Scared off by bad reviews, MSC Seascape

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've cruised a lot of different lines and really aren't picky--have never had a bad cruise in over 50 sailings, and don't expect luxury or perfection.

 

  We've been curious about MSC and have read some of the negatives and positives before.  We got almost to the point of booking a 7 night on the Seascape in January, just to try MSC out--until I read the reviews here on these board.  I have never seen so many 1 and 2 star reviews in my life.  I normally take reviews with a grain of salt, but the amount of negativity was astounding.

 

Things that really gave me pause was slight smoke smell in many areas (my husband is very sensitive to smoke) terrible waits for elevators and poor food and shows.  

 

I guess there is a reason they are so cheap compared to many other cruise lines?

[bundtkate]

The smoke smell is universal, in my experience. You walk by a smoking area and you smell smoke. It's worse on some ships than others due to design (Navigator of the Seas was the worst I've been on), but I've never been on a cruise where there weren't plenty of smoke-smell-free hangouts. We've not been on Seascape (nor any of the Sea ships), but on Meraviglia it was no better or worse than any of the RCI ships we'd been on before and it looks like you don't need to walk through the casino on Seascape so the worst of the smoke should be avoidable.

Food is subjective so it's hard to say anything on the topic. We enjoyed our meals on Meraviglia more than some of our RCI cruises and less than others. The pizza was the best we've had at sea and better than some on land, but the toppings can be different so I understand some aren't fans. I think MSC makes some really solid pasta, but again, it's fairly different from what you might get in the U.S. so I get why some Americans in particular aren't big on it. We were happy with our meals and never hungry, but my enjoyment of the food means about as much of those bad reviews when it comes to your own tastes.

The shows were a bit weird, but I honestly found that kind of fun. Someone here mentioned a dinosaur costume in a Seascape show and I am genuinely looking forward to seeing that on our cruise next year. I will actually be mad if they ditch it. They're also closer to a variety show (some magic, some acrobatics, some singing/dancing, minimal story) than they are Broadway, but that suits me just fine. I have great adoration for some musicals, but most of them don't end up on cruise ships (Les Mis is a bit of a bummer after all) so I'd just as soon have some talented people sharing their talents with me and take a pass on Grease or Footloose.

In short, MSC is different. It's just as hard to be different in cruising as it was in high school so they have a bit of a bad rep. But I rather enjoy the different. I enjoyed my first MSC cruise in 2021 and I expect I'll enjoy my next one in October and our cruise on Seascape next year. I'd say give different a go. I you hate it, at least it's cheap and (probably) includes a drink package.

Edited September 21, 2023 by bundtkate

[morpheusofthesea]

4 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

Someone here mentioned a dinosaur costume in a Seascape show and I am genuinely looking forward to seeing that on our cruise next year. I will actually be mad if they ditch it.

No dinosaur on Seascape. On Seaside, if I recall.

[bundtkate]

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

On Seaside, if I recall.

Curses, now I'm sad. MSC, if you're reading this, add more dinosaurs. Thank you.

[morpheusofthesea]

Just now, bundtkate said:

Curses, now I'm sad. MSC, if you're reading this, add more dinosaurs. Thank you.

It couldn't hurt the performance if they did.

[morpheusofthesea]

50 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

I guess there is a reason they are so cheap compared to many other cruise lines?

It's a tale of two cities. Those that book outside the Yacht Club are the ones in the majority giving the low ratings. You get what you pay for. Now we have been on a couple of MSC Yacht Club sailings and will give every one a 5/5 rating. Better than the Coastal Kitchen RCCL, better than The Haven on NCL, better than The Retreat on Celebrity. I have a list of 20 points we love about MSC Yacht Club. But beware, once you cruise YC you will never go back to cruising steerage again.

[morpheusofthesea]

I wrote this once for advice to a Diamond member wanting to book outside the Yacht Club:

  

The advantages of Diamond are not that great. We would rather be first timers, silver? in the YC than Diamond outside the YC in any category. However you all may still be too young to be spoiled so early in life. Take it slow and easy. Work your ways up to the best life has to offer. Too much of the best in life at an early age can damage your pysche later on. Do not recommend doing the Yacht Club too early in ones life, especially grandparents bringing their grandchildren. Unless these grandparents set aside a nice inheritance for them.

 So, don't do it ! Ones life will spiral down into a world of hedonism from which there is no return.

[Nebr.cruiser]

36 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

The smoke smell is universal, in my experience. You walk by a smoking area and you smell smoke. It's worse on some ships than others due to design (Navigator of the Seas was the worst I've been on), but I've never been on a cruise where there weren't plenty of smoke-smell-free hangouts. We've not been on Seascape (nor any of the Sea ships), but on Meraviglia it was no better or worse than any of the RCI ships we'd been on before and it looks like you don't need to walk through the casino on Seascape so the worst of the smoke should be avoidable.

Food is subjective so it's hard to say anything on the topic. We enjoyed our meals on Meraviglia more than some of our RCI cruises and less than others. The pizza was the best we've had at sea and better than some on land, but the toppings can be different so I understand some aren't fans. I think MSC makes some really solid pasta, but again, it's fairly different from what you might get in the U.S. so I get why some Americans in particular aren't big on it. We were happy with our meals and never hungry, but my enjoyment of the food means about as much of those bad reviews when it comes to your own tastes.

The shows were a bit weird, but I honestly found that kind of fun. Someone here mentioned a dinosaur costume in a Seascape show and I am genuinely looking forward to seeing that on our cruise next year. I will actually be mad if they ditch it. They're also closer to a variety show (some magic, some acrobatics, some singing/dancing, minimal story) than they are Broadway, but that suits me just fine. I have great adoration for some musicals, but most of them don't end up on cruise ships (Les Mis is a bit of a bummer after all) so I'd just as soon have some talented people sharing their talents with me and take a pass on Grease or Footloose.

In short, MSC is different. It's just as hard to be different in cruising as it was in high school so they have a bit of a bad rep. But I rather enjoy the different. I enjoyed my first MSC cruise in 2021 and I expect I'll enjoy my next one in October and our cruise on Seascape next year. I'd say give different a go. I you hate it, at least it's cheap and (probably) includes a drink package.

Thanks.  Hardly ever drink, so drink package unimportant.

[Nebr.cruiser]

23 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

It's a tale of two cities. Those that book outside the Yacht Club are the ones in the majority giving the low ratings. You get what you pay for. Now we have been on a couple of MSC Yacht Club sailings and will give every one a 5/5 rating. Better than the Coastal Kitchen RCCL, better than The Haven on NCL, better than The Retreat on Celebrity. I have a list of 20 points we love about MSC Yacht Club. But beware, once you cruise YC you will never go back to cruising steerage again.

Yes, I've read all about the Yacht Club and it sounds great.  But at least four times as expensive.  We can afford it, but that's not how we choose to spend our money.  We just want a nice experience for a cheap(er) price.  

[RD64]

Reviews are in the eyes of the beholder….

 

If you ask 3000 people you will get 5000 different opinions. Do not let other people’s’ opinions - positive or negative - influence your decision. 

 

Go with an open mind, and form your own opinion.

[bundtkate]

54 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

Yes, I've read all about the Yacht Club and it sounds great.  But at least four times as expensive.  We can afford it, but that's not how we choose to spend our money.  We just want a nice experience for a cheap(er) price. 

FWIW, we've only sailed outside of Yacht Club and while I'm sure it's fantastic and we will be giving it a try (in an inside) on our Seascape sailing, we were perfectly happy in gen pop. I will add a caveat that this was really early in the restart (Sept 2021) so I have some lack of trust even in my own assessment given that experience was undoubtedly atypical, but our October cruise is outside Yacht Club, on an older ship (Splendida), and in the Med. All three of those tend to yield some of the worst reviews so if we enjoy our next cruise, I'll know just where I stand with MSC. Not sure when you were looking to sail, but I'm sure I'll write up a review when we get back if you have interest in another data point to consider.

Edited September 22, 2023 by bundtkate

[Essiesmom]

I have six MSC cruises, all outside YC.  Well, Armonia doesn’t have YC…. I have been perfectly satisfied in Bella and Fantastica.  Since I didn’t use the spa, Aurea was just a more expensive Fantastica but with My Choice dining.  My next cruise is ten days on Seashore in a Fantastica OV.  Received an offer to bid on upgrade but YIN was more than I was willing to pay.  I’ll wait for better offers.  
The dinosaur is in Peter Punk on Seaside.  It might be a takeoff on Peter Pan with a lot of other stuff.  Not sure who the main character was supposed to be, maybe the dinosaur.  Lots of background music but no singing.  EM

Edited September 22, 2023 by Essiesmom

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

Thanks.  Hardly ever drink, so drink package unimportant.

Is bottled water complimentary on MSC in steerage without a drink package?

[Essiesmom]

55 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Is bottled water complimentary on MSC in steerage without a drink package?

Yes.  On Seaside in Aurea they opened bottles of Acqua Panna and left the bottle on the table.  The one time I was in a different part of the MDR they poured from a pitcher of ice water.  The bottled water was not cold.  EM

[perakcruiser]

6 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

We've cruised a lot of different lines and really aren't picky--have never had a bad cruise in over 50 sailings, and don't expect luxury or perfection.

You will miss something if you not try MSC. And you should never trust a review from a person you don´t know. Not personally, but if you are active on CC and read the MSC forum you will find so much people you can trust. 

 

I had a quick look through some of the one star reviews here on CC and can without any concerns declare that the writers are complete id***s 😄 

 

The chance that a MSC cruise will be your first bad cruise is zero. 

[momofmab]

11 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

Yes, I've read all about the Yacht Club and it sounds great.  But at least four times as expensive.  We can afford it, but that's not how we choose to spend our money.  We just want a nice experience for a cheap(er) price.  

 

Our upcoming YC sailing is cheaper than our Concierge IV on Beyond this past January.  Sadly, I fear that MSC will end up raising the YC prices with the increased popularity, which they can comfortably do since Haven/Retreat/Star Class have reached a new high for many sailings.

 

I hear you about where to spend your money.  I would love to try the higher levels on NCL/X/RCL, and can afford to, but I can't justify the prices.

Edited September 22, 2023 by momofmab

[Markanddonna]

I've been on seven MSC cruises. It is just a very different cruise line, and the passenger composition very much depends on the embarkation port. We decided not to cruise out of Miami (too many rude, loud, and sometimes violent passengers (fights at the pool- security called-  from central and South America) but found the crowd out of PC were just all quite happy and polite. 

 

You just can't compare it to a more refined line like Celebrity, for instance. If I am with my family, MSC is fine (but not out of Miami!).  Have traveled in both inside to balcony on MSC. The crew and cabins are just fine, and the ships are lovely. The food is fine but not exceptional unless you go to the steakhouse.

 

[mvh]

So many people say how different MSC is to the other lines. I have been on over 25 cruises (3 MSC) and have found them to be more similar than different to any of the other lines I have been on. Especially in the Caribbean where you still go to the same crappy islands as everyone else. The only reason we go on a cruise in the winter is for some good weather and to meet other people and relax. When we want a real vacation we take a land trip in May or September to Europe or Hawaii. I can honestly say I have not liked or disliked any cruise more than the next. It is almost like Groundhogs day when we board. Don't be afraid of MSC.

[jules815]

14 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

It's a tale of two cities. Those that book outside the Yacht Club are the ones in the majority giving the low ratings. You get what you pay for. Now we have been on a couple of MSC Yacht Club sailings and will give every one a 5/5 rating. Better than the Coastal Kitchen RCCL, better than The Haven on NCL, better than The Retreat on Celebrity. I have a list of 20 points we love about MSC Yacht Club. But beware, once you cruise YC you will never go back to cruising steerage again.

Tale of two cities is a perfect way to describe it. 
 

We’ve been on Seascape for the past 2 weeks. We walk the ship several times each day (Sports Bar still closed this morning btw), and it doesn’t surprise me about the low ratings. Some areas are very crowded, especially the Market Place buffet, which seems like the only breakfast option for non-YC guests. There are long lines for some of the stations and the floors are slippery (from wet bathing suits). That said, the people seem happy and look like they’re having fun. Same with the big main pool deck. We walked thru yesterday afternoon (sea day) and there wasn’t an empty lounger and the pool was full of people. Stressed me out, yet everyone else seemed to be having a good time. 
 

Got me thinking about when we first started cruising with our kids on RC ships, pre-Coastal Kitchen. Maybe if we were younger (or had never started sailing in suites) we’d be enjoying it too. 🤷‍♀️ 

 

We’ve just finished our morning walk about the ship and are now sitting in Top Sail enjoying a cappuccino. Tale of two cities is right. 
 

As I was about to hit send, the bartender walked over to our table and asked if I wanted a Bellini, which has been my pre dinner drink. (Morpheus, the guy with glasses who’s there all the time). Service has just been outstanding. 

 

 

 

[Essiesmom]

A Tale of Two Cities.  Yes.  I haven’t sailed in YC yet.  But I have lived in big cities (NYC) and small towns (pop. 250).  I prefer to live somewhere between.  But I have evaluated my priorities in cruising.  First, I want to be ‘on the boat’.  Without my sister, I no longer need a balcony.  Insides are fine, but I like a couch so my next cruise is in an OV.  I hardly drink, so no drinks package or included.  I like to be where the action is, though I seldom participate.  I love to people watch.  I don’t sunbathe.  I don’t need a butler.  Exercise is good for me, I have a walking goal.  I spend little time in my cabin unless sleeping or journaling.  My 📺 usually stays on the bridge cam channel.  I like good food, but am not gourmet.   Being in the gen pop suits me fine.  EM

Edited September 22, 2023 by Essiesmom

[morpheusofthesea]

23 minutes ago, jules815 said:

Maybe if we were younger (or had never started sailing in suites) we’d be enjoying it too. 🤷‍♀️

Yes. Yacht Club is "the stuff that dreams are made of."

[morpheusofthesea]

13 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

 I haven’t sailed in YC yet.

It is 'time' you had. We don't 'need' anything. But now when we cruise we 'want' everything. 

[Nebr.cruiser]

11 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

You will miss something if you not try MSC. And you should never trust a review from a person you don´t know. Not personally, but if you are active on CC and read the MSC forum you will find so much people you can trust. 

 

I had a quick look through some of the one star reviews here on CC and can without any concerns declare that the writers are complete id***s 😄 

 

The chance that a MSC cruise will be your first bad cruise is zero. 

I think the two things that made me apprehensive were elevator wait times (my husband finds stairs hard) and smoke smell in many areas--yes, there are areas on all ships that are for smokers, but we've honestly never noticed that smell in other areas.  It doesn't bother me too much--although I've never smoked I grew up with parents who did--but husband is very sensitive to it.

[Hutcha]

5 hours ago, momofmab said:

I fear that MSC will end up raising the YC prices with the increased popularity, which they can comfortably do since Haven/Retreat/Star Class have reached a new high for many sailings.

 

I was waiting until I was onboard last week to book YC for June 2024. Three weeks ago, the price was $5,300. Last week, it went up to $6,400. I didn't book 😔

[shipgeeks]

We have only sailed Bella, twice on Seaside.  We loved it.  Much bigger ship than we are used to elsewhere, but we didn't find that a negative at all.  The only crowds we experienced were on the stairways heading to dinner each night.  Apart from current reviews of poor behavior and crowding on 3- and 4-night cruises, most of the negative reviews I've read seem to focus on what I consider petty or ill-informed issues: "My husband ordered toast every morning and did not automatically get butter!" (Europeans do not use butter as some Americans do.)  Overall, we really enjoyed the ambience of the many nationalities, compared to the hometown feeling of many of our other cruises, and the little differences due to the European background made it feel like being "away" for a change.

I say go for it!