bonsky Posted May 11, 2009 #1 Share Posted May 11, 2009 My family & I are planning a cruise in Nov. We have been on 14 cruises, most of all of them have been Carnival. We want to try this MSC ship. It will be sailing in the carribbean in Nov. Can anyone please tell me about this ship and, or line? Thanks, Bonnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilllizzie Posted May 11, 2009 #2 Share Posted May 11, 2009 We sailed on the Poesia at Christmas. You can see below the list of lines we have sailed on. I'm afraid MSC is the only one that I wouldn't book again. The upfront prices are good, but the onboard bills swallow up the savings. The staff on the Poesia were rude, had absolutely no idea about customer service, and the food was poor. I'm not a picky eater, but I often struggled to find something edible at dinner. Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookymom Posted May 12, 2009 #3 Share Posted May 12, 2009 My family & I are planning a cruise in Nov. We have been on 14 cruises, most of all of them have been Carnival. We want to try this MSC ship. It will be sailing in the carribbean in Nov. Can anyone please tell me about this ship and, or line? Thanks, Bonnie You should have a wonderful time, if my husband hadn't just started a new job we would be going with you. We were the last cruise on the Orchestra out of FLL. We were treated very well, ship was very clean & tastefully decorated. Staff was very helpful, especially if you treated them with respect & we had no complaints about the food. There seemed to be a lack of activities for the teens but we don't have any so it wasn't an issue. Somebody mentioned their bill at the end but you could review it everyday on the TV. We were charged for exactly what we spent & at the price we expected. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arf2005 Posted May 12, 2009 #4 Share Posted May 12, 2009 You should have a wonderful time, if my husband hadn't just started a new job we would be going with you. We were the last cruise on the Orchestra out of FLL. We were treated very well, ship was very clean & tastefully decorated. Staff was very helpful, especially if you treated them with respect & we had no complaints about the food. There seemed to be a lack of activities for the teens but we don't have any so it wasn't an issue. Somebody mentioned their bill at the end but you could review it everyday on the TV. We were charged for exactly what we spent & at the price we expected. Enjoy. What do they charge for that others lines don't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SForman Posted May 12, 2009 #5 Share Posted May 12, 2009 What do they charge for that others lines don't? I found their drink prices lower then any other cruise line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilllizzie Posted May 13, 2009 #6 Share Posted May 13, 2009 What do they charge for that others lines don't? I believe MSC policies differ according to the area where the ship is operating. We sailed in the Med where they charged for bottled water (and no other drinking water is available in the dining room) coffee and tea in the dining room, port maps (two euros for an A4 photocopy) and all room service food and drink. All of these have been free on other lines I have used. Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmoMondo Posted May 13, 2009 #7 Share Posted May 13, 2009 I believe MSC policies differ according to the area where the ship is operating. We sailed in the Med where they charged for bottled water (and no other drinking water is available in the dining room) coffee and tea in the dining room, port maps (two euros for an A4 photocopy) and all room service food and drink. All of these have been free on other lines I have used. Gill They also charge for using steam room and saunas in Europe too. however this and all the other things Gilllizzie cites above are free in the Caribbean sailings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Kendra* Posted May 13, 2009 #8 Share Posted May 13, 2009 They dont do pitchers of water in the dining room? Only bottled?? This may actually be a problem...... my husband drinks A LOT of water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookymom Posted May 14, 2009 #9 Share Posted May 14, 2009 They dont do pitchers of water in the dining room? Only bottled?? This may actually be a problem...... my husband drinks A LOT of water. On our cruise to Bermuda they kept our water (&tea) glasses full at dinner. Your water & tea glasses are filled almost immediately upon sitting down, if you have a good waiter & we did. There is cold water with the ice machines in the buffet area. We took 2 bottles of water with us & decided to take a few more the next time. They ask you not to fill any of theeinsullated mugs or water bottles from the machines. Unfortunately the sign was ignored by many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmoMondo Posted May 14, 2009 #10 Share Posted May 14, 2009 They dont do pitchers of water in the dining room? Only bottled?? This may actually be a problem...... my husband drinks A LOT of water. Not normally in Europe but they do in the caribbean. Someone form the UK had been in touch with MSC and they said that free water would be available on all their ships in the dining room. they certainly were not offering it on the fantasia a few weeks ago. then again i didn't insist that i didn't want a bottle but just tap, so can't tell you whether I'd have been able to get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Kendra* Posted May 14, 2009 #11 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Not normally in Europe but they do in the caribbean. Someone form the UK had been in touch with MSC and they said that free water would be available on all their ships in the dining room. they certainly were not offering it on the fantasia a few weeks ago. then again i didn't insist that i didn't want a bottle but just tap, so can't tell you whether I'd have been able to get it Thanks for the information. My husband will insist on a pitcher, as he did on our last cruise. I have never seen anyone drink as much water as he does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilllizzie Posted May 16, 2009 #12 Share Posted May 16, 2009 In order to be fair to MSC, there are some things that are very good about them. The Poesia is a fabulous ship, beautifully maintained and classy in design. The cabins are very spacious and comfortable, and our maid was excellent. The wine bar was lovely, it served quality wines at reasonable cost and with nibbles. The "gypsy jazz" band that played in the wine bar were fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camofwilliamsburg Posted June 6, 2009 #13 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Bonsky; I have a lot of info from my MSC cruise that I could forward to you. Just too hard to do on this site. Feel free to email me at : camofwmbg@yahoo.com Just put cruise info as subject or you screenname also so I know who it is from. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boca7 Posted June 12, 2009 #14 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Policy on MSC is different in US virsus Europe, water is plentiful at dinner, but take a lg plastic glass with you for the buffets as the glasses are small. Prices are generally lower than other ships except for prepaid tips that are more than other lines. You can`t beat there ships for beauty, cleanliness & entertainment. Food seems to be the biggest obstacle, personally I enjoyed the variety but many have different opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camofwilliamsburg Posted June 12, 2009 #15 Share Posted June 12, 2009 I Would not hesitate at all. The food was very good, and when I compare to X it was BETTER. We did not have any real great meals on X even in the specialty restaurant. We told tohem that our scallops were gritty ad they just shrugged on X. On MSC when the lobster was overdone the waiter tried 3 times to reserve me fresh lobster made right. They never really got it but after 3 times I just caved in... and the waiter tried..i never complained..he was trying to get it right. As for water, we are big water drinkers, no issue..tell them that you need more water and if no pitcher then they will give you 2 water glasses. That is what we did. Never an issue at all. If you smile and not whine then they go out of their way to please you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookymom Posted June 12, 2009 #16 Share Posted June 12, 2009 I Would not hesitate at all. The food was very good, and when I compare to X it was BETTER. We did not have any real great meals on X even in the specialty restaurant. We told tohem that our scallops were gritty ad they just shrugged on X. On MSC when the lobster was overdone the waiter tried 3 times to reserve me fresh lobster made right. They never really got it but after 3 times I just caved in... and the waiter tried..i never complained..he was trying to get it right. As for water, we are big water drinkers, no issue..tell them that you need more water and if no pitcher then they will give you 2 water glasses. That is what we did. Never an issue at all. If you smile and not whine then they go out of their way to please you. I so agree. That smile & a little laughter goes a long way. It does with me too in my work & why should it be any different on a cruise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camofwilliamsburg Posted June 12, 2009 #17 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Seems like simple info but I was embarrassed by the amount of complainers and how they acting towards the staff. I try to treat everyone with dignity... no matter what their job is. I even said hi and good morning... good afternoon and good night to that man who was always polishing the brass railings on the stairs. He appreciated it. When I would approach he would then stop and smile back at me. I felt like loyalty when I was on board Orchestra because of the staff interactions. They were all more than positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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