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I'm considering a baltic cruise next year out of Copenhagen. Looks like a great price. Only speak English I'm concerned about a language barrier and whether we would enjoy the entertainment. Can you help make up my mind? We've sailed NCL, RCI, Princess and Celebrity. Thanks

I'm considering a baltic cruise next year out of Copenhagen. Looks like a great price. Only speak English I'm concerned about a language barrier and whether we would enjoy the entertainment. Can you help make up my mind? We've sailed NCL, RCI, Princess and Celebrity. Thanks

The World speaks English now! Especially out of Copenhagen, your fellow guests will speak excellent English. As for the staff, they talk to each other in English. In short, English may not be the first langage onboard but it will be the second language of almost everyone.

MSC entertainment is mostly musical and non-verbal so as not to cause any language issues.

Fear not!

I'm considering a baltic cruise next year out of Copenhagen. Looks like a great price. Only speak English I'm concerned about a language barrier and whether we would enjoy the entertainment. Can you help make up my mind? We've sailed NCL, RCI, Princess and Celebrity. Thanks

Don't fret. We sailed MSC for the first time this year and you would hardly notice a difference. All service staff are the usual Asian, Brazilian, East Europeans, etc. Great cruise, nice ship. Plenty of food but it is quite different from NCL and RCCI. Drinks package is great value. Go for it!

As the others have said, you won't have a language problem nor miss out on the entertainment.

On that itinerary you'll have a lot of Scandinavians who speak excellent English. There may be some passengers you can't communicate with but you won't be seated with them at dinner. Can't see that being an issue unless you want to chat to everyone onboard! Everyone understands a smile anyway!

Brilliant! Thanks guys you have put my mind at rest. I've just put my leave request in at work so hopefully I will be able to book on Monday :-):D

Brilliant! Thanks guys you have put my mind at rest. I've just put my leave request in at work so hopefully I will be able to book on Monday :-):D

I hope you'll love it. Be prepared for a different food experience, though. It seems to be an issue with those who've sailed with other companies. As I haven't got around to experiencing any others, I can't compare. I haven't been tempted away from MSC, yet. (Although I'm very tempted by one or two Celebrity itineraries!)

I was on Preziosa last May with a tour group of people from all over Ireland and the menus seemed to be the biggest area of complaint with them. Not being a foodie, myself, (Michelin star cooking would be wasted on me!) MSC food offerings are not a factor for me as I'm happy once I find something I can eat. I've never had a problem - especially in the buffet at lunch. The carvery is always my go to, plus the mashed spuds and maybe some fish for starters - very traditional. Their desserts are to die for. Some people rave about the Ethnic Corner at the back of the buffet.

Great choice of entertainment in the bars and mainly English songs in the repetoire of the singers and bands.

Announcements are made in about 5 languages (or more depending on the nationalities onboard - sometimes there'll be a number of Japanese or Koreans eg and they'll cater to that group). They're kept to a minimum and often English is the first used so you can tune out early on!

If you're cruisin' you're not losin' - enjoy!

Well you convinced me. We're booked for a MSC Cruise this July around the Battle ' s :D you'll be hearing more from me with lots of questions. Thanks again for the advice:)

We are loyal Royal Caribbean/Celebrity cruisers (60+ cruises) and sailed on MSC Divina in October - we absolutely loved it. So much so that we are doing their grand voyage (20 nights) from Miami to Rome in April. We loved the shows (much different than other cruiselines) and found the activities staff to be some of the friendliest and most involved than on any other ship we've been on. There was always a staff member in the lounges at night to dance with the guests which I thought was a nice touch. Oh, and we liked that there were so many lounges available to us - not just the piano bar like on other ships we've been on. As noted, English is the official language on the ship so no problems there. We liked the food but it could be because my husband is Italian and from NY so we loved all the pasta dishes in the buffet and MDR and that ethic corner in the buffet was my husband's favorite.

Marianne

I hope you'll love it. Be prepared for a different food experience, though. It seems to be an issue with those who've sailed with other companies. As I haven't got around to experiencing any others, I can't compare. I haven't been tempted away from MSC, yet. (Although I'm very tempted by one or two Celebrity itineraries!)

 

I was on Preziosa last May with a tour group of people from all over Ireland and the menus seemed to be the biggest area of complaint with them. Not being a foodie, myself, (Michelin star cooking would be wasted on me!) MSC food offerings are not a factor for me as I'm happy once I find something I can eat. I've never had a problem - especially in the buffet at lunch. The carvery is always my go to, plus the mashed spuds and maybe some fish for starters - very traditional. Their desserts are to die for. Some people rave about the Ethnic Corner at the back of the buffet.

The 'Ethnic Corner' is something to rave about! There are things totally different from a different part of the World every day. If one finds oneself needing to top up between meals in the buffet, Ethnic Corner simply removes the need to survey half a deck of the ship that the buffet is to see what there is - Ethnic Corner is always at least good and usually amazing.

The biggest MSC food issue I have observed and commented on many times is the difference between the ordered menu description and what actually arrives on the plate. Often the English translations are very poor and most people will stick to something they think they recognise and then be disapointed that it is not what they expected. They tie themselves in to disapointment right from the start.

My approach has been to always go for the most peculiar-sounding, alien choices on the menu and learn from them. There are always some completely incomprehensible choices to go for, every meal.

My least favourite dining conversation is "this is not" X! Disgust, I can't eat this etc. etc. followed by dramatic displays of leaving perfectly fine food and grumbles throughout the meal ... and cruise. I do not wish to sail with such ignorant people.

Any pre-conceived idea of food on MSC from the menu descriptions will betray. The food is great but almost certainly not as expected without prior experience of MSC menu descriptions. Even then, there is always a great element of surprise.

I have also been advised just to tell the regular dinner waiter always to choose for me and never even to give me a menu. I think that is very sound advice indeed.

The 'Ethnic Corner' is something to rave about! There are things totally different from a different part of the World every day. If one finds oneself needing to top up between meals in the buffet, Ethnic Corner simply removes the need to survey half a deck of the ship that the buffet is to see what there is - Ethnic Corner is always at least good and usually amazing.

 

The biggest MSC food issue I have observed and commented on many times is the difference between the ordered menu description and what actually arrives on the plate. Often the English translations are very poor and most people will stick to something they think they recognise and then be disapointed that it is not what they expected. They tie themselves in to disapointment right from the start.

 

My approach has been to always go for the most peculiar-sounding, alien choices on the menu and learn from them. There are always some completely incomprehensible choices to go for, every meal.

 

My least favourite dining conversation is "this is not" X! Disgust, I can't eat this etc. etc. followed by dramatic displays of leaving perfectly fine food and grumbles throughout the meal ... and cruise. I do not wish to sail with such ignorant people.

 

Any pre-conceived idea of food on MSC from the menu descriptions will betray you. The food is great but almost certainly not as you expect it to be if you have never encountered MSC menu descriptions before.

 

I have also been advised just to tell the regular dinner waiter always to choose for me and never even to give me a menu. I think that is very sound advice indeed.

I envy people like you, Tim, who can eat a wide variety of foods! Picky people aren't deliberately so. I've often checked out the Ethnic Corner in the hope that there'd be something I could eat just to have something spicy and different from the general MDR offerings. I've never managed to find anything that would appeal even though it all looks very tasty.

I miss out, too, on the wonderful pizza and pasta dishes on offer as I don't eat them, either.

I must say, though, that I find the menus in the MDR have improved a lot from when I first sailed with MSC three years ago. The choices may be limited but the meat offerings are better. i used to always end up with the fish (which I don't eat much of normally) whereas I find myself now ordering the fish dish as a starter as I want the meat dish as well :D

As noted, English is the official language on the ship so no problems there.

 

Marianne

The MSC Divina is somewhat of an oddity in the MSC fleet in being currently localised especially for the North American market and will remain so even when she returns to the Med next year. On the rest of the fleet, English is one of five to seven languages used and each is given equal status. From my experience, native English speakers have always been is a small minority. However, and has been pointed out, even not the Divina, on a Baltic itinerary the bulk of the guests will be Scandanavian and Northern Europeans who are likely to speak excellent English.

The degree to which MSC 'localise' is often under-estimated. There was one very pointed live review this year from a very experienced cruiser new to MSC who did a back2back on MSC from the U.S. with one in Europe. The first half was singing the praises. The second half was protestatation about having not having iced water provided, fellow guests not being able to queue, 'regular' menu items not being available etc. After all the praise he said he would never sail MSC again. It was the same line but managed for a different geographical market.

I loved, when I sailed from Brazil to Italy, that the Fantasia felt a fusion of Brazillian and Italian. there could barely have been 30 native English speakers aboard out of a couple of thousand.

The MSC Divina is somewhat of an oddity in the MSC fleet in being currently localised especially for the North American market and will remain so even when she returns to the Med next year.

I'm hoping so, Tim. I'd love to experience the "Americanised" way on MSC without having to travel stateside to do so :)

I loved, when I sailed from Brazil to Italy, that the Fantasia felt a fusion of Brazillian and Italian. there could barely have been 30 native English speakers aboard out of a couple of thousand.

I look forward to that - it must have been a blast! Amomondo has said something to the effect that the Brazilians liven it up - Samba, anyone?:D

I envy people like you, Tim, who can eat a wide variety of foods! Picky people aren't deliberately so. I've often checked out the Ethnic Corner in the hope that there'd be something I could eat just to have something spicy and different from the general MDR offerings. I've never managed to find anything that would appeal even though it all looks very tasty.

 

I miss out, too, on the wonderful pizza and pasta dishes on offer as I don't eat them, either.

 

I must say, though, that I find the menus in the MDR have improved a lot from when I first sailed with MSC three years ago. The choices may be limited but the meat offerings are better. i used to always end up with the fish (which I don't eat much of normally) whereas I find myself now ordering the fish dish as a starter as I want the meat dish as well :D

Even categorising dishes as 'meat' and 'fish' (and pizza and pasta) is a mistake. Why do you need to know what it is? If you were starving to death it wouldn't bother you. We should never eat for pleasure but for nutrition and interest! New experiences should always be relished and cherished - they get harder to find as time goes by.

Perhaps you can appreciate my attraction to MSC food now? :)

I'm hoping so, Tim. I'd love to experience the "Americanised" way on MSC without having to travel stateside to do so :)

You make a very good point there. I am facing the imminent experience of what the North Americans consider a British cruise line - complete with fish and chips in the 'pub' of all places. On another thread I have suggested that Cunard might as well have a working man's club, sexist jokes and football hooliganism. Fish and chips in the 'pub' on a cruise ship? The mind boggles.

My patience will surely be tested. I hope you will follow the inevitable 'live blog' (link to follow in my signature soon).

An interesting thread...I had heard about language problems, but apparently they were exaggerated.

An interesting thread...I had heard about language problems, but apparently they were exaggerated.

I elccasionally heard someone onboard wittering on about the language issue. They invariably are pretty inflexible in their manner of speech and use lots of local colloquialisms and expect everyone to speak their version of the English language in the way they do. Suffice it to say they have problems being understood and understanding others. They are the type that tell you blatantly that you speak funny or words to that effect. Admittedly I do have a Sckts accent but deliberately moderate, speak a wee bit slower and drop slang when communicating with people from other countries, particularly those who do not speak English as a first language. If I get a bit of a blank look at something I've said, I reword it or describe what I mean. It works 99% of the time.

The World speaks English now! Especially out of Copenhagen, your fellow guests will speak excellent English. As for the staff, they talk to each other in English. In short, English may not be the first langage onboard but it will be the second language of almost everyone.

 

MSC entertainment is mostly musical and non-verbal so as not to cause any language issues.

 

Fear not!

We just got back MSC Divina Caribbean cruise.

Theater shows is average . Main dining room selection is poor. Staff most do not speak English. Music moistly Latin , Spanish. Daily activities limited.

Drinks packages very good price. Not enough restrooms in public areas.

Maria

We just got back MSC Divina Caribbean cruise.

Theater shows is average . Main dining room selection is poor. Staff most do not speak English. Music moistly Latin , Spanish. Daily activities limited.

Drinks packages very good price. Not enough restrooms in public areas.

Maria

Hmmm...since I'm pretty sure you were on my sailing on the 29th as well, I am confused. I realize everything is subjective but...

Theater shows - More than one person onboard expressed the opinion that these were the best they've seen at sea.

MDR selection - With 1 or 2 daily selections each of meat, seafood and pasta, as well as multiple soups and appetizers plus the always available items, not sure what you were expecting or hoping for.

Most Staff not speaking English - If fact, in my multiple sailings on the Divina, I have never found any staff that didn't speak any English. Granted, some have a more limited English vocabulary than others which has caused frustrations.

Music - I will say they did have a lot of Latin on this particular cruise, however, I was able to find other genres in the Golden Jazz Bar (at times), the La Luna Piano Bar as well as the Garden Bar.

Public restrooms - Never had an issue with lack of of restrooms as they are outside of most larger venues and placed along public corridors. I do have issues with the frequency of cleaning. I found numerous ones had a strong unpleasant "odor" and not of #2 if you know what I mean. Not that someone can be there every second to clean but it happened too often to be a coincidence. Plus have noticed it on previous sailings.

I am surely not trying to discredit your opinions. I just wanted others to know that there can certainly be different views of the same experience.

Bret

Every one have a different opinion. I am speaking of my self and the rest of our group.

Msc is different from the other cruise lines . the USA market is different from Europe. They have a lot of work to do.Public restrooms not enough in public areas. Most of the music is Spanish, Latin other then two bars.We liked a couple shows at the theater but nothing spectacular.