Royal vs. MSC

[nayuval]

Hi,

 

We just had our furst cruise ever, we were on the Symphony, it was way above our expectation.

We were thinking to do another cruise next year, still in Europe, similar to the one we just had but still, few different port changes.

I saw MSC has 2 new interesting ships that can fit this, Seaview and the new to be launched - Belissima.

The ship is important to us because we have 3 children so we want a ship with activities for all - water park, slides, etc.

I see next year the variety of Royal ships is less attractive.

I was warned however that after cruising with American cruise line, cruising on the MSC will be very disappointing.

Has anyone cruised on both lines and can explain if this is indeed the situation and how it is different?

Not in terms of drinks since in any case we had the packages on Symphony so plan to have them on future cruises.

 

Thanks

[Clarea]

Some Royal vs MSC threads:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2552408

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2658883

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2463103

[Pipo]

Never been on MSC, but I have heard it's what RCI used to be like 10 years ago.

[CanadaRob]

Never been on MSC, but I have heard it's what RCI used to be like 10 years ago.

 

Nope, the OP is correct European feel and not something I will do again even with some of the great pricing.

[Suzcruz57]

Customer service is not their gig. Rccl has them beat, hands down. MSC has beautiful ships but staff, not so much:(

[Pipo]

Nope, the OP is correct European feel and not something I will do again even with some of the great pricing.

What is "European feel"? Topless women on the sun deck?

[laurasue]

This is a friend of mine who cruised MSC with 3 young kids. She certainly didn’t sell me on the line:

http://www.dutchdutchgoose.com/2018/03/02/msc_orchestra_kids/

[Tree_skier]

I am by no means an expert. We cruised MSC on a 7 day Mediterranean cruise May 2016 and had only cruise once before on Royal Caribbean Alaska in 2007. We left the ship after a week completely underwhelmed. Our memories of Royal Caribbean from a decade ago were completely unrealized. The food in the buffet was the European equivalent of Golden Corral on a mediocre day. The main dining room was not really any better. The menu was very repetitious. The presentation was fine but the actual taste and quality of ingredients was disappointing. I don't claim to be a foodie and don't think I'm particularly picky but this just really missed the mark. Service in the MDR was uninspired. Our waiter was acceptably attentive but it always just seemed like she would rather be somewhere else doing something different. The pool area was chaos. There was no way you were getting a seat or a lounge chair in any kind of decent location. At least we never found one when we went looking. The ship just felt crowded all the time. Whether it was by the pool during the day or the buffet at lunchtime or just around the ship common areas in the evening it always felt crowded. Trying to get a gelato and cappuccino from the bar by the pool (the only place to get gelato) was nearly impossible. We had purchased a coffee and ice-cream package that gave you number of those (can't remember how many) and we didn't use them all because it was just to hard to get them to serve you. The crush at the bar, where you would get the gelato, was overwhelming and i suspect the bartenders were more interested in mixing drinks for pax who were more likely to be tipping bigger than lowly gelato coupon users.

 

The nightly entertainment was also a disappointment. Everybody tried hard but the talent just wasn't there. We left several shows at the intermission one we left 10 minutes in. I don't expect broadway but my standards were not even close to being met.

 

I've heard people say the ships have a European feel to them. I don't know what that means but as english speakers we were definitely in the minority. Most staff we interacted with had serviceable english but there were some who did not and that increased the level of frustration when things weren't going smoothly.

 

Now the upside... Our cruise was incredibly port intensive. We had 6 ports of cal in a 7 day cruise. 2 in Italy, 2 in France and 2 in Spain. We loved our ports of call and got a great opportunity to see 6 different little corners of southern Europe all in one fell swoop. Their organization of and assistance in efficiently getting you off the ship and on to your prepaid excursions was excellent. We had a great time on bicycle tours along the Itallian coastline and bus tours to Monaco and Monte Carlo. At Barcelona we just got off the ship and hopped on a transit bus and just rode it until we saw something interesting. We had a great time in Barcelona.

 

From what I have read, this is the great upside of MSC cruises, very port intensive. Also price... I can't remember what we paid exactly but if I remember correctly it was about 33% cheaper than a Royal cruise of the Mediterranean at about the same time of years.

 

MSC offers different "experiences" Each experience comes with a different level of extra's. We chose the basic experience. I believe it was the "Bella" experience. Because of our previous experience with Royal 10 years earlier we didn't think we needed any kind of upgraded package. We certainly didn't back then anyways. We expected things to be about the same, as far as amenities and such ( I hadn't discovered CC yet) and so the basic package sounded like it was acceptable. I think maybe that was a mistake on our part as well.

 

The cabin was nice. It was roomier than I expected. We had a balcony cabin in the forward port portion of the ship. The room was always meticulously cleaned and we never had a single complaint in that regard.

 

Again, I'm not an expert on either line. I have had experience on each only one time. That being said, I don't think we would ever cruise MSC again. For reference purposes the ship we sailed on was the Orchestra and we traveled in Mid-May.

[ONECRUISER]

I am by no means an expert. We cruised MSC on a 7 day Mediterranean cruise May 2016 and had only cruise once before on Royal Caribbean Alaska in 2007. We left the ship after a week completely underwhelmed. Our memories of Royal Caribbean from a decade ago were completely unrealized. The food in the buffet was the European equivalent of Golden Corral on a mediocre day. The main dining room was not really any better. The menu was very repetitious. The presentation was fine but the actual taste and quality of ingredients was disappointing. I don't claim to be a foodie and don't think I'm particularly picky but this just really missed the mark. Service in the MDR was uninspired. Our waiter was acceptably attentive but it always just seemed like she would rather be somewhere else doing something different. The pool area was chaos. There was no way you were getting a seat or a lounge chair in any kind of decent location. At least we never found one when we went looking. The ship just felt crowded all the time. Whether it was by the pool during the day or the buffet at lunchtime or just around the ship common areas in the evening it always felt crowded. Trying to get a gelato and cappuccino from the bar by the pool (the only place to get gelato) was nearly impossible. We had purchased a coffee and ice-cream package that gave you number of those (can't remember how many) and we didn't use them all because it was just to hard to get them to serve you. The crush at the bar, where you would get the gelato, was overwhelming and i suspect the bartenders were more interested in mixing drinks for pax who were more likely to be tipping bigger than lowly gelato coupon users.

 

The nightly entertainment was also a disappointment. Everybody tried hard but the talent just wasn't there. We left several shows at the intermission one we left 10 minutes in. I don't expect broadway but my standards were not even close to being met.

 

I've heard people say the ships have a European feel to them. I don't know what that means but as english speakers we were definitely in the minority. Most staff we interacted with had serviceable english but there were some who did not and that increased the level of frustration when things weren't going smoothly.

 

Now the upside... Our cruise was incredibly port intensive. We had 6 ports of cal in a 7 day cruise. 2 in Italy, 2 in France and 2 in Spain. We loved our ports of call and got a great opportunity to see 6 different little corners of southern Europe all in one fell swoop. Their organization of and assistance in efficiently getting you off the ship and on to your prepaid excursions was excellent. We had a great time on bicycle tours along the Itallian coastline and bus tours to Monaco and Monte Carlo. At Barcelona we just got off the ship and hopped on a transit bus and just rode it until we saw something interesting. We had a great time in Barcelona.

 

From what I have read, this is the great upside of MSC cruises, very port intensive. Also price... I can't remember what we paid exactly but if I remember correctly it was about 33% cheaper than a Royal cruise of the Mediterranean at about the same time of years.

 

MSC offers different "experiences" Each experience comes with a different level of extra's. We chose the basic experience. I believe it was the "Bella" experience. Because of our previous experience with Royal 10 years earlier we didn't think we needed any kind of upgraded package. We certainly didn't back then anyways. We expected things to be about the same, as far as amenities and such ( I hadn't discovered CC yet) and so the basic package sounded like it was acceptable. I think maybe that was a mistake on our part as well.

 

The cabin was nice. It was roomier than I expected. We had a balcony cabin in the forward port portion of the ship. The room was always meticulously cleaned and we never had a single complaint in that regard.

 

Again, I'm not an expert on either line. I have had experience on each only one time. That being said, I don't think we would ever cruise MSC again. For reference purposes the ship we sailed on was the Orchestra and we traveled in Mid-May.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I'd almost sailed on MSC last yr and sound's lot like I'd thought would...

[Captainclive.]

I have been on 4 MSC cruises, and 2 RCCL so can offer a comparison.

 

MSC ships are beautiful, with a plethora of marble and tasteful, less tacky décor.

 

Staff are great, but as with all cruise lines I have been on, for the majority of them English is their second language, and thus their understanding of it will vary from individual to individual, plus on MSC they also have to know the basics of a dozen other European languages as well.

 

Where MSC fall down is on organisation, and after RCCL where everything runs very smoothly, huge queues will get annoying after a while.

 

The main annoyance for me was when it came to announcements, be it in cabin, on deck or even more annoyingly all through stage shows, when the host or staff member would repeat every announcement in every language on-board!! starting with English and then working their way through the whole of Europe.

 

So a "Good evening ladies and gentlemen I hope you enjoy tonight's show" would last 5 minutes.

 

For me RCCL are head and shoulders above MSC, but each to their own, and as the prices on their fly cruises are very cheap, give one a try and then you will know if they are for you.

[Merly]

Have cruised a variety of different lines, inc many on RCI. We have cruised once on MSC, and never again. Unlike others we found the decor on the ship tacky, but can live with that. One of the biggest irritants was that in every port they had pax embarking and disembarking, which meant people dragging suitcases around, running around in life vests as they had to do the drill for newcomers. Chaos trying to get off the ship in the ports. The food in the main dining was dreadful and you have to pay for water. The buffet food was better but chaotic trying to get it. Staff were rude all over the ship. Didn’t try the entertainment. It is difficult trying to understand the different experiences. We were Bella. So all in all not the line for us but we didn’t travel with children and it was not on one of the new ships. No matter what the price, no thank you.

[LMaxwell]

Beautiful ship, half the price of Royal Caribbean. The staff doesn't pretend to be your best friend but service was good except at the bars; they want you to use the wait staff. Professional service, there when you request. They won't bother you otherwise. On board heard bunch of moaning from D+ members and Carnival Diamonds that not every single little thing was exactly precisely the way their one and only cruise line has done it and not deviated for 20 years. Met one nice Carnival Diamond couple at a few events (trivia, etc.) and all they did was complain how this or that wasn't like Carnival. Duh, that's the point!!! Entertainment is good if you like music, dancing. If you want magicians, family comedy, etc., not so much. Very international guest makeup so they go more for acrobats, dancers, signing, music. Have done 2 already with 3rd coming up in a few weeks.

 

If you find an itinerary and price you like, I'd suggest trying them without any qualms. Notice many of the answers above are from Royal Loyalists who have not tried MSC or are giving friends reviews. You must consider the context of the information you receive.

[George C]

We are diamond plus on rccl and normally book grand suites, did a old msc ship decade ago, but booked it for next year , suite perks look great , they offer a private pool area for suite quests , and free drinks at any level of there yacht club and a reasonable price.

[Clarea]

... they offer a private pool area for suite quests ...

Just be aware that this private pool area includes children.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

I am by no means an expert. We cruised MSC on a 7 day Mediterranean cruise May 2016 and had only cruise once before on Royal Caribbean Alaska in 2007. We left the ship after a week completely underwhelmed. Our memories of Royal Caribbean from a decade ago were completely unrealized. The food in the buffet was the European equivalent of Golden Corral on a mediocre day. The main dining room was not really any better. The menu was very repetitious. The presentation was fine but the actual taste and quality of ingredients was disappointing. I don't claim to be a foodie and don't think I'm particularly picky but this just really missed the mark. Service in the MDR was uninspired. Our waiter was acceptably attentive but it always just seemed like she would rather be somewhere else doing something different. The pool area was chaos. There was no way you were getting a seat or a lounge chair in any kind of decent location. At least we never found one when we went looking. The ship just felt crowded all the time. Whether it was by the pool during the day or the buffet at lunchtime or just around the ship common areas in the evening it always felt crowded. Trying to get a gelato and cappuccino from the bar by the pool (the only place to get gelato) was nearly impossible. We had purchased a coffee and ice-cream package that gave you number of those (can't remember how many) and we didn't use them all because it was just to hard to get them to serve you. The crush at the bar, where you would get the gelato, was overwhelming and i suspect the bartenders were more interested in mixing drinks for pax who were more likely to be tipping bigger than lowly gelato coupon users.

 

The nightly entertainment was also a disappointment. Everybody tried hard but the talent just wasn't there. We left several shows at the intermission one we left 10 minutes in. I don't expect broadway but my standards were not even close to being met.

 

I've heard people say the ships have a European feel to them. I don't know what that means but as english speakers we were definitely in the minority. Most staff we interacted with had serviceable english but there were some who did not and that increased the level of frustration when things weren't going smoothly.

 

Now the upside... Our cruise was incredibly port intensive. We had 6 ports of cal in a 7 day cruise. 2 in Italy, 2 in France and 2 in Spain. We loved our ports of call and got a great opportunity to see 6 different little corners of southern Europe all in one fell swoop. Their organization of and assistance in efficiently getting you off the ship and on to your prepaid excursions was excellent. We had a great time on bicycle tours along the Itallian coastline and bus tours to Monaco and Monte Carlo. At Barcelona we just got off the ship and hopped on a transit bus and just rode it until we saw something interesting. We had a great time in Barcelona.

 

From what I have read, this is the great upside of MSC cruises, very port intensive. Also price... I can't remember what we paid exactly but if I remember correctly it was about 33% cheaper than a Royal cruise of the Mediterranean at about the same time of years.

 

MSC offers different "experiences" Each experience comes with a different level of extra's. We chose the basic experience. I believe it was the "Bella" experience. Because of our previous experience with Royal 10 years earlier we didn't think we needed any kind of upgraded package. We certainly didn't back then anyways. We expected things to be about the same, as far as amenities and such ( I hadn't discovered CC yet) and so the basic package sounded like it was acceptable. I think maybe that was a mistake on our part as well.

 

The cabin was nice. It was roomier than I expected. We had a balcony cabin in the forward port portion of the ship. The room was always meticulously cleaned and we never had a single complaint in that regard.

 

Again, I'm not an expert on either line. I have had experience on each only one time. That being said, I don't think we would ever cruise MSC again. For reference purposes the ship we sailed on was the Orchestra and we traveled in Mid-May.

You would be sooo in for a surprise that the RCI of today is even lower than the MSC from 2016:eek:

Skipping over 10 years of downturn on RCI and comparing it to MSC is just not right.....:rolleyes:

[George C]

Just be aware that this private pool area includes children.

 

What is interesting about our cruise is we have a lively roll call and most of the people in yacht club are singles by themselves since they were not charged a extra charge for single suites. This is nov 2019 cruise.

[Clarea]

What is interesting about our cruise is we have a lively roll call and most of the people in yacht club are singles by themselves since they were not charged a extra charge for single suites. This is nov 2019 cruise.

That sounds good. I've read some reports from MSC cruisers that mentioned how some YC guests let their children pretty much run wild in the YC area, so it was not the quiet, relaxing area they expected. Perhaps these were summer cruises.

[Prinz]

That sounds good. I've read some reports from MSC cruisers that mentioned how some YC guests let their children pretty much run wild in the YC area, so it was not the quiet, relaxing area they expected. Perhaps these were summer cruises.

We've done the YC five times now, Divina and Seaside. Mostly in April and once over Christmas.

There were very few children there to begin with.

There was only one time that three children were running a little wild, and that was I a full lounge with lots of adults drinking and laughing anyway, so it didn't make much of a difference.

 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Forums mobile app

[Tree_skier]

You would be sooo in for a surprise that the RCI of today is even lower than the MSC from 2016:eek:

Skipping over 10 years of downturn on RCI and comparing it to MSC is just not right.....:rolleyes:

 

How many MSC cruises have you been on?

[mafig]

I've been on two MSC cruises … in the Yacht Club both times.

 

The first time was on Divina. There were some kids and there was one girl who was doing cannonballs into the pool. Pool Security was there immediately putting a stop to this.

 

Our last MSC cruise was this last July (prime kid season). Very few kids. In fact, DH and I had no one else in either the hot tub or pool. We did go by the pool one other time and saw some children, but they were with their parents in the pool and were well behaved.

 

You know most of the YC "suites" are smallish in size. They really can't accommodate the large family groups you see in NCL's Haven.

 

The pools are also six feet deep.

[The Fun Researcher]

 

The pools are also six feet deep.

 

I've seen this in YouTube video reviews. Leads to clusters of people clinging to the side of the pool rather than being able to stand up and enjoy themselves.

 

 

Have you heard of a reason why MSC decided for the deep pools? Seems like a REALLY poor choice to me.

 

Dan

[George C]

That sounds good. I've read some reports from MSC cruisers that mentioned how some YC guests let their children pretty much run wild in the YC area, so it was not the quiet, relaxing area they expected. Perhaps these were summer cruises.

 

We always avoid summer and major holidays, have had preety good luck.

[BNBR]

I've seen this in YouTube video reviews. Leads to clusters of people clinging to the side of the pool rather than being able to stand up and enjoy themselves.

 

 

Have you heard of a reason why MSC decided for the deep pools? Seems like a REALLY poor choice to me.

 

Dan

 

The pools are small. So the idea is to get people in and out instead of standing. NCL does the same.

[mafig]

I've seen this in YouTube video reviews. Leads to clusters of people clinging to the side of the pool rather than being able to stand up and enjoy themselves.

 

 

Have you heard of a reason why MSC decided for the deep pools? Seems like a REALLY poor choice to me.

 

Dan

 

 

I don't know. I have heard that it's to limit people standing around drinking in the pools and "other stuff."

Didn't both us. We have a pool at home and are always in the deep end.

[jules815]

We always avoid summer and major holidays, have had preety good luck.

 

We're trying MSC in their Yacht Club for the first time in January. Now that the nest is empty, we no longer cruise during peak times. Looking forward to giving it a try. Most YC reviews I've read have been favorable, and we did the status match to their Black status. Hopefully we'll have a good time. Although it would have to be pretty bad to not enjoy ourselves. We'll be leaving Chicago in January! ;p