New to MSC Europe

I've done European cruises on Royal and Norwegian so I decided to give MSC a shot but I don't know what to expect.

I'm doing back-to-back cruises in Opera and Orchestra on April next year. The first is Venice round trip and the second is from Venice and ending in Genoa. I got a nice price for a balcony stateroom in both cruises so I went for it.

I suppose most passengers will be Italian and the main language in the cruise will be Italian, correct?

Is there any difference between Royal and MSC shore excursions? Do they guarantee your return to the ship like Royal? (I'm a solo traveler so this is important)

What noticeable (or maybe shocking) differences should I expect in an MSC European cruise as compared to a cruise sailing to the Caribbean in terms of service, food, drinks?

Hi. Like you, we sailed Royal and NCL before we tried MSC. We now sail MSC regularly as repeat cruisers get 5% off and the prices are good. There are many threads here and on Tripadvisor where cruisers complain about various aspects of the MSC cruise experience, mainly comparing it to NCL, Royal or Princess etc. Here's my take on it;

Food: Subjective but overall more Italian/continental. Portions are pretty but small but you can order more than one of any course. The menu used to be set for 6 courses but they have merged it into 3 courses(tea/coffee not served after meal in MDR). So, order an extra starter and/or main so you don't risk going hungry. Pizza in the buffet is very good. You shouldn't go hungry but meat portions are small(when they say 'slices of filet beef' it is literally a tiny slice or two of beef.) Portions are much better on US sailings.

Announcements: Important announcements are made in 5/6 languages but English is first or second so you get used to tuning out after you hear your chosen language.

Entertainment: Main theatre entertainment is usually good, short(35mins) but repetitive(same performers in different costumes). Very little dialogue due to multi lingual nature of passengers. Not so many guest acts but you may get one each week, e.g. a Beatles or Gypsy Kings tribute act. Not too much action around the pools but we're usually ashore during port days.

Service: Usually, they try very hard but sometimes seem a bit short handed. They much prefer that you order your drink from a waiter rather than go to the bar yourself. It's often faster and more relaxed. Drinks packages are great value in Europe. Dinner in MDR seems to be planned to take 90-120 minutes. You won't get quite the 'Have a Nice Day' offering from staff but they will smile if you greet them and despite many of them struggling with English, a little patience and good humour will go a long way.

Shore excursions: Expensive as on all lines and they cannot guarantee you will be back on time but if you are not, it will be their responsibility to either hold the ship or transfer you to the next port. Never happens, you will be back in loads of time. You can almost always get a trip onshore with private tour operators for a lot less than MSC and they are very experienced at getting you back on the ship on time.

Fellow passengers: Mostly Italian, French and Spanish with some Germans and Scandinavians, minority of English speakers. Delightfully boisterous, noisy, talkative people. You will be seated in MDR with fellow English speakers, if possible. It is often reported that 'Europeans' try to get on the elevator without letting people get off first. They don't do it to me as I walk off the elevator before they can board. Also, queuing in Europe can take the form of a semi circle rather than a line and you may find your self overtaken or elbowed in the buffet line but I have seen that on RCCL and NCL as well.

Overall, we would sail with NCL or Royal if prices weer the same but they're far from that so we sail MSC cheerfully and enjoy it but we're prepared for some small disappointments in food etc. Go with an open mind and always remember the price you paid! Ken

We found the queue's to be different that at home, we are used to very orderly queues where everyone eyes everyone else and people know exactly what order they are in and woe-betide if queues don't work orderly. We found the need to be a bit more 'assertive' when in a queue on the ship (even had to encourage the 6 yr old to use his elbows a little in the waffle queue as he would always end up missing out). We have a German girl living with us at the moment and I asked her if it was true about the German stereotype of leaving towels on sunbeds for hours to book them and she hung her head in shame!

Thank you all. Very appreciated!

Thank you all for this information. I too will be on my first MSC cruise in Europe in July on the Seaview and this information was very valuable.

Question: I've heard that many British people in particular board MSC ships when they depart from Barcelona. Can any say if this is true or not? I assume most of the English speakers onboard will be from England, not the USA/Canada, but will most of them board in Barcelona, or will they opt for Genoa, or even a different place like Valletta or Messina?

This is a timely thread! I just booked a 7-night Adriatic cruise on Magnifica in August 2019. I'm eager to learn as much as I can over the next year.

I did a booking with MSC a few year back and then cancelled based on a variety of factors. They set my date of birth incorrectly, which caused all sorts of problems. But they just fixed that (after talking to four people) and my reservation appears on the website as it should. So, that's a promising start.

Question: I've heard that many British people in particular board MSC ships when they depart from Barcelona. Can any say if this is true or not?

True, because Barcelona is most easy to reach from UK with Ryanair or Easyjet.

True, because Barcelona is most easy to reach from UK with Ryanair or Easyjet.

Yes, that is true from Scotland...and add Jet2 to the mix of direct flight options! Another reason for Barcelona is its beauty and cultural aspects, meaning many tag on a day or two either side of the cruise....strongly recommended for first timers.

Thank you all for this information. I too will be on my first MSC cruise in Europe in July on the Seaview and this information was very valuable.

 

Question: I've heard that many British people in particular board MSC ships when they depart from Barcelona. Can any say if this is true or not? I assume most of the English speakers onboard will be from England, not the USA/Canada, but will most of them board in Barcelona, or will they opt for Genoa, or even a different place like Valletta or Messina?

We are in the same boat.

We just booked for next spring and are flying to Barcelona. It was our choice as we are coming a week early and will enjoy sightseeing around the area first. Then, onto the ship, our first time on MSC. We are expecting many Europeans , as we had on our recent SE Asia cruise on NCL.

On our flight home, we are doing a week layover in London. Since we are using miles for our airfare, we are allowed one layover. After the week in London, we will continue back to Seattle.

Also busy researching MSC as this will be new.

Yes, that is true from Scotland...and add Jet2 to the mix of direct flight options! Another reason for Barcelona is its beauty and cultural aspects, meaning many tag on a day or two either side of the cruise....strongly recommended for first timers.

Booked three day pre-cruise and one day post-cruise, all in free hotels! Plus 3 days in Paris before moving to Barcelona. I love Paris and cannot wait to go back. But, for my trip as a whole, there is nothing I'm more excited for than Barcelona, not even the MSC Seaview itself comes close to my excitement for Barcelona. Any recommendations on things to do? I have many of the typical things planned, and then given my Olympic history/legacy interest (and the fact that I wrote a thesis on the Barcelona 1992 Games) I plan on spending lots of time in Montijuic, Port Olimpic and Barceloneta. Any out-of-the-way sights worth checking out?

This thread is good timing for me as well. A MSC newbie. Booked European cruise on Preziosa embarking in Hamburg, September 2019.

Looks to be a beautiful ship and price was right! Drink packages are very affordable, can't wait.

This thread is good timing for me as well. A MSC newbie. Booked European cruise on Preziosa embarking in Hamburg, September 2019.

Looks to be a beautiful ship and price was right! Drink packages are very affordable, can't wait.

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We are going on Preziosa in August 2018 for 23 days starting in Copenhagen and ending in Barcelona. Keep a look out for our blog and review when we go.

 

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I’ll be on Preziosa in July for 15 days. I might not blog, but feel free to ask me anything you may be curious about. There isn’t a lot on this site about the Preziosa in comparison to ships that are ex the USA.

I’ll be on Preziosa in July for 15 days. I might not blog, but feel free to ask me anything you may be curious about. There isn’t a lot on this site about the Preziosa in comparison to ships that are ex the USA.

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Anyone knows how long before sailing date you can book shore excursions online?

I’ll be on Preziosa in July for 15 days. I might not blog, but feel free to ask me anything you may be curious about. There isn’t a lot on this site about the Preziosa in comparison to ships that are ex the USA.

Maugrim,

Would love to hear anything you have to say about Preziosa. We are planning for August 2019.

Booked three day pre-cruise and one day post-cruise, all in free hotels! Plus 3 days in Paris before moving to Barcelona. I love Paris and cannot wait to go back. But, for my trip as a whole, there is nothing I'm more excited for than Barcelona, not even the MSC Seaview itself comes close to my excitement for Barcelona. Any recommendations on things to do? I have many of the typical things planned, and then given my Olympic history/legacy interest (and the fact that I wrote a thesis on the Barcelona 1992 Games) I plan on spending lots of time in Montijuic, Port Olimpic and Barceloneta. Any out-of-the-way sights worth checking out?

We sailed from Barcelona last year on NCL and fell in love with the city. We stayed pre-cruise and the DH wants to return. I am really happy about that! We did quite a bit of walking in Barcelona and each step was fabulous. The best excursion we had was with Barcelona Day Tours - We did Barcelona and Montserrat.

Enjoy your cruise!