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

[CruizinSusan70]

19 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yeah, one of my constant complains on ships is the limp, soggy bacon. On MSC, I specially order it crispy and they always deliver. Good luck on other lines, you have lots of cruises booked so have a great time!

We will, currently have 29 days on Celebration, 10 days on Venezia, 18 days on Beyond, 28 on Enchanted Princess, 28 on Sun Princess, 14 on Wonder OTS, 7 on Odyssey OTS.   Quick edit....the Venezia, built in 2019 is the oldest ship we have a future booking on.

Edited July 28, 2023 by CruizinSusan70

[DCGuy64]

3 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

We will, currently have 29 days on Celebration, 10 days on Venezia, 18 days on Beyond, 28 on Enchanted Princess, 28 on Sun Princess, 14 on Wonder OTS, 7 on Odyssey OTS.   Quick edit....the Venezia, built in 2019 is the oldest ship we have a future booking on.

Wow, you're definitely living your best life! We can only do 1-2 cruises a year due to the fact we both work full time and have to use some of our vacation days to visit family, etc. in addition to doing our own vacations. I'm really excited for you that you're getting to cruise that often, that is awesome!! 👏👏👏

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

Wow, you're definitely living your best life! We can only do 1-2 cruises a year due to the fact we both work full time and have to use some of our vacation days to visit family, etc. in addition to doing our own vacations. I'm really excited for you that you're getting to cruise that often, that is awesome!! 👏👏👏

Appreciate it.  Covid caused my DH to retire prematurely.  Luckily he was able to collect unemployment with two extensions from NJ as well as the federal monies that were distributed at times.  So, while we still have our heath, we cruise, even though it's difficult at times with me in a scooter.   Not as often as some on here, but more often than most.   86 nights this year, 66 in 2024 and probably 63 in 2025.

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Appreciate it.  Covid caused my DH to retire prematurely.  Luckily he was able to collect unemployment with two extensions from NJ as well as the federal monies that were distributed at times.  So, while we still have our heath, we cruise, even though it's difficult at times with me in a scooter.   Not as often as some on here, but more often than most.   86 nights this year, 66 in 2024 and probably 63 in 2025.

Wonderful! I want to be just like you when I grow up. 😉 I would love to cruise that often. Only 6 more years to retirement for me, then no more "oh please boss, can I take off work?" 🤣

[CruizinSusan70]

3 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Wonderful! I want to be just like you when I grow up. 😉 I would love to cruise that often. Only 6 more years to retirement for me, then no more "oh please boss, can I take off work?" 🤣

Out of all the cruises we have currently booked, the two 14 day B2B's on the Celebration, the 18 day B2B on the Beyond and our two 14 day B2B's on the Sun Princess next year and 01/2025 are the ones we're looking forward to the most.

[DCGuy64]

4 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Out of all the cruises we have currently booked, the two 14 day B2B's on the Celebration, the 18 day B2B on the Beyond and our two 14 day B2B's on the Sun Princess next year and 01/2025 are the ones we're looking forward to the most.

Enjoy, sounds great!

[insidecabin]

23 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Just looked at my billing for FAS drinks in October on the NCL EPIC.....11 night cruise.  Drinks end up being $22/day.  Tough to do apples to apples because the 2 Specialty Dining Dinners end up being $20 ($10/ea) which is also included in the FAS.  Also includes $50 excursion credit and some internet minutes (150 mins off the top of my head).  And, there's some OBC.  Some of it from NCL.

 

My fare was really, really good, too.  NCL sent out 20% of European Cruises, which I took advantage of.  I'm going solo and staying in a 2 BR Haven Suite for right around $4,500, which to me is crazy good.  IIRC, NCL is given either 3x or 4x Latitudes points, also.

 

There are a lot of moving parts.  Whenever I book, I get knuckle deep in the fares, fees, tips, etc to really see what it's going to cost and what I'm paying for...what I value and what I will use vs what I won't use.

 

As I mentioned, MSC had some really good deals for me when they were just getting a start in North America.  Now?  Not so much!

 

But, if it works for you, have at it.

 

UK have 50% FAS till 5am 1st Aug now

It's cheap anyway reduced to £100 for 11n cruise is a steal, available on top of good fares and sailaway cabins

 

UK include FAS in in Havan no extra charges

 

My new voucher was 15% till end Aug.

 

 

Not as good as the old days with the ultimate beverage and meal packages getting included with discounted fares.

[DCGuy64]

45 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

 

UK have 50% FAS till 5am 1st Aug now

It's cheap anyway reduced to £100 for 11n cruise is a steal, available on top of good fares and sailaway cabins

 

UK include FAS in in Havan no extra charges

 

My new voucher was 15% till end Aug.

 

 

Not as good as the old days with the ultimate beverage and meal packages getting included with discounted fares.

Are deposits for UK passengers still non-refundable, or are they refundable?

[insidecabin]

3 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Are deposits for UK passengers still non-refundable, or are they refundable?

Non refundable but I believe there can be discretion( if using a PCC)

 

cruisenext keeps the investment low.

 

We tend to be late bookers inside final anyway.

[DCGuy64]

12 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

Non refundable but I believe there can be discretion( if using a PCC)

 

cruisenext keeps the investment low.

 

We tend to be late bookers inside final anyway.

Thanks. I'm not from the UK, but I wonder if you have fewer people in the UK making multiple bookings and then cancelling most of them later on, before final payment is due. That's a popular strategy for some Americans (and maybe Canadians) on here.

[brookie848]

On 7/26/2023 at 10:55 PM, CruizinSusan70 said:

We only ate breakfast in the MDR on disembarkation day.  The only omelette options were mushroom/cheese or egg beaters/veggies.  The other bad thing was the 🥓.  No strips at all in either the buffet or the lone day we tried it in the MDR.  It was all curled up, very greasy and very bad.  The pumpernickel bread in the MDR that I used with my dippy eggs was really good.

Are you from Pittsburgh? If not, where else do they call them dippy eggs?

[insidecabin]

6 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Thanks. I'm not from the UK, but I wonder if you have fewer people in the UK making multiple bookings and then cancelling most of them later on, before final payment is due. That's a popular strategy for some Americans (and maybe Canadians) on here.

Very rare to do the multiple and wait.

 

There are some very low deposit offers(some with hidden payment schedule) like £1 so people book on spec 

 

Worth checking UK prices on some trips much cheaper than US especially on some late bookings.

[graphicguy]

3 hours ago, insidecabin said:

 

UK have 50% FAS till 5am 1st Aug now

It's cheap anyway reduced to £100 for 11n cruise is a steal, available on top of good fares and sailaway cabins

 

UK include FAS in in Havan no extra charges

 

My new voucher was 15% till end Aug.

 

 

Not as good as the old days with the ultimate beverage and meal packages getting included with discounted fares.

(fingers crossed)...I'm hoping that beginning next year NCL sends out coupons again.  I scored some really good fares over the last 12 mos.  All solos, all with FAS...I got a ~$700, 7 nte Breakaway cruise in a mini-suite to NE and Nova Scotia.  Scored a 7 nte Alaska Cruise on the Bliss in a mini-suite for ~$900.

 

Couple of months ago, mentioned I scored an 11 nite European Cruise on the Epic in what eventually became a 2 BR Haven Suite for ~$4,500.

 

Got significant OBC on all of them.  But, some of that OBC was because I used AMEX, some from my TA, some from NCL.  But, I hadn't seen those kinds of fares for 2+ years, right after the COVID restart.

 

As an aside, NCL is the best when it comes to attracting solos and then having a specific focus on providing us a good time.

Edited July 28, 2023 by graphicguy

[CruizinSusan70]

2 hours ago, brookie848 said:

Are you from Pittsburgh? If not, where else do they call them dippy eggs?

That phrase was in the back of my memory for some reason.  Went to college outside of Pittsburgh. They were of course sunny side up eggs that I dipped the pumpernickel bread into.

[BoundForSea]

Cruised several times on both (YC/Haven/Mainstream) I’ve posted probably 20-30 times on this topic right up until recently. Here’s my super consolidated summary:

 

Spend the extra money (it’s not cheap) and go NCL Haven. If you are a ship within a ship person or family. It’s just a better product and worth the extra $$ esp if you only cruise occasionally and can’t afford a bad experience (which I’ve had in YC a few times)
 

As far as mainstream experiences: Again, spend the extra money and go NCL 10000%. MSC’s mainline product IS NOT comparable to NCL or RCL. It’s probably somewhere hovering around Carnival (their older ship and short cruise experience) and other budget lines worldwide. (although Carnival Mardi Gras class ships offer a better product closer to RC and NC). On NCL you can book spas, vibe, speaicalty dining, etc and have an amazing experience. 
 

As for Food: NCL 100% all day long. All stop. 

now, MSC in the EU and outside the US, different story all together. I’m merely talking North America. 

Oh and how can I forget the shoreside customer service. If you enjoy getting beat up and hours on the phone and need some stress in your life, yeah go with MSC and make some changes and cruise moves. It gets really fun. Especially when they take your money, or don’t give it back and cant tell you why, where it is, or they just simply hang up on you (this is a VERY TRUE story, I’ve been a passenger since 2019 and been through he double hockey sticks and back with those folks)

Edited July 29, 2023 by BoundForSea

[ready2cruzagain]

On 7/24/2023 at 8:26 PM, 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

We have sailed 9 cruises on NCL and 12 cruises on MSC, all but one out of Florida, the other was out of NO.  We have also sailed 21 Carnival, 8 Princess and 7 Celebrity cruises. After having sailed mostly MSC (some NCL) over the last 5 years (no cruises 2021) we have our next 6 cruises booked on NCL.  The reason being, itineraries.  MSC is stuck on the same few itineraries in the Caribbean.  

 

With MSC we sailed Fantastica, we do no sail YC which is the same as the Haven so I cannot speak for the YC. We do not need a butler or pampering. We sail Fantastica so we can pick our own cabin.  

 

MSC, you do not have anytime dining unless booking Aurea.  You would have a set dining time. We like it.  You can get seated with others that you do not know.  

 

We always book with the drink package, you can upgrade to premium if you want for a price, just like NCL.  Love that bottled water is included in their package where as NCL it is not. Their drink package is also good on their beautiful island.  MSC's island is beautiful, it is a marine reserve and not like Coco Cay with lots of bouncy toys or zip lining.  Very relaxing.

 

We have sailed on the Seashore, Seaside, Meraviglia and the Divina.  We love the Divina but it is older and does not have as many bells and whistles as the others do. You would be better off booking one of the newer ships which have better water slides and spas. 

 

MSC has lots of bands on their ships, way more than NCL.  Their shows are unique, you might have an opera singer mixed in with an acrobat.  They are not broadway shows and they are only around 30 minutes long.  Lots of activities all day long.  

 

Food is subjective but will just say we love MSC's food in the dining room.  Lobster, Steak Diane, Filet Mignon, just to name a few. If you go to the boards of MSC you will find the menus.  Their specialty restaurants are great but if you buy a package you will pick from a specific menu, unlike NCL. Everyone brags about MSC's pizza, we don't care for it.  The buffet is good but never eaten there for dinner. 

 

MSC will status match their loyalty program to other cruise lines or hotels.  This gives you a percentage off your booking price and other goodies.

 

I am sure there is a lot more that I am missing but that is it for now.  The thing about MSC is that you have to go on their cruisees with an open mind. You cannot go on an MSC cruise and constantly compare it to other cruise lines. MSC is a family owned Italian cruise line and very European.  They do things their way.  

 

 

[CruizinSusan70]

11 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 You cannot go on an MSC cruise and constantly compare it to other cruise lines. MSC is a family owned Italian cruise line and very European.  They do things their way. 

You're 100% correct when you say that MSC is a family owned cruise line and they do it their way.  But, it's human nature to compare the product that they offer on this side of the pond versus the product that is offered by their main stream competition, which is RCI, NCL and Carnival.  Many that have cruised on MSC like the fact that they have a European flair and they are different and they consider this a plus.  But you also have to take into account all of their minuses and even though they have deep pockets from the shipping division, they still have a long way to go to gain ground on the big three.  They have their foothold in FLA, and now in NYC with the Meraviglia.  Galveston is next on their radar and eventually they'll do the west coast and Alaska. 

 

MSC is an acquired taste.  We sampled them twice, once in 2018 in the Yacht Club on the Seaside and two weeks ago in a Fantastica cabin on the Meraviglia.  After our second sailing, we decided to spit out that acquired taste.

[ready2cruzagain]

2 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You're 100% correct when you say that MSC is a family owned cruise line and they do it their way.  But, it's human nature to compare the product that they offer on this side of the pond versus the product that is offered by their main stream competition, which is RCI, NCL and Carnival.  Many that have cruised on MSC like the fact that they have a European flair and they are different and they consider this a plus.  But you also have to take into account all of their minuses and even though they have deep pockets from the shipping division, they still have a long way to go to gain ground on the big three.  They have their foothold in FLA, and now in NYC with the Meraviglia.  Galveston is next on their radar and eventually they'll do the west coast and Alaska. 

 

MSC is an acquired taste.  We sampled them twice, once in 2018 in the Yacht Club on the Seaside and two weeks ago in a Fantastica cabin on the Meraviglia.  After our second sailing, we decided to spit out that acquired taste.

I like that they are different and not like every other cruise line in the US and hope they never become more Americanized but to each their own.  We will sail on them again but just wish the itineraries were better. 

[Yinster]

My personal opinion is try for yourself. As everyone has their own opinions on it.

 

We sailed with MSC last October as we found a very good deal with the yacht club. We enjoyed it very much though you are literally limited to the yacht club restaurant for meals unless you have a speciality dining package. Good job they change the menu unlike the Haven restaurant. But sometimes we like to use the MDR onboard and that wasn't possible.

 

With MSC the cost includes gratitude and drinks so it makes it's more attractive. If you don't mind inside rooms you can get a YC inside for a good price and have the benefit of the YC. 

 

One thing you notice onboard is that it has a very European feeling. Majority of people are European. They use European songs. It's not a bad thing but it can be a culture shock. 

 

Oh they will status match you so do that. But you lose all your points if you don't sail every three years

 

Like I said at the start, best to try it yourself. 

[step78]

We did 4 cruises on ncl and one on msc. Never again msc. The entertainment was bad, the dining was bad (mostly the timing) bad ppl on the ship (grandiosa/starting from barcelona) we will pay a lot more and go on ncl in november.

Edited July 30, 2023 by step78

[CruizinSusan70]

16 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

I like that they are different and not like every other cruise line in the US and hope they never become more Americanized but to each their own.  We will sail on them again but just wish the itineraries were better. 

That's why there is vanilla and chocolate.  We primarily cruise for the ship these days.  Have 16 cruises booked for the next 2 years on Celebrity, RCI, Princess & Carnival and the oldest ship was built in 2019.  

[CruizinSusan70]

12 hours ago, Yinster said:

My personal opinion is try for yourself. As everyone has their own opinions on it.

 

We sailed with MSC last October as we found a very good deal with the yacht club. We enjoyed it very much though you are literally limited to the yacht club restaurant for meals unless you have a speciality dining package. Good job they change the menu unlike the Haven restaurant. But sometimes we like to use the MDR onboard and that wasn't possible.

 

With MSC the cost includes gratitude and drinks so it makes it's more attractive. If you don't mind inside rooms you can get a YC inside for a good price and have the benefit of the YC. 

 

One thing you notice onboard is that it has a very European feeling. Majority of people are European. They use European songs. It's not a bad thing but it can be a culture shock. 

 

Oh they will status match you so do that. But you lose all your points if you don't sail every three years

 

Like I said at the start, best to try it yourself. 

The cost on a MSC does not include gratuities.  We have sailed in the YC as well as Fantastica.  The package included drinks and wifi.  Premium drinks in YC and Easy Plus with Fantastica.

[Yinster]

4 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

The cost on a MSC does not include gratuities.  We have sailed in the YC as well as Fantastica.  The package included drinks and wifi.  Premium drinks in YC and Easy Plus with Fantastica.

In the UK it does include gratuities. So apologies if it doesn't elsewhere. It was one of the positive I like about MSC. That it was included in the price so none of the fuss about how much we paid extra for DSC

[CruizinSusan70]

2 hours ago, Yinster said:

In the UK it does include gratuities. So apologies if it doesn't elsewhere. It was one of the positive I like about MSC. That it was included in the price so none of the fuss about how much we paid extra for DSC

As usual, things are different across the pond.  The only time the grats are included is if you purchase a package on Celebrity or Princess.  On any of the basic lines, MSC, Carnival, NCL or RCI, you always need to pay the grats a la carte. 

[ready2cruzagain]

1 hour ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

As usual, things are different across the pond.  The only time the grats are included is if you purchase a package on Celebrity or Princess.  On any of the basic lines, MSC, Carnival, NCL or RCI, you always need to pay the grats a la carte. 

I like that MSC includes the gratuities on the drink package unlike NCL where it is extra and that is US.