Carnival vs MSC

[Jamericannn]

Loved MSC, in fact booked another cruise next year and will continue to flip flop between my favorite cruise lines....CCL, MSC and DCL.

 

Trip report on my sig if you're interested on the Orchestra.

 

 

 

The negative thing with flip flopping though is that you could be earning points on one cruise line if you stick with them. On the other hand, I understand that variety is more fun.

[Love2Cruz2015]

The negative thing with flip flopping though is that you could be earning points on one cruise line if you stick with them. On the other hand, I understand that variety is more fun.

 

 

 

Yeah I enjoy the variety but I will be Platinum on CCL next year on my magic cruise-will then apply for status match on MSC which will get me Gold. Half way to gold on DCL.

 

 

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[versuco]

We just got off the Divina last Saturday. The ship is beautiful, the service is comparable to Carnival, they still service the cabins two times a day. No towel animals or chocolates on the pillows, if that is important to you.

 

We thought the food in the main dining room was very good, however in our opinion, the buffet was not as good as Carnivals. The food we had in the buffet was good, we just thought the selections were lacking. We had early seating in the main dining room and average dining time was 80 - 90 minutes.

 

The cabins seemed a little bigger than Carnival's, and definitely more spacious bathrooms. We enjoyed the entertainment and even won a little in the casino.

 

We found the crew, including officers, very friendly. They almost always greeted us first. We would not hesitate to sail with MSC again and will book on the new Seaside in 2018. But first, back to Carnival Dream next October!

 

I agree about the website being less than user friendly. I would book with a travel agent so they can deal with MSC on your behalf if necessary.

Edited October 21, 2016 by versuco

[GOLDENBONNY]

I want to book MSC Davina for 2018. Based on what I see on videos and pictures, the ships looks very cool. Do you know if they offer the same basic things as Carnival do? Are their room sizes the same?

 

Balcony category will be more or less same size. Don't know about other ones.

1. MSC ships much more beautiful and cleaner than Carnival.

2.MSC entertainment is absolutely fantastic .

3. Food is personal I love more MSC but I had no problem on Carnival :rolleyes:

If you have any specific questions I will be more than happy to answer.

[Velvetwater]

Europeans just don't understand steak. . EM

 

I take offence to this comment, especially when we have some of the best livestock for it (Mmmm Aberdeen Angus). We may not like US steakhouses over here but if you go to a Gastropub you will get some wonderful steak done how you like it and with whatever you choose....naturally Stilton sauce is my poison. The continent has some great beef and know how to cook it as well..Germany in particular.

 

Our friends went on MSC and didnt mention the food (so I guess it was ok)but didn't like MSC due to the ship being 'sleepy and quiet'. So they wouldn't sail MSC again. They like the atmosphere of Carnival.

[Love2Cruz2015]

I take offence to this comment, especially when we have some of the best livestock for it (Mmmm Aberdeen Angus). We may not like US steakhouses over here but if you go to a Gastropub you will get some wonderful steak done how you like it and with whatever you choose....naturally Stilton sauce is my poison. The continent has some great beef and know how to cook it as well..Germany in particular.

 

Our friends went on MSC and didnt mention the food (so I guess it was ok)but didn't like MSC due to the ship being 'sleepy and quiet'. So they wouldn't sail MSC again. They like the atmosphere of Carnival.

 

Hmmmm, I wouldn't describe MSC as sleepy and quiet at all. Their entertainment venues surpass Carnival imo. Different type of entertainment at the show lounge, but music and dancing everywhere. Also no comedian due to the variety of the diverse languages on board. I would encourage anyone who likes CCL to try MSC.

Edited October 22, 2016 by Love2Cruz2015

[LMaxwell]

I also sailed Divina this year. It really is gorgeous. We had no service issues at all and the status match was great with free champagne, free specialty dinners, etc. MDR pretty good, and open for all meals. Buffet open 20 hours a day, lots of choices and selections - have to check out the sliced meats and cheeses. Entertainment plentiful all over ship, no less than 6 live performers in evening. Stage show different every night; short side, but still good. Cabin comfortable and flawless. It felt to me like what Royal Caribbean was, in terms of service, 10 or 20 years ago, and the price was unbeatable. No smoking in casino. They are constantly cleaning, polishing, painting.

 

If you go on and want a good experience, you will have one. If you go on and nitpick that some things aren't done how Carnival does them, that's up to you.

[funship freddy]

I am platinum on Carnival (and Princess and RCCL). Just off Divina last Saturday. The ship was beautiful. Food and service in the MDR was fine. Waiters very friendly. I am booked on Seaside for March 2018. Fear nothing of MSC. If I wasn't going on three cruises before Seaside, I would cruise MSC again.

[FLSteve11]

The negative thing with flip flopping though is that you could be earning points on one cruise line if you stick with them. On the other hand, I understand that variety is more fun.

 

To me, it's just a lot nicer to get to see the varying things different ships and lines do. We had one streak where we did RCCL a lot and I wanted to get different choices, styles of entertainment, activities, games, etc. I mean the points and status are nice, and I do consider them in terms of value when I look at different cruises, but the varying experiences mean more to me.