Msc vs carnival

[mlbdude]

3 minutes ago, styles27 said:

We never had a bad time on any cruise, maybe I’m easy to please but it would have to be really bad for me to complain.  

 

Close your eyes, now think about your worst cruise ever...  Yup still a great time and vacation.

[styles27]

1 minute ago, mlbdude said:

 

Close your eyes, now think about your worst cruise ever...  Yup still a great time and vacation.

Exactly. 
 

If I had to choose the worst experience on a cruise ship it would be involving a couple at our table who berated and tortured our server the entire cruise.
 

Back then, 25 yrs ago you were assigned a table for meals and you were pretty much stuck with those people the entire time.
There weren’t any other dining options besides the buffet and MDR 

 

This couple were by far the worst people I have ever had the displeasure of meeting.
They made a speech the first night telling the server what they expected of him and I’ll never forget one thing was they didn’t want any ice in their water. 

 

If the poor server poured one ice cube in their glass they would lose it.

Their reason was they were “allergic to ice” 

So yes they pretty much ruined our dinner each night. 

 

[alyssamma]

57 minutes ago, styles27 said:

never seen anyone on any of those cruises singing drunk

You need to cruise with me 🙂

 

I can't sing at all so def can't sing sober 🙂

 

[Gatordad1967]

And comparing the two really isn't fair.  They market to a totally different demographic.

[Gatordad1967]

On 10/13/2021 at 2:56 PM, styles27 said:

Exactly. 
 

If I had to choose the worst experience on a cruise ship it would be involving a couple at our table who berated and tortured our server the entire cruise.
 

Back then, 25 yrs ago you were assigned a table for meals and you were pretty much stuck with those people the entire time.
There weren’t any other dining options besides the buffet and MDR 

 

This couple were by far the worst people I have ever had the displeasure of meeting.
They made a speech the first night telling the server what they expected of him and I’ll never forget one thing was they didn’t want any ice in their water. 

 

If the poor server poured one ice cube in their glass they would lose it.

Their reason was they were “allergic to ice” 

So yes they pretty much ruined our dinner each night. 

 

allergic to ice, that is a new one.

 

[styles27]

2 hours ago, Gatordad1967 said:

allergic to ice, that is a new one.

 

My husband suggested she just allow it to melt so she wouldn’t need any Benadryl. 
She wasn’t amused lol

[Gatordad1967]

3 hours ago, styles27 said:

My husband suggested she just allow it to melt so she wouldn’t need any Benadryl. 
She wasn’t amused lol

lol..... I chuckled too.  No time on this earth for people that are that miserable.  I would have requested a new table.

 

[Stockjock]

In my view, MSC offers better value, and their ships are often much nicer and certainly more elegant. I also much prefer the look and layout to the MSC cabin.  If you book a guarantee cabin, while there are no guarantees, you have a far greater chance of a legitimate upgrade on MSC versus Celebrity.  
 

MSC’s loyalty program is superior to Carnival. Once you have cruised on MSC, you can get bona fide discounts of up to 20% which can be meaningful. Also, they do a status match with other cruise lines and hotel chains, which can get you status quicker. On the downside, you lose your status and points if you don’t sail with MSC within three years.

 

While both offer food that can be hit or miss, and I wouldn’t say that either cruise line has amazing food, but I probably slightly prefer MSC’s food.

 

I think carnival is probably better for families.  MSC is preferable for adults traveling without children. Carnival customer service is superior.  If you have a problem before or after the cruise, carnival is more likely to resolve it in a prompt manner.

 

MSC is better for those who like an international/European vibe, and carnival is probably better for those that prefer to cruise with fellow Americans, speaking as an American of course.  
 

I personally like the entertainment on MSC the best, but I could see how others might not feel that way. For example, while I am not into opera, I would enjoy seeing an opera singer being accompanied by piano every now and then, and you won’t see this on carnival. I think the shows are about equal, maybe with a slight edge to carnival.
 

I also think you are more likely to see a fight or argument on carnival, and yes I have seen this on more than one occasion.  MSC’s passengers are generally better behaved, in my view.  I am a former police officer and I have seen some real riffraff on carnival, but not so much on MSC. I have seen people on Carnival who I believe to be gang members or former gang members that seem like they are looking for trouble. Of course, most passengers are not like this.

 

Both cruise lines have their pros and cons. Even though I have experienced  a lot of frustrations with MSC personally, I will typically choose them over carnival without much thinking.

Edited October 16, 2021 by Stockjock

[nemaihne]

I can't think of a cruise line I can't adapt myself to enjoy because at heart, I'm a transportation geek. I entertain myself on less programmed cruises and people watch as well as run around to different activities on the more active ones.
Personally, I adore MSC. But it can remind you in weird places that it's a European line. My favorite instance, we were wandering Divina on a sea day afternoon and saw the theater was open, so we popped in to check out what was going on. It was literally opera- La Traviata. We sat there for a bit to admire the costumes, and the performance was decent, but it was definitely not something we expected to find.

[quattrohead]

On 10/15/2021 at 1:31 PM, styles27 said:

My husband suggested she just allow it to melt so she wouldn’t need any Benadryl. 
She wasn’t amused lol

We want to be seated with you 2 on Divina 14th Nov 🤣

[quattrohead]

I think the comments in this thread cover the comparison quite well.

 

Hell we used to look down on the Tropicale/Festival/Carnivale/Mardi Gras etc back in 93 as partying crap holes from the lofty heights of our dinky little Commodore Caribe1. Norway made us look like a life boat. 😵

[styles27]

10 minutes ago, quattrohead said:

We want to be seated with you 2 on Divina 14th Nov 🤣

lol I’m sure we’d have a few laughs!

I noticed on our roll call we’re going to be neighbors we’re in 11270 

[groundloop]

I've only sailed on Carnival, for me it's a matter of convenience based on which ports I can drive to.  The one and only time I've experienced a cruise akin to the horror stories a few folks in this thread make sound like a common occurrence on Carnival was a 4 day cruise during spring break.  Stay away from the short cruises, stay away from spring break, and you won't have those issues.  

[Tapi]

I consider Carnival and MSC to be fairly comparable in terms of quality, customer service, stage entertainment, etc. They both feel like value oriented, mass market cruise lines. Where I find significant differences is in the ships (MSC’s ships are far more beautiful and nicely appointed), the vibe onboard (MSC has a definite European vibe and attracts a more international clientele), cuisine (Carnival is geared more towards the American palate while MSC offers a broader selection, which is appreciated by some but dreaded by others depending on their culinary preferences), and lounge entertainment (MSC tries to cater to a multilingual clientele and relies less on verbal forms of entertainment).

 

I’ve sailed MSC in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, and while I’ve enjoyed all of them tremendously, I think that MSC in the Mediterranean is leaps and bounds better than in the Caribbean. 
 

We do appreciate MSC’s pricing. Between their loyalty match program, past guest discount, many promotions (free balcony upgrades, and kids sail free), we’ve sailed for insanely cheap fares. It’s hard to pass up, and at those prices, I’m willing to forgive whatever flaws that they may have.