MSC World America - pleasantly surprised

Although we came onboard with mixed feelings based on reviews, we enjoyed our cruise. MSC world America ship was comparable to one of the mega ships now sailing on other lines. Very clean, neat layout, modern feel. The specialty restaurants were yummy with a few up charge items available at some of them. Interior room for two was adequate. No sofa. Just a chair and stool which made the area feel a little more spacious. Closet space for hangers was smaller than most. The toilet area seemed a bit more cramped than other lines. There is a phone in the room next to the tv, but there is also the chat option on the app which is free so you can communicate through out the cruise with fellow cruisers. Service at all the restaurants we tried and at the many lounges was almost always outstanding. A special call out to Zimik at the Dolce Vita lounge. She was so sweet and attentive. We kept going back just to visit her. Loved her! We were able to book all our shows and dinners as soon as we got on board which was a good idea as some of the shows were quickly booked to capacity - especially the Odyssey. Our favorite shows were the Queen symohonica and “the hall of fame” with a packed house and the crowd clapping & singing along at both events. Most of the other shows were karaoke type quality. Not our favorites compared to other cruise lines. Although you could not book dining times for the specialty restaurants beforehand, you could do it as soon as you board. On our particular sailing, with many cancellations the day of, we were able to change our reservations around as needed. If looking for your way around, the map feature on the app is not helpful at all with constant freezes and missing information. Our room steward was also very good. He kept our towels fresh and ice in our bucket. Uni was very good. The stops were ones we had done before. We only booked one excursion thru the cruise at Roatan for a beach day with lunch. We had a credit to use the thermal spa for 1 hour each which we also enjoyed. The spa had friendly staff who gave us a tour and explained all the available features. Also had a 1 hour session with the onboard acupuncture. Jean (the therapist) was knowledgeable and treated some neck pain caused by stress. Didn’t feel the relief i was expecting but others may have better experiences. For Roatan. Neither the MSC nor the RC ships will dock by a beach area. Our ship docked at a pier which is very crowded to get in and out of because of the abundance of taxis. There were 2 mega ships at this port on our day there. The excursion we did to a local beach took about one hour to get to the beach (30 minutes of which was just trying to get out of the Pier port). There are also a few shops in the pier area if you just want to get out and walk around for a little while. A wade “pool” and bar area at the pier was bombarded with kids and very loud adult music. The excursion at Tabyana Beach was all we could wish for… There were no pushy salesman around although a few people did come by and offer to braid hair and sell souvenir T-shirts but not as much as we have experienced on other beaches. This particular beach area excursion we purchased thru MSC also included a free snorkel tour with a guide (accepts tips) who pulls you around as you hold onto a floating life guard preserver and he will pause and explain things to you. My tour guides name was Dylan. He was very knowledgeable and took us out to the end of the reef where the colors were spectacular! The lunch included in this tour consisted of rice and beans, grilled or barbecue chicken, hamburgers or hotdog, coleslaw, and fresh fruits, along with lemonade and tea. I really enjoyed it. Only downside is water is only available for purchase and all other drinks are not included. Another downside was having to wait for the bus to be full when it was time to go. We had to wait around in the shady tree area about 30 minutes. It takes another 45 mins to make it back to the pier. Bahamas - the day we went was a pretty windy day. We had pre-purchased the two chairs & umbrella package before the cruise ($39) it can also be purchased on board or at the actual beach for $49. A lot of people were just grabbing chairs and pulling them to the shady areas under the Palm trees & shrubs. Because of the wind, we were not allowed to open the pre-purchased umbrellas. We could cancel our reservation and get our money back, but we would also lose the chairs. In mid October the water at the bay was cool almost cold. Other swimming areas around the island had pretty big waves because of the windy conditions. Sunset beach, though, was not getting the winds so the waves were very small there. There were also more rocks along this shoreline, so not as much sand areas for chairs although once you got in the water, it wasn’t as rocky. And although posted signs say there were no life guards on duty & swim at your own risk, there were occasional lifeguards making rounds on jet skis in those areas. The beach area in close proximity to the boat does have a lot more wind coverage and so umbrellas were allowed to be open there. That area is first come, first served and no reservations required. So they are taken up pretty early on in the day. Buffet lunch included the usual burgers, hot dogs & fries or sweet plantains along with bbq chicken, grilled fish, rice & beans, coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, and an assortment of fruits. We enjoyed our long day at the beach. Very relaxing way to end the cruise.

World America Yacht Club at its best

We cruise about 2-3 times a year, usually in elevated experiences on mainstream cruise lines. That being said, MSC World America was the best so far. It is obvious that the best of the best is the crew. The Yacht Club staff was 10 out of 10. First off, we were in a duplex suite with whirlpool in the front of ship. The room was beautiful. The only thing about the design is the shower in both bathrooms were a little tight...not as roomy as the Deluxe Suite. We did have a situation about our room being serviced once the first two days. We explained to the butler we would be out of the room everyday at 6 pm for dinner on the first day. We raised our concern to our host who relayed the message to the Yacht Club Director whom we felt was offended because we never saw her the rest of the week despite working the dining room early in the evening. Our Butler offered an excuse.....which only meant he felt better about it not me. We had a discussion and problem was resolved. I will say, the Yacht Club Director is doing a phenomenal job because everything was top notch. A little disappointed about the Yacht Club Lounge waiting area at the port not open yet. Moving on, our Butler/attendant team was in fact awesome. The attendant drained, cleaned and refilled our hot tub every day. The service to the room was impeccable after we spoke....to which I say "It's not how you start, it's how you finish". The butler was spot on all week. I must mention our service in the Yacht Club Dining room as second to none. The Sommelier, Jerome, was an unexpected surprise as we were ready for Rudolph who left the ship after a couple weeks to go home. Jerome was just as good. I explained my wine preference and every night a different bottle waiting for me.....excellent choices with a cheese plate. My wife drinks Champagne, and Jerome took care of it with great choices that she enjoyed. Wine lovers, you are in good hands. The sun deck is spacious and nice ... pool is salt water and large enough for the amount of passengers in the largest Yacht Club offered so far. Not enough shaded areas for me, but some scattered here and there. The pool deck bar and restaurant gets overly hot as there is no ventilation. The crew ducks inside when no one is around because of the heat. We ate breakfast there once and took lunch inside once....food was good. The only thing my wife missed were the snacks laid out like on the Meravaglia....the lounge snacks missed the mark since you had to ask and it was unclear what was offered. The ship itself is very big! In ten foot seas, I didn't feel a thing. The elevators are slow....floor is chosen before entry in elevator...no buttons inside. With Yacht Club Express it was still slow, just express to your floor. Ship didn't seem crowded... World America is all that! Beautiful spaces everywhere. People I talked to really enjoyed the speak easy club. I think my preference is to sail ships at about 4k passengers...just me. We were casino guests, I can't say enough about the staff in the casino. I always say "MSC Casino makes losing fun". My hats off to Georgi, the casino manager, and everyone we encountered were very friendly and professional . We saw a lot of familiar staff....the best of the best. I would highly recommend MSC Yacht Club on the World America as it is in fact an experience.

First Cruise - Not Our Last

This was our first cruise and it definitely did not disappoint. Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth and quick. The boat is huge, beautiful, clean, with plenty to see and do. We had an inside cabin. There was lots of room, bed was comfy, shower was hot and the AC was cold. Our attendant checked in with us a few times each day and made sure we had everything we needed. Food and drink was plentiful, always had lots of choice, and was very good. The daily schedule was great and there was a full range of entertainment and activities to suit all tastes. The private island was fantastic and offered lots of beach/swimming options and water activities. The crew were very kind and courteous and worked very very hard to make sure all your needs were met and that you enjoyed your vacation. Port stops in San Juan and Taino Bay were fun and we enjoyed both places. Would definitely do another MSC cruise on this boat again.