My wife and I did a Western Mediterranean cruise on the MSC Seaview and we were blown away with the ship, service, food, and entertainment. We've cruised with Carnival & Royal Caribbean and these two are great too. The one thing that stuck out to us regarding MSC is the efficiency of the embarkation, muster drill (in cabin), show times, tendering, disembarkation, etc. What looks like a crazy crowd at times is just controlled chaos. Never had an issue with logistics. The key to everything is to manage ones expectations. Americans want everything their way and have a problem when the reality hits them in their face. Relax. Pivot. Enjoy. There's a big world out there. Welcome all as it comes.
We are booked for September Italy ,France,Spain cruise. First time in Europe. Done Alaska, Hawaii Panama, Mexican Rivera,And the all of the Caribbean. Looking forward to it
For my upcoming MSC cruise I bought the Easy Plus Drink package. Shows it covers beverages under $10USD. My question is, what happens when I'm ordering two drinks for myself? if I order $10 cocktail and a $9 shot of tequila at the same time. Are they going to charge me the $9? Or can I only get one drink at a time?
I sailed on MSC awhile back and had a lot of fun. I have a severe shellfish allergy and we said so before I sailed. When I arrived on the ship I was assigned a personal food advisor who met with me every time I ate in the MDR to tell me what dishes I could eat. It was a classy touch I really enjoyed. When I sailed on Royal I advised them ahead of time but my servers seemed very confused about what was in what dishes and actually served me something with shrimp in it. Fortunately I discovered it before I ate it.
Thank you for sharing. My daughter is also allergic to fish and shellfish. She's 14. It's good to know they do this. We already submitted the Special Needs Form, so I think we will be good to go.
@@nikF-k2othey are very accommodating of people with additional needs. On one of my cruises there was a lady in a wheelchair and they roped off two sun beds for her so she didn’t have to treck around the deck looking for a subbed.
Just completed a cruise on the Meraviglia. There are no words to describe our wonderful experience. Granted we did sail with the Yacht Club package so we did not have to worry about drink packages and wifi etc. The ship is beautiful and service at every point is the best we have experienced. We are a senior couple so we did not miss crazy go cart racing, water slides or other amusement park type experiences. Saved money by not participating in them also. We generally take part in spa packages and while it was included in our package, we stopped to check out the spa and were disappointed and never went back. We give the ship the crew and the experience with MSC a 10 of 10. So much so that we booked another MSC cruise while onboard. (saved $$$)
Ive sailed MSC twice (US and Genoa, Italy). Ive really enjoyed sailing with them very much and have scheduled a cruise for New Years 2023 on the Seashore. Me and my wife travel quite a lot so I always go with an open mind. Remember one thing, you are on vacation. It's up to you to enjoy it or not.
I totally agree .👏👏👏 Some people turn into Cruise Critics, when theyre actually on vacation. They've booked a vacation as a holiday maker, not a cruise agent or youtuber paid to go on cruises.🤣 life is whatcha make it!
We were to go to Ocean Cay on our first cruise but the weather wasn't good. I was heart broken. I had tried snorkeling at one the islands a couple days previously and was excited to get in the water at Ocean Cay. Such is life and safety first for sure:)
To note, you can snorkel with your own gear by the jetties on the main beach. We saw some great wildlife including a ray and loads of colorful fish just feet from shore
Our best cruise was on MSC Divina, it was relaxing, I knew more staff names, service was better than I have experienced on other ships. We loved the island beach day. Played unlimited bowling and virtual reality games. The food was okay and the shows were okay. The ship wasn’t as grand and didn’t have as many restaurants and activities that we are used to… but some how none of that mattered. We felt special, everyone knew our son, happy, and rejuvenated. We were so sad to leave our 11 day cruise.
I sailed MSC last May on the Meraviglia. Now, admittedly, I’d stayed away from cruising throughout my travels. But I also feel like that makes me a good cruise “critic” since I didn’t immediately love the cruise model. The ship was beautiful, lots to do, I did find my cabin steward as ai had an AC question but saw him a good bit here and there throughout the cruise and even when I didn’t see him, he was showing me he’d been there with little touches including ice mornings and evenings based on a comment I’d made. It was really nice seeing him and others periodically and saying hi in passing. The restaurants don’t seem to be as plentiful as other cruise lines but I signed up for the unlimited specialty dining and every meal was delicious. Drink package worked well and I didn’t have to worry about sticker shock at the end. The thermal spa facilities were incredible (and I like to visit spas when I’ve traveled). I was also solo this trip and never treated differently. Got great tables and excellent service. Overall, I have to say I was very happily surprised at how much I enjoyed the cruise. While I still tend to lean into really seeing a place or being able to customize my trip with places and things, I feel like cruising has certainly earned a spot in my travel portfolio. About to sail the Med in a couple of weeks on the Sun Princess, but MSC Meraviglia was the first one to change my mind about cruising. 😊
One of the biggest differences that you missed is the more international mix of passengers. Many cruise lines are 95% Americans. MSC draws a more diverse mixture because they are based in Europe and well known there. I actually really appreciated that. It's a unique experience. I would make this your number one difference actually.
It used to amaze me how the various MCs on MSC cruises could switch between multiple languages so easily. It just reminds you that the world is not just English speakers
We just sailed MSC out of Cape Canaveral Florida a month ago. We were most impressed with the food at the main buffet areas. It was outstanding. The cabin was perfect for us. We enjoyed the balcony and the tub. I am 5'10" tall and 255 lbs and had plenty of room to stretch out and relax and soak in the tub after a long eventful day. I lost my cellphone on day 4. It was found, transferred hands through the proper channels they have set up, and returned to me within 4 hours. The only disappointment we had was that we didn't get to go to the private island due to a hurricane. No fault to MSC, and we made the best out of an extra day staying moored in port in Nassau Bahamas. We look forward to cruising on MSC again soon.
From the title of this video I expected nothing but negativity and was pleasantly surprised by most items being quite positive. I'm planning an MSC cruise for next November on the seashore and can't wait! Thanks for all the great info!
We’ve sailed MSC twice, enjoying the first cruise but not so much the second one. We have the Seascape booked for later this year. They don’t overwhelm you with service, however their prices are really good for what you get and the ships are beautiful. We get the drinks and WiFi package for our cruises. Ocean Cay is really nice. The credit card activation is a bit annoying. The muster drill is antiquated and a bit convoluted. Overall we like MSC, you just have to keep an open mind and understand it will be different than you may be used to.
Soon as we could access are cabin-We just watched the video and dialled the number to register we saw it. We then went to our muster zone and had our card scanned and got on with our cruise. Note * You don't have to wait for the muster drill time to commence to do all of this. It's best to do it ASAP, then you avoid the lines and hoards of people at the stairwells cos the lifts are unusable once the drill time sounds. So do asap and and simply make sure you got yourself a drink from the bar 30 mins before the announcement on the tannoy by the CD for the drill . As they do close bars until that's over.
We are taking our first ever cruise & decided on MSC -Seascape, I am so stoked about going, counting down the days until departure! Thank you for this video, very informative & helpful. 51 days to go, cannot wait!!
We will be doing our 19th cruise with MSC and have enjoyed every of one them. Most of our cruises with MSC are the 18 - 24 day reposition cruses and we will be doing a reposition cruise in mid October into November 2023 from Italy - Rome Port to Port Canaveral on the Seashore. The cost of all our cruises and whatever we have spent on board has been well worth it and we have always enjoyed the food and drinks.
Have you enjoyed the Aurea Package? We are trying it on our next cruise. Wondering about the Solarium access area with the hot tubs and lounge chairs. Wondering how busy it is there?
I’m also booked on this cruise I’m doing Barcelona to Miami. Did it last year on the Meraviglia and loved it 😁 I’ve done 3 cruises in total all on MSC we love the line. Their cheap rates and hop on hop off at different ports is what allows up to cruise. We will holiday the USA for 10 days so the cruise is like a very nice way of getting there and the cheap fair means we get 2 holidays in one
Agreed! This video and comments have been most helpful. MSC will be our first cruise ever, and we leave later this month! Was your experience as smooth as the rest?
We are going on our first cruise this Feb and chose MSC! This video was really helpful on somethings to look out for. And I’m so excited for their private island. I love that it’s not over developed.
MSC elevators were something different for me when I sailed on the Seaside last Nov. Pre-selecting your floor made it so much easier in a full ship. My room steward was borderline rude, but the staff and service overall was great.
@@robertb7864 Yes, it is far better (and healthier) to avoid the elevators and just to use the stairs throughout your cruise-vacations. You will be healthier, fitter, and stronger and you will never have a delay or a crowd to navigate. [smile] It is also a nice way to incorporate exercise into everyday activities without even thinking about it: e.g., on my last cruise-vacation, I estimated that I was walking over 1,000 stairs per day (and that was just on a smaller ship with 9 decks). Footnote: small indoor high-volume places like elevators have a lot of germs and close-contact risks, which are best avoided by using stairs and open spaces.
MSC Seashore..November 2024... excellent service from all staff...great buffet options and dining... entertainment tops!.. ship sooo elegant.. private island beautiful... cabin spotless... a must for all
Really love reading all the responses. We have only been on 1 cruise before, Carnival, amd looking to book in November. And after investigating all lines and prices, MSC seems like a great option. I had heard a lot of bad about them but im finding more & more great reviews. Thanks for the video...
We recently sailed on Seashore. The elevators are different. They are preassigned for what floor is chosen. You cannot pick another floor once inside. Embarkation is long and Debarkation seems unorganized. It was a madhouse getting off ship. Getting on the was ok. We needed a wheelchair and the wait was long. We rented a scooter and it was waiting in our room, not outside prior to boarding. The pizza was the best compared to other ships! A very popular item. The buffets were ok. The choice of food was different also. Also, we wished there were more sanitizer stations at all the buffet plate stations. These were lacking bigtime. One at each entrance. Our bed was very comfortable. We slept through the night without having any pains or sore backs. All in all, it's a great cruise line and they care about their passengers
I definitely noticed that I was not harassed by photographers on MSC vs Carnival. I sailed from Brooklyn on the Meraviglia last June and am sailing again in May. I LOVED that no photographers were permitted in the MDR. Elegant Nights seemed much more elegant without flashbulbs going off nearly every second in your face or photographers asking all around you for people shift, smile and those photographers squeezing around tables. I was shocked on Carnival by how distracting it was from having a nice dinner.
I loved my trip on MSC it’s more adult oriented the food wasn’t great the ship was beautiful the shows were fun the staff was really nice and so were the other passengers mostly from other countries.
We LOVE MSC ... with one caveat ... we always sail in the Yacht Club. Everything is included (drinks, spa, mini bar, you can get escorted on and off the ship at ports, etc.) and if you are cagey with your dates and itineraries, you can sail the YC for less than a "regular" cruise (in an inside or balcony cabin) on NCL (which is our other preferred line - we JUST got off a 16-day cruise on the NCL Spirit in a balcony and had a wonderful time, but BOY, did we miss the YC! The Haven costs so much more and just isn't up to snuff) or Royal Carribean. Yes, MSC's website and their shoreside customer service are pretty sucky sometimes, but we have had nothing but top notch service from the concierge, butlers and servers in the YC. Embarkation and disembarkation is a breeze, the staff is super attentive without being intrusive, and having a little written list of the preferences you have before you get on the ship to give to your butler & asst. butler is a great idea. It's an amazing way to travel.
MSC in my experience is the only cruise line where you can use your “cruise card” on their private island, Ocean Cay. Drinks were free if you had the drink package.😊
Great video. Thank you so much. We did a cruise on the MSC Meraviglia just a couple of days before the chaos of covid. We had a great time and it was our first cruise. We are booked for next spring for the MSC Euribia in Northern Europe. One thing we wont do is get a drink package. We don't drink much and will be off the ship for 11 of our 15 days. Felt kinda pointless. If i want a mimosa I'll have one but wont come close the daily amount for a drink package I'm sure. Cruising is definitely a learning experience. We traveled with other family members last time. This time I really want more time sitting on our balcony on sea days. We also had the same issue with making a change on our account by adding a specialty dining package and it sent a new booking email. Odd for sure. AND YESSSSS, the pizza is freakin' amazing:)
On MSC you pay for what you use, not what other people use. We sail Bella not had a bad cabin yet and normally better than the cheapest fantastica cabin. We have there cruises booked for September all on the same ship but with gaps in between. Looking at booking a Caribbean cruise plus an ocean voyage on the same ship back to the UK
My suggestion , explore Suites that include VIP priority and Areas. Given the lower pricing this upgrade will allow you to avoid the crowds and provide access to shows that might sell out.
We did Seaside in May. Pros… interior cabin was surprisingly roomy. Pizza in the buffet was excellent. Loved their island… nice and quiet places all over the island to chill with a book. Also thought it was cool staying at their island overnight. Was also super cheap. Cons… boring buffet food. Unfriendly staff. They also folded up and put away all the deck chairs right around 5pm, so nowhere to sit if you’re wandering the deck at night. Wonky credit card system. Chaotic muster drill.
I have 3 MSC cruises under my belt. I love the international passengers. They are interesting to talk with. There’s really nothing I don’t like except the 5$ up charge for an additional entree on Seaside.
We went on the Seaside in June for cruise number 36 and were totally underwhelmed. There was virtually no service in the buffet restaurants, the app was clunky, the food in the MDR was not very good. You mentioned several other problems we found annoying. Probably won't do them again.
I did Seaside in April it was more than lacking. But overall it was a good experience. The dinner was horrible I am not going to lie but it get better as the days progressed. I will point out that the massive delays we had was mainly because their inspection which we got in advance notice but it was out of their hands the extra stuff that happened. Other than that blunder I had a great time … going on my 3rd one for my birthday in February on Seascape. Meraviglia was my first then Seaside at the 7 days and will Probably keep cruising since it was good for my money as well
Loyal to Royal, but they have been changing things too fast for my taste and the nickel and diming cruisers to death. Changes to the crown and anchor club seems to lessen benefits, so I'm looking to replace Royal with something new. MSC looks to be an alternative for me after 30 trips with RCCL. Thank you for a true cruise review site. So many others use their sites for making small talk and really not cruise news. You have a great site.
I have cruised on MSC a few times and this was an excellent and accurate review. It’s always about individual expectations and mine are to be on the water, reading my Kindle with a margarita nearby. I love the pizza better than pizza in the US and the buffet has a wide variety of foods if you’re willing to walk around the very large buffet. There are large crowds and rude guests at times so I do my best to avoid them. All in all, MSC is a very good experience and value.
Cruised June 2023. We are pretty loyal to Royal as well. Chose MSC for the price for a group of 35 family members and it was good. Food in buffet wasn't great but dining room was fine. Didn't like I could not bring bottles of wine like other cruise lines. Good for first time cruisers.
Msc gives status match to any cruise line status. You'd probably be diamond or gold level. All msc Voyagers members get 5% off each in a double occupancy (so 10%). That's fantastic savingsl
We love MSC, 2 cruises in the last year on the Seashore. Couldn't be happier. Not sure why anyone wouldn't enjoy it. Service is great and so is the food and ship.
So happy to read your review. I haven't cruised since the 1970s so I'm sure there is going to be a lot. That is very different. But I go with an open mind on all my travels and always have a good time.
I enjoyed my MSC cruise, but they are definitely not as good as the other major cruise lines. I lost like 3.5 pounds cause the food was whatever or a hassle to eat. The entertainment was entertaining, but not as good as other lines and very unorganized throughout the cruise, while also interfering with dining times. Service was good but also not as good as other lines. The only thing they really get right are the drinks and drink packages. Even with all the negative its still possible to have fun but some people are even harder to please.
I just got back from my first MSC cruise, just from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas and back. It was too cold and windy for ocean cay but at least we got to stop in Nassau and enjoyed the Butler on the beach excursion to blue Lagoon. So only half a day out of four was disappointing because they don’t have enough free ship activities when there’s cloudy and cold weather. The craft class sounded fun, but was an hour and a half to make an origami box that literally fell apart when you carried it so you couldn’t even take it as a gift to someone. Also, just one free dining room (per class level) you could only go to at certain hours, and then the buffet which had always the same food which closed at 1 AM! I had access to different kinds of Food 24 hours on other cruises. I did like that we could get good quality bottled water everywhere on board with our drink package. The website and app were horrible as was the online satellite TV . The staff was wonderful, probably partly because I added extra tips, which I saw on another video. There is one big mistake in this video: that “inexpensive“ gratuity was only for the cabin Steward! We had to tip the restaurant server and assistant server separately out of pocket. As another video shows, there aren’t enough elevators, so the ones they have are super slow and congested, as is the line at the information desk. Everyone had to go there to get questions answered because no one picked up when you called and there was no way to leave a message. All six of us friends who cruised together brought home the souvenir of Covid.
Thank you for this video. My husband and I have narrowed down our choices to go on our next cruise end of November 2024. We have chosen the yacht club on MSC cruises. We haven’t booked it yet, but hopefully this will be the perfect cruise that we are looking for. Blown away by so many comments about how great the white gloves Butler Services is. I even heard one person‘s video that the Butler brought them a freshly baked, lemon, meringue pie, MMY! Looking forward to priority, embarking and disembark and the cruise port. Really looking forward to a nice beach day on ocean CAY. I hope the food in the yacht club dining room and the pool deck buffet are really good and some videos have shown.
I was on the Seaside a couple months after it was first launched.. It was the best cruise I was ever on. The buffet food was great, especially anything Italian!
MSC Seascape for my first ever cruise and let me tell you I will DEFINITELY look to re-book with MSC again! I was blown away at the service, cleanliness and the food was great even in the buffet. Awesome cruise line.
The food is amazing and the decore is very elegant the staff is very friendly and the shows are amazing and also they have more spaces to sit and relax than other cruise lines
We just went on a 5 day with MSC Magnifica & had an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING experience with them. We’re planning our next one already setting sail in 5 months!!.
We did a Western Mediterranean cruise. We noticed people dis/embarking at almost every port. As someone who's only cruised from US ports, that was different (but it made sense)
MSC different room categories should be discussed. As Bella Vs Fantastica vs Aurea has different features. If you by basic Bella, you have limited control about your dinner schedule. And only Aurea gives you anytime option as well as free room service. Also, their internet can't be shared/transferred to another device as it can be with other cruise lines. Big pain point. And two new not so good things. 1) MSC seaside now charges $5 for second dinner entry 2) internet package pricing went up over 60%. Just crazy.
I've sailed twice on MSC. What stood out to me which is a negative is there online website. Very antiquated or old school. Not sure friendly when booking. Both ships the Fivina and the Meraviglia were nice ships. We definitely didn't like having to book in advance a reservation going to the shows. Food was sub par on the Meraviglia but I know that's subject to interpretation for some folks. I felt the cabin didn't have enough storage space for a 7 day, and Ocean cay, had sea lice on part of the beach. With that being said, we do love cruising and we try to always stay positive and have a good time no matter what. It's a vacation. Non of which I mentioned ruined the trip it just wasn't the best. That's our experience.
I’ve been cruising with msc for some years now in the Caribbean and Europe. I’ve became friends with quite a lot of the staff on the ship and they told me that they do not receive the automatic daily charge credit. You can go down to guest services, request that be removed and tip them in cash.
I’ve been on mini cruise lines. MSC food is not that great unless you need a specialty restaurant. Their island is very nice and their lower tier drink packages are a better deal than some other cruise lines so there are pros and cons to what you get.
The food quality on MSC was a step up from Royal Carribean. The champagne bar on the MSC seaside was fantastic (with the premium drink package) Bartenders remembered our names and drinks at a number of bars.
We sailed on the Davina and Seaside. We were not disappointed with any part of our cruise experience. We found the food to our liking, the room was up to the standard of other cruise lines we've been on and better than some. Service was great throughout the ship and we really enjoyed the entertainment. We're planning a Mediterranean cruise in 2025 with MSC. Oh, and the cost of sailing on MSC is great leaving us money for excursions when in port. My advice on any cruise... it's your vacation so enjoy it and don't look for what's wrong.
As a European, MSC is one of our most common cruise line here. I must say I can't admit I would have to pay so much more to get on Royal Caribbean. I get that the service or entertainment can seem a bit low for American-way used travelers, but I'm always surprised that so many people find their experience that worse on MSC. Still, I may change my mind when I save enough money to experience other lines 🙂
To be honest, I feel more Ripped off now on RCI and NCL. I can't afford RCI anymore, and I'm Emerald status. I did my first MSC this year on the Meraviligia from Brooklyn. We're now sticking with MSC. By next year and Yacht Club rooms, I'm going to be Diamond level in Voyagers points.
@@Podgey25 Well, the Yacht club is off my possibilities, but I bet it's a wonderful experience. For now, being a newbie about cruising, the simple fact of being on a ship and experiencing the service is already a really nice feeling 🙂
Every holiday is an adventure. Visiting different countries, different islands, experiencing different cultures and the addition of a beautiful home on the water for a few days. No cooking, no cleaning, great staff, beautiful waters. Makes me melt a little for sure.
People must be talking about the larger RCL ships because Freedom was pretty boring, there wasn’t much going on during the day ,and the food was not great. I personally had waaayy more fun on carnival liberty and Guys Burgers. Also the cruise director was fun and you saw him everywhere on the ship having a good time.
Don't expect much and you will be fine. There is a lot of frustrating stuff, but the cruise can still be fun. Try to get early dining if possible (Before 630) and you will have access to all the entertainment times and still be able to hit the buffet if you are ever hungry. My dining time was 9pm and that definately sucked. lol
You were right on with these comments. I cruised MSC Divina last year and it didn't leave me with a great feeling. One person doesn't know what the other is doing. Had a heck of a time at disembarkation. Take your bag, leave your bag, no you must have it, no you leave it there. I went back and forth 5 times between customer service and the meeting point for disembarkation, and each person told me their way was correct and to ignore what the other was saying. My sister had requested a wheelchair and received a confirmation email the day before. It's time to leave and we're in the lounge we're supposed to report to waiting for them to call us to disembark. Finally, they tell us they're ready and to follow them. We enquire about the wheelchair and are told they're all out and she'll have to walk. This was for not only her, but the others in the lounge waiting to disembark which included several very elderly people and a lady with a prosthetic leg. No one was happy. My husband and I will be cruising on the MSC World Europa in March and I'm leary of what our experience will be. I don't think I necessarily would have returned to MSC but I won the cruise (by gambling in the Casino on the Divina). Of course, I found out that if I want a drink package, mine is almost 3 times more than others who book themselves online. Because I won the cruise, I had to have the casino book it. If I want the Easy Package, it'll be $322 per person (7-day cruise). Another gal on the same cruise paid only $120 for hers! Ridiculous.
•Strange? I saw my Steward every day. 🧐🤷🌛☀️ •, MSCs gratuities are lower because they're Swiss, they pay their staff enough not to expect guests to make it up via higher gratuities. 🚢 •Also, I registered my card no problem prior to the cruise and once onboard, just checked it on the machines system once onboard . All was good ! We also think the fact you can use cash at these machines for OBC, makes it great to control kids spending or use your saved up cash for your OBC instead of the banks !🤣💲 •The drinks packages - note that even if you have the lowest alcohol package, MSC now permits guests to simply pay the drinks price difference when wanting a more premium drink outside of your package 🤗🥂🍾
They’re an Italian line, but yes in Europe tipping isn’t really a thing. People are just paid a decent wage. I much prefer this system as when you eat out, the price you see in the menu is the price you pay. There’s no additional charges for sales tax and tips etc. Pay is consistent for the workers too. They don’t need to worry if they have a quieter night of business they still earn what they earn.
Good morning, thank you so much for your amazing videos. I’ve noticed that MSC rooms say that they are for 2 people. We are planning our 1st cruise from Florida (flying to Orlando) in July and we are a family of 4, (two adults and two teens). I wonder if they would accommodate and provide additional beds, so we could all fit. Looking at the cheapest inside rooms, as it is our fist cruise and we won’t spend much time inside and don’t want to break the bank hahah
I have sailed many cruise lines and I cannot believe have bad MSC is. We had by far the worst experience e er on a cruise when we sailed on the Davina. The itinerary was fine, and the ship itself was not bad , but the MSC management and the crew in general all seemed like they had never been on a boat of any size before that week .
We’ll be in the divina for our first cruise in march! Have one booked in may on royal Caribbean but literally couldn’t wait 😂 pretty excited for the msc cruise tho! And the most glaring difference I’ve noticed just through booking the s MSC seems to be a lot more realistic I guess you could say with their extra prices
I've sailed them twice with another booked next year but only with friends. Usually NCL people but I kinda like that they're a little different. And I LOVE the island. I just hope they don't mess it up with whatever they're doing to it next year.
Ocean Cay really is great. Always room to improve, but I love the size of it. Want to have your own little spot? You absolutely can, even with a full ship.
We sail royal frequently as casino guests. Got a comp msc cruise from Oceans Casino in Atlantic City this year. Trying them in June. I’ve heard muster stations and boarding can be awful.
I’m gonna check their website but I hope they have the theatre on the outside deck. That’s an added highlight on a cruise along with theatre time and port visits. Thanks for the review.
Regarding prices, quality and service you have to remember that MSC is a European cruise line that has to be competitive on the European market where quality and service expectations are considerably higher than in the US. Compared to AIDA or TUI MSC in considered a budget cruise line in Europe.
Currently on Seashore and 3 big things for me... first, there are not enough water stations around the ship if you just want water without having to purchase it. Second, all water entertainment (hot tubs and pools) closing by 8pm is too early for our liking and third, the casino leaves a lot to be desired. First, there's no easy way to interpret the casino program they have, and second, there's no perks without asking for them. My husband and I gamble a lot and we're basically treated like someone who never gamble. Msc is very nice in many ways, but as an American used to Royal, Norwegian, Princess and virgin... they may need to be in America for a few more years before we go again.
This was spot on. To add on to your list, they charged us $58 per person on Day 1 for hotel gratuity. This was a one time charge and they said it was based on the length of your cruise. We had a group of us and we all noticed it. I went back on day 3 about a bar charge on my account and the guest services immediately asked "Is the amount $58?" so I assume it was a common question. I would not recommend getting the wrist bands in replacement of your sea card. Most bars, you would still need to take it off and hand it to the bartender which was inconvenience. It was hard for us not to compare our experience with Royal "Independence of the Seas" and MSC Seaside but for the price, you can't go wrong. There is no wasted day "at sea".
All of those "from" fares that cruise lines display are usually for an inside cabin. There is no way that $3k per person fare you showed for Icon of the Seas was an inside cabin. No one is paying $6k for a week in an inside cabin. That fare displayed was probably the lowest priced cabin still available for that sailing..and may have even been a low end suite. Seems to me in all our cruises in suites...we usually end up paying about $750-1000 per night for my wife and I. We just did Seaside for the 3 nights to the private island in Yacht Club balcony...was $3400 and was totally worth it.
YES IT IS ! You need to go look. He said JULY - the highest season. Icon of the seas 5 nights from miami July 2024 is 3,140 $ pp 7 nights from miami 3,348 $ pp.
Last year I did a 13 night transatlantic cruise on MSC Meraviglia from Barcelona to Port Canaveral in an extended balcony room for £780 and gratuities are included in the UK fares. That’s £60 a night. Just a hotel room would cost that!
Don't feel bad about experience😊 Just came back from Royal Caribbean Cruise...app was crushing 5 times per day😊 Still had most awesome vacation ever!!🎉🎉🎉
Love MSC. Cruise no 5 coming up. The good: pizza, cleanliness of ship, attendance on ship usually low meaning pools and common areas not crowded, friendliness of crew, low key cruise, beautiful interior and staterooms. Ocean cay is amazing if you enjoy the clean calm beach and ocean. Snorkelling there so fun. The bad: technology on your phone will be hit or miss. Same with website. Shows are european based so different take on costumes, etc.
We hated our first MSC cruise was the seaside. the crew was rude and did not understand English very well. now to its defiance... It was only the second time they had been to the us with that particular ship so in a week we are trying another MSC ship and hoping it is better.... Here's hopping!
The food is great the easy plus package too and we got an amazing flash deal. The unbeatable price for the beautiful ship SEASHORE. Paying under 900.00 Canadian dollars. For Americans it’s 35 percent off of that. You have to shop around
I got sick on the last night, up until then I enjoyed my cruise. I was on the Seashore 3 day cruise, I ordered shrimp cocktail. ( I think they left it out all day the day before, and reserved it the next day. I had an earlt seating.) But, I didn't feel well after dinner. I packed all my bags and left them outside my door. So, I didn't have anyother clothes at 4 am, it hit me everything was a mess. I didn't have any clean underwear when I left the ship. Also, I had the easy drink package and they tried to up charge me and bate and switch me.
Just been on Euribia.. won't go again! Logistics for 6,200 people.. chaos! We didnt stop at 2 of the ports we most wanted to see ( Guernsey and Falmouth). The main eating place (Marketplace) was known by passengers as the Cattlemarket.. it could not cope with the numbers of people! Families stood around blocking the people who had trays of food, looking for a table to come free.. cutlery ran out frequently and the food looked good but was bland. The Cattle market closed at peak time! 4:30-6:30pm when families want to feed their children - that's madness 😮 The cabin was small and to watch a film in your cabin cost 9 Euros whereas they are free on P and O or Princess! So many things wrong with this holiday.. the Karaoke club was below our room so there was no peace before midnight 😢. Pools and jacuzzis were overfull and drinks service was slow. I'll stop just because I'm tired of complaining but you get the gist.
MSC is by far the best value Regardless my favorite is 1. RCL 2. MSC 3. Carnival 4. NCL However my wife is MSC all the way. 1. MSC 2. Carnival 3. RCL 4. NCL
The most common complaint for MSC from American passengers is their food is BLAND. I find the level of seasoning on MSC food quite alright, maybe a bit "less seasoned" for meat dishes, which is perhaps healthier and more "Mediterranean"? However, their Italian local speciality dishes like pasta and pizza are always very good! I guess just you cant't expect them to cater to American/British palates, since many of their clients are from the Mediterranean.
I can't figure out what people are referring to when they said "don't expect much" or "don't compare this to other major cruise lines-it's all in the details... " I would really like to book this cruise-specifically the Meraviglia--but the reviews out there are all over the place--the food is no good-the staff is not as well-trained as other cruise lines. No matter which darn site I go to--someone says "this is the worse cruise ever," whereas others say "I enjoyed it--you get what you pay for--I didn't have high expectations." It comes down to do I or don't I. No cruise line is perfect but this one is all over the place. Geesh!
I sailed on the Meraviglia and I will say that your experience will be dependent on who you are and what you're used to. If the highlight of your week is going to the Ponderosa or the RedLobster. You will love the Meraviglia.
I went in March for my cousin's 50th and grilled a bunch of kids about their experience and they all said they were having a good time. They were 12 - 14 and on a scavenger hunt. As an adult, the entertainment was disappointing since we had to buy tickets and they kept announcing the show, but it was sold out. It was a Houdini show. The food was not abundant in every crevice like you find on RCCL and CCL, but the quality is good. The dinner cuisine is good and decent variety. I was happy enough with the water slide and bowling alley with two lanes, Lego area, computers, all the other little things for both children and adults with the cruise coordinator and team, we're taking my Mom, kids and grandkids in September on the Seaside. The night show with the Lighthouse is top notch.
Did Iceland and Norway cruise in June on MSC Virtuosa. The big disappointment for me was the food. It was sooooo bland and boring. The buffet wasn't much better. The pizza was passable but had a good 2 inches of crust round the outside with nothing on it! Staff were lovely and plenty of activities and entertainment but, being a huge ship, everywhere was noisy. The hold on our credit card took 3 or 4 weeks after disembarcation to clear! Waaay to long!! Would think twice before booking with them again.
I did a cruise on Carnival Pride and then MSC Seaview. Pride had more free dining options, MSC buffets and MDR, on Pride I had no concern with eating dinner at buffet if MDR had items not interested in, on MSC I avoided buffet as much as possible, not because of food quality, buffet was loud and crowded and guests were pushy. I cruised in mid October and Pride had few passengers under 18, MSC had a lot of passengers under 18. Pride has an adult only section with pool and bar service, MSC had a section called Zen, perhaps 10 loungers, no pool and no bar service. Pride has smoking in casino, MSC has smoking in Casino and 4 outdoor pool locations. I have asthma and I am sensitive to cigarette smoke, unfortunately those venues were also locations for some of the entertainment, tried one night but had to leave. I also witnessed guests smoking in non designated areas with no action by crew. We did enjoy MSC stage shows and they all received standing ovations
We are booked on the Poesia next year on a Baltic cruise and very much looking forward to it. I have been viewing the videos of the ship uploaded by a number of people and it looks lovely. We like to usually dine in the dining room, which I understand are two separate areas on this ship and you are allocated a table and restaurant. Many of the tables I saw were round and seating at least 6 people. I’d like to ask if there are also tables suited to just couples as we prefer to dine just the two of us when cruising. Will this still be possible on the Poesia do you think? Thanks in anticipation. :)
Sorta interested in MSC especially if they get to port in Galveston. Might try them in 2024 after we hit Platinum since they match other cruise lines loyalty and we'll be Platinum with Carnival in 2024.
I have been 6 MSC CRUISE and I love it had great times love the versatility guess are very nice a lot of fun in luxury cruise very beautiful and for very low price compare with Royal and NLC which I have been I did like Norwigian I will go back just it is too pricey, I did not have good experience with Royal but I will trying again on April 2024 leaving from NYC.
My family and I just came back from MSC cruise out of Brooklyn New York A few issues with the Internet other than that we had a fabulous time We Purchased the $10 drink package, which included Wi-Fi and a private area to lounge and take the sun We were allowed to go to dinner at any time between 6 and 9 PM In fact, we are looking forward to our next cruise Remember, this was a cruise out of Brooklyn New York I’m not saying how the other cruises are out of other states
I was at royal caribbean may 2023, gosh food in buffet was terrible, i love carnival food was good. How was food quality in MSC???? Thinking to book on dec, price r much better.
![25 Things Cruisers MUST Know Before Your First MSC Cruise [MSC Cruise Tips 2024]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/k0NLxi5ZzMI/mqdefault.jpg)
![25 Things Cruisers MUST Know Before Your First MSC Cruise [MSC Cruise Tips 2024]](/img/tr.png)
My wife and I did a Western Mediterranean cruise on the MSC Seaview and we were blown away with the ship, service, food, and entertainment. We've cruised with Carnival & Royal Caribbean and these two are great too. The one thing that stuck out to us regarding MSC is the efficiency of the embarkation, muster drill (in cabin), show times, tendering, disembarkation, etc. What looks like a crazy crowd at times is just controlled chaos. Never had an issue with logistics. The key to everything is to manage ones expectations. Americans want everything their way and have a problem when the reality hits them in their face. Relax. Pivot. Enjoy. There's a big world out there. Welcome all as it comes.
That’s good to read. We have just booked a trip on that ship for may.
We are booked for September Italy ,France,Spain cruise. First time in Europe. Done Alaska, Hawaii Panama, Mexican Rivera,And the all of the Caribbean. Looking forward to it
@kevinf4606 I'm trying to be like you lol. Never been on a cruise before. I wanna start before I get too old
For my upcoming MSC cruise I bought the Easy Plus Drink package. Shows it covers beverages under $10USD. My question is, what happens when I'm ordering two drinks for myself? if I order $10 cocktail and a $9 shot of tequila at the same time. Are they going to charge me the $9? Or can I only get one drink at a time?
I sailed on MSC awhile back and had a lot of fun. I have a severe shellfish allergy and we said so before I sailed. When I arrived on the ship I was assigned a personal food advisor who met with me every time I ate in the MDR to tell me what dishes I could eat. It was a classy touch I really enjoyed. When I sailed on Royal I advised them ahead of time but my servers seemed very confused about what was in what dishes and actually served me something with shrimp in it. Fortunately I discovered it before I ate it.
Thank you for sharing. My daughter is also allergic to fish and shellfish. She's 14. It's good to know they do this. We already submitted the Special Needs Form, so I think we will be good to go.
@@nikF-k2othey are very accommodating of people with additional needs. On one of my cruises there was a lady in a wheelchair and they roped off two sun beds for her so she didn’t have to treck around the deck looking for a subbed.
Thanks for sharing as we have a shellfish and peanut allergy in our family members.
Just completed a cruise on the Meraviglia. There are no words to describe our wonderful experience. Granted we did sail with the Yacht Club package so we did not have to worry about drink packages and wifi etc. The ship is beautiful and service at every point is the best we have experienced. We are a senior couple so we did not miss crazy go cart racing, water slides or other amusement park type experiences. Saved money by not participating in them also. We generally take part in spa packages and while it was included in our package, we stopped to check out the spa and were disappointed and never went back. We give the ship the crew and the experience with MSC a 10 of 10. So much so that we booked another MSC cruise while onboard. (saved $$$)
Ive sailed MSC twice (US and Genoa, Italy). Ive really enjoyed sailing with them very much and have scheduled a cruise for New Years 2023 on the Seashore. Me and my wife travel quite a lot so I always go with an open mind. Remember one thing, you are on vacation. It's up to you to enjoy it or not.
I totally agree .👏👏👏 Some people turn into Cruise Critics, when theyre actually on vacation. They've booked a vacation as a holiday maker, not a cruise agent or youtuber paid to go on cruises.🤣 life is whatcha make it!
My man, I’ll be traveling the same ship and date as you! Man, I hope we enjoy the cruise with our families!
which cruise was it from Genova italy? i'm going to travel on Splenda and i've heard bad reviews
This was our first MSC cruise and we absolutely loved it, especially the private island, Ocean Cay.
Me, too . I love how they've created a conservation rather than a theme park
We were to go to Ocean Cay on our first cruise but the weather wasn't good. I was heart broken. I had tried snorkeling at one the islands a couple days previously and was excited to get in the water at Ocean Cay. Such is life and safety first for sure:)
@@catherine4159 sorry to hear that. Maybe you'll get another opportunity soon. It'll be worth it.
To note, you can snorkel with your own gear by the jetties on the main beach. We saw some great wildlife including a ray and loads of colorful fish just feet from shore
What did you do you do the Orlando day?
Our best cruise was on MSC Divina, it was relaxing, I knew more staff names, service was better than I have experienced on other ships. We loved the island beach day. Played unlimited bowling and virtual reality games. The food was okay and the shows were okay. The ship wasn’t as grand and didn’t have as many restaurants and activities that we are used to… but some how none of that mattered. We felt special, everyone knew our son, happy, and rejuvenated. We were so sad to leave our 11 day cruise.
Was bowling an extra cost? And which port did you leave from
virtual reality? On Divina?
I sailed MSC last May on the Meraviglia. Now, admittedly, I’d stayed away from cruising throughout my travels. But I also feel like that makes me a good cruise “critic” since I didn’t immediately love the cruise model. The ship was beautiful, lots to do, I did find my cabin steward as ai had an AC question but saw him a good bit here and there throughout the cruise and even when I didn’t see him, he was showing me he’d been there with little touches including ice mornings and evenings based on a comment I’d made. It was really nice seeing him and others periodically and saying hi in passing. The restaurants don’t seem to be as plentiful as other cruise lines but I signed up for the unlimited specialty dining and every meal was delicious. Drink package worked well and I didn’t have to worry about sticker shock at the end. The thermal spa facilities were incredible (and I like to visit spas when I’ve traveled). I was also solo this trip and never treated differently. Got great tables and excellent service. Overall, I have to say I was very happily surprised at how much I enjoyed the cruise. While I still tend to lean into really seeing a place or being able to customize my trip with places and things, I feel like cruising has certainly earned a spot in my travel portfolio. About to sail the Med in a couple of weeks on the Sun Princess, but MSC Meraviglia was the first one to change my mind about cruising. 😊
One of the biggest differences that you missed is the more international mix of passengers. Many cruise lines are 95% Americans. MSC draws a more diverse mixture because they are based in Europe and well known there. I actually really appreciated that. It's a unique experience. I would make this your number one difference actually.
It used to amaze me how the various MCs on MSC cruises could switch between multiple languages so easily. It just reminds you that the world is not just English speakers
And that is what I LOVED about MSC!!!! Departing from Miami, the last thing I want is to take Miami with me LOL
I love msc I’m not picky about much but price by day for my travel and they win my dollar every time on that
We just sailed MSC out of Cape Canaveral Florida a month ago. We were most impressed with the food at the main buffet areas. It was outstanding. The cabin was perfect for us. We enjoyed the balcony and the tub. I am 5'10" tall and 255 lbs and had plenty of room to stretch out and relax and soak in the tub after a long eventful day. I lost my cellphone on day 4. It was found, transferred hands through the proper channels they have set up, and returned to me within 4 hours. The only disappointment we had was that we didn't get to go to the private island due to a hurricane. No fault to MSC, and we made the best out of an extra day staying moored in port in Nassau Bahamas. We look forward to cruising on MSC again soon.
What is the check in process like?
From the title of this video I expected nothing but negativity and was pleasantly surprised by most items being quite positive. I'm planning an MSC cruise for next November on the seashore and can't wait! Thanks for all the great info!
How was it?
We’ve sailed MSC twice, enjoying the first cruise but not so much the second one. We have the Seascape booked for later this year. They don’t overwhelm you with service, however their prices are really good for what you get and the ships are beautiful. We get the drinks and WiFi package for our cruises. Ocean Cay is really nice. The credit card activation is a bit annoying. The muster drill is antiquated and a bit convoluted. Overall we like MSC, you just have to keep an open mind and understand it will be different than you may be used to.
For me it's about the price. If I'm only paying MSC prices, I'm not expecting Celebrity level service
Soon as we could access are cabin-We just watched the video and dialled the number to register we saw it. We then went to our muster zone and had our card scanned and got on with our cruise.
Note * You don't have to wait for the muster drill time to commence to do all of this.
It's best to do it ASAP, then you avoid the lines and hoards of people at the stairwells cos the lifts are unusable once the drill time sounds.
So do asap and and simply make sure you got yourself a drink from the bar 30 mins before the announcement on the tannoy by the CD for the drill . As they do close bars until that's over.
Thanks for sharing about your experiences on an MSC cruise. Is travel insurance optional, as with other major cruise-lines?
@@brentshuffler1234 yes, purchase if you like through the line or your TA if u use one.
@@brentshuffler1234 msc has a travel insurance programme if you want it as well as your own or not.
We are taking our first ever cruise & decided on MSC -Seascape, I am so stoked about going, counting down the days until departure! Thank you for this video, very informative & helpful. 51 days to go, cannot wait!!
Taking my msc seascape on march 9th from miami
Don’t listen to the haters..we loved our msc cruise
I like that they stay overnight at Coco Cay so you don't have to hurry back. Also the drink package and Wi-Fi work on the island.
We will be doing our 19th cruise with MSC and have enjoyed every of one them. Most of our cruises with MSC are the 18 - 24 day reposition cruses and we will be doing a reposition cruise in mid October into November 2023 from Italy - Rome Port to Port Canaveral on the Seashore. The cost of all our cruises and whatever we have spent on board has been well worth it and we have always enjoyed the food and drinks.
Have you enjoyed the Aurea Package? We are trying it on our next cruise. Wondering about the Solarium access area with the hot tubs and lounge chairs. Wondering how busy it is there?
I’m also booked on this cruise I’m doing Barcelona to Miami. Did it last year on the Meraviglia and loved it 😁 I’ve done 3 cruises in total all on MSC we love the line. Their cheap rates and hop on hop off at different ports is what allows up to cruise. We will holiday the USA for 10 days so the cruise is like a very nice way of getting there and the cheap fair means we get 2 holidays in one
My first experience with MSC will be next month, and your video was so helpful. Thanks for that and all the people who posted their opinions about MSC
Agreed! This video and comments have been most helpful. MSC will be our first cruise ever, and we leave later this month! Was your experience as smooth as the rest?
Mine 1st time next month. Thus was very helpful
@@bonniesilva-hk1wpme too with the kids. The video was quite helpful. Thanks a lot
We are going on our first cruise this Feb and chose MSC! This video was really helpful on somethings to look out for. And I’m so excited for their private island. I love that it’s not over developed.
MSC elevators were something different for me when I sailed on the Seaside last Nov. Pre-selecting your floor made it so much easier in a full ship. My room steward was borderline rude, but the staff and service overall was great.
Sometimes it took forever to get an elevator, 15 to 20 minutes. Sometimes the elevator was seconds away. Dinner time they were packed to the gill.
@@robertb7864 Yes, it is far better (and healthier) to avoid the elevators and just to use the stairs throughout your cruise-vacations. You will be healthier, fitter, and stronger and you will never have a delay or a crowd to navigate. [smile] It is also a nice way to incorporate exercise into everyday activities without even thinking about it: e.g., on my last cruise-vacation, I estimated that I was walking over 1,000 stairs per day (and that was just on a smaller ship with 9 decks). Footnote: small indoor high-volume places like elevators have a lot of germs and close-contact risks, which are best avoided by using stairs and open spaces.
I have cruised on MSC Seaside and Euriba and totally enjoyed myself. I have no complaints whatsoever with my stay therein ❤❤❤❤
MSC Seashore..November 2024... excellent service from all staff...great buffet options and dining... entertainment tops!.. ship sooo elegant.. private island beautiful... cabin spotless... a must for all
Really love reading all the responses. We have only been on 1 cruise before, Carnival, amd looking to book in November. And after investigating all lines and prices, MSC seems like a great option. I had heard a lot of bad about them but im finding more & more great reviews. Thanks for the video...
We recently sailed on Seashore. The elevators are different. They are preassigned for what floor is chosen. You cannot pick another floor once inside.
Embarkation is long and Debarkation seems unorganized. It was a madhouse getting off ship. Getting on the was ok. We needed a wheelchair and the wait was long. We rented a scooter and it was waiting in our room, not outside prior to boarding.
The pizza was the best compared to other ships! A very popular item. The buffets were ok. The choice of food was different also. Also, we wished there were more sanitizer stations at all the buffet plate stations. These were lacking bigtime. One at each entrance.
Our bed was very comfortable. We slept through the night without having any pains or sore backs.
All in all, it's a great cruise line and they care about their passengers
I definitely noticed that I was not harassed by photographers on MSC vs Carnival. I sailed from Brooklyn on the Meraviglia last June and am sailing again in May. I LOVED that no photographers were permitted in the MDR. Elegant Nights seemed much more elegant without flashbulbs going off nearly every second in your face or photographers asking all around you for people shift, smile and those photographers squeezing around tables. I was shocked on Carnival by how distracting it was from having a nice dinner.
Thank you for all this info. I’m going on my first cruise the beginning of April, on the Meraviglia, and this was all very helpful!
Me too! 😊
I loved my trip on MSC it’s more adult oriented the food wasn’t great the ship was beautiful the shows were fun the staff was really nice and so were the other passengers mostly from other countries.
We LOVE MSC ... with one caveat ... we always sail in the Yacht Club. Everything is included (drinks, spa, mini bar, you can get escorted on and off the ship at ports, etc.) and if you are cagey with your dates and itineraries, you can sail the YC for less than a "regular" cruise (in an inside or balcony cabin) on NCL (which is our other preferred line - we JUST got off a 16-day cruise on the NCL Spirit in a balcony and had a wonderful time, but BOY, did we miss the YC! The Haven costs so much more and just isn't up to snuff) or Royal Carribean. Yes, MSC's website and their shoreside customer service are pretty sucky sometimes, but we have had nothing but top notch service from the concierge, butlers and servers in the YC. Embarkation and disembarkation is a breeze, the staff is super attentive without being intrusive, and having a little written list of the preferences you have before you get on the ship to give to your butler & asst. butler is a great idea.
It's an amazing way to travel.
I have a cruise voucher from ballys for up 10 nights on MSC. Thanks for MSC the tutorial!
MSC in my experience is the only cruise line where you can use your “cruise card” on their private island, Ocean Cay. Drinks were free if you had the drink package.😊
Great video. Thank you so much. We did a cruise on the MSC Meraviglia just a couple of days before the chaos of covid. We had a great time and it was our first cruise. We are booked for next spring for the MSC Euribia in Northern Europe. One thing we wont do is get a drink package. We don't drink much and will be off the ship for 11 of our 15 days. Felt kinda pointless. If i want a mimosa I'll have one but wont come close the daily amount for a drink package I'm sure. Cruising is definitely a learning experience.
We traveled with other family members last time. This time I really want more time sitting on our balcony on sea days.
We also had the same issue with making a change on our account by adding a specialty dining package and it sent a new booking email. Odd for sure.
AND YESSSSS, the pizza is freakin' amazing:)
I've booked 6 families this past week with MSC such a great line for the price I've found
I sailed msc2x had an awsometime crew was very friendly also enjoyed the islands it was an amazing experience
I like to save a few bucks and have sailed on all the other lines! I have sailed on MSC and find that they are a great value for the money !
They really do have some unbelievable fares
On MSC you pay for what you use, not what other people use. We sail Bella not had a bad cabin yet and normally better than the cheapest fantastica cabin. We have there cruises booked for September all on the same ship but with gaps in between. Looking at booking a Caribbean cruise plus an ocean voyage on the same ship back to the UK
My suggestion , explore Suites that include VIP priority and Areas.
Given the lower pricing this upgrade will allow you to avoid the crowds and provide access to shows that might sell out.
We did Seaside in May. Pros… interior cabin was surprisingly roomy. Pizza in the buffet was excellent. Loved their island… nice and quiet places all over the island to chill with a book. Also thought it was cool staying at their island overnight. Was also super cheap.
Cons… boring buffet food. Unfriendly staff. They also folded up and put away all the deck chairs right around 5pm, so nowhere to sit if you’re wandering the deck at night. Wonky credit card system. Chaotic muster drill.
I have 3 MSC cruises under my belt. I love the international passengers. They are interesting to talk with. There’s really nothing I don’t like except the 5$ up charge for an additional entree on Seaside.
We went on the Seaside in June for cruise number 36 and were totally underwhelmed. There was virtually no service in the buffet restaurants, the app was clunky, the food in the MDR was not very good. You mentioned several other problems we found annoying. Probably won't do them again.
Ha, I also went on Seaside... in June. It was definitely hit and miss.
I did Seaside in April it was more than lacking. But overall it was a good experience. The dinner was horrible I am not going to lie but it get better as the days progressed. I will point out that the massive delays we had was mainly because their inspection which we got in advance notice but it was out of their hands the extra stuff that happened. Other than that blunder I had a great time … going on my 3rd one for my birthday in February on Seascape. Meraviglia was my first then Seaside at the 7 days and will
Probably keep cruising since it was good for my money as well
Loyal to Royal, but they have been changing things too fast for my taste and the nickel and diming cruisers to death. Changes to the crown and anchor club seems to lessen benefits, so I'm looking to replace Royal with something new. MSC looks to be an alternative for me after 30 trips with RCCL. Thank you for a true cruise review site. So many others use their sites for making small talk and really not cruise news. You have a great site.
I have cruised on MSC a few times and this was an excellent and accurate review. It’s always about individual expectations and mine are to be on the water, reading my Kindle with a margarita nearby. I love the pizza better than pizza in the US and the buffet has a wide variety of foods if you’re willing to walk around the very large buffet. There are large crowds and rude guests at times so I do my best to avoid them. All in all, MSC is a very good experience and value.
Try Princess. You will regret sailing MSC.
Cruised June 2023. We are pretty loyal to Royal as well. Chose MSC for the price for a group of 35 family members and it was good. Food in buffet wasn't great but dining room was fine. Didn't like I could not bring bottles of wine like other cruise lines. Good for first time cruisers.
Msc gives status match to any cruise line status. You'd probably be diamond or gold level. All msc Voyagers members get 5% off each in a double occupancy (so 10%). That's fantastic savingsl
@rj-zn3cw Watch Don's page. Princess are changing for the worst.
We love MSC, 2 cruises in the last year on the Seashore. Couldn't be happier. Not sure why anyone wouldn't enjoy it. Service is great and so is the food and ship.
So happy to read your review. I haven't cruised since the 1970s so I'm sure there is going to be a lot. That is very different. But I go with an open mind on all my travels and always have a good time.
I enjoyed my MSC cruise, but they are definitely not as good as the other major cruise lines. I lost like 3.5 pounds cause the food was whatever or a hassle to eat. The entertainment was entertaining, but not as good as other lines and very unorganized throughout the cruise, while also interfering with dining times. Service was good but also not as good as other lines. The only thing they really get right are the drinks and drink packages. Even with all the negative its still possible to have fun but some people are even harder to please.
Sailing in Seashore In December. Looking forward to it.
I just got back from my first MSC cruise, just from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas and back. It was too cold and windy for ocean cay but at least we got to stop in Nassau and enjoyed the Butler on the beach excursion to blue Lagoon.
So only half a day out of four was disappointing because they don’t have enough free ship activities when there’s cloudy and cold weather. The craft class sounded fun, but was an hour and a half to make an origami box that literally fell apart when you carried it so you couldn’t even take it as a gift to someone.
Also, just one free dining room (per class level) you could only go to at certain hours, and then the buffet which had always the same food which closed at 1 AM! I had access to different kinds of Food 24 hours on other cruises.
I did like that we could get good quality bottled water everywhere on board with our drink package.
The website and app were horrible as was the online satellite TV . The staff was wonderful, probably partly because I added extra tips, which I saw on another video. There is one big mistake in this video: that “inexpensive“ gratuity was only for the cabin Steward! We had to tip the restaurant server and assistant server separately out of pocket.
As another video shows, there aren’t enough elevators, so the ones they have are super slow and congested, as is the line at the information desk. Everyone had to go there to get questions answered because no one picked up when you called and there was no way to leave a message. All six of us friends who cruised together brought home the souvenir of Covid.
I would say that was a pretty accurate assessment of MSC. I'm going on my third msc cruise in October.
Thanks for the info! Looking forward to first time cruising with MSC.
Thank you for this video.
My husband and I have narrowed down our choices to go on our next cruise end of November 2024. We have chosen the yacht club on MSC cruises. We haven’t booked it yet, but hopefully this will be the perfect cruise that we are looking for. Blown away by so many comments about how great the white gloves Butler Services is. I even heard one person‘s video that the Butler brought them a freshly baked, lemon, meringue pie, MMY!
Looking forward to priority, embarking and disembark and the cruise port. Really looking forward to a nice beach day on ocean CAY. I hope the food in the yacht club dining room and the pool deck buffet are really good and some videos have shown.
I was on the Seaside a couple months after it was first launched.. It was the best cruise I was ever on. The buffet food was great, especially anything Italian!
MSC Seascape for my first ever cruise and let me tell you I will DEFINITELY look to re-book with MSC again! I was blown away at the service, cleanliness and the food was great even in the buffet. Awesome cruise line.
The food is amazing and the decore is very elegant the staff is very friendly and the shows are amazing and also they have more spaces to sit and relax than other cruise lines
We just went on a 5 day with MSC Magnifica & had an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING experience with them. We’re planning our next one already setting sail in 5 months!!.
Do they have anything too do for kids?
Are the gratuities fixed and mandatory or can passengers adjust😂the amounts?
@@jasonsmith2953 they some activities available for kids..but not as much as some other boats in the MSC fleet.
@@shardaramlakhan1664 you can opt to tip the personnel in cash & have the auto gratuity taken off, like we did. It saved us about $140 total.
We did a Western Mediterranean cruise. We noticed people dis/embarking at almost every port. As someone who's only cruised from US ports, that was different (but it made sense)
MSC different room categories should be discussed. As Bella Vs Fantastica vs Aurea has different features. If you by basic Bella, you have limited control about your dinner schedule. And only Aurea gives you anytime option as well as free room service.
Also, their internet can't be shared/transferred to another device as it can be with other cruise lines. Big pain point.
And two new not so good things.
1) MSC seaside now charges $5 for second dinner entry
2) internet package pricing went up over 60%. Just crazy.
I've sailed twice on MSC. What stood out to me which is a negative is there online website. Very antiquated or old school. Not sure friendly when booking. Both ships the Fivina and the Meraviglia were nice ships. We definitely didn't like having to book in advance a reservation going to the shows. Food was sub par on the Meraviglia but I know that's subject to interpretation for some folks. I felt the cabin didn't have enough storage space for a 7 day, and Ocean cay, had sea lice on part of the beach. With that being said, we do love cruising and we try to always stay positive and have a good time no matter what. It's a vacation. Non of which I mentioned ruined the trip it just wasn't the best. That's our experience.
I’ve been cruising with msc for some years now in the Caribbean and Europe. I’ve became friends with quite a lot of the staff on the ship and they told me that they do not receive the automatic daily charge credit. You can go down to guest services, request that be removed and tip them in cash.
I’ve been on mini cruise lines. MSC food is not that great unless you need a specialty restaurant. Their island is very nice and their lower tier drink packages are a better deal than some other cruise lines so there are pros and cons to what you get.
Choosing a family owned cruise line such as MSC is a good way to reduce your cruise costs.
The food quality on MSC was a step up from Royal Carribean.
The champagne bar on the MSC seaside was fantastic (with the premium drink package)
Bartenders remembered our names and drinks at a number of bars.
We sailed on the Davina and Seaside. We were not disappointed with any part of our cruise experience. We found the food to our liking, the room was up to the standard of other cruise
lines we've been on and better than some. Service was great throughout the ship and we really enjoyed the entertainment. We're planning a Mediterranean cruise in 2025 with MSC.
Oh, and the cost of sailing on MSC is great leaving us money for excursions when in port. My advice on any cruise... it's your vacation so enjoy it and don't look for what's wrong.
Thanks for the overview bro👍🏼
I’m heading out in the seashore from port Canaveral this weekend
Us too!
As a European, MSC is one of our most common cruise line here. I must say I can't admit I would have to pay so much more to get on Royal Caribbean. I get that the service or entertainment can seem a bit low for American-way used travelers, but I'm always surprised that so many people find their experience that worse on MSC.
Still, I may change my mind when I save enough money to experience other lines 🙂
To be honest, I feel more Ripped off now on RCI and NCL. I can't afford RCI anymore, and I'm Emerald status. I did my first MSC this year on the Meraviligia from Brooklyn. We're now sticking with MSC. By next year and Yacht Club rooms, I'm going to be Diamond level in Voyagers points.
@@Podgey25 Well, the Yacht club is off my possibilities, but I bet it's a wonderful experience. For now, being a newbie about cruising, the simple fact of being on a ship and experiencing the service is already a really nice feeling 🙂
Every holiday is an adventure. Visiting different countries, different islands, experiencing different cultures and the addition of a beautiful home on the water for a few days. No cooking, no cleaning, great staff, beautiful waters. Makes me melt a little for sure.
You’re video was spot on.Wish you would have mentioned more about the cabins and space.I found the service to be different along with the clientele.
People must be talking about the larger RCL ships because Freedom was pretty boring, there wasn’t much going on during the day ,and the food was not great. I personally had waaayy more fun on carnival liberty and Guys Burgers. Also the cruise director was fun and you saw him everywhere on the ship having a good time.
Thank you for sharing!
MSC is a European Line, and customarily gratuities are included in your fare on European tickets.
We've only cruised NCL and have our first MSC cruise in March.
Don't expect much and you will be fine. There is a lot of frustrating stuff, but the cruise can still be fun. Try to get early dining if possible (Before 630) and you will have access to all the entertainment times and still be able to hit the buffet if you are ever hungry. My dining time was 9pm and that definately sucked. lol
You were right on with these comments. I cruised MSC Divina last year and it didn't leave me with a great feeling. One person doesn't know what the other is doing. Had a heck of a time at disembarkation. Take your bag, leave your bag, no you must have it, no you leave it there. I went back and forth 5 times between customer service and the meeting point for disembarkation, and each person told me their way was correct and to ignore what the other was saying. My sister had requested a wheelchair and received a confirmation email the day before. It's time to leave and we're in the lounge we're supposed to report to waiting for them to call us to disembark. Finally, they tell us they're ready and to follow them. We enquire about the wheelchair and are told they're all out and she'll have to walk. This was for not only her, but the others in the lounge waiting to disembark which included several very elderly people and a lady with a prosthetic leg. No one was happy. My husband and I will be cruising on the MSC World Europa in March and I'm leary of what our experience will be. I don't think I necessarily would have returned to MSC but I won the cruise (by gambling in the Casino on the Divina). Of course, I found out that if I want a drink package, mine is almost 3 times more than others who book themselves online. Because I won the cruise, I had to have the casino book it. If I want the Easy Package, it'll be $322 per person (7-day cruise). Another gal on the same cruise paid only $120 for hers! Ridiculous.
•Strange? I saw my Steward every day. 🧐🤷🌛☀️
•, MSCs gratuities are lower because they're Swiss, they pay their staff enough not to expect guests to make it up via higher gratuities. 🚢
•Also, I registered my card no problem prior to the cruise and once onboard, just checked it on the machines system once onboard . All was good ! We also think the fact you can use cash at these machines for OBC, makes it great to control kids spending or use your saved up cash for your OBC instead of the banks !🤣💲
•The drinks packages - note that even if you have the lowest alcohol package, MSC now permits guests to simply pay the drinks price difference when wanting a more premium drink outside of your package 🤗🥂🍾
They’re an Italian line, but yes in Europe tipping isn’t really a thing. People are just paid a decent wage. I much prefer this system as when you eat out, the price you see in the menu is the price you pay. There’s no additional charges for sales tax and tips etc. Pay is consistent for the workers too. They don’t need to worry if they have a quieter night of business they still earn what they earn.
@@bexinthebox MSC has been owned by a Swiss family since 1978 (the company's roots go back to 1960) and
it is headquartered in Geneva.
@@ballyhigh11 yes, and founded in Naples 🇮🇹😊
I was on MSC Splendida in May and did not have any issue setting up my account in the MSC app.
They do have Portuguese island and Pomene Bay islands next to Mozambique 🇲🇿
Good morning, thank you so much for your amazing videos. I’ve noticed that MSC rooms say that they are for 2 people. We are planning our 1st cruise from Florida (flying to Orlando) in July and we are a family of 4, (two adults and two teens). I wonder if they would accommodate and provide additional beds, so we could all fit. Looking at the cheapest inside rooms, as it is our fist cruise and we won’t spend much time inside and don’t want to break the bank hahah
Ww are about to sail MSC Seashore first week in December, in the Yacht Club. I'm over the moon excited!! I've heard wonderful things about it. 😁
Me too!🍻
I have sailed many cruise lines and I cannot believe have bad MSC is. We had by far the worst experience e er on a cruise when we sailed on the Davina. The itinerary was fine, and the ship itself was not bad , but the MSC management and the crew in general all seemed like they had never been on a boat of any size before that week .
We’ll be in the divina for our first cruise in march! Have one booked in may on royal Caribbean but literally couldn’t wait 😂 pretty excited for the msc cruise tho! And the most glaring difference I’ve noticed just through booking the s MSC seems to be a lot more realistic I guess you could say with their extra prices
Your video was very helpful. Thank you.
I've sailed them twice with another booked next year but only with friends. Usually NCL people but I kinda like that they're a little different. And I LOVE the island. I just hope they don't mess it up with whatever they're doing to it next year.
Ocean Cay really is great. Always room to improve, but I love the size of it. Want to have your own little spot? You absolutely can, even with a full ship.
We sail royal frequently as casino guests. Got a comp msc cruise from Oceans Casino in Atlantic City this year. Trying them in June. I’ve heard muster stations and boarding can be awful.
Been on MSC February I loved every minute of my holiday. Would love to go next year 2025
I’m gonna check their website but I hope they have the theatre on the outside deck. That’s an added highlight on a cruise along with theatre time and port visits. Thanks for the review.
Depends on the ship but they don't have aqua theaters
What I like most about MSC is the 30 -40 minute wait time/line to get a beverage!!
Regarding prices, quality and service you have to remember that MSC is a European cruise line that has to be competitive on the European market where quality and service expectations are considerably higher than in the US. Compared to AIDA or TUI MSC in considered a budget cruise line in Europe.
Currently on Seashore and 3 big things for me... first, there are not enough water stations around the ship if you just want water without having to purchase it.
Second, all water entertainment (hot tubs and pools) closing by 8pm is too early for our liking and third, the casino leaves a lot to be desired. First, there's no easy way to interpret the casino program they have, and second, there's no perks without asking for them. My husband and I gamble a lot and we're basically treated like someone who never gamble.
Msc is very nice in many ways, but as an American used to Royal, Norwegian, Princess and virgin... they may need to be in America for a few more years before we go again.
This was spot on. To add on to your list, they charged us $58 per person on Day 1 for hotel gratuity. This was a one time charge and they said it was based on the length of your cruise. We had a group of us and we all noticed it. I went back on day 3 about a bar charge on my account and the guest services immediately asked "Is the amount $58?" so I assume it was a common question.
I would not recommend getting the wrist bands in replacement of your sea card. Most bars, you would still need to take it off and hand it to the bartender which was inconvenience.
It was hard for us not to compare our experience with Royal "Independence of the Seas" and MSC Seaside but for the price, you can't go wrong. There is no wasted day "at sea".
All of those "from" fares that cruise lines display are usually for an inside cabin. There is no way that $3k per person fare you showed for Icon of the Seas was an inside cabin. No one is paying $6k for a week in an inside cabin. That fare displayed was probably the lowest priced cabin still available for that sailing..and may have even been a low end suite. Seems to me in all our cruises in suites...we usually end up paying about $750-1000 per night for my wife and I. We just did Seaside for the 3 nights to the private island in Yacht Club balcony...was $3400 and was totally worth it.
YES IT IS ! You need to go look. He said JULY - the highest season.
Icon of the seas
5 nights from miami July 2024 is 3,140 $ pp
7 nights from miami 3,348 $ pp.
@@Podgey25 Anyone paying that much for an inside cabin is a complete moron. Probably threw it on their credit card....yolo.
Last year I did a 13 night transatlantic cruise on MSC Meraviglia from Barcelona to Port Canaveral in an extended balcony room for £780 and gratuities are included in the UK fares. That’s £60 a night. Just a hotel room would cost that!
Icon was not the best comparison.
Don't feel bad about experience😊 Just came back from Royal Caribbean Cruise...app was crushing 5 times per day😊 Still had most awesome vacation ever!!🎉🎉🎉
I am going on my first cruise in May on MSC Sinfonia! In 2025, I am doing a transatlantic crossing on QM II which I think I will like better than MSC.
Love MSC. Cruise no 5 coming up. The good: pizza, cleanliness of ship, attendance on ship usually low meaning pools and common areas not crowded, friendliness of crew, low key cruise, beautiful interior and staterooms. Ocean cay is amazing if you enjoy the clean calm beach and ocean. Snorkelling there so fun.
The bad: technology on your phone will be hit or miss. Same with website. Shows are european based so different take on costumes, etc.
We hated our first MSC cruise was the seaside. the crew was rude and did not understand English very well. now to its defiance... It was only the second time they had been to the us with that particular ship so in a week we are trying another MSC ship and hoping it is better.... Here's hopping!
Don’t hop too much while on the ship. You might fall overboard!
The food is great the easy plus package too and we got an amazing flash deal. The unbeatable price for the beautiful ship SEASHORE. Paying under 900.00 Canadian dollars. For Americans it’s 35 percent off of that. You have to shop around
Going on msc lirica next week on a week long cruise out of Ancona Italy
I got sick on the last night, up until then I enjoyed my cruise. I was on the Seashore 3 day cruise, I ordered shrimp cocktail. ( I think they left it out all day the day before, and reserved it the next day. I had an earlt seating.) But, I didn't feel well after dinner. I packed all my bags and left them outside my door. So, I didn't have anyother clothes at 4 am, it hit me everything was a mess. I didn't have any clean underwear when I left the ship. Also, I had the easy drink package and they tried to up charge me and bate and switch me.
I love MSC. This is a fair video.(meaning accurate)
Just been on Euribia.. won't go again!
Logistics for 6,200 people.. chaos!
We didnt stop at 2 of the ports we most wanted to see ( Guernsey and Falmouth). The main eating place (Marketplace) was known by passengers as the Cattlemarket.. it could not cope with the numbers of people! Families stood around blocking the people who had trays of food, looking for a table to come free.. cutlery ran out frequently and the food looked good but was bland. The Cattle market closed at peak time! 4:30-6:30pm when families want to feed their children - that's madness 😮
The cabin was small and to watch a film in your cabin cost 9 Euros whereas they are free on P and O or Princess!
So many things wrong with this holiday.. the Karaoke club was below our room so there was no peace before midnight 😢.
Pools and jacuzzis were overfull and drinks service was slow. I'll stop just because I'm tired of complaining but you get the gist.
MSC is by far the best value
Regardless my favorite is 1. RCL 2. MSC 3. Carnival 4. NCL
However my wife is MSC all the way. 1. MSC 2. Carnival 3. RCL
4. NCL
The most common complaint for MSC from American passengers is their food is BLAND.
I find the level of seasoning on MSC food quite alright, maybe a bit "less seasoned" for meat dishes, which is perhaps healthier and more "Mediterranean"? However, their Italian local speciality dishes like pasta and pizza are always very good!
I guess just you cant't expect them to cater to American/British palates, since many of their clients are from the Mediterranean.
Sailed the Mediterranean with MSC a couple of times and thought it was great
I can't figure out what people are referring to when they said "don't expect much" or "don't compare this to other major cruise lines-it's all in the details... " I would really like to book this cruise-specifically the Meraviglia--but the reviews out there are all over the place--the food is no good-the staff is not as well-trained as other cruise lines. No matter which darn site I go to--someone says "this is the worse cruise ever," whereas others say "I enjoyed it--you get what you pay for--I didn't have high expectations." It comes down to do I or don't I. No cruise line is perfect but this one is all over the place. Geesh!
Hi I went Mediterranean cruise 🚢 with MSC Grandiosa had a good experience with my family and friends now February sealing from NYC MSC Meraviglia 👏👍
I sailed on the Meraviglia and I will say that your experience will be dependent on who you are and what you're used to. If the highlight of your week is going to the Ponderosa or the RedLobster. You will love the Meraviglia.
@@nancybusch4486 Thank you for that--that is wonderful to hear!
@@rj-zn3cw Thank you! Who doesn't love the Red Lobster! Wonderful--thanks for sharing. Feeling a bit better and would love to book this ship.
I went in March for my cousin's 50th and grilled a bunch of kids about their experience and they all said they were having a good time. They were 12 - 14 and on a scavenger hunt. As an adult, the entertainment was disappointing since we had to buy tickets and they kept announcing the show, but it was sold out. It was a Houdini show. The food was not abundant in every crevice like you find on RCCL and CCL, but the quality is good. The dinner cuisine is good and decent variety. I was happy enough with the water slide and bowling alley with two lanes, Lego area, computers, all the other little things for both children and adults with the cruise coordinator and team, we're taking my Mom, kids and grandkids in September on the Seaside. The night show with the Lighthouse is top notch.
Did Iceland and Norway cruise in June on MSC Virtuosa. The big disappointment for me was the food. It was sooooo bland and boring. The buffet wasn't much better. The pizza was passable but had a good 2 inches of crust round the outside with nothing on it! Staff were lovely and plenty of activities and entertainment but, being a huge ship, everywhere was noisy. The hold on our credit card took 3 or 4 weeks after disembarcation to clear! Waaay to long!! Would think twice before booking with them again.
I did a cruise on Carnival Pride and then MSC Seaview. Pride had more free dining options, MSC buffets and MDR, on Pride I had no concern with eating dinner at buffet if MDR had items not interested in, on MSC I avoided buffet as much as possible, not because of food quality, buffet was loud and crowded and guests were pushy. I cruised in mid October and Pride had few passengers under 18, MSC had a lot of passengers under 18. Pride has an adult only section with pool and bar service, MSC had a section called Zen, perhaps 10 loungers, no pool and no bar service.
Pride has smoking in casino, MSC has smoking in Casino and 4 outdoor pool locations. I have asthma and I am sensitive to cigarette smoke, unfortunately those venues were also locations for some of the entertainment, tried one night but had to leave. I also witnessed guests smoking in non designated areas with no action by crew.
We did enjoy MSC stage shows and they all received standing ovations
We are booked on the Poesia next year on a Baltic cruise and very much looking forward to it. I have been viewing the videos of the ship uploaded by a number of people and it looks lovely. We like to usually dine in the dining room, which I understand are two separate areas on this ship and you are allocated a table and restaurant. Many of the tables I saw were round and seating at least 6 people. I’d like to ask if there are also tables suited to just couples as we prefer to dine just the two of us when cruising. Will this still be possible on the Poesia do you think? Thanks in anticipation. :)
Sorta interested in MSC especially if they get to port in Galveston. Might try them in 2024 after we hit Platinum since they match other cruise lines loyalty and we'll be Platinum with Carnival in 2024.
I haven't sailed MSC before. I would like to know about medical testing to get on the ship. Is there any or just fill out the form like it used to be?
I have been 6 MSC CRUISE and I love it had great times love the versatility guess are very nice a lot of fun in luxury cruise very beautiful and for very low price compare with Royal and NLC which I have been I did like Norwigian I will go back just it is too pricey, I did not have good experience with Royal but I will trying again on April 2024 leaving from NYC.
Oh child, MSC isn't luxury lol
My family and I just came back from MSC cruise out of Brooklyn New York
A few issues with the Internet other than that we had a fabulous time
We Purchased the $10 drink package, which included Wi-Fi and a private area to lounge and take the sun
We were allowed to go to dinner at any time between 6 and 9 PM
In fact, we are looking forward to our next cruise
Remember, this was a cruise out of Brooklyn New York I’m not saying how the other cruises are out of other states
I was at royal caribbean may 2023, gosh food in buffet was terrible, i love carnival food was good. How was food quality in MSC????
Thinking to book on dec, price r much better.