Never cruised..is MSC for Us?

[Gray Lady]

We have never been on a cruise, so we wanted to take a small one before embarking on a long, expensive one. Our TA suggested a 7 day cruise of the Caribbean on MSC Seascape. He said he could get us a good deal on a balcony. From what I have been reading, I am unsure if this cruise line is for us. Is the experience okay without upgrading into the Yacht Club? I know food is subjective, and we can usually find something we like to eat. Would this ship be too large for us? We don’t have great expectations, but we are unsure if this would be better than going to an all-inclusive for a week. We live on the West Coast, so big air fare is involved. We know the cabins will be small. Is it true that you are nickel and die ‘d for everything? Is there any TV to watch? We had originally booked a cruise on Holland America to go to Alaska, but COVID reared its ugly head. We are in our late 60s and early 70s. Any insights or comments would be appreciated!

[styles27]

2 minutes ago, Gray Lady said:

We have never been on a cruise, so we wanted to take a small one before embarking on a long, expensive one. Our TA suggested a 7 day cruise of the Caribbean on MSC Seascape. He said he could get us a good deal on a balcony. From what I have been reading, I am unsure if this cruise line is for us. Is the experience okay without upgrading into the Yacht Club? I know food is subjective, and we can usually find something we like to eat. Would this ship be too large for us? We don’t have great expectations, but we are unsure if this would be better than going to an all-inclusive for a week. We live on the West Coast, so big air fare is involved. We know the cabins will be small. Is it true that you are nickel and die ‘d for everything? Is there any TV to watch? We had originally booked a cruise on Holland America to go to Alaska, but COVID reared its ugly head. We are in our late 60s and early 70s. Any insights or comments would be appreciated!

I would rebook that cruise to Alaska on HAL especially since you live on the West Coast. 
 

For your first cruise I honestly wouldn’t suggest a ship as big as Seascape. 5,000 people is overwhelming on any size ship I don’t care how big it is. 
 

Alaska is still our favorite cruise and I love HAL which is who we cruise to Alaska with. 

[morpheusofthesea]

11 minutes ago, styles27 said:

I would rebook that cruise to Alaska on HAL

I concur and we love the YC, but for a first cruise make it HAL. Outside the YC one might never cruise again.

[perakcruiser]

24 minutes ago, Gray Lady said:

Is it true that you are nickel and die ‘d for everything?

I don´t know where this rumor comes from, but it is absolutely not true. If you have no drinks included, then you have to pay for the drinks (normal prices) plus a 15% service charge. For many this is the only stuff on the final bill. 

[JT1962]

I agree with others. Book the cruise to Alaska. If you enjoy it, you can always book a Caribbean cruise with MSC or another line. 

[KKB]

1 hour ago, Gray Lady said:

We have never been on a cruise, so we wanted to take a small one before embarking on a long, expensive one. Our TA suggested a 7 day cruise of the Caribbean on MSC Seascape. He said he could get us a good deal on a balcony. From what I have been reading, I am unsure if this cruise line is for us. Is the experience okay without upgrading into the Yacht Club? I know food is subjective, and we can usually find something we like to eat. Would this ship be too large for us? We don’t have great expectations, but we are unsure if this would be better than going to an all-inclusive for a week. We live on the West Coast, so big air fare is involved. We know the cabins will be small. Is it true that you are nickel and die ‘d for everything? Is there any TV to watch? We had originally booked a cruise on Holland America to go to Alaska, but COVID reared its ugly head. We are in our late 60s and early 70s. Any insights or comments would be appreciated!

OK, I recommend trying a sailing out of the west coast since this is your tester cruise. 

Princess has a number of well priced cruises out of CA. 

We did the Discovery Princess to AK last Sept. Our 1st to AK--FANTASTIC.

A very different feel than a Caribbean or MX Riv cruise. It was very casual, low key. Quieter at night.

 

I agree that you might start with a smaller ship as well. 2000-3500 passenger capacity is my rec to start.

 

I am sailing my 1st MSC next week so I cannot comment specifically...but there are some reports of a lot of kids (cheap prices). And it does seem MSC cruises takes a bit more of a European POV on service--more reserved. Other lines in America nearly step over themselves to serve you. 

Not better or worse, just different.

But until I sail I am just going on what I've read here. 

(now, Yacht Club gets excellent reviews--tho not quite as good on the larger ships--but if you start there, word of warning, you will struggle to every sail in "steerage" again!)

 

Cabins are a bit smaller than a hotel room, but other than an interior on NCL's Breakaway class (we are fine with interiors on other lines), we have never found rooms to be TOO small. They are generally well designed with plenty of storage. A balcony makes it feel even bigger.

 

Nickeled & dimed? Every ship is trying to get more $ out of you. YOU get to choose what you spend it on. The only thing you HAVE to pay for on the ship is daily gratuities above & beyond your fare & taxes. 

BUT if you want fancy coffees, sodas, alcohol--that costs. 

You can play bingo, gamble in the casino, shop in the shops, dine in specialty dining, buy photos--BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO.

Up to you what you pay for.

 

All-inclusive vs cruising: AI's are pretty much about the beach. If you plan to spend everyday out on the beach, relaxing or doing outdoor beach activities, an AI is for you.

If you like to stop at different ports, have more daily activity options, (you can still relax & do little), a cruise is a better fit.

 

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by KKB

[KKB]

OOPS...forgot to mention...TV on ANY ship SUCKS.

Princess is the best--they have lots of free movies & numerous old series you can watch.

[Heartgrove]

MSC is my new "sort of favorite" although we are 4* on HAL. This past October we were onboard the MSC Splendida for a 7 night cruise in the Mediterranean in Yacht Club. Fantasic and beats even VO.

 

I would also suggest the HAL Alaska cruise preferably on the Koningsdam as a first cruise.

[kelleherdl]

2 hours ago, styles27 said:

I would rebook that cruise to Alaska on HAL especially since you live on the West Coast. 
 

For your first cruise I honestly wouldn’t suggest a ship as big as Seascape. 5,000 people is overwhelming on any size ship I don’t care how big it is. 
 

Alaska is still our favorite cruise and I love HAL which is who we cruise to Alaska with. 

I have to agree.  If I ever gave a complete novice to cruising a recommendation on a first cruise I too would suggest an Alaska 7-day on either HAL or Princess. You can do those cruises in just run-of-the-balcony cabins and not have to worry about some of the elements of mainstream cruising that may turn you off from further cruises. The ships are smaller and do tend to cater to a more sedate vacation. Plus you get to experience some pretty amazing country. My wife and I are 4-Star HAL Mariners and sailed all over the world with them, but we sail almost exclusively MSC Yacht Club now. It’s just a choice of product that we have grown to enjoy. HAL and Princess are pricier than MSC, but they will give you a fairer appreciation of the relaxed experience of cruising.

[mscdivina2016]

3 hours ago, Gray Lady said:

We have never been on a cruise, so we wanted to take a small one before embarking on a long, expensive one. Our TA suggested a 7 day cruise of the Caribbean on MSC Seascape. He said he could get us a good deal on a balcony. From what I have been reading, I am unsure if this cruise line is for us. Is the experience okay without upgrading into the Yacht Club? I know food is subjective, and we can usually find something we like to eat. Would this ship be too large for us? We don’t have great expectations, but we are unsure if this would be better than going to an all-inclusive for a week. We live on the West Coast, so big air fare is involved. We know the cabins will be small. Is it true that you are nickel and die ‘d for everything? Is there any TV to watch? We had originally booked a cruise on Holland America to go to Alaska, but COVID reared its ugly head. We are in our late 60s and early 70s. Any insights or comments would be appreciated!

Only book Yacht club and always use a TA with MSC.  IT and customer service are the worst so let the TA deal with them.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

18 hours ago, Gray Lady said:

We have never been on a cruise

We live on the West Coast

We are in our late 60s and early 70s.

Please try Princess off the west coast instead. They are practically giving the cruises away in the next 3-4 months.

I would not START my cruising with MSC. 🙂

Edited February 3, 2023 by Itchy&Scratchy

[DCGuy64]

15 hours ago, KKB said:

OOPS...forgot to mention...TV on ANY ship SUCKS.

I beg to differ. I speak several foreign languages, and one of my favorite things on MSC (because it caters to a European clientele) is that they have channels in German, French, Italian, and Spanish, as well as British and American TV. I don't know @Gray Lady so not sure what her preferences are. But I loved the TV.

[KKB]

41 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I beg to differ. I speak several foreign languages, and one of my favorite things on MSC (because it caters to a European clientele) is that they have channels in German, French, Italian, and Spanish, as well as British and American TV. I don't know @Gray Lady so not sure what her preferences are. But I loved the TV.

Glad to here!

1st MSC cruise next week.

Celebrity, RCCL, NCL & DCL aren’t good.

But once was in room with seasickness…another time I was sick of noise & crowds so watched a couple movies been wanting to see. Glad those were both Princess!

[onyournextcruise]

Personally I wouldn’t start with MSC. From the west coast, there is no small 7 day Caribbean cruise, cruise where you want to. Don’t feel like you’re settling or you’ll already have preconceived notions.

[Gray Lady]

I want to thank everybody for their insights. We have decided to not spend our money on a Caribbean cruise at this time. Instead, we will roll it into our dream cruise next year to the Mediterranean. We will use our COVID refund from our non-cruise last year and find a good itinerary on a smaller ship. We can then splurge a bit and get a nice cabin. Fingers crossed that it can all come together. I have never been to Europe, so it will all be an adventure of firsts! Any opinions on a Mediterranean cruise would be much appreciated!

[ssmea03]

On 2/2/2023 at 3:48 PM, perakcruiser said:

I don´t know where this rumor comes from, but it is absolutely not true. If you have no drinks included, then you have to pay for the drinks (normal prices) plus a 15% service charge. For many this is the only stuff on the final bill. 

I agree, I don’t want to pay for gimmicks I won’t use with an inflated cruise price. Much better to be able to choose with a pay and play format.

[ssmea03]

8 minutes ago, Gray Lady said:

I want to thank everybody for their insights. We have decided to not spend our money on a Caribbean cruise at this time. Instead, we will roll it into our dream cruise next year to the Mediterranean. We will use our COVID refund from our non-cruise last year and find a good itinerary on a smaller ship. We can then splurge a bit and get a nice cabin. Fingers crossed that it can all come together. I have never been to Europe, so it will all be an adventure of firsts! Any opinions on a Mediterranean cruise would be much appreciated!

Check out Emma Cruises on YouTube, her videos should be a good source of ideas for you.

[Homosassa]

37 minutes ago, Gray Lady said:

I want to thank everybody for their insights. We have decided to not spend our money on a Caribbean cruise at this time. Instead, we will roll it into our dream cruise next year to the Mediterranean. We will use our COVID refund from our non-cruise last year and find a good itinerary on a smaller ship. We can then splurge a bit and get a nice cabin. Fingers crossed that it can all come together. I have never been to Europe, so it will all be an adventure of firsts! Any opinions on a Mediterranean cruise would be much appreciated!

If your pocketbook can afford it, try a Mediterranean cruise on Viking Ocean.  The experience is first class and far beyond that on any lower tier line .

[styles27]

1 hour ago, Gray Lady said:

I want to thank everybody for their insights. We have decided to not spend our money on a Caribbean cruise at this time. Instead, we will roll it into our dream cruise next year to the Mediterranean. We will use our COVID refund from our non-cruise last year and find a good itinerary on a smaller ship. We can then splurge a bit and get a nice cabin. Fingers crossed that it can all come together. I have never been to Europe, so it will all be an adventure of firsts! Any opinions on a Mediterranean cruise would be much appreciated!

Our first MSC cruise was on MSC  Divina in the Mediterranean in 2019 in the YC. It was amazing. 
 

If you’ve never been to Europe I would recommend planning to spend some days on land either before or after the cruise.
If you fly to Rome you could spend a week exploring Italy, which will give you a taste of what that beautiful country has to offer. Italy is our favorite.
 There’s so many beautiful and interesting things to do and see.  
 

Our bucket list cruise is a River cruise on Viking. You may want to explore that option as well. 
 

I think you’re wise to put it all into the European cruise and forfeit the Caribbean idea. You can do that anytime. 
 

Edited February 4, 2023 by styles27

[Stem to Stern]

4 hours ago, Gray Lady said:

Any opinions on a Mediterranean cruise would be much appreciated!

Hi Gray Lady,  I love cruising and highly recommend it.  My first trip to Europe in 2019 involved a cruise.  We flew into Barcelona and spent two nights there before boarding Celebrity Reflection for a 12-night round trip that stopped at nine different ports throughout Spain, Gibraltar, France, and Italy.  We spent another night in Barcelona after the cruise before flying home.  It was one of the best trips of my life.  The ship could be considered a floating hotel in this circumstance since you would most likely want to spend all day off the ship exploring all of the new places you have never been.  Keep in mind all of those excursions require some thoughtful planning and additional funds, but it is so worth it.  As was suggested upthread, a 5,000+ passenger mega-ship may not be the best choice for your first cruise especially in the Med where you will rather spend as much time ashore soaking up the limitless culture.  Except on sea days there won't be time to partake in the endless list of on board activities.  Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.

[Stem to Stern]

3 hours ago, styles27 said:

Italy is our favorite.

@Gray LadyIf I may add the following....

What @styles27has noted above is spot on.  Italy is AMAZING.  My 2019 Med cruise barely gave me a taste of Italy with only one day each in Florence, Rome, and Naples.  I returned to Europe for the second time last year starting off in Venice for five nights before boarding a ten-night round trip Greek Isles and Turkey cruise out of Ravenna.  Venice was magical!  There so much wandering and exploration to be done.  After disembarking the ship in Ravenna we spent two nights in Bologna before returning home.  I still feel like I have not scratched the surface in Italy with so many more places to explore.  I would definitely consider cruising out of Rome because there is so much history and culture to witness there.  You could maybe even consider some day trips from Rome into Tuscany or Umbria.  From Naples we took an excursion to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast and found this area captivating.

[Nunagoras]

Wonderful to know you decided to go against a Caribbean MSC cruise as your first cruise ever, and instead come to Europe for a trip and for your first cruise ever.

 

As someone whom lives this side of the pond in continental Europe, let me to give you my best advice.

 

The 2 main ports from where most of the cruises will to depart are Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome), unless you want to see the Greek isles where you'd start out of Venice. Do note that cruise ships are not authorized now on the grand canal so they depart really out of Venice. That said; I wouldn't recommend you Greece as your first destination in Europe, unless ancient history is your very cup of tea.

 

That said, many, if not most, cruises in Europe will have embarkation options on both Barcelona and Civitavecchia. Then my recommendation to you would be to just do a good Rome before or post cruise extension, plus a nice cruise in the southern Mediterranean. There are some nice ships across the board for that here on pretty much every other line of your choice. A good cruise day with excursions will to give a nice and comprehensive introduction to all those cities visited by ships, except exactly for Rome, because the port is 90+ minutes away from the city and the city itself is so extensive and so dense. To give you an idea: Allow a good full morning just to the Vatican museum, I'd to say a good day for it if that is of your very interest. Let alone the other attractions. To say the least, Rome is full of attractions just elsewhere. There's a little Church more beautiful than the other one next door, and you'd wish to enjoy the most. That plus ice cream, plus pizza and so on!...

 

Either way: If staying aboard with lots of Europeans and a more reserved service level is good for you, then MSC might to be a good option, and economical one, once air travel from California to Europe is not cheap. Now, if you want something more similar to what you're used, and more relaxed try something on the likes of Celebrity, Princess or HAL here in Europe. Bear in mind that their itineraries tend to be longer than the average 7 days of the mainstream lines.

[Gray Lady]

 

1 hour ago, Nunagoras said:

Wonderful to know you decided to go against a Caribbean MSC cruise as your first cruise ever, and instead come to Europe for a trip and for your first cruise ever.

 

As someone whom lives this side of the pond in continental Europe, let me to give you my best advice.

 

The 2 main ports from where most of the cruises will to depart are Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome), unless you want to see the Greek isles where you'd start out of Venice. Do note that cruise ships are not authorized now on the grand canal so they depart really out of Venice. That said; I wouldn't recommend you Greece as your first destination in Europe, unless ancient history is your very cup of tea.

 

That said, many, if not most, cruises in Europe will have embarkation options on both Barcelona and Civitavecchia. Then my recommendation to you would be to just do a good Rome before or post cruise extension, plus a nice cruise in the southern Mediterranean. There are some nice ships across the board for that here on pretty much every other line of your choice. A good cruise day with excursions will to give a nice and comprehensive introduction to all those cities visited by ships, except exactly for Rome, because the port is 90+ minutes away from the city and the city itself is so extensive and so dense. To give you an idea: Allow a good full morning just to the Vatican museum, I'd to say a good day for it if that is of your very interest. Let alone the other attractions. To say the least, Rome is full of attractions just elsewhere. There's a little Church more beautiful than the other one next door, and you'd wish to enjoy the most. That plus ice cream, plus pizza and so on!...

 

Either way: If staying aboard with lots of Europeans and a more reserved service level is good for you, then MSC might to be a good option, and economical one, once air travel from California to Europe is not cheap. Now, if you want something more similar to what you're used, and more relaxed try something on the likes of Celebrity, Princess or HAL here in Europe. Bear in mind that their itineraries tend to be longer than the average 7 days of the mainstream lines.

Thank you for the good information. We are hoping to do a 14 day cruise. We would love to include Lisbon if possible. Thank you for the advice on Rome. If we could do the Coast of Spain and French Riviera, then we will save Greece for hopefully another trip. We are willing to invest in a better cruise experience, so we will look at Hal, Seabourn, Oceana, etc. I would rather know most of our costs up front. From what I can see, a base price plus excursions, food, drink, etc. can add up quickly. Lots of cruise lines and itineraries to look at! We just want to avoid the main summer rush. 

[styles27]

9 minutes ago, Gray Lady said:

 

Thank you for the good information. We are hoping to do a 14 day cruise. We would love to include Lisbon if possible. Thank you for the advice on Rome. If we could do the Coast of Spain and French Riviera, then we will save Greece for hopefully another trip. We are willing to invest in a better cruise experience, so we will look at Hal, Seabourn, Oceana, etc. I would rather know most of our costs up front. From what I can see, a base price plus excursions, food, drink, etc. can add up quickly. Lots of cruise lines and itineraries to look at! We just want to avoid the main summer rush. 

We went the end of April and the weather was perfect and we never felt like there were huge crowds anywhere. 

[Stem to Stern]

10 hours ago, Gray Lady said:

want to avoid the main summer rush.

In 2019 we went late-Sept into early Oct.

In 2022 we went during the same timeframe.  
Weather was glorious both times.  
Crisp mornings with high temps in the mid to upper 70s.

There were still crowds, but maybe not quite like summer.