Carnival versus MSC

[asalligo]

I took my first cruise on MSC on the Meraviglia and I really wanted this to be a great cruise because I have not been happy with the reduction in service on Carnival lines, but sadly this was our worst cruise in our 30 years of cruising. 

 

Boarding took four hours. I had a 10am check in time and arrived at 9:45. A line had already formed outside to get into the terminal several hundred yards long. It took us 1.5 hours to get through security and check in. They had none of my data at check in that I had submitted prior to the cruise, so I gave all that again and then we were seated. The check in line was stopped at around noon as the terminal seating was full. Boarding finally began at 1:15 and we boarded around 1:45. Several employees told me this was not the norm, but in reviewing recent YouTube videos this does not appear to be true. Compared to the Carnival Pride three weeks ago in which I stepped out of my Uber at 9:35 and was through security by 9:40 and on the ship at 10:37. MSC's last meeting time for debark was 10:30 on our debarkation day, so they will never be an 11am boarding. MSC also appears to ignore check in times. 

 

So now we are onboard, the ship is beautiful, I have to give them that, but there are just too many people on it, so every venue is a giant mob. We head to the Buffet which is also a mob of course. As soon as we step on the ship, many things do not work like items at the drink station which is also often out of cups. Food was not up to the standards of Carnival on the Buffet, but also not terrible. I would describe the menu as "Well catered BBQ" A large slab of carved beef, Hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled chicken and many sides, a decent salad bar, pizza, lots of cheese and bread and desserts. The buffet did not appear to change much over the course of the cruise. 

 

Muster Drill was watching a video in your cabin, calling a number to verify you watched it and then checking in at your muster station. MSC did not have life jackets in the room. Apparently, they are handed out if an emergency occurs. Not a fan of that. 

 

MSC does not have the activity schedule that Carnival has, although they did have lots to do, all of these venues were an extra fee. Racing simulators, a 4D theater, Video games. Lots of specialty restaurants to choose from at rather high prices compared to Carnival although Carnival is raising prices lately. The only included food on MSC Meraviglia was the MDR and the Buffet. They do have a small casino on deck 7. 

 

Sail away was lack luster and happened not during sail away as the MSC did not leave port until 8pm. Hard to match Carnival in this arena though as few ships have a sail away like them. 

 

We were assigned a middle seating of 7:30 at the Waves restaurant. MSC appears to have three seatings and Bella does not get to choose a seating time and they appear to have no YTD or any check in process in their app. We arrived at our scheduled time of 7:30 to a long line and were not seated until 8pm. This was strange to me as we have an assigned table and since they never spoke to us or checked us in, how would they even know if our table was ready. Once seated our appetizer arrived at 37 minutes, our entree at 1 hour and dessert at the 1:30 mark. Coffee we ordered was never delivered. 

MSC did have a few one ups on Carnival in the dining experience though. MSC is still providing tablecloths and the level of service that once existed on Carnival. Closer to a five-star formal restaurant and the New York strip which is still on their standard menu was maybe the best cut of meat I have ever had at sea and the first time a steak has been cooked rare as I asked at sea. 

 

To avoid the wait we tried to book one of the many specialty restaurants onboard on the second night, but they had no openings. 

 

Shows were about on par with Carnival, although it also started late by about ten minutes and only lasted 35. No drinks are allowed in the main lounge which was very strange to me. I always have a cocktail while watching the show. MSC also has a paid show that this is $18 per person and does allow drinks. People who saw this show reported it was great. 

 

After the main show there were no activities scheduled except the Silent disco which was held right next to a very loud live band. They appear to have missed the idea of a silent disco. Each night of the cruise there was nothing to do on the activities list after 10pm except the last stage show. They are sorely lacking in activities coordination. This is also the first cruise ever in which I never saw the cruise director in person. 

 

Ocean Cay was amazing! Absolutely nothing but praise for that island and that experience. They have a gem there.

 

We checked our bags for debarkation left the room by 7:15,  but joined another line for the dining room which closes at 8am.  They pressed us hard to join a group table and made us what longer due to our desire to have a table for two, but we did get one after another 30 minute wait. Breakfast is a much smaller menu than Carnival, but was decent. 

 

Another really long line to exit the ship when our number was called. Then we get to our luggage area to find one suitcase missing. They told me all suitcases were off the ship, so just look around. My luggage tag was 55 and I found my suitcase in section 36. It was still clearly marked 55, so go figure. Out to the parking lot for a three hour wait to exit the parking area. Three Hours! No clue what caused this, but finally made it to the front of the line to pay and leave. 

 

I found the crew to be very polite and professional, I had no problem with service when you make it to the front of the inevitable line at every venue. 

 

No more MSC cruises for me, that was just run too poorly for me to give them another shot. If they are smart, they will steal a Carnival cruise director and put them in charge of all coordination on the ship. Everything they were bad at, other lines are already doing better. It was just a very frustrating cruise in which we stood in line for everything we did. Yacht club guests were guided by us several times during the cruise to the front of a line, so I am sure that is a better experience, but for that price I can be on a much better line. 

 

I am sure I left something out, but this is the first cruise ever that I would have rather stayed home. I always say, it was still a cruise after commenting on something I did not like. Not this one. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Riles34]

So are you back to Carnival or still grumpy about previous cruises? (Not intended to be a nasty comment). Sounds a bit similar to Royal with having to make reservations for activities at the beginning of the cruise and finding out they are full. Also, MSC is directed at a different crowd of people than Carnival and does not intend to have the constant fun. It is a bit more relaxed. Your review seems on par about the MSC Meraviglia. 

 

What do you have booked next?

[EngIceDave]

I have done Divina and Armonia (To Havana!) and the thing that always stuck out to me was the food. It wasn't that good. It was flavorless or overcooked. Whatever it was, it was bland.

 

Certainly a more euro-centric crew and clientele. Multiple languages during every announcement got funny after awhile

[asalligo]

37 minutes ago, Riles34 said:

So are you back to Carnival or still grumpy about previous cruises? (Not intended to be a nasty comment). Sounds a bit similar to Royal with having to make reservations for activities at the beginning of the cruise and finding out they are full. Also, MSC is directed at a different crowd of people than Carnival and does not intend to have the constant fun. It is a bit more relaxed. Your review seems on par about the MSC Meraviglia. 

 

What do you have booked next?

I am less critical of Carnival now, but still not loving the current cruise experience. I think I am going to take a break from cruising for a while. Try some land based vacationing again. 

[asalligo]

21 minutes ago, EngIceDave said:

Multiple languages during every announcement got funny after awhile

Yes, that got a bit annoying. 

[pirate4me2]

Thanks for the comparison. We have been debating on trying MSC, my mom is really intrigued by the Yacht Club idea they have. 

[jsglow]

Thanks for the review @asalligo. We remain open to other cruise lines.  We know they'll all have their good/bad points. And we can all exercise our individual judgement with our hard earned money.  Like you, we've certainly noticed the 'evolution' in these last few years. But for us at least Carnival still offers a good fit for our typical cruising objectives.

Edited January 10, 2023 by jsglow

[sammee]

I tried Divina for the first time during the summer. Sail away was definitely different. I've heard alot of comments about bland food. I didn't experience that. I liked the late night choices. Besides the pizza (which was the best of the cruiselines), they had other items that were filling, tasty and easy on the stomache late night. My next cruise was Mardi Gras, but I actually liked Divina better. I'm not big on all the bells and whistles. I was quite content on Pride. Scheduled for Meraviglia out of NYC in May. I agree about the island, it was really nice. Hoping Meraviglia  doesn't turn out like some of you are describing. But we'll see. My biggest concern is NY.

[cmukid87]

I can mirror the OPs feeling towards MSC.  We sailed back in 2018 and were so disappointed.  I am a "find the cheapest option available" type of person for cruising.  Carnival has always offered the best prices for what we want as a family.  MSC blew me away with great offers but for us it ended up being too good to be true.  To this day I am always tempted by the pricing and offer models from MSC but nobody in my family wants to waste the $ and vacation to be disappointed when we know Carnival will always meet the expectations.

[IntrepidFromDC]

asalligo, thanks a lot for this, it really helps as I prepare for my first MSC in April after my 25th (1st B2B! :-)  Carnival in February.  I found everything you wrote really helpful in that it painted a good picture of what to expect.  Since in Italy a little late is the same as on time, the delay compared to Carnival's on-time experience (for the most part) makes sense, but it really helps to hear about it ahead of time so my expectations are "Italian on-time".

[hapytobehr]

We did the MSC seaside Yacht Club and the experience was fabulous.  The food however was just meh.

 

We then tried the Divina and hated it.  The food was awful, very little activities and the casino was awful. 

 

Yes, they do have tablecloths and the ships are beautiful, but I'll take fun over tablecloths anytime.

 

We keep coming back to Carnival which truly are the "fun" ships.  Many have complained about cutbacks and to be honest, on our NYE cruise on the Celebration, it wasn't noticed.

 

 

[IntrepidFromDC]

5 minutes ago, hapytobehr said:

We then tried the Divina and hated it.  The food was awful, very little activities and the casino was awful. 

My eyes bugged out like volkswagen headlights when I read that!  What's bad about the casino??

[hapytobehr]

Just now, IntrepidFromDC said:

My eyes bugged out like volkswagen headlights when I read that!  What's bad about the casino??

LOL...very few games and very few players.  If you like Carnival's casinos, you will not like MSC's.

[LatinaInTexas]

Just goes to show perception is all over the board on any given topic lol.

Sailed my first MSC cruise last August on Seashore and it was amazing! Sure there were little things that happened that at the time annoyed me but all the good things made me forget all about them.

I loved the food, loved all the entertainment, loved the gorgeous brand new ship, loved that were numerous hot tubs that were hot and bubbled like a thalassotherapy pool. Loved the service I received all over the ship, focused on working because extra tipping isn't expected. I have read it's actually frowned upon on MSC. Loved my fellow passengers. Have never cruised with such polite and respectful people. What I loved most was the drink ordering system. They just tap your card and that's it. No taking it, no waiting for it to be returned, no slip to fill out, and no need to tip extra.

Didn't like the fixed dining times, the muster drill, no drinks in pool area, and I didn't like the private island experience I had.

 

 

 

 

 

[Eli_6]

Thanks for the review and will know to definitely do Yacht Club if we try MSC. 

[tweakes]

Each cruise line offers different experiences.

 

MSC caters to the European style of vacation which is centered around relaxing. There are not tons of activities everyday. Just relax and enjoy your vacation. That's not for some people. 

 

I'm Diamond with MSC and Gold with Carnival. Food on the Pride in September was the worst food I've experienced on any of my 19 total sailings, but MSC typically has forgettable food (but the steakhouse is great). 

 

My biggest issue with MSC is the lack of communication and all around disorganization. But it's an Italian company, and that's pretty much how visiting everywhere in Italy is too (I love Italy but that's still my opinion of the entire country). 

 

The Yacht Club on MSC is absolutely fantastic. It is the cheapest of the exclusive areas on cruise lines, and I found it truly amazing in all aspects. And considering I just paid the same price in the YC for an 8 night Christmas cruise as I paid for an interior room + Cheers on Carnival ... the YC was a MUCH better value. But I relaxed on that cruise, and I enjoyed that relaxation. For my 40th in April, I'm sailing Carnival because I don't want to relax - I want a party! 

 

MSC is a superb value. All their cruises now offer free drinks package and wifi. Although the drink package is limited compared to Cheers, it's a heck of a lot cheaper, too. I sailed in November for $500 for a solo rate (MSC is offering solo discounts through May). You just can't beat that value. But it's a different experience - understand that, and you will enjoy it. 

 

After all, if you don't enjoy your cruise ... the problem is not the cruise line. Just my two cents. 

[sgttami]

I sailed once on MSC, Divina in 2017, because I was invited as a guest of a friend who was offered it through UR Comped.

 

The ship was very pretty but crew were less than friendly.  Lots of European cruisers (met some fun people)

 

Food was OK and I didn't starve.  The few shows I saw were very good and I had a few good hits in the casino.

 

Overall, it was OK. I'd go again but wouldn't be in a rush to do it. Perhaps I'd be more inclined if it was another offer as a comp.

 

I did like that they matched your status for your first time  from another line so I was able to use my RCL Diamond Plus and got some nice perks for that.

[Joehult]

I was on Mardi Gras in the beginning of December and it was a similar experience. 6 hours to embark, 3 hours after being forced out the room to disembark. Lackluster main stage. Meh food, and overworked staff. So this is pretty much industry wide now. Pre Covid days are not returning any time soon, unfortunately.

[AtSeaWithChris]

7 hours ago, asalligo said:

I took my first cruise on MSC on the Meraviglia and I really wanted this to be a great cruise because I have not been happy with the reduction in service on Carnival lines, but sadly this was our worst cruise in our 30 years of cruising. 

 

Boarding took four hours. I had a 10am check in time and arrived at 9:45. A line had already formed outside to get into the terminal several hundred yards long. It took us 1.5 hours to get through security and check in. They had none of my data at check in that I had submitted prior to the cruise, so I gave all that again and then we were seated. The check in line was stopped at around noon as the terminal seating was full. Boarding finally began at 1:15 and we boarded around 1:45. Several employees told me this was not the norm, but in reviewing recent YouTube videos this does not appear to be true. Compared to the Carnival Pride three weeks ago in which I stepped out of my Uber at 9:35 and was through security by 9:40 and on the ship at 10:37. MSC's last meeting time for debark was 10:30 on our debarkation day, so they will never be an 11am boarding. MSC also appears to ignore check in times. 

 

So now we are onboard, the ship is beautiful, I have to give them that, but there are just too many people on it, so every venue is a giant mob. We head to the Buffet which is also a mob of course. As soon as we step on the ship, many things do not work like items at the drink station which is also often out of cups. Food was not up to the standards of Carnival on the Buffet, but also not terrible. I would describe the menu as "Well catered BBQ" A large slab of carved beef, Hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled chicken and many sides, a decent salad bar, pizza, lots of cheese and bread and desserts. The buffet did not appear to change much over the course of the cruise. 

 

Muster Drill was watching a video in your cabin, calling a number to verify you watched it and then checking in at your muster station. MSC did not have life jackets in the room. Apparently, they are handed out if an emergency occurs. Not a fan of that. 

 

MSC does not have the activity schedule that Carnival has, although they did have lots to do, all of these venues were an extra fee. Racing simulators, a 4D theater, Video games. Lots of specialty restaurants to choose from at rather high prices compared to Carnival although Carnival is raising prices lately. The only included food on MSC Meraviglia was the MDR and the Buffet. They do have a small casino on deck 7. 

 

Sail away was lack luster and happened not during sail away as the MSC did not leave port until 8pm. Hard to match Carnival in this arena though as few ships have a sail away like them. 

 

We were assigned a middle seating of 7:30 at the Waves restaurant. MSC appears to have three seatings and Bella does not get to choose a seating time and they appear to have no YTD or any check in process in their app. We arrived at our scheduled time of 7:30 to a long line and were not seated until 8pm. This was strange to me as we have an assigned table and since they never spoke to us or checked us in, how would they even know if our table was ready. Once seated our appetizer arrived at 37 minutes, our entree at 1 hour and dessert at the 1:30 mark. Coffee we ordered was never delivered. 

MSC did have a few one ups on Carnival in the dining experience though. MSC is still providing tablecloths and the level of service that once existed on Carnival. Closer to a five-star formal restaurant and the New York strip which is still on their standard menu was maybe the best cut of meat I have ever had at sea and the first time a steak has been cooked rare as I asked at sea. 

 

To avoid the wait we tried to book one of the many specialty restaurants onboard on the second night, but they had no openings. 

 

Shows were about on par with Carnival, although it also started late by about ten minutes and only lasted 35. No drinks are allowed in the main lounge which was very strange to me. I always have a cocktail while watching the show. MSC also has a paid show that this is $18 per person and does allow drinks. People who saw this show reported it was great. 

 

After the main show there were no activities scheduled except the Silent disco which was held right next to a very loud live band. They appear to have missed the idea of a silent disco. Each night of the cruise there was nothing to do on the activities list after 10pm except the last stage show. They are sorely lacking in activities coordination. This is also the first cruise ever in which I never saw the cruise director in person. 

 

Ocean Cay was amazing! Absolutely nothing but praise for that island and that experience. They have a gem there.

 

We checked our bags for debarkation left the room by 7:15,  but joined another line for the dining room which closes at 8am.  They pressed us hard to join a group table and made us what longer due to our desire to have a table for two, but we did get one after another 30 minute wait. Breakfast is a much smaller menu than Carnival, but was decent. 

 

Another really long line to exit the ship when our number was called. Then we get to our luggage area to find one suitcase missing. They told me all suitcases were off the ship, so just look around. My luggage tag was 55 and I found my suitcase in section 36. It was still clearly marked 55, so go figure. Out to the parking lot for a three hour wait to exit the parking area. Three Hours! No clue what caused this, but finally made it to the front of the line to pay and leave. 

 

I found the crew to be very polite and professional, I had no problem with service when you make it to the front of the inevitable line at every venue. 

 

No more MSC cruises for me, that was just run too poorly for me to give them another shot. If they are smart, they will steal a Carnival cruise director and put them in charge of all coordination on the ship. Everything they were bad at, other lines are already doing better. It was just a very frustrating cruise in which we stood in line for everything we did. Yacht club guests were guided by us several times during the cruise to the front of a line, so I am sure that is a better experience, but for that price I can be on a much better line. 

 

I am sure I left something out, but this is the first cruise ever that I would have rather stayed home. I always say, it was still a cruise after commenting on something I did not like. Not this one. 

 

 

 

 

 

MSC is on the bottom of my to do list.

[BlerkOne]

7 hours ago, asalligo said:

 

No more MSC cruises for me, that was just run too poorly for me to give them another shot. If they are smart, they will steal a Carnival cruise director and put them in charge of all coordination on the ship. Everything they were bad at, other lines are already doing better. It was just a very frustrating cruise in which we stood in line for everything we did. Yacht club guests were guided by us several times during the cruise to the front of a line, so I am sure that is a better experience, but for that price I can be on a much better line. 

 

 

Thank you for confirming what I already suspected. MSC already poaches customers, they might as well try to steal talent, too.

[FloridaGram]

Thank you for the informative review. I have been dazzled by the Meraviglia but now I know not to waste my money.  I tired of Carnival for several reasons. I went on RCCL 3 times this year. I liked the Mariner but entertainment was lacking there too.  I think all cruise lines are less desirable since the closures and I may pause cruising too.  But I was shocked that we went on the Wonder of the Seas and while the shows were incredible the rest of the entertainment was shockingly poor.  Venues were to small and twice we went back to the room to watch TV, which is worse than Carnivals!

That said I go on the Celebration soon and I am really looking forward to coming "home." I feel like I will be more tolerant of the things I am not so fond of on Carnival.  Happy Vacationing to you where ever you go!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

5 hours ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

asalligo, thanks a lot for this, it really helps as I prepare for my first MSC in April after my 25th (1st B2B! :-)  Carnival in February.  I found everything you wrote really helpful in that it painted a good picture of what to expect.  Since in Italy a little late is the same as on time, the delay compared to Carnival's on-time experience (for the most part) makes sense, but it really helps to hear about it ahead of time so my expectations are "Italian on-time".

 

Yep - my first in April too 🙂

 

My booked three night (non Yacht Club) on the Seaside has already been quite the learning experience. On the shorter sailings, apparently, you can't upgrade the internet or beverage package pre-cruise nor can you pre-book specialty dining, you have to wait until you're onboard... wow, that's going to be fun!

 

We typically sail in suites, but I wanted to see what the "regular" MSC experience was before considering returning and spending more vacation dollars with them. I went ahead and booked a cabana for Ocean Cay - our only port of call (arrive 8 am, leave at noon the next day). They look pretty basic, but at least it's some guaranteed shade!

 

I'm going with the most positive attitude I can - and I'm going to try and chill and just accept what comes our way!

 

Tom

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 hour ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Yep - my first in April too 🙂

 

My booked three night (non Yacht Club) on the Seaside has already been quite the learning experience. On the shorter sailings, apparently, you can't upgrade the internet or beverage package pre-cruise nor can you pre-book specialty dining, you have to wait until you're onboard... wow, that's going to be fun!

 

We typically sail in suites, but I wanted to see what the "regular" MSC experience was before considering returning and spending more vacation dollars with them. I went ahead and booked a cabana for Ocean Cay - our only port of call (arrive 8 am, leave at noon the next day). They look pretty basic, but at least it's some guaranteed shade!

 

I'm going with the most positive attitude I can - and I'm going to try and chill and just accept what comes our way!

 

Tom

I thought I read somewhere that MSC wasn't selling the drink package on shorter cruises?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

6 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

I thought I read somewhere that MSC wasn't selling the drink package on shorter cruises?

 

That's what I learned as well - however, there was a promo running (perhaps one which runs rarely... or often?) which offered Wi-Fi and drinks for those who booked during a certain time period. Weird, I know !

 

Tom 

[ready2cruzagain]

OP thanks for the review. I will find out for myself next week. Have sailed over 50 cruises here, Carnival Platinum, NCL Sapphire, Princess Platinum and have sailed on Celebrity several times. I have been on 10 MSC cruises. 

 

Will just point out a few things.

 

MSC is not in charge of Port Canaveral. That is customs and the port authorities so people need to start putting the blame where it belongs. Also, not sure which cruise you were on but was it the one were a passenger went overboard the cruise before you causing the ship to be late to the port and therefore boarding late?

 

Food is subjective. We love MSC's food. Hated Carnival's when they went to meatloaf, fried chicken, Golden Corral food in the MDR.  Never had a problem with lines, have seen them when walking through the buffet later in the mornings but never bothered us because we don't wait till the last minute to try and get to the buffet.

 

The shows are shorter, 30 to 40 minutes and quite different. Very unique. 

 

I have never had a bad cruise and doubt if I will on our b2b next week on the Meraviglia.  Will post a review when I get back. Happy cruising.