MSC vs Celebrity

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

I've started a discussion about loyalty crossover with the Celebrity folks - as expected there's a mixed reaction to the MSC experience.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2663068

 

Cindy and I are trying the Celebrity Summit this Fall but are eyeballing MSC for a mix of upscale food and fun ship experience - hopefully the best of both worlds. Since MSC is expanding like crazy and Celebrity's winter Caribbean sailings are starting to dip cheaper than Carnival - maybe they should copy MSC features or incentives in the off season. I'm sure they are doing fine normally and that it is a nice higher end cruise line - just my 2 cents.

 

BTW MSC the ships look fancy and artistic with the fun I'm used to. Cindy is more of a foodie and will probably enjoy Celebrity but I doubt she would enjoy trying Royal Caribbean. Either way competition is great!

[deliver42]

Celebrity has no reason to copy MSC due to it's already known presence. MSC is still creating a market for it's ships. I don't think you'd be sorry to try MSC. We did in 2015, and are going back in November. I don't know your status on X, but on MSC they will match to their status. Elite will mean Black card on MSC. You must apply for it, because it's not automatic.

[Hlitner]

We have never understood (or subscribed to) this silly "loyalty" thing. Perhaps that is why MSC will be our 15th cruise line :). Variety is nice, fun, and keeps cruising fresh. It is the very differences between lines that enhance the experience. In fact, we have hundreds of days on Celebrity and would hope that MSC does not ever try to be another Celebrity :). MSC simply needs to be MSC!

 

MSC is the "new boy on the block" for many North Americans...despite having been around in Europe for many years. They have a unique approach to cruising with their different "Experiences" and Euro/Italian atmosphere. That is their niche and where they should stay...until such time as it no longer fits their business plan.

 

Hank

[Hobby3333]

We have never understood (or subscribed to) this silly "loyalty" thing. Perhaps that is why MSC will be our 15th cruise line :). Variety is nice, fun, and keeps cruising fresh. It is the very differences between lines that enhance the experience. In fact, we have hundreds of days on Celebrity and would hope that MSC does not ever try to be another Celebrity :). MSC simply needs to be MSC!

 

MSC is the "new boy on the block" for many North Americans...despite having been around in Europe for many years. They have a unique approach to cruising with their different "Experiences" and Euro/Italian atmosphere. That is their niche and where they should stay...until such time as it no longer fits their business plan.

 

Hank

You have stated the difference as well as anyone that I have read. I have sailed five different lines and I have never had a bad cruise. I love MSC YC and hope that nothing changes with MSC. Going again next July. MSC was the best overall experience that I have enjoyed.

[asctony]

I've started a discussion about loyalty crossover with the Celebrity folks - as expected there's a mixed reaction to the MSC experience.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2663068

 

eyeballing MSC for a mix of upscale food and fun ship experience - Cindy is more of a foodie and will probably enjoy Celebrity but I doubt she would enjoy trying Royal Caribbean. Either way competition is great![/quote

MHO: We have done MSC since 2006: Lirica 2x, Divina 3x ( past 12 months) and Sinfonia 1 (Med) this year.

Our biggest complain and we know that food is very subjective. MSC food is not anywhere near Celebrity, RCI, NCL, Princess and/or HAL. Food in MDR normally warm never HOT when delivered to your table. Selection limited. Buffets are very sparse and limited. People say MSC has the best pizza. We think it is the worst since it is so thin and nothing on it.

We are going on Seaside in Nov 2018.

Does the food make us not want to cruise MSC? No, MSC is a different line and well worth the money. Ships are beautiful, entertainment very good.

Again, food is subjective and I am sure someone will say we don't know what we are talking about.

We are just letting you know our opinion of MSC's food.

[Cumbria1kaz]

I agree with you Hank about the loyalty thing, I just don't get that. I wouldn't choose a cruise because of loyalty incentives.

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

Our biggest complain and we know that food is very subjective. MSC food is not anywhere near Celebrity, RCI, NCL, Princess and/or HAL. Food in MDR normally warm never HOT when delivered to your table. Selection limited. Buffets are very sparse and limited. People say MSC has the best pizza. We think it is the worst since it is so thin and nothing on it.

We are going on Seaside in Nov 2018.

Does the food make us not want to cruise MSC? No, MSC is a different line and well worth the money. Ships are beautiful, entertainment very good.

Again, food is subjective and I am sure someone will say we don't know what we are talking about.

We are just letting you know our opinion of MSC's food.

 

How are the upcharge restaurants? If they are decent are there packages you can buy to bring the price down?

[Proseccoandsun]

If you thought the buffet and food wasn't very plentiful or tasty on Divina, you're going to be disappointed by the food on Seaside. The buffet had far fewer choices and they were the same every. single. day. Their ethnic station was tacos. Every day. And the pizza was much better on Divina than Seaside in our opinion, with more variety as well. We always found something to eat, but Divina had many more choices.

 

We love MSC but didn't love Seaside as much as the Divina. We are trying Celebrity for the first time this month and looking forward to the food, entertainment, and service which we've heard is all excellent on Celebrity. We'll be back to MSC for Christmas.

 

 

MHO: We have done MSC since 2006: Lirica 2x, Divina 3x ( past 12 months) and Sinfonia 1 (Med) this year.

Our biggest complain and we know that food is very subjective. MSC food is not anywhere near Celebrity, RCI, NCL, Princess and/or HAL. Food in MDR normally warm never HOT when delivered to your table. Selection limited. Buffets are very sparse and limited. People say MSC has the best pizza. We think it is the worst since it is so thin and nothing on it.

We are going on Seaside in Nov 2018.

Does the food make us not want to cruise MSC? No, MSC is a different line and well worth the money. Ships are beautiful, entertainment very good.

Again, food is subjective and I am sure someone will say we don't know what we are talking about.

We are just letting you know our opinion of MSC's food.

[Morgsmom]

My opinion only but I have been on lots of the cruiselines and my husband is an Exec Chef (yay me!) As such we eat stupidly well at home. Which makes us a wee bit more critical of sub-par food. Our goal when on the ships is to look for highest quality least amount of prep foods so as to try to avoid disappointment.

 

We found the buffet on Princess (Royal/Regal) to be the best by far in terms of variety and quality. Amazing cheese/charcuterie presentations. And the pizza - don't get me started it is sooooo good.

 

I have also enjoyed the pastas on Costa very much. Royal does a nice job with breakfast & brunch buffets with a great variety of savory and sweet.

 

It's all subjective and all lines are cutting back to make food costs. Some people cruise to try escargot or osso bucco for the first time and that's cool, but these are not the highest quality expressions of the dish so we usually avoid. (See also, I live with a chef so he usually says "I could make this better" and I have to nod and say, "yes, dear...")

 

Celebrity's food is fine, MSC's food is fine, it's really a matter (in my opinion) of choosing well.

[Nunagoras]

We have never understood (or subscribed to) this silly "loyalty" thing. Perhaps that is why MSC will be our 15th cruise line :). Variety is nice, fun, and keeps cruising fresh. It is the very differences between lines that enhance the experience. In fact, we have hundreds of days on Celebrity and would hope that MSC does not ever try to be another Celebrity :). MSC simply needs to be MSC!

 

MSC is the "new boy on the block" for many North Americans...despite having been around in Europe for many years. They have a unique approach to cruising with their different "Experiences" and Euro/Italian atmosphere. That is their niche and where they should stay...until such time as it no longer fits their business plan.

 

Hank

 

+1!... :) Where is the like button, please?... :) Have a nice day!... :)

[rose102798]

We have never understood (or subscribed to) this silly "loyalty" thing. Perhaps that is why MSC will be our 15th cruise line :). Variety is nice, fun, and keeps cruising fresh. It is the very differences between lines that enhance the experience. In fact, we have hundreds of days on Celebrity and would hope that MSC does not ever try to be another Celebrity :). MSC simply needs to be MSC!

 

 

 

MSC is the "new boy on the block" for many North Americans...despite having been around in Europe for many years. They have a unique approach to cruising with their different "Experiences" and Euro/Italian atmosphere. That is their niche and where they should stay...until such time as it no longer fits their business plan.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

 

Cruise Critic needs a “like” button. Agree so much with this! Variety is the spice of life.

 

 

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[CGTNORMANDIE]

I've started a discussion about loyalty crossover with the Celebrity folks - as expected there's a mixed reaction to the MSC experience.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2663068

 

eyeballing MSC for a mix of upscale food and fun ship experience - Cindy is more of a foodie and will probably enjoy Celebrity but I doubt she would enjoy trying Royal Caribbean. Either way competition is great![/quote

MHO: We have done MSC since 2006: Lirica 2x, Divina 3x ( past 12 months) and Sinfonia 1 (Med) this year.

Our biggest complain and we know that food is very subjective. MSC food is not anywhere near Celebrity, RCI, NCL, Princess and/or HAL. Food in MDR normally warm never HOT when delivered to your table. Selection limited. Buffets are very sparse and limited. People say MSC has the best pizza. We think it is the worst since it is so thin and nothing on it.

We are going on Seaside in Nov 2018.

Does the food make us not want to cruise MSC? No, MSC is a different line and well worth the money. Ships are beautiful, entertainment very good.

Again, food is subjective and I am sure someone will say we don't know what we are talking about.

We are just letting you know our opinion of MSC's food.

 

Please do not think I am diminishing your review stated above. Your experience is totally valid and I think it is great that you are going on Seaside in November. We would all be interested to read your comments after your November cruise.

 

I think it is important to point out that your experience is one of many and there are plenty of reviews from pax who have sailed Bella on MSC and have nothing but raving kudos for their time onboard and the food they had. Where else can you get such a spectacular ship as the Seaside or Divina and pay the minimum of $500 pp for 1 week??

 

All comments are important...good, bad or indifferent. It stands to reason that with 5,000 pax onboard there will be a variation of opinions.

[Tatka]

Celebrity is more refined line with much better common food and service.

 

This being said Msc is a nice line with beautiful ships, international crowd and great entertainment.

[asctony]

 

Please do not think I am diminishing your review stated above. Your experience is totally valid and I think it is great that you are going on Seaside in November. We would all be interested to read your comments after your November cruise.

 

I think it is important to point out that your experience is one of many and there are plenty of reviews from pax who have sailed Bella on MSC and have nothing but raving kudos for their time onboard and the food they had. Where else can you get such a spectacular ship as the Seaside or Divina and pay the minimum of $500 pp for 1 week??

 

All comments are important...good, bad or indifferent. It stands to reason that with 5,000 pax onboard there will be a variation of opinions.

I appreciate your acceptance of our opinion of MSC's food. There is no product, regardless of what it is, that everyone will like or dislike.

Happy Cruising!!

[Nunagoras]

My opinion only but I have been on lots of the cruiselines and my husband is an Exec Chef (yay me!) As such we eat stupidly well at home. Which makes us a wee bit more critical of sub-par food. Our goal when on the ships is to look for highest quality least amount of prep foods so as to try to avoid disappointment.

 

We found the buffet on Princess (Royal/Regal) to be the best by far in terms of variety and quality. Amazing cheese/charcuterie presentations. And the pizza - don't get me started it is sooooo good.

 

I have also enjoyed the pastas on Costa very much. Royal does a nice job with breakfast & brunch buffets with a great variety of savory and sweet.

 

It's all subjective and all lines are cutting back to make food costs. Some people cruise to try escargot or osso bucco for the first time and that's cool, but these are not the highest quality expressions of the dish so we usually avoid. (See also, I live with a chef so he usually says "I could make this better" and I have to nod and say, "yes, dear...")

 

Celebrity's food is fine, MSC's food is fine, it's really a matter (in my opinion) of choosing well.

 

+1! Another time, where is the like button?!... :)

 

Indeed. Tastes are subjective, of course... Effective quality is otherwise objective. We can have something plain, simple and low cost, but effectively made of very high quality! For those ones expecting Michelin star quality meals aboard ships I suggest them to search for what they want and go - oh and pay - for it. For the rest of us MSC like any other of the mainstream lines is fine for the price tag they are into, and MSC is just on the base of that price market tag!... But don't expect more than that!... And bear with the European feel of the meals especially if you're taking an MSC cruise here in Europe!...

 

 

...And permit me to give you such a nice curiosity: At least here in Europe, all the food you'll consume is basically the same at every ship you can have with the same main port, no matter the company! Why? Because the main port authorities will authorize a limited number of companies to come to supply the ships, so all ships will likely to enjoy the same quality standards service provided from land! And I believe security reasons are in place for that! There are a few exceptions for some speciality places where their personnel will go ashore and purchase a few goodies, but that is it... Apart preparation and presentation you won't really notice any differences!...

 

Obviously by living with a Chef you have to have such a very well trained palate!... And you better if not best know "the other side"... Oh, well!... Lucky you!!!... :) :) :)

 

 

Have a nice day!... :)

[Tatka]

We enjoyed Poesia and Divina from Florida very much. All aspects, all except for quality of meats/steaks. This was a small trade off for all enjoyment we had. I'd sail MSC in a heartbeat if our paths cross.

Haven't sailed on Seaside though, also in Europe especially in Italy we would choose another line probably as schedule (we feel) is created more for locals and ports time is shorter than we'd like.

Also I suspect more kids are present there.

[AFuncruiser]

I feel the MSC ships are more beautiful than most middle of the road cruise lines. I am not a foodie so indifferent to the food. One criticism Is kids travel free and I have experienced hordes of noisy sweet little rug rats running, screaming and pretty undisciplined all over the ship.

 

Dennis

Jacksonville, Fl

691 days at sea

80 cruises

14 cruise lines

T/P, T/A, Hawaii,Central & South America, New Zealand & South Pacific, Rio/ Amazon,Alaska

[Tatka]

I feel the MSC ships are more beautiful than most middle of the road cruise lines. I am not a foodie so indifferent to the food. One criticism Is kids travel free and I have experienced hordes of noisy sweet little rug rats running, screaming and pretty undisciplined all over the ship.

 

Dennis

Jacksonville, Fl

691 days at sea

80 cruises

14 cruise lines

T/P, T/A, Hawaii,Central & South America, New Zealand & South Pacific, Rio/ Amazon,Alaska

On our Poesia cruise out of Fort Lauderdale during spring break there was much less kids in comparison to docked near us Caribbean Princess!! At that time in 2013 MSC wasn't as popular among Americans and Europeans didn't seem to bring many young ones.

 

I did miss Italian flare of earlier MSC cruises.

We called it Europe in Caribbeans.

[Coochuck]

With 53 cruises under our belts, I"d have to say...I like them all. Going on Celebrity Equinox in a few weeks, then going on MSC Seaside with a Yacht Club Suite in November. I do understand the loyalty thing, as you get more Perks. We are Diamond Plus on Royal, and that means Free Drinks at nightly event for a few hours, free internet time, free Specialty Restaurant, laundry, upgrades...and others. On Celebrity we are Elite, and their Perks are similar but a bit different than Royal. MSC does the status match, and we are Black Card on there. We sailed on MSC last year on the Devina, once again in the Yacht Club and were really WOWed! The MSC Loyalty Program, in my opinion needs to be upgraded. I do love each line....your on vacation...enjoy...but LOYALTY PERKS are a nice thing to have.

[Fogfog]

Interesting thread...and I am surprised by the food comments..

We are considering trying MSC because of the the euro/italian flair

We lived in Italy for a bit..and have spent a great deal of time there on and off over 30 yrs

 

I have to laugh about the pizza comments because pizza in Italy IS thinner and sparser with toppings. The thicker crusts/deep dish and heavily topped styles are much more "american". Even the neapolitan style crust which is thicker (and softer) than the other regions is nothing like the "chicago" style

 

On X buffet--I always choose the curries because everything else I can do at home. And while I do make a variety of curries at home--they are more work.

 

Does anyone have pics of the menus from recent MSC sailings? TYIA

[Fogfog]

With 53 cruises under our belts, I"d have to say...I like them all. Going on Celebrity Equinox in a few weeks, then going on MSC Seaside with a Yacht Club Suite in November. I do understand the loyalty thing, as you get more Perks. We are Diamond Plus on Royal, and that means Free Drinks at nightly event for a few hours, free internet time, free Specialty Restaurant, laundry, upgrades...and others. On Celebrity we are Elite, and their Perks are similar but a bit different than Royal. MSC does the status match, and we are Black Card on there. We sailed on MSC last year on the Devina, once again in the Yacht Club and were really WOWed! The MSC Loyalty Program, in my opinion needs to be upgraded. I do love each line....your on vacation...enjoy...but LOYALTY PERKS are a nice thing to have.

 

Agreed. And the MSC priority Boarding, Dinner etc are some on the reasons why we will wait to status match into a Black card.

[Tatka]

Interesting thread...and I am surprised by the food comments..

We are considering trying MSC because of the the euro/italian flair

We lived in Italy for a bit..and have spent a great deal of time there on and off over 30 yrs

 

I have to laugh about the pizza comments because pizza in Italy IS thinner and sparser with toppings. The thicker crusts/deep dish and heavily topped styles are much more "american". Even the neapolitan style crust which is thicker (and softer) than the other regions is nothing like the "chicago" style

 

On X buffet--I always choose the curries because everything else I can do at home. And while I do make a variety of curries at home--they are more work.

 

Does anyone have pics of the menus from recent MSC sailings? TYIA

Hmm.. We traveled in Italy a lot.

While I think MSC provides European and Italian flair, food doesn't much quality of European food.

I haven't eaten in specialty restaurants so cannot speak about quality there.

I also haven't sailed on Seaside, so maybe it's changed.

[frank808]

With 53 cruises under our belts, I"d have to say...I like them all. Going on Celebrity Equinox in a few weeks, then going on MSC Seaside with a Yacht Club Suite in November. I do understand the loyalty thing, as you get more Perks. We are Diamond Plus on Royal, and that means Free Drinks at nightly event for a few hours, free internet time, free Specialty Restaurant, laundry, upgrades...and others. On Celebrity we are Elite, and their Perks are similar but a bit different than Royal. MSC does the status match, and we are Black Card on there. We sailed on MSC last year on the Devina, once again in the Yacht Club and were really WOWed! The MSC Loyalty Program, in my opinion needs to be upgraded. I do love each line....your on vacation...enjoy...but LOYALTY PERKS are a nice thing to have.

 

As D+ also i have never been given a specialty restraunt meal. We did use the bogo.

 

Hmm.. We traveled in Italy a lot.

While I think MSC provides European and Italian flair, food doesn't much quality of European food.

I haven't eaten in specialty restaurants so cannot speak about quality there.

I also haven't sailed on Seaside, so maybe it's changed.

 

We ate butchers cut twice on seaside and it was great. Shrimp cocktail was the size of prawns. Size lof shrimp was 3/4. Steak was definitely better than yacht club restaurant which was pretty good in my opinion. Tried pizza on deck 8 buffet and it was good also but room service pizza was way better.

 

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[Tatka]

Thank you. This is interesting.

[marco]

We've sailed many lines, many times. Each ship/line has it's own "personality" and some aspects we prefer on one line, and some excel in another. We've sailed with MSC a couple of times and are booked for Jan '119 on the "Divina". My only complaint, which is more of an observation than a complaint, is that if you are not YC, "anytime" dining is limited to passengers in certain categories of booking options.