Thinking about trying MSC

[ready2cruzagain]

1 hour ago, CCLcruiser91 said:

I was just trying to point out that their "status match" does not make sense to me.

 

Carnival has Blue, Red, Gold, Platinum and Diamond

 

MSC has Welcome, Classic, Silver, Gold and Black

 

I have read other posts where the level match was not consistent (i.e. a Carnival Diamond person got "Gold" match)

 

I would think Carnival Diamond would be MSC Black? (Platinum would be Gold, etc)

 

Just my 2 cents...

 

Just saying, if that is the only reason you won't be sailing MSC, then ???? 

[grandgeezer]

10 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

I am not stressed, I just commented on how a statement such as the one you made, makes people not cruise on MSC and makes them believe you can't sail MSC unless in the YC.  One should not make these statements unless they have actually been there an done that.

 

If you, or anybody else, is swayed by one person’s opinion, you probably wouldn’t leave the house. I gave my opinion, and what it was based on, do with it what you want. I will continue to do so. I’ve never been involved in politics or played professional sports and my opinions have been questioned but never my right to voice them.

[ready2cruzagain]

7 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

 

If you, or anybody else, is swayed by one person’s opinion, you probably wouldn’t leave the house. I gave my opinion, and what it was based on, do with it what you want. I will continue to do so. I’ve never been involved in politics or played professional sports and my opinions have been questioned but never my right to voice them.

 

I do agree that you have every right to state your opinion but to spread negativity about something you do not have any first hand experience with is just wrong.

 

That is like saying, "My Uncle Billy heard it from my Aunt Nell, who heard it from her hairdresser, who heard it from her dentist, who heard it from a patient, that MSC is a horrible cruise line and no one should sail on them unless in the YC.   They sure can spread the word about someone else's supposed bad experience but have no personal experience.  I have seen this happen over and over on these boards where someone states how bad a cruise line is but never experienced it themselves.

 

For some reason people love to spread negativity. Time for me to move to another topic and quit getting notifications from this one.

Edited May 29, 2019 by ready2cruzagain

[BermudaBound2014]

17 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

I do agree that you have every right to state your opinion but to spread negativity about something you do not have any first hand experience with is just wrong.

 

That is like saying, "My Uncle Billy heard it from my Aunt Nell, who heard it from her hairdresser, who heard it from her dentist, who heard it from a patient, that MSC is a horrible cruise line and no one should sail on them unless in the YC.   They sure can spread the word about someone else's supposed bad experience but have no personal experience.  I have seen this happen over and over on these boards where someone states how bad a cruise line is but never experienced it themselves.

 

For some reason people love to spread negativity. Time for me to move to another topic and quit getting notifications from this one.

 

Your analogy is seriously flawed for the following reason:

 

Grandgeezer has sailed MSC YC so his opinion is based in first hand experience with the rest of the ship. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who sailed in YC who spent 100% of their time in YC. Want to see a show, visit the casino,  dine in a specialty dining, use the gym, grab a slice of pizza from the buffet? All these require interaction with the 'regular' masses. Having sailed in both classes, it's an entirely different experience once you set foot outside the YC in terms of space ratio.

 

It's reasonable to ascertain that that Grandgeezer's opinion is based on the above mentioned first hand interactions even though he did not sleep outside of YC.   The leap to "my uncle heard from aunt nell who heard from the hairdresser, who heard from....." is both unfair and inaccurate.

[JAGR]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

It's reasonable to ascertain that that Grandgeezer's opinion is based on the above mentioned first hand interactions even though he did not sleep outside of YC.   The leap to "my uncle heard from aunt nell who heard from the hairdresser, who heard from....." is both unfair and inaccurate.

I'm not sure.  For MSC, I personally have sailed only on Seaside, and on every occasion only in YC.  I feel that I can comment fairly on the YC experience aboard Seaside.  I won't do a lengthy critique.  Suffice it to say we have four more weeks booked on Seaside and all in YC.

I can say that I don't have a hairdresser, or an aunt Nell.  I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express, but I can reflect on interaction with other passengers outside of the YC enclave.  The vast majority reported that they were happy with their choice, some even saying that this was their favorite prison in the last four they were incarcerated in.  Mind you, there were some who complained, but there always seems to be some people who can never be please.  There was a slot player next to me that lost almost $24, a personal fortune, and she complained.  A few people housed on deck 3 in sub-Bella class complained that that the cadence provided by the bass drummer really did not help them with synchronizing the oars to best propel the ship.  Some dedicated chair hogs carped about not having any difficulty securing chairs by the pool to leave unoccupied for hours.  That painful mantra, "There's too many chairs to provide us hogs with the ability to inflict pain on potential sunbathers!" still rings in my ears! 

 

The biggest problem was cultural and buffet and elevator related.  Americans used to moving clockwise in buffet lines and letting others exit an elevator before entering, were shocked that many Europeans would move counter-clockwise through buffet lines, and surge forward immediately when an elevator door opened.  Or was it the Americans who rushed elevators or simply went into the middle of the buffet to grab "just a little something?"

 

Observations are just that.  Observations, not facts. They are clouded in emotions at the moment, and pre-established beliefs and attitudes.  And all of them are true in the minds of the observers.  To the OP, you will find good and bad things if you look for them.  I trust you will try and keep an open mind and I then trust that you will have a good time.  When I have a less than satisfactory experience, I ask myself if I had any good ones.  I then try and list the good and the bad, and the good has always outweighed the bad.  Even when on an inside cabin on Carnival!  I have sailed Celebrity among other cruise lines, and I appreciate MSC a bit more because it celebrates diversity in all ways.

 

Edited May 29, 2019 by JAGR

[CCLcruiser91]

Update 5/29 to status match - After contacting MSC again, they have now matched Carnival Diamond to MSC Gold...

[rikitikitavii]

Avgjoe  and wendy,

We have sailed mostly Carnival, Royal and NCL, but

we have been on two MSC, Seaside Bella Balcony and Sinfonia Aurea Suite.  On both we had a great time.  

The Seaside was Caribbean, and there is a large international passenger base, we were given 7:30 dining time at a table for two. The time gave us the choice of going to early show(less crowded).

 

Sinfonia a Mediterranean, our choice dining, sat with other English speaking passengers.  The crew seemed more friendly, although it is a smaller ship. 

I think that you would have a good time on MSC even not in YC.

We are booked again in Seaside in YC in December. Just want to try it, and Divina Bella in March.

[Cruzlover7]

7 hours ago, CCLcruiser91 said:

Update 5/29 to status match - After contacting MSC again, they have now matched Carnival Diamond to MSC Gold...

CCLcruiser91 I status matched CCL Platinum to Gold on MSC.  I’m surprised you were not matched to Black. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Their early interpretation of this program was clearly much too liberal.  Then they scaled it back, and it appears they may be scaling it back again.  Frankly I'm not sure why MSC would ever match anyone to Black level.  They can 'capture' you with the benefits of Gold, and then give you something to reach for by continuing to book MSC.

[CruiserG79]

One time AIDALuna and one time MSC Preziosa so far. I already liked Aida but i loved MSC. Guess they hit a nerve somewhere.

 

Been in a Aurea Balcony Cabin and would always give it a go again (boarding Meraviglia in 50 days! 😎). From the ship over the cabin right to the shows and food it was a great experience which almost made me cry on the last night Good bye Show (not kidding).

 

I am pretty sure you can easily enjoy just a normal cabin too, since you don't spend much time there anyway, but for us the mychoice Dining coming with Aurea + the drink package included (thank god we have the old one still) made us book Aurea again.

 

Sure... Not everything is positive, but we really really enjoyed our MSC experience.

Edited May 31, 2019 by CruiserG79