NCL FREQUENTERS: Of those who have sailed both how does MSC (2020-2023 recents) compare to NCL --PROS & CONS?

[PalmBeach4]

20 hours ago, LadyZolt said:

I sailed on a short 4-night cruise on the Meraviglia last December.  I sailed the Bliss in September, and the Breakaway a few years ago, and we are booked on the Escape for this upcoming September.  In my opinion, if you want to try the MSC cruises at the level it sounds like you enjoy, you should book the Yacht Club level. It will give you the best food and service.  We didn't book at that level, but spoke to people who did and I think if we ever sail with them again, we'd choose Yacht Club.  MSC is pretty new to the USA market -- their employees are trying, but they are not as familiar with the USA or English as I think NCL employees are.  For example, there's a "Sports Bar" on the Meraviglia. It is a bar located near the area where people play sports.  It's like someone from MSC heard Americans like "sports bars," but didn't really understand what "sports bar" means to an American -- a place with lots of TV screens watching live games going on.  Two more examples:  We sailed in December and as we were leaving, there was a sign that said, "We wish you a happy holidays."  Yes, we know what they mean -- but it's not quite right.  Last one:  A sign near one of those emergency fire alarm pulls behind a bit of glass -- "Brake in case of emergency."  They didn't have anyone fluent in English proofread things.  It's fine -- you know they mean well. But it's not quite the experience you would be delighted to have. We now say MSC stands for "Mediocre So-So Cruises."  

 

The one really great thing about MSC is that they "status match." Whatever your highest loyalty level is, they will let you sign up with them and start you at that level. They will match most cruises and major hotel chains.  Because my husband is the highest level of Hilton Honors, he got matched to MSC's highest level -- and got robes and slippers, chocolates and champagne, and a free dinner at one of the specialty restaurants. And all the employees -- on the phone and in person -- are quite nice and trying very hard to make you happy.  I think if you do try them, don't have high expectations, and do book at their Yacht Club level.  

@LadyZoltThank you for the wonderful details. I know exactly what you mean by "good intentions" but lack of proofreading errors. Thank you so much for your detailed info. May I ask you how the normal buffet and complimentary restaurants were< (this is importants as it is easy to pay for specialty, but we like normal dining as well. Also was there lively music at the pool, and any fun nightlife like music or comedy? 

Edited July 25, 2023 by PalmBeach4
added more info

[PalmBeach4]

20 hours ago, amygutman said:

Agree with @Cruising Lynne re: cross-posting on the MSC Boards and with @LadyZolt re: booking the Yacht Club. Honestly, am not sure what you mean by "fashionable" teens - if they like glitzy things then MSC may be for them. We have a 14 yo son who is the opposite of fashionable as he is in his broody teen angst stage of adolescence. 

 

I am sure you have already figured it out that each ship and experience are different. Have you been in regular rooms on NCL or in the Haven? There are many board threads re: the differences between these two class experiences. 

 

Maybe if you could provide more specifics, you can get some very good information and advice. Having been on smaller + larger NCL ships in the Haven and suites, and in the very large MSC ships in the YC I will keep an eye out for your response and see if I can help. 

 

Warmest, Amy

@amygutman Firstly, thank you for your reply. By fashionable, I mean that I have 2 hard core athlete girls who are girly glam when not competing. So, my intention with that was to say that we are a sporty family who likes fancy things as well, so we play hard & then enjoy the finer things in life Palm Beach style. Anyway, we have sailed in the Haven as well as in normal balcony rooms only on the larger ships: Breakaway, Getaway (twice), Escape, Encore (twice), Bliss, and upcoming Viva. I am very interested in hearing about your experiences of MSC cruises and your opinion of how you enjoyed them vs. NCL. We normally book regular balconies, and only do Haven type level ups if the price is irresistible.I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you. 

[PalmBeach4]

6 hours ago, Agent999 said:

 

These A vs B compare/contrast requests are difficult to fairly address simply because what I like/dislike could very well differ from what you like/dislike. IOW, there is little value in me telling you to have the meatballs, they are the best meatballs anywhere, if you personally do not like meatballs.

 

You should do what makes you happy, not do what made someone else happy.

 

I see from your post that you've tried Celebrity, but it appears that you aren't overly impressed by them.

 

You also said you've tried Royal a few time, and again, not overly impressive results.

 

Now you are looking to try MSC.

 

Which leads to my question: Given that you stated "...the fabulous experience we always have on NCL", what are you looking for in another cruise line? If you always have a fabulous experience on NCL, what are you hoping that another cruise line can do to create a better than fabulous experience. Perhaps if we knew what it was you were looking for that NCL doesn't provide, we could tell you whether or not another line might provide what you are looking for.

@Agent999 Thank you for your reply. I am looking for VARIETY, but I just want to see what other people have to say about MSC since if I am admitting I love NCL then those who might want to reply will have that as their benchmark for comparative purposes I see good deals on MSC, but do not want to spend $$$$ on something that others overall do not like compared to what we all know NCL offers. Just looking for a little info & details from others who have sailed both. I realize what I like like is different from what others like, but general info of comparisons is what I am looking for such as bars, nightlife, food, buffet, pool music, shows caliber, etc... 

[LatinaInTexas]

Sailed MSC Seashore last August and NCL Getaway in May of this year, both were first time sailings. And I loved them both, don't think I liked one cruise more than the other.

The few things I didn't care about on MSC were the set time dining, limited options on the MDR menus, no extra free dining options, the way they did muster, on our cruise there was NO comedy, and I didn't care for the private island.

I loved the shows, the ease to use the drink package, the food in both the buffet and the MDR, plenty of pools and hot tubs, and 2 times a day room cleaning.

I also thought this cruise had the prettiest, most polite passengers ever. I don't know if it was a language barrier or what but the pretty, polite people didn't socialize. No one talked to us at the pools or the bars, anywhere. It was a really quiet cruise in that respect.

 

On NCL there were only 2 shows, both good. There was comedy but in 9 nights it was the same 2 comedians, not very funny, and the venue was small. You were crammed in rows of hard wooden chairs basically touching your neighbor.

There were also pretty and polite passengers but they were more friendly, always making small talk or chatting. Easy to use drink package here also and I felt NCL had the strongest, best tasting drinks that I have had on any cruise line.

I also think they had the best food overall. The MDR had a good amount of choices daily. They also had extra free food options that were good. I liked that they still had tablecloths.

I really liked Great Stirrup Cay. Also NCL has a very good military appreciation program, were were very surprised with all they did.

Both MSC and NCL had great service throughout the ship. Bar service was very good on both, we had no waits.

On both our cruises we saw just a handful of kids which I appreciated lol. 

Overall I would say I preferred the Seashore over the Getaway as far as ships go but the overall experience on both ships was excellent.

[PalmBeach4]

6 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

One more thought, since you mentioned dancing. Depending on the length of your cruise, there will be some designated theme nights with corresponding parties, like white night, flower power, and gala night. The sailings that I was on, people took white night especially seriously. I stuck out like a sore thumb not wearing white all evening (even though I had no intention of going to the party) on my first sailing, so I quickly adapted my wardrobe for the white night on my second sailing! I also attended the white night party on that second sailing and it was incredibly popular and I danced WAY too much!

@JamieLogical Funny story: On an NCL past cruise, I was like, "Where did all these people find out about bringing flower leis or white clothes?" Although we went to the GLOW parties every single time, that first time, I felt like I was missing some huge section of info on what to bring as the "in crouwd" seemed to know these things as we did not. Good thing we all had brought some white clothing anyway, but we did not bring any flower stuff etc. Question: Where does one find out about the theme nights on a particular sailing (other than the Cruise Critic boards)? You would think that the cruise line would post these party nights under the itinerary or something....lol. 10 Years later, I still have no clue about where to find out about themed parties in advance so I can pack accordingly. lol

[JamieLogical]

24 minutes ago, PalmBeach4 said:

@JamieLogical Funny story: On an NCL past cruise, I was like, "Where did all these people find out about bringing flower leis or white clothes?" Although we went to the GLOW parties every single time, that first time, I felt like I was missing some huge section of info on what to bring as the "in crouwd" seemed to know these things as we did not. Good thing we all had brought some white clothing anyway, but we did not bring any flower stuff etc. Question: Where does one find out about the theme nights on a particular sailing (other than the Cruise Critic boards)? You would think that the cruise line would post these party nights under the itinerary or something....lol. 10 Years later, I still have no clue about where to find out about themed parties in advance so I can pack accordingly. lol

 

I don't think there is any official way to find out in advance. I only found out from the dailies once onboard. I had read on CC there would be a white party, but I figured it would be like the theme party on other cruises where it only mattered if you actually intended to attend the party. That was not the case, as the suggested attire for the whole evening was listed in the daily as "white" and it seemed like a good 9/10 people adhered to that at dinner and all evening long. The other theme nights in my 11 day sailing were two gala nights, a "flower glory" night, and a tropical night. At least the tropical was easy for me to achieve, as I always have tropical clothes with me on a cruise!

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by JamieLogical

[LadyZolt]

3 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

@LadyZoltThank you for the wonderful details. I know exactly what you mean by "good intentions" but lack of proofreading errors. Thank you so much for your detailed info. May I ask you how the normal buffet and complimentary restaurants were< (this is importants as it is easy to pay for specialty, but we like normal dining as well. Also was there lively music at the pool, and any fun nightlife like music or comedy? 

 

I thought the buffet was mediocre. It was okay -- the food was edible, but it wasn't as tasty as NCL or Royal Caribbean (the other cruise lines I'm familiar with). One thing I thought was seriously lacking in the buffet was that there were supposed to be juices available, but much of the time, several of the dispensers were empty or out of order.  You could get water, of course, but even the water dispensers weren't working 100% of the time and you'd have to walk to another one sometimes, which is just annoying.  The main dining room dinners were entirely forgettable.  Mediocre again -- edible, but nothing special.  I was only on for four nights, so perhaps a longer cruise would be better. We did go to the private island Ocean Cay, and that was the best part of the cruise. It is a lovely island and we enjoyed sitting on the beach. There is a light show on the lighthouse at night, which was entertaining (and they also display it on the LED ceiling on the Meraviglia, which is cool. The pools were fine -- the entertainment was fine -- but nothing was "wow" for us. There was a "white party" and lots of people dressed in white and the staff was very lively with good music.  Oh, the one really good thing is the pizza -- MSC is Italian and they do pizza very well. There was usually pizza available in the buffet and in the smaller food venue near the pool. I think that one also had ice cream if I remember correctly.  We booked the lowest level, which I think is "Bella."  I think if you book with your family and a higher level -- Yacht Club if you can -- you will probably have a good experience overall, but the food in the buffet and dining room will still likely be "just okay." So do go to the specialty restaurants when you can as those are pretty good.  Hope this helps!  

[amygutman]

3 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

@amygutman Firstly, thank you for your reply. By fashionable, I mean that I have 2 hard core athlete girls who are girly glam when not competing. So, my intention with that was to say that we are a sporty family who likes fancy things as well, so we play hard & then enjoy the finer things in life Palm Beach style. Anyway, we have sailed in the Haven as well as in normal balcony rooms only on the larger ships: Breakaway, Getaway (twice), Escape, Encore (twice), Bliss, and upcoming Viva. I am very interested in hearing about your experiences of MSC cruises and your opinion of how you enjoyed them vs. NCL. We normally book regular balconies, and only do Haven type level ups if the price is irresistible.I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you. 

Well...considering the lack of "irresistible" Haven prices, I think you are wise looking for alternatives. Just in checking prices on some potential cruises, YC rooms are around the same as family villa balconies on NCL and way cheaper than NCL with more inclusions (like the thermal spa...amazing perk). Will you be happy on MSC? I think so - but as alluded to by more eloquent folks than myself on this thread, personal experiences are truly personal.

 

I bet your girls will have a blast whatever you choose. I'd glad you explained "fashionable", as I was picturing more "bougie" than "sporty". The kids club on NCL is frankly much better than MSC but it depends on the other kids there. If your kids are friendly and sporty, it's likely they will love the experience of being "parent-free". MSC has more esoteric activities for teens- parties, pizza parties / late night gatherings, whereas NCL has a more laid back approach and more sports, computer-based activities, and movies. Kiddo is at the awkward age at 14 that he's too young to fit in well with the 16-17 yos, and being on the spectrum, he is not always socially comfortable. The counselors on NCL go out of their way to be a friend, but on MSC there is less individual attention from the counselors. 

 

@JamieLogical and @graphicguy have wonderful explanations on this thread but just a thought about crowding: ultimately if you book an MSC balcony room you will likely have a similar experience crowd-wise on MSC. Very busy, lots of families, and lots of people. LOTS of people. We love the YC as well as the Haven for the relaxation factor more than anything else - I HATE waiting in lines and it seems that anyone not in the site area spend quite a bit of time waiting in lines. 

 

The great thing about CC is the variety of opinions. Take it all in!

Warmest, Amy

 

[CruizinSusan70]

As background, we've sailed on NCL 8 times.  3 on Escape, 3 on Prima and once on Bliss and Encore.  Sailed on MSC twice, once in the Yacht Club on the Seaside in 2018 and last week on the Meraviglia in Fantastica Class.

In general, MSC is now in our rearview mirror and we won't be going back.   If you want anytime dining, you need to book either Aurea or YC.  Everyone on NCL gets it.  Would you like to get an omelette made to order?  If you're in YC, it can be arranged, otherwise it's non existent.  There are no omelette stations where you can get one made or eggs to order made like the buffets on NCL, Carnival, RCI, Celebrity and Princess. You can't even get one made to order in the MDR.  The MDR omelette offerings were mushroom and cheese or egg beaters with veggies.  Once again, they do things differently across the pond.  The buffet offerings at breakfast were the same every day. 

 

The lunch offerings at the buffet had slight adjustments each day.  The best thing they offered was their pizza, the second best at sea behind Alfredo's on Princess.  The only lunch options were either the buffet, the MDR on sea days or the extra pay Hola Mexican.  There were zero take away lunch options like various locations on Carnival and RCI and nothing like Indulge Food Hall.

The MDR for dinner was solid.  There were many seafood and pasta options, but the every day steak was a strip steak that we had one night and it was good.  

 

Entertainment consisted of their international singer and dance troupe doing five different shows.  The remaining nights were a fly in (the Conjurors) and a single comedian.  The comedian also did two adult shows one night in the smaller Carousel  lounge.  This lounge is also home to two pay shows that are $18 on board and $12 ahead of time.  We saw one of the shows and got a refund for technical difficulties.  

 

Regarding specialty dining, it's very expensive and a la carte if you wish to select from the entire menu.  If you pick a 3 night package for 79 pp, you are relegated to a portion of the menu to choose from with one app, one entree, one side and one dessert.  You also are relegated to only one night at the steak house and an extra surcharge if you go to Teppanyaki.  Once again, totally different than all of the US based cruise lines when it comes to their specialty offerings.

 

As a final note I would give them a try if you have to just so that the comparison is not lingering in the back of your mind.  If you need anytime dining, you will need to pay the upgraded Aurea experience.  Happy sailing.

 

[DCGuy64]

7 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You can't even get one made to order in the MDR. 

That seems odd. When we were on our first MSC cruise (Seaside, 2018), there WAS an option in the MDR to order eggs and omelettes any style. Now we only stay in the YC so it's not a problem. But this seems strange to me. I'm really surprised they did away with that in the MDR.

[DCGuy64]

20 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

MSC are well priced but for me MSC has two weak points. The fixed meal times suck, and the entertainment is not as good IMHO.

Yeah, those aren't to everyone's tastes. We like sophisticated entertainment, so the opera singing was awesome for us, and we enjoyed the fixed time dining (in the MDR, now we're in YC and can eat whenever we want). MSC is a great fit for us but not for some. Vive la différence!

[graphicguy]

16 hours ago, insidecabin said:

 

MSC drinks package varies in price per cruise. UK get the premium extra s the promotion add on.

 

Sometimes their premium extra( a far superior drinks  package ) gets close to NCL costs($21.80/£17) with UK bookings.

Our last MSC premium extra was £25, easily covered with the extras included with the MSC package.

seen under £15.

Also MSC  have the benefit in the UK of no daily service another $20/£15.50 saving over NCL

 

Both drinks are an additional cost extra 

 

NCL drinks are not free unless you pretend the money you have to pay is somehow not real money.

 

End of the day its the total of the bits you want that matters not how you got there.

Agree….people look at the fares only and try to do comparisons that way, instead of total out of pocket for the entire cruise including perks.

 

I have no insight to pricing in Europe.  So, I really can’t make an informed comment.  In the U.S., the drink package for MSC is roughly 2X the price of NCL’s “tips” charges with FAS.  FAS also offers some other perks like internet minutes, SD and excursion credits.  Add all of that up, and the out of pocket changes significantly….again, in North America.

 

Not saying MSC is a bad product.  I enjoyed sailing them twice.  I enjoy NCL more.  And, while pricing was very good for MSC when they first entered the U.S. market, that’s not the case now.

[graphicguy]

9 hours ago, amygutman said:

Well...considering the lack of "irresistible" Haven prices, I think you are wise looking for alternatives. Just in checking prices on some potential cruises, YC rooms are around the same as family villa balconies on NCL and way cheaper than NCL with more inclusions (like the thermal spa...amazing perk). Will you be happy on MSC? I think so - but as alluded to by more eloquent folks than myself on this thread, personal experiences are truly personal.

 

I bet your girls will have a blast whatever you choose. I'd glad you explained "fashionable", as I was picturing more "bougie" than "sporty". The kids club on NCL is frankly much better than MSC but it depends on the other kids there. If your kids are friendly and sporty, it's likely they will love the experience of being "parent-free". MSC has more esoteric activities for teens- parties, pizza parties / late night gatherings, whereas NCL has a more laid back approach and more sports, computer-based activities, and movies. Kiddo is at the awkward age at 14 that he's too young to fit in well with the 16-17 yos, and being on the spectrum, he is not always socially comfortable. The counselors on NCL go out of their way to be a friend, but on MSC there is less individual attention from the counselors. 

 

@JamieLogical and @graphicguy have wonderful explanations on this thread but just a thought about crowding: ultimately if you book an MSC balcony room you will likely have a similar experience crowd-wise on MSC. Very busy, lots of families, and lots of people. LOTS of people. We love the YC as well as the Haven for the relaxation factor more than anything else - I HATE waiting in lines and it seems that anyone not in the site area spend quite a bit of time waiting in lines. 

 

The great thing about CC is the variety of opinions. Take it all in!

Warmest, Amy

 

AMEN!  That’s why there are choices. 

 

I’ve always said, unless my ship runs aground or there’s the infamous “Poo Cruise” (I think Carnival, but not sure), it’s hard for me NOT to have a good time on ANY cruise or ANY cruise line.

 

I always get a chuckle out of those who are looking to compare cruses with different cruise lines.  My opinion doesn’t mean diddly.  It’s what YOU think that matters.  What matters most to one won’t matter a lick to another. 

 

Take the cruise you think you’ll like the most.  What’s the worst that could happen?  You get stuck on Gilligan’s Island!

Edited July 26, 2023 by graphicguy

[JamieLogical]

4 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

That seems odd. When we were on our first MSC cruise (Seaside, 2018), there WAS an option in the MDR to order eggs and omelettes any style. Now we only stay in the YC so it's not a problem. But this seems strange to me. I'm really surprised they did away with that in the MDR.

 

I was definitely able to get omelets made to order in the MDR on the Meraviglia in April.

[insidecabin]

5 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Agree….people look at the fares only and try to do comparisons that way, instead of total out of pocket for the entire cruise including perks.

 

I have no insight to pricing in Europe.  So, I really can’t make an informed comment.  In the U.S., the drink package for MSC is roughly 2X the price of NCL’s “tips” charges with FAS.  FAS also offers some other perks like internet minutes, SD and excursion credits.  Add all of that up, and the out of pocket changes significantly….again, in North America.

 

Not saying MSC is a bad product.  I enjoyed sailing them twice.  I enjoy NCL more.  And, while pricing was very good for MSC when they first entered the U.S. market, that’s not the case now.

 

Definitely a marmite cruise line 

 

The US  booking deals still include easy plus and full internet.

 

I am seeing the popular cruises the booking drinks  offers in the UK are getting a bit more expensive for the premium package

 

Checked 10dec 7n  Euribia

US $42pppd easy plus with internet,

UK £33 premium

 

Expect those prices to drop if not for that cruise some of the other run winter.

 

 

 

 

[CruizinSusan70]

14 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

That seems odd. When we were on our first MSC cruise (Seaside, 2018), there WAS an option in the MDR to order eggs and omelettes any style. Now we only stay in the YC so it's not a problem. But this seems strange to me. I'm really surprised they did away with that in the MDR.

We only ate breakfast in the MDR on disembarkation day.  The only omelette options were mushroom/cheese or egg beaters/veggies.  The other bad thing was the 🥓.  No strips at all in either the buffet or the lone day we tried it in the MDR.  It was all curled up, very greasy and very bad.  The pumpernickel bread in the MDR that I used with my dippy eggs was really good.

Edited July 27, 2023 by CruizinSusan70

[CruizinSusan70]

9 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I was definitely able to get omelets made to order in the MDR on the Meraviglia in April.

The only options on our menus were the two I listed when we disembarked on Sunday.  Doesn't really matter to us since we'll never be sailing on MSC again, but I just want to forewarn any future possible cruisers.

 

[CruizinSusan70]

13 hours ago, graphicguy said:

And, while pricing was very good for MSC when they first entered the U.S. market, that’s not the case now.

Couldn't agree more.  The price on our 2018 Seaside cruise in the YC was substantially cheaper than what they are charging now. We were able to take advantage of lower pricing when they were trying to get a foothold on this side of the pond.  The overall experience for us is better suited on other lines.  

[DCGuy64]

10 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

We only ate breakfast in the MDR on disembarkation day.  The only omelette options were mushroom/cheese or egg beaters/veggies.  The other bad thing was the 🥓.  No strips at all in either the buffet or the lone day we tried it in the MDR.  It was all curled up, very greasy and very bad.  The pumpernickel bread in the MDR that I used with my dippy eggs was really good.

Yeah, one of my constant complains on ships is the limp, soggy bacon. On MSC, I specially order it crispy and they always deliver. Good luck on other lines, you have lots of cruises booked so have a great time!

[thistimeplease]

On 7/25/2023 at 2:44 PM, JamieLogical said:

Here is some stuff I typed up for someone in my Meraviglia roll call who has only sailed NCL previously. From your OP, I do think you might miss out on the comedy club. A couple of nights there was a comedy act in the main theater, but no designated comedy club.

 

 

For the buffet, I think MSC has the edge. Their pizza is much better than NCLs and they often have fresh mozzarella made onboard available, which is phenomenal. The breakfast buffet is open straight through until lunch (sounds like NCL doesn't do that anymore?) and they even keep one station in the back of the buffet stocked with breakfast items during lunch hours in case brunch is more your speed. I never ate in the buffet for dinner, so I am not much help there. Initially, I was disappointed with MSC's late night snack offerings, because they didn't have quite as many options as NCL used to for late night snack, but I have learned that NCL has eliminated late night snack altogether, so that's no longer a fair comparison. As Ted said, at breakfast and lunch, the buffet can be packed, so go all the way to the back to avoid some of the crowds. Also, if you like "kid" food like mac & cheese, chicken tenders, and french fries, there is an area near the front of the buffet set up with that stuff.

 

For the MDR, I much prefer the quality and selection of MSC. I especially like that they have real seafood available, including a lobster night. One downside of MSC is that it can be hard to get any alcohol aside from wine in the MDR. I would often just bring my own drink. Another downside is the assigned dining time/table. It's a far cry from the Freestyle dining on NCL and can make sitting with large groups or strangers you meet onboard a real challenge.

 

For specialty restaurants, I would give NCL the edge, just because of the bigger variety of options and the accessibility of specialty dining through the Free at Sea deal and the Platinum vouchers. On my first MSC sailing, my husband and I paid $71/person for the 3-meal package. We used our meal plans at Butcher's Cut, Teppanyaki, and Ocean Cay. When you use a meal plan at any of those restaurants, you have a limited selection to choose from, not the full, normal, a la carte menu. I found the "tasting" menu options to be more than enough for me, but I can see how some people might be disappointed not getting some of the normal menu items. You *can* use your meal package to get a 50% discount on a la carte items off the normal menu.

 

Butcher's Cut was better than Cagney's, but I have never been a fan of Cagney's, so that's no surprise. I had heard bad things about Ocean Cay, but I really enjoyed it and their crab cake is delicious! The only disappointment for me was Teppanyaki. The menu options are way more limited than on NCL and I found the whole thing to be a step below the NCL experience. Definitely would  not bother with that one again.

 

By far my favorite specialty restaurant on MSC was Hola! I love that place sooooo much. If you get a meal package, don't waste it there, as the food is incredibly cheap. You can pay $17 for all you can eat, but that ends up being pretty absurd. If you pay a la carte, you will be VERY full for less than $10, as their prices are so reasonable. The food is delicious and I went there several times for both lunch and dinner.

 

I think, food-wise, one disadvantage that MSC has is there is nothing like The Local/O'sheehan's serving included food 24/7.

 

As for the drink package, if you have the Easy Plus package, it is way better than the package included with Free at Sea on NCL. It includes bottled water, espresso and cappuccino drinks from any of the bars, and a wider selection of spirits. I am not sure how well it works for wine drinkers, but if you are a drinker of cocktails and mixed drinks, you will be quite happy. Also, back in March, MSC switched to only charging the difference on drinks outside of your package, similar to what NCL does.

 I have to agree with this review.  We just sailed on the Seascape in May and compared everything to NCL as it has been our preferred cruise line.  I have to say they are more similar than different.  Haven't been on NCL in a while but we love our coffee and danish on the balcony in the morning.  From what I've read you now have to pay for this with NCL.  We were Fantistica on MSC and this is included.  The only thing we would change on our next MSC cruise would be that we'd do the Aurea experience as we didn't enjoy eating with others and at a set time.  Also, the spa and a separate bar/lounge is available with Aurea experience.  We would definitely sail with MSC again.

Edited July 27, 2023 by thistimeplease

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yeah, one of my constant complains on ships is the limp, soggy bacon. On MSC, I specially order it crispy and they always deliver. 

The buffet bacon on NCL always comes across (to me, at least) as a big greasy blob swimming in grease under a heat lamp to keep the grease hot. 

 

On the bright side, I can usually find some crispy pieces...chewy bacon is gross (again, to me, at least).

[JamieLogical]

30 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

The buffet bacon on NCL always comes across (to me, at least) as a big greasy blob swimming in grease under a heat lamp to keep the grease hot. 

 

On the bright side, I can usually find some crispy pieces...chewy bacon is gross (again, to me, at least).

 

When I first started sailing with NCL, they used to have separate trays for "Crispy Bacon" and just "Bacon". That made me sooooo happy! But it has been a long time since that was an option at the NCL buffets.

[schmoopie17]

3 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

When I first started sailing with NCL, they used to have separate trays for "Crispy Bacon" and just "Bacon". That made me sooooo happy! But it has been a long time since that was an option at the NCL buffets.

That's correct...the good old days.

 

Haven't seen you on the NCL board for awhile. Good seeing you...one of my favorite CCers.

[graphicguy]

20 hours ago, insidecabin said:

 

Definitely a marmite cruise line 

 

The US  booking deals still include easy plus and full internet.

 

I am seeing the popular cruises the booking drinks  offers in the UK are getting a bit more expensive for the premium package

 

Checked 10dec 7n  Euribia

US $42pppd easy plus with internet,

UK £33 premium

 

Expect those prices to drop if not for that cruise some of the other run winter.

 

 

 

 

Just looked at my billing for FAS drinks in October on the NCL EPIC.....11 night cruise.  Drinks end up being $22/day.  Tough to do apples to apples because the 2 Specialty Dining Dinners end up being $20 ($10/ea) which is also included in the FAS.  Also includes $50 excursion credit and some internet minutes (150 mins off the top of my head).  And, there's some OBC.  Some of it from NCL.

 

My fare was really, really good, too.  NCL sent out 20% of European Cruises, which I took advantage of.  I'm going solo and staying in a 2 BR Haven Suite for right around $4,500, which to me is crazy good.  IIRC, NCL is given either 3x or 4x Latitudes points, also.

 

There are a lot of moving parts.  Whenever I book, I get knuckle deep in the fares, fees, tips, etc to really see what it's going to cost and what I'm paying for...what I value and what I will use vs what I won't use.

 

As I mentioned, MSC had some really good deals for me when they were just getting a start in North America.  Now?  Not so much!

 

But, if it works for you, have at it.

[JamieLogical]

5 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

That's correct...the good old days.

 

Haven't seen you on the NCL board for awhile. Good seeing you...one of my favorite CCers.

 

I only jumped on this thread because someone mentioned my specifically. I mostly lurk on the MSC boards these days, since my last two sailings were with MSC and my next three coming up are as well.