MSC vs. other lines

[BaseballMomof4]

I have been cruising for about 10 years, primarily on Carnival with one cruise on NCL. I am currently looking at an MSC cruise on the Symphonia and am wondering if anyone who has cruised a couple of these lines could give me some information about how they compare to one another.

 

Thanks in advance for any information!!

[sfaaa]

If you like to save money and cruise on a beautiful ship, give MSC a try.

[Beamafar]

Sinfonia is one of the Lirica class ships - the smallest in the fleet. I'm glad I experienced the larger MSC ships before sailing on her as I don't think I'd have done another cruise with MSC otherwise. I prefer cruising on the bigger ships.

 

However, if it's the itinerary and price that's tempting you, then go for it.

[BermudaBound2014]

While it has been many years since I've sailed carnival, I have cruised on both MSC and Ncl within the last 8 months.

 

Imo, if you truly like the carnival experience you may not feel at home with MSC. The MSC product is much more subdued. Personally, I prefer food on Ncl and service was more personalized also. You won't find comedy clubs on MSC as they have only one 45 minute show each evening. They do have other music venues, but they aren't what i would call high energy.

 

MSC is an excellent product for those looking to save a few dollars. I think the product is very value friendly, and the divina was spotlessly clean and really pretty in the hard scape.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BaseballMomof4]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it.

 

As to the Carnival experience, yes, in the Caribbean we do enjoy it. When we sailed the Vista this May, we really didn't have much chance to experience it as our days in port were long and many and by the time we got back on the ship and ate dinner, most nights we were exhausted. We did a small bit of gambling and went to a club here and there, but mostly we went to comedy shows (which we understand we will not have on MSC) or visited the hot tub to relax after a long day of walking. I think on a Med cruise we would be fine with just a nice dinner and maybe a trip to a hot tub before crashing for the night.

[Daemonguy]

My wife and I scheduled a cruise in December of 2016. Our previous experience with cruises werequite different, in that they, unlike MSC, apparently did concern themselveswith customer satisfaction.

 

It began with an absolute disaster of an embarkationprocess. Rather than assigning arrivalsto group boarding, thus enabling them to remain seated and comfortable in theinterim, MSC opted for the cutthroat approach; everyone gets in line and staysthere. We arrived at 11:30 and did notactually make it onto the ship until after 5 PM. Additionally, we were told that the reasonthe boarding process was so long, was an extreme vetting routine performed bythe Customs for all egressing passengers. That was a lie. We spoke todeparting passengers who mentioned nothing of this at all but instead regaledus with tales of disoriented and uncoordinated egress routines from the line –which, as we discovered, is absolutely the truth.

 

When we finally did board, we eventually found our roomdespite the incorrect information on the provided maps. My guess is, the Divina was retrofitted, andthey never bothered to update the paper maps. That fact speaks volumes for this cruise line.

 

We reached the room to find out luggage had not yet madeit. Odd, considering in less time onother lines, our bags were waiting for us and the room steward paraded thehalls introducing himself and memorizing customer names. On the Divina, the bags were missing, nosteward to be found. We finally did meet ours, though only saw her once. I didn’t bother to mention since it was dayslater, that upon our arrival the bathroom was dingy, and there were hairs inthe sink.

 

We had not eaten since breakfast, so we sought somethingsate ourselves. The buffet (an accurateterm if one is merely describing a function that presents copious quantities offood-like substances) was open, so we placed a few items onto plates and lookedfor a beverage station. The coffee barwas open (or so we thought), and my wife merely asked where one might get abeverage. The attendant rolled his eyesand appeared impatient that his reverie was disturbed. We were astounded and disgusted by thisperson’s lack of even the most basic of manners and discarded our food trays,having now lost our appetite. Restassured, she nor I, are prima donnas, expecting the employees to act asservants to our every whim, but likewise, we don’t expect rude behavior as aresponse to a simple query when a simple direction would have sufficed. It is interesting to note that on adifferent occasion, my wife wanted a real coffee (the free stuff at the buffetis watery nonsense) and was willing to pay. She requested a cappuccino and with another disgusted look by the baristaand a dismissive wave of the hand, he informed here the ‘free coffee is overthere.'

My wife is a smoker (vapor, to be fair) and after thestresses of the day thus far, needed a release. Following the false map once again led us to an area that at one timeallowed smoking, but no longer did. Herinquiries to bartenders and wait staff alike again resulted in rude, curt, andabrupt responses, also with no direction, but merely resolution that ‘this wasnot the area, go somewhere else.'

 

About that time, a garbled announcement started allpassengers were required to obtain the life vest from their cabins and attendthe safety meeting. We had experiencedthis previously on other lines, as a coordinated effort, broken out into smallmanageable groups, each that would be assigned a lifeboat. The address in these previous trips had beenclear, short, and to the point. Not sowith MSC. A large group formed in one ofthe wrap-around dining areas. Where wesat, we could neither see nor hear the briefing. We sat immobilized, unsure of what to dowhen some folks started to try on their life jackets. Most just sat there and waited. No one heard or understood what was beingsaid, if anything, but we did waste 45 minutes doing it. At some point, people just started to filterout. The comforting thing was, werealized after the fact we could have merely checked in with our key card andwalked away.

 

We decided to consider the cigar room, as I am an avid cigarenthusiast. I noticed several thingsabout this so called “well appointed” cigar lounge; it was not a lounge, atleast not until a certain time, it was remarkably warm (as was the entire ship– which makes for ‘fun’ formal nights), and there lacked any smoke removalprocess within that small area. Duringmy week-long detainment in this gulag of a ship, I noticed that by the time thebar opened (around 5:30) the smoke was so thick, most people could not breathein there, and your clothes reeked of stale cigar smoke and sweat. Side note, Alex the bartender and his solewaitress were the singular high points of the entire trip

 

Our first dinner in the dining room. I was anticipating this, as previous cruisesmeant wonderful vistas (ocean through the windows), clean and appropriatelydefined tables, excellent food, and superior customer service. I still recall the head waiter’s name and histhree kids from our first cruise; he left such a good impression. “Jeff” on this cruise left an impression aswell, but not a positive one. The food wasdisgusting. Ossobuco that was 95% bone,4% fat, and 1% edible. I had one and ahalf bites. Alfredo that was overcookedpasta and a teaspoon of some sauce that was not Alfredo. I have pictures. The table ‘decoration’ was a single,decrepit, and fake orchid that was stained with the food particulate fromprevious guests. It epitomized ourtrip.

 

For an additional fee, they will feed you edible food; howcomforting. We never saw the maître d; Iguess he or she doesn’t visit second seating. Other in first seating saw him and told him of the same woes. They were given coupons for the Eatalyrestaurant and found it to be devoid of value and were glad they didn’tpay. Not only was most of the foodinedible, the portion sizes were ridiculously small. Even the ladies at our table were asking forsecond appetizers, only to be met with consternation and disapproval from thewaiter. Oh, no views either, and it washot as hades in there.

 

As for “Jeff” the waiter. Our first night, we had no idea you only get water or bad coffee withdinner, so my wife asked for iced tea. The waiter rolled his eyes (a common theme) put his hand in my wife’sface, and said “you’ll just have to wait a minute” and walked away withouttaking our order. I leaped from my chair asking if there was a problem, as Ididn’t appreciate his putting his hand in my wife’s face. He said there was no problem, and walkedoff. No matter what we or the otherdiners at our table asked for if it was out of the ordinary in Jeff’s mind, itwas a clear problem.

At the coffee/gelato bar near the cigar room, I attempted togarner my cup of cappuccino, as noted previously, no one ever serviced thecigar lounge and the bar was closed all day. I was at first ignored by the barista, then pointed toward the waitressalso just standing there at the counter, who reluctantly helped me by repeatingwhat I had just ordered (as though the barista did not comprehend it – yes shealso spoke English).

 

Our first night, the door which separates the balconies fromthe rooms (which I assume opens in the base of multi-room suites for families)was not secured and banged all night. Iattempted to call the service desk, several times, with no response. The next morning, after getting no sleepbecause of it, I went to the desk, explained the problem, and they informed mesomeone would fix it. No apologies, noempathy, just a conditional response.

 

We met many others, in fact, everyone we spoke to across theinternment agreed to the horrible conditions of this ship and the poor customerservice. We honestly considered leavingthe ship and flying home at the first port. Departure day came, much to our excitement, only to find we were forcedto evacuate our rooms by 7 AM, but not allowed to leave the ship until after10:30 AM. The only offer of adviceduring the entire trip from the staff was to “not evaluate the whole ship basedupon single episodes (plural) of disappointment”. That indicates they are aware of the malaiseon the part of the crew and the impact to customers, and yet, still do notcare.

 

I sent a typed letter to several key individuals at MSC,including the CEO and to the parent company’s CEO Diego Aponte in Geneva. The lackadaisical response is one I shouldhave anticipated, given the state of their employees. I clearly stated each of my concerns, and inevery circumstance, I was offered false condolences followed by patheticexcuses. In fact, the Mr. RichardSasso, chairman of MSC Cruises immediately negated my entire argument rightfrom the start by stating that he receives many complimentary letters; anindication that I must be somehow responsible, or overly sensitive. Most of my comments were ignored andpresented with some canned response that does not even remotely address myconcerns, and the entire letter is dismissive – so much like their staff.

 

In the end, he offered me a $200 per person cruise credit,should I opt to try them again. As Iexplained, I would not take another cruise if they gave me one. I am less concerned with the wasted money(but I would have accepted a partial refund in principle) as I am with thewasted time. That was the mostsignificant loss and not something that is replaceable.

 

I would avoid MSC altogether unless you thrive on constantdisappointment.

[mjonis]

Were you on the Dec. 6th sailing? If so, most of what you experienced, so did we. Never got a response from MSC, but I don't expect one given their utter lack of organization. The price was good, as was the internet/drink coupon pricing. Looking at another cruise in 2019 and all the others are significantly more expensive, especially once you tack on the drink/internet (7-nighter is looking to be close to $800/pp more than the 10-nighter we had). Oh well, I won't go back to MSC unless I can afford Yacht Club (which will never happen unless I win the lotto) or they fix the issues. *maybe* with Seaside they'll get their act together, but I wouldn't count on it.

[GOLDENBONNY]

"horrible conditions of this ship " and fake maps ...... all employers roll eyes on you? Really? And of course first ever post on CC. Even for troll you too much.

[Daemonguy]

Mjonis:

No, December 16, but it is not surprising that the same experience carried through.

 

 

I cannot see myself ever handing MSC a dime again.

 

 

Were you on the Dec. 6th sailing? If so, most of what you experienced, so did we. Never got a response from MSC, but I don't expect one given their utter lack of organization. The price was good, as was the internet/drink coupon pricing. Looking at another cruise in 2019 and all the others are significantly more expensive, especially once you tack on the drink/internet (7-nighter is looking to be close to $800/pp more than the 10-nighter we had). Oh well, I won't go back to MSC unless I can afford Yacht Club (which will never happen unless I win the lotto) or they fix the issues. *maybe* with Seaside they'll get their act together, but I wouldn't count on it.

[Beamafar]

Mjonis:

No, December 16, but it is not surprising that the same experience carried through.

 

 

I cannot see myself ever handing MSC a dime again.

 

So, I guess MSC is not for you - just as well there are plenty of other cruise lines then!

 

Thanks for the laugh - it's been a pretty dull, boring afternoon up until now.

[Daemonguy]

"horrible conditions of this ship " and fake maps ...... all employers roll eyes on you? Really? And of course first ever post on CC. Even for troll you too much.

 

Honestly, I don't care that you feel I am some sort of troll, which is an asinine proposal as I am not seeking to cause discord by initiating arguments using off-topic, straw-man arguments. I stated precisely what we experienced; it is up to you if you choose to acknowledge it or not. I can say that I have been on other cruises, and NOT experienced this nonsense. Yes, my first post, how observant. It is the first experience worthy of a critical survey of various metrics one typically utilizes when making a decision on vacation options.

 

 

The 'fake maps' (sic) is easily explained as the Divina most probably experienced a redesign during the last overhaul, which changed some entryways and perhaps even caused a renumbering of room assignments. I never said the maps were "fake", but rather, incorrect, which they are, or were.

 

 

Perhaps you're right, though. Why would anyone expect a criticism on a forum associated with a domain called "CruiseCritic"; how absurd.

 

 

A point of note, it was the employees, not employers that rolled their eyes, or acted in an indignant fashion.

 

 

If you are going to accuse someone of trolling, you really should get your "evidence" correct.

[sfaaa]

.In the end, he offered me a $200 per person cruise credit,should I opt to try them again.

 

$400 free money out of the window. Your loss and not MSC.

[mjonis]

"horrible conditions of this ship " and fake maps ...... all employers roll eyes on you? Really? And of course first ever post on CC. Even for troll you too much.

 

I'll grant him a pass on the maps. the maps on the ship (the ones attached to the walls) WERE incorrect on the 12/6/16 sailing. They listed a Mexican restaurant where the Eataly Italian Ristorante was located, and had no mention of the Sports bar "restaurant".

 

There were a few other things that were wrong on the maps as well (we gave up and used the Cruisemate app on the phone), so I can assure you that MSC had changed things and never updated those maps. We did actually inquire with the assistant maitre'd as to where things were at and she said the maps hadn't been updated. Not sure *when* the changes were made (October drydock or not).

 

However, we never got any eyerolls from any staff.

[mjonis]

Mjonis:

No, December 16, but it is not surprising that the same experience carried through.

 

 

I cannot see myself ever handing MSC a dime again.

 

ah, OK. that would definitely explain the horrendous embarkation process then. You were boarding the ship we had just debarked on, and the holdup was with Customs and Border Patrol that caused almost an hour delay for debarkation, plus they wanted extra security screening because we had stopped at Colombia. they did the same thing to us when we embarked (the ship had just returned from another 10-nighter that had stopped in Columbia). fortunately we only had about a 4 hour wait, although luggage took about 10 hours to be delivered (from time of arrival where we dropped luggage off).

 

Apparently it's a POM/CBP issue, but very poorly handled/explained by MSC (IMO).

 

Sorry for the problems, just know you're not the only one that happened to.

 

But at least we know now, right? Never know until you try.