MSC shows - will I be wowed?

[yuki5900]

Never sailed MSC...do the newer ships have entertainment that is similar in quality to the Oasis class ships on RCL?  Our first cruise that will be alcohol-free and we are trying to make sure we can keep busy in the evenings when we would usually be at a bar.  Thanks for any help!

[hamrag]

Nope!

[9876]

No.   I do, however, really like the music around the ship.

 

[mscdivina2016]

3 hours ago, yuki5900 said:

Never sailed MSC...do the newer ships have entertainment that is similar in quality to the Oasis class ships on RCL?  Our first cruise that will be alcohol-free and we are trying to make sure we can keep busy in the evenings when we would usually be at a bar.  Thanks for any help!

Not even close. Allot of use of video screens. Some of the worst entertainment in my opinion.

 

[Nunagoras]

Sadly, I must admit that, by the norm, MSC shows are just entertaining, but nothing really worth to write home about. Some of the more recent shows will have a "cirque du soleil" style show that maybe of value, but other than that, the main theater show will be such a 35-45 minutes, mostly music and acrobatics sort of thing. They'll have some nice music round the ship though, and if you want to stay away from alcohol, they have a quite nice virgin cocktails page on the menu!

[showingdiva]

I can only base my experience on  the theatre group on MSC Virtuosa out of the UK.  Don't get me wrong, they are an enthusiastic and talented group of young performers, but the shows themselves are a bit, well ... odd.   They go off on a tangent from their title, and some of the costumes don't match the theme.

 

My interpretation is that the shows were created for a different market, then slightly adapted when Virtuosa was deployed to the UK instead of the market she was originally destined for.   Thus, the British audience are a bit confused by them.

[MsTabbyKats]

Speaking as an American who doesn't drink:  I think the shows on MSC are fabulous.  Lots of singing, dancing and acrobatics.  The entertainers are of professional quality.  No comedians....no "passengers are the talent"....kind of things.  There is also great music around the ship.

 

I've never been on RCL....but I do go to Broadway on an "almost weekly" basis....so I set the bar high.

 

Try the casino instead of the bar.........or sit in the atrium and make new friends.  Productions are only about an hour anyway.....

[JT1962]

I enjoyed the shows on my 2 MSC cruises this year, but nothing really “wowed” me. I did like the fact that they included acrobatics into most of their shows - I’m  not a big fan of just singers / dancers / production shows on most cruise lines. There were 2 comedians and a comedy juggler on my Divina cruise last month, which I prefer over production shows. They also had a crew talent show on the last night of the cruise.

[Tierun]

The live music/singing in the atrium is the best way to go.

[perakcruiser]

4 hours ago, yuki5900 said:

Never sailed MSC...do the newer ships have entertainment that is similar in quality to the Oasis class ships on RCL?  Our first cruise that will be alcohol-free and we are trying to make sure we can keep busy in the evenings when we would usually be at a bar.  Thanks for any help!

Non of the European companies is doing the entertainment as the Americans do it, has nothing to do with MSC. 

 

But if you are lucky, MSC will show their short version of La Traviata or another highlight from this category. Only one time, no second chance, be aware of! Much better singers than ANYWHERE else, not too much of them for obvious money reasons, but that should not spoil the enjoyment.

 

Overall, you are coming to late. The phantastic times with highest quality singers on board are gone. And anyway only available on Med cruises. 

[Stockjock]

The closest I've come to being wowed was during MSC's Cirque du Soleil shows, but they've ditched those in favor of their own in-house Carousel Lounge shows, which are vastly inferior.

I don't think you'll be wowed, but I suspect that you'll enjoy most of them.  Some don't like the fact that MSC's shows tend to be shorter than what they've seen on other cruise lines.  We like the fact that the shows are relatively brief.

Edited November 3, 2022 by Stockjock

[hamrag]

1 hour ago, MsTabbyKats said:

.....I think the shows on MSC are fabulous....

 

I've never been on RCL....but I do go to Broadway on an "almost weekly" basis....so I set the bar high....

 

🤔😲

[deliver42]

MSC's shows are very good, but I wouldn't call them wow. If you want to be wowed then go Royal Caribbean on their Oasis class or Quantum class ships, or NCL on their Breakaway and Breakaway plus ships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nunagoras]

2 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

Non of the European companies is doing the entertainment as the Americans do it, has nothing to do with MSC. 

 

But if you are lucky, MSC will show their short version of La Traviata or another highlight from this category. Only one time, no second chance, be aware of! Much better singers than ANYWHERE else, not too much of them for obvious money reasons, but that should not spoil the enjoyment.

 

Overall, you are coming to late. The phantastic times with highest quality singers on board are gone. And anyway only available on Med cruises. 

Actually all mainstream companies are following the money actually and the money comes mostly from young families for most part at that segment. Experience wise, young families of today seem to be less demanding than the older cruise crowd on what music concerns. For now some disco like "upbeat" music elsewhere sufixes most of the time. Back in the day, they used to have a nice set of pianists/string threesomes/quartets that popped up every night in the ship's atriums for our enjoyment. Maybe they already have at least part of it on the older ships? Apparently on the brand new World Europa only YC guests will eventually to enjoy the privilege... Simply; there's no need to spend tons of money on good quality music when an "upbeat" anything else suffixes. Luckily a nice choir or classical music provider traveling as a guest offer themselves to "officiate" during your cruise (on one of my cruises there was the Geneva Cathedral Choir, and on my last one there was a wonderful top notch German classical ballerina on her retirement cruise. Both were top notch shows, but hey, they were the lucky on me MSC moment), or you'll have a minimal version of the classics elsewhere, but sadly those times are mostly over.

 

Thanks to the contribution and have a nice day!...

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

But if you are lucky, MSC will show their short version of La Traviata or another highlight from this category. Only one time, no second chance, be aware of! Much better singers than ANYWHERE else,

 

I must emphasize this posters comments.  Excellent, abbreviated opera presentations that I have never experienced on any other cruise line with the male and female leads having excellent opera quality voices.  Staging matched the story line very well.

 

I felt the shows in the main theater of Meraviglia to be the best that a I have seen and reminded me of the kinds of stage productions that were the norm years ago.

 

Individual music groups in the various lounges were all good to very good.  The one music group that I grew "weary" of hearing was the performers in the YC Top Sail Lounge,  They lacked any "wow" factor in their performances.  

[xcell]

lol

[Ryan82]

I think a lot of it depends on personal preferences but I find the entertainment on MSC to be good. The shows are relatively varied, so just take a look at the daily planner and decide if you think it's going to be something you'd enjoy.

[ready2cruzagain]

I love the MSC shows. A lot of variety for sure. Love that they have a different show every night where as a lot of cruise lines only have a couple of shows and the rest of the entertainment is guests entertaining guests which I cannot stand. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

The shows were fine. I liked that they were only 30-40 minutes long. What wowed me the most was the unbelievable number of people who came late and insisted on looking for seats by traipsing over, under, and passed people who were already seated. After 2 nights of that, we called it quits. (Seashore)