yacht Club. There are a lot of benefits including "jumping" long queues.
I honestly think the queue skipping is worth it alone for Yacht Club - some of those time saving are remarkable!
Exactly. You get what you paid for. Bella experience is a no, no..
Even Aurea is better. I also said about matching loyalty status with msc, because you can get priority tendering if gold.
The beauty of cruising is that one has a taste of so many ports. The downside of cruising is that one barely gets to experience any port. As one who loves cruising all I could think is that you barely get to scratch the surface of any given place. My aunt, uncle and grandmother lived in Concord, Ma when I was a teenager. Spent many summers and vacations visiting Boston and the Cape. It is a wonderful area. So rich in history, so much to explore. Wish you could experience more of the region.
Hello! I’d tend to agree, but then you get to sample so many places with a cruise, rather than just one place on a ‘land vacation’. I guess it gives me the opportunity to fall in love with places, and then visit again - this is the case with Boston, for sure! Thanks for watching, Patricia!
I'm so glad you enjoyed our city. The people of Boston are so happy that the cruise industry are starting to recognize what the city has to offer. Not only the first Dunkin' Donuts but the first phone call ever made about 500 feet from Quincy market Alexander Graham Bell from Edinburgh UK called Thomas Watson. We also have bikes that you can rent for just a few dollars and pickup and drop off at many locations around the city.(Bluebikes Boston)
Hey, thanks for watching and leaving this comment - your city is gorgeous and I already would love to return! Great shout re bikes - that would be a fun way to travel the Green Way! Thanks for supporting my little channel! 😊
Thanks for the video!!
Thank YOU for watching!
Your honest opinion is very valid, we were looking for a kid free relaxing ship and your opinion on cunard was spot on. Thank you
Thanks a lot, Dawn. Thanks for watching, and thanks for trusting me!!
"Release Fear, Let Love in". Nice one, Boston Artists. I guessed 5pm! Thanks Fraser, really enjoyed your vlog.
Thanks so much for watching and yes - very nice one, Boston artists!!
I really enjoy all of your videos, Fraser...keepin' it real, but still ending with a smile. Really sorry to hear of all the MSC failures for this particular cruise. I've heard mixed reviews from others on MSC in general. My nearest cruise port, Galveston Texas, will be a seasonal base for the MSC Seascape in 2025, so I'm curious about the company. As for Boston, I've only been once many years ago, but my favorite things to do there were a self-guided walking tour of the Freedom Trail (historical sights) and eating Boston style chowder & steamed lobster. The Boston baked beans were a bit of a disappointment (we make them more flavorful in the south!) I recall the weather on my own trip (in October) was cold and rainy. Maybe next time we'll both have better weather and some pretty fall foliage. Regardless, hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise!!
Hi Cynthia, thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! It’ll be so interesting to see how Seascape performs out of Galveston - it’s so good to see MSC branching out to Texas to free up some capacity for their berth in Miami.
What better excuse to book than to try it out…!!
Fraser, I LOVE it that you're in Canada! Welcome!
Ah, thanks Alysia - gorgeous country! 🇨🇦
Beautiful video! I hope things did get better. I love Boston.
Thanks, Regina! Next episode coming in a few days - watch this space!! 😊
Thanks!
Regina, thanks so much for the Super Thanks - this is just SO appreciated!! 💙
I watch a lot of cruise videos. I have never seen lines as crazy as this. Cool video. Thanks.
Ha yeah, it was MAD. Spoiler alert for my next videos - it gets worse - watch this space, haha!
As always enjoy your video. You maintain such a great attitude even when things aren't the best. Even if if someone isn't a fan of the Golden Age Newport is a must see for American History. And go into some of the mansions. They are all absolutely amazing. Hopefully you can go back and spend a good day or more.
Thanks so much - glad to hear you’ve enjoyed this one, too! Spoiler alert for next time - yes, it’s mansion time!!
Thanks for watching!!
Hi Fraser 10 mins in port that’s crazy…hope you got longer when you went back,loved when escape was following behind,great video 😻
Ha, yes I did - I’m excited to release my vlog from the next visit! Thanks so much for watching 😊
G’day. If you guys think that’s bad, it’s obvious that you have never been on a Costa cruise. We have tried both and compared to Costa , MSC is a luxury cruise 😊
Hey, I actually have done 4 Costa cruises - also documented on my channel if you’re interested! I found the organisation on there to be much better than Meraviglia, but did find this MSC cruise to be a shadow of my others!
Wow that line back to the ship was coo coo crazy!
Hahah I know - I had a good conversation with a group beside me, which helped to pass the time. Still though - not ideal, ha!
Considering how close you leave to the All Aboard time, I am waiting for the video of you as a Pier Runner. It is definitely gonna happen.
Hahah, this is so funny. I edited a video last night you’ll enjoy 😂 Watch this space, ha!
If you go back not on a ship and like wines they have lovely winery’s in Rhodesia Island
Oh, I’ll need to keep this in mind - thanks a lot, Lynn!
I always appreciate your honest reviews, Fraser. I would never cruise on one of those huge ships even if it was free! All those queues would drive me mad! Boston looked very nice.
Hi Joan, I do hear this feedback a lot of the time! To be honest, it's not to do with the SIZE of the ship, it's more the cruise line. I've seen other megaships with THOUSANDS of passengers, but hardly any queues... Thanks as always for your support!
Aww man, I was especially looking forward to seeing people dressed up 😢 Oh well. I know lots of people don’t care about the formal night anymore. Maybe another time you will show us.
Hello! Don't worry - I'll create separate videos showing you formal nights etc at some point, so you won't miss it - stay tuned! :)
Love the walk through Boston! I did the same last Oct: Walked from the terminal, through downown to the Commons, and on through Back Bay and the BU campus to Brookline where I called on a relative. Princess had much better timings for ports. Am doing the same itinerary again in Sept and have noted your advice about the Greenway.
Ahh, sounds like a perfect day for you, too! I was so impressed with Boston - I already can’t wait to go back.
Yes - check out the Green Way for sure - it’s such a great space!
Thanks a lot for watching, and have a great next trip!
Alot has changed in Quincy market since i was 16... looks like i need to investigate there again...
Oh Tami, it’s such a little gem - well worth a visit!
I did a 28 day transatlantic cruise last year,it was on the MSC Seashore and the ship was beautiful. The drink service and staff were nice, but the food was the worst I've ever had on a cruise ship and I have done over 20 cruises. Dorm food is better you said the pizza was the best I thought it ws the worst. It was one and done for me I'm a Princess fan.
Oh, sorry to hear you didn’t have the best experience with the food - I adore MSC pizza on all of their ships I’ve been on, so I’m hoping you just had a one off bad experience 😞 28 days would’ve been amazing for a TA - very jealous of that one!
Thanks for watching!
Wow - 10 mins ashore !! This trip was getting worse …that queue in Boston was unbelievable…love that you laughed it off … MSC often get it right but they do seem to fail spectacularly when things go wrong. It’s becoming a bit of a lottery at the moment.
Ha, what other option do you have in this scenario than to laugh it off? I couldn’t believe the hurdles that were being fallen at 🤦🏻♂️ Thanks for watching!
We had a tender in Lerwick recently (from Virtuosa) getting off the ship was very well organised although there was a long queue to return. I think the delay was down to scanning everyone belongings when getting back on the ship, there was only one scanner and that caused a problem. Luckily it was a beautiful day but imagine if had been typical Shetland weather 😮
One scanner?! Wow - I’m so glad we had two for Boston 😂 I do love Virtuosa - she’s one of my favourites- hope you had a fab time!
Thanks a lot for watching!!
Tender chaos! We have mostly tender ports on our cruise this summer - I hope it’s better organised 😊 My favourite line in this video: Bring a coat, lol 😂 Oh and it was lovely to see Boston, my brother-in-law and family live about 40 minutes north. Seeing Quincy Market - and even Logan Airport - brought back memories of our last visit. Ten years is too long…
Zoe, hello! I’m glad you enjoyed this one - thanks (as always) for watching! Tender ports are usually fine, but when they go wrong, they can sometimes go VERY wrong 😔
Thanks for watching - hope you can get back over there at some point!
I’m shocked they even let people off the ship knowing there was such a tight turnaround. Ridiculous. Newport has so many charming things to see. Hope you have more time next time.
I’ve had similar experiences on MSC Preziosa, is put us off MSc forever, horrible , never again .
Oh no! It’s such a shame, as I’ve been a huge advocate of MSC until this cruise… Thanks for watching, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
The Greenway was made after the old interstate 93 was torn down there was a huge bridge that cross all of boston
Oh wow - I’ll need to google that - sounds interesting. Thanks for the context, and thanks a lot for watching!
@@FraserAtSea Yes! Google "Boston Big Dig" and see what you find! 🙂
I just found your videos Frazer and have subscribed. I really do like your aura and positive attitude. Sorry that this particular cruise isn’t the best but your optimism is holding up well. A quick question: do you think you’ll try MSC Yacht Club as some point? If you’ve addressed this I. Other videos; my apologies. I’m now going to a binge watch your videos as the weather isn’t the greatest here in Canada today. Stay well and thank you.
Hey, thanks so much - what a compliment - I’m so happy you’ve found me! I haven’t tried Yacht Club yet - would love to at some point, though! Maybe it’s a case of ‘stay tuned’ on that one…
Welcome to my little corner of TH-cam! 😊
The music during the tinder arrival and first few minutes of walkabout had me laughing. It sounded like a couple of guys with kazoos - not a complaint as I love whimsical musical interludes like that.
Haha, I’m actually in LOVE with that little track - it’s so perfect for when something’s laughable. Glad you enjoyed 😂
Best to go on a cruise when it's not near kids summer holidays!😊
I’d agree if cruising without kids - otherwise, it can be super busy!
Thanks for watching and commenting, Stephanie!
@@FraserAtSea you need to try a better experience if on when kids are off. Áurea is way less stress!
@@FraserAtSeadid you do the status match with MSC? If your Gold, you get priority tender
You visited some of my favorite places in Boston, where I used to live. That’s a great town.
Ahh, I’m glad you thought so - I had a great day there. Thanks a lot for watching!
Aww man, I was especially looking forward to seeing people dressed up 😢 Oh well. I know lots of people don’t care about the formal night anymore.
Hello! Don't worry - I'll create separate videos showing you formal nights etc at some point, so you won't miss it - stay tuned! :)
They need to sort out those: 'all on board by ...' times. Our first cruise with MSC the ticket clearly said: _leaves port at 6pm, __18:00__._
I always worry and try to get to places early so l insisted we should get there 2 hours before so we could relax and enjoy it.
We got to the port about 4 :10pm, 16:10.
A guy from the ship/port saw us and drove up saying you should have been here earlier as its scheduled to leave at 4pm!!!
I nearly had a heart attack. Even though the ship was in front of us, it was a good walk round to the entrance.
Luckily, he kindly drove us round and dropped us off at the entrance to the ship. The guys at the scanner seemed very angry with us and we were extremely stressed. Luckily, l had my ticket to show him the disembark time printed on there: _18:00__!_
The only way now to stop this in future is to get there 4 hours earlier than the ticket states.
We never found out why they got the time wrong but it looks like MSC themselves are unsure of the times. You were given 3 different times yourself.
They need to check the time TWICE with the higher ups. Are they afraid to check?
Not professional.
We've done 4 cruises now with MSC and had 2 cancelled due to covld and trouble near the Red Sea and enjoyed them but this bad experience was truly stressful after our long plane journey.
Oh my goodness - I’d have died with something like that - imagine you arrived and the ship had already cast off. Wow!
Thanks a lot for watching!!
Wow. That is crazy. Took so long to get off that was a minute before having to get the ship. They extended the stay in port for another 1/2 hour. Big deal! This is my first video with Frasier. He is so pleasant and enjoyable! Thank you.
Oh, thanks so much for watching - welcome to my little corner of TH-cam - I’m glad you’ve found me! Lots more to come hopefully - welcome to my world! 😊
Enjoyed this. I know Boston well and you barely scratched the surface. So much to enjoy ! I think you've shown me that one of these massive ships is NOT for me. I'd hate it. I'm good on Holland America and Azamara. Keep up the good work.
Thanks a lot for watching, Frederick - really appreciate your support of my little channel! That’s what it’s all about - helping people see what might (and might not) be for them - I’m glad you’re enjoying!
Please
Boy was I confused. It’s June 2024 with extreme heat in New England. The video didn’t make any sense until you mentioned Fall color. Guess you’re way behind in posting your adventures? Always enjoy your vlogs very much.
Hello! Don’t worry - you’ve not gone mad - there’s a delay! I release 2 videos each week, and spending almost all year last year at sea has caused a delay. Consider it useful planning for Fall 2024 😉 Ha, thanks for watching!! 🍂
Nope I am convinced this ship or a ship this size is not for me. As always I love your videos.❤
Thanks so much! Also, don’t worry - not every ship is for everyone - that’s why I’m here 😊 👏🏼
Hah, and we thought it was bad when we only had an hour in Kotor with Royal Caribbean! It blows your mind really, how often they must go through this process and yet it's somehow still such a shambles.
Not to worry though, we know you're not the dramatic complaining type and appreciate the honesty!
Thanks for this Michelle - this video’s attracted quite a bit of criticism on Facebook, so I’m glad I’m not considered the dramatic type 😂
I know - I always hate the chaos on a tender day 🤦🏻♂️
So sorry this was your experience. We cruised with celebrity last year and were in port all day. We did have to tender but it was , luckily, uneventful.
Kotor was magical for us, we are looking forward to going back if the opportunity ever arises again
MSC seems to idle at "wildly wrong" and inefficient.
If someone was to expect anything different, it would seem they would be wrong on nearly every occasion.
Cruising on MSC is like striking a deal with the devil. Some things are good, but the bad stuff is simply awful.
Hahah, this comment made me laugh - I’m not sure what would be good about a deal with the devil - maybe the pizza?! 🤤 😂
Pizza good, shows are good as long as you can get in, coffee is great. Bad is the disorganized chaos at the ports. And disembarkation at the end.I swear the line was from one of the ship to the other. Also line cutting at the buffet was awful
4:15PM
Fraser! What has your favorite cruiseline/port schedule been? All of these wonderful (and not so wonderful tid bits) you've experienced and I'm curious what your personal favorite is?
Oh, good question - there’s just been so many! I love how different they all are to be honest - I’d probably lean towards the ‘bucket list’ itineraries I did last year (the Canals). They were awesome!
How about you?
@@FraserAtSea I'll be sure to watch your Canals videos! Thanks for such great descriptions of your experiences on different cruise lines, they're fun to watch and learn from. I'll be taking my first cruise (on MSC) this year to Bermuda ---just to be sure I can do a cruise ship trip - but my goal itinerary is Iceland:)
Boston in Lincolnshire, the name was apparently derived from ‘St Botolphs town’ or ‘Botulfston’ in olde worlde English, which was shortened to Boston.
Sorry for being a geek and you can wake up now that I’ve bored you to sleep 😂
Ahh, this is interesting - I had no idea! Thanks for this context - I can already tell you’d be a fantastic addition to a cruise ship pub quiz / trivia team 😉
Thanks for watching my video, Russell!
Black shoes after 6PM !!
I find the dress code on MSC to be super casual - I usually wear brown. In most ships, I’d wear smarter though!
;)
The best part of MSC Meraviglia is the sky lounge! Kais from Tunisia and the sky lounge crew are top notch. Im afraid thats about the only good thing i can say about that ship.
I do agree that the Sky Lounge is an excellent venue. Unfortunately, it was always SO busy when I'd try to go up there, so I didn't get to enjoy it much at all - seemed everyone had the same idea... Thanks for watching!!
Thanks for a terrific video. We’ve cruised to Boston a couple of times and loved Quincy Market, and the city in general. A fair few glitches for you this time, sadly, and while these things happen, ships should explain to passengers what’s gone wrong; transparency just makes things feel better. Incidentally, are these vlogs you’ve been saving since last year? You mentioned hoping to see some Fall scenery.
Hello! I totally agree that ships should be honest - it really calms any tension when they’re open with issues etc! Re the delay, yes! I spent about 250 nights at sea last year, so have LOTS of content to work through. I release 2 videos a week, which means this content is late - consider it fall 2024 prep, haha!
Thanks for watching!!
That makes sense, and I hope people stop misspelling your name. I bet some Americans call you ‘Frasier’.
Unfortunately the logistics were similar for us on MSC last year for a Caribbean cruise. Hopefully they get things taken care of going forward.
Ahh, that’s annoying - I was hoping my experience was isolated. Hopefully it’s short term! 🤞🏼
Also, thanks for watching!!
nice sunset in BOS .. :)
Indeed - stunning!
The Meraviglia class boats only have 4 tenders. We waited 2 hours to get off Virtuosa in Lerwick, Shetland in May - largest boat ever to dock there. Lovely 90 minutes ashore but 2 hour wait on dock and security coming back. Unacceptable - its just not logistically feasible to do it well, so much better for ship that size to not do tender ports. Just not worth it
Ouch, that’s terrible! Yeah, I’d say it was the same for us - an inexcusable amount of time for the ship to feasibly tender. Hopefully MSC will learn from this, as it blows my mind that they’d think it’s acceptable to have guests queueing for HOURS…
Thanks for watching, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
I need to comment before the video is over...Why in the world would they even still be running tenders if on board time was right then??😅😲😅
Haha I know - d’oh!!
Because its MSC where chaos reigns
That kazoo music was simply horrendous! But I love your vids regardless. You are such a gentleman, and are so easy going. I would love to cruise with you! Anyway, I am taking my very first MSC cruise this week on this same ship from NYC to the Caribbean. I hope it is a pleasant experience. I am going solo so I will stay positive, and hopefully I meet some fun people. Anyway, keep up the good work, just no more kazoo music. 🤮
Ha, the kazoo music really makes me laugh - it’s so comical for the awful situations on this cruise 😂 Have a great first MSC cruise - I’m sure my experience was an isolated ‘bad experience’, and you’ll have a blast. Thanks for supporting my little corner of TH-cam!!
Oh dear, it was similar for us going on tender to Guernsey. Two hours to get off, a cup of tea and queue for an hour to get back on. Gwurnay ended up using the port boats too, took a lot more of us back than on the lifeboat.
Newport Rhode island looks much more lovely than Newport Gwent where I am 😂
Oh, I’ve heard Guernsey can be a tricky tender port - that was on so many itineraries immediately post COVID when the ships were starting back up again.
I didn’t actually know there was another Newport, but have just googled the one you’re in - that looks lovely actually!
@@FraserAtSea it is really not that lovely 😂
So sorry for the hiccups but old adage you get what you pay. The price point means fewer staff longer “Q”
Hey! Nah, I totally agree - don’t worry - I’m now a big believer that you get what you pay for…
Queue. The word is queue.
I’m watching this in Boston where it’s 96 F (36C) at the moment. It’s dry but it’s no’ mild.
If I recall correctly, those lifeboats hold around 120 persons, how many does MSC deploy for a ship that has a capacity of almost 5000? I haven’t been on any huge ships but I haven’t seen anything like this on any cruise I’ve been on. The worst ever was waiting to embark on Carnival Splendor (3900ish?), but the computers went down at the check in area so it was madness for a while.
Hey! Oh, you’re in Boston now - hello to such a beautiful city! 😊 👋🏼 I believe we had 3 or 4 in the water at one point - they could’ve done with deploying them all, haha! Thanks a lot for watching - really appreciate it!
😮 what is with those long lines! I’m so glad I didn’t experienced that. I love Boston as well! Such a pretty city!
Omg! Why would they even let people leave the ship! If all aboard is less than 10 minutes when you get to shore! I love honest reviews, you have loads of reasons to complaint! That first room was absolutely horrible! Not to mention the rude embarkation employees!
Hey, thanks a lot for watching as always! I did think Boston was wonderful - I already can’t wait to return one day!! 😊
Try the Whitehorse Tavern the next time you are in Newport. And the cliff walk.
Oh, I just googled that - looks great! The Cliff walk will be on my next Newport vlog - stay tuned!!
I have cruised out of Boston twice, and both times had lines that stretched practically around the corner. The first time we were in the wrong line because there was absolutely no signage. At least that was improved somewhat the second time, but still it was a horrendous line.
Oh wow - maybe it’s a Boston problem… I did wonder if MSC used their own security as perhaps there aren’t scanners etc available in the terminal… Interesting!
@@FraserAtSea Seems so!
Quick question, Fraser: What time of year was this particular cruise? Really looking forward to the continuation of this particular voyage...
Hello! This was September going into October, so an autumn cruise! Thanks for watching - glad you’re enjoying following along! 😊
Fraser you mentioned the fall colors. Was this an older video that you waited to post? Also, for people like myself who grew up on the west coast, the architecture in those smaller colonial towns and cities can be really interesting. It is far different from our Northwestern states. Thanks for the video.
Hello! Don’t worry - you’ve not gone mad - there’s a delay! I release 2 videos each week, and spending almost all year last year at sea has caused a delay. Consider it useful planning for Fall 2024 😉 Ha, thanks for watching!! 🍂
Omg, the tender queue to get off, why did they let you even board knowing when official final tender was coming back? Also 2 scanners for the majority of the ship at boston?!? At one stage when I was on Musica last month they had at least 4 scanners between two entry points, and she wasnt even at capacity, so had 5 mins at most wait getting back on. Think I got onto Raise of the Resistance quicker then your boston one! 😯😯 It's these situations that scare me trying to go on Luminosa, Seaview or World Europa.
Still on a good news point, MSC finally came through to resolve my unreturned credit balance, they spotted the error, even if it took head office to say "yes our bad, get their details to give it back to them" 🙈🙈
Still loved the musical choice, had to laugh, all it needed was the Benny Hill theme version with that instrument 😂😂
Ha, thanks for this - glad you’re enjoying the musical accompaniments! To be honest, I’ve never had these issues on any other MSC ship, so I’m really hoping it was an isolated issue. Nonetheless, still huge issues…!!
Since you asked. -- I sailed Viking once ...and never will again. Terrible experience. Don't let the classy English accent in the commercials fool you!! Beautiful ship. Great crew. BUT... the food was so-so (at best!!), leaders of the excursions were poorly vetted so (many of them) had a poor command of the english language, and it was, hands down, THE MOST disorganized company I have ever dealt with. Many on that cruise shared the same sentiments...including crew members I spoke to. OK, in their defense, it was the first time they had sailed this itinerary. But they had, clearly, not done their homework for this itinerary and everything was a mess. With what a Viking cruise costs, their lack of organization was downright criminal.
Oh no - see, I did shrug it off with MSC a little as they’re operating at a low pricing level, but I’d be horrified if I’d paid Viking prices and had a disaster. Thanks for commenting, and thanks for following along!!
To be honest the best days of cruising are behind us, Covid obviously had a massive effect but I think so many corners have been cut the 'special' feeling of cruising has gone. It used to be something a small part of the population did and then the secret got out !...this led to bigger ships, bigger crowds, bigger problems...and as has been proved by Ben & Davids channel recently even paying a premium on Cunard showed how bad things are currently.
Ahh, I wasn’t hugely experienced in cruising before the pandemic, so can’t really comment. However, I have heard a few people say this - I love it though!
Except MSC-The cruise price bubbles got to burst eventually. People will choose land holidays cos they cost the same at this rate. This is why I go MSC. It costs me in Yacht club on MSC what NCL free at sea balcony or RCI premium drinks and balcony costs!
@@Stephanie-vx4zi I think you are correct. :).....and it will lead to empty ships.
a return at 2pm sometimes they are far too early.
Haha yeah, 2pm was madness - leaving before lunchtime for most people 😂
If the boarding line is that long in Boston...I am staying on the ship.
Ha, you can’t see it from the ship annoyingly, so you’d never know 😂
Maybe getting back early would help but then you miss some time there🫤
@@blissfuljoy6049 How fast can you sprint? I bet you will be hilarious as a Pier Runner. I look forward to the video, because it's gonna happen.
@@cruisecrazy7066 How would I be a pier runner if I get back early? Lol.
@@blissfuljoy6049 You were not sure of All Aboard time, and assuming it would be 3:30 or 4:00 you were still wandering around town with just a few minutes to spare. I am always back 1 hour early, but I am super conservative. I am a CPA. LOL
So: this was Fall 2023 but we're seeing it in June 2024?
Hello! That’s correct - I spent most of last year on cruise ships (about 250 nights ‘at sea’), and create 2 TH-cam videos each week, so there’s a bit of a delay. Consider it prep for this fall, haha!
Tenders are a problem looks like Same issues in Europe. They should have just stopped the debarkation at noon.
Yeah, some ports can be difficult for tendering, for sure. Thanks for watching, Vincent!
At least it’s shady in Boston
Fraser, aren't you a diamond member on Voyagers club? You're supposed to get priority tender access from Gold upwards - if things were working as they should, you probably could have just gone to the front, shown your card and gotten shuffled into the next boat to shore.
Hey! I did wonder about this, but no Diamond tender disembarkation unfortunately - I thought I was going mad thinking that was a thing, ha! Thanks a lot for watching, and thanks for messaging - maybe I’m not crazy! Haha
@@FraserAtSea You're not crazy! I just confirmed on the US website and it seems to still stand. Diamond gets their perks, plus all the lower tier's perks, which include priority disembarkation on tenders. My guess is that they don't make a special queue and only allow people to get through on request (unless they actually decided just to not honour it, which would be terrible of them, honestly) - I'll be sure to ask about this next year when I travel on Virtuosa to Lerwick, which is a tender port.
Anyway, at least you went back to Newport later!
Great content! Keep it up!
Msc paid the extra cost, ncl never does
Were there passengers embarking and disembarking at these ports too, Fraser? Like MSC do elsewhere, and the return queue in Boston was there a separate line for Yatch Club guests ? Have seen that in some ports and the staff usher non YC guests thru when they were quiet? Or was it just chaos! 😢
Hey! To be honest, Boston was chaos - as we got further up, YC guests were ushered up the line, but were met with lots of boo’ing from those who had queued for so long - oh dear…
They actually only embarked and disembarked in NYC - I always much prefer that vs the European approach - was the same when I cruised to Norway - only change over in S’ton!
Pro's and con's to both of MSC's embark/disembark policy's having seen both. Have had the odd stare and "what tha" being led by the butler past hundreds in an embarkation queue on Virtuosa, but also had the same thought in the queue when not YC. 😅
Hiya Fraser, when did you get on the Escape? After this MSC ship? Just wondering about your timeline. I think I'm going to be sticking with NCL for now, as a solo traveler also it just seems to be the most affordable. I don't know if I could handle anything bigger or more crowded than the Escape.😊
Hey Barbara! 👋🏼 You’re correct - Escape was my next ship! You can see my full lineup for the year here: www.fraseratsea.com/my-year-at-sea
@@FraserAtSea Ah, cheers brother! I'll go check that out 😊
This entire experience is putting me off sooooooo much of trying MSC in the USA, Europe different story but it seems MSC just cannot get their stuff together in the USA and with that also doenst seem to care 1 bit :(
Thanks a lot for watching. I wasn’t ‘sold’, but have heard very different things from people who have been on more recently, so they could be worth a try.
Also, this series isn’t over yet - stay tuned! 😊
Just curious....was there a separate line for Yacht Club passengers to board in Boston and at other stops?
There was, yes. Their butlers would walk down the line, pull them out and walk them to the front.
It wasn’t ideal in Boston - they were met with loud boo’ing at various points as people were waiting for so long in line 😂
@@FraserAtSea WTF??? Walked down the line and pulled them out???? I would probably have booed too!! There should just be a separate line for Yacht Club guests to go to in order to avoid that. MSC sounds incredibly disorganized.
Interesting accent. What part of England are you from?
Hey, thank you! I’m actually from Scotland - great up near Glasgow 😊
@@FraserAtSea Hahaha.
My mother is from Glasgow.
I love your videos.
Is there yacht club access?
Not for me, but yes to YC guests!
How do you book single cabins
when it asks how many people put 1 in the booking
You need to know which ships have single cabins - not all do. If they don’t have confirmed single cabins, you can still book a standard cabin but pay a supplement to travel on your own 😊 If you stay tuned to my channel, I’ll help pass on my experience!
MSC couldn't run a Bath.
Ha, they so could, but it probably wouldn’t be on time, or the right temperature, if anything like this cruise 😂
6
😊
Long lines on and off cruise ship … not such a big deal - so I would say clickbait - all ships have some hiccups here or there … to be expected… go with the flow ain’t that bad
Hey, thanks for watching. There was a lot on this trip not up to standard, but thanks for your comment.
Totally agree too re ‘going with the flow’ 😊
MSC is very poor organised on tender process. Avoid the line if you have tendered ports!
Oh, I agree - such a nightmare!
Thanks for watching!!
I've been on the Meraviligia twice.
1st time- last year 7th May 2023 1 week in the Fantastica experience/ Bahamas & OceanCay and 2nd time this year April 7th 12 days in Yacht club to Antilles
AND IM FROM EUROPE. I live in Spain but Im British YES. IVE TRAVELLED thousands of miles to go on the Meraviligia. MSC is not like NCL. But do the math. MSC is very cheap. So you got to go with a biased attitude.
Ah, sounds like some fab experiences you’ve had - what great itineraries! I totally agree with your logic, but sadly I paid about the same as what I paid for my NCL cruise the following week, so in my case it doesn’t weigh up.
I do agree with you generally though!
@@FraserAtSea With a drinks package ? In the USA, they put the Easy Package in. I can't justify ncl free at sea prices. Once they charge you the add gratuities, it's so high the cost!
Dear Fraser,
I have so much to write to you. Your vids are just thought provoking.
First of all, some background. Newport, Rhode Island was the summer home of America's landed gentry, and its nouveau riche, and its hyper nouveau riche, from about 1820 until 1960. The Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Roosevelts, etc. Very WASP and no Jews and no blacks, thank you very much. Most of their grand homes are still standing; some have been demolished, most not. Several are still in the family. THE Mrs. Astor was the gatekeeper and her list was restricted to 400 names -- yes, New York and Boston and Philadelphia society were restricted by her to a total of 400 names. From Boston, there were the Cabots and the Lodges, from the Mayflower clans. There is a saying in Newport: "The Lodges talk only to the Cabots and the Cabots talk only to God".
Next, I adore you very much but your perspectives are often very British (tongue-in-cheek). MSC is an Italian cruise and they practice the Italian art of the "imbroglio" to perfection. So à la Queen Victoria, breathe deeply, stiff upper class, and carry on, etc., etc.
And then go read what our Italian contributors write about British cruises, etc.
And never mind what my beloved French write the British.... Kind regards,
Lulu du Furet,
by her real name Marie-France d'Asnières
Avenue Maréchal Foch
Paris 16me
75016
Hello! Thanks for watching, and thanks for commenting! I was amazed by the mansions - I’ll be showing you them in my next series when I returned on NCL Escape, so ‘watch this space’. They’re such amazing displays of wealth!
Thanks again!
Got bored
Don’t worry - thanks for trying!
Makes it difficult to commit to joining the channel if i have to wait 6 or 9 months to see the content that im supporting. With so many other YTers in the cruise space posting content shot recently, your channel just kind of slides down my list of priorities. Just saying.
Do you see every film the second it comes out in the cinema? Calm down fella.
Hey! Thanks for commenting with this - let me explain myself 😊 I spent loads of time (most of the year) cruising last year, so it was all about content creation.
I release 2 videos each week, so the reality is that it takes a long time to get through all of the experiences from last year. Sorry it feels delayed, but hopefully this context will help!
Ahhh, that explains it.😊 I was wondering if you were on the Escape Transatlantic on 8 April from NYC? And man 250 some nights, that takes commitment! I'm just back home after 52 nights on ships with 2 nights layover between the last 2 legs, and honest by the last one I was kind of ready to be finished. *And I never want to see another pretzel bite as long as I live!😂 Ok... For at least 2 months 😂
@@barbarahallowell2613 ahh, nah - I did New England and Canada on her!
Aww man, I was especially looking forward to seeing people dressed up 😢 Oh well. I know lots of people don’t care about the formal night anymore. Maybe another time you will show us. 🤞
Hello! Don't worry - I'll create separate videos showing you formal nights etc at some point, so you won't miss it - stay tuned! :)