THE WORST CRUISE I'VE TAKEN and the RESPONSE FROM MSC.

[Saab4444]

It should be clear that this big ships offer no luxury (outside YC) but a mass market product for a huge number of people for a very affordable price. 

[MsTabbyKats]

I really hate reading this.  I've only been on MSC twice, both times with "the masses".  I thought "other people" were more upscale and cultured than me....after all, besides the cost of the cruise they flew in from "foreign lands" and they had a "sense of style".

 

I guess that's no longer the case.  Cheap cabins plus cheap alcohol....and that's the crowd you get.

 

To those that sailed recently....is the crowd no longer "foreigners who live in foreign lands"?

[JT1962]

2 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding this part...

 

On our last Celebrity (Reflection B2B) sailing, we had something like $800 OBC for each leg. I was able to draw on that prior to sailing for excursions and such - ended up using most it ahead of time to get dozens of their $55 promo chips for $50.

 

On our upcoming Mardi Gras sailing, each time I've purchased something for that cruise (Wi-Fi, specialty dining, etc), I'm given the option of using my OBC. I, instead, use the handy $500 AARP Carnival gift cards - which I purchased for $450 each. 🙂

 

Tom

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have allowed you to pre-purchase items for use onboard (excursions, dining packages, etc.) prior to sailing using your OBC for several years. Carnival started allowing this in the last year or so as well. Not sure about NCL or other lines.  MSC does not allow this yet, but I’m hoping they do at some point. 

[Essiesmom]

As a retired nurse, I always thought CPAP was for sleep apnea, not COPD, and I have no idea if it is connected with smoking.  CPAP is positive pressure, not oxygen.  But irrational things/people do occur.  I met a person on a cruise who has since ceased to cruise because her chosen line no longer  allowed smoking on the balcony.    But she uses oxygen at night…. EM

[Shippy]

Hard to believe a seasoned cruiser would take an inaugural cruise.

   They are notorious for being plagued with problems.

ANY research into MSC would advise you to book the Yacht Club...If you stop smoking....you might be able to give up your cpap    :O)

[scorpiony3358]

Just a general reply to all who took the time to read my post which some of you called a rant. First my CPAP has nothing to do with smoking Cuban Cigars. The blackout of TV never happened on any other Transatlantic sailing.   As for expecting more there are certain basics that every cruise should have and MSC didn't meet my standards. I don't expect to be treated better than others, but expect to get what I paid for. 

 

I currently have a 10 night Uniworld river cruise from Budapest to Bucharest in April. I have 14 nights in June on NCL Jade in the Greek Isles. I have a Regent 20 night Copenhagen to Amsterdam in August. I have a 14 night Regent in Nov from Istanbul to Barcelona. You posters should try these lines and you'll never go back to MSC. The TA was weak and she was not who I used to book the above trips. 

 

Gee I spelled Flamenco wrong. I did get a kick out of some of the posts that had nothing constructive to add. The person in the hotel business said I exaggerated. I guess to him the customer is always wrong. As for the entertainment one responder agreed with me. 

 

While we all have a right to voice our opinions when you are a service company like MSC you reply directly. As for the length of my rant it addressed many issues that I encountered, and I didn't make a demand for compensation. If MSC cared about it's customers, they would make an effort to right the wrong. 

 

I'll close by saying my post was read and hopefully costs MSC some future customers. 

[B_A_H]

There have been some first time MSC cruisers in this thread trying to read how what's discussed might affect them.  Let me share some insight.  Some is specific to MSC, some is universal.  Other seasoned MSC and general cruise veterans feel free to chime in.

 

• The mix of passengers - 3 and 4 night cruises, especially those over weekends, draw a rowdy crowd looking to exploit every minute they are on the ship.  These sailings are also typically full.  Because they are relatively cheap, you typically get a bunch of first time cruisers.  The combination of these things are a recipe for service issues, overcrowding, and behavior you might not want to be around.  MSC's short cruises are the cheapest and they have bargain "resident rates" that further affect the passenger mix.  I avoid these cruises.  I did take a 4 night Meraviglia cruise that left Sunday from Port Canaveral in October.  I saw what I described but the ship wasn't full because it left on a Sunday and I was in Aurea which helped.  But I saw people slamming drinks starting at 6:00AM and by midday you can imagine their condition.  So caveat emptor on short cruises. 
   
• Where you sail from - Miami cruises skew both heavily Hispanic and international (Miami is a big European gateway).  You're looking at boisterous crowds that travel together as families and large groups. Their fun can be loud and overpowering.  It is what it is but sets the tone for the entire cruise.  Port Canaveral also attracts an international crowd as well as a lot of families.  That affects the dynamic on those sailings.  MSC's lower rates and kids sail free promotions fill up their ships which also affects the dynamic.  If you're on a sailing with a lot of Europeans, be prepared to throw elbows.  They don't queue at home and they don't queue when they are on vacation.  Americans view their behavior as rude but it's cultural.  
   
• When you sail - spring break, holidays, and school recesses almost guarantee a full ship, lots of kids, lots of large groups and families traveling together, and a more raucous environment.  Again, MSC's low pricing allows more people to travel together for less so their ships tend to attract more of that business mix.  For 7 days cruises, those that leave and return on Saturday or Sunday are most heavily booked by people taking a week off from work.  A departure and return on any other day screws that up because vacation days also need to be taken the week before or after the sailing.  The exception is international travelers who typically take two weeks or more of vacation and do something land based before or after the cruise.  I went on a 7 day Friday Divina cruise a couple of weeks ago and the ship was 2/3 full and had a heavy European business mix.  I was in YC but when I ventured out the ship seemed to be reasonably contained and everyone seemed happy.
   
• MSC is a European cruise line - They do things the European way which can be good or bad depending on your outlook.  For example, you have to self register your credit card via an electronic kiosk after you board to activate your onboard account.  Meals and the buffet are simpler with portions smaller than you'd see on the mainstream cruise lines.  Food is available around traditional meal times, not 24/7.  Things like pizza and snacks are but some call out the lack of major eating opportunities throughout the day and night. Their service staff (EG: reception) aren't "fun" and overtly bubbly.  They are officious much like European hotel staff.  Almost all the direct service staff are from SE Asia or Eastern Europe.  They aren't going to where Hawaiian shirts and dance limbo by the pool.  They are servers and you'll be served.  Another personal example.  I went on the Apex last summer to Norway.  The passengers were 90% American and blindfolded you wouldn't have known you weren't sailing Celebrity in the Caribbean.  Some people like seeing Europe surrounded with Americans and having an American experience delivers by a cruise line focused on Americans.  If I'm sailing in Europe the MSC experience mirrors the countries I'm visiting and I prefer that.  For better or worse.

 

I like MSC, especially in the YC.  But I have friends I wouldn't recommend them to.  Not because of anything in particular, just that chemistry wise those friends are a mismatch for the MSC experience.  More bluntly, those of you looking for a Norwegian, RCI, or Carnival experience aren't going to find it on MSC.  The formulas those three cruise lines use are almost identical to each other.  Go on one and you know what to expect on the others.  MSC is different.  Whether you find that good or bad is subjective. 

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, scorpiony3358 said:

I currently have a 10 night Uniworld river cruise from Budapest to Bucharest in April. I have 14 nights in June on NCL Jade in the Greek Isles. I have a Regent 20 night Copenhagen to Amsterdam in August. I have a 14 night Regent in Nov from Istanbul to Barcelona. You posters should try these lines and you'll never go back to MSC.

 

Maybe Explora Journeys would be a better fit....if you are willing to take another chance on something new. 

[nednrom]

10 hours ago, Beaver1975 said:

Lost me after stating he was a former music industry executive and complained about a Flamingo Guitarist. Flamenco????

The guitarist was playing Flamingos Fly? old Sammy Hagar song.

[nednrom]

8 hours ago, Stockjock said:

I've read the letter and added some personal comments in parenthesis.

I've been on an inaugural cruise and there is something given out to commemorate the occasion. MSC gave nothing!

(You have this letter and your fond memories!)

 

I love this statement

[nednrom]

7 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding this part...

 

On our last Celebrity (Reflection B2B) sailing, we had something like $800 OBC for each leg. I was able to draw on that prior to sailing for excursions and such - ended up using most it ahead of time to get dozens of their $55 promo chips for $50.

 

On our upcoming Mardi Gras sailing, each time I've purchased something for that cruise (Wi-Fi, specialty dining, etc), I'm given the option of using my OBC. I, instead, use the handy $500 AARP Carnival gift cards - which I purchased for $450 each. 🙂

 

Tom

 

 

Pardon me, the last time I cruised Carnival was 2017, last time I cruised Celebrity was 2018 so they may have changed.  When you have onboard credit and you prepay, it deducts it from your OBC, you don't have to put in your CC information and you're not charged.  I would have contacted my TA at that point to ask about the OBC.

[BoundForSea]

~~YAWN~~
 

Another One…… So you didn’t like MSC… 🙄

SHOCKER

 

The Red and Blue Whale Tail Funnel called and they want you back. 
 

 

 

 

[bafinegan]

I dunno, Guess I'm easy to please.  AS long as the food is decent, the cabins/public areas are kept clean and there is some type of entertainment, I'm happy.  I have sailed Disney, Carnival, Princess, Viking and my upcoming April cruise is my second on MSC. I like the differences between the lines.  The same-same is boring IMHO.  

Edited February 11, 2023 by bafinegan

[Fla Mike]

9 hours ago, scorpiony3358 said:

there are certain basics that every cruise should have and MSC didn't meet my standards.

 

Key words here are "DIDN'T MEET MY STANDARDS"

[kernow]

9 hours ago, scorpiony3358 said:

Just a general reply to all who took the time to read my post which some of you called a rant. First my CPAP has nothing to do with smoking Cuban Cigars. The blackout of TV never happened on any other Transatlantic sailing.   As for expecting more there are certain basics that every cruise should have and MSC didn't meet my standards. I don't expect to be treated better than others, but expect to get what I paid for. 

 

I currently have a 10 night Uniworld river cruise from Budapest to Bucharest in April. I have 14 nights in June on NCL Jade in the Greek Isles. I have a Regent 20 night Copenhagen to Amsterdam in August. I have a 14 night Regent in Nov from Istanbul to Barcelona. You posters should try these lines and you'll never go back to MSC. The TA was weak and she was not who I used to book the above trips. 

 

Gee I spelled Flamenco wrong. I did get a kick out of some of the posts that had nothing constructive to add. The person in the hotel business said I exaggerated. I guess to him the customer is always wrong. As for the entertainment one responder agreed with me. 

 

While we all have a right to voice our opinions when you are a service company like MSC you reply directly. As for the length of my rant it addressed many issues that I encountered, and I didn't make a demand for compensation. If MSC cared about it's customers, they would make an effort to right the wrong. 

 

I'll close by saying my post was read and hopefully costs MSC some future customers. 

I think you're being unfair, how much did you pay for your non YC MSC compared to Regent and Uniworld, I bet it was a lot less. We actually did a cruise on NCL Jade years ago and while it was fine, I personally prefer MSC.

 

We cruise multiple lines and have never had what we consider a really bad cruise but you can't compare a premium line with a mass market one, generally you get what you pay for.

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

9 hours ago, scorpiony3358 said:

I'll close by saying my post was read and hopefully costs MSC some future customers

"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. " Mark Twain

The 'takeaway' from your post just confirms what many of us have been posting for weeks now. That the experience is different on MSC ships with a Yacht Club. This might just be by design.

Edited February 11, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[JT1962]

10 hours ago, scorpiony3358 said:

 

I'll close by saying my post was read and hopefully costs MSC some future customers. 

What a pathetic statement. Maybe some anger counseling would be in order. Hoping to destroy a company because it didn’t meet your expectations leads to a miserable life.

[morpheusofthesea]

8 hours ago, B_A_H said:

Their service staff (EG: reception) aren't "fun" and overtly bubbly.  They are officious much like European hotel staff. 

I love that word "officious". "objectionably aggressive in offering one's unrequested and unwanted services, help, or advice; meddlesome. an officious person. 2. marked by or proceeding from such forwardness."  Personally I find that the staff in the Yacht Club can tend to be overly 'helpful' even officious, while outside the YC staff can be , let 'me' say, callous, dealing with 'what they deal with '.

Edited February 11, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[LTCruzer]

A lot of the issues mentioned seems like an inexperienced cruiser who did very little research into the product they were purchasing. 

[Beaver1975]

11 hours ago, Shippy said:

Hard to believe a seasoned cruiser would take an inaugural cruise.

   They are notorious for being plagued with problems.

ANY research into MSC would advise you to book the Yacht Club...If you stop smoking....you might be able to give up your cpap    :O)

Smoking has very little to do with sleep apnea.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

33 minutes ago, LTCruzer said:

A lot of the issues mentioned seems like an inexperienced cruiser who did very little research into the product they were purchasing. 

 

... and then there's people similar to myself - who spend an inordinate amount of time tweezing apart the minutia. I do this to be informed, as I prefer to minimize (you can never eliminate) surprises.

 

Tom

[LTCruzer]

6 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

... and then there's people similar to myself - who go spend an inordinate amount of time tweezing apart the minutia. I do this to be informed, as I prefer to minimize (you can never eliminate) surprises.

 

Tom

 

I am with you. I see many posts where if the person had spent half as much time researching prior to booking their cruise as they did going to multiple sites posting negative reviews about their “horrible” experience after returning, they would have known not to book the option they chose and found a cruise that was more suitable.

[Markanddonna]

10 hours ago, B_A_H said:

 

 

• The mix of passengers - 3 and 4 night cruises, especially those over weekends, draw a rowdy crowd looking to exploit every minute they are on the ship.  These sailings are also typically full.  Because they are relatively cheap, you typically get a bunch of first time cruisers.  The combination of these things are a recipe for service issues, overcrowding, and behavior you might not want to be around.  MSC's short cruises are the cheapest and they have bargain "resident rates" that further affect the passenger mix.  I avoid these cruises.  I did take a 4 night Meraviglia cruise that left Sunday from Port Canaveral in October.  I saw what I described but the ship wasn't full because it left on a Sunday and I was in Aurea which helped.  But I saw people slamming drinks starting at 6:00AM and by midday you can imagine their condition.  So caveat emptor on short cruises. 
   
• Where you sail from - Miami cruises skew both heavily Hispanic and international (Miami is a big European gateway).  You're looking at boisterous crowds that travel together as families and large groups. Their fun can be loud and overpowering.  It is what it is but sets the tone for the entire cruise.  Port Canaveral also attracts an international crowd as well as a lot of families.  That affects the dynamic on those sailings.  MSC's lower rates and kids sail free promotions fill up their ships which also affects the dynamic.  If you're on a sailing with a lot of Europeans, be prepared to throw elbows.  They don't queue at home and they don't queue when they are on vacation.  Americans view their behavior as rude but it's cultural.  
   
•  

Your posting is very accurate. A friend from Brazil pointed out that January is when lots of South Americans take their vacations. The cruise next person on our first B2B Jan sailing told me our passenger composition for the 10 day was only 25% North American which also includes many people who speak Spanish as their primary language. I didn't perceive them as rowdy, but rather loud and entitled/rude. 

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, JT1962 said:

What a pathetic statement. Maybe some anger counseling would be in order. Hoping to destroy a company because it didn’t meet your expectations leads to a miserable life.

How do you figure?

 I took take every opportunity to warn new potential customers that they have the worst IT and customer service in the industry. I too hope someone hesitates to book because of my posting. I am not miserable at all. But I guess in all fairness the op was because of not meeting his expectations, mine is because of a couple of terrible things they did to me.

 I also, like I did in this thread already brought to light the fact that this company does not care about customers and outright lies to them. 

 

Do you think bumping someone who had a cruise booked for a year out of a yacht club grand suite to a regular balcony with no reduction in fare and no YC perks is good business? I was given the opportunity to cancel with no penalty a couple of weeks before.

 

 We gave them the option to put me on another sailing of their choice on any 7 night sailing from a Florida port and they can give me only 48 hours notice in the next 5 months.No!

 

How about overcharging me $1000 just before sailing, just pay it so your booking doesn't get cancelled and we will correct it right after the sailing. Took 2 years and a big TA rep to intervene.

 

Great YC product but many things are lousy. I have 3 more MSC cruises in the next 3 months with one being 18 night in Saudi Arabia and then no more. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

4 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Do you think bumping someone who had a cruise booked for a year out of a yacht club grand suite to a regular balcony with no reduction in fare and no YC perks is good business?

You've mentioned this situation a couple of times. Please elaborate on the circumstances.  At its surface this scenario seems preposterous!  And I'm not saying it didn't happen but it just seems so random.  Why did you get downgraded?    Did they even offer to find you a YC room on another ship or future sailing with a similar itinerary?  I definitely would have taken the refund...and given MSC the middle finger.