Something Different

[parallax]

We just got back from an Adriatic cruise on the Silhouette. We had a wonderful time and we enjoy cruising on Celebrity. As a result, we booked a spring break cruise on Celebrity in April 2015. After getting back last week, we talked about exploring other options to mix things up. From a price standpoint, however, it needs to make sense.

 

While I have seen MSC cruise ships in ports on other cruises, I know very little about the line. So using trusty cruise critic, I have read the reviews, looked at the forums, etc. I find the comments about MSC very fascinating. Many of the negative comments seem to stem from the fact that they have not Americanized the cruising process to their satisfaction and that this is a diverse population requiring multiple announcement in a variety of languages. Unlike some of the commentators, I find this a plus rather than a negative. I like the fact that the food offerings are somewhat different, fellow cruisers are more diverse and they approach certain aspects of cruising different than what is done by the US based companies. I guess what I'm saying is that MSC, at this time, does not appear to be cookie cutter like some of the other cruise lines.

 

All cruise lines are far from perfect but I'm intrigued with MSC. As a result, we are contemplating canceling our reservation on Celebrity and booking with MSC.

[AmoMondo]

Well that diversity you mention, is one of the main reasons that I sail with MSC frequently. Their ships are also beautiful and kept spotlessly clean - morning, noon and night, you'll see someone cleaning something. I also enjoy the quality of the live music in the various bars, particular the classical musicians. As they have a lot of ships sailing in the Med, they also have some unusual itineraries.

 

One thing you may not have picked up from the reviews, is that they embark/disembark at several ports during a 7 day cruise with Genoa typically being the main start on Western routes and Venice on Eastern routes.

[Katgoesonholiday]

Whilst the announcements were in five different languages (which I enjoyed) I didn't notice more than a handful over the course of the week.

[Tatka]

Celebrity is a bit more upscale line.

I would compare MSC more to Norwegian or Royal Caribbean. More mass market. But it has so many strong points for people looking for different experience.

 

- Ships are just beautiful. Very modern, have cool and tasteful design. Cabins are cozy.

- Entertainment is great. I think it is THE BEST if you like Italian voices and music.

- You will enjoy food in MDR. Unless you like American steaks. Buffet also has many nice offerings. We loved focaccia breads and similar offerings, also meats in buffet were good, as well as fresh fruit and salads.

- We LOVED meeting people from various European countries as well as from South America (our cruise was in Caribbean Sea)