MSC vs Celebrity?

[Briggs99]

We are avid cruisers who love Celebrity S class ships. I have recently been reading where Celebrity cruisers are moving to MSC. What do you love about MSC? 

[helen haywood]

We are Elite Plus on Celebrity.  We love MSC’s Yacht Club because it is so, so much cheaper than a suite on an S Class ship.  Look at You Tube videos of the Yacht Club and you’ll see what I mean.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

1 hour ago, Briggs99 said:

We are avid cruisers who love Celebrity S class ships. I have recently been reading where Celebrity cruisers are moving to MSC. What do you love about MSC? 

 

It all depends on which experience you pick.  Yacht Club exceeds Celebrity...IMHO.

 

The atmosphere on Celebrity is more sedate than MSC Bella, Fantastica and Aurea. Again...we would need to know which experience you are picking.

[grandgeezer]

We also are Elite Plus on Celebrity and also have moved to MSC, in the Yacht Club Suites. It has a little different vibe to it and we find the MSC Seaside superior to the S class ships on Celebrity. Our first cruise on MSC was a 14 Caribbean cruise on the Seaside, we were hooked.  

We have the same cruise booked agin this October. We can’t compare it to a Celebrity suite as they are just too expensive. On both cruises, we paid less than $200 p.p. per day. This included all taxes, fees, gratuities, and drink package. The October cruise also includes unlimited internet. The drink package also includes the minibar in the cabin. We like the dedicated restaurant, bar, and pool area also. 

[Hlitner]

We are Elite Plus and have long enjoyed the S-Class vessels.  But last year we decided to forgo our usual Caribbean  cruise (right after Thanksgiving) and instead, book MSC's Divina in its Yacht Club.  Over the past 3-4 years we had been unhappy with some of the many cut-backs on Celebrity and decided that the product was no longer meeting our expectations.  So last month, we spent 21 days on the Divina (instead of an S-Class ship).  When we went on the cruise we knew that we would book another post Thanksgiving cruise (Dec 2019) and it would either be an 11 day Divina cruise or a 12 day Silhouette Cruise.  About a week before the end of our 21 day Divina cruise we booked the 11 day MSC cruise in the same exact Yacht Club cabin.  For us it was no contest....our Yacht Club experience was far superior to Celebrity for the money spent.  Consider that a Yacht Club Suite (more like a Deluxe balcony cabin then a suite) costs about $300 a passenger day which is essentially all-inclusive.  The level of service and amenities in the Yacht Club even surpasses what one would get with a much more expensive Celebrity suite...except that the Celebrity Suite would be larger.    Outside of the Yacht Club area the Divina was probably akin to Carnival or RCI.  But once we entered the sanctuary of the Yacht Cub (where we had an exclusive gorgeous lounge, a private restaurant, an exclusive sun deck with its own café/grill...we were in a world that we thought was quite special.  And by the way, the exclusive Yacht Club restaurant (Le Muse) has its own galley, staff, menus, and is open breakfast, lunch and dinner...even when in port.   DW liked that she could sit in our Yacht Club lounge (Top Sail) and ask for a mimosa made with French Champagne and fresh squeezed OJ...and she would have that drink within a minute.  And that same lounge had a small buffet (changed multiple times a day) during the 21 hours a day that the lounge was staffed.  On our own exclusive pool deck we could have breakfast (if we did not want to walk over to Le Muse) where eggs were made to order...and they always used real eggs....not pasteurized, homogenized glop that comes out of an oversized mild carton.   And if one did not want to get dressed to go to Le Muse for lunch, they had a very limited lunch on our pool deck where our own cook made fresh pasta to order (after a few days one can get tired of all the pasta options).

 

So to give you a quick assessment, for those that spend the money to be in the Yacht Club it is a superior product then we have found in our more then 200 days on X.  But outside of the Yacht Club (which is over 90% of the total cruisers) we did not think that MSC measured-up to Celebrity.

 

Hank

[Briggs99]

Thank you all for taking time to respond. I have checked out the videos and the Yacht Club is exactly what I am looking for. We cruise in the Aqua class on X for the use of the Persian Garden and Blu. The Yacht club offers the smaller dining venue.  We also love sitting by the pool for a few hours each day and then reading on the balcony. And yes, I enjoy of week of being pampered! 

Enjoy your adventures! Appreciate input. 

[grandgeezer]

10 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We are Elite Plus and have long enjoyed the S-Class vessels.  But last year we decided to forgo our usual Caribbean  cruise (right after Thanksgiving) and instead, book MSC's Divina in its Yacht Club.  Over the past 3-4 years we had been unhappy with some of the many cut-backs on Celebrity and decided that the product was no longer meeting our expectations.  So last month, we spent 21 days on the Divina (instead of an S-Class ship).  When we went on the cruise we knew that we would book another post Thanksgiving cruise (Dec 2019) and it would either be an 11 day Divina cruise or a 12 day Silhouette Cruise.  About a week before the end of our 21 day Divina cruise we booked the 11 day MSC cruise in the same exact Yacht Club cabin.  For us it was no contest....our Yacht Club experience was far superior to Celebrity for the money spent.  Consider that a Yacht Club Suite (more like a Deluxe balcony cabin then a suite) costs about $300 a passenger day which is essentially all-inclusive.  The level of service and amenities in the Yacht Club even surpasses what one would get with a much more expensive Celebrity suite...except that the Celebrity Suite would be larger.    Outside of the Yacht Club area the Divina was probably akin to Carnival or RCI.  But once we entered the sanctuary of the Yacht Cub (where we had an exclusive gorgeous lounge, a private restaurant, an exclusive sun deck with its own café/grill...we were in a world that we thought was quite special.  And by the way, the exclusive Yacht Club restaurant (Le Muse) has its own galley, staff, menus, and is open breakfast, lunch and dinner...even when in port.   DW liked that she could sit in our Yacht Club lounge (Top Sail) and ask for a mimosa made with French Champagne and fresh squeezed OJ...and she would have that drink within a minute.  And that same lounge had a small buffet (changed multiple times a day) during the 21 hours a day that the lounge was staffed.  On our own exclusive pool deck we could have breakfast (if we did not want to walk over to Le Muse) where eggs were made to order...and they always used real eggs....not pasteurized, homogenized glop that comes out of an oversized mild carton.   And if one did not want to get dressed to go to Le Muse for lunch, they had a very limited lunch on our pool deck where our own cook made fresh pasta to order (after a few days one can get tired of all the pasta options).

 

So to give you a quick assessment, for those that spend the money to be in the Yacht Club it is a superior product then we have found in our more then 200 days on X.  But outside of the Yacht Club (which is over 90% of the total cruisers) we did not think that MSC measured-up to Celebrity.

 

Hank

 We also have over 200 days on Celebrity and totally agree with Hank's statement about the Yacht Club versus the rest of cabins when comparing to Celebrity. That's why it's YC or bust for us.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I too have over 200 days on Celebrity.  Was tired of paying Celebrity suite prices.  Yacht Club blows Celebrity's suite experience right out of the water.  For far less money.  Imagine receiving your choice of a complete newspaper every morning.  Everything in the mini bar is included, including salty snacks which are sadly missing on Celebrity.  The selection is refreshed daily.  I'm addicted to their chocolate covered peanuts!  No fighting for a chair by the pool with everyone else on the ship.  The Top Sail lounge is large, open to the ocean on three sides, and has wonderful live music.  None of that piped-in, blow your eardrums out stuff.  The only area in which Celebrity wins is the rest of the ship, but there is really no need to leave the Yacht Club except maybe for some gelato once in a while.  Returning to that serene sanctuary just makes you appreciate it more.  Now MSC just needs to upgrade the itineraries--the currently available ones are pretty boring.

[mafig]

I agree with everything HappyCruiser  said.  Glad you mentioned the newspaper.  I really liked getting that.  We only left the Yacht Club to go to the Casino, one show, and a few trips for gelato.  

Going to New Orleans on Celebrity, just for the itinerary.  

Will return to MSC as soon as the private island is complete.  

[Hlitner]

Ahhh, the newspaper.  When we boarded the Divina (guided by a Butler) we were pleasantly surprised when asked to check a box (on a large list of newspapers) for our daily free paper.  I checked the "Washington Post" and expected to get short daily summary paper like you can get on many other lines.  I was totally blown away when I  received the entire paper, printed and bound on-board.  It even included Death Notices, ads, etc....and had color pictures.  Our paper was customized with our name and cabin number printed on the paper.  Compare these little things with Celebrity eliminating free bottled water from Aqua Class (this must save Celebrity a few pennies per day).

 

One fear we have about MSC is that the line seems to be trying to "Americanize" the two ships sailing out of Miami (with a third vessel coming next year).  In my mind, "Americanize" means cutting-back and we have already heard some whining from MSC regulars that a few things have changed (not for the better).  Heaven help us if Celebrity's CEO ever gets her hands on MSC!

 

Hank

[Beamafar]

27 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Compare these little things with Celebrity eliminating free bottled water from Aqua Class (this must save Celebrity a few pennies per day).

Hank

 

I was shocked to find that the water in our Sky Suite wasn't included, unlike in YC where almost everything is (nor was the mini-bar - but that wasn't as shocking as the charge for water in the cabin).

[sptrout]

38 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Ahhh, the newspaper.  When we boarded the Divina (guided by a Butler) we were pleasantly surprised when asked to check a box (on a large list of newspapers) for our daily free paper.  I checked the "Washington Post" and expected to get short daily summary paper like you can get on many other lines.  I was totally blown away when I  received the entire paper, printed and bound on-board.  It even included Death Notices, ads, etc....and had color pictures.  Our paper was customized with our name and cabin number printed on the paper.  Compare these little things with Celebrity eliminating free bottled water from Aqua Class (this must save Celebrity a few pennies per day).

Hank

1

We (or really I), asked for USA Today. It was not anything like the regular USA Today we can buy at home. It was a "Readers Digest" version that was a day late in the news it provided. The next time we will ask for another paper. Would have this trip (December) but figured that they were all the same abbreviated versions.

[cheeseheads4ever]

Celebrity has been our cruiseline of choice. Looking over MSC cruises it looks like something my DW and myself may want to try.

We are balcony people that like the beverage package and usually just dine  in MDR.

I guess Im confused with the experiences you can choose? Bella , Fantastica and so on.

Whats the difference between them? 

Maybe I need to spend more time on their site? Or if someone has answers I’d appreciate any help.

 

[kelleherdl]

4 hours ago, sptrout said:

We (or really I), asked for USA Today. It was not anything like the regular USA Today we can buy at home. It was a "Readers Digest" version that was a day late in the news it provided. The next time we will ask for another paper. Would have this trip (December) but figured that they were all the same abbreviated versions.

I agree with Hank.  We also got the Washington post.  Whole paper, even classifieds.  Just printed about 75% normal size.

 

Dennis

[Beamafar]

2 hours ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

I guess Im confused with the experiences you can choose? Bella , Fantastica and so on.

Whats the difference between them? 

Maybe I need to spend more time on their site? Or if someone has answers I’d appreciate any help.

 

 

Here's a link to the relevant page on the website:

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Discover-MSC/Our-Fares.aspx

 

No need to concern yourself with the 'Wellness' experience;  it's being done away with (due to lack of interest, I'd imagine).

Edited January 13, 2019 by Beamafar

[Hlitner]

7 hours ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Celebrity has been our cruiseline of choice. Looking over MSC cruises it looks like something my DW and myself may want to try.

We are balcony people that like the beverage package and usually just dine  in MDR.

I guess Im confused with the experiences you can choose? Bella , Fantastica and so on.

Whats the difference between them? 

Maybe I need to spend more time on their site? Or if someone has answers I’d appreciate any help.

 

Yes, you do need to spend some time on the web site (the link is posted Beamafar) and also read some of the various reviews you can find on CC.  The Yacht Club is the highest priced experience (but not always the highest priced cabin) which is unique when compared to the other experiences.  The Yacht Club actually has its own section of the ship (entered by use of the member's key card) with its large private lounge, spacious sun deck (with pool and hot tubs), and its own restaurant.  Other experiences use the remainder of the ship, but with various perks/privileges and dining rules.  The genius of the system is you can pay for the experience that best meets your needs.   So folks in the Yacht Club can book a relatively normal cabin (not a real suite) and get perks which would normally be associated with only the largest suites on other lines that have such things.  It was a near perfect fit for us, because DW and I could care less about booking a large suite but are willing to pay more for the extra services and special dining.  

 

Hank

[neptuno]

11 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

................. Now MSC just needs to upgrade the itineraries--the currently available ones are pretty boring.

 

[neptuno]

Well, regarding Caribbean out of Miami you are so correct.  Our stop in "Ocho Rios" was at the old industrial (bauxite) loading pier.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

Their itineraries in the Mediterranean are more interesting, but each ship tends to do the same loop over and over.  When they offer longer cruises, it usually means changing ships every 7 days to switch to a different loop.  Also people can board at a choice of several of the ports on the loop to start their 'week' so the onboard population is constantly changing.  So I expect that the onboard feeling will be very different from Celebrity.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

On 1/13/2019 at 12:37 PM, mafig said:

I agree with everything HappyCruiser  said.  Glad you mentioned the newspaper.  I really liked getting that.  We only left the Yacht Club to go to the Casino, one show, and a few trips for gelato.  

Going to New Orleans on Celebrity, just for the itinerary.  

Will return to MSC as soon as the private island is complete.  

 

I  loved getting that Washington Post every morning.  I only get a few articles a day at home since my subscription lapsed.  Really looking forward to their private island which is supposed to be completed in time for our cruise this November.  Can certainly live without another stop in the Bahamas--I don't even get off the ship there.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Do they offer the Wall Street Journal?

[helen haywood]

I actually enjoyed leaving the Yacht Club at night to go to one of the lounges playing dance music.  There are so many!  We've only sailed Divina and she is a beautiful ship.  Looking forward to Seaside in 2020!  We enjoyed sneaking off to the regular buffet on port days...we loved the food.  Great pizza and wonderful cheeses and antipasto meats.

[Hlitner]

On ‎1‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 11:10 PM, neptuno said:

Well, regarding Caribbean out of Miami you are so correct.  Our stop in "Ocho Rios" was at the old industrial (bauxite) loading pier.  

Agree...kind of :).  When we booked back to back cruises (21 days) on the Divina out of Miami we did it in the YC.  Our thinking was that we would likely not even bother getting off the ship at most (or all) of the ports.  Having been to the Caribbean too many times we were aware of the pros and cons of all the ports except Guadaloupe and Costa Maya (we had never been to those two ports).  Ultimately, we did get off in several ports to take long walks, browse at a few shops, and stretch our legs.  With the exception of St Maarten (where we spend a long beach day) we were usually back on the ship for lunch in Le Muse :).   As to Ocho Rios (among our least favorite places) we had a delightful day on the ship which was probably the nicest resort within hundreds of miles where we got a wonderful lunch (in Le Muse) and could have all the drinks we pleased at no extra cost.

 

Why do I post this?  Because different folks have different expectations when it comes to cruises.  If we are cruising in places like Europe. Asia, or South America...then the ports are the main attraction.  But in the Caribbean our main destination is the ship...and the port days are actually our favorite times on the ship since nothing is crowded.  And being the Yacht Club means we can still have delightful lunches in Le Muse...where there are usually more staff then cruisers on port days.

 

Hank

 

 

[Teacher42]

Dear Cheese, We booked our first MSC Divina cruise this Dec /18 on the recommendations from the same posters you see here on this thread. We can not speak about the various packages, only can tell you that the Yacht Club is the only way to sail.Period!

     We only get off the ship to stretch our legs. We got off the ship early in one port walked around a bit and decided to return. Problem was the entire ship was unloading at this time and was impossible to go against the flow of passengers coming off the ship. To our amazement, stationed at the bottom of the gangway was a butler from the Yacht Club that recognized us as Yacht Club passengers. He hailed the gangway crew at the top to stop the flow of passengers getting off so that we could get back on and he escorted us back on. WHAT SERVICE!  He was about to escort us all the way back to the Yacht Club when we recognized a threesome in the Yacht Club in distress trying to get off so as not to miss their tour. We said to the butler we are okay, but these people are Yacht Club and they need your assistance to get off for a tour. They thanked us and the butler again stopped 'traffic'

and proceeded to guide them to their tour.

      When we first entered into our cabin for the first time we were dismayed to see the size. It was quite small for a Royal Suite and we verbalized this to our butler. He said he knew, but that they would make it up to us in service. And boy did they! We booked 2 more MSC cruises on board and when we got home we booked 2 more, ALL YACHT CLUB! We are keeping our Celebrity Equinox CS suite, and our Symphony of the Seas GS suite booked , but we did cancel our Celebrity EDGE until they work out if the will be supplying lounge chairs in their S1 balcony.

      We are just going to have to make do with the smaller size of the YC cabins in order to take advantage of everything else they offer only to YC passengers.

Edited January 15, 2019 by Teacher42

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

On 1/14/2019 at 9:59 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Do they offer the Wall Street Journal?

 

I don't remember what the other choices were, but there were a lot of choices.  You could probably ask MSC.