MSC - typical age demographic

[C4HCG]

Hi all - looking at an MSC cruise, June 2024 in the Caribbean. We cruise Celebrity as we are not into cruises with lots of children, ours have grown up. What age demographic is there likely to be on this cruise?

[styles27]

15 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Hi all - looking at an MSC cruise, June 2024 in the Caribbean. We cruise Celebrity as we are not into cruises with lots of children, ours have grown up. What age demographic is there likely to be on this cruise?

During school breaks expect there to be a lot of kids. 
MSC offers the “kids sale free” promos and people take advantage of that. 

[C4HCG]

1 minute ago, styles27 said:

During school breaks expect there to be a lot of kids. 
MSC offers the “kids sale free” promos and people take advantage of that. 

Thank you. Think we’ll stick to Celebrity then 😁

[GPPhilly]

Try Virgin, they have no kids

[styles27]

5 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Thank you. Think we’ll stick to Celebrity then 😁

No comparison in my opinion. I like MSC don’t get me wrong, but I like Celebrity better. 
 

[styles27]

5 minutes ago, GPPhilly said:

Try Virgin, they have no kids

We’ve been toying with the idea after seeing their ship in Miami last month. Have you tried it?

[C4HCG]

8 minutes ago, GPPhilly said:

Try Virgin, they have no kids

A bit too trendy for our liking, prefer the style of Celebrity, s class ships. But thanks for offering the option.

[PTC DAWG]

42 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Hi all - looking at an MSC cruise, June 2024 in the Caribbean. We cruise Celebrity as we are not into cruises with lots of children, ours have grown up. What age demographic is there likely to be on this cruise?

I also like Celebrity…go YC if you can for sure.  Just off a week in YC on Meraviglia…had a great time.
 

I would choose Celebrity every time  if I was not on the YC on MSC.

[Seadweller001]

For non YC, Celebrity hands down.

 

For YC, 100% MSC.

 

There can be huge amounts of children on X too.

[hamrag]

14 hours ago, Seadweller001 said:

For non YC, Celebrity hands down.

 

For YC, 100% MSC.

Whilst I agree, do understand that kids are allowed in the YC too! On 7 YC cruises, that has never troubled us one iota. Across 50+ cruises on at least 16 cruiselines we have found many adults to be much more problematic than kids. 😉

[Markanddonna]

Just off a b2b on the Divina. More younger passengers below age 35 on the seven day. Skewed older on the 10 day. This would all change when spring break season (late Feb to mid April)  kicks in and also Presidents Day week where you will see many more children. 

[Homosassa]

18 hours ago, C4HCG said:

Hi all - looking at an MSC cruise, June 2024 in the Caribbean. We cruise Celebrity as we are not into cruises with lots of children, ours have grown up. What age demographic is there likely to be on this cruise?

Hopefully by June 2024, MSC will have their pre Covid passenger cruising demographics back in place. This means that any cruise, including those from US ports, have a good mix of international passengers from around the world.

 

That mix means many extended family or affinity group that include children .  However, the big difference is that it means one will be cruising with others where discipline (rule setting and behavior limits) are still the cultural norm for children. 

 

MSC carries through on this standard by expecting parents to be responsible for their children's behavior and not let them roam the ship alone.

 

I will not go into the details on this thread on the MSC family friendly  program and activities geared for those who cruise to be with their children and not expect the ship to be an unsupervised playground.

 

If the pre Covid standards are reestablished, I can state from experience that while there may be children on board, the children will be a unintrusive part of the cruise experience (other than marveling at the fact that parenting styles still exist where the children might be seen, but not disrupting others with their behavior).

 

 

 

 

[C4HCG]

13 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Hopefully by June 2024, MSC will have their pre Covid passenger cruising demographics back in place. This means that any cruise, including those from US ports, have a good mix of international passengers from around the world.

 

That mix means many extended family or affinity group that include children .  However, the big difference is that it means one will be cruising with others where discipline (rule setting and behavior limits) are still the cultural norm for children. 

 

MSC carries through on this standard by expecting parents to be responsible for their children's behavior and not let them roam the ship alone.

 

I will not go into the details on this thread on the MSC family friendly  program and activities geared for those who cruise to be with their children and not expect the ship to be an unsupervised playground.

 

If the pre Covid standards are reestablished, I can state from experience that while there may be children on board, the children will be a unintrusive part of the cruise experience (other than marveling at the fact that parenting styles still exist where the children might be seen, but not disrupting others with their behavior).

 

 

 

 

My wife looks after children for a living so really wants to avoid even well behaved ones  - think we will stick with Celebrity but thanks for taking the time to respond 

[KKB]

46 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

 

That mix means many extended family or affinity group that include children .  However, the big difference is that it means one will be cruising with others where discipline (rule setting and behavior limits) are still the cultural norm for children. 

 

MSC carries through on this standard by expecting parents to be responsible for their children's behavior and not let them roam the ship alone.

 

Having read numerous TR of MSC (sailing 1st time Sunday), this is NOT necessarily what is being reported.

As a retired teacher librarian & an "authoritative" (not to be confused with "authoritarian") parent, not a fan of unruly children. Our children have cruised several times from age 5 to young adults with us & they KNEW what expectations were.

 

BTW our children told us that's our parenting style, lol. 

Must have worked--we get along very well with each other & enjoy one anothers' company.

DS27 is joining me the 17th for the 2nd leg of my B2B, and he even seems excited!

(DH has a guys golfing trip...)

 

[Markanddonna]

On 2/6/2023 at 3:00 PM, C4HCG said:

Hi all - looking at an MSC cruise, June 2024 in the Caribbean. We cruise Celebrity as we are not into cruises with lots of children, ours have grown up. What age demographic is there likely to be on this cruise?

MSC offers free cruises on many of their cruises so you will find kids all year long. Lots of big strollers. This past cruise in January was the cruise of squealing kids. Not bad kids, but they were loud. stick with Celebrity. I "get it" as a former elem teacher.

[JamieLogical]

As someone who hates children (sorry, I just do), I am curious about this as well. MSC's "kids sale free" promos have me worried the ships will be overrun with kids. I too have really enjoyed the scarcity of children on Celebrity. I am booked on the Meraviglia for two sailings in April. The first is an 11-day repositioning cruise, so I am hopeful the length and itinerary will mean fewer kids. The second sailing is the first 7-day out of NYC. I am just really hoping that since it's after Easter, and therefor after most kids' Spring Break, there won't be too many children onboard.

[Markanddonna]

Know that kids are on all year round. If just after Easter, you will have lots of kids. Today, people don't mind taking their kids out of school for a vacation. MSC has lots of young parents with babies and toddlers all year round and they love those huge strollers.  I was a teacher, so I get your preference of fewer kids. Also, remember that LOTS of central and south Americans are on MSC cruises and they have very different school vacations. 

 

[JamieLogical]

3 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

Also, remember that LOTS of central and south Americans are on MSC cruises and they have very different school vacations. 

 

 

I wonder if that will be as true of the new sailings out of NYC, versus the current sailings out of FL.

[Morgsmom]

8 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I wonder if that will be as true of the new sailings out of NYC, versus the current sailings out of FL.

these are new routes for MSC so it's hard to say.  It's also the first time MSC is sailing out of NY so there might be pent up demand

[Markanddonna]

You will likely have fewer from that group but maybe just as many Latinos from other areas like Puerto Rico.  

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

You will likely have fewer from that group but maybe just as many Latinos from other areas like Puerto Rico.  

 

Yeah, I do suspect that there will be more international passengers aboard the NYC sailings just because international flights into NYC airports are more direct and likely cheaper than into the FL airports.

[Hlitner]

On 2/6/2023 at 2:31 PM, C4HCG said:

A bit too trendy for our liking, prefer the style of Celebrity, s class ships. But thanks for offering the option.

I bet you really like that new room service charge on X :).  Charging over $12 for a cup of coffee (delivered to one's cabin) does not fit my idea of a cruise..

 

I do think if you want to avoid tons of kids you need to avoid just about any mass market line during school vacations.  We cruise on MSC, during the school year, in the Yacht Club where children are not a major factor.  And there are no room service changes 🙂

 

Hank

[KKB]

5 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I bet you really like that new room service charge on X :).  Charging over $12 for a cup of coffee (delivered to one's cabin) does not fit my idea of a cruise.

 

Hank

That is a tad misleading. Continental breakfast that would include coffee is still complimentary.

 

And the room service fee is $10--which I agree is highway robbery; luckily we never order room service anyway.

Edited February 8, 2023 by KKB

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

I bet you really like that new room service charge on X :).  Charging over $12 for a cup of coffee (delivered to one's cabin) does not fit my idea of a cruise..

Hank

 

MSC charges for room service as well, unless you are Aurea or above, right? Continental breakfast with coffee is still free on Celebrity like it is for Fantastica. Bella doesn't even get that much.

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by JamieLogical

[Hlitner]

Just now, JamieLogical said:

 

MSC charges for room service as well, unless you are Aurea or above, right? Not sure Continental breakfast with coffee is still free on Celebrity like it is for Fantastica. Bella doesn't even get that much.

Honestly have no clue as we only cruise in the YC when on MSC.  Outside the YC we think the line is more akin to Carnival or perhaps RCI which is no longer our "cup of tea."