What do you like about MSC cruises?

[spanishguy1970]

I have only been on NCL cruises, since i started going on cruise back in 2009. I have a few questions.

 

The reason i love NCL is the freestyle, and the fact i can dress as i want.  I don't dress like a slob by any means, but i do like to dress casually, specially on vacation. Of course i have dress codes for special occasions.

 

Can anybody tell me what they like about MSC cruises?  How is the dress code? the food? We particularly love taking the spa pass on NCL, does MSC cruise offer spa passes? are their spa as good as NCL? is the main dining room with set times?

 

staterooms? how comfortable are they? the ships? how quiet, do they have stabilizers like NCL...

 

I am considering changing to MSC for a few cruises in the future and putting a pause on NCL, i want to change it up a bit and most definitely feel their prices are really competitive, compared to NCL these days...

 

can anyone give me some suggestions? tell me more, so i can make a decision whether to try it or not? or just go with another cruise line...

 

thank you.

[sverigecruiser]

 

3. The food. Especially the pasta but also the pizza from Eataly.

 

2. Yacht Club.

 

1. Value for money. The Yacht Club is still much cheaper than the Haven and better.

 

I understand from your questions that you aren't planning to book YC but that's some of the reasons why we have left NCL for MSC.

 

[Beamafar]

The MSC Dress Code is only a suggested one.  As long as you observe what's not permitted, anything else goes - even on 'Elegant' (Formal) nights (which are becoming less and less formal these days):

 

 

 

If you want anytime dining, you'll need to book either an Aurea or Yacht Club 'Experience' level of cabin.

 

Food is subjective;  check out reviews of MSC cruises for photos of menus and food offerings for an idea of what to expect.  I've posted them for our Miami-Havana cruise in January here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2631573-notes-from-armonia-miami-havana-jan-2019/

 

MSC cabins are very comfortable - the beds are the very best I've ever experienced.  Ships would be built to the same standards that NCL ships are so, of course, they have stabilisers.

 

The Spa does offer passes - either per day or for the duration of the cruise.

[mickey89]

We sailed recently on Preziosa and have a major concern with SMOKING aboard MSC. The main problem stem from MSC staff do not enforce their own rules. Smoking on Balconies is every common although apparently is not allowed. The inside of the ship, deck 7 where most of the lounge are located are full of stale smoke permeating from the open Casino on deck 6.

The Yacht Club allows smoking in the only shaded are of the Pool Deck, I could go on and on........

 

I would NOT recommend MSC Yacht Club unless you are a smoker. 

Edited March 16, 2019 by mickey89

[emmas gran]

34 minutes ago, mickey89 said:

We sailed recently on Preziosa and have a major concern with SMOKING aboard MSC. The main problem stem from MSC staff do not enforce their own rules. Smoking on Balconies is every common although apparently is not allowed. The inside of the ship, deck 7 where most of the lounge are located are full of stale smoke permeating from the open Casino on deck 6.

The Yacht Club allows smoking in the only shaded are of the Pool Deck, I could go on and on........

 

I would NOT recommend MSC Yacht Club unless you are a smoker. 

Hi Mickey89 you had a different experience to us --we were not offended by smoking on balconies as didn't smell any and believe me as an ex smoker I hate the smell now. We played tables in the casino 2 nights and again didn't encounter smokers.

The shaded area of YC was an area we used for access the smokers were not there but at the tables in the sun near the port side of the deck. We only had maybe 6 smokers using it  during our cruise in fact one couple used to stay in that section all day by choice to have a cigarette.

Liz

[April42749]

I'm platinum on NCL.  I was on one MSC (Divina out of Miami) cruise about 4 years ago and am going on the Meraviglia in Oct.

 

On the Divina I felt like I was spending a week in Italy.  The passengers were a mix of nationalities, mainly Europeans and South Americans.  The people "dressed well".  By that I mean, they had style...all day.  I remember multiple women with beautiful shoes and if I asked "where did you get those" the answer was usually something like "Dubai".  The whole atmosphere was very continental.  The most beautiful thing was the atrium staircase...Swarovski crystals!  The entertainment was the best I ever saw at sea.  It was upscale and the entertainers were high caliber.  They didn't have things like comedians or magicians.  One of the entertainers was a well known opera singer in Italy and he gave an extra performance in the atrium one afternoon.

 

They pizza...all kinds...all day long (and I am an old time NYC pizza snob).  The pizza was so good that I don't remember anything else about the food.

 

To put it in one sentence:  The MSC experience was more sophisticated than the NCL experience as far as passengers, atmosphere and entertainment.  I am not a Yacht Club or Haven passenger.

 

 

[logan25]

I noticed a difference between MSC cruises sailing from North America and my one and only sailing aboard MSC in Europe.  To be fair it was a older, smaller vessel, the Sinfonia.  Which may not be a fair comparison to Divina which is newer and larger.

 

The buffet on Sinfonia was among the smallest I have experienced.  The salad/fresh produce section was so limited in variety that I ate far less fresh produce than I would on any other cruise line thus far.  The buffet line had plated small bowls of lettuce with maybe a tomato wedge, olive and crumble of cheese on top.  Additional bowls of topping would number two or three.  For a person who indulges in a greater variety of produce when cruising than at home, I was disappointed.  The one bonus was fresh fruit was almost always available in abundance inside the buffet and near the grill and pizzeria counters closer to the open deck.

 

The rest of the buffet served a "Mediterranean" section and I cannot speak to that as nothing appealed to me personally and three or four more hot entrees.  Additionally, soup, bread/rolls section and desserts.

 

They did offer themed outdoor service lines several times.  For example, one day was German food and another was pasta dishes.

 

The MDR menus were limited, but that is true for every cruise line.  You would expect pasta to be a standout on an Italian cruise line, but I heard from my Italian-heritage tablemates that overall, pasta dishes were greatly disappointing.  But they did say a couple of the pasta dishes during our 12-day cruise were good, so not a complete washout.  And a few dinner entrees were tasty.  But inevitably, if we (tablemates and I) did happen upon any "good" food, it was only available one time during the entire cruise.  My advice on that is if you do find something to enjoy, savor it because our joke was "you won't see it again."

 

As people like to point out, I did not go hungry, but I also now have experience to back up my opinion of the MSC product.

[Essiesmom]

the price.  The ships.  the ambiance.  Cabins are roomy.  Little surprises here and there...The entertainment.  We are musical people, we love the production shows, even though few have a theme.  We love the opera, condensed as it is.  We like traditional dining.  Go into an MSC cruise knowing that it will not be like Carnival, NCL, Royal, Princess, Celebrity...Go because you want something different.  EM

[spanishguy1970]

thank you everyone for your comments

[DMH15]

6 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

3. The food. Especially the pasta but also the pizza from Eataly.

 

2. Yacht Club.

 

1. Value for money. The Yacht Club is still much cheaper than the Haven and better.

 

I understand from your questions that you aren't planning to book YC but that's some of the reasons why we have left NCL for MSC.

 

And some of the reasons I will cruise MSC Seaside in May in the YC.  My previous cruises were mostly NCL Haven and last was NCL Epic Owners suite. 

[Captain-John]

Value for money was the original draw to MSC. New, clean and 'glitzy' ships are a reason to return. Excellent service (akin to most other lines, perhaps slightly more reserved than 100% American lines - which is no bad thing). Interesting itineraries.

 

Food for me is hit or miss - I do prefer NCL's fare on the whole. It ticks a big box for me in the 'international flair' department - as much as I hate Italians whose queuing and lift (elevator) etiquette leaves a lot to be desired, I'd hate to be stuck on a boat of Union Jack waving Brits (like what I imagine to be on P&O).

 

Reasonably priced and comprehensive drinks packages (moreso in the past). Experience levels (which at first I thought confusing) - Aurea was always a good package, except recently the price differential between that and Fantastica makes it less appealing now.

 

There's still 'all to play for' with MSC as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't consider myself brand loyal to any cruise line, but, contrary to my original expectations when I first sailed MSC in 2014, it is definitely a good product - with pricing to match (less so as time goes on).

 

 

[diesel1973]

   What I loved most on the Seaside:

 

1. Asking for help or directions on the ship and being told" I don't know! "

2.When booking being told what was included and after boarding was told" no, that is not included" or being charged for it.

3.Basically being called a liar or being lied to by GS or told " You must have misunderstood!"

4.  Waiting forever for a drink

5. Waiting forever for your dinner to be served and when it did arrive was cool or cold!

6. Couldn't substitute any side dishes during dinner and when they did was wrong side dish.

7. Loved the great sewer smell in our room and taking 6+ trips to GS to straighten out.

8. Waiting in line for a minimum of 1/2 hr. to talk to GS.

9. 3 trips to GS to receive my Black Card perks.(Never did get them all)

10. Going to buffet and seeing the same high school cafeteria food selection everyday.

11.Erroneus charges being added to my account and having to argue forever with GS to have them removed.

12. Going to specialty restaurants and finding out they were nothing special.

 

There are probably more things I loved but other than this the whole cruise was terrible!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CruisingFox27]

Our experience on MSC has always been very positive, ships are beautiful, prices competitive, staff very friendly and efficient. Overall we've found the food good, this is a very subjective subject! People on the same ship, in the same restaurant will disagree, so you'll never get a consensus on that one

The dress code is definitely more informal and casual on Caribbean sailings than other regions. 

We've recently sailed on Preziosa and had no issue with smoking, or on any other ship. 

[EngIceDave]

diesel1973

 

Yet you sailed on MSC enough times to get to Black and hang out in this section?

 

OK

[Essiesmom]

Status match.  EM

[EngIceDave]

But why hang around this section if it so bad?

Sorry, I don't get it

 

 

[Bluewake]

We have had good and bad experiences with Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean....no line is perfect.   We very much enjoyed our inaugural MSC cruise and are returning for our next one.  We found a more sophisticated and international group of passengers, superior entertainment, a beautiful and well-kept ship, fine food, and helpful crew.   Was everything perfect?  Of course not.  I don't doubt that someone can have a bad experience on any cruiseline and can respect the fact that they can honestly be turned off to that line because of that experience.  But don't be deterred by someone else's' negative time/review.  See for yourself.  We are glad we tried MSC.

[PompeySailor]

We completed our first MSC cruise yesterday on Seaside in YC

After 18 years exclusively sailing on Royal Caribbean.

 

Why I really liked MSC.

Price✅

Yacht Club overall with Lounge and Restaurant✅

Mini Bar✅

Casino Program (Transparent and rewarding) Already have a comped Suite which I can book within the next year, yes 1 year to choose, not 30 days like Royal.✅

In addition 30% off any other cruise.✅

Thermal Spa, so many options, and FREE if in YC.✅

FREE gelato✅

FREE crepes (Daughter had one every day)✅

Pool deck, quietness, food availability and Cabana✅

Waterslides, Fun Pass ✅

Food Subjective, we ate well, not the best, not the worst.

Beds and linen, most comfortable compared to any other ship we have been on, and just slept so well all week✅

Disembarkation✅

 

There were a few negatives, but not deal breakers for us.

 

I have toyed with the idea of doing a review, comparing MSC to Royal, but I’ll just leave it at MSC in my opinion is leading the way for our future cruise choice.

They know what they are doing in a very competitive market.

We will still sail Royal, but MSC will probably be our go to cruise line for the future.

 

Happy Days!

Edited March 17, 2019 by PompeySailor

[Captain-John]

I see so many folks mention the casino voucher now. I'm not a regular player (but could be for a 30% voucher!). I suspect it's a dark art as to how points accumulate vs spend  (and how lucky you are) - but I wouldn't mind experimenting with a notional sum to find out.

[Beamafar]

3 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

I see so many folks mention the casino voucher now. I'm not a regular player (but could be for a 30% voucher!). I suspect it's a dark art as to how points accumulate vs spend  (and how lucky you are) - but I wouldn't mind experimenting with a notional sum to find out.

 

I've managed to get 4 since they were first introduced and, you're right, it is a dark art as to how the points accumulate.  I've tried many times (unsuccessfully) to figure it out when watching the points add up on my account.  On Meraviglia, in June 2017, I had accumulated the 1200 points needed to get the 30% voucher and I was €100 up into the bargain!

 

The discount, combined with the 5% VC one, got us a whopping €4700 off our Splendida cruise of last April.

[Captain-John]

That's good going indeed. Care to guesstimate how many hours spent playing/how much to set aside to be prepared to lose? I won't hold you to it, I promise!

 

I'm guessing it's a teeny bit less than €4700 .......

Edited March 17, 2019 by Captain-John

[Captain-John]

Ignore me - I've just seen another thread that's been awakened on this very subject - with numbers included. 😄

[TrinaLC]

16 hours ago, diesel1973 said:

   What I loved most on the Seaside:

 

1. Asking for help or directions on the ship and being told" I don't know! "

2.When booking being told what was included and after boarding was told" no, that is not included" or being charged for it.

3.Basically being called a liar or being lied to by GS or told " You must have misunderstood!"

4.  Waiting forever for a drink

5. Waiting forever for your dinner to be served and when it did arrive was cool or cold!

6. Couldn't substitute any side dishes during dinner and when they did was wrong side dish.

7. Loved the great sewer smell in our room and taking 6+ trips to GS to straighten out.

8. Waiting in line for a minimum of 1/2 hr. to talk to GS.

9. 3 trips to GS to receive my Black Card perks.(Never did get them all)

10. Going to buffet and seeing the same high school cafeteria food selection everyday.

11.Erroneus charges being added to my account and having to argue forever with GS to have them removed.

12. Going to specialty restaurants and finding out they were nothing special.

 

There are probably more things I loved but other than this the whole cruise was terrible!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gee, you left out “no butter”

 

 

[alejorubi]

Nothing

[AUPilot14]

On 3/17/2019 at 8:11 AM, PompeySailor said:

We completed our first MSC cruise yesterday on Seaside in YC

After 18 years exclusively sailing on Royal Caribbean.

 

Why I really liked MSC.

Price✅

Yacht Club overall with Lounge and Restaurant✅

Mini Bar✅

Casino Program (Transparent and rewarding) Already have a comped Suite which I can book within the next year, yes 1 year to choose, not 30 days like Royal.✅

In addition 30% off any other cruise.✅

Thermal Spa, so many options, and FREE if in YC.✅

FREE gelato✅

FREE crepes (Daughter had one every day)✅

Pool deck, quietness, food availability and Cabana✅

Waterslides, Fun Pass ✅

Food Subjective, we ate well, not the best, not the worst.

Beds and linen, most comfortable compared to any other ship we have been on, and just slept so well all week✅

Disembarkation✅

 

There were a few negatives, but not deal breakers for us.

 

I have toyed with the idea of doing a review, comparing MSC to Royal, but I’ll just leave it at MSC in my opinion is leading the way for our future cruise choice.

They know what they are doing in a very competitive market.

We will still sail Royal, but MSC will probably be our go to cruise line for the future.

 

Happy Days!

 

This makes me happy. We booked a somewhat distant cruise on the Seaside for Summer 2020. I've only sailed Royal and Celebrity, and we are doing another Celebrity in November. We're excited to try MSC, the value and status match were quite attractive. We're doing Aurea Experience to see if it compares to our experience on Celebrity. 

Edited March 18, 2019 by AUPilot14