Is it me is it msc or is it them? Bad reviews

[kfieldsky]

I sailed the Meraviglia after the pandemic and I will NEVER sail with them again!  The crew was rude, the food wasn’t good, there was hardly anything to do for entertainment, and the embarkation was a complete nightmare while waiting in line for hours.

This was MY experience with MSC.  It was my first and last cruise with them.  

[Babblespeak]

People just need to go in with the mindset that MSC is a discount cruise line, so not everything will be perfect, that just happens to have stunning ships.  Roll with it and be patient, and there’s a lot of value and fun to be had.  If they would serve hot food in their buffets and discover spices, a large number of complaints would go away.  

[Notch8]

I've sailed MSC before and have another trip scheduled to sail on them again in May.  (Both times MSC Meraviglia.)  This means I enjoyed my first trip and feel it's a good overall cruise value - I'm spending my money with them again.

 

That being said, there are valid complaints that people have.  Some of it, in my mind, should never happen.  For example, when we checked in, we weren't given a dining time...  it was "unassigned."  WHAT??  So this means the first thing we need to do when we get on the ship is to stand in a line at the dining room to get SOMETHING assigned.  Not good.

 

Later in the cruise, when we were in Nassau, we wanted to go on the waterslides.  Per the program, it opened at 2 PM.  So at 2, we were there...  nope, not open.  Staff told us just a few minutes.  We waited for an hour; still nothing.  Story kept changing why...  weather, not enough staff, maintenance, etc.  Meanwhile, we're watching the ships parked next to us...  Carnival, Royal Caribbean...  all of their top deck activities were open.  Of course, they're all looking at the MSC ship that has NO activity going on.  Not sure that this was a good look for MSC; I'm sure the passengers on the other ships were making fun of MSC.  I'm not going to get worked up if you truly can't open, but get your story straight.  Better yet, tell us the truth.

 

Although the bar service was good, I was puzzled about one experience when getting a drink.  It wasn't crowded, and as I approached the bar, the bartender asked for my order.  I noticed a gentleman at the other end of the bar who had been waiting; I pointed him out to the bartender and said "he was here first."  The bartender said that he doesn't work THAT end of the bar.  Poor guy heard all of this and I swear I heard him roll his eyes. Not sure why they couldn't be flexible enough to just do the right thing and take care of him first; there wasn't a line behind either of us.

 

On the other hand, we enjoyed the food.  We had great service.  The room was serviced twice per day (although that may change in the future.  Not a deal breaker.)  And there were other little things that added a touch of class, such as ice water waiting on the pier when you returned to the ship in ports.  (It was something that DW enjoys about some of the more premium cruise lines that Carnival and RC don't do.)  And the free ice cream was the best - by far - of any ice cream I've had on a cruise ship.

 

In summary, some complaints are valid.  Question is really about what's important to each of us as individuals; read each review and throw out all of the ones that say everything is perfect or everything was awful.  Look only at those that are balanced reviews.  Nothing is ever perfect and there's rarely a situation where "everything" truly goes wrong.  Finally, separate the issues that are caused by the cruise line (e.g. slow service in the dining room) and those that are outside forces (e.g. weather, other passengers' misbehavior.)  When you do, you'll see that MSC may do things differently than some lines, but it is still an enjoyable experience.

[phred119s]

It is interesting to think about. 
 

I remember how nervous I was when we booked our first MSC cruise. All the bad stuff that I had read had me terrified. I was also quite perplexed by a comment we frequently heard about how it was “very European.” As a family that has visited various countries (numerous times) on the continent, I couldn’t quite figure out what that meant. Especially considering we had always had enjoyable experiences.  A friend of ours is a MSC captain. When I was talking to him about our nervousness I was told to take a deep breath that we would be fine. 
 

He was right. We cruised MSC 4 times in a row last year. We learned that the passengers are much more international than American based cruise lines. So far we have only done MSC from the US (going out of the UK next month). We sailed from Italy on an American cruise line last fall, and the passengers were heavily American. MSC from Florida was not comparatively. 

[Momto3girlsintheCarolinas]

Thanks for this thread.

 

We are trying MSC for the first time in May.  We have done eight on Royal, three on NCL, and two on Carnival.  I have read reviews that are all over the place.  We've decided to have an open mind.  It's a new experience.  That's what is important.

[bluecontrolman]

It's obviously about expectations. 

 

I grew up in a lower income working class family and all of our holidays were some form of cheap resort and self catering accommodation. My parents made packed lunches for our day trips and cooked dinner most evenings as they couldn't afford to pay to eat out for all us kids. We spent most of the holiday on the beach and occasional trips to small local theme parks and tourist attractions. 

 

I've only been on one short cruise before (going again in April) and I found the experience better than I was expecting. The food was nice, the entertainment was great, it was really busy, but nothing too bad. We were able to get drinks. We don't have thousands to spend on holidays so we don't expect that kind of service. 

[BlueKernal]

I’m very intrigued that you have not encountered any staff/service issues, difficulty in getting a drink or any food that did not taste good on your 7 cruises. My response to your 4 choices that cause bad reviews would be Number 4 Something else. I have been on two sailings from Port Canaveral in the last year and they have shaped and confirmed my opinion of MSC. It is a value cruise line that will provide a fair return in a cruise experience for the equivalent cost of the cruise. It is not extraordinary or tremendous but an acceptable cruise experience when compared to other cruises that I have had a chance to sail. It starts with shoreside customer service. It can be challenging and, on most occasions, totally frustrating. Embarkation can be cumbersome as compared to other cruise lines digital embarkation efforts. Muster drill is a mass chaos and archaic process that is inferior to other updated processes and could easily be improved. The crowds at the buffet scurrying all over the place for mediocre food is quite the experience. The MDR is acceptable with pleasant service and the entrees that are never outstanding.  The bar service is the worst on any cruise line that I have encountered. They consistently have underperformed regarding the time to order a drink, have a drink served, correct order and quality of drinks.

As others have mentioned, a cruise is what a passenger makes of it. We did our due diligence and researched MSC for our first sailing and found the negative comments to be accurate. Sailing last month, we knew what we would encounter and maneuvered through the circumstance and found ways to enjoy our sailing. MSC is a convenient and affordable cruise for the cost. However, the bad reviews are manifested by their performance and the product they deliver. As with other cruise lines there are several areas that MSC can improve and in my view the complaints are legit. These complaints have been numerous for years and MSC management does not make any adjustments. The MSC cruise business model is the underlying cause for bad reviews.  

[nferr]

I just got off a nine night cruise on the Meraviglia on Feb.4. Overall it was a fine cruise. I will say the ship only had about 2500 passengers so that probably made things easier. I arrived about 1:30 and basically walked right on the ship. I've said this before, if you have to be first for everything than expect lines! You're one of the people that's causing the lines. This goes for almost everything when it comes to cruising. I avoid the mass crowd times like the plaque. Someone mentioned that MSC didn't give them the dining time at check in and immediately ran to the restaurant to get it fixed. No. It's on your card when you get to your room. All they had to do is ask. I had my time moved because it was too early for me. The dining room food was fine, in fact the pasta is excellent and I'm Italian.. Better than I had on the Oasis in December. The buffet was typical buffet and again was fine. The pizza was great. bar service was fine, I had the drink package. The specialty restaurant package was a steal when I booked, three restaurants for $71 including gratuity. I had a really good steak at Butchers Cut, Hibachi at the Terryaki place and a nice blackened cod dinner at the seafood restaurant. The muster drill could be better, but they call it by floors. But once again the "I have to be first people" ignore it and just run down and cause a mass pileup. Again just wait a bit and let things calm down.

 

The ship is beautiful, the prices are way below RCL and NCL out of NY right now. I've already booked another Bahamas in December with a group of friends and a solo ten nighter to the Caribbean in January on the same ship. The Bahamas cruise is offering the drink package and wifi for $20. Not per day - $20 for the entire cruise! People will still complain lol.

[shipgeeks]

I would say the ones who are disappointed, in general, are the ones who booked MSC because it was cheap, without knowing anything about the onboard experience.  The satisfied ones booked MSC because they wanted the more international experience, and perhaps a change from the sameness of RoyalNorwegianCarnival.

I do blame MSC for emphasizing price rather than experience in their advertising, but I also think it behooves all of us to learn about something we are committing our $$ and our vacations to.  Personally, we loved our MSC cruises.

[Notch8]

21 hours ago, nferr said:

 Someone mentioned that MSC didn't give them the dining time at check in and immediately ran to the restaurant to get it fixed. No. It's on your card when you get to your room. All they had to do is ask. I had my time moved because it was too early for me.

This comment must have been referring to my post.

 

1) In July, when I took my trip, the room keys were handed out at check-in.

2) The card had the word "UNASSIGNED" where the dining room/time is supposed to be.

3) I did, in fact, ask what action to take.  I was told to go to the restaurant manager to get a dining assignment.

4) When on board, I asked how this happened.  They said it's rare, but it does happen sometimes that a passenger/passengers don't get a dining assignment.

This additional irritation was not due to any action or act of omission on my part; it was an unfortunate and rare situation that in my mind shouldn't have happened.

 

I am suspecting that they have since changed the process for distributing keys since July; I am presuming that they are now made available in one's room instead of being handed out during check-in?  This results in another source of confusion/dissatisfaction among new cruisers...  people read reviews and fail to understand that processes/procedures/menus/etc. change from time to time; what was true for one may not be true for all.

[nferr]

On 2/17/2024 at 11:23 AM, Notch8 said:

This comment must have been referring to my post.

 

1) In July, when I took my trip, the room keys were handed out at check-in.

2) The card had the word "UNASSIGNED" where the dining room/time is supposed to be.

3) I did, in fact, ask what action to take.  I was told to go to the restaurant manager to get a dining assignment.

4) When on board, I asked how this happened.  They said it's rare, but it does happen sometimes that a passenger/passengers don't get a dining assignment.

This additional irritation was not due to any action or act of omission on my part; it was an unfortunate and rare situation that in my mind shouldn't have happened.

 

I am suspecting that they have since changed the process for distributing keys since July; I am presuming that they are now made available in one's room instead of being handed out during check-in?  This results in another source of confusion/dissatisfaction among new cruisers...  people read reviews and fail to understand that processes/procedures/menus/etc. change from time to time; what was true for one may not be true for all.

 Room cards on the Meraviglia are on your door.

[Brighton Line]

The industry as a whole is shifting to room keys at the room. It is a saving to the cruise line by not bringing the keys ashore and having the port contractor search for keys that are in the wrong location and delaying boarding just to find or print another key as well as bringing ashore the equipment and supplies to make those keys. At least the passenger is aboard and the ship can sail while they address card issues. 

[no1talks]

3 hours ago, Brighton Line said:

"The industry as a whole is shifting to room keys at the room."

 

While there is video camera coverage in cabin passages, would not unattended and activated key cards on the doors create an opportunity for mischief, if not outright criminality?

[Brighton Line]

27 minutes ago, no1talks said:

 

While there is video camera coverage in cabin passages, would not unattended and activated key cards on the doors create an opportunity for mischief, if not outright criminality?

What damage can be done?

The keycard is missing you report it. The card is disabled and you get another card. You can even get security to come open the cabin and inspect it before you enter, at least I would if the keycard is missing.  

Even when I enter a hotel room, I block the door open and go through the entire room checking everything from behind the curtains, inside the closet to the bathroom. It is not just the keycard at the door, many people in the hotel on on a ship have access to the room when it is not occupied. Leaving keycards at the door is no greater security risk IMHO. 

[Two Wheels Only]

I've only sailed MSC out of Florida (Miami and Port Canaveral) and every time, I've gotten the cards at check-in.
 

One time, one of my kids lost her card between check-in and butler escort. We got a replacement right in the terminal. Still, I prefer getting the cards at check-in. 

[Beamafar]

MSC started leaving the cruisecards on the beds in the cabins a few years ago (can’t remember when, exactly).

[no1talks]

1 hour ago, Brighton Line said:

"The keycard is missing you report it."

Potential result of mischief done by a passing knucklehead.

 

1 hour ago, Brighton Line said:

"The card is disabled and you get another card."

Also easily perpetrated by prankish dopes going down the hall.

 

1 hour ago, Brighton Line said:

"You can even get security to come open the cabin and inspect it before you enter, at least I would if the keycard is missing."

Bringing the flow of embarkation to a halt, thanks to the hijinks of others who should know better.

 

1 hour ago, Brighton Line said:

"Leaving keycards at the door is no greater security risk IMHO."

Except in this situation, instead of a finite number of employees, an indeterminate number of fellow cruisers are added to the mix. How many of those passengers might think it hilarious to mess with cards on the doors as they walk past during embarkation? Would there be different levels of risk for key-related shenanigans between a costly luxury cruise filled with seniors and a mass-market ship packed with spring breakers? Probably.

 

Edited February 21 by no1talks

[mcoler181]

On 2/13/2024 at 8:20 AM, Ryan82 said:

I nearly cancelled my first MSC cruise booked in October 22 reading the horrible reviews and seeing comments on the book of faces.

 

7 cruises in - I love MSC to the extent they now take most of my disposable cash like a nagging teenager. I refuse 100% my partner's suggestions that we try a new line...

 

It genuinely puzzles me when I read comments and revies of itineraries I've recently completed like "the staff are rude", or 'impossible to get a drink" , "all the food was terribl" when that's not my experience at all.

 

What do you think the underlying cause is for the bad reviews?

 

1. MSC over-sell their experience

2. Some passenger's have unrealistic expectations?

3. Some people innately like to whinge

4. Something else

 

Hi Ryan,

 

We just got back on Sunday from 14 nights on Seascape, you gave me some good info before we went. I'm going to do a separate review at some point.

 

We had an amazing time and for us couldn't fault the cruise one bit, having sailed RC before I can understand why MSC isn't for everyone.

 

I don't mean to stereotype but I would suspect a lot of the bad reviews come form a certain demographic of American cruisers. It was a very busy loud cruise so wouldn't be for everyone, but you could easily avoid the crowds,  the portions in the MDR where adequate, I would say on the smaller side but we never left hungry (and you could certainly go to the buffet if you wanted more). The service was fine but again I can understand why it wouldn't be up to to scratch for some, we have holidayed a few times in Orlando and the service you receive in restaurants etc is always on another level compared to the UK and Europe, they are very service orientated in the US.

[jean87510]

On 2/14/2024 at 3:38 AM, cublet said:

Hello,

 

I'm sure most of the complainers are either American or used (exclusively) to American cruise lines. MSC is, sort of, Italian (too complicated to go into).

 

There are several things that are different but are raised time and time again on this forum - proof, if any was needed, that not many read these pages before they post. On my last Virtuosa cruise I sat next, or close to, an American complaining there was no 'Lobster night' or 'Filet Mignon' night - neither are 'big' in Italy. There is also no dishwater masquerading as 'coffee' or something called 'half and half' to disguise the vile liquid further. As most milk is 'foamed' in Italy before it is put in coffee, I don't know how 'half and half' would fare when subjected to a steam wand. Don't get me started on 'wash cloths' either - they must be important to many as three threads on their availability were running here concurrently a couple of months ago. Don't ask for a 'Pepperoni' or 'Hawaiian' pizza unless you want to be laughed/snarled at as they are not 'Italian'. A 'positive' for me, is when I ask either for Champagne or Prosecco on MSC that's what I get; on Royal or Celebrity I am initially served some sparkling swill that I reject, quite forcefully, every time.

 

On the subject of 'manners', I think that few of the complainers will have visited Italy itself either. If they had, they would have discovered the Italians (and Spanish) to not embellish their speech with 'please' or 'thank you' as much as we Brits and Americans always do - it is not 'ignorance', it's just the way the language is - one 'bene' (or 'vale') might be all you get.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

Have to laugh at this one as when I was on my first MSC Divina sailing, the people who complained the most in the YC at the restaurant, at the concierge desk, in the pool deck were non American.  Just a quick question.  Are you from the northeast US?

[Essiesmom]

Have those of you who disapprove of the cards at the cabins ever cruised on a ship with that system?  The cards are in a sealed envelope.  On the envelope it says if it appears to have been tampered with, go to GS for a new one.  I can’t remember if on Divina you could tap the card to open the door, or had to insert into slot.  Not sure if on smart ships you could tap the card still in the envelope… maybe I’ll try it next time.  But the principle reason on other lines for not giving the card at checkin is/was to keep people from accessing their cabins before they are ready.  On Carnival, the card isn’t at the door until the cabin is ready.  EM

[no1talks]

6 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

"Have those of you who disapprove of the cards at the cabins ever cruised on a ship with that system?"

No, but among the varied hats I've worn is that of hotel security. I'm familiar with the technology involved and how to mess with it.

 

 

6 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

"The cards are in a sealed envelope."

If a cruise company is on the ball, the material used in these envelopes would thwart most forms of mischief that would leave no visible sign.

[Craig UK]

Just got off MSC Meraviglia and honestly people are too critical.

 

I Found most of the food good or excellent, the only slight downside is it was very American skewed which wasnt the food i really wanted, but most of the customers were american, so...

 

I have written a full review, i will link when its been approved

[Craig UK]

On 2/22/2024 at 12:52 PM, Craig UK said:

Just got off MSC Meraviglia and honestly people are too critical.

 

I Found most of the food good or excellent, the only slight downside is it was very American skewed which wasnt the food i really wanted, but most of the customers were american, so...

 

I have written a full review, i will link when its been approved

https://links.notification.cruisecritic.com/f/a/s-e4suluIETnTaMIX8ekFg~~/AAQRxQA~/RgRnuzAsP0RKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY3J1aXNlY3JpdGljLmNvbS9tZW1iZXJyZXZpZXdzL21lbWJlcnJldmlldy5jZm0_RW50cnlJRD03MTIzMTJXA3NwY0IKZdQsq9hl-FlMMlIYY3JhaWcuYnVybnMudWtAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAANm

 

My review 

[Anastas617]

On 2/16/2024 at 1:53 PM, nferr said:

"Someone mentioned that MSC didn't give them the dining time at check in and immediately ran to the restaurant to get it fixed. No. It's on your card when you get to your room. All they had to do is ask. I had my time moved because it was too early for me"

I am not the one that posted, but I can tell you this isn't necessarily true. My first sailing on Meraviglia did not have my assigned dining time or MDR on my card when it was issued during the embarkation process. I asked about it and was told to see the Maitre D' when I got on the ship to get an assignment. When I arrived, I was given options for dining times and he hand-wrote my selection on my card. Sometimes, for whatever reason, the assignment isn't made automatically.

It worked well for me; I was only the 2nd person waiting to talk to the Maitre D' and I got to pick a time I wanted.

[dbrown84]

interesting thread.  I'm looking to do my first MSC cruise, having done 9 on NCL.  Up until now, my only disappointments have been assigned dining and no cigar lounge, not that I would allow those two issues to ruin my cruise or anything.  But this thread is helping me set the proper expectation.  thanks for all the comments