MSC vs NCL and others?

Hello, Have read many reviews on MCS Devina. I've cruised NCL and Carnival. I'm 34 and ready to pull the trigger for my girlfriend and I on the Devina in September to Caribbean. Any thoughts on whether this might be the right cruise for us compared to the "style" I'm used to on the other ships. Really enjoyed the NCL Jewel last time. Seems like a different type of ship; show, style, freestyle, nightlife, pool time, etc, . Thanks for any comments if there are some things I should be aware of.

Hi,

I haven't sailed yet. Less than a month to go.

I think the drink vouchers are a very good deal. If you buy before the cruise, the tips are included. I paid $ 72 for 15 alcoholic drinks and $ 31 for 10 virgin drinks, milkshakes or ice cream cones or cups. These prices are much less per drink than Royal's. Had to order the packages over the phone. You pick up the vouchers in the casino.

They also have beer packages and other drink packages.

Ellen

I I was a major NCL fanboy and still am. I decided to make the switch and Try MSC last year. It was the drinks package that finally tempted me away from NCL. I've found the service on par with NCL, different admittedly, but fine. Whist the food is good, I found the set dining very limiting.

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Well took the plunge on the Devina. Flight booked too. Can't wait. Watched some good video reviews on YouTube. Looks like a beautiful ship!

Andrew what drink package did you buy? Thanks both, for the comments.

we did the Alllegrissimo drinks package on the Splendida last year and really liked it! (our daughter had the kids version). Lots of variety in the drinks and the gelato being free was a nice bonus. There were some weird/arbitrary cutoff lines between what was included and what you need to have the premium package to order. The only "work around" that I did was ordering a coffee and also a shot of Bailey's in the evening as the special coffees weren't included - so I just added my own shot to the coffee.

We aren't heavy drinkers, but I think we got our money's worth and we appreciated not having that little voice in our head thinking about whether or not to spend some more money on another drink (I am thrifty by nature, so would tend to cut back if paying for them drink by drink).

Oreo, that package was like $44 US per day right?

Oreo, that package was like $44 US per day right?

that sounds about right... (the pricing was in Euros at the time, we sailed out of Rome)... It wasn't the premium package, just the basic Allegressimo.

I think we worked out that if we each drank/ate 6-7 things (alcoholic and non) over the course of the day we were ahead of the game. Basically, every time we were pool side ordering a round of the fancy cocktails (3 adult, 1 virgin), we about paid for one of the adult day rates for the package.

My husband is a big pop drinker, so appreciated not having to ration his consumption. One thing that was nice is that there is such a variety of beverages covered that it really is "all-inclusive" and was flexible enough to accommodate all our preferences, especially as they morphed throughout the day. Some days, I think just our gelatto consumption made it worth it :eek:

If ypu are a wine drinker, before booking the Allegrissimo package, compare it to purchasing the wine by the bottle package and combining that with alcohol vouchers. Remember that the bottled wine in the package can only be consumed in the MDR and buffet. But if you normally share a bottle of wine at dinner, and have a few glasses of wine or mixed drinks at the bars, poolside, etc, you should consider this,

Hello, Have read many reviews on MCS Devina. I've cruised NCL and Carnival. I'm 34 and ready to pull the trigger for my girlfriend and I on the Devina in September to Caribbean. Any thoughts on whether this might be the right cruise for us compared to the "style" I'm used to on the other ships. Really enjoyed the NCL Jewel last time. Seems like a different type of ship; show, style, freestyle, nightlife, pool time, etc, . Thanks for any comments if there are some things I should be aware of.

I will choose MSC over CCL ,and I will never cruise NCL again . But it's only my opinion.

I will choose MSC over CCL ,and I will never cruise NCL again . But it's only my opinion.

I SECOND THAT! Love MSC!

We tried MSC several years ago after many cruises on a variety of cruise lines (RCI, NCL, Princess, HAL) and found that it was a very nice change in terms of entertainment and food.

All the previous cruises had very similar forms of entertainment such as Newlywed game, comedians, trivia games, etc. MSC had a much different approach, none of the aforementioned entertainment. Instead, they had "baseball greats" (not all MSC cruises have this), lots more production shows (fan of these), opera (not a fan), and individual singer shows. Don't get me wrong I like the average cruise entertainment, but a change was very nice too.

For dining, MSC is a bit more traditional than other cruise lines and you don't get an anytime dining choice. You do have the option of the typical top side buffet if you don't want to do the MDR. IMO the food on MSC is usually quite a bit better than NCL, on par with RCI and Princess, and not as good as HAL, but that is a very subjective thing.