Opinions on MSC

[sonvoltken6]

My wife and I are in our mid 50s and looking at MSC for Eastern Mediterranean in 2020. We mostly loyal to Royal (and Celebrity) but the pricing on MSC is literally half of RCCI for a balcony cabin. We are not into the bells and whistles (rock wall, etc) but like a variety of activities during sea days and evenings. We aren't foodies but like simple food (steak, chicken, etc). 

 

I would be interested in opinions on MSC and especially how it compares to RCCI and Celebrity. Would the guests be mostly European or a mix with US, etc? I can't imagine spending $2K when I can spend $1K on a what appears to be a similar ship, itinerary, etc. 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

[SeaTheW0rld]

I haven't sailed with MSC, yet (Carnival, HAL, Princes, Costa and one crap cruise with NCL).  

 

Watch some videos on youtube.  I was impressed enough to book a 20-day transatlantic. So far, I love MSC.  Paid rock-bottom prices for an inside, got upgraded to a balcony.  

[Chade5772]

We were booked on the Celebrity Edge and cancelled for the BELLISSIMA. We are in our mid 40’s and primarily go on Celebrity, but have gone on several cruises with Carnaval, RC, HAL. While I am booked but not sailed with MSC, from the research I have done the Yacht Club will be a top tier experience, below that level from all evidence I have seen the experience woul be a let down. But for price, if this is as good as many former Celebrity guest have said—MSC May be our new “go to” line. 

[evandbob]

Sailed the Seaside last year as my 1st MSC cruise after about 50 others.  We were impressed by the ship, decor, layout and food options, entertainment was good some nights, others not so good.  Price was excellent for a bella balcony.

 

There were some odd issues like a $60 security deposit for a sharps container, and having to go to several reps to get wifi issues resolved, but mostly it was a good cruise and we will sail MSC again.

 

As for the demographics, we left from Miami at 7 PM to accommodate travelers from the UK and Europe, so even leaving from a US port there was an international crowd.  However, muster was short and disciplined, quicker than most Carnival safety drills, even though several languages were used during the briefing.

[cruisingberger]

We have sailed RCCL, Celebrity and MSC (Armonia) and we are also in our 50's. Like you, the cruise we wanted was about half price so we tried it. I am a huge fan of Celebrity and Princess and MSC is different for sure. There will be many people who either do not speak English or little English which is a little disconcerting. All of the staff we ran into spoke English, but for many it was a second or third language and communicating was a little bit difficult sometimes. The food was good, in smaller portions, which was actually nice. I didn't gain the weight I normally do on a cruise. During the day there were dance classes, trivia, bingo etc. We were not excited about the shows. They are similar each night, a song or two, dancing, feats of strength and an acrobat or two. There were just different themes like Italian night and Under the sea. MSC charges for room service food and service, although the service fee is waived if you book a high enough category. For us the excursions were super disorganized although I'm sure that each ship would be run differently. Be prepared to wait. People are nice enough but there seemed to be a line for everything and other cultures do not necessarily Que or respect lines like the US so sometimes you will find yourself in a massive crowd that is a little overwhelming. We enjoyed our cruise, I love cruising and really tried to appreciate the differences.  If I get a really good deal I will go again, but personally I enjoy Princess and Celebrity much more.

[CarolR]

My sister and brother in law sailed the Eastern Med on the Poesia.  They said the ship was beautiful, food excellent and good service.  The food she said is Mediterranean and that may not appeal to some North American's who may be looking more for burgers, fries etc.  We are of Italian heritage so she said the food was some of the best she ever had.  She did say the shows were not as good but overall no complaints about the cruise. 

[Giantfan13]

Maybe I can help a bit also. In December, we did a 10 day Med cruise on the Sinfonia, from Barcelona. After that, we boarded an RCCL ship for a trans Atlantic to Tampa, from Barcelona. So we had the situation you are talking about, back to back.

This was our second cruise on MSC but first European cruise. The first time was a disaster on the Divina, her first time in Miami and they knew nothing about American cruises. But we decided to try it again, maybe for the same reasons as you, price.

 

To answer a few of your questions, there are stark differences between MSC and any other American cruise lines. Most passengers (about 90%) will be Europeans and there will be enough that do not speak English. If you are English speaking, you will be seated with English speaking passengers at dinner, menu will be in 5 different languages and all announcements are in 5 different languages. 

Just our take on major differences--Service was good, but crew doesn't know how to smile unless smiled at. They do their job, very well, but as to friendliness, it isn't even in same ballpark as an American cruise. We had a waiter for 10 nights, never smiled, never knew our names etc. When we got on RCCL, EVERYONE was happy, smiling, cheerful. To us, it just made for a better atmosphere. 

Food was good, but very small portions. As I said, service was good as we were usually done with dinner in less than 90 minutes. There is NO coffee or tea after dinner. If you want that, you pay for it. 

Shows were short and sweet--everything is visual so all can understand and view. A couple of Operas also are included and that is up to you if you want to view. We did, but we are not Opera people and were sort of bored. 

Maybe one of our biggest 'complaints' if that is the right word, and it has nothing to do with MSC, just the European people per se and I truly do not mean to insult anyone, but to Americans, they are just plain out rude and do not partake in many of the social graces we do. Like I held a door for a lady as we were going thru and she never even acknowledged me. When  elevators open, they just rush in, never even allowing people to get off. People are always pushing to get ahead, enough so, that I had to sort of yell at this little old lady to get out of my back pocket and stop trying to pass me by, while just standing on line.  I understand it is a cultural thing, but we found it very offensive.

Then there are the continual people disembarking and embarking at just about every port. You sort of get used to luggage in the hallways every night.

So, all in all, we still had a good cruise. We adjusted to many of the things we weren't accustomed to and had a good time. Would we cruise MSC again, YES, but if lines like RCCL had the same prices as MSC I would always do RCCL. It was just more cheerful, friendly and made everyone around you happier. Isn't that why we cruise?

 

Cheers

Len

 

[SeaTheW0rld]

53 minutes ago, Giantfan13 said:

Maybe I can help a bit also. In December, we did a 10 day Med cruise on the Sinfonia, from Barcelona. After that, we boarded an RCCL ship for a trans Atlantic to Tampa, from Barcelona. So we had the situation you are talking about, back to back.

This was our second cruise on MSC but first European cruise. The first time was a disaster on the Divina, her first time in Miami and they knew nothing about American cruises. But we decided to try it again, maybe for the same reasons as you, price.

 

To answer a few of your questions, there are stark differences between MSC and any other American cruise lines. Most passengers (about 90%) will be Europeans and there will be enough that do not speak English. If you are English speaking, you will be seated with English speaking passengers at dinner, menu will be in 5 different languages and all announcements are in 5 different languages. 

Just our take on major differences--Service was good, but crew doesn't know how to smile unless smiled at. They do their job, very well, but as to friendliness, it isn't even in same ballpark as an American cruise. We had a waiter for 10 nights, never smiled, never knew our names etc. When we got on RCCL, EVERYONE was happy, smiling, cheerful. To us, it just made for a better atmosphere. 

Food was good, but very small portions. As I said, service was good as we were usually done with dinner in less than 90 minutes. There is NO coffee or tea after dinner. If you want that, you pay for it. 

Shows were short and sweet--everything is visual so all can understand and view. A couple of Operas also are included and that is up to you if you want to view. We did, but we are not Opera people and were sort of bored. 

Maybe one of our biggest 'complaints' if that is the right word, and it has nothing to do with MSC, just the European people per se and I truly do not mean to insult anyone, but to Americans, they are just plain out rude and do not partake in many of the social graces we do. Like I held a door for a lady as we were going thru and she never even acknowledged me. When  elevators open, they just rush in, never even allowing people to get off. People are always pushing to get ahead, enough so, that I had to sort of yell at this little old lady to get out of my back pocket and stop trying to pass me by, while just standing on line.  I understand it is a cultural thing, but we found it very offensive.

Then there are the continual people disembarking and embarking at just about every port. You sort of get used to luggage in the hallways every night.

So, all in all, we still had a good cruise. We adjusted to many of the things we weren't accustomed to and had a good time. Would we cruise MSC again, YES, but if lines like RCCL had the same prices as MSC I would always do RCCL. It was just more cheerful, friendly and made everyone around you happier. Isn't that why we cruise?

 

Cheers

Len

 

Nice write up.  That's exactly what I am expecting (based on my cruises with Costa). 

 

One clarification:  Americans (or maybe anyone who books thru a US agency), gets bottled water and coffee in the MDRs included.  I didn't know this until I looked at the pricing breakdown on my booking.  

Edited February 9, 2019 by SeaTheW0rld
typo

[RealNorwegianCruiser]

My wife and I got 7-8 cruises with Royal (grand suites incl.) 2 with Celebrity and 1 with NCL under our belt, and wrote this review after our Meraviglia cruise in October.:

 

A few negatives;

- less CHOICES in the breakfast and lunch buffet than Royal, Celebrity, and NCL.

- Do NOT book a stateroom on deck 14 under the pool deck on Meraviglia. NOISY! You could hear people running, loungers placed out by the crew every morning at 6, LOUD pool parties like the white party.. When I complained about this, I got the impression that the customer service was well aware of this, and gave me a B I G discount on my upcoming cruise in February.

- lack of visible crew during disembarkion/poor imformation. ( our case was maybe especially bad since disembarkion was very late due to really bad weather in Civitavecchia. Chaos.

- Lack of waiters during breakfast. Ordering drinks took forever.... getting them? Even longer.

Some positives;

- Value for money. Dont know about cruises in the Caribbean, but the prices on MSC cruises in Europa wins BIG time over Royal, Celebrity and NCL.

- Very good food in the Main Dining Room - and yes you can have several starters, mains and/or desserts. No need to go hungry. In my opinion, equally good as Royal, NCL, and Celebrity.

- Drinks. Better than on Royal and Celebrity. 

- Butchers Cut... oh.. the best filet mignon I ever tasted on sea.

- Best pizza. No discussion!

- Sunny in the Main Dining Room. A waiter that know what he was doing. Good recommendations through the whole cruise.

Some neutrals:

- the housekeeping is not there to befriend you, but to do a job. I got real friends, and therefore I am fine with that. Im not trying to be a friend with my accountant, bus driver or my sons kindergarden teatcher either. They are doing their job.

- those noisy «foreigners». I belive this is just cultural differences. I feel a ship out of Miami is equally “noisy” as from Genoa. The difference is that many cruisers are used to cruise with others with their own language. It sounds more noisy maybe. But since I am from Norway, if find those “foreigners” equally “noisy” as English speaking cruisers. Equally «rude» as well.. People push in the buffet everywhere - me too!

In my opionion MSC delivers a equally good product as Royal, NCL and Celebrity. Yes it is some differences, but all in all a good cruise product. Some differences from Royal, Celebrity and NCL, but that I am mostly happy for. We dont need 7 cruise companies delivering the exactly same product, do we? Im more than ready for my two next bookings with MSC! Royal and/or Celebrity needs to do some REAL effort to get me back..

just my two kroner.. from a normal cruiser - not paid or bribed from any cruise company............

 

 

.....and because of this, we will board Meraviglia again on Saturday:) 

[Cruisekitty1977]

16 minutes ago, RealNorwegianCruiser said:

My wife and I got 7-8 cruises with Royal (grand suites incl.) 2 with Celebrity and 1 with NCL under our belt, and wrote this review after our Meraviglia cruise in October.:

 

A few negatives;

- less CHOICES in the breakfast and lunch buffet than Royal, Celebrity, and NCL.

- Do NOT book a stateroom on deck 14 under the pool deck on Meraviglia. NOISY! You could hear people running, loungers placed out by the crew every morning at 6, LOUD pool parties like the white party.. When I complained about this, I got the impression that the customer service was well aware of this, and gave me a B I G discount on my upcoming cruise in February.

- lack of visible crew during disembarkion/poor imformation. ( our case was maybe especially bad since disembarkion was very late due to really bad weather in Civitavecchia. Chaos.

- Lack of waiters during breakfast. Ordering drinks took forever.... getting them? Even longer.

Some positives;

- Value for money. Dont know about cruises in the Caribbean, but the prices on MSC cruises in Europa wins BIG time over Royal, Celebrity and NCL.

- Very good food in the Main Dining Room - and yes you can have several starters, mains and/or desserts. No need to go hungry. In my opinion, equally good as Royal, NCL, and Celebrity.

- Drinks. Better than on Royal and Celebrity. 

- Butchers Cut... oh.. the best filet mignon I ever tasted on sea.

- Best pizza. No discussion!

- Sunny in the Main Dining Room. A waiter that know what he was doing. Good recommendations through the whole cruise.

Some neutrals:

- the housekeeping is not there to befriend you, but to do a job. I got real friends, and therefore I am fine with that. Im not trying to be a friend with my accountant, bus driver or my sons kindergarden teatcher either. They are doing their job.

- those noisy «foreigners». I belive this is just cultural differences. I feel a ship out of Miami is equally “noisy” as from Genoa. The difference is that many cruisers are used to cruise with others with their own language. It sounds more noisy maybe. But since I am from Norway, if find those “foreigners” equally “noisy” as English speaking cruisers. Equally «rude» as well.. People push in the buffet everywhere - me too!

In my opionion MSC delivers a equally good product as Royal, NCL and Celebrity. Yes it is some differences, but all in all a good cruise product. Some differences from Royal, Celebrity and NCL, but that I am mostly happy for. We dont need 7 cruise companies delivering the exactly same product, do we? Im more than ready for my two next bookings with MSC! Royal and/or Celebrity needs to do some REAL effort to get me back..

just my two kroner.. from a normal cruiser - not paid or bribed from any cruise company............

 

 

.....and because of this, we will board Meraviglia again on Saturday:) 

Thank you for this write up! My husband is nervous to do MSC a little because of negative reviews, but my own interpretation is that most of the negatives come from normal cultural differences and MSC desiring to cater to all different types of cruisers around the world. This is actually what makes me so excited for MSC. I would love to see an opera, take dancing classes, and try different cuisine  that I don't get at home. I am really excited for my kids to be surrounded by different cultures and be exposed to things that are not distinctly "american". I get that this may not be everyone's cup of tea and I won't be able to form my official opinion until after my cruise in April, but I personally am really excited for a different cruise experience!

[Beamafar]

1 hour ago, SeaTheW0rld said:

 

 

One clarification:  Americans (or maybe anyone who books thru a US agency), gets bottled water and coffee in the MDRs included.  I didn't know this until I looked at the pricing breakdown on my booking.  

 

So do those booking from Ireland and the UK:

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Beamafar

[Kmkub]

We just booked MSC for the first time. For us, the two biggest negatives we see repeatedly (lack of staff friendliness and small portions,) are actually huge pluses for us.

 

We don't want to be fake besties with the waiter or room steward. He/she pretending to care what I did during the day does nothing to add to my journey. Also, smaller portions will be a welcome. The amount of food I waste on cruises is shameful, which is why the buffet is often a better option, since I can control the portion.

[scpirate]

6 hours ago, cruisingberger said:

We have sailed RCCL, Celebrity and MSC (Armonia) and we are also in our 50's. Like you, the cruise we wanted was about half price so we tried it. I am a huge fan of Celebrity and Princess and MSC is different for sure. There will be many people who either do not speak English or little English which is a little disconcerting. All of the staff we ran into spoke English, but for many it was a second or third language and communicating was a little bit difficult sometimes. The food was good, in smaller portions, which was actually nice. I didn't gain the weight I normally do on a cruise. During the day there were dance classes, trivia, bingo etc. We were not excited about the shows. They are similar each night, a song or two, dancing, feats of strength and an acrobat or two. There were just different themes like Italian night and Under the sea. MSC charges for room service food and service, although the service fee is waived if you book a high enough category. For us the excursions were super disorganized although I'm sure that each ship would be run differently. Be prepared to wait. People are nice enough but there seemed to be a line for everything and other cultures do not necessarily Que or respect lines like the US so sometimes you will find yourself in a massive crowd that is a little overwhelming. We enjoyed our cruise, I love cruising and really tried to appreciate the differences.  If I get a really good deal I will go again, but personally I enjoy Princess and Celebrity much more.

I haven't been in princess but I've heard good things.i like celebrity best but msc had their quirks but I booked msc seaside a second time I had to book a cruise to take the last grandchild that couldn't go with us this year.i couldn't beat the price for a summer cruise.i think it's better than carnival.

[Markanddonna]

Just off Divina in Feb. I will write a longer review but I was very pleased with the experience. I disagree with other's experiences about European and the crew. No pushier than other cruise passengers and the staff were very friendly. 

 

Best theater entertainment of any cruise line. 

Edited February 10, 2019 by Markanddonna

[Hlitner]

There are some stark differences with MSC which may or may not impact how you feel about the line.  MSC is a European based company that does extensive marketing to Europeans.  It is also well known to many Europeans so they have a level of comfort with the line that is not enjoyed by many Americans.  All this means that you are going to find a very International mix of passengers (more so in Europe).  For those of us who love independent international travel and are comfortable with language and cultural differences this can be more of a plus.  But many Americans may have difficulty adjusting to these differences.  When folks talk about the "crew not being friendly"....we think that much of this is because many crew members are not fluent in English.  But take some time working around these language issues and you will find that MSC has many friendly crew members.  One observation we made on the Divina was that many crew members were on their first contract and less comfortable being a ship then us (we have spent far more then 1000 days on cruise ships).  But many of these crew members were happy to talk about their homes, families, etc.  if they had the time.

 

One surprise for us was that much of the crew was not from Europe.  On the Divina we met quite a few crew members from St Lucia, Mauritius and Madagascar.  We also were pleasantly surprised to run into a Senior Officer (an old friend) who we knew from HAL :).  We met a few other crew members that had worked on other lines (such as Celebrity) and found that we knew some of the same folks (it is a small world).  As to fellow passengers, we met (and made some new friends) folks from the UK, Italy, France, Germany (quite a few Germans), Finland (first time we befriended Finns on a cruise), and the USA.

 

Hank

[BermudaBound2014]

On 2/9/2019 at 11:14 AM, sonvoltken6 said:

 

 

I would be interested in opinions on MSC and especially how it compares to RCCI and Celebrity. Would the guests be mostly European or a mix with US, etc? I can't imagine spending $2K when I can spend $1K on a what appears to be a similar ship, itinerary, etc. 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

You hit the nail on the head for me. I will continue to sail MSC when they are substantially less expensive than their competitors. I've sailed MSC both inside and outside of YC and believe that it is wise to keep expectations in line with cost paid. In other words, its unlikely one will consume champagne on a beer budget whether you are purchasing a cruise, car, or clothing. If you can purchase MSC for 50% less than the competition, I think you'll enjoy the value. 

[clamper]

On 2/9/2019 at 4:14 PM, sonvoltken6 said:

My wife and I are in our mid 50s and looking at MSC for Eastern Mediterranean in 2020. We mostly loyal to Royal (and Celebrity) but the pricing on MSC is literally half of RCCI for a balcony cabin. We are not into the bells and whistles (rock wall, etc) but like a variety of activities during sea days and evenings. We aren't foodies but like simple food (steak, chicken, etc). 

 

I would be interested in opinions on MSC and especially how it compares to RCCI and Celebrity. Would the guests be mostly European or a mix with US, etc? I can't imagine spending $2K when I can spend $1K on a what appears to be a similar ship, itinerary, etc. 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

Done 4 cruises with MSC and all have been fantastic & booked for Seaview in May, Europeans don’t do civility like us Brits & Americans, that sometimes we find offensive but we accept it & laugh 😆 at it, however the ships are stunning & cabins brilliant more modern than other cruise lines (my opinion) we find them very relaxing but there are hundreds of things to do onboard if you want to be busy. 

Food is always the big issue 🤔 we find it best to chill out and find the fresh omelette station for breakfast, lunch don’t go buffet at peak times (amazing how pools are empty at peak lunch) dinner use specialty restaurants & get a drinks package. 

MSC do things differently than RCCI, Celebrity, Princess & P&O but I really like MSC and it’s half the price. 

I view cruise ships as posh taxis between ports and for that they never fail. 

 

[aeothoin]

Haven’t sailed with MSC yet, only tried RCL and Carnival but will be sailing with MSC Seaview next month from Brazil to Spain! Watched the YouTube videos and it looks amazing, cannot wait! 

[Stonewolf Cruiser]

On 2/9/2019 at 12:45 PM, Giantfan13 said:

Maybe I can help a bit also. In December, we did a 10 day Med cruise on the Sinfonia, from Barcelona. After that, we boarded an RCCL ship for a trans Atlantic to Tampa, from Barcelona. So we had the situation you are talking about, back to back.

This was our second cruise on MSC but first European cruise. The first time was a disaster on the Divina, her first time in Miami and they knew nothing about American cruises. But we decided to try it again, maybe for the same reasons as you, price.

 

To answer a few of your questions, there are stark differences between MSC and any other American cruise lines. Most passengers (about 90%) will be Europeans and there will be enough that do not speak English. If you are English speaking, you will be seated with English speaking passengers at dinner, menu will be in 5 different languages and all announcements are in 5 different languages. 

Just our take on major differences--Service was good, but crew doesn't know how to smile unless smiled at. They do their job, very well, but as to friendliness, it isn't even in same ballpark as an American cruise. We had a waiter for 10 nights, never smiled, never knew our names etc. When we got on RCCL, EVERYONE was happy, smiling, cheerful. To us, it just made for a better atmosphere. 

Food was good, but very small portions. As I said, service was good as we were usually done with dinner in less than 90 minutes. There is NO coffee or tea after dinner. If you want that, you pay for it. 

Shows were short and sweet--everything is visual so all can understand and view. A couple of Operas also are included and that is up to you if you want to view. We did, but we are not Opera people and were sort of bored. 

Maybe one of our biggest 'complaints' if that is the right word, and it has nothing to do with MSC, just the European people per se and I truly do not mean to insult anyone, but to Americans, they are just plain out rude and do not partake in many of the social graces we do. Like I held a door for a lady as we were going thru and she never even acknowledged me. When  elevators open, they just rush in, never even allowing people to get off. People are always pushing to get ahead, enough so, that I had to sort of yell at this little old lady to get out of my back pocket and stop trying to pass me by, while just standing on line.  I understand it is a cultural thing, but we found it very offensive.

Then there are the continual people disembarking and embarking at just about every port. You sort of get used to luggage in the hallways every night.

So, all in all, we still had a good cruise. We adjusted to many of the things we weren't accustomed to and had a good time. Would we cruise MSC again, YES, but if lines like RCCL had the same prices as MSC I would always do RCCL. It was just more cheerful, friendly and made everyone around you happier. Isn't that why we cruise?

 

Cheers

Len

 

 

Thanks for the helpful information.  I am considering trying MSC for the first time.

[MarkusToe]

been on Seaside 2 weeks, but in YC

to be very honest, this is the only option I'd like to do again on MSC (big ships)

Main ship was soooo crowded, unbelievable ....

but never had 5000pax before....

[miataman19]

We are Celebrity lovers (Reflection is our favorite) don't care for Royal. Early 60's couple. We sailed on a 10 Day Divina sailing in January. There are some things that we loved and things we didn't. You can find that with every ship and line (except Cunard QE2...lol...that TA was perfect). We had a great time on Divina. The food was good the service was very good and our shipmates ( 30% western and 70% other) never gave us any issues. It was actually a nice change to the guest makeup of the USA based cruise lines. The entertainment was good (loved the Sax player. I kept calling him Kenny-G).  Made some new friends and had some enjoyable conversations with people from all over the world. This was our 1st try with MSC because of the unbelievable low cost of a 10 day. We liked it so much we booked an August 2019 sailing on one of their newer ships Seaside. Make sure you do the Status Match with their Voyagers Club. Some nice discounts can be had. IMHO you'll like MSC.

[electro]

I have done 5 MSC cruises, all in Europe. I have never sailed them in the US.

I have done one european cruise on NCL. 

When sailing in Europe on NCL, the feel on the ship was the same as it is in the Caribbean.

When sailing on MSC, when we are on the ship we still felt like we are in Europe.

We are about to go on our 6th European cruise on MSC in April.