Why so many bad reviews on MSC.

[perakcruiser]

19 hours ago, Ptroxx said:

But I’m seeing so many bad reviews on different boards about how bad the food is.  

Well, this is quite simple, and certainly it is not MSC to blame.

 

I easily could choose food I totally dislike from the buffet and in the MDR and then complain. But it was my lack of knowledge and to a certain extent also lacking experience with MSC.

 

After cruising many years with MSC I can honestly say the food there is good. I have many dishes I love and I am looking forward to and they always suprise me with new stuff. Yes, overall good and not exciting, but I dont expect five stars when I pay for three stars. Yes, no filet mignon and no expensive seafood if you not pay extra. Not willig to pay for this and complaining is a little bit ridiculous. 

[mscdivina2016]

19 hours ago, Ptroxx said:

I’m thinking about taking my first cruise on MSC. 

But I’m seeing so many bad reviews on different boards about how bad the food is.  
Others about the service.    
I have a few cruises planned on different lines and was thinking about adding this cruise into the mix

i have 15 days on NCl and 8 days free then another week on RC.  
I’m not to demanding of a cruiser but food is important to me as I’m a little picky of an eater.   
 

will I be disappointed if I take this MSC cruise in between my other trips.  
the price sure is right.  
 

TIA

G
 

 

Great product especially Yacht club. I have 5 more booked in the next 8 months including a 17 night in Saudi Arabia in YC.

 

We even have a family cruise with 12 YC cabins coming up.

 

Just be prepared if you book a Yacht club room they could move you to a Balcony with no reduction in fare. Or from a balcony to an inside cabin with no reduction in fare.

 

They may take your picked room and change it to a guarantee.

They may charge you more for no reason despite your paid in full.

 

The comedy of errors just goes on and on.

 

I like the food, the ships, not the entertainment so much. Too much use of video screens for my liking.

 

 

[MsTabbyKats]

My take on MSC....it's like being in Italy without having to fly there.

I love the international crowd.  Compared to the Americans, the non-Americans dress well.  I don't mean "dressed up".  They just dress better...better sense of style.

 

I love the entertainment....great singers and great dancers. They don't bother with "talk shows" (comedy etc) because of language issues.

 

The ships are gorgeous.  What could be more impressive than a staircase made out of Swarovski crystals?

 

I wasn't crazy about the food; I didn't starve.  But, the pizza is fabulous (an old native NYer....I know my pizza).

 

The workers were always polite....not this "pretend" you are their best friend stuff.

 

My only critique is the land customer service.  They tend to get things wrong.

[morpheusofthesea]

20 hours ago, Ptroxx said:

the price sure is right.

In the article by Erin1012, she states that the family of four booked passage for $700 which works out to $43.75 pp pd. MSC is even advertising a week sailing for $199 which works out to $28.42 pp pd The average 'guest' consumes around 15 drinks a day. All this and one expects what? A banana? Give us all a break.

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by morpheusofthesea
a banana?

[Two Wheels Only]

46 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

You are probably correct however I find that one strange as most ships do something like this now and some have done for a very long time

 

I agree that others do similar things but for some guests, the idea that parts of the ship are off limits to them and even parts of the private island/beach are off limits to them causes complaints. I've read many negative reviews from people who complained that their pool was too crowded but the empty pool for "others" was off limits.

 

Some people really hate seeing a butler lead a group past a line. That leads to complaints that the lines are too long. If the butler never lead anyone past the line, the complainers probably wouldn't be so quick to complain. 

 

Some people really hate seeing someone hijack an elevator. If the Yacht Club guest never commandeered the elevator, the complainer probably wouldn't complain about the "1/2 hour wait" for the elevator. 

 

"Look at that nice hot tub. Lets go there......what?!? Fantastica can't go there but Aurea can?!?...MSC sucks!" - bad review. 

 

Some complaints are valid and some are just complaints for the sake of complaining. I've seen people on excursions forced to throw away bags of food (taken from the buffet) and then blame MSC for not including lunch on the excursion.  

 

I won't even get into the "Where's the butter?" drama. 🤗

[parallax]

If you are interested in trying new experiences, go for it.  If you are looking for more of a cookie cutter experience that aligns with other mass market cruise lines, I would avoid it.   

[Ptroxx]

2 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Great product especially Yacht club. I have 5 more booked in the next 8 months including a 17 night in Saudi Arabia in YC.

 

We even have a family cruise with 12 YC cabins coming up.

 

Just be prepared if you book a Yacht club room they could move you to a Balcony with no reduction in fare. Or from a balcony to an inside cabin with no reduction in fare.

 

They may take your picked room and change it to a guarantee.

They may charge you more for no reason despite your paid in full.

 

The comedy of errors just goes on and on.

 

I like the food, the ships, not the entertainment so much. Too much use of video screens for my liking.

 

 

Like I said.  I’m not aYC person.   But thanks. 

[Ptroxx]

2 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

Well, this is quite simple, and certainly it is not MSC to blame.

 

I easily could choose food I totally dislike from the buffet and in the MDR and then complain. But it was my lack of knowledge and to a certain extent also lacking experience with MSC.

 

After cruising many years with MSC I can honestly say the food there is good. I have many dishes I love and I am looking forward to and they always suprise me with new stuff. Yes, overall good and not exciting, but I dont expect five stars when I pay for three stars. Yes, no filet mignon and no expensive seafood if you not pay extra. Not willig to pay for this and complaining is a little bit ridiculous. 

That’s why I’ve posted this thread. So I know what to expect if I take the cruise line.   
I don’t do specialty dinning. And will not pay 1000’s more for a certain class on a ship like haven or YC    I’m not a baller. Lolol.

thanks for the info.  

[Ptroxx]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

In the article by Erin1012, she states that the family of four booked passage for $700 which works out to $43.75 pp pd. MSC is even advertising a week sailing for $199 which works out to $28.42 pp pd The average 'guest' consumes around 15 drinks a day. All this and one expects what? A banana? Give us all a break.

 

Sorry have no idea what your talking about here.   Don’t now about the article by erin1012.    And I don’t drink.   And I love bananas.      Give me a break.  Lol. 

[Eglesbrech]

3 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Just be prepared if you book a Yacht club room they could move you to a Balcony with no reduction in fare. Or from a balcony to an inside cabin with no reduction in fare.

 

They may take your picked room and change it to a guarantee.

They may charge you more for no reason despite your paid in full.

 

 

 

Unlikely in the  U.K. due to the different consumer laws. We pay a lot more for cruises but have more consumer protection.

[mscdivina2016]

7 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Unlikely in the  U.K. due to the different consumer laws. We pay a lot more for cruises but have more consumer protection.

We have or had our terms and conditions but they chose not to follow them.

I took my first run at them with a lawyer. I was told I will win. But, attorney fees are not recoverable and they will run up my legal bill triple what I would recover. How is that attitude??

 

Let's talk about recovery...

Yacht clubs cost was $5000.

"Brochure"Basic rate for a balcony was $2900. Plus internet and premium booze was $1200 so $4100.   I would recover $900!

 

Yet I could book that balcony under the all in promo for $1300.

 

 

 

[dznymom]

1 hour ago, Ptroxx said:

Like I said.  I’m not aYC person.   But thanks. 

I responded earlier about how much I have enjoyed my MSC Cruises.  Although I have sailed in suites on many other lines, I have never felt the need on MSC.  I prefer to enjoy meandering around the ship, and in the past when booked in the Haven/Neptune/whatever I sort of felt that I needed to get the most out of the experience, and didn't do as much mingling with the non-suite guests.  I will be returning to MSC regularly, and have no plans to bother with the Yacht Club.  Don't let people try to convince you that you are missing out when you aren't in Yacht Club!

 

One other note regarding food.  I am not much of a beef eater, but I find that their beef dishes are probably their weakest.  (Are any of the lines serving good beef in the MDR these days?) But I really enjoy their poultry, fish & pork dishes as well as anything Italian.  They have wonderful appetizers and their desserts are pretty much fabulous!

[Nunagoras]

22 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

MSC is different in many ways.

 

Some people complain because things are simply not what they are used to.

 

Some people don't do their research and complain about the experience that THEY selected.

 

Some people have an aversion to different food types.

 

Some people don't like "foreigners" and MSC attracts many different nationalities.

 

Some people don't like some of the traditions that MSC has for many such as assigned dining and formal nights.

 

Some people don't like the tiers for "experience" and see it as class segregation (NCL's Haven is often seen in the same way).

 

Some....maybe ALL have issues with MSC's IT department and MSC's land-based customer service.

 

With so many different things, one can understand why MSC's reviews are all over the place.

This, exactly! I couldn't write it better. Permit me just to add: Both MSC, RCI, NCL and CCL/Costa are all of them contemporary mainstream lines. Both will offer you the same standards of European 4* land hotel market. You won't be bad on either one. Both ones will have hit or miss moments along the way. With 7 cruises with MSC and another one in the making I can be seen as an MSC cheerleader of some sort. Yeah, they have a nice product for the price tag. I understand the limits though. Their website is ugly and sometimes their land based services are less than stellar. But that's it. I've enjoyed all my cruises with them with just a few odd days on one of them, my fault, I booked a transitioning week cruise with partial crew turnaround mid week.

[Ptroxx]

20 minutes ago, dznymom said:

I responded earlier about how much I have enjoyed my MSC Cruises.  Although I have sailed in suites on many other lines, I have never felt the need on MSC.  I prefer to enjoy meandering around the ship, and in the past when booked in the Haven/Neptune/whatever I sort of felt that I needed to get the most out of the experience, and didn't do as much mingling with the non-suite guests.  I will be returning to MSC regularly, and have no plans to bother with the Yacht Club.  Don't let people try to convince you that you are missing out when you aren't in Yacht Club!

 

One other note regarding food.  I am not much of a beef eater, but I find that their beef dishes are probably their weakest.  (Are any of the lines serving good beef in the MDR these days?) But I really enjoy their poultry, fish & pork dishes as well as anything Italian.  They have wonderful appetizers and their desserts are pretty much fabulous!

Thank you for the response.    
Ive been on many cruises on many lines and find I do not need to be in the upper class sections.  
I get just as much out of my cruise as the next guy.  
i don’t need a butler that’s for sure.    
id rather use my extra money for other trips.      
im not much of a beef eater either.  But I’ve had some good prime rib on many cruises Lolol.   
after watching some videos on the food options I actually think I’ll be fine.  
I’m a big Italian food eater and chicken eater too so as long as I can get something along those lines I’ll be just fine.   

im actually looking forward to trying a new cruise line now.    
I just tried Princess for the first time and had an amazing time.   

[Ptroxx]

16 minutes ago, Nunagoras said:

This, exactly! I couldn't write it better. Permit me just to add: Both MSC, RCI, NCL and CCL/Costa are all of them contemporary mainstream lines. Both will offer you the same standards of European 4* land hotel market. You won't be bad on either one. Both ones will have hit or miss moments along the way. With 7 cruises with MSC and another one in the making I can be seen as an MSC cheerleader of some sort. Yeah, they have a nice product for the price tag. I understand the limits though. Their website is ugly and sometimes their land based services are less than stellar. But that's it. I've enjoyed all my cruises with them with just a few odd days on one of them, my fault, I booked a transitioning week cruise with partial crew turnaround mid week.

Thanks.  And yes there web site is terrible Lolol.  
 

traveling as a solo it’s just me to worry about so my guess is I’ll be just fine. 

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, Ptroxx said:

Sorry have no idea what your talking about here.   Don’t now about the article by erin1012.    And I don’t drink.   And I love bananas.      Give me a break.  Lol. 

What 'I' am talking about? You started this thread using Erin1012's review. I went back and read her review YOU cited. Suggest one read ones own  posts and evidence. Then I'll give you a break.

[Ptroxx]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

What 'I' am talking about? You started this thread using Erin1012's review. I went back and read her review YOU cited. Suggest one read ones own  posts and evidence. Then I'll give you a break.

That screen shot was a view of the review ratings.  Had nothing to do about the top review but Erin.   And I did read the review.   Along with many other reviews that’s why the confusion.  Hence  this post.       But thanks for stopping by.     And I don’t need a break from you lol. 

Edited August 31, 2022 by Ptroxx

[morpheusofthesea]

50 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

That screen shot was a view of the review ratings.  Had nothing to do about the top review but Erin.   And I did read the review.   Along with many other reviews that’s why the confusion.  Hence  this post.       But thanks for stopping by.     And I don’t need a break from you lol. 

Ok. So my point is much the same as others. The complainers have expected too much for the price they paid for the cruise category they selected. Here is a quote from a crew member in response to the question "What are the passengers like?" 

""The passengers were so varied, it is hard to say. The line itself was a bit cheap so the clientele tended to follow suit. There were a lot of complaints. Some were very aggressive. However, the majority of clients were lovely, grateful, and very interested in life onboard." — Bethany, English hostess Erin1012 was upset with the waiter not searching the kitchen for a banana for her son, which might have been set out in the fruit section of the buffet or the Spa cafe, just not on the menu in the MDR.  Now maybe I have a similar experience as Erin 1012 with a berliner (cream filled donut) that was on the MDR menu but was not available either. The cruise was still a 5 star experience.

[Ptroxx]

2 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Ok. So my point is much the same as others. The complainers have expected too much for the price they paid for the cruise category they selected. Here is a quote from a crew member in response to the question "What are the passengers like?" 

""The passengers were so varied, it is hard to say. The line itself was a bit cheap so the clientele tended to follow suit. There were a lot of complaints. Some were very aggressive. However, the majority of clients were lovely, grateful, and very interested in life onboard." — Bethany, English hostess Erin1012 was upset with the waiter not searching the kitchen for a banana for her son, which might have been set out in the fruit section of the buffet or the Spa cafe, just not on the menu in the MDR.  Now maybe I have a similar experience as Erin 1012 with a berliner (cream filled donut) that was on the MDR menu but was not available either. The cruise was still a 5 star experience.

Omg were still on Erin 1012  

   
I have my answer on what I’ll be doing.     Lololol 😂 

[morpheusofthesea]

2 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

Omg were still on Erin 1012  

   
I have my answer on what I’ll be doing.     Lololol 😂 

There are more readers than there are posters and the replies here help others make more informed choices.

[Ptroxx]

20 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

There are more readers than there are posters and the replies here help others make more informed choices.

So it sounds like my thread was a good idea to post then.  
Thanks for keep referring to erin1012 post.    
1 of the 546 reviews of the Meravglia.  
One of 16 ships in the fleet.    👍👍🥓

[awhcruiser]

Time to put this to bed.....

[perakcruiser]

10 hours ago, Ptroxx said:

That’s why I’ve posted this thread. So I know what to expect if I take the cruise line.   
I don’t do specialty dinning. And will not pay 1000’s more for a certain class on a ship like haven or YC    I’m not a baller. Lolol.

thanks for the info.  

You're welcome. I am cruising with them for more then 10 years, never been in any "speciality" restaurant not the YC. 

 

And I am a beef eater, but apart from one or two beef dishes that I know they do perfect, I avoid it, beef is really their weak point, but with so many alternatives absolutely no problem for me. 

 

By the way, beef is also the weak point in many restaurants in Italy, of course not when they are specialised in Bistecca Fiorentina. Which MSC also serves for a upcharge.

 

 

[Ptroxx]

12 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

You're welcome. I am cruising with them for more then 10 years, never been in any "speciality" restaurant not the YC. 

 

And I am a beef eater, but apart from one or two beef dishes that I know they do perfect, I avoid it, beef is really their weak point, but with so many alternatives absolutely no problem for me. 

 

By the way, beef is also the weak point in many restaurants in Italy, of course not when they are specialised in Bistecca Fiorentina. Which MSC also serves for a upcharge.

 

 

More good info.   I don’t eat a lot of beef.  It’s not good for me lol 

what are there good beef dishes?   Just incase lol 

[Eaglestrike]

Hi friends,

 

My wife and I are scheduled for our fifth YC cruise this November on the Seaside for the 18 day repositioning cruise. 

 

The service in the YC is world class in my humble opinion and to be honest we do not use the butler service to much however enjoy the ambiance of the Topsail and the YC restaurant, not waiting in line etc., 

 

We also really enjoy the rest of the ship as well. MSC has really beautiful ships, great music and shows in our opinion.

 

I have only sailed YC however my wife and her sisters have done 7 MSC cruises non YC and have a really great time also, love the food and entertainment and no complaints. 

 

The land based customer service is hit or miss depending on who your contact is. MSC is a big company so most likely many new customer service people who are not well trained and may lack experience-Best advice is apologize and say you have a call coming in and then call back a minute or two later with another agent. 

 

Happy sailing!