How would compare MSC to other major players

[Cruise Arizona]

I noticed that MSC has very family friendly pricing with free kids and $99 juniors.

How do you think they compare to some of the other lines that are family friendly like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL.

Some the the MSC ships are very large but I am not at all familiar with the amenities and how they would compare with the other big US market lines.

[The_Big_M]

I'd say amenities are broadly similar, though each line has differences.

In terms of experience onboard, there are other recent threads about this with differing viewpoints.

Note also that there are differences depending on region and ship, so you would need to be more specific to give a more specific answer.

[canny_cruiser]

Looking at your previous cruises list, I think the main difference you will notice is that English isn't usually the most widely-spoken language on board.

[pmacher61]

Families?
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberre...ily&sort=large
Overall?
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberre...l&sort=Highest

[resistk]

Food quality on MSC can vary more than some other lines but given the price point it is a small inconvenience. MSC ships also tend to be cleaner and their security better.

[Cruise Arizona]

They are not in any of the top listed family ships, so maybe that is why they are offering the special pricing for jr.s and kids. I was just wondering if they are still a great time. I tend to like cruises with great food and service and not so many bells and whistles, which is why I've cruised Celebrity over RC with my family.

[The_Big_M]

Ship wise, they are beautiful, but for food and service Celebrity is definitely better.

They are more comparable to RCL (though still different) as you've mentioned you're familiar with.

[All aboard??]

Originally Posted by Cruise Arizona

They are not in any of the top listed family ships, so maybe that is why they are offering the special pricing for jr.s and kids. I was just wondering if they are still a great time. I tend to like cruises with great food and service and not so many bells and whistles, which is why I've cruised Celebrity over RC with my family.

I see you have been to Europe.....if you were adventurous and alll you had was a map and an idea then MSC is for you. If you used guide book or set excursions then I believe it may not be.

[Lard Greystoke]

Originally Posted by Cruise Arizona

They are not in any of the top listed family ships, so maybe that is why they are offering the special pricing for jr.s and kids. I was just wondering if they are still a great time. I tend to like cruises with great food and service and not so many bells and whistles, which is why I've cruised Celebrity over RC with my family.

In terms of atmosphere, tablemates on MSC who liked Celebrity said that the general ambience was similar: quiet, cosmopolitan, not pushy as far as telling you when to drink or how much or reminding you every three seconds that you're on a "fun cruise". In other words MSC gives you room to be an adult. But with a little work you can carve out such a niche on Royal or even Carnival.

I don't know if food and service were "great"; if they were it would probably be over my head. Staff didn't go out of their way to be fake-friends with you; you could call it standoffish, or you could call it professional. Personally I would as soon let them run the ship and try to avoid slamming into islands.

Food I can't say much about. They dish it out and I eat. There is more variety on the bigger ship and it's available more times. The Celebrity tablemates on MSC thought the food was decent. Presentation was definitely lackluster, but I have not found that presentation contains any actual caloric content.

In entertainment MSC cuts corners by using canned music in the shows. The live entertainers were good, sometimes memorable. Leans more towards classical and less towards Vegas than Royal, but it's only a lean. Both lines have a variety of entertainment, more so on the bigger ship.

Family-type stuff I can't speak to.

Ambience on MSC markedly different from Carnival, but I can't summon the effort to complain about either one.

[Cruise Arizona]

I have a friend who loves Royal, but was intrigued by the kids sailing free and teens to $99. I can't imagine that the amenities would compare, but do they do a good job with kids like the do on Celebrity even with-out all the bells and whistles?

[The_Big_M]

For kids, it's more problematic than adults (the same reason cartoons are translated in countries where the rest of tv shows are subtitled). With so many different languages against the smaller subset of children, it's harder for them to group up as friends. Also, in their older groups, things are more independant than otherwise.

It's not that they do a bad job, but the situation is more difficult due to the multiple languages in smaller groups. There are still many activities for kids, but kids club may not be as enjoyable as with other lines.

[AmoMondo]

Originally Posted by The_Big_M

For kids, it's more problematic than adults (the same reason cartoons are translated in countries where the rest of tv shows are subtitled). With so many different languages against the smaller subset of children, it's harder for them to group up as friends. Also, in their older groups, things are more independant than otherwise.

It's not that they do a bad job, but the situation is more difficult due to the multiple languages in smaller groups. There are still many activities for kids, but kids club may not be as enjoyable as with other lines.

Very true, but if you are considering a US cruise out of FLL, probably less of an issue as English speakers will not be in the minority.

[encoreencore]

We were disappointed with the food. C'mon they're Italian!
It caters to European, non-English speaking passengers. There were many smokers. We are very happy with Celebrity.

Encoreencore