newbie to msc

[ivan427]

my wife and i were thinking of going on a msc cruise,we been on rccl and i want to know about the food, cabins and the activities.

thanks

ivan and marianne

[CathyCanada]

Hi Ivan & Marianne,

You will find that the cabins on the MSC ships are a little smaller than other lines and the showers quite small, but other than that, they are nice, functional and if you don't spend a lot of time in your room, just fine.

 

As for the food, that is subjective. Personally I thought the food was great other than the breakfast buffets which were average (not enough of a variety for some folks). Once you figure out the dinner menu, you should find something that appeals to all tastes. The risottos of the day were amazing and the service was terrific. The room service menu is limited and there were buffets or hors d'oeuvres served nightly around 11:30.

 

As for the activities, their entertainment crew were outstanding. Keep in mind this is a "taste of Italy" type experience so the games and activities were not your usual cruise type. That suited me just fine. :) They were a lot of fun just to watch even if you didn't participate. The shows in the theatre were outstanding! Different from any ship I have been on (in 18 cruises on 6 lines) and the talent in the lounges was very good (especially the Summertime Trio who could play classical or with their singer, just about anything else).

 

This cruise line is very popular in the Mediterranean and many of their loyal guests are European so you will find that announcements and theatre introductions are done in English, Italian, German, French and Spanish. There are not a lot of announcements anyway and it is quite amazing to watch one person switch from one language to the next so quickly (ok I'm easily amused).

 

MSC is unlike most mainstream cruise lines, but we loved it. If you like new experiences I think you will too.

 

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help if I can.

[ivan427]

thanks for the info ,now i wont be afraid to try it,

thanks

ivan and marianne

[Oxo]

I mostly agree with what was posted by CathyCanada, however, our experience on the Lirica, Jan 2006, was somewhat different as noted below. Would we cruise MSC Caribbean again? Yes, but it would not be as good as Princess, HAL, Celebrity or RCI. We have cruised over 50 times on Princess, HAL, Celebrity, RCI, NCL, Costa, MSC and Royal. We are basing our experience on the past cruises and it does not matter if they were mass market or not. MSC is not totally as described on their site.

VERY TRUE ABOUT CABINS AND SHOWER. SHIP IS VERY CLEAN, EASY TO GET AROUND. UNLESS YOU ARE IN A SUITE, ALL CABINS ARE THE SAME SIZE EVEN OUTSIDE CABINS THAT HAVE A WINDOW.

You will find that the cabins on the MSC ships are a little smaller than other lines and the showers quite small, but other than that, they are nice, functional and if you don't spend a lot of time in your room, just fine.

 

FOOD IS VERY SUBJECTIVE. THE BUFFET IS POOR IN SELECTION AND QUALITY OF FOOD. NEVER SEEN SUCH A SMALL SELECTION ON ANY SHIP. FOOD IN THE DINING ROOM WAS NOT ITALIAN! OTHERS WILL DISAGREE. HOWEVER, THE BEEF WAS OVERCOOKED, VEGETABLES OVERCOOKED, AND VERY BLAND. DESERTS WERE FAIR. SERVICE WAS SPOTTY.

As for the food, that is subjective. Personally I thought the food was great other than the breakfast buffets which were average (not enough of a variety for some folks). Once you figure out the dinner menu, you should find something that appeals to all tastes. The risottos of the day were amazing and the service was terrific. The room service menu is limited and there were buffets or hors d'oeuvres served nightly around 11:30.

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT WAS VERY GOOD AND SOME OF THE BEST IN THE SENSE OF VARIETY. YOU HAD MORE THAN ONE PERFORMER DURING A SHOW. WHEREAS ON OTHER CRUISE LINES THEY HAVE ONE PERFORMER PER SHOW. As for the activities, their entertainment crew were outstanding. Keep in mind this is a "taste of Italy" type experience so the games and activities were not your usual cruise type. That suited me just fine. :) They were a lot of fun just to watch even if you didn't participate. The shows in the theatre were outstanding! Different from any ship I have been on (in 18 cruises on 6 lines) and the talent in the lounges was very good (especially the Summertime Trio who could play classical or with their singer, just about anything else).

 

APPARENTLY THE MSC EUROPEAN CRUISES WERE VERY DIFFERENT IN MENU AND OTHER THINGS FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON THIS FORUM AND THE MENUS POSTED ON MSC'S SITE. THE CARIBBEAN CRUISES ARE NOT UP TO THE EUROPEAN CRUISES STANDARD. This cruise line is very popular in the Mediterranean and many of their loyal guests are European so you will find that announcements and theatre introductions are done in English, Italian, German, French and Spanish. There are not a lot of announcements anyway and it is quite amazing to watch one person switch from one language to the next so quickly (ok I'm easily amused).

 

I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE STATEMENTS ABOUT MSC IS UNLIKE MOST MAINSTREAM CRUISE LINES. YES, IN THE WAY OF THE FOOD QUALITY AND SELECTION, AND SERVICE. ONE PLUS IS THAT ON MSC THEY DO NOT HOUND YOU TO BUY DRINKS. THAT IS BECAUSE THE AUTO-TIPPING DOES NOT GO TO THE STAFF. THE STAFF JUST GETS A SALARY UNLESS YOU GIVE CASH TIPS DIRECTLY TO THE STAFF. THE MIX OF PASSENGERS MAY BE HIGHER IN EUROPEANS, BUT THERE ARE MANY OF THE SAME NATIONALITIES ON ANY OTHER CRUISE LINE IN THE CARIBBEAN. PERSONALLY I WOULD RATE MSC BELOW PRINCESS, CELEBRITY, HAL AND RCI.

MSC is unlike most mainstream cruise lines, but we loved it. If you like new experiences I think you will too.

FROM WHAT WE HAVE SEEN ON OUR CRUISE AND THIS BOARD, YOU EITHER LIKE MSC OR HATE IT. I BELIEVE THE FOOD AND SERVICE IS TOTALLY NOT UP TO THE MASS MARKET CRUISE LINES AS MENTIONED ABOVE. THE STAFF IS NOT ITALIAN, BUT MAINLY FROM BALI, PHILLIPE ANS, AND VERY FEW EUROPEANS. THAT IS EXCLUDING THE TABLE MANAGERS, ASST. MAITRE D'S, PURSUERS, SHOPS AND ACCOUNTING OFFICE. MSC IS NOT A 5 STAR OR 4 STAR CRUISE LINE.

ONLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL IF YOU WILL LIKE IT OR NOT. EVERYONE HAS THEIR OPINION AND TASTES. I THINK OF IT AS A CRUISE AND IT WAS WORTH THE MONEY. WE MET MANY NICE PEOPLE WHO WE STILL STAY IN CONTACT WITH AND EVEN THE STAFF PERSONNEL WERE VERY NICE. SOMEWHAT OVERWORKED AT TIMES.

[PompanoFL2007]

my wife and i were thinking of going on a msc cruise,we been on rccl and i want to know about the food, cabins and the activities.

thanks

ivan and marianne

 

If you really liked RCCL, you will be disapointed with MSC. The rooms are quite small and you get wrapped up in the shower curtain when trying to take a shower. The food on my voyage was terrible, but I have seen other postings that said it was good. I guess, it's a matter of personal taste, but on my sailing when the ship was full the beef was sent back by just about everyone who tried it (the waiter said so). The fish was DRY! The pastas were decent. The risotto was great and terrible depending on what day it was. The soups were terrible at the beginning of the voyage and got better with time. The best meal was the nite that we got our comment cards. Coincidence?

 

If you enjoy a cocktail or drink in the nightclubs or lounges, beware that they make them differently. You need to discuss, in detail, the ingredients you want your bartender to use. They don't seem to know the difference in whiskeys - scotch, rye, canadian. Also, I found the drinks to be very measured and they used a very small shot glass to measure with. I believe it couldn't not have been more than 1 ounce. The cocktail glasses are much smaller than on any of the other lines and again, the prices were the highest I've ever paid on any line.

 

The entertainment was wonderful. If you are a non smoker, be aware that people are only supposed to smoke on one side of the ship. However, if you have a lot of smokers on your sailing (and it seems to me that Europeans smoke more than Americans) they tend to smoke everywhere and no one stops them. It did wonders for my ability to breath..... NOT!

 

All in all there were pluses and minuses, but the minuses won out and I will say that it is definitely on my list for repeat business.

 

I find it amazing that by reading some of the reviews on this board you would think we couldn't have sailed on the same ship.

[Magwa]

In the other thread Ivan stated he hated RCCL... if someone *hates* any cruise, then perhaps cruising isn't for them at all.

[giabra]

If you enjoy a cocktail or drink in the nightclubs or lounges, beware that they make them differently. You need to discuss, in detail, the ingredients you want your bartender to use. They don't seem to know the difference in whiskeys - scotch, rye, canadian. Also, I found the drinks to be very measured and they used a very small shot glass to measure with. I believe it couldn't not have been more than 1 ounce. The cocktail glasses are much smaller than on any of the other lines and again, the prices were the highest I've ever paid on any line.

 

 

On another thread very similar specific comment about whiskeys was made by a cruiser with njreo as nickname: coincidence or nickname change?

[Magwa]

Sadly giabra I think you are right.. I smelled a fish as the first posts moan and he had just come back from Westerdam after Lirica in Feb.. also comments on 'his' own thread elsewhere. I never will understand trolls, or people who continually go on and on, especially under different names.

[ivan427]

magwa

i donot hate cruising ,i just had a bad experience,with horrible food and a broken a/c in my cabin. my wife was really upset.that why i had such a bad time