RCI vs MSC

[John&LaLa]

26 minutes ago, Tall-Cruiser said:

An OS on Symphony for $3,400! Now that's a super great deal.Good for you.

 

 

It was a L&S from Empress

[MiniChunks]

13 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Not my cup of tea. Did that with Haven, to many kids. There was so much to do on Allure TA.

 

Front row Mama Mia

Cupcake class multiple times

Guacamole class 

Sushi Class

Aqua Theater balcony

Any specialty restaurant 

In suite parties

In room coctails delivered

Custom cake

 

 

You can get these services with YC

 

 

There may be a few more activities offered in STAR class like the things you mentioned above, but we were in YC on a spring break cruise last year, and Royal has nothing that can compare to the YC lounge, restaurant and pool deck. Touching on your comment about kids, we only saw 4 other kids that were not our own in the YC and it was spring break. For a family of 5 we paid $4600 for a YC deluxe balcony, but every time i've checked lately it's been closer to $10k, so the value may not be there anymore.

 

Having said all that, the rest of the ship was terrible IMO. Way too crowded and the flow of the ship is beyond confusing. We had no idea where we were, or how to get where we were going most of the time. The buffet's were bad(except the pizza), the staff were not very friendly and the pool deck was an overcrowded disaster. We will continue to cruise with Royal as long as the kids are coming with us. If it was just the DW and i, i'd take another hard look at the YC. 

[LorraineP]

42 minutes ago, MiniChunks said:

 

There may be a few more activities offered in STAR class like the things you mentioned above, but we were in YC on a spring break cruise last year, and Royal has nothing that can compare to the YC lounge, restaurant and pool deck. Touching on your comment about kids, we only saw 4 other kids that were not our own in the YC and it was spring break. For a family of 5 we paid $4600 for a YC deluxe balcony, but every time i've checked lately it's been closer to $10k, so the value may not be there anymore.

 

Having said all that, the rest of the ship was terrible IMO. Way too crowded and the flow of the ship is beyond confusing. We had no idea where we were, or how to get where we were going most of the time. The buffet's were bad(except the pizza), the staff were not very friendly and the pool deck was an overcrowded disaster. We will continue to cruise with Royal as long as the kids are coming with us. If it was just the DW and i, i'd take another hard look at the YC. 

I agree with you we did venture out of our exclusive area on a port day to look around, was like RCL pool deck, crowded. If we couldn’t stay in YC we would certainly not book. 

[George C]

Another minor thing is YC has stocked mini fridge including beer and some booze and gets replenish daily. They just started cruising again from Italy.

Edited August 17, 2020 by George C

[syracr]

{original poster response}

Thanks so much for all of the responses.

It was very helpful. While I appreciate all of the discussion around YC and STAR class,

neither of those are in my financial reality. 

 

The discussion seems to have moved more in that direction.

 

If anyone has any experience as "regular people" onboard I would love to hear more.

To the YC and STAR frequenters, once again I appreciate your feedback and ideas, but they are just not in my reality. Therefore not overly helpful to  me.

I would respectfully ask that you take that discussion to another thread

 

Thanks!
Hopefully we will all be cruising again soon.

[LorraineP]

5 minutes ago, George C said:

Another minor thing is YC has stocked mini fridge including beer and some booze and gets replenish daily. They just started cruising again from Italy.

Also besides booze stocked & refilled with peanuts, Pringles, etc. 

[MiniChunks]

21 minutes ago, LorraineP said:

I agree with you we did venture out of our exclusive area on a port day to look around, was like RCL pool deck, crowded. If we couldn’t stay in YC we would certainly not book. 

 

We thought the pool deck was far worse than anything we have ever experienced on Royal. They did have a ton of deck chairs, but it was so many that it was impossible to move around on the pool deck. Also of note, while there were a TON of chairs, there were zero to be had. 

[John&LaLa]

51 minutes ago, MiniChunks said:

 

There may be a few more activities offered in STAR class like the things you mentioned above, but we were in YC on a spring break cruise last year, and Royal has nothing that can compare to the YC lounge, restaurant and pool deck. Touching on your comment about kids, we only saw 4 other kids that were not our own in the YC and it was spring break. For a family of 5 we paid $4600 for a YC deluxe balcony, but every time i've checked lately it's been closer to $10k, so the value may not be there anymore.

 

Having said all that, the rest of the ship was terrible IMO. Way too crowded and the flow of the ship is beyond confusing. We had no idea where we were, or how to get where we were going most of the time. The buffet's were bad(except the pizza), the staff were not very friendly and the pool deck was an overcrowded disaster. We will continue to cruise with Royal as long as the kids are coming with us. If it was just the DW and i, i'd take another hard look at the YC. 

 

Aren't YC cabins more like JS's than real suites.

That's what the brochure indicates

[Rocket3D]

On 8/15/2020 at 4:27 PM, syracr said:

>>>>>>would like to hear form folks who have sales both lines and hopefully even the Seaside.<<<<<<<

 

Was on Meraviglia, regular cabin.  You should go to the CC Meet Up

for sure. Met some folks then and we got together often.

The officers made a nice event out of it... much more than

Royal chooses to do lately.  MSC are working to gain more

favor in USA. 

 

The YC is very separate, so if you want to stay with family

and avoid the masses.... perfect that way.

 

We had a few bar managers introducing themselves at the

CC meet.  MSC 'gets it.'  As you know, the bar tenders/managers

are the best people to get to know, ha.  Anyway, remember the

old cruise saying, "Make your friends fast".  

Edited August 17, 2020 by Rocket3D

[MiniChunks]

2 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Aren't YC cabins more like JS's than real suites.

That's what the brochure indicates

 

For the most part you are correct. They do have 2 Royal suites, but those were not available when i booked. I did luck out and score a handicap accessible room 18024, which is above the Royal suite on deck 16. I believe the RS takes up the equivalent of 18024 and 18022 in the image below. 18024 and 18029 are very large cabins with enormous balconies.

 

Before I get flamed, I was told that by booking that room i could be bumped out by someone with a need for it, so i did not "take" that room from someone who needed it. 

[Airbear232]

On 8/15/2020 at 6:47 PM, taglovestocruise said:

FYI.. MSC will match your RCL C&A status.. happy cruising

Wow, didn't know that, pretty good marketing idea.  Hope this thing ends soon, then maybe we'll try them.

 

 

[George C]

35 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Aren't YC cabins more like JS's than real suites.

That's what the brochure indicates

I believe YC are slightly smaller than rccl Junior Suites , very close to celebrity sky suites on summit or infinity 

[syracr]

{original Poster again}

Folks,

 

Please take the YC discussion to another thread.

 

Thank for your cooperation.

[yogimax]

1 hour ago, syracr said:

If anyone has any experience as "regular people" onboard I would love to hear more.

 

Thank you for bringing this back on track.  These premium cabins may be nice, but the majority of us will never sail in them for various reasons, cost being one.

 

May I answer your question with another solution?

 

Celebrity!  It's still any RCCL product, but a bit more upscale.

 

I have heard many negative comments from friends who have sailed MSC in regular cabins.  I would never sail with them.  On the other hand, I like the Royal's product.  I have found that Celebrity brings additional positive benefits to the experience for a relatively small increase in price.  And yes, I'm talking about cabins from inside to balcony and NOT suites.

Edited August 17, 2020 by yogimax

[Rocket3D]

Status match took a few weeks.  Recommend allowing

maybe more time now. They confirm your info and issue

you each a customer number, similar to C&A number I guess.

 

Anyway, do not  book until you have your personal number.

I think there was a 5% discount also.

 

I believe you needed to cruise at least every 3 years to keep

the status match.  Someone wrote they extended it to 4 years

because of covid, not sure.

 

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by Rocket3D

[Rocket3D]

The Meraviglia has 2 Cirque shows....you pay $18 each

for a show and a drink.

 

I was picking up my ticket and chatting with 4 royal

cruisers who were also 1st timers on MSC. Well,

somehow their tickets had a problem and they

went off on the girl something incredible.  Swore

they would never come back, on and on.  I sort of

backed up, and realized why some Europeans think

Americans are rude obnoxious 'cowboys'.

 

Anyway, they won't return to MSC and

that girl will be glad.

 

I enjoyed the show.

[mafig]

I agree that the YC suites are smaller, but that keeps large families away.  

 

The Haven on NCL sometimes is over-run with out of control kids.  We  were on MSC twice and never saw that in the YC, nor have I heard of that happening when reading reviews.   The rest of the ship....YES!  They often do kids sail free promos (which I don't think extend to the YC), and the rest of the ship has lots and lots of kids.

 

 

[TheMastodon]

On 8/15/2020 at 4:27 PM, syracr said:

Hey gang.

I already posted this on the MSC board, but also wan tto get opinions from the RCI side.

My Wife and I have been cruising for many years. Mostly on RCI. 

We have tried other lines, but always feel most happy on and RCI Ship.

We live near Port Canaveral and saw that the MSC Seaside will be coming here soon.

If this COVID thing ever gets resolved and we start sailing again, we might be tempted to try MSC on the Seaside.

I would like to hear form folks who have sales both lines and hopefully even the Seaside.

Some questions we have (that hopefully you all  can answer):

 

1. Does the cruise line serve Coke or Pepsi products?
2. What can we expect to be different between the MSC and RCI experience?
3. What class of RCI ships would you say Seaside is most like? (Oasis? Freedom? Voyager?)
4. Private Island. while we do like a lot of the upgrades RCI did to Coco cay, we still liked the simplicity of the old version. Labadee is fine. How does Ocean Cay compare?
5. We are not big Main Dining room people. Did MSC serve Dinner in the Buffet (it they will even still have one when they re-open)/

 

Any other companions pro/con would be deeply appreciated. 

Maybe thinking of these things will make you nostalgic and anxious to start cruising again.

 

Hang in there folks and thanks for reading this.

 

Have to ask - you a coke or pepsi fan?  

[syracr]

Mastadon...

 

lol   to answer the question it is my wife who is a diet coke addict. 

it replaces coffee.

it is a must have to start the day

 

it is not a matter of taste, rather ingredients.

the sweetener they use in Diet Pepsi causes her sever digestive problems.

the one in DC does not.

 

A cruise without access to Diet coke could get ugly 🙂

[cellfree]

Syracr, I replied to your post way back at the beginning. We have always chosen either Interior Bella or Interior Fantastica and have always thoroughly enjoyed our cruises on MSC. I do have a Balcony booked for February and May because there is a wonderful ‘deal’ running right now so looking forward to that. If you want a cruise experience that is not like Royal or Carnival or whatever, you will want to try MSC. 

[MISTER 67]

MSC has the best prices going in the cruise industry, not only for the fares but also on board for drinks, souvenirs and photos. We don't do shore excursions anymore so not sure about the prices for those. 

Because we are Elite with Princess, MSC matched us to their top level which is Black Card and they take care of that level, 5% off the already low fares, 2 specialty dinners for 2, Champagne and Chocolate Covered Cherries delivered to your stateroom, a couple of key chains or pens and 2 models of the ship made out of Chocolate.

We have sailed 5 times with MSC and they do things a little bit differently then the other lines.

The ships can be quite crowded in the summer as children sail for free, so I would advise to sail in the other seasons.

The MDR meals have been anywhere from average to very good. The buffets have been outstanding. Service in the MDR can be slow when the ship is packed with the free fares for children but very good at other times.

The acts in the showroom are outstanding. Italian night is fabulous with great Italian songs highlighted with the finale of "Time To Say Goodbye" which brings the house down.The Michael Jackson show is a must see but might have been replaced. The second to last afternoon a condensed version of a  famous opera is presented, we have seen La Traviata twice and Madame Butterfly which had us in tears, amazing what a great job they do with the operas. Just about every show gets standing ovations. There is also fine entertainment in the lounges. One other thing, I have found the slots in the Casino to pay off better than the lines especially RCL.  They also have 3 dollar Blackjack from 11am to 1pm if you're gambling on a budget.

Edited August 17, 2020 by MISTER 67

[shipgeeks]

syracr, I believe I wrote about our MSC experience earlier; since it has gotten off track I'll throw in a little more.

We were in a Bella balcony cabin (balcony was cheaper than OV at the time), and it was larger than any RC cabin we've ever had. Seaside is by far the largest ship we've sailed on, but it never felt bigger, more crowded, or any harder to get from one place to another than our usual 2,000-passenger ship.  

Our status match gave us priority boarding and departure, as well as many other perks.

We were treated so well by all the crew that we still wonder if they thought we were Somebody.

We have yet to see any reason why we would even consider YC, but we will definitely be booking more MSC cruises as soon as they are available.

[George C]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

MSC has the best prices going in the cruise industry, not only for the fares but also on board for drinks, souvenirs and photos. We don't do shore excursions anymore so not sure about the prices for those. 

Because we are Elite with Princess, MSC matched us to their top level which is Black Card and they take care of that level, 5% off the already low fares, 2 specialty dinners for 2, Champagne and Chocolate Covered Cherries delivered to your stateroom, a couple of key chains or pens and 2 models of the ship made out of Chocolate.

We have sailed 5 times with MSC and they do things a little bit differently then the other lines.

The ships can be quite crowded in the summer as children sail for free, so I would advise to sail in the other seasons.

The MDR meals have been anywhere from average to very good. The buffets have been outstanding. Service in the MDR can be slow when the ship is packed with the free fares for children but very good at other times.

The acts in the showroom are outstanding. Italian night is fabulous with great Italian songs highlighted with the finale of "Time To Say Goodbye" which brings the house down.The Michael Jackson show is a must see but might have been replaced. The second to last afternoon a condensed version of a  famous opera is presented, we have seen La Traviata twice and Madame Butterfly which had us in tears, amazing what a great job they do with the operas. Just about every show gets standing ovations. There is also fine entertainment in the lounges. One other thing, I have found the slots in the Casino to pay off better than the lines especially RCL.  They also have 3 dollar Blackjack from 11am to 1pm if you're gambling on a budget.

While I prefer rccl entertainment, was really surprised on how good msc was did see the Micheal Jackson show which was excellent even if you are not a big fan of his,  we showed up late for one of the Opera shows it was SRO but watched a little it was great , other musicians were good and a great jazz trio with a excellent singer. 

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

I don’t think I saw a response to your Coke or Pepsi products question...when we were on the Seaside in 2018, they had Coke products onboard.

Edited August 18, 2020 by OneParticularHarbour 71

[Wedgeh]

I sailed MSC in Europe a number of years ago and the experience was barely even comparable to RC. The food ranged from OK to bad, our one visit to a specialty restaurant was laughable (eg they were running low on wraps so my wife had only 2 to accompany her fajitas. As usual with any problem there was just an expectation that you live with it). The drinks available on the drinks package were substantially more limited than royal's (though we didn't sail on royal until later, I think they also used to have a more limited package in the past). The one saving grace was that it was extremely cheap, £360pp for a week, which meant we were somewhat more forgiving of the various issues.

 

As I said, this was 2013 so things may have changed a bit, but that was my experience.