What I Wish I Knew Before I Sailed an MSC Cruise

Having recently sailed on MSC, I can tell you that there are some major differences between this line and its competitors like Carnival or Royal Caribbean.

Now I don’t want to give the impression that MSC is completely different from sailing any other line. If you’ve sailed a cruise before, there’s a lot that you’ll know and love.

However, it’s the details surrounding life onboard that might stand out if you’re used to some of the other lines in U.S. cruising. Here's what I wish I knew before I sailed.

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#MSC #cruise

[bodywarefit]

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.

[jobee]

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.

[terrancerobinson]

This was our first MSC cruise and we absolutely loved it, especially the private island, Ocean Cay.

[justjake]

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.

[joeymanzanares]

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.

[gingersnapped]

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!!

[MarceloBrizuelaWPG]

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

[joeallain]

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 $$$)

[alangordy]

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.

[stephaniefeldhaus]

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!

[andrewwheelock]

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.

[brantthompson]

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.

[frognode]

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.

[alexandrasteiner]

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. 😊

[SherryAnnOfTheWest]

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.

[robertb]

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

[kimberlyborders]

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.

[ybethbaez]

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

[marvabaker]

I have cruised on MSC Seaside and Euriba and totally enjoyed myself. I have no complaints whatsoever with my stay therein ❤❤❤❤

[sweetpepper]

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.