TPG Article review on MSC Seashore

[tedbearz]

Has anyone read the article on MSC Seashore? "I got what I paid for: My cheap family cruise on MSC Seashore"

 

Is that an accurate description of a typical MSC Cruise? thanks

 

Wasnt sure if its ok to link to the article

[Shippy]

1 hour ago, tedbearz said:

Has anyone read the article on MSC Seashore? "I got what I paid for: My cheap family cruise on MSC Seashore"

 

Is that an accurate description of a typical MSC Cruise? thanks

 

Wasnt sure if its ok to link to the article

PLEASE ADD THE LINK

[JT1962]

I read the article. It sounded similar to many reviews I see of MSC cruises. The author did not fully understand what was and was not included and seemed to be expecting the same amenities / procedures as on Carnival, Royal Canadian or NCL. 
 

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/cheap-family-cruises-msc/amp/

[Hlitner]

I will tiptoe through the subject.  The Points Guy (TPG) is a great resource for those of us who do a lot of independent flying.  He is a great resource for everything involving commercial aviation and obviously has many inside airline sources.   But in more recent years he has ventured into areas for which he (and his staff) seem to have little experience, and one of these areas is the cruise industry.  I actually think the referenced review article is pretty fair, and I say that as a frequent cruiser with more than 45 years extensive cruising experience.

 

So lets talk a little about MSC and what led to the TPG review.  The MSC product really varies depending on what the customer seeks.  It is possible to book an inexpensive Experience on MSC and get a cruise vacation for an amazing price!  That assumes you do not get drawn into spending a lot of money onboard for alternative restaurants, lots of drinks, etc.  But for those that want a value cruise you can get it with MSC.  But, like the referenced article says, you will usually get what you pay for.  What is not said is that on MSC you can also get a high-quality experience in the Yacht Club...but you must pay the price.  

 

So I am posting the link (the mods can decide if this is appropriate)

I got what I paid for: My cheap family cruise on MSC Seashore (thepointsguy.com)

 

I do not think the Points Guy has an agenda but is simply posting the story written by one of his staff.  To me, the interesting part of the article is that my thinking is that MSC might actually agree with much of what is written.  I do think the writer was a bit harsh regarding the Lido Buffets on MSC, but when it comes to food there will always be disagreement.  DW and I only cruise MSC in the Yacht Club, but on some days we actually venture to the regular buffet for lunch!   On MSC I can make a decent Italian Sausage (with onions and peppers) in the buffet.....and I have never found this on other cruise lines :).  And the pizza is pretty good.

 

Hank

 

[SirWolf]

5 hours ago, tedbearz said:

Has anyone read the article on MSC Seashore? "I got what I paid for: My cheap family cruise on MSC Seashore"

 

Is that an accurate description of a typical MSC Cruise? thanks

 

Wasnt sure if its ok to link to the article

The description of TPG is based on observations from a cruiser comparing Disney’s new cruise ship in the first sentence of his review with MSC. All cruise lines will lose when competing against Disney brand.

It seems TPG doesn’t understand the concept and passenger groups targeted by MSC.

He started the review as a family cruise and suggested in his conclusion to book Yacht Club.. it’s one of the most confusing reviews. I have read a lot of TPG reviews.

Edited August 23, 2022 by SirWolf

[Georgia_Peaches]

31 minutes ago, SirWolf said:

All cruise lines will lose when competing against Disney brand.

 

Have to disagree. There are many reasons I will NEVER cruise Disney. I’d rather cruise in a dingy being circled by sharks than step foot on a Disney ship. 
 

on another note, who/what is TPG?

Edited August 23, 2022 by Georgia_Peaches

[SirWolf]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Have to disagree. There are many reasons I will NEVER cruise Disney. I’d rather cruise in a dingy being circled by sharks than step foot on a Disney ship. 
 

on another note, who/what is TPG?

The review compared Disney and MSC as family cruises. Quote “In search of cheap family cruises myself, I followed the deals to a major but more under-the -radar cruise line, MSC Cruises.”

 

To make things worse.. the author of the review puts MSC and Carnival on the same level.

 

( TPG -> Th* Poi*ts Gu* ).. fill in “e” “n” “y”

Google search the above mentioned name and “MSC Seashore”, the review is from Wednesday last week.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

3 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Have to disagree. There are many reasons I will NEVER cruise Disney. I’d rather cruise in a dingy being circled by sharks than step foot on a Disney ship. 
 

on another note, who/what is TPG?

TPG is The Points Guy website which is mostly about airlines and earning frequent flyer miles. But their staff will also review hotels and I guess cruises.

 

Not sure what happened to you on a Disney cruise but they deliver an amazing product plus for families, it can't be beat. Except for price; they have ridiculous prices which they're able to still fill their ships with so more power to them. One can sail a similar itinerary on Royal Caribbean or Carnival for one-third of the price.....but it's not Disney.

[perakcruiser]

Well if I need to choose if I want to visit Venice or Disneyland, I would know what I choose. Even the number of rides and slides is shockingly small in Venice 😄

 

As @Georgia_Peaches I probably need to be shanghai´d to set a foot on a Disney ship, but that is not the point. 

 

The article is useless as probably all articles by people who know nothing are. So many things are just plain stupid wrong.

 

"Although it has been offering Caribbean cruises for about a decade now" - much, much longer, do your research if you pretend to be a journalist. 

 

"The truth is, I got what I paid for and encountered more logistical hassles and nickel-and-diming than I’ve experienced on most of the 50-plus cruises I’ve been on." - The truth is that it is quite simple to finish a MSC cruise with a bill of zero. Kids Club, Water park, all free, and so on.

 

"the buffet menu aboard MSC Seashore rarely changed and the venue in which the buffet was set out was both crowded and confusing to navigate." - What? The menu changes every day completely. Yes, pasta is available as yesterday, but you need to look a little bit closer, it is a different pasta all the time. Totally different. Meat carving is different, fish and so on.

 

"Some days there was a Mexican station, though it was hard to find in the enormous venue." - What you are talking is the "Ethnic corner", where - certainly - the food is not Mexican every day, as - as said before - it changes every day. It is not easy to find at all, same position all the time. 

 

One buffet counter somewhere had a rotating selection of hot lunch dishes, but when I finally found my way there, none of the dishes were labeled. In fact, nothing was labeled anywhere on the buffet - Never experienced this, always everything was labeled. Labeled in 5 or 6 languages. 

 

A highlight of every family cruise I’ve been on is the free soft-serve ice cream on the pool deck - This is a highlight for you, wow! Machine "ice cream", which is not allowed to be called ice-cream in many countries 😉 is considered as the lowest level by Europeans, something you only buy at McDonalds for a extremely low price in every currency. 

 

There are only two ways to get free ice cream on MSC Seashore... or you head to the one buffet counter that offers snacks for one hour from 4 to 5 p.m. every day, and you get in line with scores of other hot and hungry cruisers to ask for one of two flavors  - In all my MSC cruises the ice cream was available for dessert not only from 4 to 5 but also after lunch. And it were always 3 choices. As no normal thinking parent is allowing their kids to have ice cream more than one time a day, maximum two because holiday, this is absolutely adequat. 

 

It’s hard to say how much this was a fault of the kids club versus my daughter’s capricious personality - By reading your article I have a special idea who is to blame and it is not MSC 🙂

 

because MSC attracts a diverse, international crowd, many of the kids my daughter’s age at the Junior Club didn’t speak English. This made making friends difficult. - It is very good for kids to mix with other nationalities/languagues. For kids this usually is easy, at least my kids have no problem with this, certainly because they are used to it. 

 

Instead, you must stand in line to use a kiosk to fund your cruise account after you board. - Just dont do it with a kiosk with a long line. Go a few steps to another one or wait a few hours. 

 

 It would have been nice to be able to designate our specific choice during the initial booking process rather than spending even more time in a line. - Do your homeword and book Fantastica and select your time in advance.

 

To me, the ship seemed better suited to couples and groups of adult friends traveling together - MSC is the main choice for families ALL AROUND THE WORLD, they have this reputation for a good reason. What it is seems for you is the complete opposite for the rest of the world. By the way, recommending booking the YA for a family with kids is at least strange. 

 

 

Sure we all have a lot of things to criticize about MSC, but this article is unfortunately from a clueless person who is not qualified to criticize them. Here on this board probably every user is more qualified. 

[dexddd]

I swore never DCL and never a three night.  Well, good friends did and we went.  One of best cruises ever.  We then did four more.

 

Probably one of the best for free adults only areas.

[dexddd]

TPG on cruise articles generally ok at best.  Love the many other novice writers who can't even get a picture of the right cruise line in an article.

[Tierun]

I must say, seashore was my first MSC cruise and although it was a good time, much was left to be desired. I did sail Divina earlier this month and it was a better experience having learned how they operate. 

[Hlitner]

Like I said in the previous post, TPG and his staff are out of their area of expertise when it comes to the cruise industry.  That being said, the writer of the article has obviously been on a few cruises and should be viewed as a cruiser expressing her opinion based on her own cruise experience.  But comparing Disney to MSC is really like comparing apples to kumquats.   The two lines are in an entirely different world when it comes to price!   While Disney may be the best (or one of the two best) cruise lines for families with younger children/teens, it is also an expensive cruise line, especially if you consider it in oft called "mass market" sector of cruise lines.  But let's be honest and say that DCL is a very unique product in an industry where "unique" is rare.   When comparing the lower end of MSC categories we would look at lower end categories of NCL, RCI and Carnival in terms of comparison.  A 7 day Disney cruise in one of the lowest cost categories would cost over $5000 for a family of 3.  A 7 day MSC cruise priced at an inside cabin for the same week (as the Disney Cruise) would cost less than $2000!    In fact, you could book an inside Yacht Club cabin for less money than the lowest cost inside cabin on DCL.  

 

For those looking for a relatively inexpensive way to take their family on a cruise, MSC is hard to beat.  If you are looking for an inexpensive DCL cruise, it just does not exist.

 

Hank

 

 

[phissy]

I agree with Hank. ( Hlitner)

I spend quite a bit of time on airline / flying sites. We fly about 35,000 miles a year.

Using sites like TPG, Flyertalk, one mile at a time etc. has allowed us to travel and stay up to date on airline / travel policies and contribute helpful info to other travelers.

Because of these sites, we Have been able to use miles for many FC flights internationally.

Wading into cruise space is a departure from their wheelhouse.

Like most reviews, this is a perspective that can be useful and interesting.

Expectations are not always met.

This is becoming more common as the landscape in leisure sector has changed from pandemic. Slow to return to previous levels.

Patience and understanding is needed.

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

7 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

Well if I need to choose if I want to visit Venice or Disneyland, I would know what I choose. Even the number of rides and slides is shockingly small in Venice 😄

 

As @Georgia_Peaches I probably need to be shanghai´d to set a foot on a Disney ship, but that is not the point. 

 

The article is useless as probably all articles by people who know nothing are. So many things are just plain stupid wrong.

 

"Although it has been offering Caribbean cruises for about a decade now" - much, much longer, do your research if you pretend to be a journalist. 

 

"The truth is, I got what I paid for and encountered more logistical hassles and nickel-and-diming than I’ve experienced on most of the 50-plus cruises I’ve been on." - The truth is that it is quite simple to finish a MSC cruise with a bill of zero. Kids Club, Water park, all free, and so on.

 

"the buffet menu aboard MSC Seashore rarely changed and the venue in which the buffet was set out was both crowded and confusing to navigate." - What? The menu changes every day completely. Yes, pasta is available as yesterday, but you need to look a little bit closer, it is a different pasta all the time. Totally different. Meat carving is different, fish and so on.

 

"Some days there was a Mexican station, though it was hard to find in the enormous venue." - What you are talking is the "Ethnic corner", where - certainly - the food is not Mexican every day, as - as said before - it changes every day. It is not easy to find at all, same position all the time. 

 

One buffet counter somewhere had a rotating selection of hot lunch dishes, but when I finally found my way there, none of the dishes were labeled. In fact, nothing was labeled anywhere on the buffet - Never experienced this, always everything was labeled. Labeled in 5 or 6 languages. 

 

A highlight of every family cruise I’ve been on is the free soft-serve ice cream on the pool deck - This is a highlight for you, wow! Machine "ice cream", which is not allowed to be called ice-cream in many countries 😉 is considered as the lowest level by Europeans, something you only buy at McDonalds for a extremely low price in every currency. 

 

There are only two ways to get free ice cream on MSC Seashore... or you head to the one buffet counter that offers snacks for one hour from 4 to 5 p.m. every day, and you get in line with scores of other hot and hungry cruisers to ask for one of two flavors  - In all my MSC cruises the ice cream was available for dessert not only from 4 to 5 but also after lunch. And it were always 3 choices. As no normal thinking parent is allowing their kids to have ice cream more than one time a day, maximum two because holiday, this is absolutely adequat. 

 

It’s hard to say how much this was a fault of the kids club versus my daughter’s capricious personality - By reading your article I have a special idea who is to blame and it is not MSC 🙂

 

because MSC attracts a diverse, international crowd, many of the kids my daughter’s age at the Junior Club didn’t speak English. This made making friends difficult. - It is very good for kids to mix with other nationalities/languagues. For kids this usually is easy, at least my kids have no problem with this, certainly because they are used to it. 

 

Instead, you must stand in line to use a kiosk to fund your cruise account after you board. - Just dont do it with a kiosk with a long line. Go a few steps to another one or wait a few hours. 

 

 It would have been nice to be able to designate our specific choice during the initial booking process rather than spending even more time in a line. - Do your homeword and book Fantastica and select your time in advance.

 

To me, the ship seemed better suited to couples and groups of adult friends traveling together - MSC is the main choice for families ALL AROUND THE WORLD, they have this reputation for a good reason. What it is seems for you is the complete opposite for the rest of the world. By the way, recommending booking the YA for a family with kids is at least strange. 

 

 

Sure we all have a lot of things to criticize about MSC, but this article is unfortunately from a clueless person who is not qualified to criticize them. Here on this board probably every user is more qualified. 

I really appreciate you putting all of the critiques into perspective.  My DH and I are just stupidly excited to try MSC on Saturday.  Some of the reviews I've read, though taken with a grain of salt, sound truly ghastly!  As he and I have enjoyed our visits to Italy, we are looking forward to embracing the international aspect of this voyage.

[phissy]

3 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I really appreciate you putting all of the critiques into perspective.  My DH and I are just stupidly excited to try MSC on Saturday.  Some of the reviews I've read, though taken with a grain of salt, sound truly ghastly!  As he and I have enjoyed our visits to Italy, we are looking forward to embracing the international aspect of this voyage.

Have a great cruise and a wonderful time. 
I sounds like you will enjoy the more European side of MSC. 

 

[shipgeeks]

I like reading anything about cruising.  I read one Points Guy article that was featured on my news page, and vowed to never read any more.  The writer was so naive, or as Perakcruiser so aptly put it, clueless.  But they are very good at writing titles that draw people in!

I hesitate to honor them with even one more "click", so might skip reading this one, unless my curiosity gets the better of me.

FWIW, We have done two more recent MSC cruises, in Bella level, as well as one in 2002, all out of Florida.  We greatly enjoyed them all. The food, our cabin, the shows were all more than fine, and the service from all departments was outstanding.  Reading some of the quotes above, all I can say is "huh??"

[mowogo]

The Points Guy is expanding into cruises because that is where there is demand for content.  But with the US focus, the people writing about cruises are much more used to American style cruise lines where they overstuff the schedule rather than MSC which allows for downtime.  And with the fares for some of the short trips, I would absolutely recommend anybody considering a week long trip on MSC do a sample cruise on one of the 2-4 night runs before attempting a 7 day cruise with MSC because there are enough differences between US and European cruising to make a difference and every individual has their own preferences for if MSC is a good fit.  

 

And from having traveled with quite a few of the team including the Points Guy himself, I’m genuinely surprised there was no discussion of the status match which can get you Diamond if you get the right credit card 🤪 

 

 

[zackarykeef]

It just seems like the author wanted it to be exactly like every other cruise line. The article starts off by acknowledging that MSC is different than others being a European line, but then goes on to say “well on RCCL, it was like this” and “on NCL, it’s always like this,” etc. That’s a little hypocritical.

 

I also like that it mentions the only things on the buffet were burgers, fries, pizza, deli meats, and Mexican…then states it’s unlike Carnival where they have Guy’s Burgers, a pizzeria, a Mexican joint, and a deli. I get they’re “speciality” and included, but…that’s the same food 🙃

 

She wanted a family vacation for cheap, and that’s what she got. She literally laid out the prices, and then was shocked when it wasn’t the same product. I don’t get it 🤷🏼‍♂️