My take on MSC. 10 pros and 10 cons.

[Stockjock]

3 hours ago, 1kaper said:

I think you nailed most of what I would have said.  We also had an issue where our dining time got changed when we got an upgrade but we had no issue changing it.  But we were also sailing very under capacity. 

My #1 Con for MSC is the drink packages.  I HATE how it is done.  Trying to figure out the different levels and what goes with what.  I was worried the whole time I would order a drink that wasn't covered by my package and be charged for it.  
I did eventually intentionally order two drinks with top shelf liquor in it and was alerted both times that it wasn't in my package and I would pay. 

There are so many questions on the drink package.  I suppose it is better for some people who would like to have an option of price point.  

I had the easy plus drink package and I asked the bartender if the Havana Club seven year was included in my package. He told me yes, so I ordered some drinks. The morning of checkout I noticed a 20 some odd dollars charge on my bill and had to wait in a long line at customer service to try to get it sorted out.

 

it probably took me at least 25 minutes to get to the front counter, and then she was calling everyone rather than just taking my word for it. Finally she removed it from the bill, but it was a bit annoying, and of course I would not have ordered that because Havana Club three-year was included. But yes, I understand what you are saying. I guess as long as they give you good information we are OK, but they did not give me good info in this instance.

[asalligo]

1 hour ago, Stockjock said:

I think that’s a total mischaracterization of my comments, and I think that if you read it again that will be obvious.  
 

The issue is not whether or not other people speak different languages, it’s that having to listen to the announcements or jokes in five or six languages can get old for someone who is not used to that, and perhaps even for someone who is used to that.

I was just joking and not calling you out. This is the common joke I make with my kids constantly pretending to be the terrible American and saying things like, just add o to the end for spanish and speak louder. I would also hate to sit through six versions of the same announcement. 

[asalligo]

Duplicate

Edited October 18, 2022 by asalligo

[Stockjock]

1 hour ago, asalligo said:

I was just joking and not calling you out. This is the common joke I make with my kids constantly pretending to be the terrible American and saying things like, just add o to the end for spanish and speak louder. I would also hate to sit through six versions of the same announcement. 

Thanks for the clarification.  I thought we were being called out as "ugly Americans" who demanded that everyone speak English and that wasn't the case at all.  I'm sure it gets tedious even for French or German speakers.

I felt a bit bad for the cruise director, who is German, I believe.  At the end of the shows, she would make long announcements in about 6 languages, which is impressive, but about 98% of the audience just ignored her and left the theater.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Stockjock

[no1talks]

2 hours ago, asalligo said:

Duplicate

If you're going to make a duplicate post, please use another language for each duplicate.

🤣

[Nunagoras]

Permit me just 2 notes:

 

1) Announcements: It's worth to notice that MSC announcements, at least here in Europe, are usually set to a bare minimum. No art auctions, casino, spa, or any other upsell opportunities. No entertainment either. You'll only listen the ship's sound system if a safety announcement is due, or for things like gangway opening and such.

 

2) Drinks packages: Agree that the MSC scheme is arguably the most confusing industry wise. TBHH; I understand both the need for many to have an as tress free as possible holiday time with all included, but I also understand the possibility for abusers to break the system... I have no optimal solutions to solve that, nor there may be any available, but I'd say that the nearest to that solution is what Virgin is currently doing. You purchase beforehand for example an EUR 125 bar credit for EUR 100, and you'll be able to order anything from the menu within the confines and pay a la carte or purchase more blocks when needed. By the way; if they wouldn't like to go that way; I'd suggest them to have their adult offering the following way; that for most of their clientele, at least here in Europe would have been great:

 

Nonalcoholic package

Nonalcoholic + house wine and house beer (main package for promotional inclusion)

The equivalent to the current Premium Xtra with another name.

[phissy]

1 hour ago, Stockjock said:

Thanks for the clarification.  I thought we were being called out as "ugly Americans" who demanded that everyone speak English and that wasn't the case at all.  I'm sure it gets tedious even for French or German speakers.

 

We regularly enjoyed Club Med’s around the world ( before Covid)

Our family loved  the Family Club Meds when our kids were small.

staff spoke French, German, English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

Our kids were used to hearing many languages on a daily basis. Made friends from around the world. Always heard the basics, “Good Evening, Good Morning, Happy to see you, Please and Thank you “ in at least French, German and Spanish . 
We enjoy being world travelers and appreciate any effort to share and communicate with others, 😎

Edited October 18, 2022 by phissy

[Stockjock]

59 minutes ago, phissy said:

We regularly enjoyed Club Med’s around the world ( before Covid)

Our family loved  the Family Club Meds when our kids were small.

staff spoke French, German, English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

Our kids were used to hearing many languages on a daily basis. Made friends from around the world. Always heard the basics, “Good Evening, Good Morning, Happy to see you, Please and Thank you “ in at least French, German and Spanish . 
We enjoy being world travelers and appreciate any effort to share and communicate with others, 😎

I like the international vibe.  But I simply find that so many announcements in so many languages gets tedious.  

I'm not speaking about "Good evening" or "Good morning" or "Hello, hallo, bonjour, hola, ciao, etc".  That's fine.  I'm speaking about 10-15 minutes worth of announcements and discussion in 6 or so languages over and over and over.

It's hard for me to imagine that even one passenger would enjoy this.  Somehow, I think my point is still being missed, although I've tried to articulate it.  Seems like a few of the replies are trying to interpret the remark as being xenophobic, when it's nothing of the sort. 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Stockjock

[BklynBorn47]

11 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

I'm not speaking about "Good evening" or "Good morning" or "Hello, hallo, bonjour, hola, ciao, etc".  That's fine.  I'm speaking about 10-15 minutes worth of announcements and discussion in 6 or so languages over and over and over.

It's hard for me to imagine that even one passenger would enjoy this

My post #19 totally agreed with your PRO items and I commented on some of your CON as applied to our experience.  That included how we like hearing the other languages as we listen attempting to brush up our Spanish/French/German skills.  So yeah, we must be the oddballs here.

 

My question - I don't remember so many multilanguage announcements.
1)There was the captain's position report at noon
(not sure why this is done in any language, it's available all the time)
2)The "report for muster drill" at each port for those that just boarded.
This "ferry-like" experience was new to us, but very glad of it because we were able to board in Marseille.
3) The intro to the evening show done by the Cruise Director.  Wow, were we impressed!

 

In fact, if we were in the cabin, we had to open the door to hear announcements.
What did we miss?
 

[Nunagoras]

10 minutes ago, BklynBorn47 said:

My post #19 totally agreed with your PRO items and I commented on some of your CON as applied to our experience.  That included how we like hearing the other languages as we listen attempting to brush up our Spanish/French/German skills.  So yeah, we must be the oddballs here.

 

My question - I don't remember so many multilanguage announcements.
1)There was the captain's position report at noon
(not sure why this is done in any language, it's available all the time)
2)The "report for muster drill" at each port for those that just boarded.
This "ferry-like" experience was new to us, but very glad of it because we were able to board in Marseille.
3) The intro to the evening show done by the Cruise Director.  Wow, were we impressed!

 

In fact, if we were in the cabin, we had to open the door to hear announcements.
What did we miss?
 

Nothing really, apart gangway opening at each port of call; unless on a particular sailing they needed to host some 10 safety announcements, or if in a particular sailing some special events worth of sound notice was likely to happen. Captain reports can vary largely from Captain to Captain, from nonexistent to a huge special social event. I had it all, and the ones in the middle.

[greg_atlanta]

How does MSC compare to Costa?  I did two Costa cruises (one from Rome, one from Venice) after the Concordia mess, the solo pricing was quite attractive!  Dinner was great, other meals not so much.   Loved the very generous 20 euro a day drink package.  Announcements in 5 languages but I didn't mind.

[CTGirl74]

On 10/17/2022 at 5:39 PM, LatinaInTexas said:

Found the food pretty amazing but would have liked more choices to pick from at dinner in the dining room.

Found it really strange there were no washcloths in my cabin.

 

The food choices are what I'm worried about the most. Not for myself, but for my husband. This will be his first cruise (October 2023) and he's a very plain vanilla eater--chicken parm or General Tso's chicken are about as wild as he gets. LOL. Looking at the menus people have posted, there's hardly anything on them he will eat unless he wants steak every single night. We're booked in YC so I'm hoping the choices will be better for him. If not, then it's on to the buffet or specialty dining.

 

Now that someone has mentioned the lack of wash cloths...yes! I went on an MSC cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale in 2013 and I now remember there being no wash cloths. I remember thinking it really odd. But with four women in the room, thankfully two of us thought to bring face wipes for makeup removal and another had one of those scrubby puffs. I think I will add a couple wash cloths to my ever-growing list of things to pack!

[Homosassa]

5 hours ago, CTGirl74 said:

 

 

Now that someone has mentioned the lack of wash cloths...yes! I went on an MSC cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale in 2013 and I now remember there being no wash cloths.

Just like a box of tissues, you can also request wash cloths.

[Best Cat Mom]

7 hours ago, CTGirl74 said:

Looking at the menus people have posted, there's hardly anything on them he will eat unless he wants steak every single night. We're booked in YC so I'm hoping the choices will be better for him.

In YC, you can pre-order whatever you want, though most times they want to know the day before. There are also some standard simple items that they always have available (hamburger, filet, salmon, chicken breast, etc.). You can also have them change the current menu to make it simpler , such as removing a sauce. I am gluten-free and they have "adapted" many items for me by eliminating flour ingredients. Some they will say that they are unable to change, and this is usually because some things have been made ahead of time -- like a breaded piece of protein or a sauce that has already been thickened with flour. Just remember that in YC you can ask for just about anything. Enjoy!

[CampNCruise74]

8 hours ago, CTGirl74 said:

The food choices are what I'm worried about the most. Not for myself, but for my husband. This will be his first cruise (October 2023) and he's a very plain vanilla eater--chicken parm or General Tso's chicken are about as wild as he gets. LOL. Looking at the menus people have posted, there's hardly anything on them he will eat unless he wants steak every single night. We're booked in YC so I'm hoping the choices will be better for him. If not, then it's on to the buffet or specialty dining.

 

Now that someone has mentioned the lack of wash cloths...yes! I went on an MSC cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale in 2013 and I now remember there being no wash cloths. I remember thinking it really odd. But with four women in the room, thankfully two of us thought to bring face wipes for makeup removal and another had one of those scrubby puffs. I think I will add a couple wash cloths to my ever-growing list of things to pack!

 

They try to accommodate requests if at all possible.  I couldn't believe it but one day, I actually saw a person receive some Matcha Ice Cream from a staff person so that he could give it to his child sitting in the buffet area.   That ice cream came from one of the restaurants on board, but they found a way to get it for him.