Blows me away to read the disparity of opinions on MSC.

[Stockjock]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

As you know, I am a big MSC cheerleader at the moment. If you sail in steerage, like me, I think it is the best bang for your buck than any of the other mainstream lines right now. I can understand how MSC's product can seem inconsistent. They have been making a lot of changes since moving to the US market and have really accelerated those changes post-COVID on sailings out of the US at least. So, it makes sense to me that you might get wildly different reviews between ships and itineraries as that transition continues.

 

I think the source of a lot of the negative reviews about US sailings is that MSC is still not completely in line with the "Big 3" in the US on some things that experienced cruisers might expect. Some of the main differences I point out whenever I recommend MSC to people are: fixed dining times, smaller portions in the MDRs, "fancier" food options in the MDR, limited TV channels, production shows with little plot/dialog, and less artificially cheerful crew.

 

If those things or the combination of them are things that will make or break your cruise, you probably won't have a great time. For me, none of them are a big deal. I actually found that I kind of missed fixed dining on my most recent Princess cruise! Smaller portions in the MDR are perfect for me because I had weight loss surgery years ago and can't eat much in one sitting. I like the fancier food items and getting to try new things. I had frog legs for the first time on my Divina cruise in February! I don't go on a cruise to watch TV, but I am thrilled that MSC has every NFL game available on in-room TVs throughout the NFL season in the US. The less structured production shows are fine with me. I don't often go to production shows anyway. I like that MSC's are short and I get that it's better for an international audience to not have a lot of dialog, as half of them might not understand. I do wish we could bring our drinks into the theater, though! And, while the crew are less artificially chipper, they are all friendly and wonderful if you actually talk to them, get to know them, and treat them like actual humans.

When I sail on MSC, I often lose weight, which doesn't happen on most other cruise lines.  I think it's due to the smaller portions and often, healthier Mediterranean style food.  I read reviews about how bad MSC's food is, and while I concede that it's not always brilliant gourmet fare, I typically enjoy it.

[TheBeardedCruiser]

9 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

The "no drinks in the theater" enforcement seems to vary by ship and maybe even sailing. On the Meraviglia, they were enforcing it heavily and there was a big pile of glasses on a little ledge right outside the theater. On the Divina, I was able to bring my drink in with me to the one show I attended. In either case, there are no cup holders/trays/tables to store your drink in/on when in the theater, so even if they do let you bring it in, you will need to hold it the whole time. Fortunately, the shows are short!

I met a couple who brought Yeti cups on the cruise just to bring drinks into the shows. MSC Cruises just wants the container to have a lid. So they would stop by the bar on the way to the theatre, get drinks and put them in their Yeti cups. Genius!!

[JamieLogical]

3 minutes ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

I met a couple who brought Yeti cups on the cruise just to bring drinks into the shows. MSC Cruises just wants the container to have a lid. So they would stop by the bar on the way to the theatre, get drinks and put them in their Yeti cups. Genius!!

 

Probably much safer with the lack of cupholders/trays/tables as well. I can just imagine how someone might set their cup/glass down on the floor when they have finished their drink, forget that it's there, and then kick it over when they get up at the end of the show or have someone else in the row kick it over as they exit.

[JamieLogical]

9 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

When I sail on MSC, I often lose weight, which doesn't happen on most other cruise lines.  I think it's due to the smaller portions and often, healthier Mediterranean style food.  I read reviews about how bad MSC's food is, and while I concede that it's not always brilliant gourmet fare, I typically enjoy it.

 

No risk of me losing weight on an MSC cruise. I am ADDICTED to their late-night pizza!

[mvh]

23 hours ago, Stockjock said:

I've not done YC, but I have enjoyed my trips in "steerage."  Much cheaper too.

I second that. YC is nice, but not at least 3 times as nice. The food was not any better and a lot (not all) of the people seemed pretty pompous. Which is humorous since it is just a cruise ship. 

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, mvh said:

I second that. YC is nice, but not at least 3 times as nice. The food was not any better and a lot (not all) of the people seemed pretty pompous. Which is humorous since it is just a cruise ship. 

 

When I look at cruises, I price out the cost per person per day. That is what I use as my basis for comparison between cruise lines, ships, experiences, and packages. For me, the difference in price per person per day for the "suite experience" on any line never seems justifiable. If I were to put a monetary value on each of the "perks" of a suite experience based on how much I feel they are worth to me, it never comes out to be worth $100 or more per person per day. Separate restaurant? Sounds nice enough, but I can buy specialty dining every day for way less. Premium drink package? I struggle to find something over the cost of the regular drink package the one time I did it intentionally to confirm I would only be charged the difference. Priority embarkation? I get that already for being Diamond. Butler? I stayed in the Retreat one time on Celebrity and the only thing I found to use my butler for was delivering my room service breakfast and the regular crew will do that for me when I am in steerage. Not having to wait in lines is probably the best benefit of YC that I would actually take advantage of, but again, it's not worth $200 a day for my husband and I to avoid short waits in line!

[Stockjock]

10 minutes ago, mvh said:

I second that. YC is nice, but not at least 3 times as nice. The food was not any better and a lot (not all) of the people seemed pretty pompous. Which is humorous since it is just a cruise ship. 

I am not a poor person, so I can definitely afford to splurge on YC if I wanted to.  And I'll probably try it, sooner or later.  But I don't think it's worth 3 times the cost either.  Probably a much better value versus other cruise lines' suites, but doesn't seem like a good value to me at least.

I'm sure the food is better, and maybe a lot better.  Certainly, it's less crowded and there's more privacy.  For some, the butler is nice, but not sure I care about that.  I might even find it annoying, as I don't need/like/want to be escorted around.

On one of my earliest MSC cruises, a used car-looking guy (no offense to the car salesmen/women) with 2 drunken ladies, got off the elevator and were talking about how crowded and awful steerage was, seemingly looking down their noses at everyone.  And the douchy guy (is that a word?), said, in a pseudo blueblood tone, "That's why *we're* in the Yacht Club!"  If I said that, I'd be joking around, but he wasn't.

My GF and I still make fun of that guy and this happened years ago.  I don't think most people are like that, but I thought the guy and his female friends were definitely pretty pompous.

Edited June 25 by Stockjock

[luckyinpa]

1 hour ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

Every cruise line is going to have some things that they excel at, and things that need improvement. I personally think that MSC Cruises is the best for balancing what you get for what to pay!

 

My only big complaint about MSC Cruises is that they don't seem to change the home port of their ships as often as the other cruise lines. I'd love to see a different ship home port in NYC. The Meraviglia is beautiful, but it's fun to try other ships.

 

i never tried MSC because they werent in NYC and i generally dont fly to cruises.  I pity people that are forced to as that kills the budget for sure. i do wish they would have a 2nd ship in NYC but i guess rotating out in winter like royal does wont come any time soon sadly.  and X doesnt even come in winter to NYC!  princess either from what i recall. i do hate the limited destinations out of NYC for a week but with MSC i could tolerate them a few more times because the Mera impressed me so much on my 1st trip and id stay on in Florida and nassau etc.  I know there are Suites on NCL that arent in haven and i did wish for fancier cabins at lower costs in my earlier cruise days, but now i wish there were standard rooms in suite areas and YC fits that bill. I do love my cabin space but that level of service for just a balcony price is unbeatable.

 

i also do appreciate the shorter shows and dont mind they arent repeated 3 or 4 x a week. Let's see how many years it takes for the luster of YC takes to wear off for me....hopefully not for a while

[TheSoccerCoach]

47 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

I am not a poor person, so I can definitely afford to splurge on YC if I wanted to.  And I'll probably try it, sooner or later.  But I don't think it's worth 3 times the cost either.  Probably a much better value versus other cruise lines' suites, but doesn't seem like a good value to me at least.

I'm sure the food is better, and maybe a lot better.  Certainly, it's less crowded and there's more privacy.  For some, the butler is nice, but not sure I care about that.  I might even find it annoying, as I don't need/like/want to be escorted around.

On one of my earliest MSC cruises, a used car-looking guy (no offense to the car salesmen/women) with 2 drunken ladies, got off the elevator and were talking about how crowded and awful steerage was, seemingly looking down their noses at everyone.  And the douchy guy (is that a word?), said, in a pseudo blueblood tone, "That's why *we're* in the Yacht Club!"  If I said that, I'd be joking around, but he wasn't.

My GF and I still make fun of that guy and this happened years ago.  I don't think most people are like that, but I thought the guy and his female friends were definitely pretty pompous.

Loving this thread and your comments! We absolutely love MSC. And, we have sailed all four experience levels. We started out Fantastica back in 2016 when they actually gave out drink coupons for that level. We have done a few Bella. We did several Aurea before the pandemic when it included free massages and drink packages. Post pandemic we switched to Yacht Club and we are hooked! However, we only stay in inside cabins in Yacht Club. I save 2-3K per booking and we get all of the same YC perks with a much more agreeable rate. Yacht Club is a wonderful experience, and yes, it runs that gamut of all walks of life. And, probably the least tolerable are the rare folks who take being in the YC a bit too seriously. Bless their hearts, they are not royalty - just made the financial decision to pay more for a sailing. I can have the same fun time in "steerage" or the YC. Now, sometimes when the butler escorts us around the ship, we get some less than pleasant responses from guests outside the YC. But, it is what it is. You can't please all people all the time. But, value for dollar compared to other lines, I just can't justify spending money with any other company. 

[Best Cat Mom]

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

When I look at cruises, I price out the cost per person per day.

Exactly the same for us for all holidays, land-based or a cruise. We generally try to stay below $350 per person per night and MSC YC fits right in that price point. I'm amazed at how many land resorts are more than that -- and they don't have the added benefit of waking up in a new port each day and enjoying the sailing time overnight.

[dsain]

For me, it’s all about managing expectations.  I am happy to go with the flow.  I don’t go into it expecting 5 star service.  I look at the price I paid and manage my expectations accordingly.  Where else am I going to vacation for the price that includes transport to beautiful destinations, hotel room, food, drinks, and entertainment for that price.  And most all inclusive resorts have even worse food.  If you have a positive attitude you will likely have a good experience.  If you let every small thing bother you, then you’ll be miserable. Not saying I love everything about the cruise I took, but I certainly didn’t let it ruin my vacation.

[JamieLogical]

36 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Exactly the same for us for all holidays, land-based or a cruise. We generally try to stay below $350 per person per night and MSC YC fits right in that price point. I'm amazed at how many land resorts are more than that -- and they don't have the added benefit of waking up in a new port each day and enjoying the sailing time overnight.

 

Ah, that's a major difference between you and me. I always aim for ~$150 per person per day with drinks, wifi, and DSC in a balcony. My upcoming MSC Meraviglia cruise in October is only $106! My upcoming Enchanted Princess sailing in August is more at $142, but that's in a mini-suite.

[LMHC]

I can definitely see why reviews are all over the place with MSC.  Their communication and organization leave much to be desired at times.  Some people handle this better than others and their product doesn't seem to be very consistent.  MSC is not our favorite line, but the ships are beautiful, the price is right and they sail places that other lines often do not.  The food and service are on par with other lines in our opinion.  The fellow guests can be more international, but again that doesn't bother us.  We do tend to come in expecting some level of frustration on MSC especially if customer service is needed or there is a problem that needs addressed.  Overall there are more pros than cons in our couple of experiences.  

[Laurab23]

16 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

No risk of me losing weight on an MSC cruise. I am ADDICTED to their late-night pizza!

Same here. 

[Mommapadraig]

12 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Exactly the same for us for all holidays, land-based or a cruise. We generally try to stay below $350 per person per night and MSC YC fits right in that price point. I'm amazed at how many land resorts are more than that -- and they don't have the added benefit of waking up in a new port each day and enjoying the sailing time overnight.

Before we discovered cruising we were Sandals fans. We pay much less on MSC YC than we ever did for Sandals. Now we treat most cruises like an all inclusive, we don’t get off on a lot of ports. Just stay on board and do the same thing we did at Sandals. Lay around the pool, drink and eat whatever we want. We never had someone bring around fruit skewers or ice cream while we laid around the pool at Sandals! Plus we have entertainment, tons of music and a casino! 

 

[At Sea At Peace]

16 hours ago, mvh said:

I second that. YC is nice, but not at least 3 times as nice. The food was not any better and a lot (not all) of the people seemed pretty pompous. Which is humorous since it is just a cruise ship. 

 

Seriously, never even got a hint of such in 8 or so B2Bs.  MSC YC probably not for you.

[At Sea At Peace]

16 hours ago, Stockjock said:

I am not a poor person, so I can definitely afford to splurge on YC if I wanted to.  And I'll probably try it, sooner or later.  But I don't think it's worth 3 times the cost either.  Probably a much better value versus other cruise lines' suites, but doesn't seem like a good value to me at least.

I'm sure the food is better, and maybe a lot better.  Certainly, it's less crowded and there's more privacy.  For some, the butler is nice, but not sure I care about that.  I might even find it annoying, as I don't need/like/want to be escorted around.

On one of my earliest MSC cruises, a used car-looking guy (no offense to the car salesmen/women) with 2 drunken ladies, got off the elevator and were talking about how crowded and awful steerage was, seemingly looking down their noses at everyone.  And the douchy guy (is that a word?), said, in a pseudo blueblood tone, "That's why *we're* in the Yacht Club!"  If I said that, I'd be joking around, but he wasn't.

My GF and I still make fun of that guy and this happened years ago.  I don't think most people are like that, but I thought the guy and his female friends were definitely pretty pompous.

 

Also, never even got a hint of such in 8 or so B2Bs.  We've met some of the nicest people of all of our cruises socializing in the TS lounge pre or post dining.  MSC YC probably not for you.

[Mommapadraig]

I will mention another and probably main reason we like the YC. Since the pandemic I have an irrational fear of crowds. Yes we went out of the YC and enjoyed many venues but I loved going back to the top sail at the end of the evening and sit at the uncrowded bar. We also met lovely people in the top sail. We are bar sitters and found the same people would join us every night. There was one obviously full of himself YC guest but we all saw him for what he was and avoided him! Dang…557 days until our next cruise unless we find a last minute we can’t resist and our DIL can take our cat! That’s the biggest problem!

Edited June 26 by Mommapadraig

[At Sea At Peace]

4 hours ago, Mommapadraig said:

I will mention another and probably main reason we like the YC. Since the pandemic I have an irrational fear of crowds. Yes we went out of the YC and enjoyed many venues but I loved going back to the top sail at the end of the evening and sit at the uncrowded bar. We also met lovely people in the top sail. We are bar sitters and found the same people would join us every night. There was one obviously full of himself YC guest but we all saw him for what he was and avoided him! Dang…557 days until our next cruise unless we find a last minute we can’t resist and our DIL can take our cat! That’s the biggest problem!

 

Well said and a real factor for us that I forget to mention.  It's not irrational, it is limiting the exposure of larger, closer crowds in smaller, more compact venues.  Seriously, excellent and relevant point.  BTW, we were like that pre-pandemic.  We've got two B2Bs on Seascape booked and one B2B on World America in Yacht Club sandwiched around a 26N Celebrity Ascent FLL-Rome 15N then Rome, Greek Isles and Turkey 11N - in a Prime Aqua Class stateroom.  Why?  To dine at BLU; not for the menu alone, but also for the comparative exposure to less people as above (although in BLU it is tight).

[MonsterJoe]

4 hours ago, Mommapadraig said:

I will mention another and probably main reason we like the YC. Since the pandemic I have an irrational fear of crowds. Yes we went out of the YC and enjoyed many venues but I loved going back to the top sail at the end of the evening and sit at the uncrowded bar. We also met lovely people in the top sail. We are bar sitters and found the same people would join us every night. There was one obviously full of himself YC guest but we all saw him for what he was and avoided him! Dang…557 days until our next cruise unless we find a last minute we can’t resist and our DIL can take our cat! That’s the biggest problem!

I've had an irrational irritation of crowds my whole life.  We didn't start cruising until the pandemic restart, but we fell in love with the YC's Fortress of Solitude right then.

Granted - there were 1100 on that Meraviglia sailing and we did not presume that would continue.

I've also never met any openly arrogant or pompous characters that I can remember.  In fact, when last year we were sailing Aurea and I was taking a quiet break on the sundeck, I met some current YCers that I had a lot of fun talking to...even considering my lack of rank on that sailing. 

I eat all over the ship no matter which class I buy, and while I like it everywhere, the YC food is completely of a different and higher quality than other places.

Edited June 26 by MonsterJoe

[BazingAu]

I always try anything once (within reason of course) and went into our first MSC cruise with an open mind. That said, MSC is probably a one and done for me, or at least a very distant alternate choice. I don't necessarily think it was horrible, but there were just enough inconveniences and inconsistencies that make me value other cruise lines more. My experience was not in YC. It was too much of a mixed bag on MSC, and I prefer consistency and knowing that I don't need to wait in a long line for every single thing on other cruise lines.

[Fissues]

I go YC at least 3 times a week. 
In my town we have the Eastern Yacht Club, Boston Yacht Club, Corinthian Yacht Club, Marblehead Yacht Club, Dolphin Yacht Club and the Pleon Yacht Club. My favorite is hands down the MSC Yacht Club. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper than the annual fees too!

[CruiserG79]

For me it has been 5 cruises with MSC now, 4 cruises with Aida and one cruise with Mein Schiff (Tui Cruises).

 

On MSC i never tried Yacht Club so far, but i always enjoyed what i got for my money. If there is such a thing like being disappointed from a cruise it was last year in January on the Virtuosa, but in the end i even enjoyed that cruise a lot. So for me all fine with booking MSC and i would always book them again.

Foodwise the best cruise was on the Mein Schiff 3 last year, followed from AidaNova this year.

 

But for me MSC is still far away from being rated bad when it comes to food and i love their Pizza. And a cruise without gaining wheight!? Not possible for me! I couldn't even imagine food being that bad on a cruise.

 

In general for me the company doesn't matter much. I would always book the three companies i tested again. I would also try Costa, Carnival and all the rest.

 

I try to be open and enjoy what is being given to me.

[mailbroad]

On 6/24/2024 at 3:37 PM, Stockjock said:

I've not done YC, but I have enjoyed my trips in "steerage."  Much cheaper too.

I have enjoyed "steerage" as well.

[squigglydownunder]

On 6/30/2024 at 9:29 PM, mailbroad said:

On 6/24/2024 at 3:37 PM, Stockjock said:

I've not done YC, but I have enjoyed my trips in "steerage."  Much cheaper too.

I have enjoyed "steerage" as well.

 

I had many little annoyances from our recent cruise and I think we were very cranky by the end of it. We thought we had read up enough and had our expectations set. But with MSC, the inconsistency meant that things we were "ready for" were actually fine, and other things blind sided us.

 

After reflecting on them another week, and especially after looking at the cost vs other comparable cruise lines packages or cost of YC going forward, I've really softened my stance.