Can anyone compare MSC with Sitmar or Home lines?

[tlmlb]

the good ol' days when a cruise was special. I hope someone out there can respond.

 

thanks!!

[marco]

NOTHING compares to the old Home Lines!! We sailed on all of thier ships over the years, and probably a dozen times on the "Oceaninc" on the longer winter cruises out of NY.

 

MSC is fine. Don't expect it to be Crystal and don't expect it to be as Italian as Home Lines. I don't think the "Italian-ness" is even comparable to Sitmar.

I found MSC to be more European than Italian. The officers may be, but the staff and crew are NOT all, or even mostly Italian.

 

Food is good (not gourment) Staff is friendly, accomodating, ship is clean and cabins comfy. Bar prices the best of any cruise line.

 

Expect maybe 20-30 % passengers to be European. Announcements to be in 2-3 languages, and breakfast/lunch buffets to be more akin to what they might be if you were at a resort/good hotel in Europe.

[Stevedan]

Nothing can compare with Home Lines. We cruised about 25X (usually Christmas cruise from NY) on the Oceanic, Atlantic, and Homeric (1986 version). I was aged 6-24. The family atmosphere and that great music by Donzelli's Group that "rocked the boat" has never been duplicated (in my opinion) on any other ship. Has anyone ever ran into any former Home Lines crew or staff on MSC or other line? Thanks, Steve in Northern NJ

[mirocater]

NOTHING compares to the old Home Lines!! We sailed on all of thier ships over the years, and probably a dozen times on the "Oceaninc" on the longer winter cruises out of NY.

 

MSC is fine. Don't expect it to be Crystal and don't expect it to be as Italian as Home Lines. I don't think the "Italian-ness" is even comparable to Sitmar.

I found MSC to be more European than Italian. The officers may be, but the staff and crew are NOT all, or even mostly Italian.

 

 

From what I can read on these posts MSC is as comparable to Crystal, as night compares to day. It seems that the only thing MSC has in common with Crystal is the size of their ships, except MSC packs 3 - 4x the number of people into the same space. And yes: they both are owned by shipping companies. What does it mean to be 'Italian' anyway? Or 'European' for that matter?

[dougnewmanatsea]

It seems that the only thing MSC has in common with Crystal is the size of their ships, except MSC packs 3 - 4x the number of people into the same space.

More, yes, but certainly nothing close to three or four times more.

 

CRYSTAL HARMONY is 49,000 GT and carries 960 passengers in lower berths. MSC LIRICA is 52,000 GT (roughly the same size) and carries 1,586 pax in lower berths. That's a 1.6x difference, not 4x.

 

Actually, MSC's ships carry relatively normal numbers of pax for mass-market ships in their size range. Crystal's ships, of course, carry many fewer pax, but then on MSC you're liable to be paying maybe half the price.

[marco]

By the "Italian-ness", I mean that on the Home Line ships, ALL the crew, your cabin steward AND stewardess (not either/or) dining room waiter, ass't waiter, wine steward, etc etc, staff, hostesses, officers , EVERYONE was Italian. The cuisine was Italian. All of the bands had an Italian flair and most of the songs that were sung, the words were in Italian. The furniture and decor looked Italian. Sailing on a Home Lines ship was kind of like going to Italy AND the Caribbean at the same time. Like back 'till the mid 70's going on the "Queen Anna Maria" was very Greek ,it was a Greek line ship, sailing on the "France" was very French, it was a French line ship. The "old" Holland America Line ships were very "Dutch". Sailing on a national flag carrier TRULY reflected the heritage, personality, ambiance, art, culture and cuisine of that country. I don't think MSC really "represents" Italy and it is just as homoganized as every other line.

[eroller]

I don't think MSC really "represents" Italy and it is just as homoganized as every other line.

 

 

Have you sailed them first hand to find out? You might want to.

 

I've sailed on both Home Lines and Sitmar and you are not going to find a replica of those lines today. I think MSC represents a modern day image of those lines, probably the closest you will come in this day and age. MSC does have Italian Officers and dining room staff, but other crew members are from all parts of the world. There are very few "ships of state" these days where the ship is actually an extension of the country. We used to have United States Line, French Line, Cunard, Italian Line, Holland America, etc. Walking onboard those ships was like stepping foot into the country itself. Today I can only think of a handful of ships that might meet those same standards. DEUTSCHLAND of Peter Deilmann Cruises, EUROPA of Hapag-Lloyd, the ships of Hebridean Island Cruises, and possibly the Norwegian Coastal ships.

 

I also don't think MSC is as canned or "homogenized" as every other line. I certainly don't picture them the same as Princess, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean. The fact that so many North Americans have returned and complained that the line does not cater to Americans enough tells me my hunch is probably correct. Of course all these complaints only entice me to experience the line even more. I don't want another Princess or Carnival.

 

I'll find out first hand in about 10 days.

 

Ernie

[marco]

We've sailed them twice. I'm not complaining, just stating my perception. Being 1st generation Italian, I was looking forward to chatting in Italian with much of the staff and crew. Ya' know what? MOST OF THEM DIDN"T SPEAK ITALIAN, other than a few words, and came fromw several counties, not unlike all the cruise lines, now.