Why are MSC cruises in the US so much cheaper compared to other cruise lines.

[CampNCruise74]

I like one person's take on free market and competition.  

 

But I would add that a private company has no fiduciary duty to maximize shareholders wealth like most all the other big cruise players that are publicly traded companies.

 

Sure they are breaking in too.

[CampNCruise74]

15 minutes ago, Lugger11 said:

I'm guessing that a big part of the competitive price has to do with debt load. MSC was able to continue their commercial shipping business during the pandemic, while the other cruise lines had to shut down and incur debt. So now each cruise fare on the other lines includes a certain amount of debt repayment baked in, while MSC doesn't need to do so.

And yes, they are essentially running promotional pricing to gain market share, and that probably won't last. And yes, they do up-charge a bit more than other lines, but that's for things I wasn't really interested in anyways (like VR arcade). And yes, the nightly shows are not Broadway or Cirque du Soleil quality, but I was never that big in to the shows anyway. And I've heard the buffet food is basically just stuff kids will eat, but that works for the US market anyways, who are thrilled to have unlimited pizza and pasta without having to dress nicely for the MDR.

I'm also thinking they invest a bit more in the Casinos on their ships to try to recoup some $ there. I think that's one of the reasons Disney is so expensive, as they don't have casino revenue to offset the cruise fare.

Just my thoughts

Disney spends a lot of money lots and lots of places and their prices reflect that.  Their food quality is amazing.  They also have smaller boats and less occupancy.  You should see the candy they give out for Halloween cruises.  Ridiculous.

[F3rpect]

On 1/13/2023 at 8:04 PM, GOLDENBONNY said:

they don't have wash cloth lol

I'm not sure what you mean by this. I sailed on the Divina in January / February and my cabin bathroom was stocked with two washcloths that got replaced daily when I used them.