MSC vs NCL food/beverage

[mawvkysc]

People often complain about MSC food. We had no problem with MSC food.  Had my favorite dessert ever  on a cruise (pistachio dacquoise) and favorite meal ever. (Ossobuco). 
 

Just back from an NCL. It’s the first time we’ve ever been disappointed in cruise food. Things were dry, lacked flavor or were just not what the description of the food implied. My worst two desserts ever on a cruise. (Trifle and pannacotta) As you can see the trifle was a jello parfait. That was not custard on top but a frothy concoction. I never tried the pizza. I had been so disappointed with the other food and my last cruise had fabulous MSC pizza. How could I not be let down?

 

On the other hand the drink package worked so much better on NCL. We had been very let down by MSC drinks. The drinks had much better flavor. Not just the alcohol but the mixers. Service was much better too, not stellar but much better. Both were cruises with the majority of passengers on the drink package. 

 

The food was bad enough that we would only cruise NCL again for an itinerary. The drinks were not enough to stop us from cruising MSC again. To us food is more important than 

Edited May 19, 2023 by mawvkysc

[Hutcha]

Was dining on NCL in The Haven or MDR?

[Ottawa_Cruiser]

I think for me, NCL is slightly better food wise than MSC. However, I really only had one bad meal on MSC. I can't complain at all. I do agree that the drinks are a bit better on NCL, but also no real complaints on MSC. Value for money is where I look and it's clear that MSC is the winner there!

[smokeykat]

NCL food is not that great. I agree that if it wasn't for the ports for the Med cruise we booked next year we would have booked elsewhere. RCCL food is much better. This will be our 1st MSC cruise and we are looking forward to comparing  😋

[mawvkysc]

3 hours ago, Hutcha said:

Was dining on NCL in The Haven or MDR?

MDR. We weren’t in Haven or Yacht Club. The Pearl serves Haven breakfast and lunch in Modernos. I don’t think they have a separate dinner. 

[mawvkysc]

13 minutes ago, smokeykat said:

NCL food is not that great. I agree that if it wasn't for the ports for the Med cruise we booked next year we would have booked elsewhere. RCCL food is much better. This will be our 1st MSC cruise and we are looking forward to comparing  😋

You must be leaving soon. Please post back with your thoughts. 

[smokeykat]

33 minutes ago, mawvkysc said:

You must be leaving soon. Please post back with your thoughts. 

Yes I am!! I will gladly report back ☺️

[MrsKC08]

We cruised just about all of the main cruiselines, except Disney and we absolutely love NCL food and think that it is the best on any cruise. We have NOT cruised MSC yet, but are considering doing one...makes me wonder what the food will be like for sure.

[morpheusofthesea]

On 5/19/2023 at 12:10 PM, mawvkysc said:

Had my favorite dessert ever  on a cruise (pistachio dacquoise) and favorite meal ever. (Ossobuco)

That too is my favorite meal on MSC, but I had mine in the Yacht Club restaurant. Makes me wonder. Food is a personal, deep-seated idiosyncrasy peculiar to each individual. Would it be farfetched to imagine that the same chef is rotating from one kitchen to another, in a confined space as a cruise ship, in response to more anticipated bookings in one venue from another; cooking on similar hardware the same seafood, chicken, meats only presented differently? Perception is reality. The buffet appears to be a free for all, but take the same entrees and put them on a dressed plate with colorful garnish, served in moments by an attentive waiter grinding pepper, grading cheese, and topping up your glass of wine….voila… an upcharge! For example, we noted in the buffet (before we ran out holding our breaths) a tray filled with what the label above said "Butter Chicken". One evening on the YC menu was "Butter Chicken". I thought it was spectacular. Could it have come from the same kitchen?

[mawvkysc]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

That too is my favorite meal on MSC, but I had mine in the Yacht Club restaurant. Makes me wonder. Food is a personal, deep-seated idiosyncrasy peculiar to each individual. Would it be farfetched to imagine that the same chef is rotating from one kitchen to another, in a confined space as a cruise ship, in response to more anticipated bookings in one venue from another; cooking on similar hardware the same seafood, chicken, meats only presented differently? Perception is reality. The buffet appears to be a free for all, but take the same entrees and put them on a dressed plate with colorful garnish, served in moments by an attentive waiter grinding pepper, grading cheese, and topping up your glass of wine….voila… an upcharge! For example, we noted in the buffet (before we ran out holding our breaths) a tray filled with what the label above said "Butter Chicken". One evening on the YC menu was "Butter Chicken". I thought it was spectacular. Could it have come from the same kitchen?

I’m not sure. I found only a slight difference in the French Onion Soup from the MDR and Le Bristol. Maybe more and better cheese. Others have claimed it’s much better in Le Bistro. One night in the MDR. 
 

One night in  MDR they had unimpressive buffet quality carrot cake (one layer rectangle shaped, very light in color)I saw the same cake later in the actual buffet. Another night there was nice carrot cake with layers like the one from O’Sheehan’s. The server in O’Sheehans thought there was one standard carrot cake across the ship. 

[bundtkate]

We were lucky to have access to The Haven so after two disappointing meals in the MDR with the rest of our friends and family on NCL, we stuck to having a salad or app with them, then running off to The Haven for a late dinner afterwards. NCL had the only MDR food I have ever hated. Our one MSC cruise had okay food in the MDR, but the pizza was delicious and if you stuck to pasta in the MDR that was pretty fantastic too. That cruise was back in Sept 2021 on Meraviglia so take it for what it's worth, but I'd take MSC MDR over NCL's in December of 2022 any day.

[morpheusofthesea]

4 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

but the pizza was delicious

I don't know if I would call their pizza delicious, but I am no pizza aficionado. I would eat it if there was nothing else around. Read about the pizza raves so had two margheritas delivered to cabin. Finished one and had a bit of trouble finishing DW's pizza. Next time I will just order one.

[bundtkate]

2 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

I don't know if I would call their pizza delicious, but I am no pizza aficionado.

Pizza is one of those things where opinions are going to vary widely. Both DH and I really loved the pizza and we tend to disagree on pizza generally so to me that feels like they're doing something right. He's from the NY area whereas I grew up around Chicago so you can imagine the debates. Our favorite was the marinara pizza, but when I read the description of that pizza on photos of menus today it doesn't sound like something I would enjoy at all so things could have changed since we sailed as well. Also, FWIW, I've heard deliveries tend to be not-so-fresh. We were always snagging a slice at the buffet after the pub closed down so generally fresh out of the oven which could definitely make a difference too.

[MsTabbyKats]

50 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

Pizza is one of those things where opinions are going to vary widely. Both DH and I really loved the pizza and we tend to disagree on pizza generally so to me that feels like they're doing something right. He's from the NY area whereas I grew up around Chicago so you can imagine the debates. Our favorite was the marinara pizza, but when I read the description of that pizza on photos of menus today it doesn't sound like something I would enjoy at all so things could have changed since we sailed as well. Also, FWIW, I've heard deliveries tend to be not-so-fresh. We were always snagging a slice at the buffet after the pub closed down so generally fresh out of the oven which could definitely make a difference too.

Um....I am a NY pizza snob "of a certain age".  I remember when pizza was pizza....before all these artisan toppings...lol.

I had my "made to order pizza" delivered to the YC pool deck.  That and my coke (coke is a real treat for me)....I felt like royalty.  The pizza was fresh and hot.  Each pie had 6 slices; more than enuf for 2 people.  I didn't bother with dinner those nights.

 

Talking about food and NCL vs MSC:

I am a big fan of the NCL buffet...mainly the salads (I cook with a lot of spices and flavor...cruise dining room food just doesn't do it for me...even YC...hence "the pizza"!).

 

In reading NCL reports, it seems the quality of the buffet has gone down (not talking about the hours of service).  Anyone care to comment?  Less variety?  Those "gelatin based desserts"?  Are the hard ice cream/toppings still there?

 

Going on the Escape (non Haven) in Sept...and getting a bit nervous. Is there life after the YC?

[mawvkysc]

1 minute ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Um....I am a NY pizza snob "of a certain age".  I remember when pizza was pizza....before all these artisan toppings...lol.

I had my "made to order pizza" delivered to the YC pool deck.  That and my coke (coke is a real treat for me)....I felt like royalty.  The pizza was fresh and hot.  Each pie had 6 slices; more than enuf for 2 people.  I didn't bother with dinner those nights.

 

Talking about food and NCL vs MSC:

I am a big fan of the NCL buffet...mainly the salads (I cook with a lot of spices and flavor...cruise dining room food just doesn't do it for me...even YC...hence "the pizza"!).

 

In reading NCL reports, it seems the quality of the buffet has gone down (not talking about the hours of service).  Anyone care to comment?  Less variety?  Those "gelatin based desserts"?  Are the hard ice cream/toppings still there?

 

Going on the Escape (non Haven) in Sept...and getting a bit nervous. Is there life after the YC?

On my recent cruise there were two sauces for the hard serve ice cream. I don’t remember other toppings. Pearl is a smaller ship though. 

[morpheusofthesea]

39 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

  Each pie had 6 slices; more than enuf for 2 people. 

"I always have them cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six." Yogi Berra

[mnpurple]

My favorite is the MSC Special (I think), prosciutto and arugula. It's so good. The second time we ordered pizza they even let us get it 1/2 and 1/2 because DH and I like different kinds and a whole pizza is too much unless we share. I have to wait until next March for our MSC pizza 😞

 

I'd say we enjoyed MSC food more than NCL (Haven vs YC). Probably more for the variety due to changing menus. I like good food, but if I chose a cruise, it is more about where I'm headed and the travel experiences.

 

I am so surprised by the number of people disappointed that they can't get soft serve ice cream on demand or whatever else. I can't imagine how you find joy in traveling if you are so set in your ways you don't want to explore and try new things. Since my kids have left the nest, I am taking full advantage of traveling and part of the joy is experiencing foods and beverages that are new to me and more local to the areas we visit.  Another good thing about MSC is portion size and if I try something I'm not particularly fond of, I don't feel so bad if I don't finish it. Not an easy thing being raised as part of the "clean plate club."

[skipsaur]

4 hours ago, mnpurple said:

I am so surprised by the number of people disappointed that they can't get soft serve ice cream on demand or whatever else. I can't imagine how you find joy in traveling if you are so set in your ways you don't want to explore and try new things. Since my kids have left the nest, I am taking full advantage of traveling and part of the joy is experiencing foods and beverages that are new to me and more local to the areas we visit. 

 

This reminds me of the time I heard a friend say to her daughter, who wanted to try a new food, "you've never had that before, why would you want it?"

 

The difference in perspective was eye-opening, because I'm the kind of person that wants to try something precisely because I've never had it before. I agree with you though, part of the fun of traveling is exploring and trying new things!

 

(But I also do love my soft serve ice cream and wish it were available on demand! 😂)

 

Very happy to hear 1/2 and 1/2 pizza is an option! We also prefer different pizzas, he likes unique toppings while my taste in pizza hasn't changed since kindergarten, pepperoni or cheese! 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

6 hours ago, skipsaur said:

 

(But I also do love my soft serve ice cream and wish it were available on demand! 😂)

 

I don’t get the obsession with soft serve I’ve cream on ships. Lol I’ve maybe had it a handful of times between all our cruises. 
 

6 hours ago, skipsaur said:

Very happy to hear 1/2 and 1/2 pizza is an option! We also prefer different pizzas, he likes unique toppings while my taste in pizza hasn't changed since kindergarten, pepperoni or cheese! 

 

Same!  I’m a pepperoni and sausage lover and my husband likes mushrooms, anchovies (gross!!!) and other stuff on his. 

[skipsaur]

1 hour ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

I don’t get the obsession with soft serve I’ve cream on ships. Lol I’ve maybe had it a handful of times between all our cruises. 

 

To each their own! I'm not a drinker, I've had maybe a handful of drinks on all of my cruises total, so I suppose that means I don't really "get" the obsession with alcohol on ships? Soft serve is definitely a bigger vice for me! 😂

[jules815]

2 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

I don’t get the obsession with soft serve I’ve cream on ships. Lol I’ve maybe had it a handful of times between all our cruises. 
 

 

Same!  I’m a pepperoni and sausage lover and my husband likes mushrooms, anchovies (gross!!!) and other stuff on his. 

I don’t get the obsession with soft serve I’ve cream on ships. Lol I’ve maybe had it a handful of times between all our cruises. 

 

SAME!! 😃

[Jorhammer]

17 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

 

 

In reading NCL reports, it seems the quality of the buffet has gone down (not talking about the hours of service).  Anyone care to comment?  Less variety?  Those "gelatin based desserts"?  Are the hard ice cream/toppings still there?

 

Going on the Escape (non Haven) in Sept...and getting a bit nervous. Is there life after the YC?

We were on the NCL Epic in April and can attest the food and service is not what it used to be. Felt like the same food every day and was just OK. Only good thing in the buffet was the Indian food section, the rest was very meh. Le Bistro food was great. Moderno was below OK. The service was what let us to try another line. We booked a 2 week in the Seascape YC in December to see if MSC service is at least something that will make us come back.

[MsTabbyKats]

3 minutes ago, Jorhammer said:

We were on the NCL Epic in April and can attest the food and service is not what it used to be. Felt like the same food every day and was just OK. Only good thing in the buffet was the Indian food section, the rest was very meh. Le Bistro food was great. Moderno was below OK. The service was what let us to try another line. We booked a 2 week in the Seascape YC in December to see if MSC service is at least something that will make us come back.

Thank you for this info.  Between this and the reduction of entertainment....my expectations aren't very high. YC truly spoiled me, and more importantly, DH.  I never saw him so happy on a cruise. For him, it was all about the food/wine and level of service.  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 5/19/2023 at 12:10 PM, mawvkysc said:

 

The food was bad enough that we would only cruise NCL again for an itinerary.

we found that out in 2018. I see it hasn't improved.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

23 hours ago, mnpurple said:

I am so surprised by the number of people disappointed that they can't get soft serve ice cream on demand or whatever else. I can't imagine how you find joy in traveling if you are so set in your ways you don't want to explore and try new things.

what does one have with the other? Somebody tried the soft serve ice cream for the first time, discovered that they loved it, but according to you, they must now forgo the soft serve in favor of other new things they haven't tried before.

I don't care for soft serve all that much, but my DH and DS luuuurrrve it. This is one of the very special joys they derive specifically from cruising. Why should they give it up? They find JOY in it.