Positive Review for MSC

[Moz]

I totally agree with the OP word for word. We also got off Saturday and the second time we have cruised on this ship the first being last October,   I could see many positive changes and we found no fault.  We have cruised RCL, NCL and Carnival and found MSC a step above.   

[cruiselife4me]

So thankful for this post!!! Thanks. Three weeks until the Meraviglia.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Isn’t this amazing!  Let’s scroll back to when Seaside first appeared in Miami.  The comments then were MSC will never make it in the USA...the food was bad...the service was cold...there was a smell on the upper decks, etc. etc.  At that time I said that MSC/Seaside etc. was “a work in progress”.  Virtually every item of complaint was addressed and great progress has been made.  MSC has steadily improved and will continue to strive for excellence.  MSC has a formula that, if adhered to, will make them the number one mass market cruise company in the USA.  This will take time but, given the perseverance of the entire MSC management and crew, will make MSC a great cruise company with a high demand and popularity.  The key to this success is a privately owned company with a close family management team unhampered by stock holders and corporate bean counters.  Certainly a refreshing change from the other mass market corporately owned companies that keep squeezing every penny out for the benefit of the stockholders and overpaid upper management.  

[rattanchair]

15 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I need to get there one day! I figured once I retire and can do some trans-atlantic crossings in the spring/fall. 

There is one exceptional sight to behold if one is fortunate enough. You have to be on a boat a couple miles into the Bay of Funchal on New Years Eve for the best fire works display you will ever see ( if weather permits).

[jdvmd]

Glad you had a great time! We got off the Seaside on Oct. 19 and loved the ship and its design. The food and service were excellent. Saw several new innovations that I have not seen on other ships (72 cruises and counting). Would definitely sail on MSC again. This was our third cruise with them previously being on the Sinfonia and Divina.

[rattanchair]

20 hours ago, cruiselife4me said:

So thankful for this post!!! Thanks. Three weeks until the Meraviglia.

Please be so kind as to report your experience.

 

[rattanchair]

19 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

will make them the number one mass market cruise company in the USA.

I do not think it will take so long as you surmise. Though on second thought you are one of the most astute posters on the CC .

[L2float]

Thank you so much for posting your review! We sailed on Armonia in June and had a very good experience. The staff was amazing and really made this trip special. We booked 4 more cruises with MSC after returning home. We have previously sailed on Poesia and enjoyed it, as well. I have a girl trip planned on Seaside next September and your review makes me feel even better about that decision. I'm taking 4 family members who have never cruised MSC and I want them to enjoy it! 

 

The price is right, making it a budget cruise, I suppose. However, I enjoyed it just as much as Celebrity, NCL, and HAL. It far exceeded our once and last Carnival cruise. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

2 hours ago, rattanchair said:

I do not think it will take so long as you surmise. Though on second thought you are one of the most astute posters on the CC .

Thank you Ratt.  It was no mistake that the owners of MSC brought one of their best people onboard more than 12 years ago when they made their American passenger headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale.  Rick Sasso was the former president of Celebrity when it was owned by the Chandris family before they sold it to RCL formerly RCCL.

Rick was the perfect choice for the MSC passenger division.  I knew then that MSC was headed in the right direction.  I started to avidly follow MSC progress at that time and I am still amazed how far they have come in the past 12 or more years.  I am hoping that MSC will keep tweeting their ships and their product.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Darn auto spell...meant to say tweeking!

[rattanchair]

21 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

tweeting

I read 'tweeking'.  "I despise any person who can spell a word one way." Mark Twain

[MISTER 67]

On 10/28/2019 at 10:39 AM, mickey89 said:

I would put a little perspective into the argument - MSC is a budget cruise line, no ifs or buts.  Look at CC reviews and sure there are many exaggerations but the general trend is below average by most experienced cruisers. One comment I would make is that MSC is very good value for money but expect their ships to be very crowded, extremely so.

We've sailed with MSC 5 times and disagree, never felt crowded except at lunch in the buffet area one time on the Divina, that's a peak time in the buffet and it happened to be in summer with lots of kids. Seaside has 2 buffet areas and was never hard to find a table. 

MSC is not a budget line, food is very good (especially the Italian dishes and pizza) and the entertainment is excellent. The reason for the low fares is MSC wants a bigger share of the American market and is trying to build a loyal following. I believe there will be 4 ships sailing in the Caribbean this winter with 3 out of Miami. Next winter MSC will offer year round sailings out of Tampa, can't wait for that as Tampa is the closest port to our home. We are booked on the Meriviglia in April and she is suppose to be quite a ship, looking forward to sail on her.

One other thing, MSC is very fair with onboard shopping, photos and drinks, they don't gouge and you can't beat the Loyalty Match Program, we were Black Card on our first cruise. Because of our Elite status with Princess. 

[kidless]

We’ve been on over 20 cruises with Royal Caribbean, Carnival & Celebrity. We went on our first MSC cruise September 23rd and we loved it!! Matter of fact loved it so much we booked another MSC cruise for December! ..... plus they status matched our Diamond status from RC!!! 

[cruzingambler]

We love MSC.  Haven't had anything but Excellent service on our past 2 cruises (Divina & Seaside).  Meraviglia scheduled for March...Can't wait!  We have 32 past sailings with Carnival, RC, NCL, Celebrity, & Princess.  MSC stands up to all of them.  They have a way to go in advertising themselves as I always mention MSC when I am talking to others on the other cruise lines and I have yet to meet someone who has heard of MSC, ????  Oh well, maybe we can keep them a secret and have the ship to ourselves, not!  LOL   Happy Cruising! 

[Nashna]

We heard about MSC while on HAL in January.  On our cruise, the pool chairs were occupied by chair hogs and we were less than pleased with the open seating in the MDR.  Two different couples on HAL suggested that we try MSC in YC.  Both couples remarked that they couldn't wait to get back on MSC.  Since we had similar cruising experiences, we decided to take the plunge and book an MSC cruise.  We are looking at a (Regent, Seabourn) experience without the high price tag.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The brand new 2020 edition of Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, which gives every cruise ship an individual write-up and rating, has named the Top 20 Large Resort Ships:

#1 is Cunard Queen Mary 2

#2-#9 are for German- or Chinese-speakers only

then ... [drum roll]

#10-#17 are all MSC!  [Seaview, Bellissima, Seaside, Meraviglia, Divina, Fantasis, Preziosa, and Splendida]

#18 is Celebrity Edge

then there is a big ratings drop until #19 and #20 (Royal Caribbean Anthem and Quantum)

 

Note that MSC Grandiosa wasn't eligible [too new to make the deadline] and Virtuoso and Seashore are coming up soon -- expect over the next few years they will bump Royal Caribbean and Celebrity from the list.  So – if you speak English and don't own a tuxedo, MSC pretty much defines your Top 20 choices!

[Skier52]

On ‎10‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 5:12 PM, Idahoan58 said:

@Fogfog The staff and crew were very helpful and had really good manners. We choose the Bella experience; therefore we ended up with a dinning time we didn't like so we asked to change it and it took them maybe 2 minutes to change it for us. There was a bar service server who was a floater that we all became Facebook friends with. We first saw him in at the Gelato bar and then he ended up visiting us every night at dinner even though he wasn't assigned to our table. 

 

It never once felt crowded on the ship. The design of the ship is amazing.

 

I was on the Royal Princess in May and I really didn't like the service on the Royal Princess. The service on this cruise was much better in my opinion.  

This true of Seaview and Seaside, BUT,

 

it is NOT TRUE  for Meraviglia and I dare say Grandiosa.(same class of ship as Meraviglia)

Meraviglia feels very crowded especially in the evening when the theatre show has ended and everyone tries to exit into an already crowded Galleria Meraviglia.

 

 

Edited October 31, 2019 by Skier52

[Fogfog]

On 10/31/2019 at 6:00 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

The brand new 2020 edition of Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, which gives every cruise ship an individual write-up and rating, has named the Top 20 Large Resort Ships:

#1 is Cunard Queen Mary 2

#2-#9 are for German- or Chinese-speakers only

then ... [drum roll]

#10-#17 are all MSC!  [Seaview, Bellissima, Seaside, Meraviglia, Divina, Fantasis, Preziosa, and Splendida]

#18 is Celebrity Edge

then there is a big ratings drop until #19 and #20 (Royal Caribbean Anthem and Quantum)

 

Note that MSC Grandiosa wasn't eligible [too new to make the deadline] and Virtuoso and Seashore are coming up soon -- expect over the next few years they will bump Royal Caribbean and Celebrity from the list.  So – if you speak English and don't own a tuxedo, MSC pretty much defines your Top 20 choices!

This IS interesting as it completely leaves out the big ships of RCCL, NCL etc

 

I noticed Berlitz I believe is owned /published by a  UK company? 

 

Magdalen House, 136-148 Tooley Street
London SE1 2TU, United Kingdom

 

The lines that a German speaking don't sail out of North American ports as far as I know. We have looked at one and the a la carte and style of the ship/dining didn't appeal.

 

We have planned to sail QM2 (they have kennels) and may do that in a few years.  Perhaps when being bi-continental is possible after retirement. 

 

MSC fares are cheaper than  QM2 or the Celebrity Edge.

 

Edited November 3, 2019 by Fogfog

[Moz]

We cruised the October 19-26  Seaside,  It was our second cruise on this ship the first being in October of 2018.  I can only say it was ideal in every way,  We could complain about not one thing,  Crowds were always well controlled, no rude guests, food excellent in all venues,  The ship is beautiful and well kept.  We cruised Bella experience and would rate it as an A plus experience.  Certainly a step above Carnival which we have cruised many times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[funship freddy]

Just off Seaside yesterday.

Third  Seaside Cruise.

January, April 2018

October 2019

 

50th Cruise overall.

 

Was it perfect ?  No. But neither am I.

 

Will I cruise MSC again ?  Yes

 

I alternate between Celebrity and MSC.

 

Just sayin’

[funship freddy]

On 10/28/2019 at 9:48 PM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Isn’t this amazing!  Let’s scroll back to when Seaside first appeared in Miami.  The comments then were MSC will never make it in the USA...the food was bad...the service was cold...there was a smell on the upper decks, etc. etc.  At that time I said that MSC/Seaside etc. was “a work in progress”.  Virtually every item of complaint was addressed and great progress has been made.  MSC has steadily improved and will continue to strive for excellence.  MSC has a formula that, if adhered to, will make them the number one mass market cruise company in the USA.  This will take time but, given the perseverance of the entire MSC management and crew, will make MSC a great cruise company with a high demand and popularity.  The key to this success is a privately owned company with a close family management team unhampered by stock holders and corporate bean counters.  Certainly a refreshing change from the other mass market corporately owned companies that keep squeezing every penny out for the benefit of the stockholders and overpaid upper management.  

Well said.

 

Thank you.