Thinking About MSC - Only Cruised Holland & Princess

[guardhouse]

We are looking for a quick, warm vacation and have seen some good prices on MSC out of Port Canaveral.  We have only been on Princess and Holland in the past.

 

Any details from folks to compare MSC to Princess or HAL?  Thank you!

[shipgeeks]

Based on our cruises on MSC Seaside a year ago, a big difference was the passenger makeup.  Americans were a minority.  Passengers from Brazil and from European countries and the UK were aboard in greater numbers.  We really liked that.  It felt much more like being "away".

We were very satisfied with the ship, the food, the entertainment, etc.  In fact, we consider it one of our best cruises.  (We have done Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, HAL, and a number of others.)

Oh, another difference was the evening shows.  Because of the variety of languages, they were more Cirque de Soleil style and less Broadway or Rock.

It will be worth studying some of the "stickies" re the different "experiences", which have different perks.  For example, we chose Bella because we prefer a set dining time and table.  Aurea guests have anytime dining.  

If you have a loyalty level with another cruise line, it's worth applying for Status Match with MSC, for additional benefits.

I hope this helps!  We are hoping to sail on MSC again as much as we can.

[guardhouse]

Thanks for the insight.  The more I look into this, MSC seems to be "complicated".  YC, Bella, Seaside, etc.  I need to read more!

[optimusprime82]

I haven't cruised with HA but we've been on Princess once with my parents and sailed twice with MSC (and have a third cruise on the books for this fall).

We really enjoyed Princess but it's definitely geared toward an older, more reserved, crowd. With that said we wouldn't hesitate to sail with them again.

 

For the price we still enjoy MSC more. Like "shipgeeks" said, you'll be the minority onboard which we really liked. We felt like we could go for days without hearing other guests speaking English which was really nice since we didn't feel like we heard as much complaining from the "Ugly Americans" lol. We've never had a bad meal or an unfriendly encounter with a member of the crew. Portion sizes might be a little smaller than many cruisers will be used to with other American lines but it's not like you couldn't ask for more (which I have). We've loved the thermal spa, the theme nights and the theater entertainment.

My biggest complaint with MSC is about the Easy Drink Package which is offered with a lot of their promos. It's just isn't very good compared to what a lot of other lines offer but we're not big enough drinkers to think spending the money on the upgrade is worth it. I just wish their basic drink package included a few more beer and daquiri options, nothing major.

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, guardhouse said:

Thanks for the insight.  The more I look into this, MSC seems to be "complicated".  YC, Bella, Seaside, etc.  I need to read more!

 

I'm guessing that you're looking at Divina.

 

It would help if we had an idea as to which experience level and stateroom type that you are interested in booking. 

[paceyswife]

We have sailed Disney, NCL, Carnival and MSC and had planned Royal but changed our minds after our Seaside cruise. Excluding Disney, we like MSC the best. We’ve done the older ship (Divina) and newer (Seaside). With fingers crossed, we will sail Armonia in October. Our Meraviglia cruise was canceled and we didn’t want to reschedule just yet. 
As stated above, MSC has a lot of passengers from other countries. We loved the people watching and listening to the different languages. My kids (13 and 16) enjoyed themselves as well. Of course, manners vary country to country and we just chalked whatever slight we felt with a chuckle.  
Service is fantastic. Ships have been spotless. We enjoy the assigned dining and table mates. Cruise food to me is cruise food but the pizza and the gelato are the best we’ve had. 
MSC has great deals... status match, kids sail free, free basic drink package and internet, voyager club discount... some people say you get what you pay for with MSC but I feel MSC is a deal when compared to Carnival and NCL and their current pricing.  
Just my opinion. 

[rkacruiser]

Having sailed on Princess and HAL with one cruise on MSC Meraviglia in Yacht Club, I will offer my thoughts.

 

Musical entertainment and theater shows were more like what Princess offers than HAL.  If anything, there was a wider variety of types of musical entertainment on MSC than on the other two lines.  One afternoon, there was even an abbreviated program of an Italian opera with the two main performers having opera-quality voices.  Have never seen that on any other cruise line.

 

Most of my meals were in the YC Restaurant with an occasional slice of pizza from their pizza venue near the mid-ship's pool.  Every bit as good as Princess' pizza and rivals the pizza served at the New York Deli on the Pinnacle Class ships of HAL.  The cuisine in YC was very good to excellent; service was excellent with Maitre d's who were attentive and managed the dining room well.

 

On 7 day Caribbean cruise, the guest list was mutl-national with guests from all parts of the world.  I did not feel that I was in the minority as an American.  Interacting with some of these different nationalities added to my cruise experience.  I managed to seat myself at the CC M&G party (which was, incidentally the best that I have experienced in many years--free flowing drinks, delicious  canapes--including caviar), a pianist, and a free opportunity to have one's picture taken with the Captain and Hotel Manager as well as a large and free photo of the CC group) with a young couple from Russia.  Their English was only a bit better than my Russian.  Yet, through sign language and smiles, we communicated.  An interesting experience.  

 

The different levels of "experiences" on MSC does require a bit more "study" in order to be certain that one is "buying the cruise experience" that will satisfy the person(s).  

 

Since you have sailed on HAL and Princess, you have some loyalty status with them.  As shipgeeks stated, applying for the status match program that MSC offers is worth doing.  All I had to do was to ask my travel agent to arrange it; it was done.  With my 5 Star Mariner HAL status, I joined MSC's Black/Diamond level program, their highest loyalty tier.  Plus, as a new client, I received a 2.5% discount on my fare.  

 

Meraviglia was a beautiful ship; she is big--the largest one on which I sailed.  In 7 days, I never did get to all of the venues on the ship.  

 

I sailed from the Port of Miami.  That was a negative.  Since the cruise you are considering sails from Port Canaveral--good.  I have sailed from Port Canaveral.  That was a good experience.  

 

 

[kelleherdl]

We are 4 Star on HAL, sailing mostly in Neptune suites. We have also sailed Princess in a window suite.  
 

We have sailed Seaside, Meraviglia, and Preziosa on MSC, always in a Yacht Club Deluxe Balcony.

 

Given the perks and inclusions, to us there is NO COMPARISON between a Yacht Club experience on MSC and a top suite on HAL or Princess.  We will sail MSC Yacht Club every time over HAL or Princess.  
 

dennis

[rkacruiser]

On 3/16/2021 at 7:42 PM, kelleherdl said:

We will sail MSC Yacht Club every time over HAL or Princess.  

 

For me, if I am able to book another cruise, it's time to consider Seabourn or Silverseas, if not another MSC YC cruise.  

[Stockjock]

I haven't sailed HAL, but I have sailed MSC and Princess multiple times.  However, I have priced out a number of HAL cruises.

MSC usually has the best value.  I have found some pretty good deals on Princess though.  But for overall value, I'd say MSC hands down.

MSC has more party people.  In Europe, they are better partiers than here in the USA, as the Americans tend to pack it in a bit earlier.  In Europe, you'll find people dancing and drinking until late in the night.  The Princess ships have partiers, but again, it will slow down much earlier most of the time.  That said, there are some very cool clubs aft of the ship on certain classes of Princess ships.

MSC announcements in 5 languages.  Princess, usually just one language.

Food might be slightly better on Princess, but not by a wide margin.  I do enjoy MSC's mediterranean style cuisine.  Portions tend to be a bit larger on Princess, but I've never gone hungry on MSC.

Customer service, slightly better onboard with Princess, much better before sailing with Princess.  MSC tends to give out a lot of bad info and screw things up.  You can search for my post MSC comedy of errors.

Ship decor, both newer ships are gorgeous.  I personally prefer the modern and glamorous MSC interiors.

Staterooms, I prefer MSC by a fairly wide margin.  I think they're bigger and more contemporary.  They are well thought-out and well-designed, both functionally and aesthetically.

Drinks and drink packages are a better value on MSC.  And when the drinks are included, some of MSC's cruises might be $200ish more with alcohol than without, while the "free" drinks on Princess may be $400+ or so per person.

I haven't done a suite in either.  People tell me the MSC Yacht Club is wonderful.  But for 3 x the price of the balcony, I'd rather just have a balcony cabin and save some money.

Entertainment is different.  I'd give the edge to Princess.  You won't find much/any comedy on MSC due to the language situation.  But pretty much everyone will speak English.  MSC's Cirque du Soleil on newer ships is outstanding.  Get the show with a drink, don't do the dinner show, imo.

Passengers tend to be a bit more pushy on MSC, especially in Europe, but also in the USA due to a larger-than-average European clientele.  Not a big deal and most people are well behaved, but not all.  Even though the Europeans tend to be pushier, I think that as a group, they cause fewer problems than the Americans, who sometimes don't know their limits.  
 

I really like MSC's rewards matching program, where you can be matched to similar cruise, hotel and travel status levels.  Only downside is that you have to cruise on MSC at least once every 3 years.

MSC's Voyagers Club offers legitimate discounts of 5%, 10%, 15% or even 20%.  I've scored some great deals on VC discounted cruises, which you must search for.

In terms of shore excursions, MSC's pricing offers a better value.

In terms of social responsibility, MSC wins in a big way.  They are using ships that burn much cleaner fuel, have systems on board to minimize pollution and to minimize harming marine life.  I think MSC's coronavirus response has been sound, forward-thinking and probably the best in the industry, par none. 

I like the international vibe on MSC.  My GF and I embrace and mix very well with other cultures.  If you're someone who would rather just be around fellow Americans, MSC might not be your best choice.

MSC Tip: Once you have your MSC cruising looking more or less the way you want it, try not to call customer service.  There's at least a 50% chance they'll screw something up.

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Stockjock

[lyndarra]

On 3/17/2021 at 5:02 AM, guardhouse said:

We are looking for a quick, warm vacation and have seen some good prices on MSC out of Port Canaveral.  We have only been on Princess and Holland in the past.

 

Any details from folks to compare MSC to Princess or HAL?  Thank you!

I found MSC to be unlike any other cruise line I've experienced. Depending on what you want in a cruise that can be a good or bad thing.

My cruise was Nov 2019, 20 day Genoa/Miami. It is the only cruise I have done solo since my wife passed the year before and I think this affected my experience.

Here's my review.

https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=678986

 

I think I mentioned in the review that I would not cruise MSC again but on reflection, given an interesting itinerary, and having a cruising companion I may reconsider. The cruise was cheap, you get what you pay for, but the 25hr Qatar business class flight home from Miami was not - but it was worth it.

 

 

[crazyank]

On 3/16/2021 at 7:02 PM, guardhouse said:

We are looking for a quick, warm vacation and have seen some good prices on MSC out of Port Canaveral.  We have only been on Princess and Holland in the past.

 

Any details from folks to compare MSC to Princess or HAL?  Thank you!

The best advice we can give is to avoid MSC at all costs.

We're sure the MSC "cheerleaders" will start screaming any second.

Edited March 18, 2021 by crazyank

[shipgeeks]

The best advice we can give is to try MSC, if the replies above make it sound appealing to you.

We just booked two more MSC cruises.

[capriccio]

We are elite on Princess and concur with rkacruiser's and Stockjock's thorough posts.  In fact, we were on our first MSC cruise with rkacruiser and also in the Yacht Club.  We usually book mini-suites and the occasional full-suite on Princess and our TA - who has sailed on MSC - would only recommend the Yacht Club to us.  In addition to the status matched mentioned by others, if you are a current or retired civil servant (local, state or federal) or member of the military there is (or was pre-covid; I haven't checked recently) a 10% discount.

 

The one thing I cannot recommend on MSC is their website.  I found it confusing (all those different 'experiences' are not, in my opinion, presented well) and annoying to work with especially after being accustomed to using the Princess website. 

[cellfree]

2 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

The best advice we can give is to try MSC, if the replies above make it sound appealing to you.

We just booked two more MSC cruises.

Agree, try it, we thoroughly enjoy MSC, have cruised on Divina and Seaside and Armonia and Meraviglia, have always cruised Inside Cabins and have no complaints. 

[Nunagoras]

Be welcome to the forum!

 

While I have never gone with the more British like cruising experience of the likes of Princess and HAL, I believe @Stockjock is saying pretty much all what has to be said at that respect. Let me to just add that by reading all those reviews out there, the consensus about best compromise between British and Italian style cruising at the same time seems to run on the MSC's Yacht Club, which by the way might to run even cheaper than the regular Princess/HAL regular cabins considering the perks included!

 

If a world wide international clientele and some very minor guest services snafus mostly coming from the multi language situation won't bother you, go for it!... Have a nice day!

[mickey89]

Take a look at their reviews on Cruisecritics -  they definitely deserve their 3 star rating.  They don't compare to either  Princess or HAL that's why they are significantly cheaper.  In this life you definitely get what you pay for, we tried them never to be repeated.

[guardhouse]

On 3/16/2021 at 1:32 PM, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I'm guessing that you're looking at Divina.

 

It would help if we had an idea as to which experience level and stateroom type that you are interested in booking. 

We normally just book an inside cabin as we spend LOTS of time exploring the ship, sitting in the sun and on shore.  We do try and book an ADA cabin as my wife has progressive MS and uses a electric scooter.

 

I am Platinum on Princess, my wife is Gold.  She might have one more cruise to get to Platinum.

 

Things we look for; clean, well-kept ships, decent food, drink packages in the Caribbean (I drink beer and whiskeys, and I am fine with Heineken on draft), decent food but we don't expect 5-star dining with cruises prices as they are.  We do enjoy traditional dining and we always request a large table as we love meeting other people.

 

Thanks for all of the insights!

[cellfree]

7 minutes ago, guardhouse said:

We normally just book an inside cabin as we spend LOTS of time exploring the ship, sitting in the sun and on shore.  We do try and book an ADA cabin as my wife has progressive MS and uses a electric scooter.

 

I am Platinum on Princess, my wife is Gold.  She might have one more cruise to get to Platinum.

 

Things we look for; clean, well-kept ships, decent food, drink packages in the Caribbean (I drink beer and whiskeys, and I am fine with Heineken on draft), decent food but we don't expect 5-star dining with cruises prices as they are.  We do enjoy traditional dining and we always request a large table as we love meeting other people.

You will find all that on MSC, we seem very similar, have always cruised MSC Interior Cabins, we spend most of our time out and about the Ship, often staying on Ship during Port days. We have taken advantage of the Easy Package for beverages and it has worked well for us. Most recently it seems better to add that on after you book your cruise. We have found very little difference between Bella and Fantastica experiences other than location of Cabin. We have experienced both. Often we choose a Cabin on a higher deck which is typically Fantastica. MSC says if you are Bella you may not have choice of dining time however if you visit Dining Room after embarking they seem to do their best to accommodate. 

[rkacruiser]

23 hours ago, Stockjock said:

MSC announcements in 5 languages.  Princess, usually just one language.

 

This is not an issue.  One knows that "one is not in Kansas anymore". 

 

11 hours ago, capriccio said:

In fact, we were on our first MSC cruise with rkacruiser and also in the Yacht Club.

 

And, we never knowingly met.  My loss.  

[shipgeeks]

Re the announcements in five languages:  True, but they are each brief and only about important matters.  No long spiels about the fantastic prizes to be won at bingo or the bargains right now in the jewelry store.

[kelleherdl]

On 3/18/2021 at 11:30 AM, mickey89 said:

 

As others have stated the ‘quality’ of the cruise experience on MSC is entirely a function of the money you pay.  I stand by my estimate that the top level cruise experience on MSC (Yacht Club) has it hands down over the Neptune on HAL and Suite on Princess at roughly half the price. The stateroom sizes may be smaller on MSC for the Yacht Club as compared to a HAL Neptune Suite, but the total cruise experience is far superior.  The ONLY draw for me to sail HAL again would be a particular itinerary.
 

Dennis

[rkacruiser]

55 minutes ago, kelleherdl said:

The ONLY draw for me to sail HAL again would be a particular itinerary.

 

And, the HAL crew.  I have sailed enough with the company that I keep being surprised when some of the crew recognize me well before I recognize them.  There is a feeling of "coming home" when I step on a HAL ship as silly as that may sound.  The most memorable of that feeling was boarding Rotterdam V in Seward in 1986.  Much very difficult water had passed under my keel since I last boarded her in 1971.  Honestly, as I walked through the ship:  "I am home" was my feeling.  

[Homosassa]

As an "old" cruiser who has cruised many different cruise lines and experienced the changes in the on board experiences over the years, I find MSC to be reminiscent of the times when cruise lines had a distinct personality that came from their country of origin. HAL was full of wonderful Dutch and Indonesian treats and traditions. Princess carried on the Italian traditions of Sitmar  (Princess merged with Sitmar).

 

If you are comfortable with the idea that you will not be on a homogenized US cruise line and can adapt to differences in culture (cruise line and passengers), try MSC.

 

Just an FYI, my husband and I have sailed on MSC four times. Each time we book a Bella interior and are very happy with the service, staff and food.

 

It isn't that we like to go "cheap," but that we don't kid ourselves. When we want luxury, we cruise on Viking, Azamara, and Oceanic where the entire ship is at the same level and one is not is not isolated in  a tiny ghetto of perceived superiority.

[rkacruiser]

58 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

one is not is not isolated in  a tiny ghetto of perceived superiority.

 

I support all of the views of your post with the exception of this statement.  I did not feel that way nor did my fellow YC guests whom I encountered ever express or act that they were somehow "superior" to those of our shipmates that chose not to book YC.  

 

As a matter of fact, the people with whom I came to know the best were more "down to earth" types than some whom I have met on long cruises on Holland America Line.