Should we try MSC

[MISTER 67]

Help please, we have cruised 49 times and are thinking of a September cruise on the Divina. So many horrible revues are giving us second thoughts but then again we come across many that give it 5 stars. So what gives, are they that bad? We tried Carnival a few years back and that was our worst cruise, I'm thinking nothing could be that bad. Would appreciate any input. Thanks.

Edited July 3, 2016 by MISTER 67

[MISTER 67]

Help please, we have cruised 49 times mostly on Princess and HAL and are thinking of a September cruise on the Divina. So many horrible revues are giving us second thoughts but then again we come across many that give it 5 stars. So what gives, are they that bad? We tried Carnival a few years back and that was our worst cruise, I'm thinking nothing could be that bad. Would appreciate any input. Thanks.

Edited July 3, 2016 by MISTER 67
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[All-ready2cruise]

Hey Mister 67,

I haven't cruised MSC yet, however, I've read some wonderful reviews that CCers have written and posted here. I know some pax write some pretty nasty things about cruises they've taken and quite frankly, if I'd believed those written about NCL Star, I'd still not have cruised.

 

Have you read any these reviews, there are lots of pictures and the folks who've actually done the cruises are very forthcoming with information? I'd strongly recommend this reading material for your cruising pleasure:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2365320

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2360379

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2352075

[Love2Cruz2015]

I tried MSC for the first time, and am now HOOKED!

 

But I also love Carnival...so everyone has different opinions. You would need to try it for yourself to see if it's a good fit for you. I was pleasantly surprised as the Orchestra got a beating in reviews but I went with an open mind and had an awesome time. My review is in my sig ....lots of pics.

[GRANNYOFSIX]

Help please, we have cruised 49 times mostly on Princess and HAL and are thinking of a September cruise on the Divina. So many horrible revues are giving us second thoughts but then again we come across many that give it 5 stars. So what gives, are they that bad? We tried Carnival a few years back and that was our worst cruise, I'm thinking nothing could be that bad. Would appreciate any input. Thanks.

 

 

We are going to give MSC a try as well. We are very seasoned cruisers. We have only cruised on Carnival and Royal and love them both for the awesome things each line offers.......yes, some of the reviews on MSC are a bit concerning but I find that happens on every line......want to try MSC out for myself.......hoping for an awesome cruise.

[enyliram]

trying MSC divina for the first time leaving this week tuesday july 5 4 nights. took the match and got a black card.. we shall see....

[riclop]

Help please, we have cruised 49 times and are thinking of a September cruise on the Divina. So many horrible revues are giving us second thoughts but then again we come across many that give it 5 stars. So what gives, are they that bad? We tried Carnival a few years back and that was our worst cruise, I'm thinking nothing could be that bad. Would appreciate any input. Thanks.

 

You should try it and you may be surprised.

[deliver42]

We tried MSC for the first time in May, and loved it so much that we're booked on the Seaside for May,2018.

[BermudaBound2014]

Help please, we have cruised 49 times and are thinking of a September cruise on the Divina. So many horrible revues are giving us second thoughts but then again we come across many that give it 5 stars. So what gives, are they that bad? We tried Carnival a few years back and that was our worst cruise, I'm thinking nothing could be that bad. Would appreciate any input. Thanks.

 

As a seasoned traveler I personally toss out the really negative reviews AND the "nothing but glowing" 5 star reviews and look for reviews that paint a picture somewhere in the middle.

 

I went and read the most recent review titled "My 7 days of hell aboard MSC Divina". I was on the very same sailing as the reviewer and my experience was anything but a living hell. There were some truths to be had in that review, but I don't think the reviewer painted a fair picture of the things to like about Divina.

 

Right now rack rate balcony pricing for September is roughly $649 pp plus tax. You can easily get that lowered with a bit of shopping. It's only fair to keep price paid in mind when setting up your expectations and I think that is where some of the reviewers go astray.

 

When you really come down to it, all of the lines sailing from Florida have more traits in common than they have differences. As with all lines, There are things I love about MSC and things I think MSC could improve upon. Personally, I think that the Divina is an excellent value for the dollar, but I've never met a ship I didn't like :).

[Beamafar]

You won't know 'til you go. No matter what you read, at the end of the day it's only others' opinions. Be daring and form your own ;)

[MsTee]

I just got off the Divina yesterday after a quick 3 day sailing to 'test the waters'. My husband and I along with two friends were VERY impressed. So impressed, we booked a sailing on the upcoming Seaside ship. Take skewed reviews with a grain of salt. Try MSC for yourself and form your own opinion. Good luck

[Mikesa1721]

I just got off the Divina yesterday after a quick 3 day sailing to 'test the waters'. My husband and I along with two friends were VERY impressed. So impressed, we booked a sailing on the upcoming Seaside ship. Take skewed reviews with a grain of salt. Try MSC for yourself and form your own opinion. Good luck

 

Outstanding!!! Welcome to the world of MSC!!:D

[63galaxie]

We are sailing on Divina on July 16th for the first time. I'm looking forward to it!

[deliver42]

Welcome aboard. This cruise line is SO underrated.

[MISTER 67]

Thanks to all for your input, we went ahead and booked for August 27 on the Divina.

[BermudaBound2014]

Thanks to all for your input, we went ahead and booked for August 27 on the Divina.

 

What a great deal on August 27th! If I wasn't just getting back from 3 weeks in the Mediterrain I'd have to seriously think about this cruise.. You have to love those prices. With TA discount and a simple civil match inside on April 27 is $329, Outside = $420, Balcony = $475, and YC right around $1,100 per person.

 

NICE FIND! Now remember, with pricing like that you have to give MSC a bit of slack in some areas :)

[billsteel]

We've now been with MSC twice. Once on the Poesia and the second on the Divina. Forget all the negative comments. MSC makes cruising incredibly affordable. We would recommend the wholeheartedly

 

 

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[enyliram]

just off the divina 4 night sailing july5 to july 9 which is today. i am now going to give it a negative vote. you may love it,but it is not for me.

[artypharty]

I wanted to love this cruise line for a lot of reasons. Sadly, I can't and I can't recommend it. The ship was gorgeous, prettiest I've ever been on. The shows were fantastic. Staff was friendly and helpful if a little disconnected (No, it wasn't because they were not more "American".) Where MSC fails, miserably in my case, is in customer service, or should I say total lack of.

 

I am go with the flow kind of gal, I am quick to praise when service is good and I will also point out poor service. If a business doesn't know where its strengths and weaknesses are, how can they improve? I want to know that information.

 

All businesses need good customer service to succeed. In the case of MSC, maybe price trumps good customer service for some, but not for me.

 

I had a good friend tell me that the Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas was an awful ship and they had an terrible experience. I went anyway and loved it. You never know, but one bad experience really can ruin things for a company, especially if they never address customer concerns.

 

I really do hope that no one experiences what I went through with this line. :)

[SeagoingMom]

I wanted to love this cruise line for a lot of reasons. Sadly, I can't and I can't recommend it. The ship was gorgeous, prettiest I've ever been on. The shows were fantastic. Staff was friendly and helpful if a little disconnected (No, it wasn't because they were not more "American".) Where MSC fails, miserably in my case, is in customer service, or should I say total lack of.

 

I am go with the flow kind of gal, I am quick to praise when service is good and I will also point out poor service. If a business doesn't know where its strengths and weaknesses are, how can they improve? I want to know that information.

 

All businesses need good customer service to succeed. In the case of MSC, maybe price trumps good customer service for some, but not for me.

 

I had a good friend tell me that the Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas was an awful ship and they had an terrible experience. I went anyway and loved it. You never know, but one bad experience really can ruin things for a company, especially if they never address customer concerns.

 

I really do hope that no one experiences what I went through with this line. :)

I'm sure there must be others beside me who want to know what the problem was you had with MSC customer service!

[tomvet]

I'm sure there must be others beside me who want to know what the problem was you had with MSC customer service!

 

I have to agree that both Costas and MSCs customer service is lousy but I too am itchy to know what happened?

[Beamafar]

In my experience, MSC has come on in leaps and bounds (improved significantly!) in the customer service department. Perhaps the focus on building market share in the US is such that the customer service element is lagging - if this forum is anything to go by, there is certainly a substantial increase in interest in the line stateside.

[deliver42]

We were on the Divina in May, and had just the opposite. Great service.

[tomvet]

In my experience, MSC has come on in leaps and bounds (improved significantly!) in the customer service department. Perhaps the focus on building market share in the US is such that the customer service element is lagging - if this forum is anything to go by, there is certainly a substantial increase in interest in the line stateside.

 

Bea, in fairness to MSC, you are correct since 2012 (our first encounter) MSC have improved in the CS Dept, that said it is a case of 'a lot done and more to do'.

 

Unfortunately where MSC progress, Costa regress!

[Beamafar]

............ it is a case of 'a lot done and more to do'.

 

True, Tom. I've been really heartened by my overall experiences onboard on recent cruises. Fortunately I haven't had any pre-cruise issues to deal with as they can be very frustrating to sort out - image of banging head against brick wall springs to mind.

 

For me, the Status Match programme is a thorn I'm finding difficult to remove. On my last cruise the crew made a real fuss about the fact that I was a Black Card holder and insisted that I was a "VIP" and that they are instructed to regard those who hold that level of membership as such. When I asked them how they could differentiate between a loyal MSC customer and someone who had status-matched they were dumbfounded as they didn't know about it! One crew member even elaborated by saying they're told how many thousand Euros must be spent to attain that level and couldn't believe that someone who had never previously spent a penny with MSC could come onboard with a Black Card.