opinions on MSC versus Disney

[iambrink]

We have sailed DCL 7 times all from Port Canveral. I have been reading about the MSC Seaside from Miami starting next december. I have been so hesitant to leave DCL, but know there must be other experiences that make a fun vacation. We typically cruise for the ship and not necessarily the ports. What we like about DCL, is the Disney theme, but that's not the be all end all! My kids really like pools and water slides, so DCL is not really a great experiences for that anyway. We could book our NH april vacation next year on MSC for under $5000 in Yacht club cabin which i think is great. Anyone offer thoughts for MSC travelling with families?

[Reds4life]

I think it's about 1/4 what Disney costs. That's pretty much why we're trying it out in May. I have 2 girls who love Disney but the price is so good with MSC

[edspec]

We usually cruise DCL too, but after our last one in November I'm burnt out. MSC looks to have some things Disney doesn't: drink packages, reasonable rates, cheap laundry service, excellent loyalty plan, good pizza, unobtrusive service, and more adult entertainment. From what I've read on these boards the ships are beautiful and clean, like DCL. With young children I don't know if I would have been so easily swayed. My DS is 26 and autistic and he loves Disney, so we'll see...we may be right back to the mouse.

[alexkrn46]

We do not have young children but the kids we see all seem happy. The YC will make you experience great. The tv will have very limited children's programming.

[Vacationdreamer<><]

We loved DCL but not the price tag. We did NCL last year and loved it. Going to try new ship because of the great deal on MSC Seaside. Six kids and I know we'll have a blast. I'm a bit concerned about nickel and diming. We shall see.

[gigi1313]

DCL die-hard fan here too... just got off the Divina yesterday... would be happy to share our comparisons, thoughts, etc as soon as I get home/settled!

The one caveat is It Is Not Disney! and while it's impossible to not compare, you really cannot... MSC is a whole different product!

[sandpiper35]

We like both cruise lines, but would not compare them to each other. Sort of the apple and oranges comparison.

 

When taking the children on a vacation, we think Disney. When we think adult vacation, with no children, we think all other cruise lines, including MSC.

 

Cheers.

[iambrink]

My kids will be 12 and 16 next year and although they love disney, they just love vacation. we don't really need "kid" stuff, but pools, water areas, kid food restaurants like pizza, burgers, buffets...I think they are ready to try something new, but will do just about whatever i book! I have been reading about the MSC seaside and it looks like it will be quite impressive and the bonus is saving money! I guess i am wondering about family activities like shows at night...and is there a place to watch movies outside like on the Disney ships realizing they won't be Disney...I would love to see more water areas and then there's bowling...any other fun things that families have done?

[LMCruise]

We are also just off the Divina yesterday with our three elementary aged children. We love DCL and have done 4 night to 11 night cruises with them. This was our second MSC cruise (the first was from Italy).

 

We rebooked the Seaside in a Yacht Club room while on board for our April 2018 break (we're close to you in MA). We love DCL but their prices just don't make sense for my family anymore. DCL family veranda=$7400. Seaside yacht club=$5200. With that $2200, we can do a pre-cruise visit to Disney World if we like.

 

The Divina does not have the bells and whistles of the Disney kids clubs or the deck water areas, but it looks like the Seaside will address that. What impressed me about the Divina was its youth staff. They were amazing and energetic, and without question beat every DCL staff we've had. I've found my kids sitting in front of a tablet (probably for hours) on a Disney ship. I didn't see a tablet on the Divina. I did see my kids doing good old fashioned play.

 

Unlike DCL, they take the kids out of the clubs and around the ship. We much prefer that to the "locked inside" feeling of the DCL clubs. On the Divina, they take the kids to a lounge for "family discos" and to the evening shows. Instead of the horrid sandwiches that get served in the kids clubs on DCL during meal times, they take the kids to a special section of the buffet for dinner. They also do this on port days for lunch. We watched our 5 year old eat lunch with them from afar. The ladies eating with them did such a great job. By the fourth day of the cruise, 2 out of 3 of our kids asked to eat with them instead of us!

 

We also like MSC for the cultural aspect of it. My kids played with German, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Turkish children (probably more). They came home saying "Mama Mia!" and "Grazie!" They know how a Margarita pizza got its name and how gnocchi is made. It is a totally different experience than Disney.

 

One thing...our kids are the "Mini Club" and "Junior Club" age range (under 11). There were very few pre-teens and teens on this sailing, and their activities seemed a bit lacking. I talked to a parent of a pre-teen and they weren't as keen on MSC as we were.

[Benzbuddy87]

We have sailed DCL 7 times all from Port Canveral. I have been reading about the MSC Seaside from Miami starting next december. I have been so hesitant to leave DCL, but know there must be other experiences that make a fun vacation. We typically cruise for the ship and not necessarily the ports. What we like about DCL, is the Disney theme, but that's not the be all end all! My kids really like pools and water slides, so DCL is not really a great experiences for that anyway. We could book our NH april vacation next year on MSC for under $5000 in Yacht club cabin which i think is great. Anyone offer thoughts for MSC travelling with families?

 

We have been sailing DCL since 1999, but have given up on DCL as of 2015. Their prices are sky-rocketing, while their customer service and perks are plunging. We opted for MSC's Loyalty Match, which provided us with their highest loyalty - based upon my loyalty with DCL. MSC will match loyalty status with most cruise lines, and many hotels.

[riclop]

They are totally different, Disney is great for kids not adults.

[Benzbuddy87]

They are totally different, Disney is great for kids not adults.

 

 

Totally incorrect! We have sailed DCL almost 20 times - only twice with children. There is a plethora of adults who sail without kids. That aside, many DCL Platinum Castaway Club members are leaving DCL for other options for reasons I previously noted. During the second Save Disney campaign (2003 - 2005), Roy E. Disney castigated Michael Eisner for turning the Walt Disney Company into a rapacious conglomerate. I believe Disney has once again positioned itself in the same situation.

[ljandgb]

I'll tell you in August when we get home. We've done a Baltic cruise and a 4 day Merry Time cruise with DCL. We had a great time but with a family of 6, just can't justify the cost. We cruise more for the ports than the ship as well. We're doing a Med cruise in the YC on Splendida in July. We got a great deal and the cost will be less than half of what a med cruise on DCL would cost, even if we weren't concierge - which seems to still be a whole different ball game than MSC YC. For that extra money, we added a pre cruise week in France. For being in a different port every day and so not needing to just "use" the ship as it were, as long as the food and service isn't abysmal, I can't see how we are going to regret it.

 

Like I said, I'll report back in August.