Comparisons with MSC

[leswor]

We are committed Celebrity cruisers and would not normally look elsewhere but we have a break coming up and the only cruise opportunity is with MSC. Can anyone who has sailed with MSC give us any thoughts on how they compare with Celebrity - good and bad?

[swigso]

Where will you be going and what is the name of the ship

[leswor]

It could be Fantasia, Magnifica or Splendida all go around the med early April.

[cruisestitch]

Have you read the cruise reviews posted here on Cruise Critic? You may be able to get a feel for the differences simply by reading the reviews. You see a lot of negative reviews in the Member Reviews section. Some positives, to be sure, but lots of strongly negative ones.

[wurmine]

I would personally rate celebrity higher than MSC, but the MSC product is fair. We cruised on the Magnifica last autum and the ship was nice, the food ok- great pasta and risotto every day- the buffet area was extremly crowded. I really did not like the breakfast and lunch (chaotic at MDR and buffet) but the rest was fine. Celebrity is more elegant with better service and better food, but we had an enjoyable cruise on MSC and probably would go again, though we definitly prefer Celebrity and HAL. I found that NCL is the american line closest to MSC, but that is just my opinion.

If the cruise is nice and the price ok, I would go :)

[jacketwatch]

I have read many reviews about MSC and decided to never use them. if you like X i doubt you would like MSC. A few yrs. ago there was a story about a family who booked a Baltic cruise with MSC for a grand family reunion. MSC decided to cancel them and others and then rebook their cabins at a higher rate for a larger group.

 

Aside from that the feedback inre to service, food and responsiveness to onboard problems or issues is rather poor.

 

Agree with cruisestich about checking their reviews here. I have as well and they are not as consistent by far.

[coldweathergirl]

My DH and I sailed on MSC several years ago. We wanted to take a Med cruise for our 25th anniversary but wanted to limit our time away because we still had small kids at home and our travel time is increased because of where we live. MSC was the only cruise with a 7 day itinerary at the time.

 

We enjoyed our cabin, the ship was nice but the passengers were mainly European and there weren't a lot of english speaking people on board. We found the buffets to be crazy in that passengers were pushing and butting in all over the place. It was almost like a cattle call. The food was no where near as good as what Celebrity serves with the exception of the pasta and risotto as the other poster mentioned; that was really good.

 

Even though they have good itineraries and good prices, I don't think I would book again on MSC.

[dabear]

MSC is lower rated than X. The ships are physically nice but food and service are inferior to X. Also alot more Europeans than Americans on the ship.

[swigso]

Their smoking policy is not as strict as X.

If this is an issue you need to check it out

[leswor]

Thanks everyone for your comments - the reviews are consistent with what you are all saying. Will think about it a bit longer yet but wish I could do a caribbean with Celebrity but the air fare just makes it too expensive for a quick short break (we are in UK).

[Realtor at Sea]

People we know took an MSC cruise as their first and said it was so bad they will never cruise again!!! Cannot understand why we like cruising RCCL and X so much!!!

[lastofthebohicans]

I don't have exact stats, but I believe that Celebrity has had fewer catastrophic collisons with land masses than MSC.

 

I would put this in the good catgegory.

[jacketwatch]

I don't have exact stats, but I believe that Celebrity has had fewer catastrophic collisons with land masses than MSC.

 

I would put this in the good catgegory.

You mean Costa?

[chessbriar]

I don't have exact stats, but I believe that Celebrity has had fewer catastrophic collisons with land masses than MSC.

 

I would put this in the good catgegory.

Are you confusing MCS with Costa? If not, please include a link to that story, I'd like to read it

[MTL=CRUISEFAMILY]

We are just back from a Constellation cruise but have sailed twice with MSC, here are my comparisons from the MSC board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1597365

[Oxo]

We are just back from a Constellation cruise but have sailed twice with MSC, here are my comparisons from the MSC board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1597365

 

Very good assessment of X and MSC. We have been on MSC twice and like you say the ships are really nice, crew was very friendly. However, food was - JMHO poor! Can't recall the MSC US VP's name, but he was with X at one time. We were surprised that he moved to MSC and MSC was so different and totally not what we expected based on US cruising experiences.

 

Entertainment was good and clean, ship full of smoke all over. More European and so many languages to describe each show, or event. I think they repeated everything in at least 5 different languages for all of the nationalities. Reasonable price, Military discount.

 

Would we do MSC again? Not really as we like X, RCI and Princess much better.

Food was not Italian to us. We have been to Italy many times and think we know Italian food. Again, JMHO.

 

A cruise is what you make it. You may enjoy it. Only you can decide. If the price is right, ports are what you want, go for it. Then you can provide us your opinion. Enjoy your cruise, whatever one you choose.

[cruisestitch]

On January 7, MSC Poesia ran aground at Port Lucaya near Freeport, Bahamas. The ship waited for the tide to get high at 18:00, she was pulled off with 4 tugs and a 5th tug standing by.

[buggins0402]

I've sailed Splendida. We liked it. One hot button for us is the type of service and non aggressive upsell. Actually on the upsell, MSC is better than Celebrity. Service on both is what I'd term kind of country club - you signal when you want something - not pushy. Our best stewards ever were on Splendida. Celebrity didn't feel as crowded. Splendida was a very very clean ship. Multiple language announcements don't bother us ...we sailed the Med with them so when we were aboard it felt more like being in Europe. When in Rome.... No constant announcements (Bingo anyone?) on MSC - it's like Celebrity in that regard.

 

Buffet is more limited, particularly at breakfast. Europeans aren't into waffles and pancakes at breakfast. But, MSC manages to do great pastas even on a buffet line. No dinner buffet....they do a pizza pasta upcharge thing in the buffet area. Pastas, seafood and slow roasted type things are good to excellent at dinner. Gelato is to die for. I wouldn't order a steak.

Do like how they only place the cutlery down according to what is proper for your order. But, did drive me nuts that courses served weren't matched with dining companions (if someone skipped a course they would eat one course ahead of dining companions).

 

Time in ports on a European itinerary might be shorter than what some of the US centric lines do. Frequently they have difficulty filling up English speaking excursions - so they might get mixed with Germans. We did our own thing in every port so this wasn't an issue for us.

 

No select dining - we were traveling with another couple and had our own table so we were happy campers. But, for another cruise with them, if it's just my husband and myself, that's a deal killer. Early seating in the med is at a time that isn't bad for Americans - 6:30, maybe even 7:00 on a summer itinerary (we cruised November and I think we ran earlier than what people reported during the summer). Late is really late...like 9:30 - 10:00.

 

Overall, would I cruise with them again....yep, if traveling with another couple and could get a table for four. Or, if they started a anytime dining...definitely. MSC is closer to Celebrity than Norwegian is to Celebrity.

[jackdiamond]

The star ratings for MSC range from 2.5 to 4; whereas, the rating for the M class is 5, and 5.5 for the S class.

[buggins0402]

The star ratings for MSC range from 2.5 to 4; whereas, the rating for the M class is 5, and 5.5 for the S class.

 

It's definitely a different product. In fact, MSC is best for very land Europe savvy travelers that are looking for value. One thing to remember is the CC board tends to be very US cruiseline centric and when a cruiser that needs the "US way of doing things bubble" surrounding them gets on an MSC ship, they have fits because of something done in a European style...hence the lower ratings. Actually there are some European ratings where the differential isn't as great.

 

Actually it would be a great cruise line for a young couple with kids that has travelled or lived in Europe themselves and wants to introduce the kids to Europe. Kids sail free. If it can't be afforded any other way.... this does it.

[coldweathergirl]

On January 7, MSC Poesia ran aground at Port Lucaya near Freeport, Bahamas. The ship waited for the tide to get high at 18:00, she was pulled off with 4 tugs and a 5th tug standing by.

 

I'm pretty sure that I read that it was the pilot from the Bahamas that ended up running the ship aground.

[Chrislynn55]

Although there are positives and negatives to every cruise, I will say that in my twenty-three cruises on different lines my one Celebrity (Summit) cruise ranks among the best....and my one MSC cruise (Poesia) ranks at the bottom of the list. DH and I would accept a free cruise with MSC, but if we're paying we won't be cruising with them again.

[Kevnzworld]

It's so interesting that you brought up MSC. On my last three Mediterranean cruises, there was always the MSC ship in the bigger ports. It was always the old ship, old port holes ship. Many people on my ships always commented , thank god we aren't on that old ship....

[buggins0402]

It's so interesting that you brought up MSC. On my last three Mediterranean cruises, there was always the MSC ship in the bigger ports. It was always the old ship, old port holes ship. Many people on my ships always commented , thank god we aren't on that old ship....

 

The three ships that the OP is looking at have all been launched 2008 and after. When we sailed Splendida in 2009 it was only a few months old.

 

One other thing, I would never recommend the cruise line to older cruisers with no Europe experience. Particularly if the they have a lot of cruises in North America under their belt. Their expectations are understandably geared to the "North American" product.

 

But, for a person who is more concerned the ports (Rick Steves independant travelers would do ok), and wants a comfortable way to travel in European cruise style, it's fine. Just know to expect major differences in the cruise experience. Plenty of Opera and classical string trios for entertainment if you like that thing.

[CathyCruises]

We stayed in a hotel near the Venice airport the night before our flight. Ran into some very nice ladies on the shuttle who had just disembarked MSC--they said, "Never again!!" I don't know specifics but their unhappiness was enough to convince me.

 

However I completely understand the previous poster's POV about the American experience. I have read many posts here from folks inquiring about where to get an American breakfast in Barcelona, how to get to the 'discount malls', etc. So if that's what you're looking for in a cruise, MSC would DEFINITELY not be your cup of tea!