I went on princess a few years ago and you had to pay for a ice cream cone. I told the young lady behind the counter forget the ice cream. I never sailed on princess again because of the nickel and diming for ice cream. You would be surprise of the little things that would turn a cruise passenger off.
When I traveled to Jamaica (not on a cruise), I was hanging out near the port in Ochi Rios and the locals were calling the MSC ship the "Mean Ship". 🤣 They said because everyone on that ship looks/and acts so mean.
That elevator feature is called “destination dispatch” and is becoming more common. It is intended to make elevators more efficient by grouping passengers who are traveling to adjacent floors. It does away with the scenario where you get on the elevator at the top floor, and then it stops at every floor on the way down, even if the car is full.
They use the same system at Disney's Paradise Pier (soon to be PIxar Place) hotel. Thought it would be annoying, but it actually made things a lot faster when lots of people wanted to use the elevator.
I’m one of those crazy seniors who loves getting those pesky emails 😂 They keep reminding me of things I need to do that I may have overlooked. The senior moments just kick in sometimes and you need a little help 😂😂😂
hey, I went on an MSC Divina cruise a couple of months ago and there was free ice cream on the pool deck. It is a little hidden and not in the buffet, but it is there- and it's free
I just came back from my first cruise on an MSC ship, the ice cream was inly available from 2-6pm. I was told that other lines had 24hr ice cream and I agree that should be mandatory in all cruises.
DAMN,you and I can break Dance, that's really cool and rare to see now a days [I'm 42] I used to be in a step group from high-school to college, that would have been really fun to get paid to do it for a cruise ship.. superdope' 🔥it's funny,I did a Lil something at my job and they JAWS DROPPED..😅LOL
YES to JIMMIES! :D It has been a few years since I was on MSC; it was Divina, and the pizza was SPECTACULAR. A note on the ice cream: I seem to remember buying drink and ice cream paper coupon books before the cruise--? Then I feel like I picked them up in the casino bar the first day of the cruise. This may be "old school" and not the way they do it anymore, but might be something to look into if they still do it.
The Divina had free ice cream that was setup by the pool area each day. So it was an added table. I think they are listening to people on your channel and others.
Thanks for the objective review about the Seascape. I'm cruising on her next month and I can't wait! A different vlogger reviewed the thermal suite and it looks absolutely sublime! I was on the fence about cruising with MSC because of past negative reviews, but it looks like they truly want to make a splash in the North American market. Between the nominal single supplement, and loyalty program match (I'm Diamond with Royal), and a $200 onboard credit, it was too good a deal to pass up. I also wanted to make up my own mind once and for all about this line. Judging from the recent reviews I've read from other vloggers, it looks like you all are on pretty much on the same page regarding the Seascape: season the food more and step up on the entertainment. And I agree with you, they look to become a totally legit contender in the North American cruise sector, which can only mean good news for us cruisers 😉
I was on the same cruise. Debarkation was awful missed our walking tour because we waited in line an hour and a half in San Juan. Tour guide was anti American. Food awful. Price nice ship beautiful…shows meh
J, I was on the same cruise as you. First, there was free ice cream in the buffet at 4 pm and ice cream was available in the MDRs. Secondly, you can access your stateroom without going to the Kiosk to activate your cruise card. Food on seascape was improved greatly and I had some very delicious dinners. However, this is a very subjective topic as something that you may enjoy may taste like trash to me. Everyone's taste buds are different. The ship was very beautiful and it had a good vibe. My daughter loved, the water park and the hall of games, plus there is quite a bit of entertainment for c kids of all ages in Dorami Land. This brings me to my next point which I have not heard anyone speak on. Kids under the age of 17 sail free which can make a difference for a lot of families trying to enjoy a vacation. Now to address the entertainment! I Loved Nina Sky and her tribute to Whitney Houston. I do believe that her performance could have been elevated if she had a live band playing for her. This also goes for some of their other shows. I'm saying this as I am a musician so I look at entertainment differently. Furthermore, I agree that they should spend time focusing on perfecting one show instead of multiple shows. To this day the best performance I have experienced on a cruise ship was After Midnight on the NCL Escape. My apologies for the long post but this is my experience and opinions. Keep up the good work!
Kids are not free on every MSC cruise. We paid for our son when he was 6 on Seaside and again now when he is 9 on Seascape. May be because we got the Free drinks and WiFi. The “kids sail free” may be on certain cruises. Not a complaint, just is different depending on the cruise.
FYI the Carnival Panoram out of Long Beach has the same style elevators, where you push your destination floor, then you get notified of which car you'll get on.
I've had cruise lines, land tours, and even flights that asked to have all your documentation uploaded to their sites. I actually love this as I haven't had any missing documents and also it helped me with boarding or access which went faster. In fact, I had a gate agent at an airport refusing my proof of vaccination test until a supervisor looked over, saw I had pre-loaded my into to their document site which determined it was good and told the agent that if the site said it was ok, then it WAS OK and let me board.
Thanks J, I’ve never sailed with MSC and have considered it. This was a great packed review of what a MSC experience is. After watching this I would give them a shot. Keep up your good work.
Interesting review. We just got off the second passenger sailing of this ship. The ship was beautiful, but MSC will not be my first choice in the future. Our room (the same room as yours!) was tiny! All cruise ship cabins are small, but this was a new level of small. We were constantly tripping over shoes and luggage because the storage was so limited. The elevators were a disaster. Many of the kids would press the buttons on the tablets for fun, making the elevators stop at every. Single. Floor. So annoying. Another sticking point was the dining situation. With 5500 passengers, MSC needs to take a lesson from some of the other lines. They need more free and/or affordable dining options. Because they offer only two free choices on MSC, the main place for people to eat is in the Marketplace. This area, no matter how well set up, cannot accommodate 5500 people trying to eat at the same time. It was hot, frustrating, and people were downright rude cutting in front of other people who had been waiting. My daughter opted not to eat on more than one occasion rather than face the massive volume of people in the buffet. More free dining choices would spread the crowds out and not make it so frustrating. The muster was horrible. 5500 people trying to get to their muster station to check in at the same time and then 5500 people all trying to take the elevators back to their cabins. If you are on the 13th floor as we were and your muster is on deck 6, it is either a very long frustrating wait for the elevators or a very long tiring trip up the stairs. The food is terribly bland. Sometimes, I couldn't put enough salt on it to get any flavor. Another disappointing thing about this particular itinerary is that several of the days in port were only half days. We found the communication to be lacking which many times led to confusion. On other cruise lines, they overdo the announcements repeating things over and over again. However on this cruise, we were walking around scratching our heads, guessing as to how we were supposed to do things. Some days when we were in Port, we never even received an announcement that the ship had been cleared by customs and we could disembark so we were left in our rooms sitting and waiting until we finally decided to go check on the holdup ourselves. Another frustration that will not affect many people but definitely did me was the inability to get distilled water. I have sleep apnea and the machine I use has to have distilled water. On other cruise lines, the room steward brings a gallon to the room and puts it on my bill. It was nearly impossible to get this on this ship. Medical didn't have any and our room steward apparently had to get it from the engine room. He would bring it to me in large coffee cups. Another sticking point is that there was no ATM anywhere on the ship. Yep. You read that right. We were able to get cash from guest services with a pricey 5% charge. Despite these frustrations we enjoyed our cruise very much, however, I have saved my biggest co.plaint for last and it has nothing to do with MSC. It was all about the passengers. I have never in my life experienced such rudeness as I did on this ship. People cutting in line at the buffet, people cutting in front of me to get on the elevator. The worst, though, was people taking our chairs on the pool deck while we were in the hot tub. They claimed the chairs were "empty" so they took them. We lost our towels because these low lifes took them and located our other personal belongings on the floor under the chairs. People were constantly smoking on the balcony which prevented us from enjoying ours. One person in a nearby cabin was actually smoking weed on his balcony which then wafted to ours. Not cool. So no, MSC will not be our first, or even second or third choice for our next cruise.
Fair Review! I was on the Divina twice! i would agree with what you say.. I see the security issues as well as being checked thoroughly when reboarding, I googled it and MSC has had a couple cocaine bust! maybe that's why security is so tight??? Garfield the best steward ever!! Music needs to include all. Also I found Ice Cream on Divina but you had to search for it!
I'm really loving these videos. I'm a teacher and haven't gone on a cruise because of price but your videos make me want to go ahead and cruise for the first time. I was actually looking at MSC but I like to eat good (I'm Texas born and raised). Thanks for the video
Now that school's out, did you manage to save enough money to go on a cheap cruise out of Galveston? Too bad MSC doesn't homeport any of their ships there. Listen Keavon, I was a schoolteacher who went on cruises--solo and with my daughter. There are PLENTY of cheap ways to go without succumbing to all of their penny-ante ways of getting into your wallet. Carnival and MSC are by far the cheapest, with NCL and Royal Caribbean not far behind. I've done 'em all and you won't love the food on ANY of them, but you won't hate it either. Food varies so much from cruise line and ships within cruise lines. There will be things you like (steak) and things that you will find inedible (cold cuts).
Hi J, I was there in the seascape with you. a. In my itinerary the departure time was 5pm indeed b. I was able to list my credit card online and did not go to the activation point at all, also my CC was shown in the app as well. c. Ice creams (softy) were available from 4pm in the buffet section. d. Robotron was $10 pp We loved the cruise overall. Will definitely sail MSC again!
A. My paperwork that I have printed say 7pm and that my check in time was 4pm which I do think was Strang. B. Maybe something was going on with my app. Had the same issue earlier this year on the Meraviglia. Possibly because I booked through my sponsors. C. Thanks for letting me know about the Softserve. I’ll be sailing again as well
@@JSHIPLIFE my check-in time was 3-3:30 too… but I went to the port at 11am since this was the first sailing, I think they were happy to check us in and embark early before noon. Will have to sail again or have to wait for you to let us know what happens in future sailing. Also, hopefully Miami terminal A for MSC opens soon.
Thanks for clarifying and providing the real and honest information. Lately this youtube uploader has a habit of being dramatic to get more views. How did you add the CC online? The website is very basic and once I login, I do not see much details in the booking.
Thanks for your opinion. I sail with MSC over her in Europe, but RC is my favorite. However, I only sail with the yacht club on MSC. Anything else is just not for me. I concur with almost everything you say. Just FYI, everyone says MSC is an Italian company. Although they gear themselves to Italy, they are actually A Swiss company. The founder is Italian, but married a Swiss woman and lives in Geneva. MSC is still family owned and ran.
Aponte, their CEO made it a "Swiss company." Their cargo operations are coordinated in Italy. The cruise line's company's headquarters in New York. It must be nice to be rich.
Hey J, it was a pleasure to meet you during this cruise… I even see me and my big hair dancing in that atrium party- so much fun. My hubby and I were celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary.. this was our 16th cruise on other lines-this ship was gorgeous, people were super nice and attentive I think the food was great mainly at dinner time in the main restaurant. I agree with the shows- they were awful except that one lady that did the WH tribute. The best for us was the Thermal spa - they run pretty good deals. Venchi is expensive gelato but man it was fantastic. Embarkation was quick for us we did everything online it took 2 minutes- disembarkation was horrible over 1 hours. Overall, it was great our 2nd time with MSC but more to come - no longer loyal to RC and NCL. Bring home an MSC diffuser your home will smell like a great vacay 😊
My employer's building has a similar elevator system. It's actually super efficient and saves time most of the time because it will group people based on where they want to go and keeps track of how many people are actually in the elevator (and thus not have a full elevator respond to calls). If you look underneath there's a "glowing circle" - that's used for rfid badges. In the building system you badge in and it will only display the floors you're authorized to visit. I am sure there's some administrative features and stuff as well, like being able to shut down or "reserve" an elevator (maybe for luggage delivery?)
We were on Divina again last week and the food was good, well-seasoned, if not always of the best quality for the seafood. There was an ice cream stand outside the buffet by the pool that had constant traffic and sometimes, they brought the ice cream into the buffet. We had ice cream nearly every night in the MDR. We only sprung for the gelato once. The ice cream by the pool was soft serve, but the ice cream in the MDR was "dipped" and when they brought the ice cream into the buffet, it was also "dipped" .
Love your unbiased reviews. As a TA, I despise MSC cruises as their customer service (even on the TA booking side) is the worst out of ALL of the cruise lines. The biggest hassle ever.
I watch all your videos. Love the content and perspective. Can’t believe you just validated calling sprinkles “jimmies” 😂Thank you!! In Philly we only say jimmies and people think I’m crazy. Keep the great reviews and content coming. 🥳👏
In my experience, international cruises are more port of call focused as opposed to ship entertainment focused.. Entertainment is not at the top of their list.
I just got off of the Wonder of the Seas 2 days ago and it was ok. Me and the wife like to try all of the different cruise lines and we enjoyed our MSC Seaside cruise back in 2018 more than the one we just got off of with RC. The one thing that really threw me for a loop on RC was the interior balconies!!!
I totally agree with everything you said with MSC. I am a travel agent and I do not like cruising with them. My recent experience with sailing with them was the worst.
Going on msc for the first time on my next cruise. I'm still so excited to see it for myself. So many mixed reviews. Thanks for being honest, as always.
I was on this ship in November for its crossing from Barcelona to NewYork, I personally loved it and for the total price of $2000 cad with an alcohol and wifi package it was hard to beat!
I'm trying out MSC next month for my birthday. This will be my first non-themed cruise ship. I'm hoping I'll still enjoy it and have as good a time. We'll see how it goes.
We have sailed MSC three times since June, all three ships have free soft service all day and free hard ice cream several times during the week at the buffet. I don’t know if the Seascape is different 🤷🏼♀️
@@MichelleAlexandria-EM maybe they change it up? We (really the hubby, I don’t like ice cream, 😂) got ours at the bar by the pool, two flavors daily, although lemon made lots of appearances. 🤷🏼♀️
Jay did my first MSC because Emma said try I did a covid restart. Overall not bad for the price. You said you could not get free ice cream, got ice cream even if not asked for. Yes the food was hit or miss. Just got off Princess and the food was hit and miss too. Have earned status on Princess and Now MSC has matched, will be fun to see what happens. Princess in a week , MSC in 3 months, then again in the fall. Happy sailings
I really enjoy watching these vlogs. Even though I travel frequently, I have never been on a cruise ship before. However, these vlogs motivate me to consider taking a cruise in the future.
Free ice cream would make me happy! I saw a life sized chocolate Grace Jones mannequin in a magazine, she's incredible, so was the mannequin! I bet it tasted really good too.
We cruised the Divina in July of this year, and again last week. Same ship, sailed from different ports and they were two completely different experiences. In July, from Port Canaveral, the guests were mostly American and that's all we heard on the ship. Everything was just great, food, service, the ship was beautiful... Last week was another story. Sailed out of Miami and the guests were from everywhere. Announcements in multiple languages. The food wasn't as appealing as in July. They didn't have wash cloths, tissues, or hard soap in the bathroom. They had installed pumps at the sink, closed off the tissue holders. We had to ask. In July, the steward offered us robes. Not this time. Our balcony in July was with the glass rail. We were on the same floor but the opposite side, and this balcony was metal, so we couldn't sit and see out. (We always take a mid ship balcony, mid floor, mid location) The only other ship we've done twice is Harmony, and the experience was consistent.
I’ve heard this quite a few times , that leaving from Port Canaveral was such a better cruise experience. I wish I knew why , I am sailing out of Miami my next cruise and I kinda want to find out if I can find a cruise on the Seascape departing from PC
Fellow Tampa res here. Going on Wonder in Feb (Royal and NCL are our typical) and looking for a cruise to book in '24. appreciate your vids as we had been considering MSC for '24 but may just stick to what we know we like.
I’d like to see a video on the different luggage claim areas. I just took my first cruise and picking up my luggage at the end was a massive undertaking.
Thanks for good info Jay, my wife and I are taking our first MSC cruise in about three weeks out of Port Canaveral. We usually go on Royal Caribbean and we are right before we go on MSC so it will be interesting to compare the two.
I got free ice cream every day on both of my Meraviglia cruises this year. Main pool deck. And no, nobody scanned my room key or asked if I had a drink package. I’m always shocked when people say no free ice cream on MSC. Also…. Please do yourself a favor and try yacht club. Do a 3 or 4 day interior on Meraviglia before it goes to New York if you want to save money!
First off yes sprinkles on ice cream are called Jimmies, and on the MSC Meraviglia this January, we did find free soft service ice cream by the pool😲. BTW, thank you for your honest review on this ship. From the food to the entertainment. Also that is awesome you brought up the elevator thing, so in June we will not be surprised with this. Lastly,will you be doing another review on this ship after you, your girlfriend and her daughter are off the ship?
Thank you for the video! Are you really sure that you HAD TO activate the cruise card before anything else? Yes, the name says so. But after crusing a couple of times with MSC I can tell you: You can register your credit card as well on the last days or anytime in between! There is no need to to this straight after embarcation.
oops, Also at lunch time only place to eat besides the gross buffet was the Taco joint (Hola)that was fully booked as was the Asian joint.Not enough restaurants for the amt of people Mergavelia ship holds.
I like how MSC is not the typical American pleasing cruise line. I love hearing all the different languages and European passengers on board. I am letting go of Princess and cruising more with MSC. Now that I experienced the elevator I will take the stairs.
I agree completely. I love how MSC keep it Mediterranean and for us Europeans. If you want the American experience pick an American line! Personally the last thing I want is the “US experience” I really hope MSC stay true to themselves and don’t buckle to the US need for sameness everywhere they go. The clue is in the name! Also love that their gratuities are included, their fares are so reasonable and their ships are glitzy but classy. I also don’t want a waiter jumping on my backside every 2 minutes “checking if everything’s okay?” (AKA tip fishing). Ask once and let me eat my meal!
There was free soft serve ice cream in the buffet everyday between 3:30-5pm. There was chocolate sauce, vanilla cream, a couple different kinds of bread puddings, cookies, pizza, burgers and hotdogs. We just got off our 15 night cruise yesterday. It was nice to meet you. It was our 1st time on MSC & we enjoyed it
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I'm a Royal Caribbean girl, but I love your objective reporting style. You're verrrrry thorough and informative. Thanks
I subscribed as ur first one enjoy the gift
@BananaMikeyI am a Royal Caribbean girl too I have gone on wonder twice and it’s my favorite!❤
I AM OBSESSED WITH ROYAL CARIBBEAN TO I WOULD MARRY ICON OF THE SEAS!❤😂
🙄
Im a Royal myself. Been on Disney,Royal and Carnival. Disney is top notch but too pricey.
I completely agree about the free ice cream thing. That should be mandatory on every ship
I went on princess a few years ago and you had to pay for a ice cream cone. I told the young lady behind the counter forget the ice cream. I never sailed on princess again because of the nickel and diming for ice cream. You would be surprise of the little things that would turn a cruise passenger off.
It’s free on Meraviglia
I got free icecream on their Divina ship
I'm a big fan of ice cream, especially free ice cream. I'm literally writing down the names of these ships that have free ice cream. 🤣
We were on the MSC Divina a couple months ago and they had free ice cream in the pool area. There was a guy behind a small table serving it for you.
The kids that were staring @ you might have thought you were cool, you have such a nice, calm personality at least here on UA-cam & that's refreshing.
When I traveled to Jamaica (not on a cruise), I was hanging out near the port in Ochi Rios and the locals were calling the MSC ship the "Mean Ship". 🤣 They said because everyone on that ship looks/and acts so mean.
I’m glad my Jamaican people put a mental / verbal stamp on the.
😂😂 south jersey here- Jimmies are chocolate sprinkles! Sprinkles are rainbow! 😂😂😂
That elevator feature is called “destination dispatch” and is becoming more common. It is intended to make elevators more efficient by grouping passengers who are traveling to adjacent floors.
It does away with the scenario where you get on the elevator at the top floor, and then it stops at every floor on the way down, even if the car is full.
This sounds like a good idea IMO. I'd like to try it. We should all take the Japanese rule though...if it's 2 floors or less: take the stairs.
I really want all the cruise lines to do tmove to this method. It is way more efficient.
They use the same system at Disney's Paradise Pier (soon to be PIxar Place) hotel. Thought it would be annoying, but it actually made things a lot faster when lots of people wanted to use the elevator.
I’m one of those crazy seniors who loves getting those pesky emails 😂 They keep reminding me of things I need to do that I may have overlooked. The senior moments just kick in sometimes and you need a little help 😂😂😂
Amen! I’m 65 & my senior moments kick in more than I’d like to admit-see how I’m a yr behind on this vlog 🤣
hey, I went on an MSC Divina cruise a couple of months ago and there was free ice cream on the pool deck. It is a little hidden and not in the buffet, but it is there- and it's free
I just came back from my first cruise on an MSC ship, the ice cream was inly available from 2-6pm. I was told that other lines had 24hr ice cream and I agree that should be mandatory in all cruises.
It's because of ur feed backs that I venture out. Going on NCL next year. I do appreciate your work and honesty. Thank you
I always had good cruise with MSC. Every cruise have its moments. Example. Carnival!
There is free ice cream on board.. its in the buffet area .. it has weird hours tho .. 330p for example
DAMN,you and I can break Dance, that's really cool and rare to see now a days [I'm 42] I used to be in a step group from high-school to college, that would have been really fun to get paid to do it for a cruise ship.. superdope' 🔥it's funny,I did a Lil something at my job and they JAWS DROPPED..😅LOL
My main beef with MSC is their website. It doesn't work consistently. In my opinion, if they would just fix that, their sales would increase.
I do like that about you, that you talk about the good the bad and the ugly and you’re very respectful about it.
Thank you! I do my best to respectfully look at both sides
Thank you! I do my best to respectfully look at both sides
Keep up the excellent work. You have come a long way! Your hard work shows.
👍
YES to JIMMIES! :D It has been a few years since I was on MSC; it was Divina, and the pizza was SPECTACULAR. A note on the ice cream: I seem to remember buying drink and ice cream paper coupon books before the cruise--? Then I feel like I picked them up in the casino bar the first day of the cruise. This may be "old school" and not the way they do it anymore, but might be something to look into if they still do it.
I'm strictly a Royal Caribbean cruiser but I really enjoy your reviews. Especially this one. Very informative!
There was actually free ice cream on MSC Seascape. They gave them out at the buffet at around 4pm. They were delicious.
I am a Royal Caribbean girl I would marry some ships so I love when you talk abt it❤❤❤
Just got off the same sailing. They have soft serve at 4 PM in the buffet. Believe two stations.
I just found out today. Weird time
Yep perfect afternoon teatime.
The Divina had free ice cream that was setup by the pool area each day. So it was an added table. I think they are listening to people on your channel and others.
Thanks for the objective review about the Seascape. I'm cruising on her next month and I can't wait! A different vlogger reviewed the thermal suite and it looks absolutely sublime! I was on the fence about cruising with MSC because of past negative reviews, but it looks like they truly want to make a splash in the North American market. Between the nominal single supplement, and loyalty program match (I'm Diamond with Royal), and a $200 onboard credit, it was too good a deal to pass up. I also wanted to make up my own mind once and for all about this line. Judging from the recent reviews I've read from other vloggers, it looks like you all are on pretty much on the same page regarding the Seascape: season the food more and step up on the entertainment. And I agree with you, they look to become a totally legit contender in the North American cruise sector, which can only mean good news for us cruisers 😉
I was on the same cruise. Debarkation was awful missed our walking tour because we waited in line an hour and a half in San Juan. Tour guide was anti American. Food awful. Price nice ship beautiful…shows meh
Lots of racism on board. And as a German I don’t like it , I’d rather go with a more inclusive cruise line
J, I was on the same cruise as you. First, there was free ice cream in the buffet at 4 pm and ice cream was available in the MDRs.
Secondly, you can access your stateroom without going to the Kiosk to activate your cruise card.
Food on seascape was improved greatly and I had some very delicious dinners. However, this is a very subjective topic as something that you may enjoy may taste like trash to me. Everyone's taste buds are different.
The ship was very beautiful and it had a good vibe.
My daughter loved, the water park and the hall of games, plus there is quite a bit of entertainment for c kids of all ages in Dorami Land.
This brings me to my next point which I have not heard anyone speak on. Kids under the age of 17 sail free which can make a difference for a lot of families trying to enjoy a vacation.
Now to address the entertainment! I Loved Nina Sky and her tribute to Whitney Houston. I do believe that her performance could have been elevated if she had a live band playing for her. This also goes for some of their other shows. I'm saying this as I am a musician so I look at entertainment differently. Furthermore, I agree that they should spend time focusing on perfecting one show instead of multiple shows.
To this day the best performance I have experienced on a cruise ship was After Midnight on the NCL Escape.
My apologies for the long post but this is my experience and opinions.
Keep up the good work!
Kids are not free on every MSC cruise. We paid for our son when he was 6 on Seaside and again now when he is 9 on Seascape. May be because we got the Free drinks and WiFi. The “kids sail free” may be on certain cruises. Not a complaint, just is different depending on the cruise.
FYI the Carnival Panoram out of Long Beach has the same style elevators, where you push your destination floor, then you get notified of which car you'll get on.
I've had cruise lines, land tours, and even flights that asked to have all your documentation uploaded to their sites. I actually love this as I haven't had any missing documents and also it helped me with boarding or access which went faster. In fact, I had a gate agent at an airport refusing my proof of vaccination test until a supervisor looked over, saw I had pre-loaded my into to their document site which determined it was good and told the agent that if the site said it was ok, then it WAS OK and let me board.
MSC does have a nice buffet layout. Pizza and pasta was decent. Other foods were ok.
Thanks J,
I’ve never sailed with MSC and have considered it. This was a great packed review of what a MSC experience is. After watching this I would give them a shot. Keep up your good work.
Thank you!
That ship looked a mess! You're right with what you showed and described.
Wow that's amazing I've been to MSC world Europa here in Qatar and the experience was awesome.Thanks for sharing this video
Interesting review. We just got off the second passenger sailing of this ship. The ship was beautiful, but MSC will not be my first choice in the future. Our room (the same room as yours!) was tiny! All cruise ship cabins are small, but this was a new level of small. We were constantly tripping over shoes and luggage because the storage was so limited. The elevators were a disaster. Many of the kids would press the buttons on the tablets for fun, making the elevators stop at every. Single. Floor. So annoying. Another sticking point was the dining situation. With 5500 passengers, MSC needs to take a lesson from some of the other lines. They need more free and/or affordable dining options. Because they offer only two free choices on MSC, the main place for people to eat is in the Marketplace. This area, no matter how well set up, cannot accommodate 5500 people trying to eat at the same time. It was hot, frustrating, and people were downright rude cutting in front of other people who had been waiting. My daughter opted not to eat on more than one occasion rather than face the massive volume of people in the buffet. More free dining choices would spread the crowds out and not make it so frustrating. The muster was horrible. 5500 people trying to get to their muster station to check in at the same time and then 5500 people all trying to take the elevators back to their cabins. If you are on the 13th floor as we were and your muster is on deck 6, it is either a very long frustrating wait for the elevators or a very long tiring trip up the stairs. The food is terribly bland. Sometimes, I couldn't put enough salt on it to get any flavor. Another disappointing thing about this particular itinerary is that several of the days in port were only half days. We found the communication to be lacking which many times led to confusion. On other cruise lines, they overdo the announcements repeating things over and over again. However on this cruise, we were walking around scratching our heads, guessing as to how we were supposed to do things. Some days when we were in Port, we never even received an announcement that the ship had been cleared by customs and we could disembark so we were left in our rooms sitting and waiting until we finally decided to go check on the holdup ourselves. Another frustration that will not affect many people but definitely did me was the inability to get distilled water. I have sleep apnea and the machine I use has to have distilled water. On other cruise lines, the room steward brings a gallon to the room and puts it on my bill. It was nearly impossible to get this on this ship. Medical didn't have any and our room steward apparently had to get it from the engine room. He would bring it to me in large coffee cups. Another sticking point is that there was no ATM anywhere on the ship. Yep. You read that right. We were able to get cash from guest services with a pricey 5% charge. Despite these frustrations we enjoyed our cruise very much, however, I have saved my biggest co.plaint for last and it has nothing to do with MSC. It was all about the passengers. I have never in my life experienced such rudeness as I did on this ship. People cutting in line at the buffet, people cutting in front of me to get on the elevator. The worst, though, was people taking our chairs on the pool deck while we were in the hot tub. They claimed the chairs were "empty" so they took them. We lost our towels because these low lifes took them and located our other personal belongings on the floor under the chairs. People were constantly smoking on the balcony which prevented us from enjoying ours. One person in a nearby cabin was actually smoking weed on his balcony which then wafted to ours. Not cool. So no, MSC will not be our first, or even second or third choice for our next cruise.
Okay so what you saying is I shouldn’t try them at all!? Which is your first choice?
U
@@treanbean2010 have you decided which cruise line to go with? This comment just talked me out of msc
Thank you for including the clip of the Floridian with the wicks! ooowi!🖤
Fair Review! I was on the Divina twice! i would agree with what you say.. I see the security issues as well as being checked thoroughly when reboarding, I googled it and MSC has had a couple cocaine bust! maybe that's why security is so tight??? Garfield the best steward ever!! Music needs to include all.
Also I found Ice Cream on Divina but you had to search for it!
The system for the elevators helps them last a lot longer before repairs are needed.
I'm really loving these videos. I'm a teacher and haven't gone on a cruise because of price but your videos make me want to go ahead and cruise for the first time. I was actually looking at MSC but I like to eat good (I'm Texas born and raised).
Thanks for the video
Now that school's out, did you manage to save enough money to go on a cheap cruise out of Galveston? Too bad MSC doesn't homeport any of their ships there. Listen Keavon, I was a schoolteacher who went on cruises--solo and with my daughter. There are PLENTY of cheap ways to go without succumbing to all of their penny-ante ways of getting into your wallet. Carnival and MSC are by far the cheapest, with NCL and Royal Caribbean not far behind. I've done 'em all and you won't love the food on ANY of them, but you won't hate it either. Food varies so much from cruise line and ships within cruise lines. There will be things you like (steak) and things that you will find inedible (cold cuts).
Hi J,
I was there in the seascape with you.
a. In my itinerary the departure time was 5pm indeed
b. I was able to list my credit card online and did not go to the activation point at all, also my CC was shown in the app as well.
c. Ice creams (softy) were available from 4pm in the buffet section.
d. Robotron was $10 pp
We loved the cruise overall. Will definitely sail MSC again!
A. My paperwork that I have printed say 7pm and that my check in time was 4pm which I do think was Strang.
B. Maybe something was going on with my app. Had the same issue earlier this year on the Meraviglia. Possibly because I booked through my sponsors.
C. Thanks for letting me know about the Softserve. I’ll be sailing again as well
@@JSHIPLIFE my check-in time was 3-3:30 too… but I went to the port at 11am since this was the first sailing, I think they were happy to check us in and embark early before noon.
Will have to sail again or have to wait for you to let us know what happens in future sailing.
Also, hopefully Miami terminal A for MSC opens soon.
Thanks for clarifying and providing the real and honest information. Lately this youtube uploader has a habit of being dramatic to get more views. How did you add the CC online? The website is very basic and once I login, I do not see much details in the booking.
@@JohnDoe-pe6iu I agree their website is still minimal. When you go to manage booking and check-in you will be able to add your CC.
@@shiva94g Thank you Shiva. Keep cruising!
Thanks for your opinion. I sail with MSC over her in Europe, but RC is my favorite. However, I only sail with the yacht club on MSC. Anything else is just not for me. I concur with almost everything you say. Just FYI, everyone says MSC is an Italian company. Although they gear themselves to Italy, they are actually A Swiss company. The founder is Italian, but married a Swiss woman and lives in Geneva. MSC is still family owned and ran.
Aponte, their CEO made it a "Swiss company." Their cargo operations are coordinated in Italy. The cruise line's company's headquarters in New York. It must be nice to be rich.
We just got off the Meraviglia on Sunday and we had free ice cream bar on Deck 15 by the pool. We were never asked to see our cruise card.
Hey J, it was a pleasure to meet you during this cruise… I even see me and my big hair dancing in that atrium party- so much fun. My hubby and I were celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary.. this was our 16th cruise on other lines-this ship was gorgeous, people were super nice and attentive I think the food was great mainly at dinner time in the main restaurant. I agree with the shows- they were awful except that one lady that did the WH tribute. The best for us was the Thermal spa - they run pretty good deals. Venchi is expensive gelato but man it was fantastic. Embarkation was quick for us we did everything online it took 2 minutes- disembarkation was horrible over 1 hours. Overall, it was great our 2nd time with MSC but more to come - no longer loyal to RC and NCL. Bring home an MSC diffuser your home will smell like a great vacay 😊
My employer's building has a similar elevator system. It's actually super efficient and saves time most of the time because it will group people based on where they want to go and keeps track of how many people are actually in the elevator (and thus not have a full elevator respond to calls).
If you look underneath there's a "glowing circle" - that's used for rfid badges. In the building system you badge in and it will only display the floors you're authorized to visit. I am sure there's some administrative features and stuff as well, like being able to shut down or "reserve" an elevator (maybe for luggage delivery?)
Or it could be for passengers who have suites at the Yacht Club, that way they ensure that only they can access the areas designated for them.
We were on Divina again last week and the food was good, well-seasoned, if not always of the best quality for the seafood. There was an ice cream stand outside the buffet by the pool that had constant traffic and sometimes, they brought the ice cream into the buffet. We had ice cream nearly every night in the MDR. We only sprung for the gelato once. The ice cream by the pool was soft serve, but the ice cream in the MDR was "dipped" and when they brought the ice cream into the buffet, it was also "dipped" .
Traveled on msc seashore June 2024. They must have listened cuz there was free ice cream at the buffet on deck 16
The carnival horizon has that type of elevator as well
Excellent comments. Thanks
Me when I see the guy at 2:41: 😮Whoa... those dreadlocks look fricking HEAVY.
Love your unbiased reviews. As a TA, I despise MSC cruises as their customer service (even on the TA booking side) is the worst out of ALL of the cruise lines. The biggest hassle ever.
I got free ice cream several days on the lido on the meraviglia with sprinkles too.
I watch all your videos. Love the content and perspective. Can’t believe you just validated calling sprinkles “jimmies” 😂Thank you!! In Philly we only say jimmies and people think I’m crazy. Keep the great reviews and content coming. 🥳👏
My dad was from Philly and we always used the word jimmies
In my experience, international cruises are more port of call focused as opposed to ship entertainment focused.. Entertainment is not at the top of their list.
I just got off of the Wonder of the Seas 2 days ago and it was ok. Me and the wife like to try all of the different cruise lines and we enjoyed our MSC Seaside cruise back in 2018 more than the one we just got off of with RC. The one thing that really threw me for a loop on RC was the interior balconies!!!
I totally agree with everything you said with MSC. I am a travel agent and I do not like cruising with them. My recent experience with sailing with them was the worst.
We were on msc meraviglia for 11 days, Dec 4 to Dec 15. There was free icecream on deck 16 and deck 19 every day, all day.
Why don’t we ever touch the mini bar 😮💨😊
I didnt have to use the kiosk. I did it all online.
Hey! Wow I was on that MSC cruise too. My 16 year old grandson sends his apologies for crashing the night scene. Debarkation nightmare!! Never again
The elevator situation is not just MSC. We encountered in May 2022 on the Carnival Horizon.
Going on msc for the first time on my next cruise. I'm still so excited to see it for myself. So many mixed reviews. Thanks for being honest, as always.
Great analysis. I am concerned about the food, especially since that issue is consistent.
Lots of good information!!! Thanks for sharing 😎🛳🛳
The problem with MSC was the food for me I think I will wait for a year or so before I go again
Thanks for the video. I just booked the 14 days Seascape from Miami.
Thank you for great review. Pros and cons are what I look for, and I appreciate you for that. Hi Lauren, she is just as awesome as you are.
I was on this ship in November for its crossing from Barcelona to NewYork, I personally loved it and for the total price of $2000 cad with an alcohol and wifi package it was hard to beat!
We sailed the MSC Divina for Thanksgiving, they offered free Ice Cream cones from Noon to 6 every day on the lido
I'm trying out MSC next month for my birthday. This will be my first non-themed cruise ship. I'm hoping I'll still enjoy it and have as good a time. We'll see how it goes.
MSC MERIVIGLIA had ice cream by the pool... free..
Thanks for letting us know about this cruise line we have 2 xhildren and would never ever take this cruise line MSC wow!
My guy appreciate your reviews it really helps me decide on cruises. Thanks my guy and keep it coming.
We have sailed MSC three times since June, all three ships have free soft service all day and free hard ice cream several times during the week at the buffet. I don’t know if the Seascape is different 🤷🏼♀️
I was on the Meraviglia two months ago and the soft serve wasn't free
@@MichelleAlexandria-EM maybe they change it up? We (really the hubby, I don’t like ice cream, 😂) got ours at the bar by the pool, two flavors daily, although lemon made lots of appearances. 🤷🏼♀️
Jay did my first MSC because Emma said try I did a covid restart. Overall not bad for the price. You said you could not get free ice cream, got ice cream even if not asked for. Yes the food was hit or miss. Just got off Princess and the food was hit and miss too. Have earned status on Princess and Now MSC has matched, will be fun to see what happens. Princess in a week , MSC in 3 months, then again in the fall. Happy sailings
I really enjoy watching these vlogs. Even though I travel frequently, I have never been on a cruise ship before. However, these vlogs motivate me to consider taking a cruise in the future.
Been on other ships. So far love the symphony of the seas RC.
Wanting to do transatlantic.
European cruise wanting to know the best line.
Thank you
Free ice cream would make me happy!
I saw a life sized chocolate Grace Jones mannequin in a magazine, she's incredible, so was the mannequin! I bet it tasted really good too.
MSC, Mostly Senior Citizens.
Lol Nice!
Msc is very affordable right now but if they get as popular as RC and Carnival, they will raise their prices too...😊
Love your content. Subscribed. Going on the Seascape in May 2023
Me 2 MAY 28.
@@dolorescaldwell6544 Can't wait to see you there!
Another great video Brother and Happy Holidays
We cruised the Divina in July of this year, and again last week. Same ship, sailed from different ports and they were two completely different experiences. In July, from Port Canaveral, the guests were mostly American and that's all we heard on the ship. Everything was just great, food, service, the ship was beautiful... Last week was another story. Sailed out of Miami and the guests were from everywhere. Announcements in multiple languages. The food wasn't as appealing as in July. They didn't have wash cloths, tissues, or hard soap in the bathroom. They had installed pumps at the sink, closed off the tissue holders. We had to ask. In July, the steward offered us robes. Not this time. Our balcony in July was with the glass rail. We were on the same floor but the opposite side, and this balcony was metal, so we couldn't sit and see out. (We always take a mid ship balcony, mid floor, mid location) The only other ship we've done twice is Harmony, and the experience was consistent.
I’ve heard this quite a few times , that leaving from Port Canaveral was such a better cruise experience. I wish I knew why , I am sailing out of Miami my next cruise and I kinda want to find out if I can find a cruise on the Seascape departing from PC
@@crystald8029 they are moving Seaside to PC.
Thank you for the information. We are leaving from PC in June. I am glad we changed from Miami.
Fellow Tampa res here. Going on Wonder in Feb (Royal and NCL are our typical) and looking for a cruise to book in '24. appreciate your vids as we had been considering MSC for '24 but may just stick to what we know we like.
If you like RC you will love Celebrity
I’d like to see a video on the different luggage claim areas. I just took my first cruise and picking up my luggage at the end was a massive undertaking.
Thanks for good info Jay, my wife and I are taking our first MSC cruise in about three weeks out of Port Canaveral. We usually go on Royal Caribbean and we are right before we go on MSC so it will be interesting to compare the two.
Great review...Nice job, Thanks✌
You missed the free icecream in the buffet area from 3:00 pm daily in the dessert area where a person serves the soft serve.
I got free ice cream every day on both of my Meraviglia cruises this year. Main pool deck. And no, nobody scanned my room key or asked if I had a drink package. I’m always shocked when people say no free ice cream on MSC.
Also…. Please do yourself a favor and try yacht club. Do a 3 or 4 day interior on Meraviglia before it goes to New York if you want to save money!
Thanks for the review J
You bet!
Hey Jay looking forward to meeting you on one of these cruises 🛳
I did like the speed of the review, even though i felt out of breath just from listening
First off yes sprinkles on ice cream are called Jimmies, and on the MSC Meraviglia this January, we did find free soft service ice cream by the pool😲.
BTW, thank you for your honest review on this ship. From the food to the entertainment.
Also that is awesome you brought up the elevator thing, so in June we will not be surprised with this.
Lastly,will you be doing another review on this ship after you, your girlfriend and her daughter are off the ship?
I haven't cruised MSC yet but the elevator is similar to Carnival Horizon lol I loved it
I thought I saw you at Ocean Cay but I wasn’t sure, now I know why you looked familiar.
😆 I commented to soon , they now charge for ice cream?? It used to be in the buffet. Only certain hours but it was free , a long line though .
My dog Jay always showing us what to look out for on these cruises. Thank you sir for your informative videos 🤜🏽🤛🏽
Thank you for the video!
Are you really sure that you HAD TO activate the cruise card before anything else?
Yes, the name says so. But after crusing a couple of times with MSC I can tell you: You can register your credit card as well on the last days or anytime in between! There is no need to to this straight after embarcation.
And another thing:
On the MSC ships I know there IS free ice-cream every lunch and every dinner in the main dining room!
We went on Divinia and they had free ice cream. It’s grouped in with the special coffee bar. I said after my first MSC that id never do it again
Great review. I would give MSC a try just to say I did. I won't expect much. As long as they have a casino and unlimited drinks, I'm good 👍🏾
oops, Also at lunch time only place to eat besides the gross buffet was the Taco joint (Hola)that was fully booked as was the Asian joint.Not enough restaurants for the amt of people Mergavelia ship holds.
I'm hoping to see MSC come to Galveston.
I like how MSC is not the typical American pleasing cruise line. I love hearing all the different languages and European passengers on board. I am letting go of Princess and cruising more with MSC. Now that I experienced the elevator I will take the stairs.
You have no taste! Lol
I agree completely. I love how MSC keep it Mediterranean and for us Europeans. If you want the American experience pick an American line! Personally the last thing I want is the “US experience” I really hope MSC stay true to themselves and don’t buckle to the US need for sameness everywhere they go. The clue is in the name! Also love that their gratuities are included, their fares are so reasonable and their ships are glitzy but classy. I also don’t want a waiter jumping on my backside every 2 minutes “checking if everything’s okay?” (AKA tip fishing). Ask once and let me eat my meal!
@@melaniedavenport everyone has an opinion and this is my opinion. When you explore the world you will see things differently.
There was free soft serve ice cream in the buffet everyday between 3:30-5pm. There was chocolate sauce, vanilla cream, a couple different kinds of bread puddings, cookies, pizza, burgers and hotdogs. We just got off our 15 night cruise yesterday. It was nice to meet you. It was our 1st time on MSC & we enjoyed it
No free ice cream? That is a big No for me to travel on any cruise line that doesn't offer free ice cream. I love your videos.