Help...MSC or Royal?

[momof4blessings]

Hello, we are looking to take our 4th cruise soon, and this one will be 3 couples and our 8 kids ranging from 8-22yo. I have cruised Princess (Grand Princess in '07), NCL (Norwegian Dawn in '14), and Royal Caribbean (Adventure of the Seas in Jan '20) (all were 7-8 night cruises). Of those three, RC was our favorite, then Princess, and lastly NCL. We like going to the shows (if they are family friendly), enjoying good food (primarily in the main dining room, not the buffet or specialty restaurants), and participating in activities (seems hard to compete with RC here). I haven't personally been on Carnival, because of the party boat reputation, but one of the couples we're traveling with has, and didn't care for it. I'm looking at prices and options, and I can book 2 balconies on MSC Meraviglia for 40% less than interiors on Royal for the same week... How do you think it would compare experience-wise? I am not a food snob but our food on Royal Caribbean was so good. And we had so much fun on the ship. If you were me would you book the cheaper MSC or stick with what you know you like? What other cruise line does MSC compare most closely with? Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

Oh, I almost forgot, does MSC have free soft serve stations and towel animals? I know those are silly things, but they are literally my girls' favorite favorite parts about cruising. haha

[LatinaInTexas]

No free self serve and we didn't get any towel animals earlier this month on the Seashore.

I have only sailed RC and Carnival before my first MSC cruise. I didn't care for RC until I sailed an Oasis class ship. I happen to love Carnival. I really liked MSC but prob wouldn't sail again.

Food in the MDR overall was excellent. Found the options a bit limited but luckily found something interesting to order every night.

Loved the buffet at lunch lots of variety, breakfast same items every morning but plenty of choices.

Loved the shows. I know I saw a lot of kids while waiting to board but during the cruise didn't see that many. I guess there's plenty of kid activities and kids spots to keep them occupied elsewhere.

 

[JT1962]

I have cruised primarily with Royal Caribbean & Carnival in the last 10 years and took my first MSC cruise in January and enjoyed it. That said, I think your group would be happier on Royal Caribbean. Royal will have more activities, traditional shows and more food options that would appeal to the age ranges in your group.  I enjoyed the food on MSC, but many do not care for the selections which tend to me more European and more seafood & less beef. There are also usually a bigger variety of free food options on Royal Caribbean than MSC.

 

When I was on Meraviglia on January, the soft serve machine near the  main pool was not working. They did have gelato, but there was a fee. I think they did make a few towel animals during the week, but I have been on 2 cruises on Carnival since then and they all start to run together.

 

[Nunagoras]

Hi, and welcome aboard!...

 

You'll have a large array of answers, from cheerleader to naysayer, and all in the middle... Ultimately only you can assess if you really want a change of pace or stick with what you really know. Bear in mind that while you may be open minded to another experience, good to know if all group partakes same idea...

 

Design wise I'd to describe the Meraviglia as such a "white brand" RCI's Oasis class ship. They have a promenade with stores and specialty restaurants, just filled with a huge LED ceiling where they make some shows. They've recreated the neighborhood environment to an extent. Mera is classier though. Once my unique cruising experience consists on RCI Oasis class and MSC, I'd say the following:

 

1) Both follow the European 4* land hotel industry standards. You won't be bad on either one. In some ways both will try to reach the 5* here and there, but both ones will have some hit or miss moments.

2) MSC is Italian owned and influenced, trying now to have a dent in the US market, hence the hard promotions there. We're not so lucky on those here in EU...

3) So; they cater for a very international crowd. Maybe on the post covid era you'll find more Americans now, but be prepared for lots of Europeans aboard. Some announcements will be made in various languages.

4) With that in mind, shows will be more music and visual oriented than otherwise. No comedian shows by the norm.

5) Food will trend to the Italian or European comfort food mood with a nice presentation against American comfort food on RCI. Me thinks this is the largest source of complaints here in CC. Though, they're trying their best to be the most international possible. As far as I know; no soft self service ice cream on the post covid era. You have superb gelato at a fee though! Pizza and pasta dishes are also as good as they can be!...

6) Their private island seems to be wonderful.

 

Have a nice day!...

[poohdreaming]

It really depends on everyone liking.

MSC cruise prices are really good.

 

Food - a lot of people are saying MSC food is okay.

Their pizza are the best.

No self serve ice cream.

No hotdogs, chicken fingers yet.

 

Shows - some might find MSC shows boring.

 

I just wanted to comment about the animal towel.

Most cruise lines are done with making animal towels.

However, if you requested it and/or your cabin steward is happy - can make animal towels.

 

[Hlitner]

Great questions (and info) from the OP.  So we will come to our suggestion based on plenty of cruise experience (more than 40 years and 16 cruise lines) including RCI, Princess and MSC.  But I have to somehow take this senior mind and force it back in time to when we were a young family :).  At the risk of angering some MSC fans (our next cruise is on the Seashore) the OP's post makes me think they should stick with RCI (at least for now).  Why?  Because they obviously like the line, are comfortable with the line (as are the kids) and MSC is somewhat different (hard to explain this to folks unless they have cruised a few lines).  

 

I would suggest to the OP that at this time of your life, with kids in that age group, stick with what works.  As you all grow older and your situation changes, you may (and should) explore other cruise lines.  

 

Ok, so now that I have made my recommendation, I will address the other big issue which is cost.  If budget is a major problem, then MSC may be a better option.  But your younger children should be part of the decision making so they have some skin in the game :).   The MDR will be good enough (possibly not as satisfying as RCI) and the kids will likely enjoy MSC's Lido with breakfast, lunch and dinner pizza!  We cruise on MSC, but only in their Yacht Club where we have a dedicated restaurant that has decent (not great) food.  But I admit to secretly sneaking into the regular Lido to grab a few things like pizza and perhaps make an Italian sausage sandwich (not available in the YC).

 

MSC shows are all family friendly and very international (no comedians because of language barrier issues).  On MSC the shows are more "Cirque" than "Broadway" because it works better with a very international clientele.  Not sure the MSC shows will "WOW" you but we do find them entertaining.

 

Hank

[momof4blessings]

Thank you all so much for the helpful input. It sounds like there are no 'deal breakers' for MSC... we like European/Italian/seafood, and I think we would enjoy the shows just fine. I guess I will put it to the rest of the group and see what the consensus is!

[frank808]

We were on for 2 weeks this past June/July.  I did see soft serve in the buffet area when I walked through. We have over 60 cruises on Royal and have done 6 on MSC.  We like MSC especially at the price of MSC cabins. Entertainment on Seashore was a lot better than Seaside, especially the shows in the cabaret rouge lounge.

[carlmm]

One point in favour of MSC: They really cater for large family/friends groups with members of all ages.

Probably more true for European cruises where you find many groups from toddler to grandgrandparents.

They are just very family friendly.

[hamrag]

I started reading the OP, and thought how best to respond. When I got to Nunagoras' post I realised that is basically what I'd say....he is increasingly the rational voice of reason on the MSC boards! 

[Gatordad1967]

I've sailed both, and like both.  Royal seems to be higher in price to me, so lately we've stayed on MSC.  I would try MSC as a couple first, not bringing the whole group.  if you all like RCL, then go with what you know.

[mscdivina2016]

15 hours ago, momof4blessings said:

Hello, we are looking to take our 4th cruise soon, and this one will be 3 couples and our 8 kids ranging from 8-22yo. I have cruised Princess (Grand Princess in '07), NCL (Norwegian Dawn in '14), and Royal Caribbean (Adventure of the Seas in Jan '20) (all were 7-8 night cruises). Of those three, RC was our favorite, then Princess, and lastly NCL. We like going to the shows (if they are family friendly), enjoying good food (primarily in the main dining room, not the buffet or specialty restaurants), and participating in activities (seems hard to compete with RC here). I haven't personally been on Carnival, because of the party boat reputation, but one of the couples we're traveling with has, and didn't care for it. I'm looking at prices and options, and I can book 2 balconies on MSC Meraviglia for 40% less than interiors on Royal for the same week... How do you think it would compare experience-wise? I am not a food snob but our food on Royal Caribbean was so good. And we had so much fun on the ship. If you were me would you book the cheaper MSC or stick with what you know you like? What other cruise line does MSC compare most closely with? Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

Oh, I almost forgot, does MSC have free soft serve stations and towel animals? I know those are silly things, but they are literally my girls' favorite favorite parts about cruising. haha

As a huge cruise lover, 60+ cruises all over the world and still in our 50s, we have allot to compare.

 We have taken our children many times when they were younger and when we did we had to factor in what's good for them too.

 

I assume you are looking at USA based sailings.

 

The best deal is MSC for you because you can get balcony cabins. They have a great product. But they also have the worst IT and customer service I have ever experienced.

 

Once you book, don't ever call them again!

Be prepared to have your picked room changed.

It's possible that even if you book balcony cabins, they will downgrade you into possibly inside cabins and give you no reduction in fare.  They did this to me, yacht club to a balcony. If I don't like it, I can cancel.

  If you do have a problem they will tell you a supervisor will call you in 48-72 hours which never happens and if you email,lol....

 

I have 5 booked thru them for the next 8 months and 3 have issues including one in Saudi Arabia.

 

The kids will like RCL better from activities to shows. I have sailed Meraviglia twice, last time was this past January.

The food is better on the other lines except the pizza .

 

If you decide on MSC, I might suggest the Seashore, Seaview,or Seaside. Much better class of ship than Meraviglia.

 

[1kaper]

1 hour ago, mscdivina2016 said:

It's possible that even if you book balcony cabins, they will downgrade you into possibly inside cabins and give you no reduction in fare.  They did this to me, yacht club to a balcony. If I don't like it, I can cancel.

 

That's a little unfair.  
While I don't agree what they did was right, yours was a very unique situation.  

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

 

It's possible that even if you book balcony cabins, they will downgrade you into possibly inside cabins and give you no reduction in fare.  They did this to me, yacht club to a balcony. If I don't like it, I can cancel.

  If you do have a problem they will tell you a supervisor will call you in 48-72 hours which never happens and if you email,lol....

 

I

 

You paint a pretty ugly picture.  But one reason (of many) that we use a few reputable high volume cruise agencies to handle all of our cruise bookings is that they work for me, not the crusie line.  If there are any issues we usually rely on the cruise agency to deal with MSC and the problem.   While MSC might be a little too quick to screw a single customer, an agency that does a high volume of bookings (and is a member of a very large/powerful consortium) has clout!    And a nice bonus is that decent cruise agencies also provide generous on board credits that you will not get by booking direct with MSC (or any cruise line).

 

Hank

[tunafish]

MSC has softserve ice-cream, hotdogs and chicken nuggets... it also has towel animals (we had them made daily for our daughter last week on Divina.

I would definitely save money and go with MSC unless you have a specific port wish or so. Especially if you have sailed RCL before.

What MSC does not have is an Italian flair people are talking about, at least I do not know what people are talking about. it feels the same "American passenger" approach like all other main lines. School cafeteria also serves pizza and spaghetti with meatballs, but it does not make it an Italian restaurant. There is close to none "Italian" Italian food on board. even their cold cuts are targeted to American taste  

 

[hamrag]

19 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

....Once you book, don't ever call them again!

Be prepared to have your picked room changed.

It's possible that even if you book balcony cabins, they will downgrade you into possibly inside cabins and give you no reduction in fare.  They did this to me, yacht club to a balcony. If I don't like it, I can cancel.

  If you do have a problem they will tell you a supervisor will call you in 48-72 hours which never happens and if you email,lol....

 

 

Aaargh....noooooooooooot again please, it's all become so boring!

[mscdivina2016]

2 hours ago, hamrag said:

Aaargh....noooooooooooot again please, it's all become so boring!

Not till they make it right!

 

In the last few days my picked room went guarantee so it's a fresh screw up.

Thanks for keep bumping me to the top of the thread.😁

 

 

[slk1000]

The prices offered from MSC are hard to pass up especially with their kids free promotion. I've been on HAL, Celebrity, RC, Carnival, MSC & NCL.  I find myself going back to MSC because of the price for the experience. In my opinion, the MDR food on NCL and RC was much better than on MSC .  But for later evening we love the pizza and sandwich offerings on the Meraviglia and found food offerings on RC to be lacking. I felt the entertainment for my 21, 23 & 11 year old to be better on NCL & RC.  However, we all really liked MSC and my 11 year old loved the water slides on the Merviglia as well as the free soft serve ice cream.  We were on the Divina and Meraviglia last year so I'm not sure how much covid played a role.  I'll be on the Meraviglia next month and am interested to see if it is even better as things are getting back to normal with shows like the Cirque Du Soleil being added back to the itinerary. I'm in a similar situation in that I'm looking at a European cruise for college graduation gifts this summer and am deciding between RC & MSC.  I'm leaning toward MSC because of the price and will probably use some of the extra money for specialty dining.  We absolutely loved the all you can eat for $17 at the mexican restaurant on the Meraviglia.  Good luck with you decision and have a great trip!

[momof4blessings]

Well, we booked with MSC, but on the Seascape. (The husbands wanted to go to Eastern Caribbean since we've done western before.) Just couldn't compete with the price, plus it's a brand new ship.... honestly as long as I'm eating without having to cook and clean up it's a win for me! If the kids want to go back to RC after this, we'll just tell them we need to go during off-peak times and not during Christmas break. 😄

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, momof4blessings said:

Well, we booked with MSC, but on the Seascape. (The husbands wanted to go to Eastern Caribbean since we've done western before.) Just couldn't compete with the price, plus it's a brand new ship.... honestly as long as I'm eating without having to cook and clean up it's a win for me! If the kids want to go back to RC after this, we'll just tell them we need to go during off-peak times and not during Christmas break. 😄

Congratulations. May I ask what experience level did you book? Bella, Fantastica, or Aurea? The ship will be beautiful, I just got off the sister ship the Seashore. The biggest difference  you'll notice right away is Americans will be in the minority; mostly Italians, Spaniards, Germans. there will be lots of passengers that don't speak English.  The indoor pool and water park is pretty amazing. Helpful hint: ASK for regular tap water in the MDR, otherwise they will serve you bottled water WHICH IS NOT FREE. 

[APDMOM]

2 hours ago, momof4blessings said:

Well, we booked with MSC, but on the Seascape. (The husbands wanted to go to Eastern Caribbean since we've done western before.) Just couldn't compete with the price, plus it's a brand new ship.... honestly as long as I'm eating without having to cook and clean up it's a win for me! If the kids want to go back to RC after this, we'll just tell them we need to go during off-peak times and not during Christmas break. 😄

 

So happy to hear you were able to come to a consensus.  We have cruised on 6 different lines and MSC is our new favorite.  The shows are the MOST family friendly and the BEST we have seen.  We are booked on Seascape for March 2023...  If you are interested in our Seaside Trip Report, I am linking it here.   It is the same class as Seascape and it may give you a bit of helpful tips regarding MSC.  In case you don't know yet (I did not read all replies), be sure to match one person per cabin for MSC loyalty perks. 

 

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Will never entertain RcL again after trying MSC…and we hold RCL stock!  MSC has them beat hands down. Hope you enjoy your cruise!

[mscdivina2016]

15 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Will never entertain RcL again after trying MSC…and we hold RCL stock!  MSC has them beat hands down. Hope you enjoy your cruise!

Not in customer service or IT!

 

Worst customer service in the industry. They treat the passenger as cargo. Look what they did to all their passengers with the world cup.

 

I like the product but never want to deal with them personally, so I don't.

[hova]

On 8/30/2022 at 8:04 AM, mscdivina2016 said:

 

I have 5 booked thru them for the next 8 months and 3 have issues including one in Saudi Arabia.

The food is better on the other lines except the pizza .

 

I don't know your history with MSC, but I don't get your logic.    If I didn't like the customer service or food, I would pick a different line for my upcoming cruises.  Could you explain why you keep going back to MSC?  On a side note, I have cruised with most lines, except for MSC, but recently booked a Mediterrean (Euriba) and Trans Atlantic (Seashore) for 2023, so I am genuinely interested in your response.    hova

[Georgia_Peaches]

43 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Worst customer service in the industry.

I will admit that I have never had to deal with their customer service.