MSC Cruise with 14 people - some questions

[Marga.Anders]

Hi,

 

New cruiser question. We are thinking about booking a MSC Euribia cruise to Norway next year. We are a group of 14 including 7 children. 

Because this is a family trip we would like to be able to eat together. Is it possible with MSC to have a 14-person table in the main dining room?  Do they have large tables in the buffet restaurant?

 

Other questions:

 

- Do we need to make reservations in advance to shows? Do we do this on an app before the cruise, or once we are onboard?

- Do we need to be smart about combining drinkers in the same cabin? Are all people in the cabin required to get the same drink package?

- Are there formal nights on MSC cruises?

- How do we acquire an early boarding time?

- Do we need to make reservations for kids club?

- What is the main language spoken by staff? 

 

I read somewhere there are super family cabins available where they combine several cabins into 1 large one. How do we find these on the site and are they recommended?

 

Any other tips for new cruises and for larger group cruisers?  Where do you typically book your cruise, with a travel agent or with MSC directly?

 

Thanks!

[IsanTom]

1 hour ago, Marga.Anders said:

Hi,

 

New cruiser question. We are thinking about booking a MSC Euribia cruise to Norway next year. We are a group of 14 including 7 children. 

Because this is a family trip we would like to be able to eat together. Is it possible with MSC to have a 14-person table in the main dining room?  Do they have large tables in the buffet restaurant?

 

Other questions:

 

- Do we need to make reservations in advance to shows? Do we do this on an app before the cruise, or once we are onboard?

- Do we need to be smart about combining drinkers in the same cabin? Are all people in the cabin required to get the same drink package?

- Are there formal nights on MSC cruises?

- How do we acquire an early boarding time?

- Do we need to make reservations for kids club?

- What is the main language spoken by staff? 

 

I read somewhere there are super family cabins available where they combine several cabins into 1 large one. How do we find these on the site and are they recommended?

 

Any other tips for new cruises and for larger group cruisers?  Where do you typically book your cruise, with a travel agent or with MSC directly?

 

Thanks!

Good Luck!

[mscdivina2016]

3 hours ago, Marga.Anders said:

Hi,

 

New cruiser question. We are thinking about booking a MSC Euribia cruise to Norway next year. We are a group of 14 including 7 children. 

Because this is a family trip we would like to be able to eat together. Is it possible with MSC to have a 14-person table in the main dining room?  Do they have large tables in the buffet restaurant?

 

Other questions:

 

- Do we need to make reservations in advance to shows? Do we do this on an app before the cruise, or once we are onboard?

- Do we need to be smart about combining drinkers in the same cabin? Are all people in the cabin required to get the same drink package?

- Are there formal nights on MSC cruises?

- How do we acquire an early boarding time?

- Do we need to make reservations for kids club?

- What is the main language spoken by staff? 

 

I read somewhere there are super family cabins available where they combine several cabins into 1 large one. How do we find these on the site and are they recommended?

 

Any other tips for new cruises and for larger group cruisers?  Where do you typically book your cruise, with a travel agent or with MSC directly?

 

Thanks!

How many cabins?  If 5 or more you might want to go the group route and it may be easier.

Yes reservation for shows. 1st come 1st seating once in .

App only if you want and if it works.

Yes on booze packages

There are Elegant nights.

No kids club reservations needed. Language is probably English as well as a few others.

 

Can't comment on family cabins.

 

Tips....use a TA only!!!!!!! Otherwise your large family cruise will most likely have hiccups.

[Homosassa]

MSC is a cruise line that is geared toward family and affinity groups.

 

In the dining room they have large tables that can accommodate large groups.

 

I suggest that you use a travel agent that is familiar with MSC and knows who the contact to set up and link the reservations for the family group.

 

A suggestion is that dinner be your focus for a meal that all will share.

 

Lunch may not be as easy as many may have different plans for spending their time during the day.

[Marga.Anders]

Hi,

 

I posted this recently at the MSC boards, but got hardly any response. So hoping you guys can help me please.

 

New cruiser question. We are thinking about booking a MSC Euribia cruise to Norway next year. We are a group of 14 including 7 children. 

Because this is a family trip we would like to be able to eat together. Is it possible with MSC to have a 14-person table in the main dining room?  Do they have large tables in the buffet restaurant?

 

Other questions:

 

- Do we need to make reservations in advance to shows? Do we do this on an app before the cruise, or once we are onboard?

- Do we need to be smart about combining drinkers in the same cabin? Are all people in the cabin required to get the same drink package?

- Are there formal nights on MSC cruises?

- How do we acquire an early boarding time?

- Do we need to make reservations for kids club?

- What is the main language spoken by staff? 

 

I read somewhere there are super family cabins available where they combine several cabins into 1 large one. How do we find these on the site and are they recommended?

 

Any other tips for new cruises and for larger group cruisers?  Where do you typically book your cruise, with a travel agent or with MSC directly?

 

Thanks!

[CruiserBruce]

Some reading on the MSC board, and on it's website will get you a lot of info. I would expect the Mods to move this back over to the MSC board.

[capriccio]

It's a shame you didn't get more responses on the MSC board since that is the logical place for your questions.  This board is for general cruise questions, not about specific cruise lines so the moderator may move your post back to the MSC board.

 

I've been on an MSC cruise once and have another scheduled in December but it was just my husband and me and we were in the Yacht Club so the experience was different than as a member of a large group.  I will say I've never seen a single table for that large a group on any cruise ship.  It is hard to serve that many people at once with a single waiter and junior waiter.  Plus it would be difficult for the members of your group to converse with one another.  I have seen family groups separated into two nearby tables (a table for 8 and a table for 6) and then members can rotate among the tables.  On our Caribbean cruise out of Miami in 2020 IIRC the announcements were in English, Italian, Spanish, and German (and possibly more).

 

With a large group, I would work with a travel agent.  The first thing to inquire is will you get a discount/free cabin if a certain number of cabins are booked by your group?

 

Good luck - Norway is a beautiful country.

[StollyBolly]

I would think MSC could answer your questions and would be happy to help a group of 14!   If you used a travel agent they should be a good point of reference to liaise with MSC on your behalf regarding drink packages and rooms.  

I’ve never known a cruise line to need reservations for shows.  
 

We always use an agent.  They seem to have good relationships with the lines and often get answers faster than I can. 

Bon voyage! 
 

[jsn55]

I agree with my colleagues ... a group of 14 should use a Travel Agent who is also a cruise expert.  A REAL travel agent, not an online booking service. The TA doesn't have to be local; electronic communication is easy these days.  Many Travel Agents (or Advisors, the term they prefer today) are members of professional organizations that might get you started in the right direction.  ASTA is the first one that comes to mind.  It takes some research and digging around, but that would be time well spent.  If I were arranging dining for 14, I'd ask for 3 tables of 6 or two tables of 8 pax and rotate the family around each evening.

[Essiesmom]

Euribia just started sailing, and there doesn’t appear to be anyone with experience on her to answer your questions.  I can give some probable answers.  Yes, they will have large tables in the MDR.  On Seaside we were seated at a table for 14.  There were three seatings, and there were many, many empty seats at the earliest seating.  But our waiters said second and third seatings had more than 14 at the table.  I doubt there will be tables that large in the buffet.  
    There will be screens around the ship where you can use your cruise card to book seats at the shows in the theater.  I’ve not yet sailed on a ship that had the extra pay shows.  

   There will be ‘formal’ nights, but nice casual clothing will be fine.  There is usually a white night with party.  There will be many languages spoken and English will certainly be spoken by most of the staff.  Since the ship will be sailing in Europe, Americans will likely be a minority.  We found sailing MSC from the US, maybe 40% of the guests were from Europe, and they tended to dress more presentable than many Americans, especially in the evenings.

I do not believe you have to register for the kids club.

On some of the newer ships there are connecting cabins that make a super family cabin.  The deck plans I see for Euribia are pretty basic, so I can’t tell what they are.  You would need to talk with an MSC rep to find out.

I hope that this helps some.  EM

[Essiesmom]

I have pulled up the deck plans for Euribia, and I can see what they might market as super family cabins.  On the portion of deck plan below (deck 9) there are dark blue OV cabins forward that connect.  Each cabin has a double dot symbol, which is a bunk sofa…it opens up to an upper and lower bunk.  The Diamond symbol shows they have a double foldout sofa.  So each cabin could theoretically hold six.

    Further down there are balcony cabins that connect.  One has the bunk sofa and the other a triangle which is a single sofa bed.  
 

 

[Host Kat]

13 hours ago, Marga.Anders said:

Hi,

 

I posted this recently at the MSC boards, but got hardly any response. So hoping you guys can help me please...

 

Hello @Marga.Anders

 

Your two threads have been merged into one thread on the MSC Cruises forum where it will be on topic. The majority of your fellow Cruise Critic members that have sailed MSC frequent this forum and provide feedback here. 

 

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Hope this will be helpful!

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat