Hello guys and ladies, What’s MSC like compared to carnival?

[Stockjock]

Offshore customer service is better on Carnival.

Most everything else, I prefer MSC.

Exception: If you like to drink until you are sloppy drunk and are a hardcore party animal, Carnival may be a better option.

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

2 hours ago, Stockjock said:

Offshore customer service is better on Carnival.

Most everything else, I prefer MSC.

Exception: If you like to drink until you are sloppy drunk and are a hardcore party animal, Carnival may be a better option.

i don’t drink at all honestly, I do love food though and I enjoy the fun shows and deck parties and watching movies under the stars on my carnival cruises.

 

 Thank you all for the responses. I have booked my first MSC cruise for next year. 

[1kaper]

9 hours ago, cruizinisthebest said:

I would like to thank the OP for this post and others as the replies are VERY helpful.

 

Dedicated Carnival cruiser here. We love it and complain about very little while on vacation. Matter of fact, I personally loathe people who travel and then complain about this or that the whole time. Vacation for us is a true sacrifice, and I refuse to spend it upset about petty things.  That said, Carnival is very familiar to us. We are wanting to try something new. As others have said, MSC stands out for us right now, because their pricing is pretty dang good. Even leaving from New York, which would be fantastic!

 

So long as the kids have food to eat (teenagers) and we can relax, we should be good. Be nice to try something different.

 

Can someone tell me about the easy drink package and if there are enough basic choices to choose from? And also, can you load your onboard account with cash? One more thing, do you think there's alot onboard to spend extra on or is the included food and treats sufficient? This will help with planning our budget. TIA!

 

I went with the easy plus and that was fine for me.  I am not sure about the easy package. 

 

Not sure about loading with cash. 

 

I don't find there is any more to spend on board extra than Carnival.  They have an arcade but not as much as carnival. They also have rides.  I know you can buy a package to cover it but not sure of the pricing.  I haven't done a Carnival cruise with a ride either so I don't know how it compares.  
I found there was plenty of food and treats included.  On our last night we did try the wings because someone on FB kept raving about them.  It was pretty cheap, like $5 I think.  They were fine.  We also ordered a pizza from the Italian restaurant because you could choose your own toppings.  But we are also celebrating our last night (ie had a few drinks).  I didn't find it necessary. 

[CruizinSusan70]

9 hours ago, Stockjock said:

 

Exception: If you like to drink until you are sloppy drunk and are a hardcore party animal, Carnival may be a better option.

Hardcore party animals are usually upset over the fact that Carnival limits their drink package to 15 per day, so MSC may actually be a better option.  Plus MSC does have promotions that include either the easy or easy plus package at times, as opposed to Carnival that never has Cheers included unless it's a casino promo for gamblers.

[Homosassa]

30 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Hardcore party animals are usually upset over the fact that Carnival limits their drink package to 15 per day, so MSC may actually be a better option.  Plus MSC does have promotions that include either the easy or easy plus package at times, as opposed to Carnival that never has Cheers included unless it's a casino promo for gamblers.

MSC has subtle ways to maintain the family friendly atmosphere.

 

Those who cruise to be drunk 24 hours a day, will find it difficult to get their fix at times on MSC.

 

Bars open later in the morning. 

 

The number of bars that are open will be limited. During the day, one may only find alcohol available on the pool deck and the pours, IMO, are light.

 

At night, the bars will be open in the lounges for those that want a drink.  You will be asked once when you sit down if you want a drink. If you say no, a napkin will be placed on the table as a signal that you have been asked and there will be no constant asking by servers.

 

There is no pushing of drinking to increase sales.

 

On nights that might include free drinks at a reception, those drinks will not be allowed to be carried into the MDR.

 

So while there may be no limit on the number of alcoholic drinks a day, it is because MSC does not need one with the market demographic that they target.

[Homosassa]

For those of you who are cruising MSC for the first time, here is information that you need:

 

If you are using  a credit card on board, all MSC ships (including US itineraries) process the charges through a French (or is it Swiss?) bank. 

 

Use a card with no foreign transaction fee if you have one.

 

If you notify your card issuer ahead of time of your travel plans, make sure you speak to a representative so that they know a hold will be coming through from a foreign bank. This will stop you card from being declined if you use the kiosk on board to register your card (lesson learned the hard way).

[1kaper]

15 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

MSC has subtle ways to maintain the family friendly atmosphere.

 

Those who cruise to be drunk 24 hours a day, will find it difficult to get their fix at times on MSC.

 

Bars open later in the morning. 

 

The number of bars that are open will be limited. During the day, one may only find alcohol available on the pool deck and the pours, IMO, are light.

 

At night, the bars will be open in the lounges for those that want a drink.  You will be asked once when you sit down if you want a drink. If you say no, a napkin will be placed on the table as a signal that you have been asked and there will be no constant asking by servers.

 

There is no pushing of drinking to increase sales.

 

On nights that might include free drinks at a reception, those drinks will not be allowed to be carried into the MDR.

 

So while there may be no limit on the number of alcoholic drinks a day, it is because MSC does not need one with the market demographic that they target.

Haha.  One of the things that irritated me with Carnival is that I like a mimosa or two in the morning.  They count as two drinks, when in reality 2 mimosas would equal about half a drink of wine.  They are made in very small glasses. 

On MSC, I would go to the pool bar after my run and they would pour me a mimosa in a large glass.  

I don't think I ever noticed a difference in service or bars being/open/closed.   But now that I think of it, I'm not sure I saw servers coming around the pool.  I do tend to get my own drinks though. But on our last Carnival cruise, we had to sit further away from the bar to be by the slides for my kid.  We tipped a server well and he checked on us regularly.  I don't think I had that on Carnival. 

 

(on another note - the "running track" on MSC is terrible, it isn't marked, goes through the pool bar which is the smoking area and on Divina was also very narrow on one side.  Trying to run laps while docking at Ocean Cay meant dodging people watching on deck.)

Edited October 13, 2022 by 1kaper

[Homosassa]

3 minutes ago, 1kaper said:

I don't think I ever noticed a difference in service.  But now that I think of it, I'm not sure I saw servers coming around the pool.  I do tend to get my own drinks though. But on our last Carnival cruise, we had to sit further away from the bar to be by the slides for my kid.  We tipped a server well and he checked on us regularly.  I don't think I had that on Carnival. 

 

 

Wasn't sure if one of the mentions of Carnival wasn't meant to be MSC in this paragraph.

 

Once a server on MSC knows that you have ordered a drink, they will keep an eye on you for a signal that you wish to order another one. 

 

I can see where an MSC server  would pass by regularly to discretely check if  another drink was needed.

[1kaper]

5 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Wasn't sure if one of the mentions of Carnival wasn't meant to be MSC in this paragraph.

 

Once a server on MSC knows that you have ordered a drink, they will keep an eye on you for a signal that you wish to order another one. 

 

I can see where an MSC server  would pass by regularly to discretely check if  another drink was needed.

 

You are correct.  That was meant to be MSC not Carnival. 

[CampNCruise74]

On 10/11/2022 at 11:10 AM, guxu said:

So, does that mean MSC has more restricted dress code, e.g. in Main Dinning rooms?

Yes, I have seen no tank tops by men on MSC in MDR.  Recently on the Mardi Gras I saw them multiple times.   Carnival has no table cloths.  MSC is still using them, making the MDR a more fancy affair.... 

[cruizinisthebest]

3 hours ago, 1kaper said:

 

I went with the easy plus and that was fine for me.  I am not sure about the easy package. 

 

Not sure about loading with cash. 

 

I don't find there is any more to spend on board extra than Carnival.  They have an arcade but not as much as carnival. They also have rides.  I know you can buy a package to cover it but not sure of the pricing.  I haven't done a Carnival cruise with a ride either so I don't know how it compares.  
I found there was plenty of food and treats included.  On our last night we did try the wings because someone on FB kept raving about them.  It was pretty cheap, like $5 I think.  They were fine.  We also ordered a pizza from the Italian restaurant because you could choose your own toppings.  But we are also celebrating our last night (ie had a few drinks).  I didn't find it necessary. 

Thanks!!

[Stockjock]

3 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Hardcore party animals are usually upset over the fact that Carnival limits their drink package to 15 per day, so MSC may actually be a better option.  Plus MSC does have promotions that include either the easy or easy plus package at times, as opposed to Carnival that never has Cheers included unless it's a casino promo for gamblers.

Despite this, I find that passengers on MSC tend to be more responsible.  I have never seen a fight or a sloppy drunk on an MSC cruise and I've seen fights, arguments and sloppy drunks on pretty much every Carnival cruise.  This may be, in part, due to more European passengers, who are generally more moderate and responsible drinkers, in my opinion.

I also feel that, even though you do see plenty of young people on MSC, Carnival has a younger demographic, where the emphasis may be on doing shots and such to get drunk/buzzed quickly.  Conversely, on MSC, you may see passengers doing less in terms of shots or high alcohol drinks and more sipping wine or a cocktail.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Stockjock

[CruizinSusan70]

7 hours ago, Homosassa said:

 

So while there may be no limit on the number of alcoholic drinks a day, it is because MSC does not need one with the market demographic that they target.

With the recent announcement of the influx of additional ships that will be coming into the US market, it's obvious that they are planning to attempt to gain more market share.  The easiest way to do this will be to continue being the value leader price wise especially if it contains the easy or easy plus package, which will undercut Carnival after factoring in the price of Cheers.  

Once enough people in the US are aware of the pricing, MSC will possibly overtake Carnival as the value leader and of course the percentage of "party people" that goes along with it.  No matter what MSC's marketing plan is, if they are the cheapest cruise option with a drinks package, then a certain type of cruiser will follow.

[LatinaInTexas]

I love Carnival and took my first MSC cruise in August on the Seashore.

What I found different and missed most was no comedy club, no serenity, definitely preferred HMC to Ocean Cay, and no extra no fee food options. Also didn't like the assigned dining times, I was assigned 5:15. And yes I tried numerous times to change it with no success. The excursions choices were a bit limited and a lot of them were just a couple of hours long.

What I found different and enjoyed was the ease of using the drink package, the entertainment, the food, adequate amount of pools and hot tubs, the beauty of the ship. Most shocking and most enjoyable was that the casino was never more than half full.

The biggest difference I observed were the passengers. They were the best dressed, healthy looking, polite, well mannered group of people I have ever been around. I think I counted seeing a total of 2 scooters compared to dodging them left and right on Carnival.

The downside was the passengers mostly kept to themselves, they weren't outgoing or talkative, Im sure it was a language barrier. I was stuck talking to my husband of 40 years for a week 😯

 

 

[Tierun]

15 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

With the recent announcement of the influx of additional ships that will be coming into the US market, it's obvious that they are planning to attempt to gain more market share.  The easiest way to do this will be to continue being the value leader price wise especially if it contains the easy or easy plus package, which will undercut Carnival after factoring in the price of Cheers.  

Once enough people in the US are aware of the pricing, MSC will possibly overtake Carnival as the value leader and of course the percentage of "party people" that goes along with it.  No matter what MSC's marketing plan is, if they are the cheapest cruise option with a drinks package, then a certain type of cruiser will follow.

It won’t get as bad on MSC considering they don’t even offer the drink package for 3nt sailings.

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

 

Once enough people in the US are aware of the pricing, MSC will possibly overtake Carnival as the value leader and of course the percentage of "party people" that goes along with it.  No matter what MSC's marketing plan is, if they are the cheapest cruise option with a drinks package, then a certain type of cruiser will follow.

I don't see that happening.

 

Two fisted drinkers are not inducive of the market niche as a family line that MSC embraces and drunken behavior will not be tolerated on board ship.

 

I feel that MSC has realized that they have overlooked the type of passenger that at one time would have looked to HAL, Princess and Celebrity for a more refined cruise experience.

 

With the Carnivalization of the first two brands and Celebrity slipping in the cruise experience it was once known for, there is a whole segment of the experienced cruise population looking for a new line.

[1kaper]

2 hours ago, LatinaInTexas said:

I love Carnival and took my first MSC cruise in August on the Seashore.

What I found different and missed most was no comedy club, no serenity, definitely preferred HMC to Ocean Cay, and no extra no fee food options. Also didn't like the assigned dining times, I was assigned 5:15. And yes I tried numerous times to change it with no success. The excursions choices were a bit limited and a lot of them were just a couple of hours long.

What I found different and enjoyed was the ease of using the drink package, the entertainment, the food, adequate amount of pools and hot tubs, the beauty of the ship. Most shocking and most enjoyable was that the casino was never more than half full.

The biggest difference I observed were the passengers. They were the best dressed, healthy looking, polite, well mannered group of people I have ever been around. I think I counted seeing a total of 2 scooters compared to dodging them left and right on Carnival.

The downside was the passengers mostly kept to themselves, they weren't outgoing or talkative, Im sure it was a language barrier. I was stuck talking to my husband of 40 years for a week 😯

 

 

 

i agree about HMC. 
also the casino is smoke free which I enjoyed. The last cruise I did did have a smoke free casino but it was small and the better games were in the main one. 
 

ditto the scooter observation. I don’t think I saw one. 

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, Homosassa said:

I don't see that happening.

 

Two fisted drinkers are not inducive of the market niche as a family line that MSC embraces and drunken behavior will not be tolerated on board ship.

 

I feel that MSC has realized that they have overlooked the type of passenger that at one time would have looked to HAL, Princess and Celebrity for a more refined cruise experience.

 

With the Carnivalization of the first two brands and Celebrity slipping in the cruise experience it was once known for, there is a whole segment of the experienced cruise population looking for a new line.

MSC is just as much a "family" line as Carnival is.  MSC is an entry level cruise line, similar to RCI, NCL and Carnival.   I also realize that the lack of a comedy club and the type of entertainment that's offered in the main showroom is because of the multiple languages that are on board that needs to be catered to. 

 

And you obviously have not recently sailed on one of the Edge Class ships that Celebrity has because it blows away anything that Celebrity has had in over 30 years and I have sailed on each and every class of ship that Celebrity has put out over that time period.

 

I don't put all of my eggs in one basket.  Have cruised on Carnival, Royal, NCL, MSC, Celebrity and Princess.  No cruise line is perfect, they all have their pluses and minuses, but please don't blow smoke that your beloved MSC is the perfect family line and that Carnival is full of two fisted drinkers.  If that's the only type of cruiser that sailed on Carnival they would not be the largest cruise line in the world.

 

[Nunagoras]

11 hours ago, Homosassa said:

I don't see that happening.

 

Two fisted drinkers are not inducive of the market niche as a family line that MSC embraces and drunken behavior will not be tolerated on board ship.

 

I feel that MSC has realized that they have overlooked the type of passenger that at one time would have looked to HAL, Princess and Celebrity for a more refined cruise experience.

 

With the Carnivalization of the first two brands and Celebrity slipping in the cruise experience it was once known for, there is a whole segment of the experienced cruise population looking for a new line.

Quite interesting post @Homosassa, congrats! But things are a somewhat more complex than that...

 

First of its all: sadly for me, the X, Princess and HAL loyal brigade is a diminishing one. TBHH; the over 70's are now retiring from cruising. Either way some of them are becoming older and less healthy, others are simply giving up over the post covid new normalcy. X and Princess are dealing very well with it by changing their experience to accommodate the newer premium generation. Carnival may decide to finish HAL one or the other day, or try to sell it for a niche market business that focus on a small classical experience for "those few" that will ever remain available for the product. New X/Princess experience is far from classical cruising? Sure, but it seems that the newer generations don't want classical cruising either way. MSC has looked over that diminishing classical crowd by creating the Yacht Club and now, trying to transfer the Yacht Clubbers to their new luxury experience named Explora Journeys. It's a win-win for all. Explora may survive some 15-20 years out the classical crowd from X, Princess, HAL and YC, before even them making the switch. Sooner rather than later the YC will be sort of diluted on such a slightly more than Aurea experience with the corresponding price adjustment, on a more modern fashion. The World class YC arrangement seems conductive to that by the way.

 

As far as Carnival drunken crowd becoming the norm on MSC with time due to the unlimited drinks packages; I also can't see that happening, because MSC ship's operation by itself counteracts whom tries-to do so. MSC will then continue to be such a baseline mainstream cruise line for the younger families. Modern in most aspects, but they won't promote drunken at sea, that's is out of question, me thinks!

[Homosassa]

10 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

MSC is just as much a "family" line as Carnival is.  MSC is an entry level cruise line, similar to RCI, NCL and Carnival.   I also realize that the lack of a comedy club and the type of entertainment that's offered in the main showroom is because of the multiple languages that are on board that needs to be catered to. 

 

And you obviously have not recently sailed on one of the Edge Class ships that Celebrity has because it blows away anything that Celebrity has had in over 30 years and I have sailed on each and every class of ship that Celebrity has put out over that time period.

 

I don't put all of my eggs in one basket.  Have cruised on Carnival, Royal, NCL, MSC, Celebrity and Princess.  No cruise line is perfect, they all have their pluses and minuses, but please don't blow smoke that your beloved MSC is the perfect family line and that Carnival is full of two fisted drinkers.  If that's the only type of cruiser that sailed on Carnival they would not be the largest cruise line in the world.

 

LOL - two cruises on Celebrity in the first six months of 2022 under my belt. First cruise on Celebrity was on Chandris in 1976.  I am well aware of the evaluation of the brand and on board experience over the last forty six years.  It has changed.

 

I have cruise Carnival - my opinion reflects my experience on board ship. 

 

I am not loyal to any one brand - I have cruised on lines over the years that you have probably never heard of or know their tie to current cruise lines.

 

MSC is just one of many that I will cruise nowadays and, yes, I consider it the best family cruise line for those that actually want to cruise with and enjoy spending time with all members of the family.

 

Funny, you consider MSC to be an entry level cruise line. If I had to compare my experience on MSC with any cruise lines that I now sail, Viking Ocean comes to mind  because of the cosmopolitan atmosphere on board and the expectations and behavior of those repeat  MSC cruisers from around the world.

 

FYI - I don't do Yacht Club, if I want that experience I do Viking. Until they changed the category to be only guaranteed , I booked a Bella interior cabin as low and amidships as possible. 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Homosassa

[Homosassa]

3 hours ago, Nunagoras said:

Quite interesting post @Homosassa, congrats! But things are a somewhat more complex than that...

I agree with you. I tried to keep my explanation simple for those who did not have the cruising experience to know the HAL and Princess (Sitmar) of old.

 

Younger generation "classical" cruisers do exist. 

 

They  are the ones that started cruising with the family at a young age on the higher tier cruise lines and grew up with that cruise experience. Others are new to cruising but have discovered the joys of a the "classical" experience.

 

Of course, some of those lines still exist, in name but not experience. Royal Caribbean is an example as it was slowly repositioned down market to be an entry level cruise line to allow for Celebrity when it was purchased from Chandris to take the Royal Caribbean niche.

 

Then Celebrity and Royal Caribbean had to allow for Azamara to take the Celebrity spot as the premium brand.

[styles27]

16 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

With the recent announcement of the influx of additional ships that will be coming into the US market, it's obvious that they are planning to attempt to gain more market share.  The easiest way to do this will be to continue being the value leader price wise especially if it contains the easy or easy plus package, which will undercut Carnival after factoring in the price of Cheers.  

Once enough people in the US are aware of the pricing, MSC will possibly overtake Carnival as the value leader and of course the percentage of "party people" that goes along with it.  No matter what MSC's marketing plan is, if they are the cheapest cruise option with a drinks package, then a certain type of cruiser will follow.

I think you’re right that MSC undercutting the competition in the US market may start to look attractive to a certain demographic.
I hope it doesn’t happen.
We stopped cruising Carnival  because I was tired of being around people who drink to get drunk because they “paid for it” then make complete a$&es of themselves. 
 It’s the main reason we stopped going to all inclusive resorts also. Even the higher end all inclusive resorts just attracted people who could afford to pay 5* prices but were still there to “get their money’s worth” in booze. 

 

 

[Homosassa]

Styles27,

I understand your concern and MSC may very well have to deal with attracting a type of cruiser that does not fit in with their desired cruising demographic.

 

However, I am sure MSC will make sure that those with undesirable drunken behavior will know that it is unacceptable.

 

Another line that is probably struggling with the problem currently is Celebrity.  I think the realization that the all inclusive fares that include unlimited alcohol by those who cruise to booze is not the demographic Celebrity wishes to be known for will see changes (there has already be a change back to a fare available that is not all inclusive).

[Nunagoras]

10 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

I agree with you. I tried to keep my explanation simple for those who did not have the cruising experience to know the HAL and Princess (Sitmar) of old.

 

Younger generation "classical" cruisers do exist. 

 

They  are the ones that started cruising with the family at a young age on the higher tier cruise lines and grew up with that cruise experience. Others are new to cruising but have discovered the joys of a the "classical" experience.

 

Of course, some of those lines still exist, in name but not experience. Royal Caribbean is an example as it was slowly repositioned down market to be an entry level cruise line to allow for Celebrity when it was purchased from Chandris to take the Royal Caribbean niche.

 

Then Celebrity and Royal Caribbean had to allow for Azamara to take the Celebrity spot as the premium brand.

Surely! I understand you! Though, by newer generations I'm talking about those on 20's nowadays. They started cruising some 10 years ago when massification and trademark differentiation took part. I started my cruising's career some 20 years ago, on the early days of MSC when they were mostly an Italian thing for the Italians, and only the Lirica class plus one or 2 older ships I don't remember which names they were! I was fortunate enough to go on the inaugural MSC Musica season here in Europe. Cruising at that time was a privilege for very few ones. Going on a bar? Forget that. some EUR 10 for such an freshly squeezed orange juice was the norm. A coffee was relatively cheap though, I don't know why... Things have definitely changed, ones for the better, ones not so much. But most of those kids have no idea of what a midnight buffet was about for example. My last one was 2012 or so... They don't even know what "classical" cruising was entirely about. And to capture them cruise lines will need to meet their expectations. A multitude of "celebrity chefs" specialty restaurants booked and paid apart, adventure technology heavy activities to keep them "connected" and the likes will be the norm. An array of quick going buffet like venues to feed them in a nutshell will be what we will have bundled on our baseline fares... The wonderful days of a strong connection between us and the sea seems to have gotten to an end, unless one pays upfront for the premium... And let us see for how long will that premium resist. I hope those new energy technologies like green hydrogen to pave the way for affordable small ship experiences... But that will only to be possible several decades away from us all. And I'm becoming old enough to wait... Meanwhile, RCI has sold Azamara to a niche market business, paving the way for Silversea on the small ships niche; Explora will start one day; Portuguese owned Atlas cruises is having its momentum on the exploration market. Viking is starting their exploration ship venture as well... Some interesting moments are coming to the cruise industry!...

 

Have a nice day!...

[Nunagoras]

6 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Styles27,

I understand your concern and MSC may very well have to deal with attracting a type of cruiser that does not fit in with their desired cruising demographic.

 

However, I am sure MSC will make sure that those with undesirable drunken behavior will know that it is unacceptable.

 

Another line that is probably struggling with the problem currently is Celebrity.  I think the realization that the all inclusive fares that include unlimited alcohol by those who cruise to booze is not the demographic Celebrity wishes to be known for will see changes (there has already be a change back to a fare available that is not all inclusive).

Celebrity's problem is another, IMHO. X was ever seen as a little notch above RCI in the market. But their fares have skyrocketed on the last few years. Came Covid and they've lost part of their older loyal crowd. Now they're stuck with a company trying to be 2 notches above RCI while maintaining a price scheme competitive enough, at least with the P&O/Princess/Virgin/Cunard combo... X ships are too large for the Viking/Oceania/Explora service level, but they don't want it P&O/Princess/Virgin/Cunard either... Time will tell. I believe X to start a niche of its own: I'll call it "Affordable Luxury" to simplify things and distinguish to the Premium and Mid Luxury ones. Will it work? Only time will tell, but they'll need to make concessions on the selling point for sure. Make it no to just half inclusive is certainly one.