25/06/2023
Let’s talk about MSC! MSC is a very popular cruise line in Europe but is working on increasing its presence in the US. Lots of people don’t know as much about MSC, so I’ve had multiple requests to talk about MSC. So below are my thoughts on our MSC cruise.
*Full disclosure- I did sail on a special travel agent rate. However, all thoughts are my own.
🚢 Service issues prior to boarding:
I had no problems in this area. I booked my cruise online and called MSC twice - once to verify that my rate could be used for 3 passengers and another time to link cabins (this one can be done online). But the reason I mention this is because it is a big complaint for a lot of people. I have heard people say that MSC made big changes to their sailings (like changing length or sailing/disembarkation dates that affected their flights without telling them). I have heard multiple people say that they called to make minor changes (like adding a drink package) and instead of just adding that one thing, MSC rebooked the entire reservation under the current rate code, sometimes increasing people’s rate thousands of dollars.
Like I said, I had no issues here. But I have heard enough from other guests and other agents that I would be remiss not to mention it. My advice to others would be if you do book MSC, book everything you want initially or add things after you’ve completely paid off your sailing. Don’t call MSC to make changes as you may get rebooked under a more expensive rate. And of course, book with a TA!
🚢 Onboard service:
Everyone we met onboard was very nice. They are not however, as friendly or helpful as we’ve experienced on other lines. For instance, in the buffet, there was frequently no milk or bowls near the cereal. When we asked where to find them, multiple staff we asked said something like “I don’t know, just keep looking around until you find some”. Not said rudely, just kind of matter of fact. For dinner, our water was never refilled. I thought it might just be our server, but one night we ate at a different seating time with another server, and another time we ate in a specialty restaurant, and this was a problem across the board.
That being said, no one was rude, the ship was very clean, our room steward was great, and we received our food in a timely manner.
There were also a couple frustrating areas such as having photo stations, but not being able to order your photos on them without still waiting in line. Also having to wait in line to book specialty dining. These things should definitely be able to be done in the app or at a photo station without waiting in an hour long line, but they aren’t. So just be aware that there may be some annoying lines to wait in.
I don’t find any of these things a deal breaker, but something to be aware of.
🚢 Embarkation:
Embarkation was the worst I’ve experienced. About 2 1/2 hours of standing in line, with a lot of that being in the direct sun. The cruise before ours was delayed, so that likely contributed some, but I’ve heard from other sailings that embarkation continues to be a struggle.
🚢 Disembarkation:
We did self disembarkation and it was very easy. We were probably off the ship within 15 minutes of leaving our room.
🚢 Ship:
We were on the Meraviglia and loved it. The ship is exquisite. Lots of attention to detail. Very clean. Very upscale furnishings. We loved the Swarovski staircases and the giant LED ceiling in the Promenade.
Our cabin was spacious, clean, and had a good amount of storage.
🚢 Kids:
I really felt MSC did a great job with being a family friendly line. They had multiple pools onboard. They had an amazing waterpark onboard with multiple waterslides and a splash pad area that my kids loved! They had a sports court and a ropes course. For extra charge, there was an arcade and an area with simulators and a 4D cinema. Their kids club was great. They had a Lego room, movie room, and video games. My kids both liked it and wanted to go more. They also had good entertainment for kids, like magicians and PG comedians. They also offer kids sail free promotions which is great for families.
🚢 Pricing:
For me this is the biggest incentive to sailing MSC. Their food, service, and inclusions may not be as good as other lines, but their prices are amazing. They also offer frequent promotions that offer free sailings for kids or free drinks package, etc.
🚢 Food:
I thought the food was good, but not great. We didn’t have the dining package and only ate in one specialty restaurant (Hola!). The food at Hola! was excellent and I heard from others that some of the other specialty dining was excellent as well. The regular dining I found to be pretty good, but nothing special. I thought it was not as good as other lines I’ve sailed, but overall I was satisfied with the food. I thought a couple dishes in MDR were excellent, a couple were not very good, but most ranged from good to very good.
If you do get a specialty package or want to book some specialty dining out of pocket, you need to plan to set aside time to wait in line to book it on embarkation day. This is a hassle and I wish MSC would make restaurants bookable on their app, but they don’t. And there were lots of angry passengers that didn’t book that first day that didn’t get the restaurants or times they wanted because they filled up.
The buffet had a good selection for breakfast and my parents mentioned the dining room was also very good for breakfast. The buffet had a limited selection for lunch, though. We usually just ate a quick poolside lunch (they had burgers, hot dogs, pizza, etc. available poolside), but the times we went into the buffet midday, it seemed pretty limited.
🚢 Entertainment:
I thought they had a good mix. The nighttime shows were good and they had some talented performers. They also had magicians, comedians, lots of live music, as well as the traditional BINGO, poolside games, trivia, etc.
🚢 Ocean Cay:
MSC’s private island was amazing! Beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. They also have multiple beaches to choose from, so they aren’t too crowded and you have a lot to choose from. Plus, MSC has really been praised for their dedication to environmental awareness which is nice to see.
🚢 Overall thoughts:
We really enjoyed our MSC cruise. My parents (mid 60’s), myself, and my kids (9 and 6), all found it to be a very enjoyable cruise. I would definitely sail with them again and I would recommend them to my guests with a couple disclaimers: 1) being aware of the price changes/not adjusting your booking, and 2) reasonable expectations. MSC is not going to have the level of food, service, etc. you may know from other lines. If you are looking for high levels of service or a super friendly staff, this isn’t your cruiseline. But if you want to pay a low price and enjoy a great, clean ship with nice staterooms, decent food and service, and to be sailed around to beautiful places, I think you’ll have a good time!
