Pirate Jumps Ship! A Live Carnival Vs. MSC Comparison 8/20/23 - 8/27/23

[pirate4me2]

Last comparison for today, and it’s a biggie…has to do with FOOD. 

Mom and I didn’t really want to dress to Yacht Club standards for dinner after our day on the island, so we wandered down to “gen-pop” to check the buffet offerings on deck 8. We made a few rounds and picked up a few things to try…and promptly proceeded back to the room to freshen up for YC dinner. I was so disappointed in MSC’s main dining buffet. Carnival always has a wonderful salad bar, and MSC’s was about half the size and just not as diverse in ingredients offered. I also love Carnival’s deli, and the “sandwich” station here had tuna salad, egg salad, or chicken salad to offer. I would have loved a Carnival caprese sandwich tonight! The pizza was good, I absolutely loved the flavor of the sauce, and the cheeses on the meat & cheese board were good, but overall I CAN see why people may complain about the food on MSC if this was all they experienced. Carnival definitely wins the food war as far as buffets go. 
 

I DO like how MSC has their buffet set up though! They had multiple stations all around, with 2-3 offering the same things, so you do not have to wait in a line like on some Carnival ships. That was a nice touch. 

[kelkel2]

Thanks for doing this review. I’ve been curious about MSC a few times but have never actually booked. 

[pirate4me2]

2 hours ago, kelkel2 said:

Thanks for doing this review. I’ve been curious about MSC a few times but have never actually booked. 

That’s why I wanted to do the review….I kept looking for info on them, how they compared to Carnival, and such. Figured I’d try and help out any others in the same situation! 

[Essiesmom]

12 hours ago, pirate4me2 said:

Last comparison for today, and it’s a biggie…has to do with FOOD. 

Mom and I didn’t really want to dress to Yacht Club standards for dinner after our day on the island, so we wandered down to “gen-pop” to check the buffet offerings on deck 8. We made a few rounds and picked up a few things to try…and promptly proceeded back to the room to freshen up for YC dinner. I was so disappointed in MSC’s main dining buffet. Carnival always has a wonderful salad bar, and MSC’s was about half the size and just not as diverse in ingredients offered. I also love Carnival’s deli, and the “sandwich” station here had tuna salad, egg salad, or chicken salad to offer. I would have loved a Carnival caprese sandwich tonight! The pizza was good, I absolutely loved the flavor of the sauce, and the cheeses on the meat & cheese board were good, but overall I CAN see why people may complain about the food on MSC if this was all they experienced. Carnival definitely wins the food war as far as buffets go. 
 

I DO like how MSC has their buffet set up though! They had multiple stations all around, with 2-3 offering the same things, so you do not have to wait in a line like on some Carnival ships. That was a nice touch. 

I did not explore the buffet for dinner - guess I should have.  But I thought it was great for breakfast and lunch.  But perhaps it’s a trend.  My previous cruise, this past June, was on Celebrity Summit.  They had a wonderful lunch buffet.  I had anytime dining as I booked late.  I found as a solo I was pretty low on the totem pole for the MDR.  First night there were no reservations and I had to wait an hour for a table.  Second night 40 minutes.  We went to Bermuda, so on a port night there was no wait.  Other than those nights, I ate in the buffet.  And the selections were much fewer there.  And none of the items on the MDR menu were available in the buffet in the evening.  .  EM

[mamiamjo]

On 8/15/2023 at 8:37 AM, ninjacat123 said:

This is interesting!  I like knowing ahead of the cruise what to expect and I like the MSC chart.  It will be fun to see what you think of the "party/show" differences🥳

I really like the idea of posting the Dress, Show & Party information ahead of time. Carnival should do this! It sure beats trying to fond old Fun Times on line to try to figure what was happening and when. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I tried the pizza at the buffet on our sailing - not a lot of toppings choices, and the place felt jammed (well, the whole buffet did). I did a couple of loops through to get the lay of the land - and I didn't return.

 

Tom

[pirate4me2]

58 minutes ago, mamiamjo said:

I really like the idea of posting the Dress, Show & Party information ahead of time. Carnival should do this! It sure beats trying to fond old Fun Times on line to try to figure what was happening and when. 

I wish Carnival would as well, it really helped with my packing choices! 

[pirate4me2]

42 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

I tried the pizza at the buffet on our sailing - not a lot of toppings choices, and the place felt jammed (well, the whole buffet did). I did a couple of loops through to get the lay of the land - and I didn't return.

 

Tom

We won’t be returning to the buffet either. One and done!

[CruizinSusan70]

41 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

I tried the pizza at the buffet on our sailing - not a lot of toppings choices, and the place felt jammed (well, the whole buffet did). I did a couple of loops through to get the lay of the land - and I didn't return.

 

Tom

Pizza is the one thing that MSC does well.  They usually only have three choices available, but we thought it was the second best pizza at sea, behind Alfredo's on Princess.  Followed by Carnival, NCL, X, RCI.

[topaz123]

On 8/20/2023 at 10:16 PM, brilliantseas said:

 

Interesting that you suggest cruising one of the Excel Class ships if you're apprehensive about Carnival. It was actually my last Carnival sailing on the Celebration that made me decide that the newest class of Carnival ship has gotten too big for my liking after 20 cruises with the line. Yes, I realize I say this as I just booked the MSC Seaside for an October 2023 sailing. 

 

First, the positives about the Celebration:

• The ship is brand new, and beautiful! It is definitely a step up in terms of aesthetics from the older ships, although I would say the same about the Horizon (Vista class). 
• Celebration Central offers amazing daytime views of the ocean. We enjoyed looking out in between, or even during, activities in this area. 
• Summer Landing was a fun area for live music at night. We enjoyed the country band that utilizes Guy's Pig and Anchor space in the evenings. 
• The Celestial Strings show in Celebration Central was amazing. We were looking forward to the circus show as well, however the one we were able to get seats for (more than an hour prior to showtime) ended up being canceled at the last minute for unexplained reasons. 
• ChiBang! was a nice alternative to the MDR, and was still included in the base fare (no upcharge) on our sailing. I believe this was originally intended to be an upcharge restaurant along the lines of JiJi Asian Kitchen on the Vista class and Sunshine, but the MDRs on this ship get completely overwhelmed and ChiBang offers a relief valve for those with YTD. We ate here twice for dinner on our January sailing and thought the food was at least as good as the MDR, although not quite on the level of JiJi on either Horizon or Sunshine. 
• Big Chicken and a few of the specialty stations in the Lido Marketplace were welcome additions. Street Eats was a miss for us as it was open limited hours and each stall generally only featured one item per day. 

 

Why we likely won't sail on an Excel Class ship again:

• The ship was simply too crowded. While embarkation as a Platinum guest wasn't bad, debarkation left us shoulder to shoulder in the stairwells, forward elevator lobby and hallways wrapping past the Punchliner Comedy Club for nearly an hour. There was no organization or queueing, it was shoulders and elbows to inch forward. 
• Overcrowding was also an issue when it came to many activities. The queue for Punchliner was often "at capacity" before the doors even opened 30-minutes prior to showtime. Want to see the evening shows in Celebration Central? You'd better be there at least 60-minutes prior to the first show, or waiting for a "warm seat" when the first show ends to immediately claim it for the second show. It is a beautiful venue, but only seats a few hundred at best, and the floor seats in the back can only see a fraction of the screen or any aerial performances. Even things like trivia required arriving 30+ minutes prior to find a seat. 
• MDR service was not good on this sailing. Not only was it slow, but the service staff in both dining rooms did not live up to other Carnival ships. Yes, I said both dining rooms as we were sent from the YTD dining room (Festivale) over to the scheduled seating dining room (Carnivale) one evening because YTD was over capacity and still had a long wait near the end of dinner service. In Festivale on embarkation night, service was so slow and the crew so poorly trained that the Assistant Waiter served our entree only to have the Staff Waiter immediately come over and take it from us, scolding the Assistant Waiter that he couldn't serve us because the table next to us arrived first and he didn't have their food yet. So our entrees sat on the server station for a few minutes getting cold while we waited for the Staff Waiter to serve the other table first, and then bring us our same plates back. At least he apologized and said they are supposed to serve the other table first, but it makes absolutely no sense as to why you would remove our entrees from right in front of us and make us wait for them while they sit getting cold a few feet away. 
• I didn't personally enjoy the casino layout. It was difficult to maneuver through and I didn't care for the variety of slots onboard. Bar service was also severely lacking in the casino when compared to other Carnival ships. 
• The main theater is a departure from the two level theaters on other ships. Not only did it lose the balcony, but it also lost the bar in the back of the theater and the pre-show bar service. Want a drink? Go to the casino bar. While the sightlines were generally fine from the sloped seating, we missed the balcony stadium seating or long benches offered on the floor in the older Carnival theaters. Color My World, the headline show for the week, was reasonably well done, although we didn't care for it as much as some of the other Playlist shows on offer throughout the fleet. 

 

There were many things to like about the new ship, and we still enjoyed our vacation. We had wonderful meals at Teppanyaki and Emeril's Bistro. Despite the size of the ship, we were able to find loungers in the Serenity area in the late afternoon on a sea day and tables in the Lido Marketplace at the peak of lunch. Our cabin and balcony met our expectations. It was really just the overcrowding of the entertainment venues, the poor MDR experience, and the lack of some of the "fun" of the smaller ships in the fleet that left something to be desired. 

If I were to rank all of the Carnival ships, excluding the Australia and Costa by Carnival ships, in order of desirability or likelihood that I would book a sailing on them for a future cruise, without consideration of departure port or itinerary, I'd rank them as follows:

• Horizon/Vista
• Panorama (just behind due to the replacement of IMAX with the trampoline park)
• Dream/Magic/Breeze
• Sunshine
• Spirit/Legend/Pride/Miracle
• Paradise/Elation
• Sunrise/Radiance (lower due to lack of JiJi and the multi-level Serenity on Sunshine)
• Celebration/Mardi Gras
• Conquest/Valor/Glory/Liberty/Freedom

 

I'll be curious to compare our upcoming MSC Seaside cruise to see where Seaside falls on that list. I'll look forward to OP's thoughts on the subject as well. 

Same impression in regard to TOO BIG....over 5,000 hungry people...Platinum/Diamond party overwhelmed with way too many people.  Probably best we stick with VIsta class ( horizon) or dream class. Had the worst Tepan/Grill meal ever....tough Lobster even tougher shrimp.....

[HappySails4U]

On 8/20/2023 at 3:33 PM, pirate4me2 said:

Divina is on my list to try if we like MSC. Purely sentimental, but her name reminds me of my dog’s, Divya. 😂 Kinda like I had to sail Carnival Glory because my first horse’s name was Glory lol. 

I like the way you think !  🏇  🐾

[pirate4me2]

Today is all about the ENTERTAINMENT! 
 

We attended a few evening activities in “gen-pop,” and I gotta say…at the Rock trivia type event they had in one of the lounges, if I had not known better, I would have swore I was on a Carnival ship. The host was super upbeat and got the crowd going, and the event itself was high energy and FUN! I had a blast. 
 

As far as the theater shows, I attended Rock It, which I thought would be a fair comparison to Epic Rock. The shows are about the same length (35-40 minutes), and I would say they are on par with each other. I wasn’t a fan of some of the song choices in tonight’s show (Police’s Do Do Do, Da Da Da Da….WHY?????) but the dancers were excellent, and the volume in the theater was better than some of Carnival’s where my ear drums have been blasted out. The singers…they were ok, nothing to write home about, which I’ve said about a few of Carnival’s casts before. I would say honestly the 2 lines are equal here. 
 

[pirate4me2]

So @Lillabee4me(aka mom) and I both agree, we miss Carnival’s Sea Day Brunch. We got up in time for breakfast in the Yacht Club dining room today, and it was good, but we both missed the good ol’ Carnival brunch. They have buffets and sit down breakfast here, but nothing quite like that. Plus one for Carnival! 

[Lillabee4me]

So from an infrequent cruiser experience I really am not sure if one is better than the other. I think the Havanna area definitely has a better pool setup and more shade available. However I think the Yacht Club is nicer in the fact that it is not open at all to the general public and keeps it much quieter in the pool area all day and the bar area. I do love the dining area and the food is very good and the music is nice toned down dining music. I have noticed MSC has areas that you can go to and get away from the pulsating constant music where Carnival not so much. I realize that there are extras in the Yatch Club that are not available on Carnival, but overall I would sail either one. MSC’s drink package is better though, no 5 minute wait between drinks, so if you and a friend want to do shots and a drink you can order and get both at the same time. I also like it’s unlimited, not that I would ever reach the 15. Honestly overall they are both great options and I would do either one, but if you do like quieter more “upscale” try MSC in the Yatch Club.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

1 hour ago, pirate4me2 said:

So @Lillabee4me(aka mom) and I both agree, we miss Carnival’s Sea Day Brunch. We got up in time for breakfast in the Yacht Club dining room today, and it was good, but we both missed the good ol’ Carnival brunch. They have buffets and sit down breakfast here, but nothing quite like that. Plus one for Carnival! 

 

Carnival used to have longer hours for the brunch - now it's over at what... noon? (much earlier and I think the word brunch won't apply). Also, they cut out a few things - one of the only things I went there for was the Gravlax. I intentionally skip the brunch now - going for a late breakfast or early lunch (well, 11:30-12).

 

Tom

[pirate4me2]

2 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Carnival used to have longer hours for the brunch - now it's over at what... noon? (much earlier and I think the word brunch won't apply). Also, they cut out a few things - one of the only things I went there for was the Gravlax. I intentionally skip the brunch now - going for a late breakfast or early lunch (well, 11:30-12).

 

Tom

I still enjoy the brunch, I’ll admit, the voyager burger is my downfall. 😂

[Homosassa]

5 hours ago, Lillabee4me said:

 MSC’s drink package is better though, no 5 minute wait between drinks, so if you and a friend want to do shots and a drink you can order and get both at the same time. I also like it’s unlimited, not that I would ever reach the 15. 

MSC's drink package may be "unlimited," but one needs to read the fine print in the "Conditions of Carriage."  A passenger can be refused service at the discretion of the crew.

 

"13.3 The Carrier and/or its servants and/or agents may refuse to serve a Passenger alcohol or further alcohol where in their reasonable opinion the Passenger is likely to be a danger and/or nuisance to himself/herself, other passengers and/or the Vessel. Passenger shall be solely responsible to monitor their own alcohol consumption and Carrier shall have no liability to Passenger as a result of Passenger’s consumption of alcohol."

[LatinaInTexas]

On 8/21/2023 at 9:23 PM, pirate4me2 said:

Last comparison for today, and it’s a biggie…has to do with FOOD. 

Mom and I didn’t really want to dress to Yacht Club standards for dinner after our day on the island, so we wandered down to “gen-pop” to check the buffet offerings on deck 8. We made a few rounds and picked up a few things to try…and promptly proceeded back to the room to freshen up for YC dinner. I was so disappointed in MSC’s main dining buffet. Carnival always has a wonderful salad bar, and MSC’s was about half the size and just not as diverse in ingredients offered. I also love Carnival’s deli, and the “sandwich” station here had tuna salad, egg salad, or chicken salad to offer. I would have loved a Carnival caprese sandwich tonight! The pizza was good, I absolutely loved the flavor of the sauce, and the cheeses on the meat & cheese board were good, but overall I CAN see why people may complain about the food on MSC if this was all they experienced. Carnival definitely wins the food war as far as buffets go. 
 

I DO like how MSC has their buffet set up though! They had multiple stations all around, with 2-3 offering the same things, so you do not have to wait in a line like on some Carnival ships. That was a nice touch. 

On the Seashore we found the breakfast and lunch buffet really good, so many very good tasting options and I don't normally do buffets. But come dinner time it was like 2 areas were closed off making it a pretty small offering, it was very limited and disappointing, like night and day.

[pirate4me2]

One last comparison for today:

 

Cruise director announcements….on MSC, I only heard 2 today (a sea day) and 1 yesterday (a port day). I don’t normally mind the announcements on Carnival, but I think honestly it’s because I’ve learned to tune them out after the first few sentences. It’s kinda nice not to hear the spiel and selling point 4-5 times a day! 

[Theosprey247]

I’ve been enjoying your comparison. Awesome selfie by the way. 

[pirate4me2]

9 hours ago, Theosprey247 said:

I’ve been enjoying your comparison. Awesome selfie by the way. 

Haha thank you! And thanks for following along!

[pe4all]

On 8/15/2023 at 6:50 PM, CruizinSusan70 said:

The status match with MSC means nothing unless you are Diamond on Carnival and match up with MSC's Diamond, which gives you a free specialty dinner.  The other levels really don't give you anything of importance 

I just did the status match to see where I would land on MSC.  Diamond on CCL, but they matched me to Gold on MSC.  Interesting.  

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, pe4all said:

I just did the status match to see where I would land on MSC.  Diamond on CCL, but they matched me to Gold on MSC.  Interesting.  

Yes, they changed things I think sometime during the shutdown.  It's a shame, but we don't make the rules, we just play the game.  As far as I'm concerned, their diamond status is the only one with anything substantial, similar to Carnival.  It's not like Diamond on RCI, which is several levels from top status, yet you get four free drinks per day and once you reach Platinum on NCL, you get two dinners for two in a specialty venue.  

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

5 hours ago, pe4all said:

I just did the status match to see where I would land on MSC.  Diamond on CCL, but they matched me to Gold on MSC.  Interesting.  

 

Yep - it doesn't really make sense. I was surprised to see that.

 

I found a "workaround" (thanks to another CC'er). We're Elite+ on Celebrity (would have been Gold also using that), but I was able to status match my Elite+ with Azamara to (heck, can't even recall... something like Discoverer Plus?) - and then parlay that to Diamond with MSC. A bit of juggling, but a "fun" process !

 

Tom

[pirate4me2]

Today’s comparisons: 

 

First, the positives: 

 

I wasn’t sure going in how I would like the wristband technology of this ship. They issue YC passengers both a wristband and a Voyager’s Club card, but once on the ship, you only need the wristband…you can leave the card until you get off in port. The band works to open your cabin door, purchase drinks, etc. I carried my card out of habit the first few days, then ditched it. I LOVE THE WRISTBAND. I don’t have to either use a lanyard or make sure I’m wearing shorts with pockets at all times to keep up with the card…it’s on my wrist. Sure, you gotta take it off now and then to avoid tan lines, but all in all…I’m converted. 
 

Speaking of drink purchases…I love that they scan my band (or card) and that’s it for drinks…no receipt to sign, since I’ve got the drink package. I wish Carnival would do this if you have the Cheers package. 
 

The ship appears to be VERY well maintained, I’ve not seen any rust/broken glass/etc. Public areas are all clean. Balconies were cleaned the other day in port. 
 

One last positive, I love their “do not disturb” system onboard. instead of snoozin/cruisin’ signs to hang on the door, your key card inserted into the light slot next to your cabin door activates the system here. When your card is inserted, a small red light is outside your cabin, letting the attendant know you’re inside. When you take the card out, the light turns green, letting the attendant know you’re out and they can clean. Pretty nifty! 
 

Now for a few negatives: 

 

This one isn’t huge, but that light slot and keycard system also annoys me as far as lights are concerned. When I toss my Voyager’s Club card onto the bed/desk and then come back at night, it’s kinda hard to locate the card and insert it in a dark cabin with no lights! 
 

MSC seems to take longer than Carnival when it comes to getting back onboard from being in port. Each time we have come back, mom and I have commented that they just seem slow. We are not coming back at high traffic times either. I don’t get it. 
 

The elevator system onboard sucks. They take forever, and although supposedly my fancy YC status is supposed to override them/take priority, but I’ve get to figure that out. Other YC guests have said the same thing.