Princess vs MSC

[Todd320]

We will hold our opinion on MSC since our first YC experience is coming up in a couple of months on the Divina.

Hank

 

You don't have to tell us about Princess stuff because we cruise them a lot... 50 to 85 days a season almost exclusively on the Royal. I have seen your seen your screen name a lot on the princess boards and I assume we have been on some of the same cruises even though we have not met.

 

We really like Princess, the experience has become so comfortable for us. However we are excited to try something new. MSC looks intriguing. I will post on here our thoughts of the cruise.

[Beamafar]

As to the various Captain's cocktail parties we have no interest in standing in a queue for 15 min just to get a free drink (and not a good drink)

 

Hank

 

Hank ... at the various cocktail parties on MSC (there's the "Welcome Back" for Voyagers Club members, a Black Card event and there's also the Captain's cocktail party on one of the Gala nights, with pre-dinner complimentary cocktails offered) the crew members circulate around some of the bars/lounges with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, sparkling wine and nibbles. No need for queuing for the freebies. :) (Just as an FYI ;))

[asctony]

The daily Elite cocktail time is a joke (we do not even bother) where some consider a few chips and salsa something special. As to the various Captain's cocktail parties we have no interest in standing in a queue for 15 min just to get a free drink (and not a good drink).

 

We are also very underwhelmed by the quality of food in the Princess alternative restaurants (Crown Grill and Sabatinis) which do not even come close to the quality offered in Celebrity's Murano restaurant. Looking forward to our first MSC experience and praying that they do not overly "Americanize" their product.

Hank

Hank, I do agree with your statement about the Elite cocktail time as being one big joke. You get the drink that Princess has for that evening for $6.99? That is a total shame. I have voiced my opinion about that many times on the Princess CC forum. Not too many people want to change it??? My suggestion was to have something like RCI or Celebrity does at night in the DLounge.

 

As for waiting in line 15 minutes for the drink. That all depends if it is in the theater or the Vista Lounge. If it is in the Vista Lounge they do have waiters delivering the drinks around. One bad thing we noticed about MSC was at their parties, MSC will not get you anything they have not already poured and on the waiter try unless you pay for it. That includes a cheap wine. Had that happen to us on the Divina. They got us a glass of cheap wine and asked for our Black Card to charge us for it since it was not one of their free drinks. Never had that happen on any other cruise line for a cheap glass of house wine. LOL

As for Princess' Specialty Restaurants (SR.) There is a big difference in price between Celebrity ($50) compare to Princess ($30.)

Again, I still don't understand the people who cruise MSC and say it is not 'Americanize.' Been on 4 MSC cruises in the past 12 months and don't find that much of a difference between MSC, NCL, X, RCI and Princess. Biggest difference is entertainment as MSC does not have comedy shows because of languages, announcement done in 5-6 languages, shows every night with same players. We consider entertainment to be very good.

Food on MSC is the poorest of all the cruise lines we have been on. That includes the MDR, SRs and buffet. Quality, selection and variety.

However, we still think that MSC is a very good value, beautiful ships, very clean and will be on Seaside in Nov. Happy Cruising!!!!

[Hlitner]

Hank ... at the various cocktail parties on MSC (there's the "Welcome Back" for Voyagers Club members, a Black Card event and there's also the Captain's cocktail party on one of the Gala nights, with pre-dinner complimentary cocktails offered) the crew members circulate around some of the bars/lounges with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, sparkling wine and nibbles. No need for queuing for the freebies. :) (Just as an FYI ;))

 

That would be a good thing :). But since we have a decent drink package in the YC, not to mention access to snacks at any time, our conversation (between DW and myself) might go something like this: (Me), "Sweetheart, would you like to go to the Captain's cocktail party?" (DW) "Why, I can get what I want right here (likely in the YC) so why bother dragging ourselves to a party?" As to meeting crew members and even the Captain...we would prefer to be relaxing with a few other cruisers :). One thing we really like about those parties is that many cruisers go....which leaves other venues less crowded :). We have met many other well seasoned cruisers who think the same way. Despite more then 40 years of frequent cruising we still love every cruise :). But our expectations and wants have certainly changed over the years. Thing (and events) that used to impress us no longer hold our interest. Give me a comfy deck chair, a nearby bar, access to snacks, and I am happy as a clam.

 

Perhaps we will give one of those parties a try on MSC since it would be a new experience (first MSC cruise).

 

Hank

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I’m with you Hank. We don’t even get off the ship anymore...especially if you are in the YC...unless it’s to go to a casino!:D Who needs to go touring...seen it, done that and been there. Please pass the ice and pour me another.;)

[asctony]

Hank, agree with your last posting. We feel the same way and don't even attend those parties anymore. House are for the newbees now.

My posting was to let others know what we experienced on MSC. Another problem we had was when though we had the beverage pkg, we'r were initially told that we could not order a mixed drink in the MDR. That was changed real quickly.

Enjoy your MSC cruise. We did enjoy ours even with some minor glitches. HAPPY CRUISING!

[muggo11]

We, too are elite on Princess and often go for inexpensive interiors in order to splurge on Sanctuary and spa and casino. We tried MSC Meraviglia Interior YC last year as we were intrigued by the status match. We sailed in and out of Genoa for the 7-day Med cruise (terrific itinerary) and planned a 3-week Italian journey around the cruise.

 

From the moment a butler met us at the port and accompanied us to our cabin, we were hooked. The service was impeccable. Regular access to top-shelf liquor caused me to drink less but enjoy it more. Both Cirque shows were a treat. I found the private YC pool area comparable to the Sanctuary with the plusses of a daily breakfast buffet. The YC dining room felt like a private nightclub and we loved the food. The spa is a wonder with salt, ice, heat, you name it, experiences. It was co-ed so bathing suits required, though. And the massage was one of the best I have ever had.

 

We are not deserting Princess (have 3 cruises booked!) but we loved MSC so much we are doing the identical trip next Oct, sailing from Marseille this time on the new ship Bellissima in a YC interior again. And then spend time in Paris. The price increased about $750 from 2017 but the experience is well worth it.

 

Have a blast!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Hlitner]

I’m with you Hank. We don’t even get off the ship anymore...especially if you are in the YC...unless it’s to go to a casino!:D Who needs to go touring...seen it, done that and been there. Please pass the ice and pour me another.;)

 

That too :). We will be on the Divina for 21 days in the YC. Our cruise stops at 11 Caribbean ports and we might drag ourselves off the ship in 1 or 2 ports. Like you we have seen it (dozens of times) and now view the Caribbean islands as a place where we sometimes go to a beach or perhaps do our own snorkeling. But since we are paying the big bucks for YC we think the ship has much more to offer then most of the islands. We love being on a ship in port when its mostly empty of passengers. Service is always good, one can go anywhere on the ship without crowds, etc.

 

Hank

Edited September 26, 2018 by Hlitner

[Todd320]

Again thanks for all responding. When your about to try a new cruise line for a first time CC provides such valuable information along with a rich variety of opinions.

 

Cruise lines all have strengths and weakness. However, for me I like to know ahead of time what the weaknesses may be so I'm not so disappointed with my expectations, which may have lingering affects with my mood on the ship. I do better if I know ahead of time. A sample of minor short comings for me on MSC, is the restrictive towel policy (don't want to keep track of) or the reported fact that you cannot carry food into the Top Sail lounge.

 

Like some other posters have reported we normally don't get off the ship in the Caribbean because the ship is our real destination. The simple things of smiles and pleasantries exchanged on the ship with crew members are important to us.

 

We are loyal to Princess and have many future cruises booked with but at the same time are excited to try something different.

[Beamafar]

No need to carry food into the Top Sail Lounge, Todd. There's a small buffet stocked all day with nibbles, snacks and small sandwiches.

[Todd320]

No need to carry food into the Top Sail Lounge, Todd. There's a small buffet stocked all day with nibbles, snacks and small sandwiches.

 

Thanks, I realize that but sounds very limited. The ship has a nice variety and maybe pizza or some other sandwich would be nice. It was always nice to have that option in the Princess sanctuary or to bring it to a bar. Again this stuff is so minor. More importantly, I do better when I know the rules whether written or not.

[Todd320]

Currently on the MSC Seaside and it does not disappoint. We are in the YC and really like the ship with in a ship concept. So far everything has been as advertised or better, they spoil you rotten.

What is refreshing is the diversity of the age group, a lot of young couples and families onboard.

We have not been put off by the European flavor the cruise and have not observed any aloof or rude behavior by the crew.

For us the food venues along with the selection, availability and quality has been just fine.

Entertainment onboard is on par.

We do miss the laundry and internet that Princess offers.

 

For those thinking about giving MSC a try I would recommend it.

[asctony]

We have not been put off by the European flavor the cruise.

 

What is the European flavor that many people talk about? Thank you!

[Oppyguy]

Currently on the MSC Seaside and it does not disappoint. We are in the YC and really like the ship with in a ship concept. So far everything has been as advertised or better, they spoil you rotten.

What is refreshing is the diversity of the age group, a lot of young couples and families onboard.

We have not been put off by the European flavor the cruise and have not observed any aloof or rude behavior by the crew.

For us the food venues along with the selection, availability and quality has been just fine.

Entertainment onboard is on par.

We do miss the laundry and internet that Princess offers.

 

For those thinking about giving MSC a try I would recommend it.

 

Todd-

 

So glad you are enjoying Seaside! As a fellow Twin Cities resident, nice to know others are enjoying some of our favorites. We are sailing again in November with my brother in law and his family. If you see Butlers Vishnu, Jee or Roy, please say hello to them from the Larsens. They are great!

Have a great rest of the trip.

[gkbiiii]

On 9/23/2018 at 8:59 PM, asctony said:

This is in response to gkbiiii posting about MSC compare to Princess.

Everyone has an opinion and an experience. GKBIIII posted his/her opinion and now I will post mine.

We are Elite on Princess 54 cruises and 496 days.

We are Black Card on MSC and have cruised MSC on the Lirica (2006 2x,) Divina (2017 and 2018 3 x) and Sinfonia (2018 1x.)

We cruise other cruise lines, too, and have over 100 cruises. We are not a cheerleader for any cruise line. They all have their pluses and minuses. Each cruise line offers something different, but in many ways they are the same. You may have a fab experience or a bad experience on any cruise and/or cruise line.

I would like to express my opinion on MSC compare to Princess to show how each passenger has a different view of each cruise line/ship. I not flaming or saying gkbiiii is incorrect in the assessment/opinion of MSC compare to Princess. That is ekbiiii opinion/experience. We all have our own expectations.

I have not used MSC YC or suites on Princess. I am speaking about the other categories on both cruise lines.

' If your non-YC, Princess is by far the better line.' Don't agree with this statement and will explain why. There is not much difference between both cruise lines on non-YC.

Food is very subjective and food quality has gone done over the years where now it is banquet type food regardless of cruise line. However, I would rate MSC as the lowest in food quality, taste, variety, etc. In my opinion, I would rate NCL Escape the best out of Celebrity, HAL, RCI, Princess, NCL, MSC. Subjective!!!!

We no longer cruise for the food and that includes the Specialty Restaurants (SR.) Princess has the best prices and food for their SRs. MSC has very limited SRs and selection is limited. Since we are Black Card on MSC we get 2 free meals in MSC SRs. Can't beat that as their food is still good.

Personally, I do not consider any cruise line as having OUTSTANDING Food in any venue and that includes them all. Again, it is banquette food. In the SRs Celebrity and RCI are very expensive, food good. NCL ala carte so it can be expensive, food very good.

'The food will be substandard, unless you buy a dining package; but even here, your be stuck in a bureaucratic hell, trying to use it.' We had the 3 package meal and 2 free meals on MSC and never had a problem with any so called 'bureaucratic hell,' what the hell that means. In fact, we were treated very well as they recognized us as repeaters. Their SRs were small and service was excellent. Food good and well prepared.

Princess has the International Cafe that is very nice and good. MSC does not have that. But, NCL has O'Sheeans which is free and fab!!! Much better than any other cruise line.

'The Princess staff spoke English well, unlike MSC, NO was not a common word, spoken by the staff.'

Lets get serious. We did the Med and Caribbean on MSC and never had a problem understanding the staff and they spoke not only English, but many other languages. I have friends that have been in the USA for over 50 years that speak broken English. I still understand their English. Yes, MSC does repeat announcement in many different languages that some passengers don't like. But, if they did not speak in English, would you be upset?

'No,' is not a common word on any cruise line. I have had experiences that I elevated to Guest Relations with both Princess and MSC. They got resolved. It is how you try to ask and resolve a problem.

'If your non-YC including Black tier, (in my personal experience) you will not we well treated by MSC.'

Sorry, totally disagree. Have never used YC and been treated very well on our 6 MSC cruises. In fact, when we went back on the Divina many of the staff recognized us and welcomed us as family. Can you imagine any cruise line not trying to treat any passenger without respect or not well?

'Princess is a refined British Experience; high tea, champagne tower, refined Italian food, "Movies under the Stars" with popcorn & blankets, the Sanctuary, English shows, & a understated decor, among other things.' Yes, Princess has that. However, after 54 cruises on Princess, high tea, champagne tower, is not what it was 5 years ago. Been cruising Princess since 1986 and have seen the changes. Sanctuary cost extra per 1/2 day or a full day. Please explain a British Experience. My wife is British and I have spent many years in Britain. That is like saying MSC is Italian. Do you prefer British or Italian? LOL

 

'For the money, I would book Inside YC, before any non-YC suite on MSC. The difference in treatment, is night & day. MSC's main concern is the Yacht Club only. If you are booking it, this is the best deal in cruising. Otherwise, I would book Princess for any other cabin category, being; the treatment is MUCH better, as is the food, ship experience, staffing, events, and overall experience.'

Sorry, disagree with you again. I have used non-YC on MSC. Treatment around the ship is no different. Yes, you are not in the YC area, but you are still treated with respect and will enjoy your cruise, if you want too . Treatment is not MUCH better on any cruise line, regardless of cruise line. With ships carrying over 6,000, 3,000, or 2,000 passengers, no cruise line treats anyone like a 'King or Queen.' That has also changed over the years.

FYI - booked on RCI Harmony OTS (B2B) Nov 2018, MSC Seaside Nov 2018, Sapphire Princess Jan 2019, and Adventure OTS April 2019.

I hope people who read both of our opinions can determine what they would consider a value cruise that they will enjoy. MSC has some of the best values and that includes: cruise price, beverage package price, Internet price, tour price,etc. However, price is not always a determine factor.

Awaiting any comments/experiences that may help others to get an objective view of any cruise line. Happy Cruising!!!!

I am shocked that you, as Elite Member (with 500 days at sea at Princess), consider the Black Card to be equal to Elite with Princess? Furthermore, the dining from Room Service (much larger menu), Main Dining Room (with quality ingredients & service), Italian & The Steakhouse, Buffet, Balcony Dinner, and ship board snacks, are fare better than anything I had on the Posea or Divena.

 

MSC does well if their pay dining rooms, but they don't offer a balcony dining experience, Chef's Table, Cooking Classes, etc.  There is nothing (for non-YC) like the Sanctuary, or their movies under the stars.  The Caribbean Princess is by far better, than both of the MSC ships I have been on: due to superior design and function.  The employees seem to be much happier at Princess and The Line's guest loyalty (along with Holland & Cunard) is legendary.

 

The thing is, if your not a YC guest, MSC cares nothing about you: this includes those in the non-YC Duplex Suites.  With Princess everyone, including suites is treated the same.  Now this may be controversial (though they now get the Club Dining Room), but the old days of cruising, there was equality on-board.

 

You can get a cheap "Exotic Cruise, even World Cruise" on MSC or even Costa.  The question is why would you, waist your money with MSC; when companies like Princess, Cunard, and Holland can be World Class, in their segment?