Is MSC losing some of it's value appeal?

[Beamafar]

1 minute ago, perakcruiser said:

Two weeks later. So if you write here about your trip I will take detailed notes. I am only familiar with Santorin, it will be my fourth time here. Kusadasi I have been 20 years plus before but not with a cruise ship. 

 

 

I won’t be of much use to you on the subject of POCs, P.  We’re not very adventurous when it comes to exploring and rarely do excursions.  I may not have internet for much of the cruise to do a live report, except when in EU ports, but, if there’s anything you want to know about the ship, I’ll try to respond to before your cruise.  It’s the only one of the 4 Musica-class ships we haven’t been on.   We loved the other 3 - Magnifica twice, Poesia and Orchestra once. 

[perakcruiser]

5 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

It’s the only one of the 4 Musica-class ships we haven’t been on.   We loved the other 3 - Magnifica twice, Poesia and Orchestra once. 

I love the older MSC ships (but also the Mera). Just checked, I also never been on the Musica! But Orchestra and Poesia, both have been very nice cruises. Preziosa is my all time favourite MSC ship. 

 

By the way, my overall all time favourite ship is now getting a fourth! life as Marella Voyager. Hope I will be able to sail it in 2024, even a 100% UK style and passenger cruise is not really something I always waited for😄

[Nunagoras]

On 3/16/2023 at 12:09 PM, Beamafar said:

I’ve just booked a great value cruise on Musica for next October - grats and PremXtra included - for a similar price to what I would have paid for a similar booking 3-4 years ago.  Fabulous itinerary, too, with 3 POCs we haven’t been to, yet.  That’s saying something for a Med cruise, of which we’ve done many!

Yeah! MSC is using those "older ladies" to make some unique itineraries lately. If it wasn't for some personal happenings, I'd say, I'd to make perhaps to do one of them on the Musica to visit Jerusalem this year!... And I was on Musica when she had just a few months old back in 2006 or 2007 when she even smelled like a new car!...

 

As regarding the OP's post: Yes. MSC is not that cheap cruise corner it used to be anymore, at least for European sailings. On the other hand they have a solid mainstream product to go with Europe wise that is becoming very popular and then profitable for them. I still feel there could be some value on their cruises, but that depends mostly on what I want from a cruise. If I want a port intensive cruise with long days out of ship, then I'd go with them. If I want long days onboard with loads of entertainment to go, I perhaps would go with the competition, even though the World Europa is on my radar... Time will tell what I may end doing for 2024!...

[Nunagoras]

1 hour ago, Markanddonna said:

MSC has given up its Italian influence on most ships. I cruised with them when they would do an opera night. I guess that didn't go over well with the North and South Americans.

 

I've discovered that the ships are very different, and you can't really say anything for sure. For example, in 2019, the announcements were in SEVEN languages on the Grandiosa (we had 2,000 Chinese guests aboard). This past Jan and Feb, there were four languages.  I just disembarked yesterday, and only English was spoken on the announcements, probably because 95% of the passengers were from the USA and Canada.  The Divina was very crowded, and they did not have enough seating on the pool deck. The Meraviglia had lots of seating, with the ship also at capacity. The Divina had an angry vibe with the passengers (a fight also broke out on the pool deck), and the Meravigilia had perhaps the most pleasant group I've ever traveled with.  Lots of conversations with strangers, no fights.  Night and day.

Passenger loads are not something a cruise line can entirely to control; though I suggest everyone to be attentive to the real product details on offer. Even same chain may have 2 or more products on offer.

 

In 2021, in the middle of the horrid pandemic, when we started to have those odd supply chain challenges, I wanted to shop for some small items, some of them weren't exactly your very first needs, but those little things that actually make your days to have some flavor. Then I went to the supermarket that is just in from of my home. The poor supermarket was basically empty of those "little nothings". They had the very basics, but nothing more on top, and sometimes even some challenges over the basics. Then I took such a 10 minutes bus ride to a same chain supermarket near my former employer's office... Night and day different! They had whatever else I wanted in huge quantities and superb quality and variety!... So; I started to do my shopping there... In cruising it is the same: The Divina is a relatively older ship now devoted mostly to the "short-haul" weekend getaway cruises. No surprise the lower prices will command the less than stellar passenger mix, and will also command the less than stellar service level. I can only think on the exhausted overworked crew on said little cruises. They're not motivated to do more. So; now come to the big new flagships on offer. Longer, more expensive cruises will command normally a better passenger mix a relatively better service level. In summary: I'd say that the Divina is now something like my neighbor home chain supermarket, while the Mera vessels better fit my former employer's office neighbor chain supermarket! Both from same provider, different atmospheres according to venue!

 

Entertainment on ships seems very different post pandemic, but MSC has had some challenges on that area. Cirque du Soleil and other entertainment providers went bust with the pandemic. They're now making their entertainment programming mostly "at home". And then there's the crew shortage even at that area. It's not easy. And we should also bear in mind another thing: The new cruising generation may not be that interested on Opera or other classical music settings. On the brand new World Europa they set the "steerage" piano bar to be the Tea House. Understandable IMHO, but fond memories on me of those Musica/Fantasia class atrium piano bars full of classical music of before the pandemic. Perhaps I won't have it anymore, but a new generation will highly enjoy what is akin to their current preferences!...

 

Announcements will be made on every language that has at least 100 guests or a small 20 or more participants charter with a tour leader aboard (in some of my own cruises the Portuguese announcement has been done by my tour leader). Those used to be the rules before the pandemic and I believe them remaining.

[Morgsmom]

21 hours ago, Beamafar said:

That’s terrific, P.  What’s your embarkation date?  Ours is Oct 15th. 

Hum... not showing an 11 night cruise on Musica in Oct 2024 on the US website....

[Beamafar]

Just now, Morgsmom said:

Hum... not showing an 11 night cruise on Musica in Oct 2024 on the US website....

It’s a 7 night this year from Piraeus (Athens). 

[perakcruiser]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

It’s a 7 night this year from Piraeus (Athens). 

My brother who just joined in with his wife and one year old son could not believe that this route can be done with only one sea day and in one week :) 

[Beamafar]

1 minute ago, perakcruiser said:

My brother who just joined in with his wife and one year old son could not believe that this route can be done with only one sea day and in one week 🙂

Hopefully there will be plenty of reviews before we sail, P. 

[BubMunkeyBles]

I find them super competitive in the Med but less so in Caribbean when comparing promos. Just my own observation. 

[perakcruiser]

1 minute ago, BubMunkeyBles said:

I find them super competitive in the Med but less so in Caribbean when comparing promos. Just my own observation. 

Maybe because you compare them with the US companies in the Med, not with the other Europeans? our past cruises give me this idea 😉

[BubMunkeyBles]

1 minute ago, perakcruiser said:

Maybe because you compare them with the US companies in the Med, not with the other Europeans? our past cruises give me this idea 😉

 

Not really. I compare them with Costa, Celestyal, P&O... I'm not brand loyal or stuck on US companies. I do take into account drink packages etc though.

[perakcruiser]

7 minutes ago, BubMunkeyBles said:

 

Not really. I compare them with Costa, Celestyal, P&O... I'm not brand loyal or stuck on US companies. I do take into account drink packages etc though.

OK, I am acting the same way, my last 5 bookings are MSC, TUI CRUISES, AIDA, CELEBRITY and MSC again right now. Costa was always more expensive than MSC, not to talk about the Germans. At the moment MSC is sometimes more expensive than all others in Western Med, which I have never seen before.

 

Celestyal and P&O, I heard the names, but have never seen any ships of them or even any advertisement. So they do really exist? 😄 

Edited March 21, 2023 by perakcruiser

[Elkins45]

Food and fuel prices are up everywhere, so cruise prices will have to reflect this. In the US market they are still a better deal for solo cruisers but not by as much of a margin as they once were. 
 

My first sailing with MSC was on Divina in September 2021. It was only the second or third sailing since the shutdown. I think I paid $350 including port fees for a four night with drinks and wi-fi, and there were only about 800 people on board. I think that spoiled me for any future solo cruises with any cruise line.

[insidecabin]

If looking for cheap the 7 winter runs on Virtuosa northern Europe were bargains this year.

 

Next year Euribia does them sensible early prices.

 

Check prices for the same cruise in the US any EU and UK, they price and package differently.

 

Seeing some give in NCL prices with TAs that package with flight hotel in the UK

 

Those Musica look interesting.

 

 

[blueslily]

On 3/22/2023 at 12:02 PM, Elkins45 said:

Food and fuel prices are up everywhere, so cruise prices will have to reflect this. In the US market they are still a better deal for solo cruisers but not by as much of a margin as they once were. 
 

My first sailing with MSC was on Divina in September 2021. It was only the second or third sailing since the shutdown. I think I paid $350 including port fees for a four night with drinks and wi-fi, and there were only about 800 people on board. I think that spoiled me for any future solo cruises with any cruise line.

 

Yes, low pricing and low passenger count after the restart spoiled me also. But, I know those low pricing days are gone now. 

 

[Stockjock]

Does anyone know if MSC has any sales coming up soon?

Edited March 26, 2023 by Stockjock

[Illbcruzn4life]

7 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

Does anyone know if MSC has any sales coming up soon?

I haven't heard of any. All I see is prices going up, up, up.

[insidecabin]

UK the TA discounts have dropped to around 8% they were running at 15%.

Next years northern pearls winter cruises are up on this year but not massive amounts it is a new ship.
(base price up, drinks price down , cheapest week is up around 10% on lowest prices this winter with a late booking)

 

Starting to see some give in NCL and Princess prices over here.

[karmamule]

We recently booked a 14 day cruise on MSC Seascape in a YC Deluxe Grand Suite for a little over $10k for February 2024.

 

Looked at similar on Norwegian, and a *7* day cruise on the Encore in a Haven Courtyard Penthouse w/Balcony (NOT a big cabin despite 'penthouse' in the name, about same size as the MSC cabin) was $8600. On Celebrity Apex, a *7* day in a Celebrity Suite was $13k. When you double both of those MSC YC is far cheaper. 

 

I'm still feeling pretty good about MSC prices in comparison to other lines.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by karmamule

[JoLoca2208]

I've noticed that on the European market a couple of years back. When I started sailing with MSC in 2013, they were selling dirt-cheap cruises with equally cheap drink package (€20 per day). This was ongoing for a couple of years, but as they grew in the American market, they hiked up prices in Europe. At the moment they are not any cheaper than NCL or Royal. 

[blueslily]

On 3/26/2023 at 4:12 PM, Illbcruzn4life said:

I haven't heard of any. All I see is prices going up, up, up.

 

Yep. That's what I'm seeing for sailings I'm interested in. 

[Illbcruzn4life]

25 minutes ago, blueslily said:

 

Yep. That's what I'm seeing for sailings I'm interested in. 

I see they are getting their prices up to the prices of the other cruise lines. If I want the free drinks and wifi for a 7 day cruise I was looking at it will be $540 extra.

 

That's not free in my book. lol

[Stockjock]

1 hour ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

I see they are getting their prices up to the prices of the other cruise lines. If I want the free drinks and wifi for a 7 day cruise I was looking at it will be $540 extra.

 

That's not free in my book. lol

I was looking at one sailing where for the 2 of us, the "included" drink package would be north of $800 USD total.  Given that, and their higher overall prices, I'll either wait for better pricing, or book without the drink package, or simply book a different cruise line.

[Illbcruzn4life]

20 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

I was looking at one sailing where for the 2 of us, the "included" drink package would be north of $800 USD total.  Given that, and their higher overall prices, I'll either wait for better pricing, or book without the drink package, or simply book a different cruise line.

The last one I booked we didn't get the drink package. We don't drink very much so it wasn't worth it.

 

It's getting like NCL. Free drink package just pay $300 for the gratuities.

[CruizinSusan70]

On 3/27/2023 at 11:20 AM, JoLoca2208 said:

. At the moment they are not any cheaper than NCL or Royal. 

Do a price comparison with the newest ships that each line is offering.  Wonder OTS, NCL Prima, Carnival Celebration and World America.  World America is 449 plus tax for it's cheapest sailing without drinks package.  None of the other three can come close.  And of course I didn't mention Icon OTS, whose pricing is in the stratosphere.