Question for Americans

[NCteacherlovescruising]

If you have sailed MSC in Europe and the Caribbean, was your experience as good in Europe?  

[Selion]

It's better.  It's total immersion.  We've done 3 Med cruises; 1 on MSC and 2 on Viking.  As nice as Viking cruises were, we felt we were in the English-speaking bubble.  MSC?  You'll hear announcements in at least 6 languages, and English is usually in the middle of the pack.  We loved it!

[rikitikitavii]

3 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

If you have sailed MSC in Europe and the Caribbean, was your experience as good in Europe?  

We sailed on Sinfonia April of 2019, on a 12 night Mediterranean cruise. We had a very good time. This was our first on MSC, Sinfonia is one of the older, smaller ships, but there was enough to do during the evenings, to keep us busy.

Announcements were in several languages, but the announcements were few and far between on our sailing.  The shows were good, food was good, and enough English speaking passengers onboard to talk with.

Would absolutely do again!!

[Fissues]

We had a great time in YC doin’ the Med too!

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I've done one MSC cruise in the Baltic, two in the Persian Gulf out of Dubai and one in the Red Sea out of Jeddah. The crew speaks English so communication is never an issue. The number of Americans is probably only 10-20% so it's definitely a more-foreign experience. And as mentioned above, announcements are in 5-6 languages. If you're looking for an international experience, DO IT!  If you're looking for a mostly American experience in Europe, book Royal or NCL.

[utopiahereicome]

Have done 2 Caribbean cruises on MSC (Seaside and Divina), and one med cruise (Bellisima) - 30 cruises overall across a variety of cruise lines, and that Bellisma cruise is in my top 3!  Loved the variety of guests on the ship, crew was outstanding, food and entertainment were wonderful, ship was beautiful, would not hesitate to book MSC again for Europe!  

[Morgsmom]

There is one drawback to the Med sailings, IMO.  The ships act more like a train with guests getting on and off in every port.  This makes for a much more chaotic experience for crew and guests.  In they Caribbean you sail for the whole time with the same other guests - so you can get to know the "guy with the cowboy hat" or the "lady with sparkly blouses" etc.  In the Med it's a new experience every day as people come and go.  Otherwise the service is lovely and the ship feels more "authentic" in Europe with the vibrant mix of nationalities.  

[CruisingWalter]

35 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

The ships act more like a train with guests getting on and off in every port.  This makes for a much more chaotic experience for crew and guests. 

 

That is one of the things about MSC that really intrigues me and it seems like it creates more headaches than it needs to for the crews. But as other folks have attested to here in this thread, it seems the MSC experience in the Med is a whole other level than the Caribbean experience. We enjoyed our first cruise on MSC Seaside a few weeks ago, but it would not rank up there as one of the best cruises from the 9 lines we've sailed so far. It was a good cruise, but not to the level folks are describing from their Med experiences. I am intrigued to try MSC in the Med when we get over there. My first choices for Med sailings are Celebrity and Princess, but now I might have to add MSC to the list. 

[CruisingWalter]

13 hours ago, KINGBOBOFTHENORTH said:

If you're looking for a mostly American experience in Europe, book Royal or NCL.

 

Actually I would recommend Celebrity and Princess before those two cruise lines in Europe. Some amazing itineraries. 🙂 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

1 hour ago, Morgsmom said:

There is one drawback to the Med sailings, IMO.  The ships act more like a train with guests getting on and off in every port.  This makes for a much more chaotic experience for crew and guests.  In they Caribbean you sail for the whole time with the same other guests.

It does keep the crew busy with embarkation being available in multiple ports but as a guest I felt no impact. But it's just good business sense for MSC to do it because it allows passengers to embark from ports closest to where they live without incurring as much travel expense. Also, MSC does this to some extent in the Caribbean because on one cruise we embarked in Martinique but embarkation was available in Guadeloupe and St. Lucia as well. In addition, just got off a NCL cruise in the Med and they too were doing it. We got on in Athens but others got on in Haifa and Limassol, so it's not just MSC that does this. 

[4sallypat]

4 hours ago, KINGBOBOFTHENORTH said:

It does keep the crew busy with embarkation being available in multiple ports but as a guest I felt no impact. But it's just good business sense for MSC to do it because it allows passengers to embark from ports closest to where they live without incurring as much travel expense. Also, MSC does this to some extent in the Caribbean because on one cruise we embarked in Martinique but embarkation was available in Guadeloupe and St. Lucia as well. In addition, just got off a NCL cruise in the Med and they too were doing it. We got on in Athens but others got on in Haifa and Limassol, so it's not just MSC that does this. 

Agree, it does keep the crew on their toes and hearing the muster drill announcement every day was a bit much...

 

We just returned from 7 days on the MSC Sinfonia - Mediterranean cruise and loved it.

 

The busiest port was Venice, Italy - majority of Europeans boarded at that port.

 

We used Athens, Greece as our embarkation point and it was perfect for our 2 week trip to Greece!

 

[Mimala]

I’ve done both.   It’s was very quick boarding on the bellissima  in the Mediterranean because they do bring passengers on at each port.  Btw, I think that port fees varied by port embarkation so see which port is easy to get to and have lower port fees.  I also was on the meraviglia in the Caribbean.   
I enjoyed both cruises but for a reason I can’t define, the edge goes to the Mediterranean maybe because it was my first cruise!

 

 

[mnpurple]

We cruised Seaview in the Med last year and Divina in the Caribbean this year. We were in YC for both.  Regarding our YC experience, I would definitely give the edge to Seaview. They are two very different YC's and we really enjoyed the Seaview layout better. The thermal spa was also way better. The staff was great on both, but they seemed more attentive on the Seaview. I would say our Butler's were equal.

 

We boarded Seaview in Naples and it was a very different experience than I expected from most of what I read here. Much more laid back (i.e. slower than I expected and no white tent), but still not bad.  The biggest difference was having priority boarding at various ports. They were very good about it in the Med and in the Caribbean, they didn't really give us any preference. The waits weren't terrible, but it was slightly annoying because that is part of the experience.

 

The Med cruise was very port heavy and we wanted to experience everything, so we felt like we didn't enjoy the ship as much.  We also didn't leave YC much, so I can't speak to that a whole lot. Our kids did and they are young adults and REALLY enjoyed their time and having fun with travelers who were European. 

 

We will be doing Northern Europe in March on Euribia, so enjoyed everything enough to try a third MSC cruise.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

On 6/12/2023 at 1:39 PM, Selion said:

It's better.  It's total immersion.  We've done 3 Med cruises; 1 on MSC and 2 on Viking.  As nice as Viking cruises were, we felt we were in the English-speaking bubble.  MSC?  You'll hear announcements in at least 6 languages, and English is usually in the middle of the pack.  We loved it!

 

Total immersion could be a very cool experience!

 

On 6/12/2023 at 3:29 PM, rikitikitavii said:

We sailed on Sinfonia April of 2019, on a 12 night Mediterranean cruise. We had a very good time. This was our first on MSC, Sinfonia is one of the older, smaller ships, but there was enough to do during the evenings, to keep us busy.

Announcements were in several languages, but the announcements were few and far between on our sailing.  The shows were good, food was good, and enough English speaking passengers onboard to talk with.

Would absolutely do again!!

 

Thanks!  I would miss having passengers to talk to!

 

23 hours ago, Fissues said:

We had a great time in YC doin’ the Med too!

Awesome!

20 hours ago, KINGBOBOFTHENORTH said:

 If you're looking for an international experience, DO IT!  If you're looking for a mostly American experience in Europe, book Royal or NCL.

I already have Celebrity retreat booked there, but thinking of canceling to do YC and save money.

 

16 hours ago, utopiahereicome said:

Have done 2 Caribbean cruises on MSC (Seaside and Divina), and one med cruise (Bellisima) - 30 cruises overall across a variety of cruise lines, and that Bellisma cruise is in my top 3!  Loved the variety of guests on the ship, crew was outstanding, food and entertainment were wonderful, ship was beautiful, would not hesitate to book MSC again for Europe!  

 

Thanks for sharing!  I'm glad you had such a wonderful cruise!

 

7 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

There is one drawback to the Med sailings, IMO.  The ships act more like a train with guests getting on and off in every port.  This makes for a much more chaotic experience for crew and guests.  In they Caribbean you sail for the whole time with the same other guests - so you can get to know the "guy with the cowboy hat" or the "lady with sparkly blouses" etc.  In the Med it's a new experience every day as people come and go.  Otherwise the service is lovely and the ship feels more "authentic" in Europe with the vibrant mix of nationalities.  

 

Does the guests getting on and off at every port impact your cruise in any way?  Such as taking longer to get on and off at ports of call?

 

7 hours ago, CruisingWalter said:

We enjoyed our first cruise on MSC Seaside a few weeks ago, but it would not rank up there as one of the best cruises from the 9 lines we've sailed so far. It was a good cruise, but not to the level folks are describing from their Med experiences. I am intrigued to try MSC in the Med when we get over there. My first choices for Med sailings are Celebrity and Princess, but now I might have to add MSC to the list. 

Were you in the YC?  The reviews for the YC seem to be much better.   We have a Celebrity cruise booked for next summer in the Med, but are considering canceling it and booking the YC instead to save money, if the YC lives up to our expectations.

 

7 hours ago, CruisingWalter said:

 

Actually I would recommend Celebrity and Princess before those two cruise lines in Europe. Some amazing itineraries. 🙂 

 

We do love the itinerary we currently have booked with Celebrity!  That will play into our decision as well. It's not just about saving money.

 

38 minutes ago, mnpurple said:

We cruised Seaview in the Med last year and Divina in the Caribbean this year. We were in YC for both.  Regarding our YC experience, I would definitely give the edge to Seaview. They are two very different YC's and we really enjoyed the Seaview layout better. The thermal spa was also way better. The staff was great on both, but they seemed more attentive on the Seaview. I would say our Butler's were equal.

 

We boarded Seaview in Naples and it was a very different experience than I expected from most of what I read here. Much more laid back (i.e. slower than I expected and no white tent), but still not bad.  The biggest difference was having priority boarding at various ports. They were very good about it in the Med and in the Caribbean, they didn't really give us any preference. The waits weren't terrible, but it was slightly annoying because that is part of the experience.

 

We will be doing Northern Europe in March on Euribia, so enjoyed everything enough to try a third MSC cruise.

The Seaview is one of the ships we're looking at.  Rome is toward the top of our list so beginning and ending there would be great.  MSC doesn't do the white tent in Europe of give us priority boarding?  That would be disappointing!  Good to know you liked them enough to book a third cruise!

[mnpurple]

@NCteacherlovescruising No, we did have priority, there was just no tent and I had to keep asking about where people in YC were supposed to go. Once they let us into the building to check in we had a separate line, but they took quite awhile to even come in there before we could check in.  I think it was a Naples thing, or could be an Italian thing, who knows!  I also never really noticed people embarking/disembarking at each port. It was very easy leaving the ship and returning after a day of exploring.

[4sallypat]

After cruising with MSC last month, I have learned having an open mind will make the MSC experience special and unique compared to other lines. 

 

There are pros and cons, but the positives and worldly experience will really make you that much more global in thinking...

 

[Nikodemos]

We're doing the Med right now on the World Europa, and aside from the crowds getting off/on the ship in Napoli, there were no issues.  With YC, you get to skip the lines anyway if there are any.  Just look for the butlers holding the YC signs and they'll escort you off and on the ship.

[skyking]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:50 AM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

If you have sailed MSC in Europe and the Caribbean, was your experience as good in Europe?  

We just got back from the Virtuosa in Europe, and yes I would say it was the same if not a little better. 

[CruisingWalter]

On 6/13/2023 at 4:05 PM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Were you in the YC?  The reviews for the YC seem to be much better.   We have a Celebrity cruise booked for next summer in the Med, but are considering canceling it and booking the YC instead to save money, if the YC lives up to our expectations.

 

No, we purposely went 'standard' for our first cruise with MSC. We knew we'd have a better experience in the YC but if a cruise line can't provide a good experience throughout the entire ship, we're not going to continue to sail them. The entertainment, shopping, specialty dining and such are from the rest of the ship. We'll sail YC next time on the Seashore or Seascape.

 

We had friends in the YC and while they did have a great time and enjoyed their stay, we compared notes and they said they might just sail 'standard' next time. The biggest difference beyond the private YC area was the higher quality dining room in the YC vs. the MDR. But for them, with the 'standard' being so ridiculously cheap, they said the YC would be a 'special occasion thing' but they would sail standard if they sail MSC again. 

 

Celebrity is amazing, we've sailed with them four times. At least comparing our Caribbean experiences, Celebrity is a major step up from MSC in terms of pools, crew, food, drinks and sometimes entertainment. They are near the top of our list for sailing the Caribbean. We've not sailed MSC or Celebrity in the Med. 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

On 6/13/2023 at 6:19 PM, mnpurple said:

@NCteacherlovescruising No, we did have priority, there was just no tent and I had to keep asking about where people in YC were supposed to go. Once they let us into the building to check in we had a separate line, but they took quite awhile to even come in there before we could check in.  I think it was a Naples thing, or could be an Italian thing, who knows!  I also never really noticed people embarking/disembarking at each port. It was very easy leaving the ship and returning after a day of exploring.

That’s unfortunate!  Now I’m curious if they have the YC tents at other ports. One of the cruises we’re looking at is the Europa out of Naples. One of the YC benefits is starting with the white tent. 
 

22 hours ago, Nikodemos said:

We're doing the Med right now on the World Europa, and aside from the crowds getting off/on the ship in Napoli, there were no issues.  With YC, you get to skip the lines anyway if there are any.  Just look for the butlers holding the YC signs and they'll escort you off and on the ship.

 

Where did you embark?  Was there a white YC tent outside?

On 6/13/2023 at 6:19 PM, mnpurple said:

22 hours ago, Nikodemos said:

Oops 🙊 

9 minutes ago, CruisingWalter said:

 

No, we purposely went 'standard' for our first cruise with MSC. We knew we'd have a better experience in the YC but if a cruise line can't provide a good experience throughout the entire ship, we're not going to continue to sail them. The entertainment, shopping, specialty dining and such are from the rest of the ship. We'll sail YC next time on the Seashore or Seascape.

 

Celebrity is amazing, we've sailed with them four times. At least comparing our Caribbean experiences, Celebrity is a major step up from MSC in terms of pools, crew, food, drinks and sometimes entertainment. They are near the top of our list for sailing the Caribbean. We've not sailed MSC or Celebrity in the Med. 

If I’m in the YC, I don’t care about what’s going on outside of there besides the entertainment. I’m sure we will spend the majority of our time with the YC. 
 

We love Celebrity too!  We currently have them booked for the mediterranean next June to celebrate our 30th anniversary. We will be on our first MSC cruise a week from Sunday. We’re super excited after reading all the wonderful reviews of their YC!  We love the itinerary with X, but it’s on the Equinox, which doesn’t have a pool on the retreat deck. We picked it because of the overnight in Florence. However, I love to lay out by the pool and read so that’s a big negative. I know mediterranean cruises are about itinerary, but it’s a 9 day cruise with 2 sea days. But back to your comment about liking Celebrity’s pools better, in this case MSC would win. We have prices out some YC cruises for the same time next June and would save a nice chunk of money if we switched, although the cruises are two less days. However, that would give us more time and money to really explore Italy by land. I’m hoping we can spend a couple weeks total there. 

[Nikodemos]

We embarked at Barcelona.  We saw a huge line for others embarking and thought we had to enter that queue.  Fortunately there was a YC luggage drop off tent, and we went up to that with no line, and they immediately processed us and took us up to the waiting room for pictures and providing our wristbands and cards.

 

The other ports had little or no lines for embarkation.  Naples was probably the biggest line after Barcelona that we could see.  All had YC tents.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Nikodemos
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[Stockjock]

We're in SoCal & have done 4 European MSC cruises and 1 out of Miami.  All were good, but we enjoyed the European sailings more than our sole USA sailing.  We have our 6th sailing over the holidays out of Barcelona later this year.