Costa vs. MSC

[Stockjock]

My GF and I enjoy the cruising experience on MSC, but we find the customer service situation maddening.  Lack of communication and lack of options on recent cancellations being at the top of the list of annoyances.  But once on the ship, we always have a nice time.

We found a very well-priced sailing on Costa for a balcony w/a drink package.  GF is encouraging me to kill our MSC reservations (we have 3 active, although 2 look to be cancelled) and instead move to a fall sailing on Costa.  We'd certainly return to MSC once things are more normalized.

I've read some very shaky reviews on Costa and I wonder if anyone has had a good or bad experience with them?  Also, for those who have sailed on both Costa and MSC, any opinions or comparisons you would like to share would be helpful.  TIA!

Edited May 28, 2021 by Stockjock

[kremerlorraine]

We've sailed with both lines, but have done twice as many Costas as MSC. We have Perla Diamante status with Costa, which tends to bias us towards them as it quite often provides good discounts on cruise prices. And, of course, it's all subjective! Here's my opinion:

 

Cabins: Similarly sized, although the ocean view ones on Costa were more spacious than those on MSC.

Buffet: Much prefer the buffet on MSC, because of longer opening times, free pizza, good ethnic dishes.

Dining Room: Much prefer the food that Costa provides.

Entertainment: Pretty similar theatre shows, although MSC were more opera-heavy than Costa (we liked that, but not everyone does). We don't participate in games on the sundeck, so can't compare.

Sunbeds: MSC has beds with a cute little built-in sunroof.

Crew: The Costa reception staff can be unfriendly, but everyone else is lovely. The restaurant staff are pretty good at keeping your glasses filled! MSC are also fine all round and we once had a particularly good waiter on a transatlantic crossing.

Bars: We have never done an all-inclusive drinks package with MSC because of the cost, so have limited experience of bar service, but it was OK. We always book cabins with drinks packages with Costa because of the value for money they represent. The bars can get busy at times, but they are pretty quick. There is more table service with MSC than with Costa.

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

 

 

[Dancer Bob]

Have only been on MSC Divina from Miami. The buffet was specifically set up to compete with American ships' mega-calorie feeding troughs. The food on Costa I rate as equivalent to 4-star resorts I have been at on the Costa Brava in Spain.

I don't bother with the theatre. Music and entertainment far, far superior on Costa. The main lounge on Divina had some of the most uncomfortable furniture I've ever seen on a ship.

Get a cabin with drink package. Many reviews come from cheapskates who booked a cheapskate fare and are whining because it comes with cheapskate services.

[petra75]

I'm Italian and traveled on Costa and MSC, but even on Princess, HAL, Carnival and NCL. I can understand why people from UK and USA like MSC better, since it tries to be similar to American lines to please that market. One of my MSC cruise had home port in both Hamburg and Southampton and I can tell the most disappointed were the Western Europeans on board since more used to the entertainment on MSC on the Mediterranen, more towards them. On that cruise instead many activities were more of what I find on an American line, my fiancè and I enjoyed since we like that kind of entertainment and speaking english could take advantage since they were in English only.

 

Having said that I prefer Costa for food and mood!

If you can bear that actually buffet hours are usually fewer on Costa than every other line we tried, the quality of food is one of the best for us. And yes, no free pizza but delicious focaccia! And a drink package is necessary since when buffet is closed you don't get anything for free (already paid...), but even the cheaper one on Costa is good value, and as it is for you they usually have fares with that included.

Entertainment on paper is almost the same but in reality we always find Costa to do things better than MSC.  

 

[the wandering two]

I'd second what Petra75 has posted. Have only sailed Costa once(Med)  but thoroughly enjoyed the all Italian experience. We find MSC, as they spread their market more globally, to becoming  Italian Lite, especially where food is concerned. Who cares about free pizza when you can have this? 

[DCGuy64]

Does anybody know if Costa is allowing US residents onboard?  I did a hold on a cruise with them today and I can’t figure out on their website whether there are any residency restrictions regarding passengers such as MSC. I tried calling their customer service number but I was on hold for 11-12 minutes and then the call disconnected. 

[dritan]

11 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Does anybody know if Costa is allowing US residents onboard?  I did a hold on a cruise with them today and I can’t figure out on their website whether there are any residency restrictions regarding passengers such as MSC. I tried calling their customer service number but I was on hold for 11-12 minutes and then the call disconnected. 

HI

I'm not sure about the US website but in the UK website if you go to Safety Above All page there is a link near the bottom which lists the countries currently allowed

https://www.costacruises.co.uk/cruising-soon-again/safety-above-all.html

 

This page updates on a regular basis. I've  watched as the UK has gone from the red list, to not being on the list of restricted countries at all ( yeh) to now being on the amber list ( needing a test) due to our spiralling cases.  I notice the US has remained on the red list throughout this time but would assume that it will move as/when a travel agreement is in place between the EU and US?

 

Not sure if this will work but here is the page itself

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OQgsAE4SRnlLCo5BstaKs9QxhX5f-OxR/view

 

[BVILady]

it probably also depends on for what date you are booking. Their US-site is allowing bookings for US-Citizens and Citizens of the Caribbean. The restrictions of the country you are boarding at will probably be the deciding factor when it comes to your cruise. Seems like the countries permitted change on a daily/weekly basis.

[Stefan_Varong]

On 5/28/2021 at 8:36 PM, Stockjock said:

I wonder if anyone has had a good or bad experience with them?  Also, for those who have sailed on both Costa and MSC, any opinions or comparisons you would like to share would be helpful.

 

To begin with the reviews that seem to be very divided, some are really happy, others deadly upset. Every cruise line is influenced by its home market of course. The only time I sailed on an UK ship it was really taking into the account the special wishes of British public. Understand me well, I had a great time, just remarked the differences. The same does Costa in Italian style. That Americans are used to a different culture is understandable, but there is no reason to say that Costa would be bad for being different. True, there is no free pizza any more and ice-cream in the MDR only if on the menu, who has no packet gets even no free water in the MDR (USA bookings have “water USA” package as an option for free to serve that market better). True is that English native speakers are not the largest group on their ships, but English is for communication aboard even more important than Italian. Although I am no native speaker I always address to the staff in English, because it is a must for all of them and for me way easier than with my ten words Italian or hoping to meet someone who speaks something else I do as well. Of course announcements are made in five, sometimes even six languages, English is always among them. But I also read reviews that especially that was a problem to travellers, this is extremely egocentric of course. It is all about things one could know in advance and should not come as surprise. The same about the 10 € service charge, which is only included in the fare in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is not too hard to calculate it in advance.
 
And to compare MSC with Costa. I sailed Costa a couple of times, MSC only once. I understand that problems can and will occur, just with MSC it happened both way too often and staff showed no interest to solve them. To start with I had a toilet that didn’t flush by lack of water. Reception was not available on the phone, after queuing in person to report they asked me what they could do in this question. Calling a technician perhaps? For immigration to Israel we had to go to the theatre, where immigration officers handled the process. For getting my passport with the immigration form I had to show my board card and according to the cabin number on it someone from MSC staff gave me my passport. No complicated thing - one should think. After my visit at the immigration desk I wanted to bring my passport to my cabin. I stood in front of my door and the key card didn’t work. Was I at the wrong door? No. Still didn’t work, I looked at the card and I wasn’t only at a cabin that was not printed onto the card, I was on the wrong deck and my name was also changed into Anastasia! So if I had no rapid gender change I got the wrong card back from the MSC woman that gave me my passport. Down again to the theatre, but this young lady was not interested in the case, she sent me to the hostility desk. I had to wait for 45 minutes to get a new card, a long time for someone, who might have had the idea to use my card for searching my cabin for valuables. One morning in the buffet restaurant I wanted to have a fast breakfast before an excursion and after taking the first thing I thought, why does the plate have such a strange reflection? It was greasy and it was not the only one. Staff told me to take that or to leave it. I did the latter. I spoke to a Dutch couple the last day and they had exactly the same experience about lacking hygiene in the buffet as I had. But worst was that MSC invented something great to arrange the way to leave the ship in Haifa. I had an independent excursion and those without a MSC excursion were called in the diary to wait in the atrium. I thought fine, I’d take a coffee there and would leave when possible, so I was early close to a staircase that was shut-off by a rope. While waiting MSC pushed more and more people into the atrium. Who was “caught” in the staircases or lifts was pressed into the atrium as well. Way too many people on way too little space. Parents started to lift their children onto their shoulders and still more people were taken out of the lifts and pressed at the opposite side into the atrium. I am huge, strong and not easy to scare, but I looked for a way to flee out in case a panic would start somewhere in the way too much overcrowded place. It was just luck that everybody stayed calm and anybody was hurt. A group commented this by shouting “Costa, Costa!” through this MSC vessel. From MSC customers service on shore I never had a reaction on my complaints.
 
I never even thought about sailing with MSC again. If with Costa occurs a smaller issue, something is broken or what ever, it is solved, people are engaged in what they are doing and try to keep the guests happy. On all my Costa cruises I had it once that I reported an unpleasant situation with someone from the excursion desk, while I regularly include in surveys the names of those, who did a splendid job. In about 12 times more nights at Costa in total hadn’t so many issues as in one MSC cruise and none of them was even close to be dangerous.
 
I did about half of my cruises with Costa, the others I booked with different lines. They offer great value - especially for solo travellers - and who enjoys staying in Italy, loves real Italian food (not spaghetti with meat-balls) doesn’t make a mistake by booking Costa. In October I’ll be on a short cruise with NCL and for January 22 I am booked for 127 days on Costa.

[Stefan_Varong]

On 6/15/2021 at 10:14 PM, BVILady said:

The restrictions of the country you are boarding at will probably be the deciding factor when it comes to your cruise. Seems like the countries permitted change on a daily/weekly basis.

 

EU law applies and this week the decision was taken to lift the travel ban on US citizens and other countries where the situation improved, will be in force soon. Costa right now still links a document that only allows those living in EU / EEA / UK on board, depending on the local situation with or even without PCR test (swab tests for everybody while boarding). From July 1st we will have at least within the EU the possibility to travel freely for all being vaccinated completely, things will change further.

[kremerlorraine]

Stefan_Varong "Hostility desk" -- that made me laugh!! 

[drsel]

On 6/21/2021 at 8:39 PM, kremerlorraine said:

Stefan_Varong "Hostility desk" -- that made me laugh!! 

That was on purpose, he actually meant it!

It's quite true also

[drsel]

By the way, when Costa upgraded our cabin (for free) on a very long Cruise, the receptionist left her desk and came with us all the way to show us  our new cabin!

[drsel]

On another Costa back to back Cruise when we didn't want to leave the ship,  the receptionist very kindly came with us to the exit to tap the old key cards for exiting and then tap the new key cards for re-entering the cruise.

very convenient

Edited June 23, 2021 by drsel

[Stefan_Varong]

18 hours ago, drsel said:

That was on purpose, he actually meant it!

It's quite true also

 

Well, it was both, mistake and purpose. When I was typing I recognised what I was writing instead of hospitality desk. I decided that hostility desk was too much to the point to correct it.

[Wiggster]

Hi, I have sailed on both Costa and MSC, and as a single cruiser Costa prices are far more accommodating to single cruisers.

 

Like someone else has advised MSC are more international/mainstream feeling to the cruise whereas Costa feels more European/Italian.

 

I think every cruise line has their advantages/disadvantages, however Costa's main highlight is that their entertainment team are the best in the business - i.e for the parties that they hold around the ship, and other pool fun which I do not participate in. All the entertainment team staff are truly un boundless balls of fun, they will make you feel included in whatever they are doing and treat you like you are their best friends.. The only other cruise line that comes close is Tui/Thompson. I have been to raves on the pool deck with lasers shows, and the age demographic was 8 to 95 years all dancing and having an amazing time... 

 

MSC - Highlight for me unlimited Pizza bar - Their charcoal baked black pizza was a revelation to me 🤓

[drsel]

Costa fans would prefer Costa for many reasons.

One is that their drink packages are reasonably low priced, when included in the cruise fare. (MSc has now started following this example.)

 

And they have huge discounts for loyal customers at the highest membership levels.

 

Also, if you do one more Cruise in any year (as compared to the immediate previous year), you get an automatic cabin upgrade for the extra Cruise done.

 

Another great thing about Costa is that as the cruise sailing date approaches, very often the prices keep falling, so you can often get an amazingly low price Cruise last minute.

I haven't seen this very often with MSC.

for MSc I recommend that you book early.

 

Costa has a lot of prizes for participation in all their games and activities

Edited June 30, 2021 by drsel

[bcs]

6 hours ago, drsel said:

if you do one more Cruise in any year (as compared to the immediate previous year), you get an automatic cabin upgrade for the extra Cruise done.

Hi, 

Were is stated this?

[drsel]

4 hours ago, bcs said:

Hi, 

Were is stated this?

There is a thread here on cruise critic about Costa upgrades

[drsel]

In simple and short terms, MSC is a four star cruise, while Costa is a 3 star budget Cruise.

 

MSC has 6 grand shows on a typical 7 night Cruise, while Costa has only 4 Grand shows.

 

The MSC buffet is open for 20 hours a day while the Costa buffet is open for 7-8 hours a day.

 

Costa is very very Italian,  while MSC is more multinational.

 

With MSC, you usually get the best prices when The Cruise is first announced in the beginning,  and the prices gradually go up with time.

Costa is the reverse, the prices fall with time and four to six weeks prior to sailing they are usually the lowest.

 

MSC offers a status match, while Costa does not.

In fact no cruise line offers such a status match.

 

MSC offers up to 50% discount on the basic fare for healthcare workers with hard copy proof.

No other cruise line offers this and certainly not Costa

 

Costa has some excellent bargains for Cruises coming up later this year 2021, while MSC prices for 2021 Cruises have already gone up significantly.

 

There are plenty more differences and I could go on and on, but this should suffice

[Stefan_Varong]

11 hours ago, drsel said:

In simple and short terms, MSC is a four star cruise, while Costa is a 3 star budget Cruise.

 

MSC has ZERO stars (and that is already too much)! By far the worst cruise experience ever! If you understand that lack of safety and being hostile against guests would qualify as being international MSC definitely is! Costa sometimes has some very good offers, but is not budget in general terms, it is very much depending on season and obviously their repositioning cruises sell even less than with other lines. Costa is budget only, when it comes to a few selected products, times off-season, and of course last minute bookings. Of course we have now different rules these days, but generally Costa keeps the buffet is open from breakfast until supper with just being closed for general cleaning between the meals. Who has a problem with a break of an hour between breakfast and lunch has really a problem. Better to clean than to be as dirty as MSC where anybody cared about. And with all time spent on Costas there never has been a single evening without entertainment. Whether you like it or not is a very different question. The same with being Italian, but it is hard to travel to Rome and complain that there are so many Italians, that they all behave like Italians, and even offer Italian food in most restaurants...

[gerryuk]

On 6/30/2021 at 1:58 PM, bcs said:

Hi, 

Were is stated this?

You need to be in MYCosta and have done enough cruises to qualify for the upgrade. It also goes on how much you have spent to get enough points to to qualify. 

[gerryuk]

On 6/30/2021 at 1:58 PM, bcs said:

Hi, 

Were is stated this?

If you join Costa club (its free) these are the benefits as you accumulate points on the number of cruises you take and your on board spend.....

 

Costa Club Privileges

 

Select your Club and discover the privileges reserved for you:

Ambra0

Acquamarina1 - 2000

Corallo2001 - 5000

GM

Perla5001 - 13000

Perla Oro13001 - 26000

Perla Diamante26001+

View all Privileges

 

All privileges

BOOKING

BOOKING	Ambra	Acquamarina	Corallo	Perla	Perla Oro	Perla Diamante
Exclusive discounts on a selection of departures (called “Up to 20% off” or “Privilege Departures”). The discount is valid for all guests travelling in the same cabin. These cruises are a selection of a third of all scheduled departures for the year.	5%	10%	12%	15%	17%	20%
Cabin Upgrade on the extra cruises compared to the ones taken the previous year (best available category)  [1]
Cabin Super Upgrade up to a Suite on the extra cruises compared to the ones taken the previous year (best available category)  [1]

BEFORE LEAVING

BEFORE LEAVING	Ambra	Acquamarina	Corallo	Perla	Perla Oro	Perla Diamante
High-priority ship boarding
Medium-priority ship boarding
VIP lounge at the Palacrociere (Savona) and Palacruceros (Barcelona, Terminals D and E) with refreshments
Complimentary home pick-up and delivery of one piece of luggage.  [0] [3]

PRIVILEGES ON BOARD

PRIVILEGES ON BOARD	Ambra	Acquamarina	Corallo	Perla	Perla Oro	Perla Diamante
Priority in-cabin luggage delivery
Participation in exclusive “Costa Club Cruise” activities
Personalized Costa Club cabin card  [0]
Dedicated assistance at the Costa Club Point
Costa Club discounts (10% to 50%) on a selection of on-board products and services  [0]
A complimentary special coffee ("Caffè Speciale") on board
End-of-cruise Costa Club gift
Complimentary birthday cake and studio portrait photo  [0]
Costa Club Show and complimentary photo  [4]
Complimentary bottle of water in cabin  [5]
Complimentary bottle of sparkling wine in cabin  [5]
Complimentary fruit basket in cabin
Complimentary dinner at the Samsara Restaurant (on ships where available) or the Pummid’Oro Pizzeria  [6]
Complimentary dinner at the Samsara Restaurant (on ships where available)  [6]
Credits to spend on board  [8]					60 €/$	75 €/$
Robe (for cabin use during the cruise) and slippers
Extra pool towel supplied in cabin
VIP Cocktail Party  [9]
Club Restaurant – or reserved area in the main Restaurant – for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the whole cruise (where available)  [10]
Pillow menu: choose the kind of pillow you prefer
Dedicated staff available to help you book services to be paid for on board (excursions, spa, restaurants)
"Magic Bag" laundry service at the end of the cruise (clothes washed and folded)  [0] [4]
First rows reserved for evening shows up to 5 minutes before the start of the show  [11]
Complimentary day at the Spa (on ships where avaiable, when the ship is in port, also valid for one person traveling in the same cabin)  [11]
On board kitchen (main galley) tour  [12]
Wine-tasting experience  [13]
Tea-tasting experience  [14]
Priority access to the Costa Smeralda Reception
Priority disembarkation (end of cruise)

 

[unrealHeather]

I've cruised Costa and MSC as well as RC and Norwegian.  I prefer Costa in terms of value for money.  Their customer service seems more authentic and friendly.  It's subtle the the crew on the MSC boat we experienced were edging on apathy and going through the bare minimum motions.  

 

MSC was the only cruise line that has screwed up our prebooked drink package and where my youngest got food poisoning.  My sense is MSC has really terrible IT systems to support their staff.  People complain about food on Costa but we enjoyed.  

I was on a shore excursion with an American woman who complained she didn't like the food on Costa because they didn't have "good salads" and yet they were making comments about finding a McDonald's while they were off the ship.  So take that for what you will.  

As I recall MSC and Costa are a bit annoying in having food available during off meal hours.  But once you get used to that it's fine.  

[Raj.K]

Any comparison of Suites on Costa versus Yacht Club on MSC?

 

Also, MSC now include gratuities in the fare whilst Costa charges additional EUR 11 per night per passenger. How does Suite cabin and privileges compare with Yacht Club?