MSC newbie

Hi all ..... we're book on our first MSC cruise in the Caribbean on the 19th of March 2019. Really looking forward to it but would like to hear some lovely positive stuff from you all [emoji16]

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Hmmm, positive stuff, let's see. The drinks packages are priced very competitively (the cheapest in the industry?) and I hear the buffet food is quite good and the desserts are spectacular.

MSC will be an amazing change for you. The ships are very elegant, and very modern. I found the cabins to be very big as well. There is an international vibe onboard, which I really liked, because I (being an American) enjoyed not being trapped with solely Americans for a week. If you book a stateroom in the Yacht Club, you will get a lot more perks, similar to Norwegian's Haven.

What kind of positive things do you want to hear about? After one cruise, I am absolutely in love with the line, and I have one more MSC cruise booked, nd I'm planning my third at the moment. I love it! :)

Another positive thing, MSC has a status match program with hotels and cruise lines. Matching to any level (I think?) gets you 5% off all sailings, and matching to black (the highest) gets you a free meal in a specialty restaurant along with some other perks you can find on the MSC website. So the price is low, plus you can get some perks thrown in for free too.

status match is unrivaled in industry, that I know about at least.

we had super quick embarkation in Miami for divina

best entertainment, cruise director(now on Seaside), buffet and pizza on three cruise lines I've sailed.

beautiful ship

awesome make your own wine at sea activity, look for it!

a+ staff

diverse client base

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Sounds fantastic !

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Hi all ..... we're book on our first MSC cruise in the Caribbean on the 19th of March 2019. Really looking forward to it but would like to hear some lovely positive stuff from you all [emoji16]

 

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Is best to read the reviews.

Hi...I am another one that got lured to book MSC due to its "status match" offer. (I converted my NCL Platinum Plus to Black Card).:cool: Now I am booked on the Meraviglia 8 Oct 2019 10 nighter from NYC to Quebec and return....looking forward to it.

For my first experience, I just booked an Inside 'Bella' on Deck 8, midship....later, I might upgrade to YC on another cruise, if I like MSC.

Anyway, my newbie question is: Do they sell some sort of "Behind the Scene's" ship tour, that includes the bridge?

Also, do they conduct some trivia games on board?

Thanks for any replies.....:)

Yes a behind the scenes ship tour is offered, you need to book quickly as not many places available per tour.

There are quizes and trivia games each day , they'll be listed on the daily planner along with the other days entertainment and special offers.

Bob ... Ship tours do not include the Bridge, unfortunately. They go behind the scenes for the theatre, the laundry and the galley kitchens/stores. On Fantasia-class, they also do a (restricted) tour of YC.

An MSC experience in a Bella inside cabin will not give you any sense of what sailing in YC would be like, so I cannot see how you can make a decision to try YC (or not) based on how you fare in an inside cabin. You may dislike your MSC experience intensely. However, it doesn't mean that the same would apply were you to sail in YC.

So, no way to get a tour of the bridge on MSC? Without that, the rest of the tour wouldn't interest me. As a "Platinum Plus" on NCL, I get a complimentary behind the scene's tour, but in recent years, they've eliminated the bridge "for security reasons"....

so now I decline the offer. Over at RCI, they still give bridge tours, both paid, and comp to "Diamond Plus" status...

I am a trivia addict so will look for it in the daily program.

As for not choosing the Yacht Club for my first experience, I want to see what the mainstream product is like....I understand that the YC experience offers a much higher level of service, better food in its exclusive restaurant, etc., but that is something that I can look forward to at another time. Even though the Haven offers a similar experience on NCL, I still very much enjoy the basic product, as I do on every other line I have sailed.

Is best to read the reviews.

Sometimes reviews are not the best way ........ I like to hear "live stuff" if you know what I mean. Years ago, there was a chap on here that had been on 2 cruises. He would critique loads of ships and write reviews, and he'd never been on any of them !!

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