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Carnival VS MSC


Meeshwood
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My family is looking to cruise next November and we are debating between the Carnival Magic or the MSC Seaside. My children will be 15, 7, and 3 when we sail. My kids are my main priority in deciding. I like the itinerary better on Carnival, we stop at Grand Turk and Amber cove which won't require us to travel for entertainment in port. We also have a day in San Juan and we are very interested in visiting the fort there. MSC has amazing deals right now so we could get a great deal on a cruise where as once they are more established in the US their prices will likely go up. Seaside is a bigger, brand new ship. I would be sold on MSC if I were sure their private island would be complete before our sailing but they have already pushed the opening date a few times.

Which would you choose? :)

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What kind of accommodations will you need? Magic has Deluxe OV cabins for five but I'm not sure about Seaside. I think I would be asking about Seaside on the MSC board here. Lots of conversation about her. EM

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We've been on MSC out of Florida 4 times. I like MSC, and particularly when considering the (typical) relative pricing, I'd choose it 80% of the time. My wife isn't so fond of MSC, blaming the level of service. It's true that it's more laid-back European style service, but I don't have an issue with it. We are also platinum on Carnival, so I'll admit I miss the VIP boarding, laundry and tendering when we're on MSC. You can match status from CCL to MSC, but unless you get black you don't get expedited boarding. You do get the 5% discount however.

 

The kids seem to enjoy the kids camp on MSC more than the old Carnival camp, but about the same as the newer Camp Ocean.

 

The shows are in a different class from Carnival, so a big plus if you like the shows. However, there have been no comedy shows on Divina. That may change since Seaside is targeted for this market, and I hope it does, but don't know for sure.

 

Seaside looks like it'll be a fantastic ship, with much more to do that Divina. We have been booked on Seaside for next April since Jan 2016 when it first went on sale. Consider that a pretty strong vote for MSC. :D

 

We did get lose out on the private island, which was part of the itin when we booked but went away awhile ago. Not a huge issue since we cruise more for the cruise that the ports, but still a stinky move.

 

MSC prices don't bounce around as much as the others, but of course they can move over time. However, no Early Saver penalties, and the standard down payment is always lower than CCL, particularly if you have kids. The website sucks, and the customer service is sometimes lacking. However, if you can deal with that (or you'll use a TA and never have to deal with it) it's a great option. I have booked with a discount TA mostly (with good discounts) and occasionally direct by via the phone instead of the website.

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