One thing I noticed about MSC is that they tend to be low cost for most things - including medical supplies. Today, RQS had to see about getting a walking cane to help get around. (She left hers at home before the cruise.) So she went to the medical center, and they rented one for $60 - which will be refunded on return to the center at the end of the cruise. This is much better than NCL's $35 rental fee which she would have incurred had she rented one when injured on our first Bermuda cruise. (She ended up buying one in Bermuda for $30 when in port.)
With the above being said, I've noticed big differences in service in each of my 3 cruises on this line. So far, both RQS and I have noticed a decline in service quality between our 2 cruises together. On our first cruise, wait staff tended to be very attentive, making sure we had bottled water at our table and wines of our choice, refilled as desired. On this cruise, we found out that this was our waiter's first sailing - and the mistakes he made were that of a good natured rookie. However, I won't excuses made at brunch, where the entire staff was inattentive. Normally, a wait staff member would come by with either juices or pastries before orders were taken. This did not happen until we were finished with our main courses. RQS wanted to order a Cappuccino, while I wanted my 2 Diet Cokes, and the waiter didn't want to take that part of the order, passing it to someone else from the bar staff. When our drinks were delivered, I had to ask the waiter to return my cruise card. To make things worse, our desserts were delivered before we had much of a chance to start our main courses. (It could have been worse - a lady at an adjoining table never got her second omelette.) On top of that, RQS's utensils were taken away, and I had to shout to gain the attention of the wait staff to get these utensils replaced.
Luckily, dinner service gradually improves with time. As wait staff gets to know you, they will anticipate some of your needs. For example, the waiter assumed we'd be having wine with dinner and knew to ask us what we'd be drinking with our meals. Wait staff was concerned about our table mates not showing up for dinner, but we informed them that the issue had nothing to do with the food or service, it had to do with things going on at home.
Last night, we had reservations for a 9:30 performance at the ship's theater. In the past, crew members checked to see if people had reservations for certain performances, and put unreserved people on a wait list to be admitted. We arrived at the theater, and there were no capacity controls - anyone could get in, resulting in overcrowding. Given that last night's show had performers using the aisles in their performance, this could have resulted in a very dangerous situation. I'm glad that RQS and I decided to leave, as we'd have never enjoyed the show under these conditions.
In many ways, you get what you pay for, and on MSC, you are paying for a crew that may be learning new skills while on the job. I'm hesitant on making complaints aimed at individuals, as we were told that MSC tends to either end contracts early or declines renewals if even a single complaint is made, not giving individuals time to learn their craft fully. But I plan to make complaints regarding specific departments on the ship, making sure to also mention the things that the cruise line is doing right.
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On other matters....
Our new friends from our dinner table met us in the atrium today, on their way to lunch. The gentleman mentioned that he was in contact with his son all morning, as there was a water line break which flooded his dining room. This will be a cruise to remember, all for the wrong reasons.
All sorts of things can happen while one is away from home. I can still remember something that happened to my former cruise partner towards the end of one cruise, something that affected her property. On another trip, there was a death in her family. Seasoned travelers have trusted people looking after their affairs while they are away. And yet, things will go wrong at times. I once left a car unlocked in an airport's long term parking lot, and was lucky that no one broke into the car. So I say, expect the best, but prepare for the worst....
