I AM TORN! MSC OPERA vs NCL STAR

We are traveling to the Med next June and I am in a quandry. The itinerary we want is available on MSC OPERA and NCL Star.

I like that I can save $1500 on Opera by booking 2 "suites" for the 5 of us as opposed to NCL with all 5 in the 2Br family suite.

But the reviews of the Opera made me very nervous. Bad food, no nighttime entertainment and dirty rooms.

Has anyone had experience with her in Europe? On NCL I know what to expect; I do enjoy an adventure but am not sure if MSC Opera will be as bad as the reviews.

Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance

Are you sure you are comparing apples to apples. Make sure you look at exactly what you are getting and don't forget to include any NCL perks that you would have to pay for separately on MSC. If you actually save $1500 then it is a no brainer, you go on MSC, but if you factor in on board spending and the difference is not close to $1500 then you have more to think about.

5 in the 2 BR Family Suite will be quite cozy. The second bedroom is just large enough to accommodate the fold out bed. It is nice to have a second bathroom.

You could save money one of the Family Suites on deck 12. They are very nice. Large bed, Murphy bed and fold out bed. No balcony, but we never missed it because of the floor to ceiling windows and one short flight up was the deck 12 balcony and hot tub!

5 in the 2 BR Family Suite will be quite cozy. The second bedroom is just large enough to accommodate the fold out bed. It is nice to have a second bathroom.

You could save money one of the Family Suites on deck 12. They are very nice. Large bed, Murphy bed and fold out bed. No balcony, but we never missed it because of the floor to ceiling windows and one short flight up was the deck 12 balcony and hot tub!

We have stayed in the 2 BR multiple times without issue- my kids are all skinny twerps:D:D;p:D! We do well with the 2 bathrooms ; one kid tkaes the sofa and the other two the second "bedroom" Two are in college so they are used to tight quarters. I originally put the 3 kids in the deck 12 suite and hubs and me in a aft suite but the price was not worth it. Ill have to check out the 12 th floor Family suites again!

Thank you!

Are you sure you are comparing apples to apples. Make sure you look at exactly what you are getting and don't forget to include any NCL perks that you would have to pay for separately on MSC. If you actually save $1500 then it is a no brainer, you go on MSC, but if you factor in on board spending and the difference is not close to $1500 then you have more to think about.

The price difference is more than $1500 before I add in the perks and OBC that i will get from NCL and actually use. More than an issue of the $1500 - MSC includes drinks, 2 massages per room, separate sundeck - I worry about the night time entertainment and the food. MSC has nice perks but does not have priority tenders and debarkation like NCL does. We dont care about butler/concierge.

I do have a hard time reading the reviews; knowing that 96%of what people complain about isnt true, but cleanliness, long tender lines with people lining up at 5:30am and wretched food are recurring themes. Food may not be too important as i know we'll eat many meals in port; Im probably overthinking the whole thing; my frame of reference is an AWFUL cruise that we took on RCCL out of LA when the kids were small that was simply nasty- from the blood-stained sheets to the dirty socks and underthings in the drawers.

Thanks for your help!

Our only experience with MSC was on the Divina, and we had also read plenty of nasty reviews concerning food, entertainment and overall experience, but the price difference was so monumental that we decided to take our chances. After we returned, we realized that most of the negative reviews were grossly exaggerated or misguided.

We place MSC somewhere between Carnival and Royal. Absolutely beautiful and stunning ship but providing a more budget minded experience. I think that the culprit of MSC’s negative reviews isn’t necessarily what they deliver, but the expectations of those who sail on them. It’s not quite like the American cruise lines. It’s a product designed to cater to multiple nationalities, specially in Europe.

We found the stage entertainment to be professional and a few notches better than what we’ve experienced on other cruise lines. We throughly enjoyed going to the main theater every night. But once again, it’s designed to appeal to a multinational, multi language clientele. That means that they rely heavily on non-verbal entertainment. At the lounges, there are no stand up comedians, no sing along dueling pianos, etc. So many languages means that it’s harder to develop a rapport and camaraderie with fellow cruisers.

But they had Italian opera singers in the atrium at night, as well as talented performers at the main theater who didn’t rely on vocal skills. For some, the lack of entertainment in their language may come across as downright boring or lacking, but for those with an open mind and an appreciation for something outside of the norm, it can be a very welcome change and very entertaining.

About the food, we found that overall it was adequate but far from memorable. It’s not that it was bad, it was just somewhat generic. Nothing really stood out. It felt as if they were keeping the offerings somewhat simple because, once again, they target so many nationalities. The one thing that is noticeable is that they tend to offer a lot of pasta and pizza (and I guess it makes sense since it’s an Italian cruise line), but besides that, nothing seemed unique. Once again, nothing was bad, and we found plenty to eat and enjoy throughout the week, but nothing was truly memorable.

Finally, the multi national experience can definitely provide the setting for some cultural clashes, and for cruisers who may be used to sailing on cruise lines where one nationality and language are the dominant ones by far, the MSC experience may be shocking and not to their liking.

Bottom line is: If you choose MSC knowing what they’re about and adjust your expectations accordingly, and if you’re someone who thrives in a multicultural environment, then MSC will be a great choice. If you’re someone who doesn’t welcome change well, and who prefers to stay in your comfort zone, then the $1,500 that you’re saving may not be worth it.

For us MSC was good enough to give them another try. We will be sailing aboard the MSC Meraviglia to the Western Mediterranean in a few months. Can’t wait!

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In the Med the best option is usually to spend as much of your time as possible ashore. Both those ships are older with less wow factor than their new builds but with so many great ports concentrate on that. $1500 will give you a lot of experiences ashore that will be more memorable than slightly better food or service.

MSC has nice perks but does not have priority tenders and debarkation like NCL does.

If you have status with MSC you will get priority tenders and much more.

If you don't have status it is very easy to get as they status match (even to hotel status), I am now MSC black (the highest level) and have never sailed MSC!

In fact due to the status match, I will be giving MSC a go from now on and if I like them I will stick with them, NCL are missing a trick and losing loyal customers like me.

If you have status with MSC you will get priority tenders and much more.

If you don't have status it is very easy to get as they status match (even to hotel status), I am now MSC black (the highest level) and have never sailed MSC!

 

In fact due to the status match, I will be giving MSC a go from now on and if I like them I will stick with them, NCL are missing a trick and losing loyal customers like me.

Well that makes about no sense. You haven't even sailed them and you have loyalty status. That sounds a bit strange. What do you mean about NCL losing their loyal customers?

OP. I have not sailed MSC but do know a few who have. It seems the biggest difference may be the flair: MSC is like Costa from what I have heard. They are trying to pick up more American cruisers but are still geared to the European traveler. The ships are beautiful from what I have heard. The rest not so good. NCL is more what most of us are used to. WE did try Costa several years ago and were a bit disappointed with everything except for the overall look of the ship.

As for reviews, I do think most negative ones are over exaggerated.

You can have a loyalty status prior to ever sailing on MSC, because they will match a loyalty status fro other cruise lines. We became black card holder (highest level on MSC) before we sailed, from matching our NCL status.

After 26 NCL cruises we were hesitant, but tried MSC Divina and loved it (exactly one year ago, thru hurricane Irma-7 days turned into 13), then we sailed 2x on Seaside and just booked New Years on the Armonia. We love MSC! Great food, phenomenal entertainment, family owned business (not publicly traded), beautiful clean ships, wonderful crews.

Most of the negativity about MSC we find unfounded

Safe sailing

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Well that makes about no sense. You haven't even sailed them and you have loyalty status. That sounds a bit strange.

It’s not strange. MSC offers a Loyalty Status Match Program where they will match your loyalty status on other cruise lines (or hotel chains) to their equivalent status level. For us, they matched my Carnival Platinum level to MSC’s Gold level, their second highest.

So even though we had never set foot on an MSC ship, we received an additional 5% off our cruise fare, free drinks, free photos, access to the Aurea Spa Thermal suite area, as well as a logo gift (a blue baseball hat with the MSC logo). Not a bad deal!

This is one of several promotions that MSC is using in order to grow aggressively and attract cruisers, many who have never set foot on (or even heard of) MSC, specially in the USA. And it seems like it’s working. Just one year ago, MSC had only one Fantasia class ship in Miami and next year they will have tripled that, including two of their newest and largest (Seaside and Meraviglia) and they will also offer 7 day sailings to Cuba on the Armonia. They are also developing their private island in the Bahamas which is expected to be ready next year as well.

It is because of these aggressive promotions why we decided to give MSC a try. And we were very satisfied, specially considering how little we paid for that cruise. And now we are booked on our second MSC cruise. I guess it worked!

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Well that makes about no sense. You haven't even sailed them and you have loyalty status. That sounds a bit strange. What do you mean about NCL losing their loyal customers?

As has been explained by others they match your status of other cruise lines, even hotel status, if you were top tier hilton you could get a black MCS card without cruising with them.

As for the loyalty you can see from my signature I currently have 2 NCL cruises booked, now i'm black with MSC I will jump ship and start cruising MSC in future (if I like them) which is why I say NCL are loosing loyal customers, I have only cruised NCL before and was building status, now I don't need to.

It's very easy to get a good status on MSC, you just need status elsewhere which can offer be obtained with credit cards or for example, being a Accor shareholder entitles you to platinum which MSC will status match.

OP: Additionally I will also add, by getting your loyalty matched (even at a low level) you will receive an extra 5% off the cost of your MSC cruise.

MSC never used to be a consideration for me for the same reasons you mentioned, but they’re really trying to step up their game with the loyalty status match and new ships. I don’t know how the Opera is, though. If I were to try MSC, I’d want it to be on one of their new ships. If you do pick MSC, come back and write a review, so we can find out how bad or maybe how good it really is.

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Ok, I get the loyalty status marketing now, but to me, that still is a sales gimmick, not realty a loyalty program. At least if it works, I guess it doesn't make any difference what it is called. Thanks for clarifying this.

In the Med the best option is usually to spend as much of your time as possible ashore. Both those ships are older with less wow factor than their new builds but with so many great ports concentrate on that. $1500 will give you a lot of experiences ashore that will be more memorable than slightly better food or service.

+1

I just use the ship as a floating hotel when in Europe. The atmosphere is no different than staying at a Mediterranean hotel. It doesn’t bother me as it is part of the European experience. DW would prefer a North American ship but doesn’t hate MSC or Costa. The food is more European (Italian-French) and the entertainment cirque du soliel like. Lots of classical recitals over lounge performances. The wines offered are of good quality and reasonably priced as it is part of the European dining experience.

Ok, I get the loyalty status marketing now, but to me, that still is a sales gimmick, not realty a loyalty program. At least if it works, I guess it doesn't make any difference what it is called. Thanks for clarifying this.

At least you believe me now...

Why a sales gimmick? there are some very good perks for black, IMHO better that NCL.

To name a few highlights:

Welcome back cocktail

Complimentary fresh fruit basket

Complimentary gift

Complimentary one-hour thermal area session

Priority disembarkation in ports where a tender

Complimentary photo

Complimentary birthday cake

Complimentary speciality restaurant “Tasting Menu”

Complimentary spumante with chocolate-dipped fruit

Priority disembarkation at end of cruise

Courtesy towelling bathrobe and slippers

Complimentary dancing class

MSC Voyagers Club exclusive Black Party

MSC Voyagers Club chocolate ship

Late cabin check-out disembarkation

We’ve only sailed MSC once and under their Yacht Club experience, but it was fantastic. We were also status matched to Black from our lowly silver on Seabourn which got us the extra perks mentioned above (late room check out on debarkation day being our fav). I read all the horrible reviews but we found none of the problems mention. Food in the YC was great as in the specialty restaurants and the service was wonderful all over the ship.

I agree with the others that in a port intensive itinerary like the Med, the ship is secondary so I would give price a higher priority and use that $ for excursions, upgrading flights, etc.

In the Med the best option is usually to spend as much of your time as possible ashore. Both those ships are older with less wow factor than their new builds but with so many great ports concentrate on that. $1500 will give you a lot of experiences ashore that will be more memorable than slightly better food or service.

NCL Star was recently beautifully refurbished. We just sailed on her.

Food on both lines are less than memorable.

I'd not call MSC food exactly European. IMHO European food is better.

I love entertainment on both line, but Star's just blew us away completely.

Neither is the best ship in its fleet but both should be just fine. Had a fantastic time on Opera to Cuba last year. Cool little ship. Star is like Dawn.

Neither is the best ship in its fleet but both should be just fine. Had a fantastic time on Opera to Cuba last year. Cool little ship. Star is like Dawn.

Well. Star is better than Dawn now after refurbishment

Aft is a terrific 18+ area instead of Dinosaurs water slides. :)

Ok, I get the loyalty status marketing now, but to me, that still is a sales gimmick, not realty a loyalty program. At least if it works, I guess it doesn't make any difference what it is called. Thanks for clarifying this.

How is it a sales gimmick? My platinum NCL got me MSC's highest, black card.

Nita, I think you might know me from the NCL boards. I cruise suites and Haven. And have chosen NCL often. But as long as I cruise MSC at least once every three years I keep that status.

I am booked in the Yacht Club next May on Seaside. I have heard nothing but raves about it. I have done a lot of reasearch on Seaside and the ships cruising out of the US have loosened the European influence. But they kept the gelato! Score.

I read everyday about suite and Haven pax trying YC and loving it. YC is popular and nicely priced so it can be hard to find availability. Unlike the way NCL uses the bid system which is something I detest.

I can't wait. If it is as great as expect it to be I will keep that status.

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Ok, I get the loyalty status marketing now, but to me, that still is a sales gimmick.

IMHO, a gimmick is when cruise line offers a bogus promo that doesn’t add real value to your experience. Like a “2 category upgrade” that offers nothing more than the same exact cabin in a different location. That’s a gimmick.

But the loyalty match program is much more than that. It offers real, short and long term value, designed to attract loyal customers from other cruise lines who otherwise would’ve never strayed from their cruise line of choice.

And based on the testimony from many cruisers, it seems to be working. A lot of people are giving MSC a try attracted by this unique program and choosing MSC for subsequent cruises (us included) after discovering that many of the negative reviews were exaggerated or unfounded.

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Count me as a NCL Haven cruiser who matched to Black on MSC and am booked in the Yacht Club to check out the differences. I agree with others....if I like what I find, NCL will have a hard time enticing me back unless prices or itineraries are better than MSC. I enjoy NCL, especially the Haven, but the prices have really gone up lately! And the difference in price is much greater than my $100 shareholder credit! I think it was a brilliant marketing strategy on MSC's part!

Lots of great info. My biggest "thing" is lines upon lines when debarking in ports of call. WE are all Platinum on NCL and become Black on MSC; I read one post that said we get priority tendering.

The agent for MSC told me that is not a benefit.

Any experiences? I HATE MSC's website.

There is no Yacht Club on the Opera, so we cant compare apples to apples. Their "suites" mean you get a tub instead of shower.

Thanks!

We are gold with NCL and accidentally missed tender ticket process on NCL Star before Kotor.

I was told by front desk people that I can just show my card and disembark at any time. So we did.

Process was smooth anyway.

MSC and Costa in Europe have shorter stops.