Thinking about trying MSC

[avgjoe81960]

We usually cruise with another line that we love but I was thinking about trying MSC after seeing some of their beautiful ships. I would like to know about experiences and opinions good and bad. Thank you in advance.

[PRH]

Beautiful ships, lots to do and great entertainment, mediocre food.  Can be very crowded as kids sail free when staying in parents room.  Very European crowd @n$ ambiance.  Customer service can be up and down.

[wendychloecruiser]

We are considering MSC also.   I do have another question though...as MSC boards people from multiple ports during a cruise, are you forced to attend multiple muster drills?  Yikes.  That would get VERY old.

[deliver42]

You only have to attend one muster drill. They can your card, and you are good to go.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

2 hours ago, avgjoe81960 said:

We usually cruise with another line that we love but I was thinking about trying MSC after seeing some of their beautiful ships. I would like to know about experiences and opinions good and bad. Thank you in advance.

I see you like RCI.  Take a look at the Seaside review by Icookie and you will get a good idea of what MSC is all about.

[grandgeezer]

We've only been on MSC (Seaside) once, though we are going on her again in October. The impression we came home with is the Yacht Club is fine, the rest of the categories I would have to give it some serious thought.

[OceansOfTravels]

Most definitely, go for it.

 

If you find the photos of the ships beautiful, you are already halfway there to truly liking MSC. Part of their charm is their modern ships, filled with Italian accents. All of the MSC ships boast beautiful public spaces, and updated staterooms, so if this appeals to you, I can already tell you will like the physical makeup of the ship.

 

However, the second half of the experience is the European flair, that can be seen everywhere, from the mannerisms of the crew and how they treat you, to the food, to the music in the club. I will say, it is definitely different in comparison to Royal, Carnival and Norwegian, but it's all perspective. I have spent some time living in Europe, and I prefer the European style of vacation, so MSC is actually my go-to cruise line. I like the waiters not asking me every 10 minutes how my meal is, and I enjoy spending over an hour in the dining room. I like the variety of food on the MDR platters, and the "ethnic" section encompasses more countries and cultures around the globe (yes, this is a jab at Carnival for putting a Mexican platter and chinese fried rice and calling it an "ethnic" counter). I also really enjoy Spanish pop music and German house music, so I find the music to be okay. In general, I enjoy the international clientele, and if this sounds like it may be your forte as well, or even something you'd want to try, I'd say to go for it. Worst case scenario, you don't like it, and you never go on another  MSC cruise again. But, it's better to try it out and know for sure it's not your speed, especially considering you already have a slight positive view/curiosity developing. 

[ready2cruzagain]

16 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

We've only been on MSC (Seaside) once, though we are going on her again in October. The impression we came home with is the Yacht Club is fine, the rest of the categories I would have to give it some serious thought.

 

A post like this just irritates me to death.  I cannot understand why someone who has only sailed in the YC would tell people this.  If you haven't experienced sailing outside of the YC then you really shouldn't tell people that they should seriously consider whether or not to take the cruise if not sailing in the YC. 

 

We sailed for 32 days in the lowly cabins outside of the YC and let me tell you it was awesome!  Great crew, waited on us hand and foot.  Great Officers that treated us like everyone else (yes, even like we were in the YC).  The food on the Divina was great in the MDR and buffets, the specialty restaurant (Eataly) the food was good but service was not. We have also sailed on NCL, Carnival, Princess and Celebrity and we agreed that the MSC Divina cruise (in a lowly Bella Category) was the best cruise we have ever had.

 

We loved it so much that we are booked for 28 days this year on the Seaside in an inside Bella cabin this year. 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by ready2cruzagain

[Tapi]

17 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

We've only been on MSC (Seaside) once, though we are going on her again in October. The impression we came home with is the Yacht Club is fine, the rest of the categories I would have to give it some serious thought.

We sailed on the MSC Meraviglia last November, NOT in the Yacht Club, but in an Aurea stateroom. Long story short, this cruise ranked as one of my favorite in 30+ years of cruising. Beautiful, modern ship, great customer service, very enjoyable entertainment, tons of activities for the whole family, and some of the best accommodations I’ve ever experienced on any cruise line (Aurea Duplex Suite). Even though we didn’t enjoy Yacht Club perks, the Aurea experience delivered a long and generous list of upgrades and perks normally not found at this price point on any cruise line we’ve sailed on. 

 

I used to place MSC one notch above Carnival after our first MSC sailing.But after trying them again, I now place them at the same level as Royal Caribbean, but with a European flair. For us, the Meraviglia had a “wow” factor comparable to Royal’s Oasis class ships.

 

I’m sure that the Yacht Club is wonderful, but MSC still delivers a very respectable product in their other categories as well, specially considering what they charge.  It’s great to see an experience like the Yacht Club so competitively priced.

Edited May 28, 2019 by Tapi

[Frogmill0]

I've just submitted (in the last hour) quite a detailed review of my recent Preziosa cruise which was my first with MSC. It will be waiting to be approved so keep an eye open for it. At this stage, though, I can say that, not unusually, it contains a mixture of the good and not so good.

 

[Markanddonna]

I want to second my opinion on those who dismiss anything but the Yacht Club as not worth their time. I have sailed in an NCL Haven cabin and insides, oceanviews, and balconies on many other cruises. I had no problem going back to an inside and except for the NCL Jade, always immensely enjoyed our experience. Please don't diminish other's experiences if you insist on only being in an exclusive area.

[GOLDENBONNY]

On 5/27/2019 at 9:30 AM, avgjoe81960 said:

We usually cruise with another line that we love but I was thinking about trying MSC after seeing some of their beautiful ships. I would like to know about experiences and opinions good and bad. Thank you in advance.

Our first cruise was on Costa and any review on this board was terrible. We had amazing time and we loved every minute of our cruise. Our second cruise was on NCL ,every review on this board was amazing but we will not cruise NCL again even for free . What I am trying to say that you will never know if you like it or not till you see it yourself.  My last cruise I booked after watching review from Jim . I loved his video but for him it was bad cruise . 

[SteelCruisin]

We have been on the Divina 2x and are awaiting December for our cruise aboard the Seaside...having sailed all RCCL,NCL, HAL, CCL, and Premier Cruise line a long time ago, I will answer your question with a question...

Are you a high maintenance cruiser.... If you are then stay away, if you are a person who embraces change and new experiences , than give MSC a try, we love the international vibe, the not in your face drink sales or constant announcements, the longer dining time where we can reconnect as a family and not feel rushed, and of course we love the beauty that is the MSC fleet. We have tried many, and I wrote a review of our experience a few years ago that is quite lengthy, but to um it all up, MSC feels like we are coming home.

[max996]

I jumped over to MSC from Disney back in 2014 and we have really enjoyed our cruises on Divina and Seaside. They were all in the Yacht Club, and I definitely recommend booking a YC cabin if it's in your price range for your cruise vacations. 

[CelebrationFamily]

Loyal (25+) Disney cruiser here. Tried MSC for the first time on the Meraviglia in March. The value for experience is amazing...and we were NOT in Yacht Club (although we were in the Aurea Duplex Suite and upgraded to a premium+ drinks package.) The ship, food, entertainment, itinerary, embark/debark, status match and friendly crew all made for a wonderful vacation...again, especially considering the price paid when compared to other lines. (BTW, we've also sailed 2 RCCL, 1 HAL and a Celebrity...IMHO, none of those experiences compare favorably to MSC.)

[max996]

33 minutes ago, CelebrationFamily said:

Loyal (25+) Disney cruiser here. Tried MSC for the first time on the Meraviglia in March. The value for experience is amazing...and we were NOT in Yacht Club (although we were in the Aurea Duplex Suite and upgraded to a premium+ drinks package.) The ship, food, entertainment, itinerary, embark/debark, status match and friendly crew all made for a wonderful vacation...again, especially considering the price paid when compared to other lines. (BTW, we've also sailed 2 RCCL, 1 HAL and a Celebrity...IMHO, none of those experiences compare favorably to MSC.)

I agree. We were loyal DCL Concierge cruisers, and originally stepped outside Disney to MSC Yacht Club because of the price. The prices of the DCL Concierge suites are through the roof these days, so we gave MSC a shot. And since the kids are older now, and we're getting what we expect and enjoy, we just never went back to Disney.

The Top Sail Lounge aboard Seaside is 4 times the size of the Concierge Lounge aboard the Fantasy & Dream. Plus the YC pool deck and private restaurant - you're absolutely correct about the value of the experiences. Disney will always have it's "Magic" and nobody can touch that, and I'm sure they are "jazzing" up the concierge areas of the new ships currently under construction. 

[grandgeezer]

6 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

A post like this just irritates me to death.  I cannot understand why someone who has only sailed in the YC would tell people this.  If you haven't experienced sailing outside of the YC then you really shouldn't tell people that they should seriously consider whether or not to take the cruise if not sailing in the YC. 

 

We sailed for 32 days in the lowly cabins outside of the YC and let me tell you it was awesome!  Great crew, waited on us hand and foot.  Great Officers that treated us like everyone else (yes, even like we were in the YC).  The food on the Divina was great in the MDR and buffets, the specialty restaurant (Eataly) the food was good but service was not. We have also sailed on NCL, Carnival, Princess and Celebrity and we agreed that the MSC Divina cruise (in a lowly Bella Category) was the best cruise we have ever had.

 

We loved it so much that we are booked for 28 days this year on the Seaside in an inside Bella cabin this year. 

 

 

Ease up, life's too short and it's not worth the stress, it's not like I was talking about your family. I made my comments based on what I saw and listening to other people on the ship. I did not go into detail as everybody should make up their own mind. Nobody agrees on everything. I didn't say I wouldn't ever book a lower category, I would just have to give it more thought. Somebody once said " believe nothing you hear and only about 50% of what you see.

We have cruised on MSC, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean,, Norwegian, Holland America, and Princess. Our best cruise ever was many years ago on Celebrity Mercury in a lowly entry level balcony. We have sailed about every category between insides, and grand suites so we do have some hands on experience.

[ready2cruzagain]

53 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

Ease up, life's too short and it's not worth the stress, it's not like I was talking about your family. I made my comments based on what I saw and listening to other people on the ship. I did not go into detail as everybody should make up their own mind. Nobody agrees on everything. I didn't say I wouldn't ever book a lower category, I would just have to give it more thought. Somebody once said " believe nothing you hear and only about 50% of what you see.

We have cruised on MSC, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean,, Norwegian, Holland America, and Princess. Our best cruise ever was many years ago on Celebrity Mercury in a lowly entry level balcony. We have sailed about every category between insides, and grand suites so we do have some hands on experience.

 

I am not stressed, I just commented on how a statement such as the one you made, makes people not cruise on MSC and makes them believe you can't sail MSC unless in the YC.  One should not make these statements unless they have actually been there an done that.

[miki76]

We have done the Divina twice and have the seaside booked for Christmas.  We have done over 30 cruises (Royal, Carnival, Holland and Celebrity).  

You will hear so many languages and there are some obvious regional differences with the passengers, but nothing that can’t be overlooked.  

We find the food great, how can homemade pasta and bread go wrong?

I have found customer service being quite good though it did take a bit more conversation to get my concern understood. But it was and completely corrected.

Never have had an issue with the room stewards. They tend to be unseen more than visible, but everything is taken care of.

 If you have one with another line, take advantage of their status match. I can’t explain why, but we have booked inside or ocean view guarantee and ended up with balconies. Even just happened for the Christmas cruise for our room and my daughter and hubbys room.  I have no explanation for it, but truly appreciate it.

[BermudaBound2014]

I've sailed once inside and once outside the YC. I consider MSC to be a budget (value) driven line. Certainly all cruise lines get bad reviews, but MSC gets more bad reviews than the competition when examining review websites that contain thousands of reviews (not just a few that are here in the forum). Take a look at the BBB reports also which can be considered alarming for some.

 

Whether inside or outside of the YC, I believe that if you secured a great price (cheaper than the competition by more than a few hundred dollars on a typical 7 day cruise) AND you can keep expectations aligned with said great price, you will do OK. MSC provides a product that is absolutely acceptable. However; If prices are similar to competition, I will personally choose the competition each and every time.

 

Disclaimer: I am from North America.

[marco]

We are booked on our 4th MSC cruise this coming January and it will be our 3rd time on the "Divina".  I've been on well over 100 cruises or T/A's on just about every line sailing or no longer sailing. Beautiful ships, food was on par with other mass market lines we've been on, show room lounge entertainment  MUCH better, pre-dinner music and dancing in some lounges which some ships on on other lines don't seem to have any more.  cabin quite comfortable and our balcony considerably larger than others we've had on other lines.  The BEST M&G get together and the BEST repeaters party of any other lines we've been on.   On the Divina anyway.....several pools, one adults only, one under a sliding glass dome, and we've always been able to get a lounger not too far from a pool in spite of chair hogs.  Decent pricing and we think a good value.  Note....all of our MSC cruises have been out of Fla to the Caribbean.  We've not sailed MSC in Europe and from what  I understand it's a little bit different on board atmosphere/personality there. Again.....second had opinion, not first hand experience.  Also, when looking at reviews, I've seen an "excellent" and an "awful" posted by different people who were on the same cruise, so....you be the judge!

[mexico8]

We have been on many cruises with different cruise lines and took 2 with MSC.   One was on the Poesia (didn't care for the food and dining room).  They often sat us at a table with others that didn't speak English at all and it was strained.

 

The second one was on the Armonia just recently.   We enjoyed it immensely.   Much better food than the Poesia and the staff were very nice.    Can't beat the value of MSC.

[CCLcruiser91]

I have been on 43 Carnival cruises and was considering trying MSC because of their "status" match promotion.

I signed up for the Voyagers club and my "Diamond" status on Carnival got me "Classic" status on MSC.

Guess I won't be taking a MSC cruise anytime soon...

[mickey89]

5 minutes ago, CCLcruiser91 said:

I have been on 43 Carnival cruises and was considering trying MSC because of their "status" match promotion.

I signed up for the Voyagers club and my "Diamond" status on Carnival got me "Classic" status on MSC.

Guess I won't be taking a MSC cruise anytime soon...

 

Don’t understand you reasoning, Classic gives you the 5% discount and that’s the only worthwhile perk unless the like a chocolate ship........

[CCLcruiser91]

I was just trying to point out that their "status match" does not make sense to me.

 

Carnival has Blue, Red, Gold, Platinum and Diamond

 

MSC has Welcome, Classic, Silver, Gold and Black

 

I have read other posts where the level match was not consistent (i.e. a Carnival Diamond person got "Gold" match)

 

I would think Carnival Diamond would be MSC Black? (Platinum would be Gold, etc)

 

Just my 2 cents...