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MSC vs RCL


SFLcruiser

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Oh, and if you want a recent review of MSC Seaside, listen to the latest "bonus" episode of CruiseRadio's podcast. You can also go onto YouTube and search "JimZim MSC Seaside"; he gave a couple of video reviews and those link to a lengthy written review where he actually does make comparisons against the other domestic lines, including Royal. But take his review with a grain of salt, as some of his comments on the food and some other aspects left a few of us here thinking that some things he found dislikable would actually be totally fine for us.

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I would argue that only the two lastest ships, MSC Seaside and MSC Meraviglia, are comparable to Royal Caribbean.

The pros of MSC for us were the MDR when it came to allergies as they had a set allergen menu each night, so one didn't need to preorder the night before. In addition, their pricing is very competitive especially since kids under 12 often sail for free.

The cons outnumbered the pros, but it was still a great cruise. The primary problem was with Guest Services, who were poorly trained an unable to address simple issues, and lack of staff. For example, one security officer managed both the x-ray and the metal detector, so it was very slow reboarding the ship at ports. And although the buffet was opened well into the night, there were limited other dining options and the buffet rarely changed their offerings. Daytime activities were also scarce.

I truly enjoyed my cruise on the Meraviglia and would cruise her again for a port intensive itinerary. However, we were booked on her for this summer to the Arctic Circle for a two week cruise with 6 sea days and opted to cancel mainly because we didn't think there'd be enough to keep us occupied on those 6 sea days. We only had 1 sea day on the last cruise and that was enough for us onboard. We opted, instead, to switch to Holland America which is doing a similar itinerary. However, we could have a balcony on MSC for the price we're paying for an interior on Holland America.

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I haven't gone yet (going in July on the Seaside) but I have been following all reviews and comments on many other forums.  They all echo what @DocLC is saying.  The main complaints are lack of variety in buffets for dining, poor customer service.  The main takeaway I have so far, and my opinion is my own, is that you cannot compare it.  If you go, you will need to go with the mindset that you are not cruising a major NA line and that there will be marked differences.  That's not to say that it's going to be better than RC or worse.  Just different.  It's like someone cruising Freedom of the Seas and complaining that there is no Central Park or Aqua Theater.  You just cannot compare it.

I am pretty loyal to Royal.  I'm a huge fan of the Oasis class ships.  The reason why we are going this summer is part curiosity and part pricing.  We are staying in a YC suite and the price of it was less than a JS on any Oasis class ship.  However, hubby and I are going to go with the mindset that it will be a different cruise experience for us.

For yourself, you have to ask, are you open to a non-North American experience?  Are you open to different types and flavours of food?  Are you going to be upset if they don't offer you coffee at the end of dinner and that you might have to ask for it?  Are you expecting RC type entertainment or are you open to more of a European flair on stage (operas?)?  If yes, then consider it.  If no, then maybe stick with RC.  Do your research.  Know what you are getting into first.

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40 minutes ago, DocLC said:

We opted, instead, to switch to Holland America which is doing a similar itinerary. However, we could have a balcony on MSC for the price we're paying for an interior on Holland America.

Is that a 100% fair comparison, though? I thought HAL was more of a premium line, at the same level as X, than a mass-market line like RCI or MSC. If that's correct, wouldn't it be totally in line for the prices on HAL to be noticeably higher than MSC's?

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10 minutes ago, jurrjurr said:

Have they fixed the sewage smell problem on MSC Seaside?

In that CruiseRadio podcast episode I mentioned, the person giving the review said that they smelled something faintly as they boarded on Deck 5, but apart from that he noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

The other comment I found interesting from him was a confirmation of some of the "class separation" that has been reported. The specific example he gave is that people who purchased the Aurea or higher level experience, when they asked for water with their meals, were given bottles of sparkling Italian water (maybe Pellegrino?); whereas those not at that experience level were given water from the tap served from a carafe. He said there was nothing wrong with the tap water, it was totally drinkable and didn't have any bad taste or odor; but it was a very visible difference in treatment if you were sitting at the same table as, or within earshot / eyeshot of, someone at that other experience level, and it was a small but noteworthy feeling that there were definite old-school "classes" of passengers.

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Onboard Seaside at the end of May, will definitely post my thoughts once I have been aboard.

Two big reasons to try it for us - 1) the ship looks pretty cool on the ads, comparable to NCL/RCL/CCL with water slides, etc. and then 2) Price - Balcony with some of the included drink upgrades for about 50% of Oceanview on Harmony (priced both for the same week, prior to booking).

Worth a roll of the dice to see what we think at that price point ....

 

 

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2 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Is that a 100% fair comparison, though? I thought HAL was more of a premium line, at the same level as X, than a mass-market line like RCI or MSC. If that's correct, wouldn't it be totally in line for the prices on HAL to be noticeably higher than MSC's?

No, it's not a fair comparison, but it wasn't meant to be. We found the daytime activities lacking--and we only had one day onboard--and very minimal variety in terms of food except in the MDR for dinner. That's the primary reason we switched to HAL as we knew there'd be better food options (e.g., burgers, pizza, cafes) and much more live music. In addition, HAL does movies like Royal, which we enjoy.

I truly loved the cruise and the ship. They borrowed a lot from Royal's latest builds, although I don't think they've done quite as good of a job as Royal has in overall design and feel. The point I was trying to make is that I couldn't imagine spending two weeks and 6 sea days on her. Part of the problem with the programming is that there's a large international contingent, so that limits some entertainment options. My wife also thought the food was boring and the specialty restaurants weren't nearly as good as Royal's and were much more expensive overall.

@Sabrinaklai - The Yatch Club should almost be viewed as a separate cruise line within MSC. You likely won't experience any of the problems others have mentioned especially since you'll have your own restaurant.

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While we've never cruised with MSC beforce, we plan to do a cruise on MSC Seaview (Seaside's sister in the Med) solely because we like the ship's concept. To make up for the problems that you have to expect when trying a lower fare and Italian cruise line, we'll definetely choose a YC suite although we usually sail in an inside cabin. Fortunately MSC's suites don't cost that much more than TUI's inside cabins. I'm curious to see how Royal's pricing will compare to TUI, as there's so much to calculate on top (gratuity, drinks etc.).

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39 minutes ago, Neaxan said:

While we've never cruised with MSC beforce, we plan to do a cruise on MSC Seaview (Seaside's sister in the Med) solely because we like the ship's concept. To make up for the problems that you have to expect when trying a lower fare and Italian cruise line, we'll definetely choose a YC suite although we usually sail in an inside cabin. Fortunately MSC's suites don't cost that much more than TUI's inside cabins. I'm curious to see how Royal's pricing will compare to TUI, as there's so much to calculate on top (gratuity, drinks etc.).

I think you will love your YC experience on Seaview. The layout of the ship within a ship is really an eye opener.

The Seaview will have several interior YC cabins, they were a good deal on Seaside.

 

Doc is right in his post above.....the YC should almost be viewed as a different cruise line. We did a regular balcony on Divina, and a YC on Seaside......no comparison, apples to oranges.

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6 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Oh, and if you want a recent review of MSC Seaside, listen to the latest "bonus" episode of CruiseRadio's podcast. You can also go onto YouTube and search "JimZim MSC Seaside"; he gave a couple of video reviews and those link to a lengthy written review where he actually does make comparisons against the other domestic lines, including Royal. But take his review with a grain of salt, as some of his comments on the food and some other aspects left a few of us here thinking that some things he found dislikable would actually be totally fine for us.

Here’s a link to the podcast episode: https://player.fm/series/series-52225/bonus-010-msc-seaside-review-msc-cruises

Cruise Radio is probably my second fave cruising podcast (after @Matt‘s, of course :P). 

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My review of the MSC Meraviglia will air on Cruise Radio next week (March 8th).

I really did enjoy my cruise on MSC and have no complaints with regards to the ports and the price we paid. We also received excellent perks by status matching with our Royal Caribbean status. For a week, their new ships are quite nice and quite comparable to Royal's newest builds. There are just fewer complimentary activities onboard. In addition, since this was a winter cruise, we didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the ropes course or the water slides, which would add to the overall experience.

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13 hours ago, DocLC said:

My review of the MSC Meraviglia will air on Cruise Radio next week (March 8th).

I really did enjoy my cruise on MSC and have no complaints with regards to the ports and the price we paid. We also received excellent perks by status matching with our Royal Caribbean status. For a week, their new ships are quite nice and quite comparable to Royal's newest builds. There are just fewer complimentary activities onboard. In addition, since this was a winter cruise, we didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the ropes course or the water slides, which would add to the overall experience.

That's awesome news, Doc! I will be sure to check it out, thanks for the heads-up :)

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We are booked on Bellissima in May next year. We got upgraded to a balcony (according to deck plans) for about $1200 total. :51_scream: I actually didn't pick it my wife did, and it was due to price and itinerary. It will be a brand new ship when we go. We are going in knowing it's going to be different but that's why we are going to the Mediterranean. She will be the Meraviglia's sister ship. 

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28 minutes ago, LetsTryThisTech said:

We are booked on Bellissima in May next year. We got upgraded to a balcony (according to deck plans) for about $1200 total. :51_scream: I actually didn't pick it my wife did, and it was due to price and itinerary. It will be a brand new ship when we go. We are going in knowing it's going to be different but that's why we are going to the Mediterranean. She will be the Meraviglia's sister ship. 

Which experience package did the room come with? Keep in mind, based on what I've heard from multiple places, that Bella (bottom-line experience) is no-frills and you'll be paying for a lot more on board than you may be used to (e.g., no complimentary coffee with dinner), and even Fantastica (next level up) appears to be somewhat limited in what you get.

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2 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Which experience package did the room come with? Keep in mind, based on what I've heard from multiple places, that Bella (bottom-line experience) is no-frills and you'll be paying for a lot more on board than you may be used to (e.g., no complimentary coffee with dinner), and even Fantastica (next level up) appears to be somewhat limited in what you get.

We went with Fantastica. It was only a few dollars more but doing the math would have saved a lot. There was no Aurea available when we were booking and could not afford the YC. We are doing it as a group cruise with the family and one of our other rooms was $200 more for an extra adult. My parents were also pricing another room and it was going to be more until they added it to our reservation. So they seem to definitely reward bringing a group. So @SFLcruiser if you do go with the family make sure to call it in (I dealt with Travelocity who have been great to me) and you may get an even better price for each additional room you reserve.

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9 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Which experience package did the room come with? Keep in mind, based on what I've heard from multiple places, that Bella (bottom-line experience) is no-frills and you'll be paying for a lot more on board than you may be used to (e.g., no complimentary coffee with dinner), and even Fantastica (next level up) appears to be somewhat limited in what you get.

In Europe, no beverages, except at breakfast are complimentary, not even water. Tap water, tea, and coffee are available compliment in the buffet. Those who book from the US can get a complimentary bottled water package, though. 

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9 hours ago, LetsTryThisTech said:

We went with Fantastica. It was only a few dollars more but doing the math would have saved a lot. There was no Aurea available when we were booking and could not afford the YC. We are doing it as a group cruise with the family and one of our other rooms was $200 more for an extra adult. My parents were also pricing another room and it was going to be more until they added it to our reservation. So they seem to definitely reward bringing a group. So @SFLcruiser if you do go with the family make sure to call it in (I dealt with Travelocity who have been great to me) and you may get an even better price for each additional room you reserve.

If any of your group has status with a hotel, cruise line or airline, status match with MSC and you'll get a 5% discount. They'll even apply it retroactively to bookings that have already been made. 

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On 2/27/2018 at 7:41 PM, DocLC said:

If any of your group has status with a hotel, cruise line or airline, status match with MSC and you'll get a 5% discount. They'll even apply it retroactively to bookings that have already been made. 

I'm probably the only one to have any status and its only Gold so not sure if they would honour that. We don't tend to go to the same chains in regards to hotels and normally take our local airline carry (except now that Southwest is here :27_sunglasses: ). 

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9 minutes ago, Lindsay said:

Doesn't Royal Caribbean own MSC?  I want to say that I thought I read something that said that. 

Nope. MSC is part of a larger Italian shipping company. Royal Caribbean Cruises International owns Royal Caribbean (mass market), Celebrity (premium), and Azamara (luxury).

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1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

Nope. MSC is part of a larger Italian shipping company. Royal Caribbean Cruises International owns Royal Caribbean (mass market), Celebrity (premium), and Azamara (luxury).

They also own 50 % of TUI Cruises (German cruise line, premium) and 49 % of Pullmantur (Spanish cruise line, mass market). It's quite common for them to sell their ships back and forth between the cruise lines. Sovereign OTS & Monarch OTS as well as Celebrity Horizon & Celebrity Zenith are now with Pullmantur, the ex-Pullmantur ships Blue Dream & Blue Moon are now Azamara Journey & Azamara Quest, Celebrity Galaxy & Celebrity Mercury are now TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 1 & Mein Schiff 2...

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