Are MSC as Bad as Reviews Claim?

[glittergal1]

Thanks Tim . The CC roll call is very sparse at the moment but even if there is only a few of us we can hopefully meet up onboard at some point .most of the others on roll call are sailing on the back to back so will already have been on board for 11 days before I get on so they can give hopefully me lots of info on the places to go and things to do while on Fantasia all I hope is that the weather is kind :)

[flag fan]

I don't think there is any competitor-driven effort to undermine MSC with bad reviews--MSC is just not a very big factor in the North American market to be worth the trouble, at least in the U.S. The reviews tend to focus on "problems" related to cultural differences--water with dinner, standing in line vs. taking one's turn by crowding around counters, announcements in multiple languages. Those types of complaints sound like they are from U.S. passengers who want the same type of experience on board cruise ships that focus on the U.S. market--Carnival, NCL, and their various sister lines.

 

Food complaints may be based on differences in taste and preferences as well, although they may be because the food is really not as good (lower-cost ingredients) as other lines, but in my one MSC cruise on the Poesia I thought the food was just as good as on other lines (mainstream and premium) and the specialty restaurants were great. I have seen enough complaints about food on all the boards to take those comments with a grain of salt (;) pun intended).

[cruisertrev]

No. We have done 3 of them total total 44 nights and had a wonderful time. Lovely ships Lirica and Opera twice and going on Armonia 2 weeks time. We prefer smaller ships and these are great. So clean spotless.

You will have a great time. Yes a bit different from other cruise lines because it is Italian - food good plenty choices. Self service no where near as good as main restaurants. Pizza bars and snack bars on pool decks great. Nice to have breakfast in your room at no extra cost. Main gripe is having to pay for water with your meals. Althought when we did Fjords from Southampton water was included.

Bit hectic in school holidays because children go free so avoid these times if you want it quieter.

Entertainment good really as they are catering for a lot of different Nationalities so a lot has to be visual.

We have been on Celebrity,Thomsons 6times, R,C.I twice, Costa once, P.O. 3times, Premier Cruies, Airtours MSC coming up to 4th time so feel am able to give a fair comparison. MSC in my opinion are equal to all but Celebrity which are fantastic.

Enjoy your balcony as you say where else would you get at no supplement.

Bon Voyage:cool:

[papcx]

I have a double balcony cabin to myself :) what more could I possibly need ?

 

A travel companion? You may be able to pursued me. ;)

[Beth2718]

We just returned from a Mediterranean cruise on the Preziosa. My thoughts going in were OH MY GOD if it's anything like dealing with the USA MSC offices, this is going to be a disaster. We all went in (having done many cruises with Holland, Princess and Royal Caribbean and the defunct Royal Cruise line) with an open mind as Europeans do things differently. All in all, besides being accosted/harassed when waiting to check in, by crew members trying to sell us the Premium Allegrisemo drink package, check-in was very fast and smooth. The one thing that we were not accustomed to was finding our luggage in the hall, no one putting it in the room and we only saw our cabin steward twice. Only saw him as he was coming out of the room across from ours and had to ask for ice everyday. They did take our bathrobes away on the last day...weird, locked our fridge on the last day and all our perishable items were left on the desk and the picture of our balcony cabin on their website for a "standard balcony cabin" shows a sofa and table....we had none. You would think that after 6 months of having been launched that they could update with the proper floorplan and pictures as we were expecting a sofa.

 

Other then that, everything was great and would do it again.

 

The food was phenomenal even in the buffet. The staff was great.

[Skipper Tim]

The one thing that we were not accustomed to was finding our luggage in the hall, no one putting it in the room and we only saw our cabin steward twice. Only saw him as he was coming out of the room across from ours and had to ask for ice everyday..

 

European values. I suppose.

 

Firstly, when your luggage was delivered, the deliverer would have knocked once. After that, there is an assumption that either you are out or you do not wish to be disturbed. In either case, it would be inappropriate to enter your room.

 

Secondly, MSC use the card-energy-saver system to indicate whether you are in or out. There is a small indicator outside in the corridor. If the indicator shows you are in, the cabin attendant will never disturb you. This is discrete and professional service. Unless you choose to make an effort therefore, you may only meet your cabin attendant and his/her assistant once in a cruise - at the formal introduction.

 

Ice. Mmm. I had to catch my cabin attendant in the corridor and ask him to stop bringing me ice with the explanation that "I am not American!". I can't imagine what people do with ice in their staterooms. Ice cubes were just going to occupy space and melt everyday. I got my wish.

 

Tim.

Edited November 18, 2013 by Skipper Tim

[Beth2718]

European values. I suppose.

 

Firstly, when your luggage was delivered, the deliverer would have knocked once. After that, there is an assumption that either you are out or you do not wish to be disturbed. In either case, it would be inappropriate to enter your room.

 

Secondly, MSC use the card-energy-saver system to indicate whether you are in or out. There is a small indicator outside in the corridor. If the indicator shows you are in, the cabin attendant will never disturb you. This is discrete and professional service. Unless you choose to make an effort therefore, you may only meet your cabin attendant and his/her assistant once in a cruise - at the formal introduction.

 

Ice. Mmm. I had to catch my cabin attendant in the corridor and ask him to stop bringing me ice with the explanation that "I am not American!". I can't imagine what people do with ice in their staterooms. Ice cubes were just going to occupy space and melt everyday. I got my wish.

 

Tim.

 

As you said, they use the card energy saver system. We obviously were not in our cabin when the luggage arrived as our card was not in the light and the outside red light was not on. Therefore, we were not "at home".

 

"Unless you choose to make an effort therefore, you may only meet your cabin attendant and his/her assistant once in a cruise - at the formal introduction." What formal introduction? There was never ANY introduction of Anyone, assistant or otherwise. The hallway was VOID of any employee 99% of the time. As I said, we ONLY saw our cabin steward when he was cleaning the room across from us. Never even introduced himself to us.

 

I guess American's like ice and after asking for it everyday, it was filled and used.

Edited November 18, 2013 by Beth2718

[AmoMondo]

As you said, they use the card energy saver system. We obviously were not in our cabin when the luggage arrived as our card was not in the light and the outside red light was not on. Therefore, we were not "at home".

 

"Unless you choose to make an effort therefore, you may only meet your cabin attendant and his/her assistant once in a cruise - at the formal introduction." What formal introduction? There was never ANY introduction of Anyone, assistant or otherwise. The hallway was VOID of any employee 99% of the time. As I said, we ONLY saw our cabin steward when he was cleaning the room across from us. Never even introduced himself to us.

 

I guess American's like ice and after asking for it everyday, it was filled and used.

 

My cabin steward always comes to my cabin on the first day to introduce himself/herself and check I've got everything I need and whether everything is ok? Maybe that's just because I'm a MDC Club member with high status but didn't think so. Trying to remember back years when I didn't and still think they introduced themselves.

[The_Big_M]

It could be just he was busy and timing didn't meet up. I've had it happen on the odd cruise with other lines - I don't think it's a line characteristic, just an individual situation.

[papcx]

On the Armonia in Sept out cabin steward never introduced themselves.

 

The older class of ship don't have the energy saver card system.

[ldoc31]

European values. I suppose.

 

Firstly, when your luggage was delivered, the deliverer would have knocked once. After that, there is an assumption that either you are out or you do not wish to be disturbed. In either case, it would be inappropriate to enter your room.

 

Secondly, MSC use the card-energy-saver system to indicate whether you are in or out. There is a small indicator outside in the corridor. If the indicator shows you are in, the cabin attendant will never disturb you. This is discrete and professional service. Unless you choose to make an effort therefore, you may only meet your cabin attendant and his/her assistant once in a cruise - at the formal introduction.

 

Ice. Mmm. I had to catch my cabin attendant in the corridor and ask him to stop bringing me ice with the explanation that "I am not American!". I can't imagine what people do with ice in their staterooms. Ice cubes were just going to occupy space and melt everyday. I got my wish.

 

Tim.

 

How funny to think that a little thing like ice would be an issue with different cultures. I can't imagine not having ice for my water or soft drinks.

[GOLDENBONNY]

My cabin steward always comes to my cabin on the first day to introduce himself/herself and check I've got everything I need and whether everything is ok? Maybe that's just because I'm a MDC Club member with high status but didn't think so. Trying to remember back years when I didn't and still think they introduced themselves.

 

We crusied twice with MSC and twice steward introduce himself. why peopole need to see them all teh time I don't know .:confused:

[shunter2309]

We crusied twice with MSC and twice steward introduce himself. why peopole need to see them all teh time I don't know .:confused:

 

ha ha, i know - right?!!! It's not like when you are staying in a hotel you are hanging around expecting to see the girl who comes to make up your room. It gets done when its needs to be, and all is good :) Get out and enjoy your cruise!

 

With regard to the ice - I'm from the UK originally, so don't take ice in my water or soda. My husband, American, used to laugh at me. But now he rarely has ice in soda - it just waters it down and you get less.

[Capricruiser]

The best time to find your cabin steward is in the morning when he's making up the rooms. Since they all have a number of cabins to manage, I usually walk down the corridor looking for an open cabin door where invariably the steward will be working. During the rest of the day they're off duty and don't return until around 18.00 for towel changing, turning down the beds, etc.

Regarding baggage outside the door, the baggage handlers will knock once as mentioned, and then leave. They don't have cabin keys and are no allowed to enter unless the occupants invite them in.

[Beth2718]

We crusied twice with MSC and twice steward introduce himself. why peopole need to see them all teh time I don't know .:confused:

 

I never stated that "I needed to see him all the time" Once would have been sufficient. We needed our balcony opened between 2 cabins and wound up having to do it ourselves 3 days into the cruise. Hope we didn't break it. If you are in need of a few things, how are you supposed to accomplish this if you never see them. On all the other cruises you see at least ONE in the hallway throughout the day.....

[Beth2718]

ha ha, i know - right?!!! It's not like when you are staying in a hotel you are hanging around expecting to see the girl who comes to make up your room. It gets done when its needs to be, and all is good :) Get out and enjoy your cruise!

 

With regard to the ice - I'm from the UK originally, so don't take ice in my water or soda. My husband, American, used to laugh at me. But now he rarely has ice in soda - it just waters it down and you get less.

 

I hardly equate staying in a hotel with being on a cruise. You're telling me that you never had any requests that you were looking for regarding your cabin? I don't care where you're from, if you like ice or not, it was our request and we asked for it to be fulfilled and it was. GEEZ people get over the ice. Those people that felt it was ok to wander in their bathrobes into the dining area, fine whatever, not what we would do in the US but then again, WE LIKE ICE ....we needed the balcony opened between our 2 cabins. How are we to get this done if there is no one to ask? We wound up 2 days later doing it ourselves. Hope we didn't break it. Someone else's luggage got delivered outside my cabin 3 days after we embarked in Barcelona and sat there for 12 hours, looked for a steward to alert them to the fact that these were not ours and someone probably thinks they're missing, calling the main desk fell on deaf ears. Even went so far as to call the cabin that was listed on the luggage tag but not even a voicemail was set up for their cabin. My point IS that in all the cruises that I have done in the past, and YES I've done a lot, you always see some help staff in the hallway that you can address. This was NOT the case here which made getting things accomplished a little more difficult and one that I'm not used to having to deal with.

[AmoMondo]

I never stated that "I needed to see him all the time" Once would have been sufficient. We needed our balcony opened between 2 cabins and wound up having to do it ourselves 3 days into the cruise. Hope we didn't break it. If you are in need of a few things, how are you supposed to accomplish this if you never see them. On all the other cruises you see at least ONE in the hallway throughout the day.....

 

Just call 99 for housekeeping and someone trots along

[The_Big_M]

With regard to the ice - I'm from the UK originally, so don't take ice in my water or soda. My husband, American, used to laugh at me. But now he rarely has ice in soda - it just waters it down and you get less.

 

Exactly my thoughts too! Never understood why people bother with ice.

 

The worst is when you go to some outlets and they fill the cup to the brim with ice! And then you get a little trickle of liquid to fill up the cracks, and a cupful of ice. Nothing like what was ordered!

[Skipper Tim]

Exactly my thoughts too! Never understood why people bother with ice.

 

The worst is when you go to some outlets and they fill the cup to the brim with ice! And then you get a little trickle of liquid to fill up the cracks, and a cupful of ice. Nothing like what was ordered!

 

Just like the Big-endians and the Little-endians (boiled eggs), I can forsee years of war between the U.S. and the rest of the World over ice cubes in drinks.

 

Does the U.S. Constitution mention them?

[glittergal1]

I am British and I actually do love iced water I do not drink fizzy pop so a lovely glass of iced water is great and previous cruises with NCL RCI and Thomson had water and ice machines for self service , Thomsons ice cubes were a great size and shape to fit in my empty water bottles for refilling each morning so nice and cold for port trips :D I will really miss this on MSC :eek:

[Tatka]

What happens to MSC's water and ice machines on European itins?

[cruisetrail]

I would skip those funny "issues" like multinational cruises and ice cubes.

 

Major things are design flaws, crowds in limited space and obnoxious commercialization.

[Tatka]

Much less commercialization than with majority of mass-market lines.

 

Design flaws comparing to what? :confused:

 

Oh, I forgot ... it is from personal experienzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzze.

[The_Big_M]

Much less commercialization than with majority of mass-market lines.

 

Design flaws comparing to what? :confused:

 

Oh, I forgot ... it is from personal experienzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzze.

 

And _very_ subjective. But written as though it is definitive.

[Skipper Tim]

I am British and I actually do love iced water I do not drink fizzy pop so a lovely glass of iced water is great and previous cruises with NCL RCI and Thomson had water and ice machines for self service , Thomsons ice cubes were a great size and shape to fit in my empty water bottles for refilling each morning so nice and cold for port trips :D I will really miss this on MSC :eek:

 

There are water (hot & cold) and coffee machines plus a variety of tea bags 24 hrs at a forward entrance to the buffet. I can't quite remember if there is an ice machine out of hours but there may be.

Edited November 22, 2013 by Skipper Tim