A Ship For all Seasons. Cruising New England and Canada Aboard MSC Meraviglia.
By Ronda M. Parag
It’s a great way to explore Canada and New England and see the sights of historic cities, scenic landscapes and changes of the season. We recently had the opportunity to board the MSC Meraviglia for an 11 day cruise through New England and Canada. It is the longest cruise we had ever been on, and at first we were concerned that it would be too long. But, let me tell you, when we were set to disembark, we were not ready to leave the ship.
Our best advice is to definitely cruise with the MSC Yacht Club. It offers the personal service and upgrades that really provides that luxurious escape. It is really a ‘ship within a ship’ featuring butler service, along with a private restaurant, lounge and pool/spa area. The best perk of all is being personally escorted on and off the ship for the excursions, and to dinner and the shows. Many of the crew have been with MSC for years, and we noticed lots of return guests were treated like family by the crew.
MSC Meraviglia announced earlier in 2023 that they would be sailing in the Fall and Spring from NYC to Canada. MSC Meraviglia is now based in Brooklyn, New York and offers the Canada and New England cruise, as well as, to Bermuda, the Bahamas and Florida.
The ship sails from New York City and offers the opportunity to explore the city either before or after the sail. We flew up the day before so we would have no issues should there be a flight delay. Other cities on the itinerary include Newport, Rhode Island with the iconic mansions that were summer cottages for 6-8 weeks, and the spectacular site for the summer social scene. Boston with all the historic landmarks and famous Freedom Trail. Also, Portland offered the beauty of the Old Port District and of course, the world-famous lobster roll. I did an excursion aboard a touring lobster boat with a great guide. MSC Yacht Club Concierge assists in arranging multiple options to explore each city. While we did have a change of ports, due to a hurricane, we were able to see fall leaves in Corner Brook, Canada.
We arrived on Canada’s Thanksgiving to the small town with a population of around 20,000 people. We found a local bar and chatted with the owner, who decided to open to welcome the over 4,000 cruise passengers. If you ever get to Corner Brook be sure to stop in the West Gate Pub. In Charlottetown, Canada, the capital of Prince Edward Island, we walked about the city and visited St. Dunstan’s Basilica, and enjoyed a delicious Canadian lobster roll. We stepped back in time in Nova Scotia to the town of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island to the Fortress of Louisbourg. The reconstructed city shows the life in the French colony between 1713 and 1758. For a history buff, this is a must visit National Historic Site.
MSC Meraviglia was built in 2017 and is part of the fleet of 22 MSC vessels. MSC is the fastest growing and the world’s third largest cruise brand. The ship is 1,036 feet long and 213 feet tall with 19 decks and a capacity of 5,700 guests.
The Galleria Meraviglia is a promenade area lined with shops, restaurants and LED sky screen that offers a variety gorgeous scenes. Each night there was entertainment and dancing including a silent disco and other themed dance parties.
The dining and bar options are numerous with 20 bars and 12 restaurants. The specialty restaurants are extra, but we enjoyed the Kaito Sushi and Teppanyaki. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor space, along with a waterpark. Due to our time of sailing the Himalayan Bridge was not operating. If you enjoy nightly shows and entertainment, there are seven shows available in the 985-seat Broadway Theatre and Carousel Lounge. The quality and talent of the performers was fantastic.
The MSC Aurea Spa offers a great way to relax and recharge with a variety of massages, body and facial treatments. For Yacht Club members, use of the thermal area in the spa is available daily. For other passengers the thermal area is only available with a booked spa treatment.
For those that want to keep those cruise pounds off, there is a 6,000 square-foot gym with state-of-the-art equipment from Technogym™ that overlooks the main pool deck.
Other fun actives include a Sportsplex facility that offers basketball, tennis, squash, volleyball, Pickle Ball, mini golf and five-a-side soccer. There is certainly something for everyone aboard MSC Cruises. M
For more information on
cruise itineraries and bookings,
visit www.msccruiseusa.com
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