Comparing MSC to NCL

[Two Wheels Only]

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We had the Shogun which was amazing. Filet, Butterfish, Scallops, and Lobster

 

That's what I always get. 👍

[kernie968]

DH and I were very loyal to NCL, but we got a really great deal on a YC interior and we blown away by the service in the Yacht Club. Since there were no more great deals on YC we chose to travel in a regular room. It was okay but the buffet was a letdown. The bars were great and we had no problem getting drinks. I missed the Vibe on the NCL ships. I cruise to forget that children exist and noticed quite a few people brought their children to the adult only section on the Meraviglia. We are taking our grandchildren this week on MSC because the price was so low for a holiday week. 

I feel like we will go back to NCL because the drink package and dining package included in price is good but I love Vibe and missed it. 

[JamieLogical]

2 hours ago, kernie968 said:

DH and I were very loyal to NCL, but we got a really great deal on a YC interior and we blown away by the service in the Yacht Club. Since there were no more great deals on YC we chose to travel in a regular room. It was okay but the buffet was a letdown. The bars were great and we had no problem getting drinks. I missed the Vibe on the NCL ships. I cruise to forget that children exist and noticed quite a few people brought their children to the adult only section on the Meraviglia. We are taking our grandchildren this week on MSC because the price was so low for a holiday week. 

I feel like we will go back to NCL because the drink package and dining package included in price is good but I love Vibe and missed it.

 

I have found the included drinks package on MSC to be better because it covers more. Once you are Diamond on MSC, you are will get one free specialty dinner, so that makes up a little for no specialty dining included. The included wifi on MSC is about 10000 times better than what is included on MSC, since NCL only gives you 150 minutes and MSC is unlimited. Price-wise, you would have a very hard time coming anywhere close to the same total price on NCL as you do on MSC, even if you factored in paying out of pocket for a specialty dinner or two.

[elcuchio24]

On 3/23/2024 at 11:53 AM, cruisekitty22 said:

We love NCL  for all it offers. How does MSC compare for a balcony room,.  Do people on board speak English or is it all foreign languages 24/7?  How does the food, drinks ect compare?   Do they offer a good drink package?  How much is the cost?  How is it sailing from Brooklyn?  Sorry for so many questions.  We are used to NCL and have yet to try MSC. 

 

Even for European cruises we've taken on MSC, the primary language is English (which is interesting because often only 10% of guests are english speaking).

 

We like MSC alot. I thought the food was similar to NCL, although different especially on Euro cruises. Drink packages are similar cost on RCL/CCL and probably similar to NCL when you figure in the Free at Sea package upcharge. Brooklyn is pretty easy and the sail away is beautiful. Enjoy!

[WindinmySails]

We took our first MSC as a transatlantic last fall. AS one poster said, this is all so subjective.   

 

For me, on my ship the Seaside , I thought the MSC food was very bland, they ran out of things like lettuce, a few days into the Atlantic.  Chicken paramasan was served with potatoes and brown gravy...strange from an italian line.  The buffet was not open at various times, but they did do a snack buffet after I think 9:30pm....sandwiches, pizza, cold salads, it was nice.  Asking for ketchup was a crazy long wait for a tiny cup of it.  This could be just my experience, as I was kind of shocked people said the food was better on MSC....I thought it was a major downgrade from NCL.  The good news was that I didn't gain any weight on the transatlantic...which is strange for me as I gained 20 on our 14 day NCL Alaskan cruise.  So turned out to be a win.  

 

The service was amazing, everywhere,  everyone was so personable and kind.  ...remembered what you like for a drink, liked as an app..... really made you feel special. 

 

Our balcony room was lovely and we thought we would get sick of it after 23 nights, but we did not.  Plenty of storage for my husband and I.  

 

If you are traveling in Europe, be prepared for lots of kids.  European familes take their kids everywhere. (No hate please my whole family lives in Europe) As everywhere in the world, some were well behaved, some were not.  Lots of strollers on board, parked in the hallways. I don't think that would fly in the US.   

 

We did get the basic drink package and it sufficed.  You could get bottles of water, multiples at a time, which was nice.  Soda was served in cans.  My husband likes Fireball, and that wasn't available without an upcharge.  Heiniken is your only beer choice on the basic package.  So look at the drink menu and see if you could live with what they offer.  I could find something I liked.

The value of the MSC cruise was awesome.  6K for a 23 day transatlantic with amazing ports. 

 

Disembarkation was a mess...a ton of passengers on the ship.  Some ports of call, disembaration was also crazy awful.  However, knowing what we know know, we'd do it a bit different, or change our expectations.

 

Of course this ship was from Europe, leaving from an American port things could be different. 

 

So at the end of that cruise my husband said he'd never cruise MSC again.  However, we just booked a transatlantic on MSC for October of this year.....it was his idea. The value won, and there was far more that we liked that made it worth the second go around.

 

 

Edited March 27 by WindinmySails