Sell me on MSC - Please

[wesnliz]

I’m a platinum carnival cruiser and have extensive experience on rccl. I’ve never taken or even considered an msc, for some reason I had a vision of it being quiet and boring with not a lot of fun an activity’s (shame on me).

 

Part of the reason we stopped cursing 4 years ago and switched to all inclusive seas because we wanted a better more upscale experience. I’ve recently been considering an msc (seashore) . 
what are the big differences between say, carnival and msc? Younger family (30s and a 1 and 4 year old)? 
 

sell me on an msc cruise! 

[Will K.]

I can't.  DONT DO IT!  I am on MSC right now.  WORST CRUISE OF MY LIFE and their COVID protocols suck,  And they don't care.

 

MSC is CHEAP thats all.  They have a D rating at the Better Business Bureau, And in the end you get what you pay for

 

 

[wesnliz]

What’s wrong with their covid protocols? 

[styles27]

48 minutes ago, Will K. said:

I can't.  DONT DO IT!  I am on MSC right now.  WORST CRUISE OF MY LIFE and their COVID protocols suck,  And they don't care.

 

MSC is CHEAP thats all.  They have a D rating at the Better Business Bureau, And in the end you get what you pay for

 

 

What ship are you on? Covid protocols on US sailings have had good reports. Just off Divina with 490 passengers and all of us abided by the protocols of mask wearing and social distancing (which was easy with so few on board)

 

[styles27]

1 hour ago, wesnliz said:

I’m a platinum carnival cruiser and have extensive experience on rccl. I’ve never taken or even considered an msc, for some reason I had a vision of it being quiet and boring with not a lot of fun an activity’s (shame on me).

 

Part of the reason we stopped cursing 4 years ago and switched to all inclusive seas because we wanted a better more upscale experience. I’ve recently been considering an msc (seashore) . 
what are the big differences between say, carnival and msc? Younger family (30s and a 1 and 4 year old)? 
 

sell me on an msc cruise! 

On our 2 MSC cruises I saw very few children. Last week less than 10 on Divina and avg age probably 50’s and older.
If you’re used to Carnival it’s nothing like that at all. It’s more in line with Royal but the entertainment is a lot different. You won’t see comedians and big broadway type shows with fancy sets. 

But you will have top notch staff on board and beautiful ships that aren’t gaudy or overdone. Many music choices in all of the lounges and bars throughout the ship and they do have a disco for late night dancing. 
Also it’s hard to beat their price point.
I’ve spent the last few hours tonight pricing out cruises for January and MSC is hundreds of dollars less for the same week/itinerary etc as all of the mass market cruise lines I checked. (NCL, HAL, RCCL, Carnival and Celebrity)

So I’m booking another on MSC🤷🏻‍♀️

[ready2cruzagain]

We are Platinum on Carnival, NCL, Princess, Diamond on MSC and have sailed Celebrity several times.  We have not sailed since Covid but have a cruise booked on the Seashore for February 2022. 

 

Of all of the cruise lines we have sailed, MSC is by far our favorite. We quit sailing on Carnival due to the type of cruise line it became. Meatloaf and Fried Chicken in the MDR is not my thing, I can get that at home or the local Golden Corral.  We do not sail in the Yacht Club, we sail in regular cabins.  I love MSC's menus.  Great food that ranks right up there with Celebrity's.  

 

Entertainment in the theater is different in that when we sailed there were operas, jugglers, acrobats. Great shows in our opinion. Just not what you would see on Carnival.  The thing about Carnival's entertainment that got to me is they went to having the guests entertain each other so that they did not have to pay entertainers. Such as having the Hasbro game, Quest, etc in the main theater instead of a type of Broadway show like they use to have.  

 

We have always been able to find a band or a singer or a duo before and after dinner on MSC.  Not so much the case on NCL, Carnival, or Princess.

 

You will not find a better or more friendly staff than those that are encountered on MSC.  They have the nicest staff that will do just about anything for you.  DH once ordered a beer and the bar was out of that brand but the waiter ran up three flights of stairs to find him the beer because he remembered they had them at that bar.  That is just one thing and there are lots more. I have never had a complaint about the staff.

 

I think the biggest problem with MSC is the CS on land. They are not very good at all!  I have not had that many problems with them but am upset right now because I was taken out of a cabin that I booked months ago and put into a Guarantee cabin.  Was told because of Covid and then because of changing cabin categories but still no cabin assigned. MSC customer service is not informed from corporate in my opinion.  I called the other day and was told all spa services in the US are shut down, had to inform CS they were not.  I blame Corporate for the CS lack of information.

 

With all of that being said, go into it with an open mind and you will love it.  Do not go on a cruise and criticize everything because it is different.  It actually reminds me of the old time cruising that we love.

[tweakes]

It is really hard to explain MSC in my opinion. There are plenty of horror stories (as you can see), but I really like it for a few reasons. However, it doesn't make me want to make MSC my ONLY cruise line.

 

Carnival is fun and lively and that is what I want sometimes. I have no complaints about the food, but it is certainly nothing to write home about. The comedy club is fun, the piano bar is exciting, and there is live music to sing along with everywhere on the ship. The clientele can be a little suspect at times, but I am sure people describe me that way on occasion too... 🙂

 

MSC is not lively in my opinion, but it makes up for it in other areas. I really enjoy the more Mediterranean style food. It means I eat some different things and also never feel uncomfortably stuffed afterwards. The ships are more elegant I think, and that makes me feel like I'm on vacation. There are less activities on MSC - the first one I did, I almost felt bored. Eventually I've come to recognize that having less activities allows me to be lazy though - I don't have to be here at 1, on the other side of the ship at 2 and try to find a seat in time, and then go here and there and everywhere. There are a few things I want to do each day, and that's just fine - you still have ports to visit, plenty of food to eat, and the casino to spend way too much time in! MSC is also interesting because the clientele is more international. I always meet folks from all over the world on MSC, and you see menus and hear announcements in other languages. I think this is a good experience in general, and it may be enriching for your kids especially. 

 

MSC is sometimes a bit... disorganized in my opinion and that is my only complaint. The staff don't understand the drink packages or other offers the cruise line gives. It's a bit of a mess, but we have nothing but compliments to give to the staff of the 3 MSC cruises we've done so far. It's the company's fault, not theirs - they try to make the best of it.

 

My only suggestion is that I would not recommend one of MSC's older ships if you're used to Carnival. We were a bit bored on the Lirica, but our sailing history was with mostly Carnival and NCL. The new ships offer more options - and the Meraviglia may be our favorite ship ever. I think the smaller older ships are mostly sailing in Europe though, not the US, possibly for the reasons I mentioned - Americans tend to like more excitement. There was a distinct difference between the European and Caribbean cruises I've taken with MSC. 

 

I am rambling, and ultimately I can't tell you exactly what I like about MSC compared to other lines ... and not everyone will. But they offer a great value, nice ships, pretty good food, and a different experience than the standard cruise lines that operate from the US. It's an experience that I recommend to everyone though, and MSC deserves a try. 

[Fla Mike]

8 hours ago, styles27 said:

If you’re used to Carnival it’s nothing like that at all. It’s more in line with Royal but the entertainment is a lot different. You won’t see comedians and big broadway type shows with fancy sets. 

But you will have top notch staff on board and beautiful ships that aren’t gaudy or overdone. Many music choices in all of the lounges and bars throughout the ship and they do have a disco for late night dancing. 

 

That ^^^

 

We took our first post COVID cruise on the Carnival Magic in September...sadly it will be our last.

I'm not sure what another poster said about COVID protocols being bad on MSC. On Carnival they were non existent. Comedy Club packed solid SRO, no mask enforcement, free for all in the buffet.

 

MSC had true social distancing in the theater, mask enforcement, (I went up to the buffet to get something without my mask on and a crew member came up to me with one!), daily temperature checks,  and they plate your food in the buffet. How can any of that be bad?

 

RCCL was our favorite of the past few years, but I've had it with their idea of all ships all being "Amusement Park of the Seas".

 

Yes, MSC shore-side customer service can leave a little to be desired, but the onboard experience and the ships can not be beat.

 

As I said in another post, I canceled our Regal Princess cruise in favor of the Meraviglia, we were that impressed.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Fla Mike

[Markanddonna]

9 hours ago, styles27 said:

On our 2 MSC cruises I saw very few children. Last week less than 10 on Divina and avg age probably 50’s and older.

I have been on four MSC cruises: The Divina, the Seaside, and the Grandiosa. Your chances of seeing few or many children mostly varies according to children's school holidays. There will always be the young parents of babies and toddlers onboard with their huge strollers (does anyone use an umbrella stroller for travel anymore?)  I was on a back to back less than two years ago on the Seaview. The first week saw few children and I thought it was probably the "healthiest" group of winter passengers I had ever sailed with. That totally changed the next week that saw a huge influx of school age passengers. The ship became horribly "hacky" and sneezy. There were far more passengers onboard because the kids sailed free in their parents' cabins which raised the total passenger count. In the evening, it was like a ship of sardines.

 

I'd like to give advice on when schools have winter and spring breaks but that varies so much. Some schools have off an entire week in Jan or Feb while others have just a long weekend. Then there is the traditional end of March break and the week before and after Easter. South Americans, who have summer break during our winter are also onboard. 

 

You are fortunate, indeed, if you have few children on your sailing. Typically, the sailings 8 days and more have fewer children.

[JAGR]

12 hours ago, wesnliz said:

Part of the reason we stopped cursing 4 years ago....

I have been on 13 Carnival cruises, and 3 MSC cruises, and I can assure you that you will be comfortable on MSC, if only for the fact that there is much less 'cursing' on MSC than any Carnival cruise! 😉

 

Seriously, we enjoyed MSC more than Carnival for the reasons others have given:

 

1.  Entertainment:  We are not big Piano bar fans, and have gotten tired of the comedians that Carnival has.  The shows on MSC, while eclectic, so have good singers and dancers, and the occasional opera is appreciated.  We also like being able to sit in different bars with various musical entertainers.  We especially enjoy the occasional classical violinist and pianist that appear throughout the ship.

2.  Food:  I know people complain about MSC being too seafood dependent, but I like it.  As an Italian cruise line, they have superior risotto and pasta dishes, and their pizza is probably the best of any cruise line (as long as you are not partial to extra sauce an cheese pizzas!  It's not Pizza Hut!).  Portions may be a bit small, but they have no problem with you ordering multiple starters or entrees.

3.  Mixed passenger base:  I view this as a positive,  It's nice to hear people speaking different languages, and I don't mind announcements repeated in two or three different languages.  BONUS:  Their CD's are not making announcements 24/7!

 

As an aside, while we don't have younger children, I have heard nothing but positive comments on their kids programs.

Edited November 29, 2021 by JAGR

[Beamafar]

1 minute ago, JAGR said:

I have been on 13 Carnival cruises, and 3 MSC cruises, and I can assure you that you will be comfortable on MSC, if only for the fact that there is much less 'cursing' on MSC than any Carnival cruise! 😉

 

 

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Any day at sea is better than a day in the office.

If the price is right, go for it!

 

[BermudaBound2014]

20 hours ago, Will K. said:

MSC is CHEAP thats all.  They have a D rating at the Better Business Bureau, And in the end you get what you pay for

 

Slight correction: MSC has a F rating at the BBB and has had the same rating for nearly a decade.

[ChattTenn]

We were on Divina in October (our first with MSC) with only 950+ passengers.  The services were wonderful everywhere, their covid protocol was good, the food was weak but the dining staffs would bend over backward to make it better.  One morning in MDR I asked if there were donuts they sent a staff to the buffet to get 6 for 2 of us (never saw it happened on other lines after 40+ cruises).

MSC matched our status with Princess as Black Card member we got a free dinner at Butcher's cut it was wonderful good and other goodies.

We will cruise with MSC again with a good price and hope they will stay in Port Canaveral.

Give MSC a try with open mind.

[perakcruiser]

On 11/29/2021 at 9:39 AM, wesnliz said:

Younger family (30s and a 1 and 4 year old)? 

 

Greetings from a family with 2 and 5 year old. 

 

No need to sell you anything, no matter about good or bad things with MSC, in this constellation you have no other option if you are not very, very rich. MSC is brilliant with kids, unmatched, and they go free. 

Edited November 30, 2021 by perakcruiser

[karmamule]

On 11/28/2021 at 8:39 PM, wesnliz said:

I’m a platinum carnival cruiser and have extensive experience on rccl. I’ve never taken or even considered an msc, for some reason I had a vision of it being quiet and boring with not a lot of fun an activity’s (shame on me).

 

Part of the reason we stopped cursing 4 years ago and switched to all inclusive seas because we wanted a better more upscale experience. I’ve recently been considering an msc (seashore) . 
what are the big differences between say, carnival and msc? Younger family (30s and a 1 and 4 year old)? 
 

sell me on an msc cruise! 

 

If you can afford the Yacht Club then you will get a fantastic upscale experience that should meet if not exceed your expectations.

 

Embarkation day is a breeze: you just go to the white tent at the entrance and you will be pampered from there forward. You will always have your butler available to smooth the way for you getting off the ship, getting seated in a crowded show, etc etc. The YC areas are beautiful and you will be treated like royalty by everyone. The YC dining room at dinner will probably be a bit more formal than you're used to, but as long as you don't wear shorts or t-shirts you should be fine.

 

The biggest risk will be the food: they don't have the broad array of American comfort foods Carnival has, and instead will have smaller portions and a very different sort of menu. Food in the YC is excellent, but from what we've had food in the buffet or main dining rooms is just 'ok'. (With the exception of the pizza, pasta, and coffee. All those are delicious.) Specialty restaurants are generally good but have never "wowed" us like those on some other lines have.

 

We're not much for big shows on cruise ships so can't speak to how good or bad MSC's shows are, but other replies here cover that well. They do have the requisite slides and ziplines etc if your family likes those.

 

Pre-COVID the ships would stay lively through midnight, with lots of music in various bars and other venues, and usually some dancing/parties going on somewhere. With reduced passenger levels I'd imagine things will feel a bit quieter for now, but things should be ramping up again over the next few months.

 

Whether in YC or not their ships are in another class compared to Carnival's, especially the newer ones. Everything is gleaming and there are so many reflective or sparkling surfaces they are dazzling. (Almost to the point of excess, in my opinion, but they stop just short of gaudiness) We haven't been on the Seashore yet, but loved it's much smaller sister ship the Seaside, so expect we'll love it when we go in January.

 

In terms of our experiences with the crew, they're not as immediately friendly as other cruise lines, they're a bit more reserved and formal in general. However, over the course of the cruise the crew members you interact with regularly will warm up and become very personable and chatty.;

 

Overall we love MSC, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend if you can afford YC. If not, then if you don't expect much from the food, then you can have a great time on beautiful ships for a good price.

 

 

 

 

[mscdivina2016]

On 11/28/2021 at 8:39 PM, wesnliz said:

I’m a platinum carnival cruiser and have extensive experience on rccl. I’ve never taken or even considered an msc, for some reason I had a vision of it being quiet and boring with not a lot of fun an activity’s (shame on me).

 

Part of the reason we stopped cursing 4 years ago and switched to all inclusive seas because we wanted a better more upscale experience. I’ve recently been considering an msc (seashore) . 
what are the big differences between say, carnival and msc? Younger family (30s and a 1 and 4 year old)? 
 

sell me on an msc cruise! 

If you go into this knowing that they will probably take your chosen cabin away, change the port your leaving from, possibly downgrade you from a balcony to an inside or something like that for no reduction in fare and tell you in the end, if you don't like it "Cancel". You will be alright.

 The also may throw a big charter last minute into it. I am sure you are familiar with some of the group cruises out there. Imagine the horror of actually dealing with one.

 

Absolute worst line I have ever dealt with and I have 59 cruises done.

I do have 5 booked with them with a b2b leaving in 4 days.

[quattrohead]

You need to drop it Steve, enough please.

[BermudaBound2014]

19 minutes ago, quattrohead said:

You need to drop it Steve, enough please.

 

I disagree. Steve's issue is still ongoing with no resolution. It is certainly within your right to be tired of his posts, but it is not within your right to attempt to silence him. There are new people joining the forum every day who have not read his story. There is an ignore feature that many find comforting. 

[travelwide]

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I disagree. Steve's issue is still ongoing with no resolution. It is certainly within your right to be tired of his posts, but it is not within your right to attempt to silence him. There are new people joining the forum every day who have not read his story. There is an ignore feature that many find comforting. 

So what I am hearing you say is while new people are joining and have not heard his story he should continue bashing MSC. 

 

He must have nothing to do. And he continues to sail on them! Is there a head scratching emoji. 

[mscdivina2016]

3 minutes ago, travelwide said:

So what I am hearing you say is while new people are joining and have not heard his story he should continue bashing MSC. 

 

He must have nothing to do. And he continues to sail on them! Is there a head scratching emoji. 

I am retired and in my 50s, so I do have plenty of time between my giving back to the community.

 

Why you ask I continue to sail? Cancellation penalties for Yacht club is why. Non refundable deposits, plus I am in the 120 day time frame for all of them. The b2b one in march was in February but was in March then February but they moved me to March again and even to a different country to board, without telling me.

I have 2 in December, and 1 in January also

 

Once I am done, I am with NCL and Princess thru 2023

 

Until they make good, I will not drop it, and they will find out in a few days. I plan on getting the concierge in Yacht club to have a supervisor call me on the ship. I know it can be done because they did that before on the Orchestra in Northern Europe. 

 For the record, it was always the phone reps telling me they would call within 48-72 hours. On at least a dozen occasions. Still no call. 

 

FYI, have not received refund for Salsa cruise debacle yet either. 

[cruiseguyinorl]

3 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

If you go into this knowing that they will probably take your chosen cabin away, change the port your leaving from, possibly downgrade you from a balcony to an inside or something like that for no reduction in fare and tell you in the end, if you don't like it "Cancel". You will be alright.

 

I have been on 24 cruises with them so the use of the word "probably" is not exactly accurate as none of this has ever happened to me.

 

3 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Absolute worst line I have ever dealt with and I have 59 cruises done.

I do have 5 booked with them with a b2b leaving in 4 days.

 

MSC happens to be my favorite cruise line with 150+ cruises done. Just shows everyone can have a different perspective.

[shipgeeks]

Here's our perspective.

We have done 40+ cruises, on Celebrity, RC, Carnival, NCL, Princess, and others. Our MSC cruises were our favorites, in just about all respects.

However, we might not be like other cruisers.

We research, book, pay, and go on the cruise.  We do not book 11 cruises at a time, planning to (maybe) do one or two of them.  We don't change our minds about our cabin or other arrangements.   We've never had any reason to make a phone call to a cruise line.  We've rarely had any reason to go to Guest Services while onboard.

I might also mention that our MSC cruises were in Bella cabins, not Yacht Club. We were treated exceedingly well throughout.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, travelwide said:

So what I am hearing you say is while new people are joining and have not heard his story he should continue bashing MSC. 

yes, that is exactly what I am saying, just like those who enjoy MSC should keep raving. Freedom of speech and all. 

[travelwide]

2 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

I am retired and in my 50s, so I do have plenty of time between my giving back to the community.

 

Why you ask I continue to sail? Cancellation penalties for Yacht club is why. Non refundable deposits, plus I am in the 120 day time frame for all of them. The b2b one in march was in February but was in March then February but they moved me to March again and even to a different country to board, without telling me.

I have 2 in December, and 1 in January also

 

Once I am done, I am with NCL and Princess thru 2023

 

Until they make good, I will not drop it, and they will find out in a few days. I plan on getting the concierge in Yacht club to have a supervisor call me on the ship. I know it can be done because they did that before on the Orchestra in Northern Europe. 

 For the record, it was always the phone reps telling me they would call within 48-72 hours. On at least a dozen occasions. Still no call. 

 

FYI, have not received refund for Salsa cruise debacle yet either. 

What ships are you getting on in Dec./Jan. Perhaps if it is on one of the larger ones your issues will be handled to your satisfaction. Versus a small ship like the Divina.

 

Hope and positive vibes ring eternal.