It’s no secret that Royal Caribbean is at the forefront of the family cruise experience, but how does MSC Cruises compare?

Twelve members of my family and I planned a vacation together this summer. We were disappointed in Royal Caribbean’s prices. Instead, we bit the bullet and booked a cheap sailing on MSC Cruises.

Despite the fact that my family usually cruises with Royal Caribbean, we couldn’t fathom spending double the price for what would likely be a similar experience.

MSC Cruises, a European cruise line based in Switzerland, has recently begun gaining traction in North America, yet reviews remain questionable at best. Some cruisers rave about the elegant ships and low prices, but others complain incessantly about the dining options and service.

My family and I remained cautiously optimistic, however, and I felt better having already had a positive experience on another MSC cruise a few months earlier.

After spending a week onboard an MSC cruise, here’s how we would compare the experience to Royal Caribbean.

My family’s initial vacation planning involved comparing prices between cruise lines, and we were surprised by high prices

When planning a vacation with a large group, it’s important to be cognizant of each person’s individual budget. While one member of the family might prefer a luxury vacation on Silversea, another is looking to get the best bang for their buck.

When planning our family vacation, naturally, we started by browsing Royal Caribbean’s website for July cruises. Seeing as though many members of my family had already sailed with Royal Caribbean, it made sense to book with the cruise line we were most accustomed to.

Yet when we started browsing cruises, we were disappointed with the high prices we found. Most 7-night cruises were around $1200 per person for interior cabins on older, smaller ships. If we wanted to book a newer ship in an ocean view or a balcony cabin, we would almost certainly be shelling out around $3000 per cabin.

Related: How much does a cruise cost?

Keeping our options open, we decided to check other cruise lines' websites and compare prices, but we were equally surprised by high prices on Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line.

While we certainly could have booked a $1500 per person cruise, my family was hoping to keep the base cruise fare low in order to allocate our budget toward add-ons like specialty dining and shore excursions.

Browsing MSC’s website, I found deals too good to pass up

After striking out with Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival, I decided to check MSC Cruises’ website to compare the fares.

As MSC grows within the North American market, the cruise line hopes to reel in new passengers with unbeatable prices, and that was exactly what they did for my family.

I found a cruise on MSC Seaside for just $593 per person for the week in an interior cabin. The cost of the cruise was half of what I found on Royal Caribbean and other mass market cruise lines—it seemed too good to be true, but it wasn’t!

Related: 45 easy ways to save money on a cruise

Plus, for just $130 per person we could add an alcoholic drink package and a two-device wifi package for each guest. That is completely unheard of on Royal Caribbean, as the equivalent drink package can be priced at over $70 per day.

Although I felt like I was “ditching” my beloved Royal Caribbean behind for something new, I couldn’t fathom spending double on the Royal Caribbean cruise. Excited to expand our cruising horizons, my family and I booked our cruise on MSC Seaside.

Almost immediately, we missed certain aspects of Royal Caribbean’s cruise planning process

“Jenna, this app is terrible,” my brother texted me shortly after we booked our MSC cruise. “I can’t research anything!”

Something I love about cruising with Royal Caribbean is the stellar quality of the cruise line’s cruise planning process. In the days and months leading up to a Royal Caribbean cruise, I enjoy browsing the app and the Cruise Planner website to plan my cruise as much as possible.

From a seamless online check-in process to browsing restaurant menus months in advance, I find Royal Caribbean’s app to be of tremendous help when preparing for my cruises.

Related: Royal Caribbean app walkthrough and tips

MSC’s app, on the other hand, is disappointing during the cruise planning process, although it gets better once you board the ship. When planning my MSC cruise, I encountered technical problems on the app and was limited in the amount of information I could research prior to the cruise.

Even once onboard, I was not overly impressed by the app. My family and I wanted to make a specialty dining reservation one evening, for example, and usually we like to browse the main dining room menus in advance. If a menu does not look appealing one evening, we will book a specialty restaurant that evening instead.

On MSC, however, you cannot browse menus in advance—they appear on the app just a few hours before dinner. While a small inconvenience in the long run, it was certain details like these where we found Royal Caribbean shined over MSC.

On embarkation day I entered my MSC cabin for the first time, and it was basic yet comfortable

Like most cruises I take, I booked the cheapest interior cabin for my MSC Seaside cruise. Upon entering my cabin for the first time, I found it to be adequate and, when overlooking the bright pink color scheme, modern.

My cabin was a comfortable place to call home during my week onboard, and it had everything you needed in a stateroom: a king bed, closet, desk, vanity, and private bathroom. I could see where MSC cut costs in cabin design, such as placing a simple chair into the room instead of a plush couch, but it was not bothersome to me.

The cabin did not have as much storage space as you would find on Royal Caribbean’s newest ships, but I still found the amount sufficient. I was cruising solo in my cabin, but even if there had been another guest with me, there would have been ample space left.

Something I appreciated in the cabin were the light switches to signal whether or not you wanted your cabin serviced. If I was leaving my cabin, I would press a button to let my stateroom attendant know they could enter my room, and vice versa when I wanted some privacy. This felt much more modern than Royal Caribbean’s double-sided magnets.

Overall, I found my MSC Seaside cabin just as nice as Royal Caribbean’s small inside cabins.

My family and I found the food on MSC to be relatively comparable to Royal Caribbean

Every cruise line has stereotypes, from the party atmosphere of Carnival to the sophistication of Celebrity. MSC Cruises has several stereotypes, the most common of which is definitely the “bad” food.

Chances are, if you search for MSC reviews online, you’ll read many complaints about the cruise line’s food. However, in my experience on the two MSC cruises I’ve sailed on thus far, these negative reviews couldn’t be further from the truth.

My family and I were satisfied with the quality and selection of food on MSC Seaside. We found the Italian dishes—MSC’s specialty—spectacular, and enjoyed excellent meals in both the buffet, main dining room, and Kaito Teppanyaki specialty restaurant during the sailing.

Members of my family were split on whether they liked the food better on MSC or Royal Caribbean. While most thought they were comparable, some, like my brother, preferred dishes on MSC whereas others, such as my dad, thought Royal Caribbean’s food selections were better, especially those in the buffet.

Related: The best things I ate on my Royal Caribbean cruise

I find myself somewhere in the middle. Whereas I love the Italian pastas, breads, and pizza on MSC, I prefer Royal Caribbean when it comes to other international flavors, such as Indian and Mexican cuisine.

Comparing Royal Caribbean’s cardboard-tasting Sorrento’s pizza to MSC’s delectable Naples-style pies, it's no brainer which cruise line’s slice is better. Yet while comparing the amount of choice in food options and dining venues on Royal Caribbean to MSC, Royal Caribbean takes the cake.

While MSC’s service wasn’t bad, it wasn’t as spectacular as Royal Caribbean’s

Perhaps my favorite aspect of cruising on Royal Caribbean is the outstanding customer service.

I have never encountered service as helpful and friendly as on Royal Caribbean. While onboard a Royal Caribbean ship, I quickly lose count of the amount of warm greetings I receive from crew members. From a quick hello in the hallway to long conversations with bartenders, Royal Caribbean’s service makes every passenger feel welcomed and special.

On MSC Seaside, my family and I were not disappointed in the customer service onboard, but we weren’t blown away, either. Whereas on Royal Caribbean a table will be cleared in record speed at the buffet, this process seemed to take much longer on MSC Seaside. Ordering a drink took much longer than expected as well—the bars seemed to be understaffed.

Not everything was slow, though. When eating breakfast in the main dining room, for example, I was pleased with some of the quickest, most attentive service I’ve experienced at sea yet.

Outside of food and beverage service, my family ran into several issues with their onboard credit during our MSC cruise. The onboard credit they received when booking did not appear in their accounts, and, for some of my relatives, it took three trips to Guest Services before the issue was resolved. Later, we found out we had been charged for gratuities twice, necessitating another trip to Guest Services.

Although my family is not picky, and we recognize how diligently cruise ship crew members work, we couldn’t help but notice these slight differences in service.

I enjoyed the ocean-facing views on MSC Seaside, something I find lacking on Royal Caribbean’s ships

I love the activity-filled, innovative designs of Royal Caribbean’s newest ships, but one thing I don’t like about the fleet’s biggest vessels is the lack of ocean views. Most venues onboard ships like Wonder of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas face inward; on these cruise ships, it’s easy to forget you’re on a ship altogether.

And while I didn’t love everything about the design of MSC Seaside—namely, the atrium-design over a thoroughfare like a promenade—I did love the amount of ocean views.

Most bars onboard had floor-to-ceiling windows of the ocean, and restaurants such as Kaito Teppanyaki had a gorgeous layout with a full view of the ocean. I found myself spending most of my time onboard sitting by a window with a view, and these bars quickly became my family’s meeting point for a pre-dinner drink and get together.

Only adults joined my family cruise, but MSC offers kid-friendly activities like Royal Caribbean

My family’s vacation on MSC Seaside was free of screaming children… from our family, at least.

Like Royal Caribbean, MSC is a family-friendly cruise line that caters to passengers of all ages. You’ll find kid-focused programming onboard both MSC and Royal Caribbean, including complimentary kids clubs, zip lines, aqua parks, and waterslides.

The buffet even has a kids zone, which is a shorter buffet stand that allows kids to serve themselves. Unsurprisingly, this is where you’ll find the ship’s soft serve ice cream machine, hot dogs, and chicken fingers.

Related: 7 best Royal Caribbean cruise ships for kids

When comparing Royal Caribbean's new ships with MSC Seaside, I would say they seemed similar for kid-friendly fun. The only downside with MSC Seaside was that some activities, such as the zip line and bowling, come with an extra cost. Most activities, however, such as the waterslides, ropes course, and LEGO club, are included in the cruise fare.

Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay offers a far greater variety of activities compared to MSC’s Ocean Cay

One of the ports on my family’s Western Caribbean cruise itinerary was Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, MSC’s private island in The Bahamas.

Like Royal Caribbean, MSC operates a private destination in The Bahamas, providing a picture-perfect beach day to guests. And, as is with Perfect Day at CocoCay, the island provides complimentary food and beach access, and drink packages work on the island.

When comparing Ocean Cay to Perfect Day at CocoCay, it was clear Royal Caribbean’s private island offered a wider range of activities. From Thrill Waterpark to the Coco Beach Club and Oasis Lagoon pool, there is more to choose from at CocoCay.

Ocean Cay, on the other hand, focuses almost exclusively on beaches. You won’t find a pool, waterpark, or adults-only retreat on the island. While there are a few shops and a suites-only area, the overall atmosphere is far more chill than that of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Nonetheless, having fewer choices isn’t necessarily a bad thing. My family and I appreciated the low-key vibe of the island, and it was much quieter than the party atmosphere we’ve encountered at CocoCay.

As a plus, our stay at Ocean Cay included a sunset DJ party on the island, and staying on the island into the night was a unique experience you cannot have at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

I wouldn’t say one island is better than the other, but Royal Caribbean’s private destination offers much more than just the beach.

My family and I aren’t opposed to cruising with MSC again, but we’ll still check Royal Caribbean’s options first

“If the prices are the same,” my dad explained on the last evening of our cruise, “I would book a Royal Caribbean cruise, but I wouldn’t pay double for Royal Caribbean.”

My dad’s quote just about sums up my family’s overall consensus about our cheap MSC cruise. For the price we paid, the value we got from our vacation was outstanding, especially considering we also had a drink package and wifi package.

Despite the fact that we preferred certain aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience, I don’t think it justified paying double for, all things considered, a similar experience.

If the price of a Royal Caribbean and MSC cruise were roughly the same, I would probably book with Royal Caribbean.

Even though MSC does status matching with Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program, it still doesn’t beat the Diamond Plus benefits I receive through the Crown & Anchor Society, like free drinks and access to a private lounge.

The elevated entertainment, service, and greater variety of dining venues also gives a slight edge to Royal Caribbean. That being said, MSC offers more varied and intriguing itineraries than the latter, as they sail to destinations like Brazil, Dubai, and Namibia.

Whether sailing on Royal Caribbean or MSC, there’s no doubt a cruise vacation makes for an excellent family trip, and I’m grateful for the memories I made with my siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on MSC Seaside. Personally, I feel MSC’s negative stereotype is unwarranted.

When we plan our next family cruise, we’ll likely check cruise prices on Royal Caribbean’s website first, but we will remain open to trying new cruise lines as well.

After eight cruises with Royal Caribbean (six of which being on Oasis Class ships), I recently decided to give MSC Cruises a try while in Europe. 

MSC is an Italian based cruise line that is quite controversial in the cruise industry. While it is pretty established in Europe, it has begun to gain popularity in North America, where you can oftentimes find a 7-night cruise to the Caribbean for less than $400 per person onboard one of their newest ships. 

The cruise line, however, has been subject to negativity, with the most common complaints being about the quality of the food, service, and onboard programming. 

Despite all the things I had heard, I decided to take a 7-night cruise to Italy, Spain, and France onboard MSC Seashore, and I had a great experience! I would easily consider another cruise with MSC in the future. 

At 169,400 gross registered tons, MSC Seashore is considerably smaller than Oasis Class ships, which all come in over 225,000 gross registered tons. That being said, she can still accommodate over 5,800 passengers at maximum capacity. 

Before boarding this cruise, I knew this cruise would be unlike any that I had previously been on. Of course, "different" does not equate to bad. In the end, there were things that I enjoyed more about my cruise with MSC than Royal Caribbean!

Lower priced cruise add-ons

Normally, I do not splurge too much on cruise add-ons, such as specialty dining experiences, due to the cost on Royal Caribbean ships. 

While onboard MSC Seashore, however, I was surprised to discover that the extras were far less. I was able to dine at Kaito Teppanyaki and HOLA! Tacos & Cantina for around €50. In comparison, teppanyaki at Izumi can cost upwards of $50 per person alone for dinner. Plus, the prix fixe menu at Kaito included sushi and sashimi! 

Likewise, I found the alcoholic beverages to be cheaper, too. They had an extensive list of cocktails for only €9 each, meaning that I felt like I could splurge a little bit more than normal. 

I will admit that if I do end up cruising with MSC again in the future, I would consider a drink package. One thing I disliked about the cruise line was the lack of complimentary water. The Easy Package, which included beverages up to €9, was only €47 per day! 

With Royal Caribbean, I always find myself debating if the Deluxe Beverage Package is worth the cost. While it does include more than MSC's Easy Package, it is also much more expensive. Even when it on sale, I find that it is normally around $75 per day, before the additional gratuities. 

The elevator system

On Royal Caribbean ships, the elevators are a free-for-all, meaning that as many people as often pack into available cars. For that reason, I find myself taking the stairs quite a bit, as it is usually a faster and more comfortable option than waiting for a full elevator. 

I loved MSC's elevator system. Rather than just selecting if you want to travel up or down, you have to select the specific deck. Afterwards, you are assigned an elevator car to board. The screen would even tell you how long of a wait you were going to have before the elevator arrived. Most of the time, it was under two minutes!

There were a few days that we were told the ship was sailing close to maximum capacity, which meant that nearly 5,880 people were onboard. At double occupancy, MSC Seashore has a capacity of 4,540 passengers.  

Despite the large number of passengers, there were only a few times during the entire cruise that the elevators were crowded. During the majority of my sailing, there were no more than five or six people on the same car as me. 

Related: How to beat the crowds on your cruise ship

MSC's embarkation and disembarkation

Since my cruise was an interport sailing, guests were embarking and disembarking in each port. This meant that instead of 4,000 some passengers all trying to get on the ship in a single day, it was spread out throughout the cruise. 

I knew when I was embarking, there would be a mix of people disembarking and getting off to explore Genoa as a scheduled port of call. When I arrived at the terminal in Genoa, I found it to be less crowded than when I have boarded Royal Caribbean ships. 

Related: 30 Do's and Don'ts for the first day of your cruise

Due to my hotel's check out time, I got the the terminal an hour before my scheduled embarkation time. This was not an issue, though. I was checked in, through security, and onboard in about thirty minutes! I appreciated that they had refreshments available, too, including sparkling water, still water, orange juice, and pineapple juice.

And since thousands of guests were not boarding at the same time, I found the buffet to be relatively pleasant during lunch. On Royal Caribbean ships, I will do whatever I can to avoid the Windjammer on embarkation day! 

When it came to disembarkation, my group was called at 9:15am. In less than thirty minutes, I was at the Genoa train station. The only line I had to wait in was the one to scan my cruise card a final time. 

Diversity of passengers

I was expecting a more international crowd of passengers, and I was right! 

When I was waiting in line to check in at the terminal, I heard tons of different languages being spoken. In fact, other than the port employees, I did not hear anyone else speaking English.

Moreover, all onboard announcements were made in multiple different languages to accommodate the diverse crowd. This did, however, mean that the announcements took longer. The only time it was a bit of an annoyance was prior to the theatre shows, when I felt like the cruise director was speaking for fifteen minutes!

Overall, though, I loved being surrounded by so many people from different backgrounds. It made the trip feel more special and immersive, especially since it was a European itinerary! 

Status match

I am currently an Emerald Crown & Anchor member, which means that I was able to roll my status over to MSC Cruises' Voyagers Club and enjoy some neat perks on my very first cruise with the line. 

While not the highest tier, I achieved Gold status, and I was able to start utilizing the benefits during the booking process with a 5% discount off of my cruise fare.

My three favorite perks, however, were all onboard: the free one hour in the thermal spa, welcome back cocktail reception, and complimentary MSC Voyagers Club drawstring bag. 

The only status matching that Royal Caribbean will honor is through Celebrity Cruises and vice versa, meaning that you cannot try and get them to honor your status on any other cruise line, such as Carnival or Norwegian. 

If you have yet to step foot on any cruise ship at all, MSC will even match your hotel status with well-known brands like Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt. 

Overall thoughts

Though I did not board MSC Seashore anticipating all of the negative complaints to be true, I was surprised at how much I genuinely loved my cruise on this beautiful ship!

I found the quality of the food, both complimentary and specialty, and service to be quite high. Food, however, is subjective; my favorite dish might be someone else's least favorite. 

When it came to the entertainment offerings, I was disappointed with the productions in the theatre. Entertainment is something that Royal Caribbean is known for, and I do not believe that MSC lives up to them in this way! 

Overall, I would consider another MSC cruise in the future, as the value for what I got was exceptional! 

After 15 Royal Caribbean cruises, I finally sailed on another cruise line—one of the most controversial in the cruise industry.

Earlier this month, I booked a 7-night Mediterranean cruise on the MSC World Europa, the cruise line’s newest and biggest ship that has many “copycat” features from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships.

MSC Cruises, an Italian cruise line, has recently gained popularity in North America, but has been subject to many complaints about the food, service, and programming from North American cruisers. This makes the cruise line a “controversial” choice for a vacation despite its low prices.

The MSC World Europa is currently the biggest cruise ship in the world after Royal Caribbean’s five Oasis Class ships. While she currently sails exclusively in Europe, her sister ship, the MSC World America, will launch in 2025 from Miami, which could increase competition for Royal Caribbean.

I went onboard to see what MSC has to offer and how it compares to Royal Caribbean. Here’s what I liked, disliked, and what surprised me about my sailing.

I liked the lower prices on cocktails and specialty restaurants, although I find the quality of specialty restaurants better on Royal Caribbean.

It’s no secret that drinks on a Royal Caribbean cruise are expensive. Most cocktails are priced around $14 which, after gratuity, is over $15.

On MSC, however, I was pleased to find drinks priced much more affordably—most basic cocktails were around $10 with more “specialty” drinks around $12. Lower drink prices meant I could stretch my budget further and try a wider variety of drinks around the ship, which enhanced my overall experience.

That being said, even though drink prices are cheaper on MSC, it's hard to beat the benefits I receive as a Diamond member in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program. I receive four free drinks every day of my cruise, so I almost never spend any extra money on drinks while sailing on Royal Caribbean.

Related: Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program info, tips & secrets

Specialty restaurants were priced lower on my MSC cruise as well.

I paid $30 to dine at the ship's teppanyaki restaurant, but while I enjoyed my meal, I would say it’s a few notches down in quality when compared to Izumi Teppanyaki on Royal Caribbean. It was still tasty, but I found myself missing the signature flavor and courses at Royal Caribbean’s teppanyaki restaurant.

That being said, I’m not always willing to shell out $60 for teppanyaki on Royal Caribbean. Spending $30 is a lot more reasonable, and even if it’s not as good, I wouldn’t hesitate to eat there again.

I also paid roughly $20 USD for all-you-can-eat Mexican food at the ship’s Mexican restaurant, HOLA! Tacos & Cantina. While a great deal on a specialty restaurant, I found the quality somewhat similar (albeit a bit better) to El Loco Fresh on Royal Caribbean, which is a complimentary venue.

Nonetheless, I preferred the lower prices on specialty dining as it didn’t feel like as much of a splurge compared to the complimentary venues onboard.

My cabin on MSC was modern and spacious, much like on Royal Caribbean’s new ships, but there was far less storage space.

As a virtually brand new ship, my interior cabin on the MSC World Europa was spacious and modern, and quickly became my home away from home while onboard.

The room had a large TV, plenty of outlets (including by the bed), and was impeccably clean.

The only complaint I had about my cabin was that there wasn’t nearly as much storage space as I would expect on a brand new ship. Basically the only storage was in the wardrobe, which had a few shelves and drawers.

While there were a few other shelves here and there, the overall storage was lacking compared to cabins on new Royal Caribbean ships like Odyssey of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas. Although it wasn’t a dealbreaker, I would have appreciated more storage space to better fit my belongings.

I disliked the lack of free water onboard, and it was the biggest pet peeve during my sailing.

What I disliked the most on my MSC cruise—by far—was the lack of free water onboard if you don't have a drink package.

There is a stark cultural difference in providing free water in North America versus southern Europe, and this shows on MSC ships. In North America, it’s expected to receive free tap water virtually anywhere, from restaurants to cafes and bars. In many parts of Europe, though, you’re expected to pay for bottles of water at these locations.

I was shocked at how difficult it was to find free water on the MSC World Europa. Virtually the only place with free water were the few water machines in the buffet. In my experience, most bars, lounges, and restaurants would not give any free water, meaning you would have to either pay for a bottle or bring water from the buffet elsewhere on the ship.

Not only did this seem like a complete waste of plastic (the amount of water bottles used onboard was staggering), but it was cumbersome and annoying. On my next Royal Caribbean cruise, I won’t take for granted the ability to get a free glass of ice water anywhere onboard!

I was impressed by the amount of activities on the MSC World Europa, although there isn’t as much programming scheduled throughout the day.

Royal Caribbean ships are known for being family-friendly and offering endless activity options, from rock climbing to trivia, bumper cars, and game shows.

MSC also offers a wide selection of activities for both kids and adults. I was surprised to see bumper cars and rollerskating available on the MSC World Europa, both of which were located in the Sportsplex, a copycat of Royal Caribbean’s SeaPlex. Additionally, the ship had waterslides and a kids splash pool similar to Royal Caribbean’s Splashaway Bay.

Adults could enjoy live music, karaoke, and production shows, but it seemed like there were fewer activities to choose from on MSC. Royal Caribbean’s daily list of activities is extensive, with activities happening in virtually every corner of the ship all day long.

I didn’t find the fewer amount of activities an issue because truthfully, there was still more than enough to do. I enjoyed spending the evening at a theater show—which were all quite impressive—in addition to watching live music in the pub, attending a crew talent show, and hanging out at the karaoke bar.

I visited the invite-only speakeasy on the MSC World Europa, and it was much cooler than any bar I’ve experienced on Royal Caribbean.

Even the newest bars on Royal Caribbean can’t compete with the MSC World Europa’s invite-only Speakeasy Bar, and it was the most fun experience I had on my entire cruise.

Located on the World Galleria of the MSC World Europa is a telephone booth that looks unassuming at first glance, but is actually the entrance to a secret, invite-only bar.

On the third day of our sailing, my friend and I unexpectedly received an invitation to the bar from a bartender, and we scanned the ticket’s QR code to make reservations for the speakeasy. The next evening, we met at the telephone booth at our designated reservation time.

The door inside the telephone booth opened and we followed the host down a series of crew-only hallways and staircases to the speakeasy, which was decorated with 1920s decor and furnishings.

The next four hours were nothing short of memorable. While drinking inventive cocktails, we watched not just one, but two bands perform, one of which danced around the bar with their instruments, turning the entire venue into a dance party. We were having so much fun we didn’t want to leave!

Although I enjoy the bars on Royal Caribbean ships, I find them a bit repetitive from ship to ship, and I loved the “secret” bar on the MSC World Europa. If anything, visiting the speakeasy made me excited for my upcoming sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, as the cruise line added a variety of new bar concepts including a dueling pianos bar and outdoor/indoor jazz and blues club.

Despite hearing complaints about the complimentary food on MSC, I found it to be totally fine, although Royal Caribbean’s buffet is better.

Perhaps the most common complaint about MSC Cruises is with the food, but I thought it was completely fine.

Food is extremely subjective, and one person’s favorite meal could be another person’s most hated dish. Because of this, I never take food reviews too seriously for cruise lines; instead, I board the ship with an open mind.

During my sailing, I enjoyed meals in the buffet, main dining room, and at Pizza & Burger, a casual grab and go venue.

Before my cruise, I heard there would be extremely limited choices in the buffet that do not change from day to day. Instead, I found there to be a wide variety for each meal with dishes from around the world, from Indian curry to Italian food. There was also a second buffet, Pizza & Burger, which served pizza on one side and American classics, like burgers and chicken nuggets, on the other.

Despite the variety in the MSC buffet, I still prefer Royal Caribbean’s Windjammer Cafe. I feel the Windjammer offers even more variety than MSC’s buffet, and I appreciate the buffet’s theme nights for dinner so that you always know what to expect. I also found the buffet on MSC much more crowded than on most Royal Caribbean ships.

I have no complaints about MSC’s main dining room, but I noted that the menu was geared more toward European tastes. While I’m not an overly picky eater, there were a few nights where I ordered from the permanent classics menu instead of the rotating daily menu as nothing seemed appealing.

The Italian food on MSC was, unsurprisingly, several steps above that on Royal Caribbean. Several of the complimentary pasta and pizza dishes I enjoyed on MSC were on par with food at Italian specialty restaurants on Royal Caribbean.

Overall, because food is so subjective, it’s difficult to make a true comparison between MSC and Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean definitely gets points in having more food venues throughout the ship, so that’s a major plus. Most MSC ships only offer complimentary food in the dining room and buffet, whereas Royal Caribbean ships may have six or seven free options.

I heard so many complaints about the service on MSC, but I found every single crew member friendly and approachable.

Just like food reviews, I don’t put too much trust into reviews about service on a cruise ship. While I had heard several negative reviews about the service on MSC, I found the service to be similar to what I’ve experienced on Royal Caribbean.

MSC may be a European cruise line, but I found crew members just as friendly as on an American cruise line. My first few days onboard, I realized crew members weren’t as likely to smile at you as you passed or ask you in-depth questions about your life.

This type of over-the-top friendly service is what most Americans are accustomed to, but European passengers could be taken aback by the excessive smiling and icebreaker questions.

Regardless, I found that once I smiled at a crew member and asked them a question about their day or home country, a barrier broke down and they were immediately willing to engage in conversation.

After all, most crew members on MSC are from the same friendly, hospitable countries as crew members on Royal Caribbean. By the end of the sailing, I had to make rounds around the ship to say goodbye to all of the new crew member friends I had met onboard!

Another aspect of service that surprised me was that my cabin was serviced twice per day on the MSC World Europa. Many American cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival, only service non-suite cabins once per day.

MSC still services cabins twice per day—once in the morning and once for turndown service in the evening. Although I don’t always need my cabin serviced twice per day, I was surprised to see that this was still the case, especially on a cruise line known for its cheap prices.

I thought there would be a ton of smoking around the ship, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought.

Europeans, on average, tend to smoke cigarettes more frequently than North Americans, and one major complaint many cruisers have about MSC is that there is too much smoking around the ship.

Having more smoking sections onboard was honestly something I was dreading about cruising with MSC. I do not remotely enjoy sitting near smoking areas or breathing in cigarette smoke, and I was worried everywhere would smell like smoke.

Related: Here is where you can smoke on a Royal Caribbean cruise

I was pleasantly surprised to find out there wasn’t as much smoking as I initially thought there would be. While there were technically more smoking areas on MSC compared to Royal Caribbean, it did not inconvenience me at any time as there were more than enough non-smoking areas to enjoy.

Royal Caribbean enforces hand washing much better than MSC, and this makes me feel much safer onboard.

“WASHY WASHY!”

Royal Caribbean’s signature hand washing cheer is something I missed on MSC, as there was a complete lack of hand washing enforcement around the ship.

Before entering the buffet on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you are instructed to either wash your hands or, if there are no sinks available, use hand sanitizer. This helps cut down on the spread of germs, thus lessening the risk for contagious viruses like norovirus to spread.

Related: 22 unpleasant cruise ship problems you aren't prepared for

Although the MSC World Europa had hand washing stations and sanitizer available, washing your hands before eating at the buffet was not enforced. I combatted this by washing my hands before and after using the buffet tongs, but this wasn’t commonly the case for my fellow passengers.

In addition to a lack of hand washing enforcement, I noticed many doors on my MSC ship had a touch handle. Royal Caribbean has largely gotten rid of touch handles on their ships, instead opting for automatic doors or an open layout with no doors.

Using touch handles seems like another easy way to spread germs, and I was surprised that the ship did not utilize as many automatic doors as Royal Caribbean.

I enjoyed my MSC cruise a lot more than I thought I would, but Royal Caribbean’s loyalty benefits will definitely keep me coming back.

There’s no doubt that MSC created an incredible product with the MSC World Europa, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop cruising with Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society is one of the most generous loyalty programs in the cruise industry. It provides free drinks, discounts, free laundry, a private lounge, and even free cruises to its most loyal cruisers.

Related: 11 of our favorite under-the-radar Crown & Anchor perks

As I am about to reach Diamond Plus status with Royal Caribbean, there’s less impetus to book cruises on other cruise lines. While on MSC, I missed having access to a Diamond Lounge and the four free drinks I receive every day on Royal Caribbean.

Although I’m not opposed to booking another cruise with MSC due to their interesting itineraries and (usually) lower prices, Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program is enough to keep me loyal to the cruise line.