NCL FREQUENTERS: Of those who have sailed both how does MSC (2020-2023 recents) compare to NCL --PROS & CONS?

[PalmBeach4]

We are NCL PLATINUM & sail the larger vessels due to more activities etc. We recently sailed Celebrity Edge & like it very much except for the fact that drinks are not included & no water slides. But ship was nice, food was good, and room was great. The fact that entertainment was lame, lunch buffet was minimized, and drinks were not included definitely did not compare to the fabulous experience we always have on NCL. We have also tried a few Royal druises and food was not as good. So, this leads me to my real question..... 

***Now we are looking into MSC. The ships look beautiful, but we are interested in some tips from those who have sailed MSC recently. I am only interest in recent sailings (2019-2023 on the biggest boats (Seashore, Seaside, Seascape, Meraviglia, etc. We would like to know how MSC compares to our beloved NCL. 

We live in South Florida with 2 fashionable teenage athlete girls and we need activities and nice food, pools, water slides, fun sporty stuff, kids club, etc. Also, my husband and I like food, pools, cocktails, live pool music, comedy clubs, bars, dancing, etc. We are an active family who live to live it up to the fullest. We do larger ships always and cruise 2-3 times per year. 

We are looking for advice on those who have tried MSC and how it compares to NCL in a few different ways...Any info is greatly appreciated. Details, details, please

[Cruising Lynne]

2 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

We are NCL PLATINUM & sail the larger vessels due to more activities etc. We recently sailed Celebrity Edge & like it very much except for the fact that drinks are not included & no water slides. But ship was nice, food was good, and room was great. The fact that entertainment was lame, lunch buffet was minimized, and drinks were not included definitely did not compare to the fabulous experience we always have on NCL. We have also tried a few Royal druises and food was not as good. So, this leads me to my real question..... 

***Now we are looking into MSC. The ships look beautiful, but we are interested in some tips from those who have sailed MSC recently. I am only interest in recent sailings (2019-2023 on the biggest boats (Seashore, Seaside, Seascape, Meraviglia, etc. We would like to know how MSC compares to our beloved NCL. 

We live in South Florida with 2 fashionable teenage athlete girls and we need activities and nice food, pools, water slides, fun sporty stuff, kids club, etc. Also, my husband and I like food, pools, cocktails, live pool music, comedy clubs, bars, dancing, etc. We are an active family who live to live it up to the fullest. We do larger ships always and cruise 2-3 times per year. 

We are looking for advice on those who have tried MSC and how it compares to NCL in a few different ways...Any info is greatly appreciated. Details, details, please

 

Hi, I have not sailed with MSC yet, but have a cruise booked on Meraviglia for May 2024. I have noticed that a few posters that I recognize from the NCL boards have been posting on the MSC boards. You may also want to ask this question there. 

[LadyZolt]

I sailed on a short 4-night cruise on the Meraviglia last December.  I sailed the Bliss in September, and the Breakaway a few years ago, and we are booked on the Escape for this upcoming September.  In my opinion, if you want to try the MSC cruises at the level it sounds like you enjoy, you should book the Yacht Club level. It will give you the best food and service.  We didn't book at that level, but spoke to people who did and I think if we ever sail with them again, we'd choose Yacht Club.  MSC is pretty new to the USA market -- their employees are trying, but they are not as familiar with the USA or English as I think NCL employees are.  For example, there's a "Sports Bar" on the Meraviglia. It is a bar located near the area where people play sports.  It's like someone from MSC heard Americans like "sports bars," but didn't really understand what "sports bar" means to an American -- a place with lots of TV screens watching live games going on.  Two more examples:  We sailed in December and as we were leaving, there was a sign that said, "We wish you a happy holidays."  Yes, we know what they mean -- but it's not quite right.  Last one:  A sign near one of those emergency fire alarm pulls behind a bit of glass -- "Brake in case of emergency."  They didn't have anyone fluent in English proofread things.  It's fine -- you know they mean well. But it's not quite the experience you would be delighted to have. We now say MSC stands for "Mediocre So-So Cruises."  

 

The one really great thing about MSC is that they "status match." Whatever your highest loyalty level is, they will let you sign up with them and start you at that level. They will match most cruises and major hotel chains.  Because my husband is the highest level of Hilton Honors, he got matched to MSC's highest level -- and got robes and slippers, chocolates and champagne, and a free dinner at one of the specialty restaurants. And all the employees -- on the phone and in person -- are quite nice and trying very hard to make you happy.  I think if you do try them, don't have high expectations, and do book at their Yacht Club level.  

[amygutman]

Agree with @Cruising Lynne re: cross-posting on the MSC Boards and with @LadyZolt re: booking the Yacht Club. Honestly, am not sure what you mean by "fashionable" teens - if they like glitzy things then MSC may be for them. We have a 14 yo son who is the opposite of fashionable as he is in his broody teen angst stage of adolescence. 

 

I am sure you have already figured it out that each ship and experience are different. Have you been in regular rooms on NCL or in the Haven? There are many board threads re: the differences between these two class experiences. 

 

Maybe if you could provide more specifics, you can get some very good information and advice. Having been on smaller + larger NCL ships in the Haven and suites, and in the very large MSC ships in the YC I will keep an eye out for your response and see if I can help. 

 

Warmest, Amy

[Two Wheels Only]

4 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

We recently sailed Celebrity Edge & like it very much except for the fact that drinks are not included & no water slides.

 

This tells me that you weren't in The Retreat, correct?

I'm guessing that you aren't asking about how the Yacht Club compares to the Haven.

 

1 hour ago, LadyZolt said:

For example, there's a "Sports Bar" on the Meraviglia. It is a bar located near the area where people play sports.  It's like someone from MSC heard Americans like "sports bars," but didn't really understand what "sports bar" means to an American -- a place with lots of TV screens watching live games going on.

 

The sports bar on the the Sea**** ships is a much better setup. 

 

 

4 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

I am only interest in recent sailings (2019-2023 on the biggest boats (Seashore, Seaside, Seascape, Meraviglia, etc. We would like to know how MSC compares to our beloved NCL. 

 

I've sailed on 3 out of 4 of those ships at least once and will be sailing the 4th in a few months. The sailings were all in the Yacht Club so if you are looking at Yacht Club (less expensive than Haven in most cases), I can compare MSC to the larger NCL ships/Haven. 

 

If you're not thinking of Yacht Club, which MSC experience are you considering? With NCL's larger ships, it's pretty much Haven or "everyone else". With MSC, there are more levels as you go from Yacht Club to Aurea to Fantastica to Bella and each level has differences that can make or break the cruise. 

 

Looking down the line, MSC is bringing World America to Florida and that ship is really the first to challenge the Oasis Class from RCCL as far as size and "stuff" (RCCL ICON Class is another level up). It will be larger than any NCL ship for the foreseeable future. The Prima Class ships being built later might grow but won't grow to World Class size. 

 

It might help if you could tell us more of what you are interested in as far as the ship's amenities such as water-slides, zip-lines, bowling, 4D/5D simulators, etc.  

[insidecabin]

NCL does not include alcohol you pay extra for a package.

 

You can do the same on celebrity and  MSC.

 

 

[Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin]

We did a side2side on MSC Mera to NCL Sky.  We were in Yacht Club on MSC and OS on NCL.  Of course, Sky much smaller ship.  However, we are sapphire on NCL.  Have sailed 2x on MSC (Bellissima and Meraviglia).  We enjoy both lines.  I can't really comment on the non-YC experience, but on our first sailing on MSC, I remember thinking that I was happy with the Yacht Club, but didn't think I would enjoy being outside of the YC.  YC used to be significantly less expensive than Haven, but it is catching up.  YC includes drinks and the thermal suite, which you pay extra for on NCL.  MSC has announcements in multiple languages (at least on Med cruises), can't remember it that much on our 2023 Caribbean sailing.  I do know on both MSC sailings, I was sad to get off the ship!!!

[rxlowry]

I’ve only done MSC in Yacht Club so I can’t say how the MDR compares.  The specialty restaurants were comparable.  The buffet was excellent and the pizza amazing!  
The Seascape has lots of great venues and activities for kids.  
I’d recommend using a travel advisor especially for MSC as booking with them can be confusing. 

[DCGuy64]

We've sailed with MSC 3 times and have another booked for next January. We've done the Seaside (Oct 2018), the Meraviglia (Dec 2019), and the Splendida (Aug 2021) so far. The first cruise was with the Aurea experience, the other two in Yacht Club. YC is awesome and a great deal, but I'd rather focus on the Aurea experience, because it sounds like your family would like that more. We had a fantastic time. Drinks were included as part of the promotion we got from our TA, and I LOVED the water slides and water park on the Seaside. They have lots of activities for kids (we don't have children, but I saw many, many, many of them onboard who seemed to be having the time of their lives). Drinks and food were superb (real Italian pizza, gelato and homemade pasta, yum!), and their ships are gorgeous. We aren't comedy club types so I can't comment on that. We did go hear several musical acts and really enjoyed the singing and dancing. One caveat is that MSC, being a European brand, has a distinctly European vibe about it (ladies in evening gowns and gentlemen in suits and tuxedos at dinnertime, for instance). We were (pleasantly) surprised to find Americans in the minority on our Seaside cruise, which embarked from Miami. Most of our fellow passengers were European, British or Latin American. We LOVED this! My wife and I are globetrotters and polyglots, and we absolutely relish Italian food, so MSC is a perfect fit for us. Having cruised on Royal, Carnival, Costa, and NCL, I can say MSC feels different, in a good way. For us, NCL is more laid-back, more American, and more 'fun,' but MSC feels a bit more sophisticated while still being very enjoyable. We are set to sail on the Norwegian Breakaway in the Mediterranean this November, and can't wait. We like to mix it up and not cruise with just one line all of the time. I hope that helps.

[mafig]

12 hours ago, LadyZolt said:

 

 

The one really great thing about MSC is that they "status match." Whatever your highest loyalty level is, they will let you sign up with them and start you at that level. They will match most cruises and major hotel chains.  Because my husband is the highest level of Hilton Honors, he got matched to MSC's highest level -- and got robes and slippers, chocolates and champagne, and a free dinner at one of the specialty restaurants. And all the employees -- on the phone and in person -- are quite nice and trying very hard to make you happy.  I think if you do try them, don't have high expectations, and do book at their Yacht Club level.  

and 5% off....sometimes more.

[ziggyuk]

MSC are well priced but for me MSC has two weak points. The fixed meal times suck, and the entertainment is not as good IMHO.

[Two Wheels Only]

12 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

MSC are well priced but for me MSC has two weak points. The fixed meal times suck, and the entertainment is not as good IMHO.

 

Book Aurea or higher to dine anytime. 

[Sinbadssailors]

I've sailed MSC in Bella up to Yacht Club, and insides and balconies in all "experiences", on old and new and big and small ships, both before and after covid.

 

Food has a definite Italian slant and also fewer meat dishes, but more seafood. Some love it,  some hate it. 

 

Your fellow passengers could very much influence your cruise. There aren't as many Americans,  which can be great/interesting, but there can also be cultural differences beyond dressing for dinner, that aren't so great.  Like failure to queue. With actual pushing. 

 

In my opinion:

 

Ships are beautiful,  their private island is the best. 

 

The shows can be odd. The costumes are definitely odd. Fewer guitarists around the ship, but more pianos and violins.  Performers all very good though.

 

The buffet is bad. Except for pizza,  pizza is wonderful,as is the gelato.

 

Aurea is best bang for your buck because of the separate anytime dining room. 

 

The set dining times are annoying in 2023, but, in my experience,  flexible.  We've never had problem getting a truly private table and the times are fluid.

I've seen people stroll in an hour late, as the others at the table were leaving. 

 

It's that la dulce vita/don't sweat the small stuff approach of enjoying what you're doing without rushing off to your assigned time for whatever.  Unlikely that the DR doors will be closed 15 minutes after 6 pm dinner on MSC.

 

Again some love it,  some hate it. But you can definitely have fantastic trip without being in the Yacht Club .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Sinbadssailors

[JGmf]

@JamieLogical, a trusted reviewer, did an extensive review of MSC.  She was an NCL devotee until she was sold on MSC after her cruise.  It's a good read.

 

.

[Agent999]

16 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

We are NCL PLATINUM & sail the larger vessels due to more activities etc. We recently sailed Celebrity Edge & like it very much except for the fact that drinks are not included & no water slides. But ship was nice, food was good, and room was great. The fact that entertainment was lame, lunch buffet was minimized, and drinks were not included definitely did not compare to the fabulous experience we always have on NCL. We have also tried a few Royal druises and food was not as good. So, this leads me to my real question..... 

***Now we are looking into MSC. The ships look beautiful, but we are interested in some tips from those who have sailed MSC recently. I am only interest in recent sailings (2019-2023 on the biggest boats (Seashore, Seaside, Seascape, Meraviglia, etc. We would like to know how MSC compares to our beloved NCL. 

We live in South Florida with 2 fashionable teenage athlete girls and we need activities and nice food, pools, water slides, fun sporty stuff, kids club, etc. Also, my husband and I like food, pools, cocktails, live pool music, comedy clubs, bars, dancing, etc. We are an active family who live to live it up to the fullest. We do larger ships always and cruise 2-3 times per year. 

We are looking for advice on those who have tried MSC and how it compares to NCL in a few different ways...Any info is greatly appreciated. Details, details, please

 

These A vs B compare/contrast requests are difficult to fairly address simply because what I like/dislike could very well differ from what you like/dislike. IOW, there is little value in me telling you to have the meatballs, they are the best meatballs anywhere, if you personally do not like meatballs.

 

You should do what makes you happy, not do what made someone else happy.

 

I see from your post that you've tried Celebrity, but it appears that you aren't overly impressed by them.

 

You also said you've tried Royal a few time, and again, not overly impressive results.

 

Now you are looking to try MSC.

 

Which leads to my question: Given that you stated "...the fabulous experience we always have on NCL", what are you looking for in another cruise line? If you always have a fabulous experience on NCL, what are you hoping that another cruise line can do to create a better than fabulous experience. Perhaps if we knew what it was you were looking for that NCL doesn't provide, we could tell you whether or not another line might provide what you are looking for.

[JamieLogical]

Here is some stuff I typed up for someone in my Meraviglia roll call who has only sailed NCL previously. From your OP, I do think you might miss out on the comedy club. A couple of nights there was a comedy act in the main theater, but no designated comedy club.

 

 

For the buffet, I think MSC has the edge. Their pizza is much better than NCLs and they often have fresh mozzarella made onboard available, which is phenomenal. The breakfast buffet is open straight through until lunch (sounds like NCL doesn't do that anymore?) and they even keep one station in the back of the buffet stocked with breakfast items during lunch hours in case brunch is more your speed. I never ate in the buffet for dinner, so I am not much help there. Initially, I was disappointed with MSC's late night snack offerings, because they didn't have quite as many options as NCL used to for late night snack, but I have learned that NCL has eliminated late night snack altogether, so that's no longer a fair comparison. As Ted said, at breakfast and lunch, the buffet can be packed, so go all the way to the back to avoid some of the crowds. Also, if you like "kid" food like mac & cheese, chicken tenders, and french fries, there is an area near the front of the buffet set up with that stuff.

 

For the MDR, I much prefer the quality and selection of MSC. I especially like that they have real seafood available, including a lobster night. One downside of MSC is that it can be hard to get any alcohol aside from wine in the MDR. I would often just bring my own drink. Another downside is the assigned dining time/table. It's a far cry from the Freestyle dining on NCL and can make sitting with large groups or strangers you meet onboard a real challenge.

 

For specialty restaurants, I would give NCL the edge, just because of the bigger variety of options and the accessibility of specialty dining through the Free at Sea deal and the Platinum vouchers. On my first MSC sailing, my husband and I paid $71/person for the 3-meal package. We used our meal plans at Butcher's Cut, Teppanyaki, and Ocean Cay. When you use a meal plan at any of those restaurants, you have a limited selection to choose from, not the full, normal, a la carte menu. I found the "tasting" menu options to be more than enough for me, but I can see how some people might be disappointed not getting some of the normal menu items. You *can* use your meal package to get a 50% discount on a la carte items off the normal menu.

 

Butcher's Cut was better than Cagney's, but I have never been a fan of Cagney's, so that's no surprise. I had heard bad things about Ocean Cay, but I really enjoyed it and their crab cake is delicious! The only disappointment for me was Teppanyaki. The menu options are way more limited than on NCL and I found the whole thing to be a step below the NCL experience. Definitely would  not bother with that one again.

 

By far my favorite specialty restaurant on MSC was Hola! I love that place sooooo much. If you get a meal package, don't waste it there, as the food is incredibly cheap. You can pay $17 for all you can eat, but that ends up being pretty absurd. If you pay a la carte, you will be VERY full for less than $10, as their prices are so reasonable. The food is delicious and I went there several times for both lunch and dinner.

 

I think, food-wise, one disadvantage that MSC has is there is nothing like The Local/O'sheehan's serving included food 24/7.

 

As for the drink package, if you have the Easy Plus package, it is way better than the package included with Free at Sea on NCL. It includes bottled water, espresso and cappuccino drinks from any of the bars, and a wider selection of spirits. I am not sure how well it works for wine drinkers, but if you are a drinker of cocktails and mixed drinks, you will be quite happy. Also, back in March, MSC switched to only charging the difference on drinks outside of your package, similar to what NCL does.

[graphicguy]

12 hours ago, insidecabin said:

NCL does not include alcohol you pay extra for a package.

 

You can do the same on celebrity and  MSC.

 

 

Free at Sea includes drinks (you only pay tips), specialty dinner(s), some internet and a $50/excursion credit.  

IIRC, the cost of the tips for NCL drinks is much, much less expensive than the drinks packages on the other cruise lines.  Although, MSC's drink package, which still way more expensive than NCL's FAS, is still less expensive than most other cruise lines' drink packages.

 

Don't know if Celebrity still offers it, but they used to have an all inclusive package that included tips, drinks and internet (but no Specialty Dining).  IT was a pretty hefty delta between the fares that were all inclusive and those that weren't.  But, it was better than booking them a la carte.

 

MSC's newer ships are beautiful....as are NCL's.  

 

Entertainment hands down goes to NCL.  And, it's not even close.

 

MSC has a definite Italian flair, which I liked.  Some do not like it, however.  They don't like the many different languages spoken on board.  And, as mentioned, the entertainment tends to be watered down to focus on the widest range of audiences geographically.

 

Service on MSC is more laid back.  With NCL it seems everyone will approach you to make sure you're having a good time...and do so with a smile and a friendly greeting.  Again, some people like the laid back type of service with MSC.

 

Aside from that.....cabins are similar.  Itineraries may be somewhat different.  NCL has way more ships going out of way more ports in North American than MSC does.

 

Pricing for MSC's Yacht Club used to be much less than NCL's Haven (which, in my opinion is still better than Yacht Club).  It's pretty on par with the Retreat on Celebrity, Haven on NCL, but still way cheaper than Royal's Star Class.

[DCGuy64]

Excellent analysis (as usual) from @JamieLogical! I can't really add much to what she said. My own perspective is that we enjoyed the food on MSC in both the Aurea restaurant and the Yacht Club one, that we never felt the need to go to a specialty restaurant at all. In some ways, we liked the assigned seating/fixed times on MSC because we made friends with a lovely Chilean couple on our first cruise and ended up speaking Spanish with them almost every night. So there are advantages to eating at the same table, same time, each evening. It's funny: there are things about MSC that I miss when we're on NCL, and vice versa. 😃

[JamieLogical]

9 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

IIRC, the cost of the tips for NCL drinks is much, much less expensive than the drinks packages on the other cruise lines.  Although, MSC's drink package, which still way more expensive than NCL's FAS, is still less expensive than most other cruise lines' drink packages.

 

Every time I have booked MSC (have booked 5 sailings so far), I have been given the option to book with an included Easy Plus drink package and the Browse Wifi, plus some amount of OBC. It's definitely much cheaper to choose this option than to pay the base fare and buy the drinks package separately. Similar to the Sailaway rates + drink package on MSC not making much sense to book.

 

Also, as far as I am concerned, there is no comparison between the Easy Plus package on MSC and the package included with Free at Sea on NCL. Easy Plus covers way more spirits and includes bottled water and specialty coffees. I had to struggle to try to find a drink on the menu that was outside of the Easy Plus package that I was interested in drinking and it definitely wasn't worth it!

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by JamieLogical

[JamieLogical]

One more thought, since you mentioned dancing. Depending on the length of your cruise, there will be some designated theme nights with corresponding parties, like white night, flower power, and gala night. The sailings that I was on, people took white night especially seriously. I stuck out like a sore thumb not wearing white all evening (even though I had no intention of going to the party) on my first sailing, so I quickly adapted my wardrobe for the white night on my second sailing! I also attended the white night party on that second sailing and it was incredibly popular and I danced WAY too much!

[DCGuy64]

8 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Every time I have booked MSC (have booked 5 sailings so far), I have been given the option to book with an included Easy Plus drink package and the Browse Wifi, plus some amount of OBC. It's definitely much cheaper to choose this option than to pay the base fare and buy the drinks package separately. Similar to the Sailaway rates + drink package on MSC not making much sense to book.

 

Also, as far as I am concerned, there is no comparison between the Easy Plus package on MSC and the package included with Free at Sea on NCL. Easy Plus covers way more spirits and includes bottled water and specialty coffees. I had to struggle to try to find a drink on the menu that was outside of the Easy Plus package that I was interested in drinking and it definitely wasn't worth it!

 

Do you know offhand if MSC bartenders are familiar with any of the NCL drinks like Mr. Worldwide, Rebellious Fish, Painkiller, etc? When I've been on MSC, I've mostly stuck to well-known cocktails and champagne/wine, so I'm just curious if those things are NCL-only or not.

[JamieLogical]

42 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Do you know offhand if MSC bartenders are familiar with any of the NCL drinks like Mr. Worldwide, Rebellious Fish, Painkiller, etc? When I've been on MSC, I've mostly stuck to well-known cocktails and champagne/wine, so I'm just curious if those things are NCL-only or not.

 

I wish they could make a Mr. Worldwide!!! I don't think they know any of those NCL-specific drinks and may not have the ingredients to make them (I don't recall seeing basil at any of the bars on MSC), but they are definitely willing to experiment and you can order any drink you want and tell them what's in it and they will attempt to make it if they have the ingredients. Also, I found that you can order things off the Premium menus and have them sub in cheaper ingredients to avoid having to pay the difference. My husband and I are very partial to French 77s, which are on the Champagne bar's menu, but over the cost of Easy Plus, since they use real champagne. We ordered them with Prosecco instead and did not have to pay extra.

[KKB]

20 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

We are NCL PLATINUM & sail the larger vessels due to more activities etc. We recently sailed Celebrity Edge & like it very much except for the fact that drinks are not included & no water slides. But ship was nice, food was good, and room was great. The fact that entertainment was lame, lunch buffet was minimized, and drinks were not included definitely did not compare to the fabulous experience we always have on NCL. We have also tried a few Royal druises and food was not as good. So, this leads me to my real question..... 

***Now we are looking into MSC. The ships look beautiful, but we are interested in some tips from those who have sailed MSC recently. I am only interest in recent sailings (2019-2023 on the biggest boats (Seashore, Seaside, Seascape, Meraviglia, etc. We would like to know how MSC compares to our beloved NCL. 

We live in South Florida with 2 fashionable teenage athlete girls and we need activities and nice food, pools, water slides, fun sporty stuff, kids club, etc. Also, my husband and I like food, pools, cocktails, live pool music, comedy clubs, bars, dancing, etc. We are an active family who live to live it up to the fullest. We do larger ships always and cruise 2-3 times per year. 

We are looking for advice on those who have tried MSC and how it compares to NCL in a few different ways...Any info is greatly appreciated. Details, details, please

I have done 9 Celebrity cruises in the last 10 yrs--4/5 on Eclass in the last 2 years. I LOVE Eclass.

4 NCl in 5 yrs & 4 MSC this year (B2B in Caribbean on Divina & B2B in Europe on Preziosa)

 

Probably will not sail MSC again.

I found passengers to be the least polite I have ever encountered, both in Caribbean & Europe.

Far too many with little regard for common courtesy--holding elevators, not cutting lines, etc.

More than once saw people jam other's backs with buffet trays, physically move children aside.

Listen, I'm the kind of gal who can have a good time ANYWHERE & generally go with the flow.

But these behaviors were intolerable for me.

And on the Divina, VERY VERY crowded ALL OVER the outside deck space on sea days--not enough loungers & people pulled them EVERYWHERE. You could not walk a lap around any deck w/o zig zagging around people (not an issue in N. Europe--not many people on deck!)

 

Entertainment is nowhere near NCL or Eclass level. (not sure why lame...but we all have different tastes. Other classes in Celebrity, meh, might be lame) I got BORED on MSC cruises. That doesn't happen on other lines for me.

Food is a tie--I found the Divina buffet very good, Preziosa not as much. MSC pizza is AMAZING.

 

If you give MSC a try, I would go for a bigger ship with all the bells & whistles for your kids.

And if it is in your budget, the resounding opinion is go Yacht Club.

Hey, if MSC wants to comp me a YC room, I'd give it a try again!

 

 

[insidecabin]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Free at Sea includes drinks (you only pay tips), specialty dinner(s), some internet and a $50/excursion credit.  

IIRC, the cost of the tips for NCL drinks is much, much less expensive than the drinks packages on the other cruise lines.  Although, MSC's drink package, which still way more expensive than NCL's FAS, is still less expensive than most other cruise lines' drink packages.

 

Don't know if Celebrity still offers it, but they used to have an all inclusive package that included tips, drinks and internet (but no Specialty Dining).  IT was a pretty hefty delta between the fares that were all inclusive and those that weren't.  But, it was better than booking them a la carte.

 

MSC's newer ships are beautiful....as are NCL's.  

 

Entertainment hands down goes to NCL.  And, it's not even close.

 

MSC has a definite Italian flair, which I liked.  Some do not like it, however.  They don't like the many different languages spoken on board.  And, as mentioned, the entertainment tends to be watered down to focus on the widest range of audiences geographically.

 

Service on MSC is more laid back.  With NCL it seems everyone will approach you to make sure you're having a good time...and do so with a smile and a friendly greeting.  Again, some people like the laid back type of service with MSC.

 

Aside from that.....cabins are similar.  Itineraries may be somewhat different.  NCL has way more ships going out of way more ports in North American than MSC does.

 

Pricing for MSC's Yacht Club used to be much less than NCL's Haven (which, in my opinion is still better than Yacht Club).  It's pretty on par with the Retreat on Celebrity, Haven on NCL, but still way cheaper than Royal's Star Class.

 

MSC drinks package varies in price per cruise. UK get the premium extra s the promotion add on.

 

Sometimes their premium extra( a far superior drinks  package ) gets close to NCL costs($21.80/£17) with UK bookings.

Our last MSC premium extra was £25, easily covered with the extras included with the MSC package.

seen under £15.

Also MSC  have the benefit in the UK of no daily service another $20/£15.50 saving over NCL

 

Both drinks are an additional cost extra 

 

NCL drinks are not free unless you pretend the money you have to pay is somehow not real money.

 

End of the day its the total of the bits you want that matters not how you got there.

[mscdivina2016]

22 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

We are NCL PLATINUM & sail the larger vessels due to more activities etc. We recently sailed Celebrity Edge & like it very much except for the fact that drinks are not included & no water slides. But ship was nice, food was good, and room was great. The fact that entertainment was lame, lunch buffet was minimized, and drinks were not included definitely did not compare to the fabulous experience we always have on NCL. We have also tried a few Royal druises and food was not as good. So, this leads me to my real question..... 

***Now we are looking into MSC. The ships look beautiful, but we are interested in some tips from those who have sailed MSC recently. I am only interest in recent sailings (2019-2023 on the biggest boats (Seashore, Seaside, Seascape, Meraviglia, etc. We would like to know how MSC compares to our beloved NCL. 

We live in South Florida with 2 fashionable teenage athlete girls and we need activities and nice food, pools, water slides, fun sporty stuff, kids club, etc. Also, my husband and I like food, pools, cocktails, live pool music, comedy clubs, bars, dancing, etc. We are an active family who live to live it up to the fullest. We do larger ships always and cruise 2-3 times per year. 

We are looking for advice on those who have tried MSC and how it compares to NCL in a few different ways...Any info is greatly appreciated. Details, details, please

 I have done 4 so far this year with MSC. Two with NCL last fall.

 

All are Haven or Yacht club.

 

MSC has a great product but customer service is crap as well as IT, so always use a TA for MSC.

 I have personally experienced a ton a bad things from them.

 They have without telling me, changed my embarkation port, change countries, changed sailing dates and even told me I owed m

ore on a cruise two weeks prior to sailing despite being paid off a year and a half ago.

 How about being bumped out of Yacht club into a regular balcony with no reduction in fare?

 I don't care for MSC entertainment, I find it short and it uses too much video screen for me.

 For dancing, I like NCL better but the yacht club has its own entertainment and small dance floor.

 Pool games and such are similar.

Food goes to NCL whether in Haven or not.

MSC has more venues playing music but really no dance room.

 Do your homework and decide. I would say try MSC but use a TA!!!