MSC versus NCL

[CruisingFox27]

I certainly would not be tipping twice.

 

If I go to a restaurant with the tips included in the bill I go ahead and pay it (without extra), if not I tip 15% with a minimum £5.

 

Has the world gone mad tipping twice?

 

There was a recent lengthy discussion on here where some passengers, mainly from certain countries where tipping is more previlant, that they also tip staff at the beginning of the cruise to encourage better service for themselves or during their cruise to the same perceived end.

[ziggyuk]

Totally agree with you. Always look at your bill/ receipt as some places add a service charge to it. In Asia, some countries consider it an insult if you leave a tip.

 

Makes me laugh in ChinaTown in London, wont mention the restaurant name but they add 20% onto the bill, then when paying by credit card they say very loudly "You wanna add a tip?" which I simply reply with "Is it not included?".

 

I think I am generous at 15% (£5 minimum) but no way will I pay twice.

 

Mind you, at a regular Chinese I visit here (near my home town), the staff whispered to us to stop tipping, they said the owners keep it all and never pass it on!

[dexddd]

I think this is wrong! A 5% service charge on a self serve drink station.

But I do like this!

 

 

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You are on NCL, so yes, it is true. And supposedly those machines weren't covered under the drink package.

[dexddd]

And talking about bars we much prefer Divina and Seaside! The bars on Bliss are not closed off which we prefer.

And hate the Atrium every time we pass through there is some sort of game going on, why do they not do this in a closed off area or something?

 

 

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That is a common complaint on the newer NCL ships plus when they do have stuff going on, there isn't enough room for everyone.

[dexddd]

There was a recent lengthy discussion on here where some passengers, mainly from certain countries where tipping is more previlant, that they also tip staff at the beginning of the cruise to encourage better service for themselves or during their cruise to the same perceived end.

 

Right. that is how it is often discussed on the NCL board. People claim tipping for every order a few bucks in cash to get better service. Whether they do and how many people actually do tip extra, I don't know. I can say all the NCL trips I've been on, especially at bars where you are standing right in view of people handing over their keycards and the whole transaction, I've seen very little cash being exchanged or extra amount written on the receipt. In fact, NCL has gotten rid of the receipts on our last trip.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Btw this is a fabulous itinerary to do! 5 days from Vancouver with stops in Victoria and San Francisco then LA!

 

 

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I am looking forward to hearing more of your experiences. Not too interested in the tipping portion of this thread though;)

[nikkiw60]

4 hours to get off ship in San Francisco!

 

 

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[nikkiw60]

Immigration question- how long do you plan on staying in San Francisco...

 

 

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[janineallison]

We went on the NCL Escape last year and the MSC Seaside this year. While we enjoyed the Escape, we definitely preferred the Seaside!

[asctony]

We went on the NCL Escape last year and the MSC Seaside this year. While we enjoyed the Escape, we definitely preferred the Seaside!

Why? Thank you.

[kimala]

What are the things you think you will be missing on MSC? I have cruised both cruise lines in the past year. They are somewhat different, but both are very enjoyable. Remember, a cruise is what you make it. Look forward, not back. HAPPY CRUISING!

One thing I think Ill miss is the alternative complimentary restaurant on NCL O shehans. We really utilized that a lot. Another thing I really enjoyed on NCL is the comedy club. I know MSC has improve but I had tried that before actually on NCL because that was what they started off with as well. Once they launched the “away” ships they switched to the stand up comedy. ...but with that said I just priced the ncl breakaway for next year and its nearly twice the price as our MSC Seaside well do this month. I am greatful to be going on a cruise at all.

[kimala]

Such as? We sailed MSC first time last year and many prior NCL but really nothing we missed other than maybe larger suites and free laundry.

I will miss Oshehans, the complimentary pub on NCL. I will also miss the stand up comedy club..NCL used to do improve like MSC..I didnt care for it, was so happy when they went with stand up comedy. The big plus for me with MSC is the price is half what NCL would have cost and that is a big deal this year for us..it is our 20th anniversary.

[nikkiw60]

This has worked out per night almost double what we will pay on Meraviglia out of New York next October.

 

 

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[citizenfrank]

And talking about bars we much prefer Divina and Seaside! The bars on Bliss are not closed off which we prefer.

And hate the Atrium every time we pass through there is some sort of game going on, why do they not do this in a closed off area or something?

 

 

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Get you here ...The bars are 'open' & as such do not feel like a venue in their own right. That said I find of these NCL class ships that the music in each doesn't migrate into the neighbouring venue...never worked it out!

Agree with the atrium ...More a fun hub, with games & the giant video wall than a classy centre piece.

[new salt]

You are on NCL, so yes, it is true. And supposedly those machines weren't covered under the drink package.

Robots have living costs and needs too.......or soon will.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Immigration question- how long do you plan on staying in San Francisco...

 

 

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LOL Welcome to US customs:rolleyes:

[Beamafar]

LOL Welcome to US customs:rolleyes:

 

Indeed! Having experienced arriving into a US port on a TA it's a case of "Never Again"!!

[CruisingFox27]

Indeed! Having experienced arriving into a US port on a TA it's a case of "Never Again"!!

 

A significant downside of sailings involving the US, although we seen to have been fortunate that it didn't take that long on our last two.

 

Fingers crossed for next year's sailing from New York when we return to Portland, as presumably we'll need to clear immigration again, joy :rolleyes:

[Beamafar]

A significant downside of sailings involving the US, although we seen to have been fortunate that it didn't take that long on our last two.

 

Fingers crossed for next year's sailing from New York when we return to Portland, as presumably we'll need to clear immigration again, joy :rolleyes:

 

Oh, crumbs! I'd assumed that, because we're boarding in New York, we wouldn't have any issues. :confused:

[CruisingFox27]

Oh, crumbs! I'd assumed that, because we're boarding in New York, we wouldn't have any issues. :confused:

I'm only assuming that as we've left the US to sail to Canada we'll need to repeat immigration. We did on our Miami to Miami sailing.

 

Apologies, Nikki, I digress from your OP.

 

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[sidari]

Bea ... The immigration issue is usually done at the first US port of call such as St Thomas on a TA.

As you are sailing out of NYC you will do your immigration in Dublin assuming you are flying from there ? When you get off in Miami it is just a matter of show your passport.

[Beamafar]

Bea ... The immigration issue is usually done at the first US port of call such as St Thomas on a TA.

As you are sailing out of NYC you will do your immigration in Dublin assuming you are flying from there ? When you get off in Miami it is just a matter of show your passport.

 

Yeah ... it was St Thomas for us.

 

We have pre-clearance in Dublin (for many, many, years now ... fantastic :D - as long as you don't have stamps from countries that the US have a problem with - something we experienced with my parents some years ago LOL). However, CruisingFox has a point - we leave from New York to Canada - so re-entering US will trigger immigration procedures. :mad:

[sidari]

Ah, now I see where you are coming from, thought you were on the NYC to Miami trip.

[Motegi]

There was a recent lengthy discussion on here where some passengers, mainly from certain countries where tipping is more previlant, that they also tip staff at the beginning of the cruise to encourage better service for themselves or during their cruise to the same perceived end.

 

Pam and I do this. We always board with an envelope of $1 and $5 bills for this purpose. We tip the bar staff and the cabin steward. We find the bartenders we like and after tipping we find that they will recognize us and provide faster service to us when the bars are busy. We find that a few extra dollars now and then is better than waiting for extended periods for bar service. And the drinks are better too! It may mean the difference between the bartender going to the back to get a real banana for a BBC rather than just pouring some banana liqueur.

[Motegi]

Pam and I were on the Bliss in June and on the Seaside in September so reading your perspective is very interesting.

 

We had a wonderful time on both ships. The Seaside is a much more elegant ship than the Bliss but they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

 

We found our midship balcony cabins to be laid out very similar between the two ships. However the cabin was noticeably roomier on the Bliss than the Seaside with many more storage cabinets and shelves. The bathrooms were also much larger on the Bliss. We weren’t the only ones who noticed this as our dinner companions on the Seaside mentioned the same when we sat down for dinner on the first night.

 

The hallways on the Bliss are wider and the ceilings are higher in almost all of the public areas. And there are more public areas with direct ocean views on the Bliss. The Bliss has fewer elevator banks than the Seaside but the Seaside’s elevators felt smaller and some were not properly ventilated making some uncomfortably warm when full. But overall there was less waiting on the Seaside.

 

We did appreciate the separate lounges and bars on the Seaside. Although we found that many bars ran out of certain items (fresh bananas) very early in the day. This was surprising to us because it was never a problem on the Divina when we sailed on her last year. Adding to the confusion were the many differences in the bar menus from location to location on the Seaside. There was much less variance on the Bliss. On the Seaside, the Jungle pool bar was our favorite. On the Bliss, our favorite hangout was the District Brewhouse mainly because of the pianist/comedian Jim Badger.

 

The first Starbucks stand alone location at sea on the Bliss was a great addition and we loved being able to use our Starbucks cards onboard. But the Venchi on the Seaside was absolutely amazing and the fact that the specialty coffees and gelatos were included in our drink package definitely made MSC the winner in this category.

 

In our opinion, main theater shows were shorter but overall better on the Seaside. The female vocalists on the Seaside were absolutely phenomenal. We attended all of the shows on both ships. However we did really enjoy the Happy Hour Prohibition performance on the Bliss as Pam got pulled on stage.

 

Overall we definitely love aspects of both cruise lines and wouldn’t hesitate to cruise on either again. Actually we will be back on NCL in a couple weeks! Now we’re trying to decide on which to book for the Mediterranean in 2019!

Edited October 5, 2018 by Motegi