Why Should We Choose MSC?

[babs135]

Lots of mixed reviews.  People seem to either love or hate it.  I'm looking for a Caribbean cruise toward the end of this year and have (un)intentionally avoided looking at MSC but that's probably a little silly of me.

We are senior citizens and will be sailing with our DD so would definitely book at the very minimum a balcony cabin. I am assuming that the third bed would be a sofa bed?  We don't mind a lively ship so long as it is not 'in your face', but are also happy with our own company so would like places to sit and read and people watch.  Food is a subjective matter but we are as happy with a fillet steak as with fish and chips and as long as there is a good choice, it's tasty and filling we would be happy.  Not clear on the drinks packages.  Must confess to only the quickest of looks at the website and couldn't work it out - but that was probably me!!!

I look forward to your comments and any recommendations for a cruise - east, west or south - absolutely clueless as regards to visiting the Caribbean.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. 

[Sailing Biggles]

If the budget allows, travel Yatch Club and you will love it!  We cruised the Caribbean Christmas 2017 on Fantasia, flying return to Barbados. Excellent cabin with butler service but small balconies, which have chairs rather than sun loungers. There is a YC restaurant if you do not want to dine in the main restaurant and a YC only decked area with bar and food outlet for breakfasts, luncheon with all day snacks and drinks. There is also a small pool. Embarkation and disembarkation was a doddle with separate YC gangway and a butler assistance! We like peace and quiet so only chose to walk around the main ship areas when we wanted to. The main swimming pools were often busy with children, so we avoided. We used the excellent spa areas. Huge hammam, steam room and well equipped gym.  Entertainment in the main show lounge could have been better, but if you like opera you will be fine. One big downside on our particular cruise was that all announcements were in several languages and at every port of call passengers embarked and disembarked, maybe it was to fill up the ship? If you do not want the Yatch Club look at the Aurea Class, it has many of the same benefits at a lower price.

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by Sailing Biggles
typo

[Markanddonna]

We are also senior citizens and pretty experienced cruisers. Upon retirement, we started to travel to Florida to get away from the Midwest winters but discovered that Florida can be pretty chilly in January and February. Maybe had timing on our part, but we decided to go on an MSC cruise for warmer weather. 

MSC's experiences were a bit confusing at first, but we chose fantastica.

 

We had a great time and now MSC rates way up there. Most of the differences are positive. I wrote an extensive review for the Divina, so please read that for details. 

[Markanddonna]

All MSC cruises have announcements in five languages because English speaking passengers are in the minority. You get used to it. As far as entertainment, opera is only one night. The other theater entertainment was more typical but high quality. 

[Hlitner]

I will be honest.  When we booked our first MSC cruise (21 days on the Divina in the Yacht Club) we had second thoughts but were really curious to try our 15th cruise line.  We were also seeking something different then the usual HAL, Celebrity, Princess, etc.  all of which have been lowering their standards via multiple cut-backs.  Our first MSC cruise was terrific and we immediately booked another Divina cruise (same YC cabin) for later this year.   DW and I do not rate a cruise line on a single cruise as we have experienced ups and downs on many lines.  But at least for now, we are impressed with the MSC product, especially their Yacht Club.  It is doubtful we would book MSC outside of the YC....but one never knows.

 

Hank

[Markanddonna]

Hank, I really respect your advice which is always right on except for the issue of booking outside of the Yacht Club.  I went inside Fantastica on the Divina and had a great time. I just checked out a Seaside cruise for next year:

Two passengers, port charges included:

 

Inside: Bella $1194

             Fantasica $1,234.

 

Yacht Club $4672.

 

I could go on four back to back seven-day cruises going Bella inside for the price of one week in the Yacht Club.  I've never done the Yacht Club, but have been in NCL's Haven and a Penthouse Suite.  It was an easy decision to cruise more frequently, and we have a great time with no regrets. I, of course, realize there are extra perks in the YC, but we are people just pleased to be out of the midwestern cold and snow, drink very infrequently, and have few needs and demands.  We also scored the Black Status, so we did enjoy some perks without paying anything extra.

 

Just saying.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

8 hours ago, babs135 said:

Lots of mixed reviews.  People seem to either love or hate it.  I'm looking for a Caribbean cruise toward the end of this year and have (un)intentionally avoided looking at MSC but that's probably a little silly of me.

We are senior citizens and will be sailing with our DD so would definitely book at the very minimum a balcony cabin. I am assuming that the third bed would be a sofa bed?  We don't mind a lively ship so long as it is not 'in your face', but are also happy with our own company so would like places to sit and read and people watch.  Food is a subjective matter but we are as happy with a fillet steak as with fish and chips and as long as there is a good choice, it's tasty and filling we would be happy.  Not clear on the drinks packages.  Must confess to only the quickest of looks at the website and couldn't work it out - but that was probably me!!!

I look forward to your comments and any recommendations for a cruise - east, west or south - absolutely clueless as regards to visiting the Caribbean.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. 

 

Every cruise is different and every cruise is an adventure.  Looking at your cruise history tells me that you are adventuresome.  I would recommend at least a Fantastica experience or Auria.  The Yacht Club is the ultimate but I believe you could be very happy with the others.  I have found the negative reviews are a mixture of pax having one disaster that taints the entire cruise.  Many pax are expecting something similar to their experiences on some of the other mass market lines.  MSC is different in subtle ways and they are mostly good.  You will like the ships and find plenty of spaces to enjoy while onboard.  Good luck with your choice.

[Moz]

SCI am a senior citizen quite old and travel with two sons in their 40's and 50's.  Always went Carnival but then switched to NCL  which we also loved.  The clientele on Carnival turned us off so we tried MSC and really liked it as well as NCL.  We traveled last year in October on MSC and are booked again in October.  It had exactly the right mix for us,  If we wanted fun there were many opportunities and many quiet places.  Food was certainly excellent and always available late at night if needed.  Shows were above any of the other ships and all of this as we traveled Bella with an upgraded pkg to the Classic.  We were more than pleased with this cruise and the ship is elegant.  More choices than anyone could wish for.  

[Nunagoras]

Well... Welcome to Cruise Critic and MSC boards!...

 

My main advice? Take in consideration that MSC is an Italian company that is in the way forward to become such a big multinational giant on the cruise industry. That said you'll have such a little bit more European style service level. If you have ever come here to Europe, you'll perhaps know for what I am talking about. Good and nice discreet professional service that is not on your face and such a little different way of doing certain things. As I am aware of they are sort of modifying some things to please little bit more the American market.

 

The passenger mix will be different as well with lots of Europeans aboard.

 

With some 6 MSC cruises under my belt, me think they have a very nice product to offer. Of course each sailing is a different sailing; some wonderful, some not so much, but in general their product is more than pleasant for what they charge you!

 

Have a nice day and nice sailings!... 🙂

[DMH15]

5 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

Hank, I really respect your advice which is always right on except for the issue of booking outside of the Yacht Club.  I went inside Fantastica on the Divina and had a great time. I just checked out a Seaside cruise for next year:

Two passengers, port charges included:

 

Inside: Bella $1194

             Fantasica $1,234.

 

Yacht Club $4672.

 

I could go on four back to back seven-day cruises going Bella inside for the price of one week in the Yacht Club.  I've never done the Yacht Club, but have been in NCL's Haven and a Penthouse Suite.  It was an easy decision to cruise more frequently, and we have a great time with no regrets. I, of course, realize there are extra perks in the YC, but we are people just pleased to be out of the midwestern cold and snow, drink very infrequently, and have few needs and demands.  We also scored the Black Status, so we did enjoy some perks without paying anything extra.

 

Just saying.

Isn't it great we have options.  

 

I get a ton of vacay.  About 8 weeks.   Taking your prices above and factoring in airfare, hotel, service charges, other costs, etc. it comes down to 1 week YC or 3 separate cruises as you have shown, I could not do 3-4 btb or my boss would pink slip me.   Give me the 1 week in YC with 2 (other) weeks at home!

Edited February 21, 2019 by DMH15

[cellfree]

Out of Miami we have sailed on the Divina three times and on the Seaside two times. We are seniors and also cruise frequently on Carnival.  The experiences on both Cruise Lines are different as well as experiences on any ship are different. Our last two times crusing we have gone from an MSC Cruise to a Carnival Cruise, side to side, it was great both times. Oh yes on MSC we have always chosen Inside Fantastica. Just booked Meraviglia for November.  I would suggest booking an MSC cruise, do not let the negative comments keep you from a new experience. 

Edited February 21, 2019 by cellfree
misspelled “Meraviglia” the first time

[Bluewake]

babs135:

 

We are veterans of about 25 other cruises who recently returned from our first MSC cruise.   I found Markanddonna's review (in another thread) of the same cruise on which I sailed to be very accurate and I urge readers to check it out. 

 

Cruises have many different aspects.  While I might find NCL to be, on average, better in one category than other lines or Royal Caribbean to have a buffet that is more to my liking than MSC or Carnival, that particular aspect is but one of the many that make up the overall cruise experience.   I've always failed to understand how some cruisers find one thing which, to me, seems relatively meaningless (for example, someone in shorts in the dining room) to be so significant that it causes them to view their entire cruise experience as "terrible" and to evoke cries of "I'll never sail on _____ again".  But, I suppose we each have things that are important to us and it is wrong of me to judge. 

 

I absolutely enjoyed my MSC experience.  Was it perfect in every dimension...no it was not...but then again, I've never found any cruise on any line to be perfect.  But, overall, I thought that MSC exceeded (in regard to my expectations) the other lines on which I've sailed in several aspects and I've already booked another MSC cruise.   With that said, if there are one or two particular dimensions of a cruise that are a "make or break" for you, I really urge you to look through reviews such as Markanddonna's to get a feel of what they found on their MSC cruise with respect to those aspects and base your decision on that.  I hope you give MSC a try but if you find that it isn't to your liking, the worst thing that will happen is that you spent a few days on a beautiful ship at sea.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Bluewake

[babs135]

Bluewake, I loved your comment re shorts in the dining room.  Having crossed the Atlantic on the QM2 we then did a cruise down to the Bahamas on the NCL Breakaway and one evening a young woman came into the MDR in the shortest pair of shorts either of us had ever seen - all we could say to each other was that that wouldn't happen on Cunard!!!  Incidentally we loved the Breakaway, although the fact that we had a drinks package might have also helped in that decision 🤣

 

And thanks everyone who has contributed to this thread.  Due to ill health we are unable to book anything at the moment and this is merely an exercise in seeing what is 'out there'.  We do hope to be able to sail again by the end of the year (fingers crossed) and I will definitely be looking at what MSC has to offer.

[SeaTheW0rld]

I'm planning on wearing shorts in the MDR the night we are docked in Bermuda.  

[Beamafar]

56 minutes ago, babs135 said:

 ... Due to ill health we are unable to book anything at the moment and this is merely an exercise in seeing what is 'out there'.  We do hope to be able to sail again by the end of the year (fingers crossed) and I will definitely be looking at what MSC has to offer.

 

Sounds like you could really do with a treat which is why I would echo some of the sentiments on here and splurge (if you can) on a Yacht Club booking.

[Markanddonna]

21 hours ago, DMH15 said:

 

 

it comes down to 1 week YC or 3 separate cruises as you have shown, I could not do 3-4 btb or my boss would pink slip me.   Give me the 1 week in YC with 2 (other) weeks at home!

2

I can see your point of view.  I can truly say I didn't appreciate those experiences in the Haven as much as others report.

 

I'm retired now and an author, so I can travel as much as my budget allows.  My goal in the winter is to get away from the cold midwest.  I had 46 years as a teacher and could only travel at the most expensive and busiest times of the year and the hot summer. This is a joy.  You will be there someday too- with no boss for accountability.

 

[DMH15]

42 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

I can see your point of view.  I can truly say I didn't appreciate those experiences in the Haven as much as others report.

 

I'm retired now and an author, so I can travel as much as my budget allows.  My goal in the winter is to get away from the cold midwest.  I had 46 years as a teacher and could only travel at the most expensive and busiest times of the year and the hot summer. This is a joy.  You will be there someday too- with no boss for accountability.

 

I started Haven as a way to pamper my mother, and myself, as when I traveled with her I found myself acting as her butler and concierge... so Haven was a revelation.  I would plan our trips and my mom would just say, "tell me what I owe".  We lost her in late 2017 so I carry on.  Last cruise on Epic, my hard-working and frugal sister and her college daughter got a taste of Epic's DOS.  But I must say the "regular" cruise on Carnival Magic with my sis had been pretty darn sweet too.

 

Me, retired?  One day.  Although I am lucky to work where I do because we can cut back and work past age 66.  A lady worked her until 70 recently and she had cut back to 2 days a week.  I am going to do it as long as I can. 

 

So cool you are an author.  My mom was a writer and I have a bit of the writing bug although never professionally, I have won some writing contests/sweepstakes with awesome prizes.  I loved writing classes in college!  I went twice... in the '70's and the '90's!

 

God bless you for teaching!  Angels on earth. 

 

Being from Texas, (originally California), I am afraid I have not suffered too many winters... and I do not really mind the Texas summers.

 

Thanks for sharing - I love reading about other's point of views.  It is what makes the world go round.