Princess Loyalist sails on MSC

[antsp]

We have been sailing almost exclusively on Princess since 2003, we are however sailing on thE MSC Grandiosa at the moment, if you are thinking of trying MSC and have any questions please ask. The ship we are on is the med at the moment so is in European operations mode. 

[cheeseclan]

We signed up for status match with them last year since we are elite in Princess.  Did you do the same?

[capriccio]

On January 12th we took our first MSC cruise (Western Caribbean on the Meraviglia).  We are elite on Princess and matched to Black (since renamed Diamond) last spring.  Our cabin was in the Yacht Club, MSC's ship within a ship section.

 

Pluses

• Status match automatically gave us a 5% discount.  We actually received a 10% discount given to military and government (federal, state, local) employees and retirees plus our TA gave us another 7% discount.  Our price was basically the same as that of a regular (not club class) mini-suite (our cabin had a similar layout and size) on the equivalent Princess itinerary this winter.
• Status match bennies were extensive (too long to list):  https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/MSC-Voyagers-Club/Voyagers-Club.aspx
• The Yacht Club bennies were outstanding:  The YC is limited to about 200 passengers with its own lounge (drinks and snacks from 7 am to 2 am; easy listening music in the evening) and restaurant (3 meals a day including on port days), and pool area with comfy lounges (like the Sanctuary), full bar and breakfast and lunch buffets.  We found the food excellent, especially the risottos, fresh pastas and fish.  Drinks throughout the ship up to $12 were included.  Service was overwhelming at times:  a butler and assistant butler (which we didn't really avail ourselves of other than cleaning the cabin), a concierge 24 hours a day that could handle any and all guest services requests, well staffed lounge and restaurant, etc.

Con

• Size:  the Meraviglia is by far the largest ship we've ever been on (4,500+ passengers).  The central gallery area could be loud and crowded so we avoided it.  We agreed that we would only travel on that size ship that had a Yacht Club.

[Mike45LC]

I have been interested in MSC, but heard terrible things about the non-Yacht Club experience, specifically the food and over-crowding.  

 

I have also heard that MSC brought in trainers for its Caribbean cruises, to teach the staff how Americans expect things to be done (as opposed to Europeans), based on numerous complaints by N. American cruisers about staff attitudes.  I have experienced how terribly some employees in Europe treat customers -- but I have also experienced some incredible service from warm and caring personnel in Italy and Spain, so I don't know!

 

Any comments on this, from the eyes of a Princess-lover?

 

[capriccio]

The service in the Yacht Club was first rate and professional.  We also received good service in the Sky Lounge the two nights we went to listen to jazz music and in the Butcher's Cut (steakhouse) restaurant.  I was a little wary having read comments that the waitstaff could be standoffish.  We didn't expect to learn all about our servers (especially on a 7 day cruise) and their families nor did we provide them with that kind of information about us but we were hoping for engaged.  And they were.  Another thing that impressed us immensely was that the staff is from all over the world.  There were many more South American and African staff than we've found on Princess and most of them were truly multilingual.

[imescaping]

OP what cabin class are you sailing? I too am interested in information regarding regular (non-YC) guests experiences. NCL haven and MSC YC are a relatively small subset of the offering on their respective cruises and generally far exceed my limited budget. Without fail someone will post a subpar experience on one of those lines and someone from haven or YC will counter and go on and on about how it was a fabulous cruise. 

[Northumberland]

3 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

I have been interested in MSC, but heard terrible things about the non-Yacht Club experience, specifically the food and over-crowding.  

 

I have also heard that MSC brought in trainers for its Caribbean cruises, to teach the staff how Americans expect things to be done (as opposed to Europeans), based on numerous complaints by N. American cruisers about staff attitudes.  I have experienced how terribly some employees in Europe treat customers -- but I have also experienced some incredible service from warm and caring personnel in Italy and Spain, so I don't know!

 

Any comments on this, from the eyes of a Princess-lover?

 

We tried the MSC Divina on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago. The ship is about the size of the Royal or Regal Princess and was very beautiful. We found the crew very pleasant and ship itself was great. We think they have the best pizza of any cruise ship we've ever sailed. However, we were very disappointed in the MDR dinner meals. The cuisine is geared towards European tastes and we have a North American palate. My daughter and her family tried the MSC Seaside a year ago and found the ship way overcrowded. According to her,  the ship is rated for 5600 passengers and it was announced that there were 7000 on their cruise.

[Mike45LC]

4 minutes ago, Northumberland said:

We tried the MSC Divina on a Caribbean cruise a few years ago. ***  The cuisine is geared towards European tastes and we have a North American palate. 

Well said!

 

I do not starve in Europe, but I am never thrilled with the on-land restaurant selections.  Very much a North American palate. (Except for that Tim Hortons thing that our northern neighbors love!)

 

[Northumberland]

7 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

Well said!

 

I do not starve in Europe, but I am never thrilled with the on-land restaurant selections.  Very much a North American palate. (Except for that Tim Hortons thing that our northern neighbors love!)

 

HaHa...  I am a northern neighbour and I love Tim Hortons. 😀

[Janie1111]

Wondering what is status match? Is it available on all cruise lines? We’ve only sailed Princess. Thank you

[CruiseVA]

19 minutes ago, Janie1111 said:

Wondering what is status match? Is it available on all cruise lines? We’ve only sailed Princess. Thank you

At the moment, only MSC will status match Princess. I've head the Royal Caribbean does status match across all of their lines. Maybe P&O will status match with Princess?

[RMMariner]

Interested in MSC because they are so bike friendly. One of the reasons we started sailing Princess was that you could bring your bike. Princess even had a write up in their magazine about two guys who brought their bikes on a ton of Princess cruises. Then Princess banned bikes. MSC still apparently allows bicycles. It would be great to bring the bikes on a cruise.

[capriccio]

2 hours ago, Janie1111 said:

Wondering what is status match? Is it available on all cruise lines? We’ve only sailed Princess. Thank you

 

Status match is made with cruise line and hotel loyalty programs.  See

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/MSC-Voyagers-Club/Loyalty-Match-Program.aspx

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/MSC-Voyagers-Club/Voyagers-Club.aspx

 

[Hlitner]

8 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

I have been interested in MSC, but heard terrible things about the non-Yacht Club experience, specifically the food and over-crowding.  

 

I have also heard that MSC brought in trainers for its Caribbean cruises, to teach the staff how Americans expect things to be done (as opposed to Europeans), based on numerous complaints by N. American cruisers about staff attitudes.  I have experienced how terribly some employees in Europe treat customers -- but I have also experienced some incredible service from warm and caring personnel in Italy and Spain, so I don't know!

 

Any comments on this, from the eyes of a Princess-lover?

 

We would not disagree with much of what you say.  Having cruised on MSC two times (both in the YC) for a total of 32 days, we do think that the Yacht Club is superior to anything we have experienced on Princess where we have far more then 200 days.  We would not cruise on MSC outside of the YC since it reminds us of something akin to cruising on Carnival.

 

Hank

[Mike45LC]

16 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We would not disagree with much of what you say.  Having cruised on MSC two times (both in the YC) for a total of 32 days, we do think that the Yacht Club is superior to anything we have experienced on Princess where we have far more then 200 days.  We would not cruise on MSC outside of the YC since it reminds us of something akin to cruising on Carnival.

 

Hank

Hank, I've read your postings on some of the MSC threads.  You are part of my reason for suggesting that I'd only cruise on MSC if it was a YC experience.

[fishin' musician]

If you're going to pony up the kind of dough the Yacht Club demands why not go on a luxury cruise line ala Crystal, Oceana, Regent, Seaborne, Silversea ???

[JF - retired RRT]

21 hours ago, CruiseVA said:

At the moment, only MSC will status match Princess. I've head the Royal Caribbean does status match across all of their lines. Maybe P&O will status match with Princess?

Princess used to do status match with P&O. It started when Princess purchased P&O and stopped a couple of years ago (maybe around the time Princess go shoved under the Carnival Corp umbrella?).

[Hlitner]

14 minutes ago, fishin' musician said:

If you're going to pony up the kind of dough the Yacht Club demands why not go on a luxury cruise line ala Crystal, Oceana, Regent, Seaborne, Silversea ???

That is a great question.  We do also cruise on Seabourn although that does cost more than MSC YC.   Silversea and regent are very pricy.  O is a different story and one can debate whether it is a good value.  But O will likely be in our near future.  But MSC YC does suit us for the Caribbean.    We do like Crystal but it can easily cost 2-3 times more then MSC's YC.

 

Hank

[capriccio]

5 hours ago, fishin' musician said:

If you're going to pony up the kind of dough the Yacht Club demands why not go on a luxury cruise line ala Crystal, Oceana, Regent, Seaborne, Silversea ???

 

In our case, as I noted above, the price for a YC balcony was just about the same as a Princess mini-suite (not club class) and no where near the price of a luxury cruise line. 

[Chad_O]

silly question, but is the status match a one time opportunity or does it remain in effect for all subsequent bookings?

[capriccio]

4 minutes ago, Chad_O said:

silly question, but is the status match a one time opportunity or does it remain in effect for all subsequent bookings?

 

You can apply for it only once.  If you don't sail at least once every 3 years you lose it and cannot re-apply.  The clock starts ticking when you get matched and the 3 year deadline resets each time you sail.

[fishin' musician]

4 minutes ago, Chad_O said:

silly question, but is the status match a one time opportunity or does it remain in effect for all subsequent bookings?

The way I understand it is both.  You do it one time and it remains in effect.  One time meaning that say you were to go from platinum to elite on Princess, if you had previously matched MSC with platinum you would not be able to submit again as elite.  Also, if I understand correctly, all MSC points vanish (regardless of how they were accumulated) if you don't sail with them in a 3 year period.

[AF-1]

according to the status link; it says you can match hotel loyalty program in addition to cruise loyalty programs.  

[Tucker in Texas]

From what I have heard, if you are YC, it is good.    If not, have heard a lot of negative comments about the cruise line.

[Dunk]

I totally agree with some of the comments about MSC. I was on the Meraviglia last fall for a 10-day Canada/New England Cruise in the Yacht Club, which was great. Outside of the Yacht Club though, the ship was flashy and crowded, not a lot of cozy lounges, just large spaces where seating was hard to come by. I have a Arabian Gulf cruise booked on the MSC Seaside, in Yacht Club, but I don't think I'd said MSC if I was not in the YC area. 

 

My only concern with the Yacht Club was that the food choices were a little repetitive, and if you're not a seafood lover, you have limited choices. Minor quibble though.