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

[MonsterJoe]

Well that makes total sense - being without children/empty nesters/retired and living near a cruise port seems like it is almost effortless!

There are several lines that cruise out of Boston (not MSC, of which I am a complete fanboy) - but we don't get the good/newer ships and they tend to be more expensive up here....and also I have two full time jobs and three kids (the youngest is < 2 years) so I'll have to put this desire off for several years it seems.

If we could cruise even 2 or 3 times per year, I would love that, but the flights and hotel stays just put it over the edge for us to do more often. 😕

We're heading into just 40ish days until our cruise and I am so excited!

[Hlitner]

I think that MSC needs to be viewed as two different products, the Yacht Club and everything else.  The YC is a fine product, has decent cabins (generally small suites), OK cuisine, outstanding service, and provides a very private spacious section of the ship.  

 

Once outside the YC, it is a CarnivalRCI kind of product where one can generally find their niche depending on their budget.  We only cruise in the YC, but will also spend significant time outside the YC taking advantage of all the ship has to offer.  

 

As one who cruises on many different lines (ranging from mass market to luxury lines) I do think that cruisers need to understand that, most of the time, if you want really high quality on a ship you are going to pay for it.  A $120 per passenger day on MSC, is going to be a completely different experience than at $375 per person/day YC cruise.  While many folks are simply looking for a lower price cruise, others demand the quality/service found in the YC.

 

One issue we have seen with some MSC reviews/comments is that some folks try to equate the YC with the various experiences outside the YC.  Big mistake as it is two different products and each will have their fans.

 

By the way, I will mention our complaint with MSC.  We primarily use the line for 2-3 week Caribbean cruises (Yacht Club only).  When it comes to Europe (and the rest of the world) we cruise on lines that have longer cruises.  But in the Caribbean, we think that MSC's itineraries leave a lot to be desired (both the ports and hours in the ports) which has pushed us away from booking any future voyages.  We also would like to see MSC do some longer (at least 14 day) itineraries in the Caribbean/Central America.  I am not talking about back to back 7 day cruises, but a true 14+ day cruise.

 

Hank

[Sharon_and_TC]

19 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I think that MSC needs to be viewed as two different products, the Yacht Club and everything else.  The YC is a fine product, has decent cabins (generally small suites), OK cuisine, outstanding service, and provides a very private spacious section of the ship.  

.

.

.

We also would like to see MSC do some longer (at least 14 day) itineraries in the Caribbean/Central America.  I am not talking about back to back 7 day cruises, but a true 14+ day cruise.

 

 

@Hlitner   Two excellent points and we agree completely.   

As for the first point - the same can be said for the other lines that provide either ship-within-a-ship and/or high-level (suite/butler) service.  There definitely does seem to be a huge disparity between the two levels, but that is to be expected based on the "you get what you pay for" thought process.

 

We too would like to see MSC do longer cruises in the Caribbean without repeating ports.  They are now doing more Eastern Caribbean followed by Western Caribbean cruises which is kind of along those lines.  But, there is no huge variation within those cruises and once you've done them, to us it's a "been there, done that" thing. 

 

As we are approaching our 70s, we really are not the "walk around town" kind of people, so most of the ports, we just stay on-board and enjoy the emptier ship.  It does help that the emptier ship for us, most of the time, is emptier YC.

 

We are definitely interested in what MSC is going to do once they reach the west coast in a couple of years.  We are not sure that joining the masses to Alaska is the right choice for MSC, especially as more and more restrictions are being put into place in Alaska on the numbers of cruises than can go into port at certain places.  Even this past year, Mendenhall Glacier was closed down (the actual "feet on the glacier") late September and unavailable to late season cruisers.

 

We would really love MSC to provide longer cruises from the West Coast - maybe Hawaii/ South Pacific - or down to Central/South America.  Short (even 7 day) cruises are somewhat cost-prohibitive to us being from Montana.  Definitely long/expensive flights to the east coast - at least west coast is a bit cheaper.

[Hlitner]

15 minutes ago, Sharon_and_TC said:

@Hlitner   Two excellent points and we agree completely.   

As for the first point - the same can be said for the other lines that provide either ship-within-a-ship and/or high-level (suite/butler) service.  There definitely does seem to be a huge disparity between the two levels, but that is to be expected based on the "you get what you pay for" thought process.

 

We too would like to see MSC do longer cruises in the Caribbean without repeating ports.  They are now doing more Eastern Caribbean followed by Western Caribbean cruises which is kind of along those lines.  But, there is no huge variation within those cruises and once you've done them, to us it's a "been there, done that" thing. 

 

As we are approaching our 70s, we really are not the "walk around town" kind of people, so most of the ports, we just stay on-board and enjoy the emptier ship.  It does help that the emptier ship for us, most of the time, is emptier YC.

 

We are definitely interested in what MSC is going to do once they reach the west coast in a couple of years.  We are not sure that joining the masses to Alaska is the right choice for MSC, especially as more and more restrictions are being put into place in Alaska on the numbers of cruises than can go into port at certain places.  Even this past year, Mendenhall Glacier was closed down (the actual "feet on the glacier") late September and unavailable to late season cruisers.

 

We would really love MSC to provide longer cruises from the West Coast - maybe Hawaii/ South Pacific - or down to Central/South America.  Short (even 7 day) cruises are somewhat cost-prohibitive to us being from Montana.  Definitely long/expensive flights to the east coast - at least west coast is a bit cheaper.

We had very high hopes for the new Explora Journey cruise line, but having cruised for 18 days on EJ1, we think that line is still a "work in progress" and it will be some time (measured in years) until they get their act together.  For those of us who expected EJ to be something like an entire YC ship, the actual product is quite different and somewhat unique in the cruise industry.  

 

We are a bit older than you, but still young at heart and quite adventurous with our travel.  We have no desire to go back to AK on a larger ship, but really did enjoy our 14 day Alaskan cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn, where there are only about 450 passengers.  AK is still a fabulous place to visit, and there is a lot to say for simply renting a car and going off on one's own.  We drove to Denali (from Anchorage) and spent a few days in Healy where we rented a very nice cabin.  Much different than being stuck in some kind of touristy "lodge" and going off on tours with 60 of your best friends :).  By the way, our most interesting experience in Alaska happened while we were simply filling our car with gas, just outside of Healy.  A large moose came walking up the road (stopped the light traffic) and we enjoyed the close-up view (although we were ready to jump in the car if he came too close).  

 

Despite several days hiking in Denali National Park (not something you do on a cruise tour) we saw very little wildlife other than birds.  At one point, we did spot a bear which was far away on the side of a hill.  DW joked that it was probably a "blow up bear" put there for the sake of bus tours.

 

Hank

[Stockjock]

Maybe I'll add a gripe to this, and I touched on it previously, but the issue is still not resolved.  When MSC makes a change to a sailing, they often don't tell the customers, or their agents, what's going on, for a very long time.  I had a lot of this sort of thing going on in my MSC Comedy of Errors thread, and am dealing with it now once again.

One of my bookings has been "locked" for about 2 months now.  It appears to be sailing, since they're taking reservations for the prior port and this is the 1st stop after that, but they've stopped taking bookings on my sailing.

Apparently, no one at MSC knows what is going on.  One agent says it's cancelled.  Another says I'll get a notice in 2 days (that was almost 2 months ago), today, an agent said the problem is a "system error" that should clear up in a couple of hours (wrong.)  Payments can be made to the price of the cruise, but no other options can be added.

Fortunately, we have a lot of time for them to (hopefully) let us know what's going in with the sailing.

So while there are a lot of things to like about MSC, a lack of communication to passengers, and even to their own employees, can be annoying.

Edited July 5 by Stockjock

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, Stockjock said:

Maybe I'll add a gripe to this, and I touched on it previously, but the issue is still not resolved.  When MSC makes a change to a sailing, they often don't tell the customers, or their agents, what's going on, for a very long time.  I had a lot of this sort of thing going on in my MSC Comedy of Errors thread, and am dealing with it now once again.

One of my bookings has been "locked" for about 2 months now.  It appears to be sailing, since they're taking reservations for the prior port and this is the 1st stop after that, but they've stopped taking bookings on my sailing.

Apparently, no one at MSC knows what is going on.  One agent says it's cancelled.  Another says I'll get a notice in 2 days (that was almost 2 months ago), today, an agent said the problem is a "system error" that should clear up in a couple of hours (wrong.)  Payments can be made to the price of the cruise, but no other options can be added.

Fortunately, we have a lot of time for them to (hopefully) let us know what's going in with the sailing.

So while there are a lot of things to like about MSC, a lack of communication to passengers, and even to their own employees, can be annoying.

 

That is certainly not unique to MSC, unfortunately. I have seen and had similar issues with NCL.

[TheBeardedCruiser]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We had very high hopes for the new Explora Journey cruise line, but having cruised for 18 days on EJ1, we think that line is still a "work in progress" and it will be some time (measured in years) until they get their act together.  For those of us who expected EJ to be something like an entire YC ship, the actual product is quite different and somewhat unique in the cruise industry.  

Could you please elaborate about your experience on the EJ1, or link to a post where you already did? I'm curious about that cruise line. Especially with your last sentence about it being somewhat unique. Thank you!

[Hlitner]

15 minutes ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

Could you please elaborate about your experience on the EJ1, or link to a post where you already did? I'm curious about that cruise line. Especially with your last sentence about it being somewhat unique. Thank you!

I did post some stuff, when we cruised that ship back in September.  It is a luxury line with a ship (soon to be 2 ships) carrying about 900 passengers.  What is interesting is that they have no main dining room, but 4 smaller restaurants (2 require reservations) plus a high-end lido buffet.  They do things their own way, which is both a blessing and curse.  They also tend to focus on shorter cruises (often 7-10 day) which is unusual for a luxury cruise line.  They are in the process of expanding to 6 ships (all about 900 passengers).   You can probably get a better feel by simply reading the CC blog for this line.

 

Hank

[adlindstrom1]

On 6/24/2024 at 2:55 PM, bucfan2 said:

I was just looking at the reviews of MSC passengers.  It seems as if there is no middle ground in terms of opinions.  I'll read a long list of 1-2 star reviews, followed by a string of 4-5 star reviews

I have sailed Disney, NCL, RCCL and MSC.  I have no loyalty to any brand.  I am getting ready for my first MSC YC experience.  I have never done the equivalent on any other line.  I think MSC is a good product for the money spent.  The ships are beautiful.  I have had great service 99.8% of the time (i just wanted a bloody Mary for trivia, ugh).  I know many people don't like the lack of "American" food at the buffet (its a great way to try out that "weird lookin" stuff lol).  The pizza, best of any cruise line.  They make their own mozzarella ON THE SHIP!!!!!.  Main dining food is good, not great, but still good.  other than Disney,  i would say the same for MDR food on the other cruise lines.  I will say the lack of availability of food throughout the ship can be a problem (not even free food at the sports bar?  that's just nuts!)   Watch some youtube videos and know what to expect.  That will help frame your mind for the experience.

[lahlah57]

On 7/5/2024 at 7:12 AM, Elkins45 said:

My first MSC cruise was an inside cabin on Divina in September of 2021 just after the restart. I think I paid $350 total for a four night cruise with Wi-Fi and drinks. Based on some reviews I was halfway expecting Alpo and crackers on the buffet and a bed of straw in the hallway. Booking the cruise was essentially an experiment on my part.

 

I suppose the benefit of low expectations is that you’re happy when they are exceeded, which was certainly the case. I had a fabulous experience, and for less per night than a cheap motel on the interstate. And I thought the ship was beautiful.

Alpo and Crackers!!! LMAO!

[Stockjock]

1 hour ago, lahlah57 said:

Alpo and Crackers!!! LMAO!

I believe they discontinued Alpo in 2017.

[lahlah57]

10 hours ago, Stockjock said:

I believe they discontinued Alpo in 2017.

That would make it even worse! 😆

[Essiesmom]

Probably serving Fancy Feast instead.  EM

[lahlah57]

On 7/7/2024 at 9:40 AM, Essiesmom said:

Probably serving Fancy Feast instead.  EM

Fancy Feast for Yacht club members only.....😝

[Two Wheels Only]

On 7/5/2024 at 11:43 AM, Hlitner said:

We had very high hopes for the new Explora Journey cruise line, but having cruised for 18 days on EJ1, we think that line is still a "work in progress" and it will be some time (measured in years) until they get their act together.  For those of us who expected EJ to be something like an entire YC ship, the actual product is quite different and somewhat unique in the cruise industry

 

I was one of those who thought "...Yacht Club ship..!!!" many years ago when Explora Journeys was first announced. Little by little, my enthusiasm dropped.

Edited July 8 by Two Wheels Only

[Hlitner]

2 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I was one of those who thought "...Yacht Club ship..!!!" many years ago when the Explora Journeys was first announced. Little by little, my enthusiasm dropped to the point where if I decide to try a new line, my next stop would probably be Princess Sanctuary Collection. Obviously, I'm waiting for some reviews that compare/contrast with the Yacht Club, Haven, and Retreat but PSC looks promising. 

Interesting that you brought Princess PSC into the thread.  We are long-time Princess cruisers with over 30 cruises (400+ days) and are probably going to soon book another Enchanted Princess cruise,  The new PSC is still an unknown, to us, as we have not yet cruised ont he Sun Princess  Even thought we routinely cruise luxury lines, Princess continues to be our favorite mass market line and we have always been very comfortable on their ships (either Grand or Royal Class) in a mini-suite.  If their PSC turns out to be comparable to the Yacht Club, it might get our interest..depending on the cost.

 

To quote, Joe Biden, here's the deal!  DW and I seek out "value" when we cruise/travel  Value does not mean inexpensive, but simply means getting the most satisfaction for the dollar paid.  On MSC, we have always found the YC to be a terrific value  On Princess, we have never found the value in larger suites or even their reserve (previously club) mini-suites.  Last year we cruised on the Sky Princess and had the Premiere Package (a free upgrade from Plus).  It is unliikely we would book Premiere, because we do not see enough value in that package when compared to Plus.  Would the value be there with PSC?  Not sure.

 

Hank

[no1talks]

50 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

"Would the value be there with PSC?  Not sure."

 

We are likely to try a Sanctuary balcony after there has been ample time for Princess to get the bugs worked out. I can do without a butler and lounge access in exchange for the other amenities IF the OceanNow® order/delivery system works accurately and promptly. 

[chrisgp999]

3 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I was one of those who thought "...Yacht Club ship..!!!" many years ago when Explora Journeys was first announced. Little by little, my enthusiasm dropped.

When everyone on the ship is in the Yacht Club, no one is really in the Yacht Club.  Exclusivity is gone.

[Two Wheels Only]

3 minutes ago, chrisgp999 said:

When everyone on the ship is in the Yacht Club, no one is really in the Yacht Club.  Exclusivity is gone.

 

I was expecting the service, not so much the exclusivity.

 

When in the Yacht Club enclave, the service is great. I expected that the same level of service would be on the entire ship. Based on what seems to be how Explora Journeys does things, the reality doesn't match my expectations. 

 

EJ isn't in the "never" category for me but they are in the "not right for me right now" category. 

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, chrisgp999 said:

When everyone on the ship is in the Yacht Club, no one is really in the Yacht Club.  Exclusivity is gone.

Let me toss out a thought.  If you are in the largest, most amazing suite, of a Holiday Inn, you have a lot of exclusivity, but you are still in a Holiday Inn!  On the other hand, if you are staying at a Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton, things are not so bad :).  Think about it.

 

Hank

[no1talks]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

"Think about it."

Well, it really depends on what the individual hotel guest is looking for in their accommodations.

Their are simple things about Yacht Club I really enjoy. One of the big pluses for me is the at-your-door newspaper delivery and the choice of papers. I know other lines have printed papers in their reading rooms/libraries, but to my knowledge, there is no other cruise line with that many papers available for room delivery. 

On the other side of the ledger, Yacht Club doesn't even begin to compete when it comes to in-room dining. That is a bit aggravating for us.  

There is one thing the small luxury ships cannot offer is the ability to enjoy the action of a big ship for the evening and then ditch the crowds when you've had enough for the night. 

 

[Hlitner]

24 minutes ago, no1talks said:

............

There is one thing the small luxury ships cannot offer is the ability to enjoy the action of a big ship for the evening and then ditch the crowds when you've had enough for the night. 

 

I agree that is a big plus. 

[TheBeardedCruiser]

9 hours ago, no1talks said:

Their are simple things about Yacht Club I really enjoy. One of the big pluses for me is the at-your-door newspaper delivery and the choice of papers. I know other lines have printed papers in their reading rooms/libraries, but to my knowledge, there is no other cruise line with that many papers available for room delivery. 

I've never sailed YC. How do they deliver newspapers at sea? Where do they get them? Do they print the newspapers themselves?

[MonsterJoe]

37 minutes ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

I've never sailed YC. How do they deliver newspapers at sea? Where do they get them? Do they print the newspapers themselves?

They print them on board...pretty neat, imo
https://www.kvh.com/newslink-for-ocean-river-cruise-ships/

Edited July 9 by MonsterJoe

[luckyinpa]

problem is even though i asked for a paper 1st day i didnt get one till day 3. then only 2 more for the week. i dont mind if you dont offer the service but if you do you gotta be consistent.

 

ditto with PM treats in the cabin. if you deliver one day, you have to all days.