Nunagoras

The Germans are wonderful on doing so, no doubts. But DCL is Premium line, not those 6000 aboard mass market line thing. They'll either to reduce capacity or to bring her as she is for the short 3-4 nights getaway cruises elsewhere with a DCL twist to itself. Time will tell!... The MSC rumors were false and that was my idea on bringing the news here.

...Surprising breaking news... The formerly Global Dream from defunct Genting Capital was actually purchased by... Oh, well!... Disney Cruise Lines!... What the heck does a Premium line have in mind to just purchase un unfinished baseline mass market behemoth of that caliber is out of me. But MSC has lost a chance to "quickly" grow on some markets with the right partnerships... From Cruise Industry News: Disney Cruise Line Acquires Unfinished 6,000-Guest Global Dream Cruise Ship - Cruise Industry News

Prices for those cabins plus the infinite ones and some smaller Aurea ones were far higher than they're today just a week ago for many, if not most sailings already on sale. Me thinks that they may have a large inventory of those for out of peak season sailings, hence the nice promotions.

Only time will tell. Even though they seem not having a direct sea view they may pave the way for a nice deal, if you don't mind to have another cabin as your main view. Personally; I'd only cruise one of those if the price would be really right.

Yeah! That's it. Cruise demand for MSC relies mostly on Europe for summer and South America when it is winter here. This is how their market strategy should to grow with. I believe that by summer, even a Lisbon to Lisbon weeklong cruise with Funchal and Vigo as cruise ports should to work perfectly on a Musica/Fantasia ship class if they so wanted and the Portuguese authorities would support; that would to be an 8th ship here!... They've alternatives. For the US they need to create a different trademark in partnership with a local hospitality provider if they want to succeed. No 2nd or 3rd choice in the current cruise environment. Rumors are on them to purchase that formerly Genting Capital behemoth that is 80% built in Germany. It would to be the best fit for MSC to try such a venture like that on the US with a local partner... But, I'm not Mr. Vago...

With the Portuguese version of MSC's website "abandoned" by the most part, I rely on some reliable Portuguese, or Portuguese language TA websites, and for the most part: The repo cruise seems sold out at any category as well as Christmas, New Year, Carnival week and Easter week 2023 all of them sold out, plus a few more on summer 2023. The WE is set to be a success, at least at peak season. There are some wonderful deals currently for things like early December 2023 though.

Just a 4 nights cruise and the difference is noticeable, no surprise! I'd go on MSC in that case... And, if a balcony is not that important for you on such a little getaway, why not to go with an Yacht Club inside, if any is available. Perhaps you'd have the best of 2 worlds: The X level service on an MSC cruise ship you also enjoy!...

Never gone on X myself, I'm comparing only from video reviews from their ships with my MSC experience, but I need to agree. MSC is becoming just "another one" these days, even though I remain enjoying their product by the most part. X is retaining its "glamour" from the past, even though some novelty with the Edge class. I used to see MSC as an X lite experience. Now it's starting to be more like an RCI+ experience than an X lite. To each, their own. If the price is similar I'd recommend going with X. Problem is: Very rarely X is similar priced to MSC.

Sure! The problem is that the highest priced cabin on this particular category is far, but far better and far away from the lower priced cabin on the next one! One thing is comparing a premium small window cabin with even an obstructed view balcony. Another thing is to compare a broad sea view big cabin with an enclosed view smaller one. To each their own, but those infinite cabins are on a new league of themselves, unless the market is not receiving them that well.

Maybe: if they can fill those 3-4 days cruises at a more profitable way, so be it. I believe MSC needs to concentrate themselves on where they can fill their ships at a premium: Continental Europe, from where CCL is reducing Costa and Aida's presence; the UK where ships are 150% full (well, I'm actually exaggerating a little!); Brazil where the ships are also fully booked, even if with specialty cruises with popular singers and the likes onboard and elsewhere they could really to do business. By reading CC reviews it seems clear that MSC in the US is running on the 2000-3000 guests per week on the larger ships, what means some 50-75% capacity. Not bad, but not profitable enough. Their land services and part of the cruise experience seems to not suffix for the US market, even though, I find MSC to be a superior product to the likes of RCI here in Europe. This is my humble opinion. And I'd suggest them that, if bringing the WA is really what they want to serve the US market, so they should to make a partnership with an US hotel chain interested on providing place for the cruise industry with no ship ownership... Better that than the current challenges they're really facing.

Actually, they're selling them at same rate as a Bella (guarantee) promenade balcony/veranda... And; TBHH; 1000x one of those infinite cabins than a promenade balcony. Promenade view cabins are not more than glorified insides, IMHO, so, if I needed to choose, the choice would to be obvious!... The way MSC is doing this is far better and far away from what X is doing.

...And that would be a huge mistake. MSC is unable to fill their current 3 or 4 ships they have there, let alone adding a new one. Deploying the Magnifica to the short market was a mistake by itself, now, sending one of their most valuable assets to the short market is just a waste of time and money. Oh, well... At least they must know what they're doing...

First of its own; be welcome aboard the MSC boards; Please; make posts like this on your sailing's Roll Call, if any, or create one yourself for your sailing; and preferably don't share social media links or contacts of anyone else. And have a nice day!

Gone there, done that on other line, not RCI. Generally speaking, industry wise, good to notice that, at least here in Europe, basically all shore excursions provided for cruise ships are coming from same local vendors, whom of course want to give you the best attractions wise the local may have. Of course they may be hit or miss, with your tour leader being mostly the key for potential success. That said, pretty much all excursions in Santorini will finish with the cable car, or some of the more expensive/exclusive ones will end with the donkeys. Mine finished with the cable car as well. Companies may have a limited set of excursions that will finish the traditional way, but those are the ones for disabled individuals. As mentioned above, and if that is the case, try to email RCI or let your TA to talk with them on that subject. Either way: Santorini is not that easy for disabled individuals. I know that for proper experience once I have low vision myself. Have a nice day!

This, exactly; but hey; let CC community to be CC community at least!... The real long-term problem cruise lines are facing these days, far more than the supply chain challenges which are more temporary than effectively mid-to-long-term subject, is the talent pool available to make them service oriented. In summary; the ships are understaffed and that is not only on those far lower level of the pond - Those lower level are pretty easy to replace on a nutshell. They're even more understaffed on the intermediate-to-high specialized level of the pond where replacement needs several years to accomplish, which in summary means that some sacrifice to the old-time service levels will be done, wherever one wishes or not. And that doesn't mean the product will to be cheaper on their part. Sometimes even the opposite. Apart top luxury companies; by reading pretty much every other cruise line's post-pandemic MDR menus; there is a trend that is becoming common industry wise: Menus are becoming shorter, more centric on certain aspects. Let us to have some 2-4 main proteins that will pave the way for the "always available" part of the menu, plus 1-2 daily changes to make for some differentiation. Whatever the commercial names, this is how things are set to operate for the next 3-5 years of cruising till they can train and redeploy a new generation of specialty cruise crew, if that fast. MSC was arguably the first to go that way. Then the new NCL Prima, then pretty much everyone. RCL seems to have resisted the most they could, but again. With bookings reaching the before the pandemic numbers and no crew to serve all the same way, what could they do? The menus presented on this thread are the answer. Centric to the Salmon/Chicken recipes (same protein, perhaps different recipes daily) and let us to have 1-2 changing options a day for differentiation, precisely... Hope things improve as training for new specialty crew talent endures. Till there this is what we will have; and I for one would be more than happy to have it, indeed!...

Yeah! Let them to work out the bugs really. Meanwhile: While the Portuguese version for the MSC's website is outdated and messed out for quite a while now; I rely on the biggest Portuguese, or Portuguese language, TA's websites to assess how the quoting is working these days for World Europa... And while for summer 2023 most sailings retain high values, and while Christmas, New Year, Carnival week and Easter 2023 do seem fully booked, or those TA's don't have cabin blocks for some of those, truth be said that for many fall/winter 2023 cruises as well as some of the "sampling" early spring cruises prices are turning to the usual ever-discounting-discounted-discount MSC used to be till 2018 or such. I find some of those quotes far cheaper than this year's Meraviglia/Seaside class ships, perhaps nearly on par or little bit up from a Musica/Fantasia class this year. I imagine what would I do if I lived in Barcelona: Those prices would make me to live one or two months on the WE, cheaper than living at home with current energy prices!... And finally Aurea is going to adjust to perks removal change in value. Just a curiosity: An Infinite Fantastica (or Deluxe as they now say) is quoting at the price of a Bella balcony, and cheaper than a promenade view balcony which is strange on me. Such a good deal mostly for the sea view and the extra cabin space. I'd never to pay more for a dedicated promenade view than to an ocean view, but they're some 20-30 bucks more than the infinite ones. Promenade view are just glorified insides, period!

Never gone with Carnival, just MSC and RCI, but it is worth to note that there are some 3 different Carnivals out there: The one on older 3* EU hotel standards like ships with the Farcus designed insides (some of them ugly from photos and videos shown elsewhere), making some of "those" 3-4 night "fun" cruises, the one with the new Mardi Gras onward ships that is truly EU 4* hotel standards in full and now that new one popping up now with the "carnivalized" relatively new Costa ships that will be named "Carnival Fun Italian Style". All those 3 are different Carnival "drives", me thinks for different passengers. Either way: Only thinking here in Europe; MSC; which is true and solid 4* EU hotel standards; tends to attract such a more selected and cosmopolitan clientele than Costa in EU or Carnival in the US. Rarely such a "fun" ship on MSC, consequently rarely a drunken crowd. Yes; on MSC, as far as I know, cabins are serviced twice a day; and when one talks about no room service for Bella category; it is the lack of free continental breakfast or other free room services deliveries we're talking about, not the lack of cabin servicing!... If I needed to compare MSC with RCI which is my unique term of comparison, I'd say they'd to be a better product than RCI, apart that extra WOW factor RCI can give out of an Oasis class on entertainment, crowd management, decoration and buffet like food availability service.

Me too! This is really one thing MSC used to do well. Something for everyone, even on ships as small as the Lirica/Musica classes! The World Europa seems to go on such a different direction. Time will tell, but I believe the World America will just to give justice to its name!...

Yeah! But note that not all the cultures are like the US or the Caribbean Islands. Here in Portugal, tips are just expected as a way of rounding to facilitate hand money accountability. Receive an EUR 19.55 bill? Give an EUR 20.00 note to the servers and they'll be more than happy. If you give one or 2 EUR they'll generally to find strange. Not insulted, just strange. No tips expected if one pays with a card. Tips appreciated if you're being served in a large group though, but it should only to be a small nominal one per person. MSC highly discourages tipping, at least here in Europe. That said, if you want to tip extra, do it in such a discrete way. I usually give an extra just for cabin steward and MDR server that way.

I may agree to a point. Italian businesses do have generally such a larger learning curve, but once they "take it" nobody stops them. They were far from the first ones on fast train transportation, but now, both Frecciarossa and Italo trains are among the best ones Europe wise. This is just an example. Surely MSC could largely improve their IT and consumer support both land and ship side. I believe that even with all the current challenges they'll go there. I just wished they could have remained more authentic to their Italian heritage, but well. There's a sacrifice for global market capture. Things are what they are. Thanks your observations and have a nice day!

This exactly!... Let me just to dive even a little bit deeper on the MSC's strategy. Against what many (most?) may think, MSC is the largest maritime transportation group alive today. Largest container ship, top leader oil and other dangerous materials transportation, leader in hospital ship transportation, number 4, close to number 3 in cruising, among the leaders on maritime public passenger transportation in Europe. They also have a huge train container business (leader here in Portugal, for example), large bus business in Italy and other countries as well, as you say several partnerships in the air industry (Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar, etc...) and they're diving themselves on the Travel Agents business. As far as I know they've purchased the largest in Italy, and according to some rumors I've heard they're in the market to purchase on of the largest Portuguese ones... That same one of the largest Portuguese ones that rented the Fantasia for a special cruise on April, 16, 2023, to celebrate the 35th career anniversary for our top star romantic singer alive. The cruise seems to be sold out as far as things go. MSC is clearly going after such a slightly younger than traditional cruise going crowd, affluent and cosmopolitan, trying to avoid the statute of "discount line" they have had from the past. Their ships are beautiful, their experience is more than good enough for the 4* EU land hotel level experience, and they're attentive to the detail. So attentive to the detail that they've developed the World Europa!... So beautiful and so different than what we've previously seen. Yeah, they don't want the US market by itself. They want to be a truly global company. And if it wasn't for the CCL group to have many trademarks for many "specialty" international markets, I'd say, MSC would be in the way forward to become the first global cruise market line. Well: Actually they're becoming that, exactly on a single trademark!... And what about the US market?... Well: Only the expats from Europe whom wish to come with their families are a great base fare, let alone al the cosmopolitan college level affluent clientele out there and one can make the case. With time they'll reach there, I'm sure.

The best definition for those "infinite" cabins is perhaps that they're a mid-way between a regular ship balcony cabin and a classic land hotel room. X is using it mostly to resemble a regular balcony cabin while giving you some more space. MSC on their new World Europa is using it to expand your cabin so that it resembles mostly a classic land hotel room. Icon, only time will tell, but it seems to mostly follow the X concept. Personally I'd to prefer the MSC's way for a larger cabin with a huge view. At least, IMHO, the balconies themselves are sort of a wasted space to say the least. If we can have a bigger cabin, bigger bathroom, etc. that would to be better.

Pretty much all has been said; let me just to stress out that MSC is perhaps the cheapest out of the mainstream market in the US where their passenger base is smaller and they want to compete, even if at default for quite a while. I can't say the same for here in Europe where, price wise MSC is now quoting very well on the average-to-top of the mainstream target point, unless you can snag a special promo, a last minute deal, a special cruise of some sort, a small charter partnership or if it is on an older ship. All those instances still exist, but they're becoming rare as times go by...

Hit or miss, as on any other mainstream cruise line. They'll use the same providers delivering shore excursions to all the lines and land travelers alike. They're usually reasonably priced though, perhaps the cheapest in the mainstream market, and at least IMHO, they're like purchasing insurance. With ship sponsored shore excursions, at least you know the ship will await you in case something happens and the excursion gets delayed.