Help. Help me decide to chance msc ta

[happygrammy100]

I am looking at Jan 2021 divina from barceleno to Miami. Itinerary and price is very good. We have cruised quite a bit not being loyal to no one line-not sure this would get us points for yc. Reviews have been mixed making me nervous to book. The thought of being onboard for weeks with rude obnoxious people does not sound appealing, though I would thing a ta cruise is full of seniors. Your comments/suggestions welcome

Edited November 26, 2019 by happygrammy100

[dexddd]

Post makes no sense.  What does ...get us points for yc... Mean?

 

Also, we've been on many lines and ships and haven't experienced lots of rude and obnoxious people except maybe once.  We've sailed Divinia in the US and it is a beautiful ship.  The only thing that felt different was people ate later.  Not sure where you reading this info, maybe under the reviews?

[Beamafar]

Rude, obnoxious people???

[Tapi]

37 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Not sure where you reading this info, maybe under the reviews?

Unfortunately, there are many reviews that reference “rude behavior” from fellow passengers on MSC. But the OP needs to understand where several of these reviews come from, and put them in context.

 

A large percentage of Americans who cruise from US ports are not used to sailing with fellow cruisers from various nationalities and cultures. On cruises operated by American cruise lines like Royal, Carnival and NCL, the vast majority of cruisers are American. The activities, cuisine and overall atmosphere cater heavily to the American palate. But that’s not the case on MSC. Although they’ve tried to “Americanize” their cruises sailing from Miami, it’s still a European cruise line which attracts a large percentage of cruisers from Europe and other countries and which offers an experience that is not American-centric.  
 

This is something that many Americans not used to traveling abroad or interacting with people from other countries have a hard time with. It’s shocking to many of them, and they translate cultural differences and anything that they aren’t used to into “rude and obnoxious behavior”. These comments are many times more an indication of ignorance and intolerance in the part of the reviewer than an actual problem with the MSC product.
 

We have sailed on MSC both in the Caribbean and in the Mediterranean and absolutely loved the experience, specially in the Mediterranean. Yes, fellow cruises are heavily European,  but we also interacted with people from other parts of the world. For us, this cultural mix was a huge highlight of our MSC Cruises, but for those who would much prefer to only sail with people from their own country, who speak the same language, and with similar tastes in activities and cuisine, MSC may not be a good choice. It would (and does) drive some Americans to write unfairly negative reviews.

 

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by Tapi

[Beamafar]

We've mainly sailed MSC in Europe and on TAs where the demographic was mainly Europeans.  Our recent Meraviglia sailing (23 nights) was US-based and I encountered the most rude, obnoxious behaviour that we have ever experienced from Americans!  And it wasn't because of lack of understanding of American "culture".

[Tapi]

19 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Our recent Meraviglia sailing (23 nights) was US-based and I encountered the most rude, obnoxious behaviour that we have ever experienced from Americans!  

When we sailed on the Divina out of Miami, we encountered a big pushback and resistance from several fellow American cruisers to the MSC product. We heard several complaints along the lines of “too many foreigners” or “too many languages”, or “not enough American entertainment”, or “no comedians or dueling pianos” or “the cuisine sucks, it’s all Italian, these hamburgers are terrible” or “the European style customer service is rude” or “I’m going back to Carnival / Royal”. In all fairness, MSC is not for them, but their attitude hindered the enjoyment of those of us who do enjoy what MSC has to offer.

Edited November 26, 2019 by Tapi

[Bobal]

I think it also comes down to what one's perception of rude and obnoxious is. There isn't the same culture of queuing/standing in line amongst some other cultures as there is in the US (or UK for that matter). My son lived in Italy for a year and eventually developed an 'elbows out and every man for himself' attitude. It's just the way it is there, it may seem rude to us but not rude to them, just the way they are.

 

Personally I have far less problem with that than many experiences I just had on a couple of recent cruises with many Americans onboard. The YELLING and BELLOWING at each other from people who are literally only a couple of feet apart. Seriously, why so loud? I would call that rude and obnoxious - a couple of times I literally had to move away because I couldn't concentrate on reading my book.

[happygrammy100]

Thank you for your replies and I appreciate your point of view. reviews on cc has over whelmingly cited mediocre food, rude and obnoxious people  and poor customer service as issues, hence my apprehension. I did not want to spend the extra $ for yc and the reviews said that is the only way to go.  I wish there were more positive reviews. We enjoy meeting folks from all over and I don't think the value can be beat. More comments appreciated

[shipgeeks]

We are booked on MSC for the first time, 14 nights, Bella level, Caribbean.  We have read many of the pros and cons and feel very comfortable about what to expect.

However, a TA, on which you will have many sea days, might be another matter.  It's a big commitment!

[Tapi]

1 hour ago, happygrammy100 said:

I did not want to spend the extra $ for yc and the reviews said that is the only way to go

We’ve never been on the YC. We’ve done Fantástica and Aurea. From my experience, you don’t need to do YC to enjoy an MSC Cruise. Fantástica felt like any cruise that we’ve taken on Royal or Carnival, but the Aurea offered enough of a bump in quality to make that experience extra memorable. Granted, we didn’t have Yacht Club access or perks, but we appreciated all the perks that did come with it, like priority embarkation, complimentary drink package, complimentary massages, access to the Aurea spa thermal suite, a dedicated area in the MDR with open seating, and access to a private solarium. In my opinion, the Aurea experience may provide enough of a bump to make your MSC Cruise more enjoyable without having to pay Yacht Club prices. 

Edited November 26, 2019 by Tapi

[Beamafar]

23 hours ago, Tapi said:

When we sailed on the Divina out of Miami, we encountered a big pushback and resistance from several fellow American cruisers to the MSC product. We heard several complaints along the lines of “too many foreigners” or “too many languages”, or “not enough American entertainment”, or “no comedians or dueling pianos” or “the cuisine sucks, it’s all Italian, these hamburgers are terrible” or “the European style customer service is rude” or “I’m going back to Carnival / Royal”. In all fairness, MSC is not for them, but their attitude hindered the enjoyment of those of us who do enjoy what MSC has to offer.

 

I totally agree that it's a pain to be listening to moaners - gosh, some complaints are ridiculous!

 

However, we experienced a very nasty situation (where Americans were involved) that we had to escalate to the Hotel Director to ensure that those at the top knew about it, so it wasn't just the usual 'rude and obnoxious' behaviour that I was referring to.  However, we also met the politest people we've ever come across who were also Americans.

 

I guess I just get a bit peeved when I keep seeing references to Europeans being rude, etc, as though they're all the same.  There isn't a nation on Earth that doesn't have rude and obnoxious people, is what I'm trying to say and Europeans shouldn't be singled out in the way that they are constantly on this board.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Beamafar

[perakcruiser]

On 11/26/2019 at 11:03 PM, happygrammy100 said:

I did not want to spend the extra $ for yc and the reviews said that is the only way to go.  I wish there were more positive reviews

Ridiculous. MSC is the most popular cruise line of the world and not because of the yacht club. Why you think they are so successful? Because of a couple of cuisers in YC? They are extremely popular in all parts of Europe as well as North and South Africa, East Asia, the Middle East, Brazil, Mexico, the US ... 

 

The reason is because the whole world loves Italy culture and cousine and lifestyle. And they deliver this on the Seven Seas. So very easy for you, you think, you can enjoy this? Go and book, you will not be disappointed for sure. You prefer a cruise with 99 % US pax and a few invisibe foreigners? Stay with the bigger lines from your home country. 

 

About the TA, yes, there are many complaints on this cruises where the Brazilians are the majority. Also the staff is mainly Brazilian and the Europeans often come home unhappy from this cruises. But this has nothing to do with your planned TA from Barcelona to Miami. 

Edited November 28, 2019 by perakcruiser

[mickey89]

We have experienced many cruise lines over the last 25 years and can honestly say MSC is really no different to any of the others, it will vary sailing to sailing.  Generally speaking the larger the ship, the more people, and this leads to potential crowding/queuing which usually places more strain on people's patience. You get rude people in all walks of life and it is not fair to stain any nationality or culture as being more prone than others, it happens, ignore it, life is too short.

 

Transatlantic cruise ambience in our experience can be dictated by the weather, the more people are confined the worse the harmony.  Don't be concerned, you say that you an an experienced cruiser, just go with the flow and enjoy, don't look for perfection as it will disappoint.  

[BermudaBound2014]

On 11/26/2019 at 6:04 AM, happygrammy100 said:

I am looking at Jan 2021 divina from barceleno to Miami. Itinerary and price is very good. We have cruised quite a bit not being loyal to no one line-not sure this would get us points for yc. Reviews have been mixed making me nervous to book. The thought of being onboard for weeks with rude obnoxious people does not sound appealing, though I would thing a ta cruise is full of seniors. Your comments/suggestions welcome

 

Hi Happygrammy100: We're from Michigan also (very familiar with Grayling).  I've never found extremely rude guests on MSC. I think other cultures get a bad rap here largely due to resistance to patiently waiting in line. You should expect some line jumping and elevator mobbing as part of what appears to be cultural differences, but I've never seen anything I would consider down right rude (from guests).

 

On 11/28/2019 at 3:48 AM, perakcruiser said:

Ridiculous. MSC is the most popular cruise line of the world and not because of the yacht club.

 

 

MSC is the most popular cruise line in the world?

[onetimearoundtheworld]

On 11/28/2019 at 9:48 AM, perakcruiser said:

Ridiculous. MSC is the most popular cruise line of the world and not because of the yacht club. Why you think they are so successful? Because of a couple of cuisers in YC? They are extremely popular in all parts of Europe as well as North and South Africa, East Asia, the Middle East, Brazil, Mexico, the US ... 

 

The reason is [...]

 

At least for Europe the reason is their dirt chip price on regular cruises especially for families with kids. And the easy access through chartered bus and planes. They are not successful because of quality or service. When you offer cruises that include meals and entertainment for a price less than you would have to pay in a touristic European city there are enough people to fill the ship regardless of quality and standards. 

[electro]

On 11/26/2019 at 6:58 AM, Tapi said:

When we sailed on the Divina out of Miami, we encountered a big pushback and resistance from several fellow American cruisers to the MSC product. We heard several complaints along the lines of “too many foreigners” or “too many languages”, or “not enough American entertainment”, or “no comedians or dueling pianos” or “the cuisine sucks, it’s all Italian, these hamburgers are terrible” or “the European style customer service is rude” or “I’m going back to Carnival / Royal”. In all fairness, MSC is not for them, but their attitude hindered the enjoyment of those of us who do enjoy what MSC has to offer.

this is why I'm very reluctant to book MSC for a cruise out of the US.

I have just booked my 7th and 8th cruise on MSC in Europe.

[welshy74]

On 11/26/2019 at 11:04 AM, happygrammy100 said:

The thought of being onboard for weeks with rude obnoxious people does not sound appealing, though I would thing a ta cruise is full of seniors. Your comments/suggestions welcome

Are you implying seniors would not be rude obnoxious people?? 

[Tapi]

12 hours ago, onetimearoundtheworld said:

 

At least for Europe the reason is their dirt chip price on regular cruises especially for families with kids. And the easy access through chartered bus and planes. They are not successful because of quality or service. When you offer cruises that include meals and entertainment for a price less than you would have to pay in a touristic European city there are enough people to fill the ship regardless of quality and standards. 

It’s because of their ridiculously low prices why I took my family on a Mediterranean cruise last year instead of taking them on yet another Caribbean cruise. It was cheaper to get a 2 deck Aurea Duplex Suite on MSC in the Mediterranean than a standard balcony stateroom on any other cruise line out of US ports that same week.  And it was an absolutely fantastic experience aboard a brand new ship, where we got to hop around 5 countries.

 

As far as quality and standards, I find that MSC delivers a product that is at the same level as mainstream American cruise lines. I personally place MSC somewhere between Carnival and Royal. They are able to deliver the product that they deliver at lower cost, not at the expense of sacrificing quality and standards, but because MSC is a huge, worldwide shipping company and their cruise division is a small fraction of their overall business model, giving them a financial advantage that other cruise lines don’t enjoy. They can afford to do what they do with their cruise division because the vast majority of their revenue comes from cargo shipping. 

[davidgv]

We sailed MSC on Magnifica last year - the only 'rude' behaviour we witnessed was one afternoon when a couple of American women insisted on having very loud conversations in the Spa - where there are notices specifically asking users to keep conversations quiet - it disturbed our relaxation and when we very politely asked them to lower their voices they were extremely abusive - in the end we had to ask a staff member to have a word with them.  Go with a positive attitude and an open mind and you'll have a wonderful time on MSC.