MSC (first time)

[capriccio]

11 hours ago, Scottdalfonso said:

You know almost every line does this now.  Royal caribbean started the "e-muster" and all of the lines followed suit. But MSC still has the worst of the e-musters from everything I read. 

Our recent (December) experience with the MSC muster drill was chaotic and didn't give me the feeling that most of the passengers had the slightest idea of what to do in an emergency.

 

My DH had major spinal surgery 2 months earlier and doctor’s orders were “use a cane to keep you steady.”  Needless to say he wasn’t fast and use of the cane could trip other passengers on a crowded stairway.  I asked on this forum how MSC handles those cases and a couple of respondents said that a butler (we were in the YC) would be stationed at the elevator to take him down 9 decks.  After boarding I asked at the YC concierge desk and they said watch the video, call the number, and then he should remain in the room and I should take his cruise card with me to the muster station. They also made a note about needing assistance in a true emergency.
 

I don’t know what they would have suggested if we both had problems with so many steps and crowds.  In my own opinion, while the steps were bad, muster station D (the casino) was a disaster. Hundreds of people crowding the bottom of the stairways with some heading in the direction of the casino; others in the direction of the theater muster station.  The staff verifying cards were lined up against the walls with their tablets.  I never made it into the Casino and didn’t realize that it was, in fact, the muster station!  What a mess it would be in an emergency with very limited seating and lines of sight.  I had no problem submitting both cards but then the problem was heading back towards the elevators thru the incoming surge of passengers.

 

We have experienced much easier ways to use modern technology for the muster drill.  On Princess you notify guest services after boarding if assistance will be necessary in a true emergency.  Then at your leisure before departure you watch the required video in your cabin.  Then, again before departure, you proceed - by whichever means you desire - to your muster station to have staff scan your Medallion (which replaces the old cruise card).  The old muster drill allowed those guests with trouble on stairs to take an elevator manned by staff to the muster station where everyone sat thru the presentation and life jacket donning.
 

As much as I appreciate the hassle factor reduction of the new drills, I can’t help but think that in an emergency that I would have more faith in my fellow passengers if they actually knew where they were going and how to buckle a life jacket.

[TrinaLC]

22 hours ago, CruisematicVA said:

 

I'm not sure if you were genuinely trying to promote MSC or if you were just trying to show why you're superior to people who don't like MSC, but whatever it was did not put you or MSC in a very positive light.

 

Yikes.

 

You said exactly what I was thinking. What a pompous comment. 
 

I would rather travel with folks from “flyover country” than this attitude any day. 
 

Edited January 31 by TrinaLC

[TrinaLC]

15 hours ago, Homosassa said:

I was trying to explain the various reasons that MSC receives a bad review from some.

 

My statements include actual complaints that have been posted here in Cruise Critic and, as a long time member with familiarity with the cruise experiences of the posters, reflect the type of cruiser unhappy with MSC.

 

Included was an explanation of what the MSC philosophy is on the type of cruise experience that is offered on board ship.

 

Maybe my comments hit too close to home....

The last sentence posted here proves the case!  (If it is truncated, this person concluded with “Maybe my comments hit too close to home …”)

 

 

Edited January 31 by TrinaLC

[davy jones]

We sailed MSC out of NYC on a 10 day in the fall.  It worked for us and we would go again on a similar cruise at the right price.  Some of what I say may not be applicable to you, since you will be travelling with children.  We sail as a couple,  typically off season to avoid the peak season crowds.  Most of our cruises these days are in the 10 to 14 day range, which tend to be less crowded.  We don't need many of the bells and whistles of some large lines and will retreat to our balcony if it is crowded on sea days.

 

We had the Fantastica experience and purposely chose an "obstructed view" balcony because it was beneath the pool deck overhang, thus insuring shade at all times of the day.  Here are my general comments about our cruise.

 

1.  We did not see many of the reported issues like crowding and difficulty getting drinks.  That may be due to our sailing which also had a number of travel agents.

2.  We prefer to choose our dining time, but did not want to pay the Aurea premium to get it because we weren't interested in the other features.  We made do with early seating.

3.  Overall, we found the food to be pretty good.  It not on a level with Celebrity, Holland, or Princess, but definitely better than our recent Royal sailings.

4.  The entertainment was generally good.  It tends to be production shows and travelling headliners.  Don't expect Broadway type shows on some other lines.  Note that reservations are advised for many shows.  Daily activities were pretty typical for a mass market line.  (Side note.  Trivia prizes are better than average.  I won a bottle of bubbly for a trivia game.  Others won t-shirts, backpacks and other branded items larger and more useful than a key chain)

5.  The ships are beautiful and our cabin was well maintained.

6.  The often offered Easy-plus drink package works well for us as we tend to soft drinks with an occasional beer or boat drink..  Upgraded coffees available at many bars.

7.  The ship was not overly crowded, but I did see the potential for it during peak season sailings.

8.  We found the service to be acceptable.  Dining room service varied day to day.  Cabin steward was fine and customer service followed up on a problem that we had.

 

 

There were youth programs and a small water park, but there were not many children on board and the majority were preschool.  There may be better kid options.

 

[TrinaLC]

Davy Jones (love your moniker!), what ship were you on?  Some do have very good kid water parks. (Divina does not for example, but IIRC Seaside and ilk do. 

Edited January 31 by TrinaLC

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

1 hour ago, TrinaLC said:

The last sentence posted here proves the case!  (If it is truncated, this person concluded with “Maybe my comments hit too close to home …”)

 

 

I'm not sure if you're saying you agree with me or the other person, but I wasn't saying they were wrong about anything specific, just that they lacked a certain level of decor in how they conveyed their thoughts. 

 

Edit: I see your first comment now... Should have read them all before replying!

 

Glad I'm not the only one who saw things that way.

Edited January 31 by CruisematicVA

[TrinaLC]

9 minutes ago, CruisematicVA said:

I'm not sure if you're saying you agree with me or the other person, but I wasn't saying they were wrong about anything specific, just that they lacked a certain level of decor in how they conveyed their thoughts. 

 

Edit: I see your first comment now... Should have read them all before replying!

 

Glad I'm not the only one who saw things that way.

Yes, CruiseVA I saw hat post the same way!  Extremely condescending.  Looks down on anyone from “fly-over country”, from no doubt a very high perch indeed 🙂

 

and obviously extremely “not self-aware” given the last salvo. 

[Nikita4]

15 hours ago, Scottdalfonso said:

You know almost every line does this now.  Royal caribbean started the "e-muster" and all of the lines followed suit. But MSC still has the worst of the e-musters from everything I read. 

MSC were the first with "e-muster-drill". They re-startet in August 2020 cruising in the med and the e-muster-drill like today :-).

[karmamule]

Lots of good posts here, just to add our two cents: We make a point of trying out various lines (usually but not always in suite class) rather than sticking to one, but have ended up cruising on MSC the most because we really like it. We've been on 3 cruises in the past (Seaside, Meraviglia, and Seashore) with one on Seascape coming in just a couple weeks. (YAYYYY!)

 

For suite level cruising, we think Yacht Club is the best bargain out there, and quality/amenities are usually better than other lines (including NCL, Celebrity, and Royal) despite the cheaper prices.

 

Their ships are lovely (if a bit gaudy sometimes) and the crew is excellent. As an earlier poster said they're maybe not as immediately friendly as other lines but their service is usually excellent, and if they do get to know you can be just as friendly and fun to talk with as any other line. 

 

We think buffet and complimentary food is similar to other mainstream lines in quality, though they do have fewer complimentary food sources when compared to others. (We miss having a 24-7 eatery like the Local on NCL). In our experience their buffet has some great highs (the pizza and pasta) but also more prone to the occasional cold or flavorless food. Overall they're roughly equivalent to us.

 

Their specialty restaurants are fine, but all of our fave specialty restaurants are on other lines. (Eden and Le Grand Bistro on Celebrity or Food Republic and Cagney's on NCL, or just about any of the specialty-level-but-included venues on Virgin). While there are no standouts for us, we still can enjoy going to them, but have never been wowed like on other lines.

 

Entertainment overall is not as consistent as Royal or NCL, but we've still found plenty to enjoy. We're not too big on going to longer shows on ships anyways, but more typically MSC will have generic acrobatics/singing shows than broadway-style more story-oriented productions.

 

Announcements being in multiple languages do make some of them drag on, but we don't mind that, and we've not had the same bad experiences with other MSC passengers that some have reported. Other than a more diverse mix of nationalities they seem roughly the same as NCL or Royal. Length and time-of-year of your cruise are more important than cruise line (when comparing the mainstream brands) in whether or not you will run into a more party-oriented or less frenetic atmosphere for your specific cruise. 

 

Overall we think MSC is worth a try. While we still like hopping from line to line to have some variety in our experiences, if we were forced to pick one line to stick with going forward it would be MSC.

[TrinaLC]

I’ll agree wholeheartedly that MSC’s post-covid muster is substandard. 
 

What possible reason can there be for making everyone go to a muster station at the same time, only to be clocked in?  The resulting run for an up elevator is so unnecessarily unpleasant. And before hand, making everyone climb up or down multiple flights of internal stairs without having a good system in place for those who can’t is a mistake.  (This includes not only those with physical challenges, but families with small children. We saw one poor guy with two small kids, one on his shoulders, one in hand, climbing down 6 flights of stairs. Far more likely to suffer an injury there than endure a sinking!)
 

(We were in YC. DH has a bad knee right now and can’t do stairs. First we were lied to despite a direct question as to whether we could take the elevator down (“yes of course” —— err,  nope), and no record was made of any handicap that might require assistance in the event of an actual emergency. I can only imagine it to be worse in steerage…)

 

(JK with that last quip 😀)

Edited January 31 by TrinaLC

[nferr]

On 1/30/2024 at 4:01 PM, steveknj said:

 

I never saw an option for any type of "experience menu"  It was just the a la carte menu, with the cheapest steak in the $45 range.  A far cry from the $30 upcharge on Cagney's we used to get.   How much is the "experience menu" and what steaks are available?

  I'm on the Meraviglia right now. I booked the dining package way back on line. Three nights in the specialty restaurants for $71 or just about $24 per.  Yes you eat off the experience menu but at that price it's a no brainer. I already tried the Ocean Cay seafood restaurant and the Teriyaki hibachi. Both were excellent. Tomorrow night I'm doing Butchers Cut steakhouse.  I know they raised the price of the package quite a bit recently.

Edited January 31 by nferr

[nferr]

2 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

I’ll agree wholeheartedly that MSC’s post-covid muster is substandard. 
 

What possible reason can there be for making everyone go to a muster station at the same time, only to be clocked in?  The resulting run for an up elevator is so unnecessarily unpleasant. And before hand, making everyone climb up or down multiple flights of internal stairs without having a good system in place for those who can’t is a mistake.  (This includes not only those with physical challenges, but families with small children. We saw one poor guy with two small kids, one on his shoulders, one in hand, climbing down 6 flights of stairs. Far more likely to suffer an injury there than endure a sinking!)
 

(We were in YC. DH has a bad knee right now and can’t do stairs. First we were lied to despite a direct question as to whether we could take the elevator down (“yes of course” —— err,  nope), and no record was made of any handicap that might require assistance in the event of an actual emergency. I can only imagine it to be worse in steerage…)

 

(JK with that last quip 😀)

 They called it by floor on the cruise I'm on now. But of course you get those who think they have to be first in line for everything and just go.

Edited January 31 by nferr

[DaKahuna]

47 minutes ago, nferr said:

 They called it by floor on the cruise I'm on now. But of course you get those who think they have to be first in line for everything and just go.

 

 Where does one normally go to avoid the crowds or does everyone really "swim upstream" to go back to their rooms?  My thought was to find somewhere to hang out until the mob of people coming down the stairs thins out, or until the elevators are turned back on, before going back up to deck 15. 

 

 

[Best Cat Mom]

We go as early as possible down to the muster station, making us some of the first to "swim upstream." We've always been recognized while fighting the crowds to go up the stairs and offered an elevator to get back to YC.

[morpheusofthesea]

29 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

until the elevators are turned back on,

The elevators are never turned off.

[TrinaLC]

32 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Where does one normally go to avoid the crowds or does everyone really "swim upstream" to go back to their rooms?  My thought was to find somewhere to hang out until the mob of people coming down the stairs thins out, or until the elevators are turned back on, before going back up to deck 15. 

 

You can do that.  the lifeboat staging area is near lots of bars etc  

 

Edited January 31 by TrinaLC

[morpheusofthesea]

9 minutes ago, TrinaLC said:

the lifeboat staging area is near lots of bars

The bars are closed until the muster drill is finished and an announcement is made.(BYOB)

Edited January 31 by morpheusofthesea

[DaKahuna]

45 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

We go as early as possible down to the muster station, making us some of the first to "swim upstream." We've always been recognized while fighting the crowds to go up the stairs and offered an elevator to get back to YC.

 

 Now that sounds like a plan.  I hate walking up so many flights of stairs, although I am physically able.

 

 Since the bars are closed, I'll settle for an adult beverage on the balcony as soon as we finish the drill.  

[Scottdalfonso]

6 hours ago, Nikita4 said:

MSC were the first with "e-muster-drill". They re-startet in August 2020 cruising in the med and the e-muster-drill like today :-).

I guess Royal was the one who trademarked it, then...

Royal Caribbean Group said it worked with international regulators including the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure the new process met all safety requirements.

The company has patented or is in the process of patenting the eMuster technology in countries around the world and plans to license it to other lines. It said it is waiving its license fee during the coronavirus pandemic so other brands can begin using the system immediately. It said it already has granted a license to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

[Best Cat Mom]

39 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Since the bars are closed, I'll settle for an adult beverage on the balcony as soon as we finish the drill.  

TSL will be open and serving whenever you get back there.  🙂

[TrinaLC]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

The bars are closed until the muster drill is finished and an announcement is made.(BYOB)

You make a good clarification - but I wa responding more broadly as to whether he could hang out until the stairways cleared. There are lots of bars where you can sit that offer nice seating, good places to hang out even when the bars are closed - plus the stairways remain crowded even after the bars re-open. 

[TrinaLC]

1 hour ago, Scottdalfonso said:

I guess Royal was the one who trademarked it, then...

Royal Caribbean Group said it worked with international regulators including the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure the new process met all safety requirements.

The company has patented or is in the process of patenting the eMuster technology in countries around the world and plans to license it to other lines. It said it is waiving its license fee during the coronavirus pandemic so other brands can begin using the system immediately. It said it already has granted a license to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Huh, I wonder what element was patented? Watch video (or not, see Carnival), go to muster station, get checked in, leave … doesn’t seem to be much IP there - after all, they check people in/out at ports all the time. 
 

(I do see how they might have secured a “trademark” for the term e-muster.)

Edited February 1 by TrinaLC

[Nikita4]

5 hours ago, Scottdalfonso said:

I guess Royal was the one who trademarked it, then...

Royal Caribbean Group said it worked with international regulators including the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure the new process met all safety requirements.

The company has patented or is in the process of patenting the eMuster technology in countries around the world and plans to license it to other lines. It said it is waiving its license fee during the coronavirus pandemic so other brands can begin using the system immediately. It said it already has granted a license to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Yes the patented perhaps the name. But MSC restart cruising after covid  in August 2020 (!), more than a year before RCL and the other American lines. And he muster drill was since then with the video, the phone call and then deck wise to the muster station.

[peder]

17 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

I’ll agree wholeheartedly that MSC’s post-covid muster is substandard. 
 

What possible reason can there be for making everyone go to a muster station at the same time, only to be clocked in?

 

In a real emergency, this is how it would go. I appreciate that it seems like MSC is the only line that's trying to prepare passengers for what the actual experience might look like (i.e. elevators are down, there's a crush of people trying to board lifeboats, etc.).

[morpheusofthesea]

16 minutes ago, peder said:

 

In a real emergency, this is how it would go. I appreciate that it seems like MSC is the only line that's trying to prepare passengers for what the actual experience might look like (i.e. elevators are down, there's a crush of people trying to board lifeboats, etc.).

Also there is a possibility that there are only enough seats in lifeboats for passengers. Life rafts are to be launched for crew. In the Costa Concordia disaster only two life rafts where launched and the seats in the available life boats were taken by staff and crew. In a disaster it becomes 'everyman for himself'.

P.S. https://www.tiktok.com/@cruiseshipbook/video/7216419541537099014

Edited February 1 by morpheusofthesea
ps