Mediterranean Cruise Info

[RobinKY]

I have taken several Caribbean cruises on Carnival, RC and NCL.  Me (48) and my girlfriend (45) are planning a Mediterranean cruise summer of 2020 and taking our teen kids (ages 16-19 at time of cruise).  My girlfriend wants to try a more European cruise line like MSC just for the international experience.  I am ok with that but we don't have much international travel experience.  How is the adjustment to a more international type cruise?  Any tips?  How is the food?  I am more meat potatoes and traditional American food and my kids don't like to try new things.  Any must do or must avoid on a Mediterranean cruise?

[CruiserBruce]

The food on a European oriented cruise line will be more European oriented. I can assure you that you will NOT lose weight, and you will NOT go hungry. If you look on the MSC board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/49-msc-cruises/

 

you will get lots of info on how they do things.

 

If you go on a American oriented cruise line, like the ones you ahve been on, their food will be more American oriented.

[2BACRUISER]

For a first med cruise stick with a US orientated line like Princess, Celebrity etc. Then you have the best of both worlds  on port days you can sample local cuisine but have the comfort of returning to food you know on your ship.  Bear in mind also companies like MSC & Costa do announcements in about 4 or 5 languages and it's easy to miss one. You will also find them and the people on them a little more chaotic. It really depends whether you want to play safe or dive head first into the European way of doing things. Hth 

Edited October 23, 2019 by 2BACRUISER

[hallasm]

16 minutes ago, 2BACRUISER said:

You will also find them and the people on them a little more chaotic. It really depends whether you want to play safe or dive head first into the European way of doing things

Agree - however ‘Italian way of doing things’ - stay with your preferred cruise line - Carnival, RC or NCL. 

[DarrenM]

When we were in monte carlo an msc ship arrived as we were going back on board. Those getting off were mainly Italian.

 

Nothing wrong with that except I would imagine the cruise was geared up for them more than other folk.

 

That ship was following us around it seemed, so I would recommend celebrity to you after what you described in the OP. More or less the same cruise.

 

Plus in my opinion our ship looked better. It was the MSC seaview. A bigger ship but it didnt look that nice.

 

Ours was full of brits and Americans. And we all love brits dont we.

 

[John Bull]

Hi, Robin,

 

I agree with the others.

 

Yes, on a Med cruise MSC passengers will be predominantly Italians & other Europeans.

Announcements in several languages - including English, but that can be drowned out by excitable Italians talking about what they've just heard.  And Italians just don't know how to join a line, they push & shove - all very good-natured, but typically Italian.

Entertainment is song-and-dance,  jugglers, & other visual acts to overcome language barriers. 

Food is dominated by pasta - and dinner is usually a number of small courses rather than a few big platefuls, so it tends to be a drawn-out affair. Not ideal for a meat-and-potatoes guy or American kids who don't have adventurous appetites.

Service tends to be more reserved than the in-your-face service on US ships - sometimes wrongly assumed to be unfriendly.

Coffee is not normally served with lunch or dinner, though probably you only have to ask. Ditto with jugged table water.

Check the hours in-port - Italian ships often spend only half-days in port.

Their English language excursions often have insufficient numbers, and are combined into a dual-language excursion.

 

Those are the negatives for folk expecting a US-style ship - and those incorrect presumptions cloud reviews from North Americans & Brits.

But MSC is very well-respected amongst Italians.

 

Darren didn't like the look of MSC Seaside.

Neither do I, but I  feel the same way about pretty-well every big modern ship - an apartment block sat on a barge & topped by Starship Enterprise .

Give me the tiered stern of a "classic" cruise ship any day.

MSC has the most modern fleet in the business,  internally their ships are extremely stylish & beautifully-maintained. 

 

Italians and the crew (whatever their nationality) love kids, and MSC often charge very low rates for kids - but yours really aren't kids any more.

 

MSC is fine if you know what it's going to be like and go-with-the-flow.

But for your first Med cruise, going "home" after a day on foreign soil has its advantages.

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB 

 

 

[Tapi]

We sailed the Mediterranean aboard MSC last November. We had an absolutely fantastic cruise, probably one of the best cruises in my 30+ years cruising. We sailed aboard the Meraviglia, and it was a wonderful ship, specially for our small children. They had an absolute blast. The ship had a “wow” factor comparable to an Oasis class ship on Royal Caribbean.

 

BUT, sailing on MSC, specially in the Med, may be a bit shocking, specially for someone who is a “meat and potatoes American who doesn’t like to try new things”. You NEED to be someone who likes to try new things. 
 

Americans will be a very teeny tiny minority of passengers onboard. During the entire week, we met 2-3 American families. All other passengers come from every nationality. We only heard English sporadically during the week. On our particular sailing most passengers were from Europe or Asia. 
 

Cuisine, activities, announcements, etiquette, service, (basically everything) will be geared towards a very international clientele. Even TV channels in your stateroom will be very international. There were only 2 channels in English (International CNN and BBC). My kids got a kick out of watching cartoons and other programming before going to bed in other languages. 

 

Sailing on MSC, you quickly realize that the world doesn’t revolve around the USA....and it’s an absolutely fantastic and welcome thing! We were so disconnected from whats going on in the USA the entire time we were on this vacation, and we loved it. We traveled during Thanksgiving week (in the USA), and 
the holiday wasn’t even mentioned. An MSC Cruise is the perfect opportunity to meet new nationalities, try new foods, learn different cultures and ways of doing things, etc, but only if you’re open to it. 

 

No matter which cruise line you choose for your Mediterranean cruise, I recommend that you are open to some change if you truly want to enjoy your vacation to the fullest. Respectfully, going with a “meat and potatoes American, don’t like change“ attitude is going to greatly reduce your enjoyment. Unfortunately, we grow up in the USA very sheltered from the rest of the world and it’s only through travel that we can truly experience what goes on beyond our borders. 
 

No matter what you select, have an absolutely fantastic cruise. Go with the right attitude and you’ll have one of the best vacations of your life!   Respectfully, you don’t want to travel 5,000 miles across the Atlantic to get a watered down and Americanized European vacation. Cruise lines already do plenty of that on Caribbean cruises. 

[Tapi]

12 hours ago, RobinKY said:

My girlfriend wants to try a more European cruise line like MSC just for the international experience.

RobinKY:

 

Here’s a detailed review of our Mediterranean cruise aboard the MSC Meraviglia. We live in Georgia and this was our first cruise in the Mediterranean, so I hope that the information is helpful. Feel free to ask any questions!

Click this link: MSC Meraviglia in the Mediterranean

Edited October 23, 2019 by Tapi

[RobinKY]

Thanks everybody.  Very helpful and I am a little nervous about the pushy Italians.  We are looking to cruise out of Barcelona so maybe that changes things. 

[navybankerteacher]

16 minutes ago, RobinKY said:

Thanks everybody.  Very helpful and I am a little nervous about the pushy Italians.  We are looking to cruise out of Barcelona so maybe that changes things. 

Why would sailing out of Barcelona change things? Would “pushy Italians” be more, or less, pushy if they get a taste of southern Spain?

 

Seriously, part of the reason for an American to go on a Mediterranean cruise is to get out of Indiana -and get a taste of Southern Europe.  That rationally involves running into an Italian every now and then, hearing other languages, and  eating things other than burgers and fries.

 

Go for MSC.

[John Bull]

32 minutes ago, RobinKY said:

and I am a little nervous about the pushy Italians.  

 
Not sure what you mean. 

"Pushy" to me means  over-persistent salesmen. No - much less of a problem in Italy than you experience daily in the US of A, certainly not like many Caribbean destinations. But if you want to see it really over-done, try Egypt & many other Arab countries, and S E Asia. 

 

But yes,  when they have a goal or destination in mind Italians seem to aim for it & don't notice other folk.

Not a big problem - do the same & go with the flow with a friendly smile on your face.

 

JB 

[DarrenM]

I was right though, this is one ugly ship

 

[Tapi]

2 hours ago, RobinKY said:

We are looking to cruise out of Barcelona so maybe that changes things. 

Something to consider when sailing on MSC is that every port of call is also an embarkation/debarkation port, so you’ll get an influx of cruisers from each country that the ship visits. It truly adds to the experience.

 

About the “pushy Italians” comment: Part of it is truly because it’s a more passionate and expressive culture, but part of it is because of the lack of tolerance for other cultures from some people. As mentioned before, you need to go on this cruise with a firm understanding that you’ll be sailing with multiple cultures, some which will be vastly different than yours.  You’ll need to embrace them rather than complain about them or label them as offensive or rude because they are not like yours. 
 

We started and finished our cruise in Italy, and we spent 2 nights touring Rome and the Vatican. We ate at local restaurants, took local transportation, shopped at little corner stores, and figured out how to communicate with people in (butchered) Italian (with the assistance of a translating app). I can tell you that most Italians that we interacted with were an absolute pleasure, and they made our vacation even more special. The moment that they realize that you’re trying to adjust to THEIR culture and language rather than expecting them to adjust to YOURS, they open up and go out of their way to help and make you feel welcome. 
 

You know the one time when I was treated poorly by an Italian? It was when I was at the cruise terminal trying to figure out where to get my boarding card. I was a bit lost and frazzled, so I just went straight to an Italian passenger and I started talking to him in English, somehow expecting him to know English. He didn’t appreciate that and just replied in fast Italian with a stern look in his face and hand gestures that basically said to me “get off my face, learn the language, and don’t expect me to know yours”. In retrospect, his reaction was warranted.

 

About starting your cruise in Spain expecting it to be any different, you’ll quickly learn that Spaniards, specially from the southern region, can be just as passionate and expressive as Italians. And if you don’t know the language, specially Catalan, you may get the wrath from some locals, specially right know with the political uprising, and the desire from residents of this province to claim independence from Spain. 
 

I speak Spanish fluently, so I expected to have no language barrier issues in Barcelona. Well, we went to a restaurant, and when I started talking to the server in Spanish, he talked back in Catalan and claimed that he didn’t speak any other language. I didn’t believe him, but I played his game. A lot of people who are in favor of Cataluña’s independence are refusing to speak Spanish in protest. This is the kind of thing that you need to keep in mind if sailing from Barcelona.

 

In a nutshell, take some time every night before your cruise, and read, read, read, and read about every country  that you’ll be visiting, their customs, language,  cuisine, proper attire, etc. Not only will you be a much more educated traveler, but you’ll enjoy your trip considerably more! 😀

Edited October 23, 2019 by Tapi

[RobinKY]

That is interesting.  I did not know that every port people are leaving and arriving.  I am not an experienced international traveler and can see myself getting stressed navigating thru foreign country not knowing the language.  My girlfriend really wants to get the European experience, especially at the ports - eating local cuisine. 

[George C]

In many tourist areas in Italy menus on more for Americans, we have a close friend that is a chef and also Sicilian and he was really disappointed in menus , when he asked waiter in Italian he was told this. We loved our 12 day cruise from Barcelona with 5 stops in Italy 3 years ago. Food on rccl was same stuff as rccl serves in Caribbean which disappointed us. 

[Bizmark'sMom]

3 hours ago, RobinKY said:

That is interesting.  I did not know that every port people are leaving and arriving.  I am not an experienced international traveler and can see myself getting stressed navigating thru foreign country not knowing the language.  My girlfriend really wants to get the European experience, especially at the ports - eating local cuisine. 

It can get stressful, but that's part of the learning experience. If you can learn to go with the flow, you'll find most people the world over are kind and helpful. Yes, things are done differently. But that doesn't make them bad or scary.

 

Does it have to be the Mediterranean? Maybe it would be easier if your first trip abroad was a cruise of the British Isles. There's no language barrier that way, but things are still different enough to remind you that you are not in the US. 

[RobinKY]

36 minutes ago, Bizmark'sMom said:

Does it have to be the Mediterranean? Maybe it would be easier if your first trip abroad was a cruise of the British Isles. There's no language barrier that way, but things are still different enough to remind you that you are not in the US. 

I would like British Isles better but my girlfriend is dying to go to Italy. 

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, RobinKY said:

I would like British Isles better but my girlfriend is dying to go to Italy. 

 

As long as you are inclined to accommodate her wishes, why not really go along and sail MSC ?  

 

That will be a more “Italian” experience than RC or NCL could offer, the pricing is likely to:be comparable, and from everything I’ve heard the overall experience will be good.

[navybankerteacher]

11 hours ago, DarrenM said:

I was right though, this is one ugly ship

 

Indeed - but that is the shape of large ship cruising today — big apartment buildings on barges — surrounded by thousands of people who seem to like the look.

[cruznjan]

18 hours ago, John Bull said:

Hi, Robin,

 

I agree with the others.

 

Yes, on a Med cruise MSC passengers will be predominantly Italians & other Europeans.

Announcements in several languages - including English, but that can be drowned out by excitable Italians talking about what they've just heard.  And Italians just don't know how to join a line, they push & shove - all very good-natured, but typically Italian.

Entertainment is song-and-dance,  jugglers, & other visual acts to overcome language barriers. 

Food is dominated by pasta - and dinner is usually a number of small courses rather than a few big platefuls, so it tends to be a drawn-out affair. Not ideal for a meat-and-potatoes guy or American kids who don't have adventurous appetites.

Service tends to be more reserved than the in-your-face service on US ships - sometimes wrongly assumed to be unfriendly.

Coffee is not normally served with lunch or dinner, though probably you only have to ask. Ditto with jugged table water.

Check the hours in-port - Italian ships often spend only half-days in port.

Their English language excursions often have insufficient numbers, and are combined into a dual-language excursion.

 

Those are the negatives for folk expecting a US-style ship - and those incorrect presumptions cloud reviews from North Americans & Brits.

But MSC is very well-respected amongst Italians.

 

Darren didn't like the look of MSC Seaside.

Neither do I, but I  feel the same way about pretty-well every big modern ship - an apartment block sat on a barge & topped by Starship Enterprise .

Give me the tiered stern of a "classic" cruise ship any day.

MSC has the most modern fleet in the business,  internally their ships are extremely stylish & beautifully-maintained. 

 

Italians and the crew (whatever their nationality) love kids, and MSC often charge very low rates for kids - but yours really aren't kids any more.

 

MSC is fine if you know what it's going to be like and go-with-the-flow.

But for your first Med cruise, going "home" after a day on foreign soil has its advantages.

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB 

 

 

I love your description of big modern ships. You nailed it.

[RobinKY]

11 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

 

As long as you are inclined to accommodate her wishes, why not really go along and sail MSC ?  

 

That will be a more “Italian” experience than RC or NCL could offer, the pricing is likely to:be comparable, and from everything I’ve heard the overall experience will be good.

From what I have seen, MSC (and Costa) seems to be $2-300 cheaper per person than RC or NCL.  We will have 6 in our group

[Markanddonna]

"Sailing on MSC, you quickly realize that the world doesn’t revolve around the USA....and it’s an absolutely fantastic and welcome thing! We were so disconnected from whats going on in the USA the entire time we were on this vacation, and we loved it."

 

I agree with this poster. You don't want to go to Europe to have an American Style Vacation, do you? We really aren't that much different in America since so many of us here have European ancestry. We found plenty of American style food on MSC and just hold onto the assurance that their pizza buffet area has the best pizza at sea. You won't go hungry!

 

[BaumD]

Is smoking is an issue with you (either yes or no), you should check smoking policy of European lines vs. US lines. Lots more smoking allowed on European lines.

 

[RobinKY]

3 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

You don't want to go to Europe to have an American Style Vacation, do you? We really aren't that much different in America since so many of us here have European ancestry. We found plenty of American style food on MSC and just hold onto the assurance that their pizza buffet area has the best pizza at sea. You won't go hungry!

 

That is good to hear about the food.  I do want something different than the typical Caribbean cruise.

What about other standard food - deli sandwiches, eggs, waffles, or other ethnic food that is common in America like Asian, Indian, Mexican?

[RobinKY]

2 hours ago, BaumD said:

Is smoking is an issue with you (either yes or no), you should check smoking policy of European lines vs. US lines. Lots more smoking allowed on European lines.

 

Yes we are both anti smoking especially when eating.  Do they have smoking sections in dining rooms?