Nunagoras

No. Europe, UAE, South America and Transatlantic from South America and Europe. I believe that one day MSC will need to create an independent US division with their own independent identity to go with on most US sailings. It's difficult to please both worlds in the same way...

MSC in Europe is becoming REALLY more expensive than anything RCI, except for the Oasis class. Time will tell how the World Europa does in direct competition...

This is perhaps the best CC post ever I've seen, congrats!... This is exactly what it is on all aspects of the market these days at any level. During the worst time of the post pandemic shortage supply, I used to go further on such a 25 minutes bus ride for a big supermarket that was the unique one in the nearby areas that was well stocked of all what I needed at that time, adding those little nothings that make us happy for the day. Surely same chain like the one across the street from home... But that one is bigger and serves a far upmarket zone on the city. No doubts I became a client of them for some time because my street one was so poorly stocked then. On MSC it is the same, as elsewhere. Have a nice weekend!

No you aren't!... I only have a single RCI's experience on Allure in Europe a few years ago (which is not representative of a whole trademark by any means), plus some experiences on US land hotel chains here in Europe as well. US based venues are pretty much always sweeter than their EU counterparts on desserts, but yeah: RCI has had, at least for me, easily the 1st place on the most sweet dessert offering I have ever had, both on the buffet or the MDR, at a point of when I started to not asking for dessert at dinner from day 4 or so, or I simply asked for a fruit plate! Hope they adjust as the healthier oriented new generations may demand it. No need for that sugar quantity! Let the other ingredients to be the kings, queens, princes and princesses of the desserts while sugar joyfully links them all!...

Repositioning cruises usually have very few kids aboard. Once on a Brasil to Portugal transatlantic I had some 10 little ones aboard, if that many, mostly on the 3-6 years old range, and no teens. Surprisingly that didn't translate to an ageing crowd aboard. Most of the passengers were couples on their 40-60 range, with rare oldsters on the mix and an interesting amount of younger couples on their honeymoon or without kids. The first 7 nights NY cruise will likely to have a stronger kids presence, bearing in mind that here in Europe there are some countries or regions where there is a 2 week Easter break, like here from where I live where it is Holly week and the week after, and that commands for a good holiday opportunity for many, but that wouldn't be my main concern. I usually tend to avoid those cruises because industry wise, the first sailing of a new itinerary is always prone to some bugs while the crew, port's authorities an other external service providers like shore excursion operators are just adjusting one another to the new schedule, and the internal ship service is being adjusted itself. Pro tip: Adjust your expectations accordingly, please.

That's it exactly, but sometimes a less than stellar experience may to mark our turning point, especially if it is our first one. If my 5th MSC cruise had been my first, surely I wouldn't have 8 now under my belt, 7 of them on MSC. Surely, those "wolves" that entered in Copenhagen for my last 2 days on the ship have had their impact... But again: A bad crowd is something that rarely a mainstream cruise line can entirely to avoid. They can at most to discourage those crowds to appear with measures like the current limitation on the drinks packages on the shorter cruises, but they can't entirely to avoid them. If a bad crowd enters, the ship will need to just deal with it for the duration of said cruise, and the other fellow cruisers would need to endure. Some ships will to be better than others on doing so. My one was just average at that... But again: If all my other cruises were so good, why not to try again? Chances are that said crowd was just a single occurrence... Yes, it fortunately was!...

From where would I to start?... Both MSC or NCL are not "prestigious" lines, or at least not prestigious on the OP's way... That said: Me thinks that both the "ship within the ship" concepts on the mainstream-to-premium lines and those mid-to-full-luxury small ship lines on the likes of Oceania/Explora/Viking/Seabourne/Silverseas/Regent alike are different products for different needs. Let us to face reality: It will be difficult to find such a less than 10 nights cruise on those mid-to-full-luxury lines, the same way there are few more than 7 nights cruises on the mainstream-to-premium lines. That on itself may sort out where would you go. Do you have more than 7 nights to go on a cruise? That said, it is a far different ambiance to stay into on both cases. Larger ships will have more activities and better entertainment. Are you very active, desiring that entertainment, or you want to have your dinner, mingle a little bit on a lounge and call it a night?... And of course destinations: Do you want your typical destinations, or are you ready for the more exotic ones? Those are the questions one must to answer before even considering to book anything else. YC or Haven will to give you just perhaps the best of 2 worlds in consideration. YC typically less expensive than Haven, even though their prices are quickly raising lately. Whatever your choice, you'll to have a great time.

MSC dinner buffets are by design less extensive and varied than their US based cruise lines counterparts. Let us to see them as your last opportunity to eat if you fail your MDR allocated time slot with a meal based on the usual cruise buffet suspects with really nothing else to write home about. Europeans, once on holiday, enjoy their meals together as a social event by itself, easily lasting for some 2 hours while enjoying some nice dishes. I'm learning from the reviews that on the US sailings MSC is sort of correcting the "bug", but I'm also wondering on whether that correction might to be only partial or dependent on the actual demographics of each particular sailing? Hope to have helped a little bit for the ones interested on the subject.

Wonderful review, thanks!... Count me as one more trying to avoid the 4 nights cruises. Been there, done that here in Europe. Those little getaway cruises tend to attract those yahoos whom will run out the ships despite the Captains!

Yeah, understand! And there are those ones coming discontent with the current state of the art on the mainstream, but obviously there is a learning curve elsewhere. I believe that the market will to change at all levels on the next 2-5 years to come. Time will tell what the extent of that change will be. Have a nice day!...

WOW!... Many thanks to your wonderful words!... Yeah! MSC for me is sort of refined, but, even though by the videos, X or even better Princess might to be the better comparison to MSC, the price tag would to make me to think them as a far superior product!... Now, I know out of topic, but just out of curiosity: Why do you think X is slipping down?...

That's exactly the best season to travel Europe in relative peace with late May, early June as a 2nd choice, even though more problematic. No school breaks at late Sep, early Oct. Nice weather with the odd rain from time to time. For the OP: If you want to include Lisbon on that trip, my best bet would be for you to use TAP Portugal and use their stopover program to stay a day early or after in Lisbon to know the city (if needed you can use for internal US flights the ones on United or JetBlue that are in code share with TAP), and then go to Rome where pretty much any other company will offer you a comprehensive 7-10 nights southern med cruise at a relatively affordable way. MSC YC may be a good bet if you want such a premium service here, while not breaking your budget!... X has a few sailings with Lisbon and the upper level ones also, but relatively few to say the least. MSC services Lisbon mostly with secondary EU destinations in mind on older ships and some sailings out of London in Summer.

Yeah!... I was talking about regular catalogue pricing and T&C's. Of course if a special promotion was in season, things would to be different, though! Meanwhile be very welcome to our lovely Lisbon! Lovely and very easy to go once the cruise terminal is right in the center of the city, near the central railway station which is one of our landmarks by itself!... Have a nice sailing!...

Wonderful to know you decided to go against a Caribbean MSC cruise as your first cruise ever, and instead come to Europe for a trip and for your first cruise ever. As someone whom lives this side of the pond in continental Europe, let me to give you my best advice. The 2 main ports from where most of the cruises will to depart are Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome), unless you want to see the Greek isles where you'd start out of Venice. Do note that cruise ships are not authorized now on the grand canal so they depart really out of Venice. That said; I wouldn't recommend you Greece as your first destination in Europe, unless ancient history is your very cup of tea. That said, many, if not most, cruises in Europe will have embarkation options on both Barcelona and Civitavecchia. Then my recommendation to you would be to just do a good Rome before or post cruise extension, plus a nice cruise in the southern Mediterranean. There are some nice ships across the board for that here on pretty much every other line of your choice. A good cruise day with excursions will to give a nice and comprehensive introduction to all those cities visited by ships, except exactly for Rome, because the port is 90+ minutes away from the city and the city itself is so extensive and so dense. To give you an idea: Allow a good full morning just to the Vatican museum, I'd to say a good day for it if that is of your very interest. Let alone the other attractions. To say the least, Rome is full of attractions just elsewhere. There's a little Church more beautiful than the other one next door, and you'd wish to enjoy the most. That plus ice cream, plus pizza and so on!... Either way: If staying aboard with lots of Europeans and a more reserved service level is good for you, then MSC might to be a good option, and economical one, once air travel from California to Europe is not cheap. Now, if you want something more similar to what you're used, and more relaxed try something on the likes of Celebrity, Princess or HAL here in Europe. Bear in mind that their itineraries tend to be longer than the average 7 days of the mainstream lines.

JIMHO; at the current perks per value scheme I'd say it doesn't worth it anymore. Better to have a YIN cabin a little bit above those rates than Aurea suites... To each their own though. If a particular cabin location, anytime dining and the top deck are priorities for you go for it. For me Aurea is just a glorified Fantastica with very few to add on. I'd to save those extra bucks for anything else.

That's exactly what the OP has asked! Problem is: On these so complex days of supply chain issues, the best answer we can do is that really nobody knows. In some ships they may be full of wine and short of spirits while the next ship may be full of spirits and empty of wine. It's a case by case scenario. Either way and industry wise: Menus and real availability are being on shorter side for quite a while right now for sure! Have a nice day!...

@styles27 has said most of its all. Many thanks! Never gone with NCL, gone on MSC (7) and RCI (1) myself. Bear in mind that while both companies will follow the same 4* EU land hotel standards, once MSC is Italian owned and Italian strong heritage influenced, MSC will reflect more of the culture from where it comes, both on the service provided and the passenger mix within you'll probably will go with. That said; and for me this is the basic; if going aboard a ship full of foreign born individuals with a more European centered service level is not your cup of tea, please, stick with what you're used to. MSC is hardly discounting in the US now for the sake of gaining some market preference. Come the day that is solidified, they'll just to raise their fares to the remaining contemporary lines level.

MSC is not "that" cheap cruise corner here in Europe anymore. A World Europa sailing can very well to be more expensive than an RCI Oasis class here as well!... Simply there is demand... And people to fill those cabins. There remains being some nice deals here or there, but they're far more difficult to find! Oh, and the YC is now quickly reaching its competitors price, despite some smaller suites and the likes. Times are changing.

Many thanks to the wonderful review! Have a nice returning home. It seems that the WE will be a game changer on the mega-ship segment.

But actually it isn't a classic soda package: It is a full non alcoholic one! You can have pretty much everything sold about except the specialty 3rd party coffee and ice cream shop! From bottled water to specialty coffees at any bar to energy drinks to fountain sodas!... FYI: Have my own regular average daily non alcoholic bar tab: 1 Freshly squeezed orange juice by the morning. 1 big specialty coffee cup by the morning. 2 bottles of water, juices or sodas alongside main meals. 2 small specialty coffees after main meals. 1-2 mocktails/big specialty coffee drinks along the day. 1 hot chocolate as late night treat. Plus 1-3 bottles of water for shore excursions depending on its duration. In a nutshell: If your main bill is out of sodas that may cost some 3 EUR/USD each and you only drink the odd ones with meals; no need to go with the package, once they don't have nor a classic soda package, nor a limited soda package offering either. So, now if you want the extra items... My own regular schedule gives you an idea...

Pro tip on formal nights dress: Once I figure out I'll to have a gala night on a cruise, I use to dress my "formal" trousers and jacket on departure day at least to pass security on the airport, then jump the jacket on a plastic bag and all will be great! No extra luggage weight, even though I may to feel odd at the airport, TBHH!... Regarding to MSC's usual average level of formality; back in the day it used to be mostly trousers plus jacket for men with or without a tie, and a cocktail dress, long pants and nice top or blouse for the ladies. I believe that to be far more relaxed after the pandemic though.

Actually the buffet is usually the unique lunch included venue available on embarkation day by the norm. If you're coming late in the day, better to eat something in town, once the whole embarkation process may extend for some time or be delayed for any reason.