Are MSC as Bad as Reviews Claim?

[travelberlin]

We just returned from 19 days on the DIVINA. The ship is very nice but the management is very poor. MSC has no clue on how to treat passengers. The food is terrible, your nickle and dime to death. Customer Service was totally lacking. Embarkation was poorly directed and confusing, not just a language problem. There are no clear directions in any language!

 

The quality of the food was abysmal. I had to send back at lest 4 dinner meals that were just terrible and not eatable. The buffet court is absolutely awful. Some of problem was passengers, who act like animals, but even without them the food was poor and selection very limited.

 

They even managed to screw up table cloth dining for breakfast and lunch in the dining rooms by crowding everyone into one corner. It is noisy with dishes and waiters and is only a minor step up from the terrible food court. Port stops are short, usually late arriving and late departing.

 

Several passengers were injured on this cruise due to the poor safety management. They used a service ramp for a gangway at some ports and it was slippery from thing spilled on it when off loading trash.

 

A Scotch and Soda was 6.75 + 2.50 for a splash of Soda + 15% Gratuity. All drinks were very expensive and beer was almost always poured short.

 

Cabin Service was limited and Tea in the cabin was charged 2.50. You could not order anything beyond sandwiches. Breakfast is limited to sweet rolls and coffee. There was no Ice in the Cabin and when called for it never came even after several calls. The balcony cabin was so small there was no room for a chair or seating of any kind.

 

Every English speaking passenger we met had a horror story to tell from Cabin Changes to Fire Sprinklers going off in the Cabin.

 

There is no reason to ever book a cruise on this line when there are so many good cruise lines out there at reasonable prices. Don't be fooled by the bargain prices MSC throws. They will extract the money from you in other areas.

 

Very suspicious...only sweet rolls and coffee for breakfast? really? ... Altough I am inclined to agree that customer service needs improvement, this list of only negative issues for a first post seem too much to be true...

[steph7021]

You say you try to keep your blogs honest and balanced but in no way are your comments on here honest and balanced.

Have you ever even sailed on Carnival?

To set the record straight I have never seen the obnoxious drunks who supposedly roam the hallways but then I always take longer cruises.

 

I do agree about the endless misunderstandings between guests and staff mainly as English is a second language to them.

For instance I recently sailed on the Preziosa and attended a cooking demonstration in the Eately. One of the ingredients was called "Dove or Duff" the size of a potato. I kept asking where can you buy this is it a vegetable etc etc. Then I realised he meant dough.

 

I did get towel animals on the Preziosa. I loved that beautiful ship.

 

What I loved about MSC is the allegrissimo drink package (best deal in town) and the reduced solo rates.

 

I have booked the Armonia from Ancona next May.

 

We leave from Venice on the Armonia in May (26th). Ancona is the next day. Same cruise? It's interesting how MSC does multiple places to embark and disembark.

[maryann2]

We leave from Venice on the Armonia in May (26th). Ancona is the next day. Same cruise? It's interesting how MSC does multiple places to embark and disembark.

I leave on 18th May and disembark on 27th so will be there to greet you LOL.

I am taking the TA on Independence of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale arriving Southampton on 17th. No solo supplement on that when I booked.

[Skipper Tim]

You say you try to keep your blogs honest and balanced but in no way are your comments on here honest and balanced.

Have you ever even sailed on Carnival?

 

You see how honesty is dis-respected and, may I say it, shot-down.

 

I was reporting comments of other guests at the time who were complaining about MSC vs. several Carnival cruise lines. I have nothing, nothing in common with them.

 

Why is it "a sin" to like MSC?

 

Tim.

[sidari]

"The balcony cabin was so small there was no room for a chair or seating of any kind"

 

This must have been on Deck 13 Aft which are not Balconies but are sold as "Outside" cabins and as such are not made to have a chair on them.

 

19 days ? i can only guess it was the repo cruise which was 18 days and while there were issues it was hardly a cruise from hell, yes there were problems and food was one of the biggest ones onboard.

[flag fan]

 

MSC Divina Quiz Answer Key:

 

Which cruise line charges for sun deck?

 

Which cruise line charges for food in "atrium cafe" venues?

 

On what ship premium public spaces are closed for "regular" passengers?

 

When we speak of MSC Divina Design flaws, we compare MSC Divina to what?

 

[i did not bother quoting the choices or answers--the poster lists MSC for them all (except the last). I don't want to spread the misinformation by reposting.]

 

I am not sure why this poster has such a vendetta against MSC but this "quiz" is incredibly flawed.

 

I have been on all the cruise lines listed in the first question and some of them other than MSC do charge extra for certain deck areas. I paid for a cabana on Holland America's Eurodam and both NCL and Cunard have special deck areas set aside for the highest level of passengers (suites on NCL and grill on Cunard).

 

For the second question, every cruise line has some free and some extra-charge food venues. The poster lists the free rather than extra-cost venues for all the lines except MSC although MSC is no different than the others in offering both fee and extra-cost dining options.

 

The third question tries to imply a big distinction between MSC and the other cruise lines by focusing the question on "regular" passengers. MSC is no different than NCL or Cunard is having some areas set aside as a "ship-within-a-ship" for the highest level passengers (on some of its ships) and many of the other lines have areas open only for an extra fee (Holland America definitely and perhaps Princess and Celebrity as well).

 

The fourth question really shows the ridiculous bias of the poster. I don't get it. I sailed on one MSC cruise (Poesia) and have another one scheduled (Divina) but I also have sailed on other lines more than once (Crystal and Cunard) and will be sailing on my second Celebrity cruise next year. Each cruise line has different things to offer and MSC is a great choice for a cruise, particularly now that the new Divina is an option in the Caribbean.

 

I don't want to give this quiz any unnecessary publicity, but I don't want cruises who are not familiar with the different lines and MSC to get misled about the so-called "flaws" the poster identifies.

[jchipgcs]

I'll be getting a good review from someone I know and trust. I've got a friend / client on board now. She formerly cruised suites only with Cunard, Celebrity, Seabourn, etc......Only the best. Now, after a divorce, she's cruising solo in a deluxe balcony on deck 13 Midships. I trust her opinion because of her past experiences.

 

So far she says the ship is huge and "beautiful". She's impressed with the decor (the casino design really stuck out to her in a good way). "The shopping area is incredible", in her words. She's only had snacks so far as to not ruin her dinner and said they were good.

 

As for fellow passengers, she's noticed there's really not that many Americans on board. She's spotted mostly Europeans and some African, Asian and Hispanic. Also said this cruise appears to have a lot of kids on it.

 

If she shares any more tidbits, I'll pass along.

[cruisetrail]

flag fan,

Please don't try to pervert the quiz and put things upside down.:D

 

The questions are absolutely certain and have answers given.

 

If you want to discuss things - first read what is written.

 

Questions are about sun decks, premium public spaces and free alternative cafes.

 

You are confusing incomparable things.

There are no paid sun decks on HAL or any other lines from the list.

Premium public spaces on the QM2 are available for all passengers.

Odious "ship-within-a-ship" enclaves on lower grade ships (MSC, NCL) are not the same as regular for fee venues like spa, thermal suites, cabanas, etc.

 

 

Question #4 is a response to a previous post.

Again, read before posting.

Edited November 24, 2013 by cruisetrail

[sidari]

JC ... Divina is big but tiny compared to Oasis which is Huge, the shops are basically the same layout as on the other ships and were nothing special, the usual Logo shop, Duty Free, Wristwatch and Sunglasses, clothes and handbags/purses for the women plus of course the jewelry and perfume.

 

It may take some time before there is a larger customer base of Americans onboard and as one travel agent in our CC group stated to the new entertainment director, the Media in Miami will either love or kill the ship.

[jchipgcs]

That's what I'm saying. You weren't impressed with the shops, my friend, who I trust was....so I'll tend to take her opinion.

 

As for the Divina being "huge". She's as huge as a ship needs to be. Oasis and anything that large doesn't appeal to me.

[The_Big_M]

I am not sure why this poster has such a vendetta against MSC but this "quiz" is incredibly flawed.

 

Spot on.

 

That's why the rest of us ignore it... trolling is well ignored, although it's reasonable to post a rebuttal as you did.

 

He just searches for things that don't suit him, selects them out of context, then makes out that it's definitive and all enduring proof of his assertions being true.

 

As others more rightly stated, there are pros and cons everywhere.

 

The best is to determine what you prefer, then take it for what it is.

 

It won't stop those who want to keep pushing their barrow, but you'll have an enjoyable cruise holiday, which is what it's really all about.

[All aboard??]

There are no paid sun decks on HAL

 

Hmmmm, the $800 I paid for a Retreat Cabana last year must have been an accounting error then :rolleyes:

 

Premium public spaces on the QM2 are available for all passengers.

 

Queens Grill sundeck is not open to all passengers and neither is the Queens or Princess Grills.......I actually can't believe you purport on these boards that your research is flawless, however time after time I find you wanting.

 

Continue to present fiction as fact and you will be reported; your posts are unfair and misleading to people who are here to seek factual answers and not your delusions.

 

Odious "ship-within-a-ship" enclaves on lower grade ships (MSC, NCL)

 

Don't hate it because you cant afford it.....a quote from my late mother "if you can't afford business class don't complain because you hear the roar of the engines"

 

P.S. I have read your posts before posting.

[tbmrt]

 

19 days ? i can only guess it was the repo cruise which was 18 days and while there were issues it was hardly a cruise from hell, yes there were problems and food was one of the biggest ones onboard.

 

Thanks for all the posts you have submitted, positive and negative!

 

I'd like to know a little more about the food and your cruise.

 

Barbara

[sidari]

Due to the fact that there were some large groups of people onboard ie Turkish, Swiss, German and Italian a lot of the food was aimed at those groups.

 

The Buffet was not as good as the previous years Poesia crossing and had the same Sweets for lunch and evening dinner every day, quite a lot of people decribed the food as bland and with little or no taste. One of the area Captains we spoke to told us that they knew they had a problem with the food and were working to rectify it which they may well have now done for the Caribbean.

 

The Dining room also suffered from one day good food and the next poor synedrome and was up and down all the cruise,on one night when they had Lamb shank the waiter told us most had been either sent back or left uneaten because it was to tough, the Duck that night suffered the same fate.

 

The steaks halfway through the cruise went from the flat stuff they usually serve to meat that was quite thick and looked like a steak and a massive improvement, i am still baffled as to how you can have one half well done while the other half is still pink as i did on one night!

 

The second night that the Duck was available was a massive improvement on the first one, overall i think it would be a close 50/50 as to either good or poor though on a few nights there were some that stood out. One guy at the table next to us sent almost every main meal back every night.

 

The Villa Rossa dining room went from full to around half full as the cruise went on, no idea as to the reason unless people chose to move to early dining,the Black Crab or the Buffet.

 

For the Caribbean the food was being changed more in tune to what North Americans expect it to be although i think the pasta dishes were being kept,i am interested to read the reviews from people to see what has changed.

 

There were some people onboard who had done a 7 night cruise prior to the 18 night repo cruise and were also on the 3 night mini cruise, waiting for an E mail from one of them to hear what they thought about the changes.

[cruisetrail]

Hmmmm, the $800 I paid for a Retreat Cabana last year must have been an accounting error then :rolleyes:

 

 

 

Queens Grill sundeck is not open to all passengers and neither is the Queens or Princess Grills.......I actually can't believe you purport on these boards that your research is flawless, however time after time I find you wanting.

 

Continue to present fiction as fact and you will be reported; your posts are unfair and misleading to people who are here to seek factual answers and not your delusions.

 

 

 

Don't hate it because you cant afford it.....a quote from my late mother "if you can't afford business class don't complain because you hear the roar of the engines"

 

P.S. I have read your posts before posting.

 

Well, answering even a simple quiz requires some knowledge of cruise ships. It's not easy if someone's cruising experience is limited to one and the only cruise line.

However, one can do a research.

If someone does not know, it's always better to ask than provide false answers.

 

Cabanas, spa - irrelevant. See post above.

 

"Queens Grill sundeck" - irrelevant. It's a tiny deck on the QM2 somewhere aft the funnel. Learn about ships before posting:)

The MSC Divina Quiz is 100% correct.

Premium public spaces on the QM2 are available for all passengers.

 

What I can afford is personal, not your business.

Edited November 24, 2013 by cruisetrail

[Tatka]

He just searches for things that don't suit him, selects them out of context, then makes out that it's definitive and all enduring proof of his assertions being true.

 

As others more rightly stated, there are pros and cons everywhere.

 

The best is to determine what you prefer, then take it for what it is.

 

It won't stop those who want to keep pushing their barrow, but you'll have an enjoyable cruise holiday, which is what it's really all about.

 

This is 100% correct. And if something does not suit people on his preferred ships it is irrelevant.

 

I guess by now everybody has figured this out. :)

[cruisetrail]

Spot on.

 

That's why the rest of us ignore it... trolling is well ignored, although it's reasonable to post a rebuttal as you did.

 

He just searches for things that don't suit him, selects them out of context, then makes out that it's definitive and all enduring proof of his assertions being true.

 

As others more rightly stated, there are pros and cons everywhere.

 

 

The best is to determine what you prefer, then take it for what it is.

 

It won't stop those who want to keep pushing their barrow, but you'll have an enjoyable cruise holiday, which is what it's really all about.

 

Wow, we are here to prase a particular ship or cruise line. All the rest is trolling!

Are you following the thread?

 

- I would skip those funny "issues" like multinational cruises and ice cubes.

Major things are design flaws, crowds in limited space and obnoxious commercialization.

 

- Much less commercialization than with majority of mass-market lines.

Design flaws comparing to what?

 

Less commercialization than with majority of mass-market lines???:eek:

 

Here you go. Take the quize! :)

[cruisetrail]

This is 100% correct. And if something does not suit people on his preferred ships it is irrelevant.

 

I guess by now everybody has figured this out. :)

 

Sorry, You failed to answer the quiz.

That was your post that prompted the quiz. So I thought you would be the first to answer.:)

 

Cruise lines' fanatics are their worst friends.

 

Ignoring, denying obvious and well known ships facts (doing this as a part of a personal attack or due to sincere innocent ignorance) they attract more special attention to the flaws of their idol.

 

Let's imagine, I am an MSC Fantasia class fan.

 

Crowded ship? Yes, I know. Not more crowded than some Carnival ships. I am paying less, so I expect less comfort. No problem.

 

No promenade deck?

Pools invaded by kids?

Yes, that's true. Fortunately I mostly stay in bars and casino so I don't really care for open decks.

 

Obnoxious commercialization?

Why so?

 

Yes, unlike any other cruise line they charge for sun deck.

I know, it's unprecedented.

I can guess why. The ship is overcrowded with "kids sail free" logo attached. How to let some people get rid of crowds on sun decks? Extra charge will be a regulator. Plus some more revenue.

 

Will I have to pay for every bite in a pastry cafe while on other cruise lines it's free?

Well, I see why it's annoying.

But I don't expect much for the price I paid.

 

Why obnoxious?

Oh, you mean "Yacht Club"?

Oh, yes. Now I see why obnoxious. They take premium space of the ship away from "regular" passengers and reserve it for "citizens of the world" and "elitists by nature". They pay more for the cruise and enjoy a separated enclave (front observation lounge, sun deck) with some bells and whistles where "blue collars" do not spoil their cruising experience.

Yes, this is a third world model of faux luxury but some are willing to pay. Why not?

I see the rational. This is an overcrowded ship. I see the same on NCL - same high density crowd, same grade of the product overall.

Why don't we see such enclaves on some "premium segment" cruise ships?

Well, the answer is obviuos - the whole ships are like Yacht Club on MSC, so there is no need to build a Yacht Club within a Yacht Club.

 

I see all the design flaws, I see why many people stay away, but I like the low price (or like to try faux exclusivity), want to explore and compare a new ship, I like alcoholissimo package and I will find a way to enjoy myself on a cruise.

 

Etc. etc...

 

There is a bit of a touch of irony in this story, but in the essence - IMO this is how a competent and respectful poster would position his/her opinion.

Not all cruise ships are equally good or bad, but there is something good in every cruise ship, even in the worst ones because cruising is a pleasure.

 

That's why the Carnival Ecstasy sails full:)

 

What some cruise lines' fanatics are doing on message boards - looking for enemies, making boorish personal remarks - friends, it's so unserious, believe me.

They look really miserable playing that role....

Edited November 24, 2013 by cruisetrail

[MotownVoice]

Wow, we are here to prase a particular ship or cruise line. All the rest is trolling!

Are you following the thread?

 

I can't speak for anyone else but I know why I come here. To get advice from people who have been on a cruise, or a particular ship that I am either booked on or am considing booking to take advantage of their experience.

 

Not to try and post enough negativity in the hopes that it begins to screw with the marketing of the cruise line so I can feel like I had an impact on something larger than me.

[cruisetrail]

I can't speak for anyone else but I know why I come here. To get advice from people who have been on a cruise, or a particular ship that I am either booked on or am considing booking to take advantage of their experience.

 

 

Here you'll have advice on how to do your own research that is is the most important thing.

Also you'll have some advice on choosing the right cabin, what locations to avoid, information about dining options, ship design and decor, etc..

Edited November 24, 2013 by cruisetrail

[moomoocow]

I assume from the quoting that it's back.

 

And it still hasn't set foot on an MSC vessel.

 

Tsk. I'm also assuming this post won't last long as it seems to have an extreme allergic reaction to my posts.

[sharecruises]

Here you'll have advice on how to do your own research that is is the most important thing.

Also you'll have some advice on choosing the right cabin, what locations to avoid, information about dining options, ship design and decor, etc..

 

Oh for God's sake give it a rest...

 

Carnival, Royal and many others have "upsell" pastry/cake /ice cream areas

 

NCL has a full area of suites/butler service, not intrusive but more noticable than the Yacht Club

 

Your beloved Holland America has cabana areas littering the pool area for rent..also spa area and thallaso just for those who pay the price

 

Celebrity has butler service suites and so forth

 

 

Princess has the "sanctuary" rented out by the day

 

most all of these cruiselines have upsell restaurants....NCL free food has gone downhill IMHO - meatloaf, fried chicken, spagetti and meatballs...

you must go to a paid restaurant for good food. The "shrimp cocktail" in the free restaurant on NCL is salad shrimp tossed in a sauce...on MSC the free restaurant shrimp cocktail was jumbo shrimp

 

I have not sailed on Holland....but I went on board one of their newer ships for a charity lunch and tour ....yawn.....old fart decor IMHO....dark wood....dutch vases and delft stuff....old pictures of sailing ships, old ship models....stuffy and small lounges...the disco looked like a teen club on carnival....the music was stodgy....the passengers looked "newlywed and nearly dead">> with the emphasis on the latter. Never saw so many really old people on a ship.

 

I do plan to be back on MSC and I won't miss you there cruisetrail...I doubt if you will see me on a Hollland ship (at least for some years I hope)

Edited November 24, 2013 by sharecruises

[cruisetrail]

You forgot to mention paid internet, shore excursions, gratuites, spa tereatments, behind the scene ship tours and tons of other trash that has zero relation to the topic.

[All aboard??]

Well, answering even a simple quiz requires some knowledge of cruise ships. It's not easy if someone's cruising experience is limited to one and the only cruise line.

 

As a matter of fact; around 30% of my nights at sea have been spent on other cruise lines; 23% of those being on HAL; just saying.

[sharecruises]

You forgot to mention paid internet, shore excursions, gratuites, spa tereatments, behind the scene ship tours and tons of other trash that has zero relation to the topic.

 

Why do you have MSC in your sig line?? I only put ships I sailed on in my sig line

You never sailed MSC did you ??