Cuisine on Costa and MSC

[kelmac]

My wife and I love Celebrity and HAL -- we pretty much just alternate between these two Premium cruise lines.

We both love Italy and the time we have spent there. Every area of Italy has it's own cuisine and most of it is wonderful.

 

Question is: How is the food on Costa and MSC?

 

Thanks!

Kel

[Denisern2]

I loved my Costa cruise. Each nights dinner featured a different region in Italy. And the last night you wore a toga to dinner. I would cruise Costa again in a hearbeat.

[Schplinky]

I'm interested in this question, too. We think we might try an MSC cruise one day.

[gracecarmo]

Here is a link to the MSC bb, with some menu information.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=15712050#post15712050

 

we will be sailing on MSC on a b2b next Jan/Feb, on the Orchestra.

[Downdie]

We found the lunches and dinners excellent in the dining room on our MSC Opera cruise in the Mediterranan, with different regions of Italy and other European cuisine highlited daily. Buffets were a little bit less successful.

However I believe MSC attempt to Americanise the menues more on the Caribbean itineraries with mixed results according to the reviews I've read.

[caviargal]

We found the lunches and dinners excellent in the dining room on our MSC Opera cruise in the Mediterranan, with different regions of Italy and other European cuisine highlited daily. Buffets were a little bit less successful.

However I believe MSC attempt to Americanise the menues more on the Caribbean itineraries with mixed results according to the reviews I've read.

 

I found the dining room food on MSC Sinfonia in the Med to be excellent, in fact better than any mainstream line I have cruised in the past ten years. Wonderfully prepared true Italian cuisine included yummy risottos, fresh pastas, regional dishes including rabbit, liver and tripe, a good variety of fish dishes, wonderful breads.

 

There is house wine by the carafe and half carafe which is a good buy and the wine list is not excessively marked up. There were daily wine tastings where excellent wines by the glass were offered at bargain prices (Brunello for E5 for example). And you jsut show up and order by the glass, nothing formal. I went every day.

 

The shops are classy not tacky and the ship was just lovely.

 

It was an excellent experience overall and I would return to MSC in the Med if they did not offer Kids Sail Free on every sailing.

[brazilgirl]

I´d love to hear from more of you-I am also considering MSC for a cruise next year.

 

I have read some bad reviews here on CC , but I tend to think many of them were written by people who were perhaps a bit "Americentric" and were not as open to new cultures and customs.

 

It would be lovely to hear opinions who have sailed MSC and Celebrity.

 

From reading and research , MSC seems more down my street than Costa.

 

Kim

[caviargal]

I´d love to hear from more of you-I am also considering MSC for a cruise next year.

 

I have read some bad reviews here on CC , but I tend to think many of them were written by people who were perhaps a bit "Americentric" and were not as open to new cultures and customs.

 

It would be lovely to hear opinions who have sailed MSC and Celebrity.

 

 

I sailed on Sinfonia and Mercury within 6 months of each other and was surprised and delighted by the quality of my MSC cruise.

 

Embarkation was a breeze. We arrived into Genoa by train from Milan and were aboard in less than 15 minutes. My cabin was a cat 11 (the only category on this ship with a balcony) and was beautifully appointed and very comfortable. I sailed with my mom and we each had our own cabin.

 

Very international passenger mix with a handful of Americans. Announcements were made in several languages. I speak decent Italian and also German so it was fun for me to not use English on the ship though the staff was competent in several languages.

 

Front Desk was aloof and a bit disorganized, especially on the last morning when everyone had to reclaim their passports. A mess.

 

Very overpriced spa. Well appointed gym but the hours were more limited than on X.

 

Food was excellent in the dining room. My taste is definitely more European than American so the meals were perfect for my pallet. MSC is a the largest shipping line in the Med so the food quality was outstanding and the variety excellent. Real procsuitto de Parma and wonderful cheeses available at breakfast, freshly made pastas at lunch and dinner, a large variety of Italian meats and seafood at both lunch and dinner. Unlike X where I generally just order whatever the featured fish is for the day sans sauces, I was always presented with multiple choices that appealed to me. It was a delight to enjoy regional, fresh cuisine at lunch and dinner and this was the first cruise ever where I actually gained weight! Compared to the food on X, which IMO and IME is good for mass market lines but not to my taste (too heavy and rich), it was excellent. I can also understand why the average American cruiser would complain about the food as it is completely different from what the mass market line offer.

 

Room service was extra in most cases. Buffets are limited and are not as stocked with lots of options and lots of heavy foods as this is not what Europeans generally eat. I dislike buffets so only went once to breakfast.

 

The Sinfonia was the perfect size and is impeccably maintained, unlike the Mercury which I sailed on 6 months after Sinfonia. She is a classy lady with an intimate, upscale feel, a lovely dining room and a classic design.

 

There was a good choice of live music in several venues before dinner but we did not check out the entertainment as we had late dining at 9pm so were not finished til 11 or so.

 

My only complaint were the number of misbehaving, unsupervised kids on board but that has sadly become the norm on most every cruise line I have sailed on in the past 5 or so years including Celebrity.

 

If it were not for the Kids Sail Free promotions now on all sailings, I would absolutely sail the smaller ships of MSC again before any North American mass market line.

[Orator]

Was on the Costa Med last Feb.. Enjoyed the ship. Staff was wonderful.

I found food good,but not exceptional. My opinion is that the speciality resturant was overpriced for what you got. It was a la carte rather than all inclusive as most. Cost $35.00 per for a salad and entree. No dessert included. Would rate service as fine, food okay.

Dancing waiters, toga party, Italian night all made the cruise enjoyable. Since this is the Celebrity board I must add the overall Celebrity is my favorite mainstream line. Costa meals aren't in the same league.

All that said, I would not hesitate to cruise Costa again.

[newmexicoNita]

Food is so subjective. I haven't cruised MSC but have Costa and have clients that have done both. I think MSC would be my pick just from what reports I have received back. As for HAL and Celebrity being primium lines, that is how they are viewed but I don't find either much different from any other mass marketed lines. All cruise lines are more alike than different with each having a nitch of their own.

 

Nita