Silhouette LIVE (1/12) w/ Side by Side: A Royal Week on Celebrity and MSC

[aml3679]

Enjoying 

[GenerationX]

26 minutes ago, REOVA said:

. " I ended up doing a cash account due to the number of reviews I saw while researching my online check in issue about erroneous credit card charges and multiple charges/holds that stayed on cards for months on end."

 

 

Curious how well you are able to dispute a cash charge. I've heard fees being added or changed which I guess the cruise contract could be used to hold your cash. I find it easy to get the credit card company involved in the fight and reverse charges. But never have used cash accounts. 

I apologize, I should have been more clear. The reviews I read were from people who found errors on their bill while still onboard,  then onboard guest services told them that the charges had been corrected but that it would “take a few days” for the hold or charge for the erroneous amount that has already gone through to drop off their account statement but it never did.

 

So for example, let’s say last night of cruise the onboard account showed a total due and charged to the credit card of $300. Customer goes to GS and says $100 of that was an error.  GS agrees it was an error and corrects the account balance and claims they have “reversed” the $300 charge and are now running the card for the correct amount of $200 (and assures the passenger the $300 charge/hold will go away in a few days).  
 

The reviews I saw claimed that after days or weeks back at home, the $300 charge/hold was still on the credit card (so passenger has a total of $500 in MSC charges on their credit card statement).  Some even reported that when they checked their credit card statements, a SECOND charge for the incorrect amount showed up a day or 2 later, rather than the first one being removed (so that’s $800 in MSC charges when only $200 is legit).  

Then they were stuck in limbo with MSC trying to get someone in customer service on the phone trying to get it all fixed.  

 

The cash account allowed me to avoid this particular issue, because in this scenario if I had $300 cash on my account to cover $200 in charges, identified an erroneous charge for $100 while still on the ship, and the ship removed the error, then they would just hand me my $100 back in cash right then and there.  No credit card authorizations to be reversed that I’d have to leave the ship and just trust would actually fall off.

 

You’re correct that ultimately the charge issues above could also be dealt with by filing a dispute with the credit card company.  Personally my life is so busy right after I get back from a cruise, I wanted avoid having that extra item on my to do list if possible.

 

I’ve also read horror stories of cruise lines and resorts banning people from future cruises/stays for filing credit card chargebacks (even when legitimate). Granted that was a few years ago that I saw them and I have to assume it’s a rare occurrence, but again, didn’t want to take that risk either if I didn’t have to.

 

If I’d been on a longer cruise where I intended to make a decent amount of onboard purchases (spa, wine bottles, etc) I may have risked it and  done a credit card account. However for 4 nights when all I planned to buy was a few souvenirs, plus had a beverage package and $100 in OBC, it just seemed easier to just put $100 of my extra tip money on my account in case I needed a little more “credit” and then get it back at the end. 

[jerseygirl3]

21 hours ago, GenerationX said:

@jerseygirl3 first and foremost, just checking on you! I hope all went well with your surgery and that you are recovering well. I’m sure you’re focused on much more important things than CC right now, but please do drop a note whenever you do have time to let us know how you are doing.  I’ve been praying very hard for a quick recovery for you and for the 4 of us to be laughing and sipping wine at the sunset bar soon without a care in the world beyond what to order for the next bottle!

Thank you for the prayers.  They worked and I feel great!  Surgery went off without a hitch and I'm cleared to cruise this weekend. Hubby and I will be doing 12 night Royal out of Baltimore to souhern Carib with my sis and family and a dear friend. We WILL meet up one of these days. You are awesome!!' 

Edited February 7, 2023 by jerseygirl3

[cw2go]

@GenerationX I just wanted to take the time to let you know that I follow your blogs and LOVE your writing style. You have such an eloquent way of being funny! You've accomplished an impossible combination! Many of the posts aren't relevant to me and my current travel style but they're a joy to read and I love soaking in all the information for ... maybe ...one day! 😊

 

Wishing you a wonderful spring break voyage,

Patty 

 

 

 

[ccmo]

23 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Hi guys!  I’m back for my better late than never wrap up post!

 

I’m actually glad I waited a bit to write this one because it gave me a bit more time to think about my final comparison thoughts on Celebrity vs. MSC.  

 

Before I give the run down, it wouldn’t be a lawyer’s review without a few disclaimers, so here we go with the caveats:

 

-First, a reminder that these were two 4-night cruises on each line’s older ships.  Fellow cruise enthusiasts know just how much passenger demographic, atmosphere, etc. can vary for longer sailings vs shorter ones.  Same variance when sailing on the “latest and greatest” ships vs. the “well-seasoned ladies of the seas” if you will.  I’d imagine sailings in other parts of the world may be very different as well.

 

-As mentioned previously, I heard repeatedly that Divina is the top of the fleet when it comes to MSC’s yacht club service experience and I was on a sailing where yacht club was at about 70% of capacity (apparently unlike Celebrity, MSC does not automatically sell out the yacht club with move up bids as sail date approaches).  The experience on newer/bigger ships and fuller sailings may vary.

 

-I think it’s worth flagging that the crew experience level may also have an effect.  On Silhouette, I got the impression that many crew members, while all friendly and hard working as I’ve come to expect from Celebrity, were on their first contract.  Whereas, much of the crew at least in yacht club on Divina seemed to be at least a couple of contracts in and many (including Captain Pugh and the yacht club concierge and yacht club manager) were soon going to be wrapping up contracts that had been extended multiple times and heading home for time off before reassignment for Med season.

 

-As I thought back on the difference between my 2 afternoons in the $500 cabanas at Ocean Cay, it reminded me of how much the quality of the butler also has to do with the quality of the premium experience.  The cabana butler we had on day 1 certainly did his job and wasn’t rude or anything, but didn’t leave me thinking I’d be willing to invest $500 for a cabana experience.  Our above and beyond butler experience on day 2 has me already booked for a cabana for my next MSC cruise (future cruise plans report at the end of this post, stay tuned).  My stateroom butler on Silhouette was good and probably one of the better ones I’ve had since restart. However my butler on Divina was one of the best I’ve ever had on any cruise and it took me back to the treatment we had on Jeremy and I’s first time in a suite on Silhouette 5 years ago where our butler Glenn (see? I even still remember his name) got us hooked on the Retreat experience.

 

Ok, with those disclaimers, here’s where the Celebrity vs. MSC battle shakes out for me as of now…

 

CELEBRITY FOR THE WIN:

 

-I’ve always found Celebrity’s non-suite experience to be excellent and I would never hesitate to sail a Celebrity ship in a lower stateroom class if Retreat wasn’t in my budget.  On the other hand, I don’t know that I would sail MSC outside of the yacht club (though right now yacht club prices are around Celebrity’s AQ class prices for comparable ships and itineraries, so maybe less of an issue).  

 

-Celebrity seems to offer a better number and variety of shore excursions and better pricing, especially when you catch an excursion sale.

 

-I never thought I’d be praising Celebrity for its technology and accounting systems, but here I am.  The MSC website, cruise planner, online check in systems, etc. are just down right confusing till you learn the ropes. And even then, they experience glitches even more frequently than Celebrity.  For example, I received emails with my cruise documents (boarding pass, luggage tags, etc.) at least 7 times and each time it had a different assigned boarding time. 🤦🏾‍♀️ 

 

-The MSC onboard billing/charge system is also somewhat frustrating.  ALLEGEDLY, just like Celebrity you can link a credit card to your onboard account during online check in pre-cruise, but I never got this to work and based on the MSC boards that’s a common occurrence.  When it doesn’t work, you have to wait till you’re onboard and go to a kiosk to link a card to your account or add cash to it.  I ended up doing a cash account due to the number of reviews I saw while researching my online check in issue about erroneous credit card charges and multiple charges/holds that stayed on cards for months on end.  (PRO TIP: If you plan to do a cash account, get cash BEFORE you get onboard because apparently there are NO ATM’s on MSC ships.) Relatedly, on the older ships there is no way to check the balance and charges on your account unless you go to the yacht club concierge (or guest services when not in yacht club) and get a print out.  The MSC app doesn’t work on the older ships and there is no account info on the stateroom TV like Celebrity.

 

-While MSC’s casino was bigger and had many more table and slot options, it was far busier and louder when open than I’ve ever seen a Celebrity casino and smoking is allowed in some sections.  I didn’t think the smoke was bad in nonsmoking areas.  But my favorite Marilyn Monroe slot machine was right next to a gentleman immersed in a chain smoking cloud so I didn’t get to partake.

 

-The sommelier and wine activities program on Celebrity (when wine supply chain cooperates) is far better.  I had some good wines brought by my servers, but I don’t think I ever even met a sommelier on Divina.  The only wine tasting “event” on Divina was simply a special in the pizza and wine bar one afternoon where you could buy a flight of wines for a set price.  Not a full formal tasting event.

 

-I think my feelings on the ship design style and decor are well documented, so I won’t dwell again here.  But let’s just say when I got to the admirals club at MIA after getting off Divina I had never been so happy to see white and beige before. Glorious, beautiful, boring, unassuming white and beige!

 

MSC FOR THE WIN:

 

-The poolside breakfast and lunch in yacht club and yacht club lunch restaurant options being open on port days was so nice.  So is the option for formal high tea.  I’m told on longer sailings there’s even a seafood extravaganza party poolside in yacht club one day of the cruise.

 

-The yacht club lounge and yacht club pool areas are much bigger and less crowded than the Retreat, even compared to E class ships (NOTE: I haven’t been in retreat on Beyond yet where I understand these spaces are bigger than other E class ships).  I also liked the nightly live music schedule in yacht club, which seems to only happen sporadically in the retreat lounge.

 

-Two words: Private Island.  It was so nice to be able to lie on a beach and not have to worry about taking a bus anywhere or beach vendors constantly interrupting my reading.  Not to mention having my beach drinks covered by the beverage package and the delicious yacht club lunch restaurant.

 

-As noted throughout my review, the yacht club just seems to include a few more amenities than the retreat, and you don’t have as much of the “caste within a caste” 😂 of having to purchase a higher level suite to get them.  For example, the personal butler escorts onboard, included mini bar, butler assistance in the terminal at disembarkation, butler escorts to meals/shows…I could go on.  

 

-I will also say it seemed like the butlers on MSC were almost like the genies on RC.  Kevin seemed to pop up wherever I was to randomly do stuff for me. I was beginning to wonder if he put an AirTag and mic in my Below Deck tote bag.  The second day at Ocean Cay, as I was about to board a golf cart back to the ship, who should appear to offer me a hand into the cart and ask if I’d like a water or cold towel for the (2 minute) ride back to the ship?  Kevin (who I barely recognized in his much more casual beach khaki uniform).  One evening, as I was sipping champagne and watching sunset before dinner in a hot tub on the deserted yacht club pool deck, who comes walking up in tux with a tray with a fresh cocktail for me in hand (and a gentle reminder about approaching dinner time and offer to escort me there once dressed and ready)? Kevin.

 

-The yacht club concierges also seem to have some capabilities that the Retreat concierges don’t.  For example, on Celebrity my experience had been that the Retreat hosts can’t help with anything involving cash transactions.  On the (rare) occasions when I’ve been lucky in the casino, I prefer to put my cash winnings on my onboard account for the rest of the cruise rather than increasing the balance in my safe or risking forgetting to cash in a slip later.  I’ve always had to go to guest services and stand in the line to put the cash on my account and get the refund of any negative balance at the end of the cruise.  On MSC, this can all be done by the concierge in the lounge.  One day when I was reading in a lounge area by the desk, I overheard the concierge assisting some passengers who’d had their flight home cancelled and rebooked to the next day after the cruise with making a hotel reservation in Miami. I don’t think I’ve seen retreat concierges get involved beyond the end of the cruise.

 

 

So, where does all this leave me? Am I prepared to jump ship (see what I did there?) and give up Celebrity for MSC?  For this lady, I think the answer is no for now and the jury is still out.  

 

As my mom oh so wisely told me when I started dating: “just remember, anyone can manage to charm you for a dinner or two, give it time and pay close attention.”

 

I did find enough that I like, that I definitely want to try out a newer MSC ship on a longer sailing and see how the pros and cons shake out.  Which brings me to future cruise plans!

 

As of now, my next cruise will be in mid-March when Gen Z and I will spend her spring break week on Solstice sailing the Mexican Riviera out of LA.

 

Then, because I of course need the most important opinion in the family on the subject, Gen Z will get HER first taste of MSC in early July when we’ll take a summer, mommy-daughter,  7-night Caribbean cruise on MSC’s Seascape (one of the aforementioned bigger, new ships)!

 

The live review for that one will of course be on the MSC board, so if any of my Celebrity friends are interested, please save the date and head over and check it out probably starting around 7/6 or 7/7.

 

Still TBD is what we’ll be booking for the Fall to celebrate Jeremy’s big 40th birthday at sea. 

 

Thank you so much again to everyone who came along on these cruises and shared their comments and info.

 

Feel free to still jump in with any other questions or comments folks may have! 

 

I’ll talk to you all next month. Countdown to Solstice is on!

 

 

[ccmo]

Which week in March are you going? My husband and I will be on the March 18 sailing. I too am from St. Louis and enjoyed your posts.

[Laurab23]

6 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Will do! Making myself a note on my calendar now.

Yes please!

 

[GenerationX]

18 hours ago, ccmo said:

Which week in March are you going? My husband and I will be on the March 18 sailing. I too am from St. Louis and enjoyed your posts.

Thank you! Yes, we are also on the March 18 Solstice sailing!  
 

You’ve just reminded me that I should probably get on finding and joining the roll call.

 

Please come say hi if you see Gen Z and I around the ship.  If you’re still located in STL, perhaps we’ll even see each other at Lambert flying out. 😁

[GenerationX]

21 hours ago, jerseygirl3 said:

Thank you for the prayers.  They worked and I feel great!  Surgery went off without a hitch and I'm cleared to cruise this weekend. Hubby and I will be doing 12 night Royal out of Baltimore to souhern Carib with my sis and family and a dear friend. We WILL meet up one of these days. You are awesome!!' 

I think this wins the best CC update ever award.
 

I’m so very glad that all went smoothly and that you’re feeling better! 
 

A 12 night cruise with your favorite people sounds like a perfect celebration. Hopefully our cruising paths cross soon!

 

Bon Voyage!

[jerseygirl3]

On 2/8/2023 at 1:52 PM, GenerationX said:

I think this wins the best CC update ever award.
 

I’m so very glad that all went smoothly and that you’re feeling better! 
 

A 12 night cruise with your favorite people sounds like a perfect celebration. Hopefully our cruising paths cross soon!

 

Bon Voyage!

I spoke too soon. While I'm recovering without incident, hubby tested positive for Covid this morning. We were all packed and due to leave tomorrow. Now we've had to cancel😔

[markwfpb]

On 1/18/2023 at 3:20 PM, Lena11033 said:

 

I'm not going to lie, I've changed where I had my hotel next month based on Charla's review. I'd never been to Miami so just stuck with my regular hotel line but by switching hotels alone I've save a ton of money.

Now I've been looking at MSC line - my husband's hoping I don't win the lottery because I'll spend half the year cruising 🤣

Joking aside, honestly I started looking at YC based on this review (I can live with the décor for pricing)

I've searched (and searched) to find what hotel Charla recommended - which one is it?

(if that doesn't violate some CC rule.

[Lena11033]

21 hours ago, markwfpb said:

I've searched (and searched) to find what hotel Charla recommended - which one is it?

(if that doesn't violate some CC rule.

Hyatt centric brickell 🙂
 

[REOVA]

On 3/2/2023 at 8:34 PM, markwfpb said:

I've searched (and searched) to find what hotel Charla recommended - which one is it?

(if that doesn't violate some CC rule.

We just did Divinia and stayed at Intercontinental right next to the metro mover. We walked to Brickell as well as Bay Front Park and Bayside Market. Prices are at peak now. 🙄

 

Charla, Kevin said hello as did your wait staff in Le Muse. Evidently "David and David" are regulars on the ship. 

[ElizaSTN]

I’m so glad I ran across this review!  We’re currently trying to decide between a regular veranda cabin on the Apex and a YC suite in the MSC Virtuosa for a Norwegian Fjords sailing next year.  We’ve never sailed MSC and were put off by so many bad reviews.  I sailed Celebrity decades ago and always had a good impression of the product, but again got nervous reading some recent reviews.  We’ve sailed the NCL Haven and absolutely loved it, so after reading your review I’m leaning heavily towards MSC YC and will be looking at other sailings with them as well.  

 

Thank you so much for your well-thought out and comprehensive POV.  In addition to being fun to read, it provided a ton of specific, substantive information that really helps in making decisions on where to spend our hard earned vacation dollars.  
 

happy sailing!! 

[psmarkle]

On 1/19/2023 at 9:19 AM, GenerationX said:

Oops forgot the pizza pic!  Oh also, these little pickled onions on the snack buffet in the top sail lounge are really tasty.  Just be sure to brush your teeth afterwards before any evening romances! 
 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for this review, for some reason, I do not find many reviews on the Divina. I know this is an older review and I had to do a CC search to even find it, but glad I did. We are sailing MSC Divina in April 2024 in the YC. We have only sailed MSC in the YC on their newest ships...Seaside 2X, Seashore, and Meraviglia and have been both spoiled and converted from NCL's Haven and from Royal. For the price and the level of service, we just find it is truly a vacation worth saving up for!

 

On Ocean Cay, we have splurged each time for a YC cabana as DW is a shade chaser. She enjoys having the ceiling fan and the chilled prosecco waiting upon our arrival. Our last visit, we had the jet ski tour booked and it was scheduled during lunch time. Our butler said no problem, he let the butler at Ocean House know to take our lunch order and had it delivered to our cabana for when we got back from our excursion...over-the-top service!

 

I was wondering how the YC on an "older" ship would compare, but this review has put those concerns to rest...again, thank you!