MSC Cruises for DCL vets

[dtk07]

We recently returned from our 2nd DCL cruise and loved it. Our return flight got delayed and we each ended up with a $200 flight credit that needs to be used in the next year.

Due to pricing, spending $2,000+ on another Disney cruise isn't going to happen. However, we are spotting a 7 night cruise out of Miami on MSC Cruises that hits 4 new ports for us, and it's only $1,100 (including taxes and fees) for an inside cabin.

Any opinions on MSC Cruises for those who've only known dcl? Our son loves Legos who they partner with for their kids clubs.

 

[lklgoodman]

I haven't sailed on them and don't know anyone who has, their commercials make them look like a nice upscale cruiseline. Earlier this year I looked at reviews for them and the majority of the reviews were very negative for them.

 

[FigmentSpark]

The only comment I've ever heard is that some people don't like that everything is multilingual. I assume that means messages are repeated in several languages, but maybe that's just the European ones.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

We recently returned from our 2nd DCL cruise and loved it. Our return flight got delayed and we each ended up with a $200 flight credit that needs to be used in the next year.

Due to pricing, spending $2,000+ on another Disney cruise isn't going to happen. However, we are spotting a 7 night cruise out of Miami on MSC Cruises that hits 4 new ports for us, and it's only $1,100 (including taxes and fees) for an inside cabin.

Any opinions on MSC Cruises for those who've only known dcl? Our son loves Legos who they partner with for their kids clubs.

There is a member here, but I can’t remember her name that tried MSC after only doing DCL and Carnival and she loved MSC. I know she did a review on Cruise Critic, I’ll try to remember her name so I can link it for you.

 

[houseofduck]

We have cruised MSC after only cruising on Disney prior and afterward. It's definitely a different product than Disney, but they are a family friendly cruise line. Their idea of customer service is very different from Disney's, but, it was still a good experience for us. We had some issues (room assignment) that were difficult to resolve, but that is partly because we are a larger family that books different types of rooms and we booked the Seaside when it hadn't been completed yet. My parents and others that have sailed with us haven't had the same issues.

My kids enjoyed their kids clubs. It may have been because we sail at off times, but some of the activities in the clubs didn't actually happen when they were supposed to happen, partly because there were not enough children to do the activity. The clubs are not open all of the time. They take the kids around the ship (for parades, to dinner, to the shows, 4D cinema). They have their own characters (Doremi, Mila, and a few others). My kids still sing the Doremi song sometimes.

Outside of the kids clubs, they don't have as many activities as Disney. They have trivia, bingo, dance lessons, pool games, crafts, and other activities. There might be one activity going on at a time where Disney would have four or five.

There shows are very different from Disney's shows. Their shows are more cirque du soleil. Each night is kind of a different variation with similar types of acts. Some were more entertaining than others for our family.

Many people complain about the food. We didn't have a problem with it. Their steaks (which I don't eat), I've heard/read are not really great. Their pizza is great! Their other food was good too. Some of my family members prefer MSC food to Disney food.

Their clientele is more international than Disney's. By this I mean, if you are from the US or Canada, you will be in the minority, most likely. They will often make announcements in several languages. It wasn't really an issue for us, but English was not the first language for most of the kids in the clubs.

You might want to take a look at the MSC forum on cruisecritic. I think you will get a more balanced view of MSC there.

Overall, if you go in realizing that it won't be the same as Disney, you can have a great experience. Their ships are clean. Their food and entertainment were good (at least what I ate/saw). You will probably miss some of the things from a Disney cruise, but you definitely can have a good experience.

 

[houseofduck]

There is a member here, but I can’t remember her name that tried MSC after only doing DCL and Carnival and she loved MSC. I know she did a review on Cruise Critic, I’ll try to remember her name so I can link it for you.

Was it @Love2Cruise2015? I think I saw her review on cruisecritic.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Was it @Love2Cruise2015? I think I saw her review on cruisecritic.

Yes, that’s her! Thanks

 

[Adventurelawyer]

DIS member @lsonicfan just did an MSC cruise in the Med immediately following an EBTA. She could probably give you some info.

 

[aggiedog]

We also did a Med MSC cruise after 2 on DCL (Magic and Wonder.) It is a very different product, but I can't tell you how much applies to a Caribbean cruise. From what I understand, the product was Americanized some for the Caribbean. Definitely go over to CruiseCritic and ask there.

First difference - price. We sailed concierge, called Yacht Club, and loved it, for less than half of what DCL non-concierge would have cost for a very comparable cruise. That was the winning factor, allowing us an extra week in France. Their concierge lounge, pool, restaurant, etc, were wonderful.

Ship layout - we were on Splendida. Instead of hallways like DCL, Splendida had a sequence of rooms/bars/lounges you had to walk thru to get most places. That frequently made it feel more crowded. For us, that did not include the casino at all, however. We saw it exactly once, when we were walked by it on our way to our staterooms.

Pools - many, many, many more. So much more. I swear every time I turned a corner there was another one. A welcome change from the kid soup that seems to be DCL.

Meals - European in style, service, and length. Some of the dishes were excellent. Some not so much. All were looong in that "the table is yours all night" European style. After long days in port we were exhausted and finally learned to ask our staff to serve us more quickly so we wouldn't fall asleep at their table. They seemed happy to oblige. The Mexican restaurant was awful, but no surprise. We tried the general buffet once. It was just ok and the service was pretty slow for drinks or anything else we needed.

The service overall, though, was excellent. Very friendly staff. My kids don't really use the clubs on any ship so I can't comment on that. Dd did bring her switch and made friends easily in the concierge lounge.

 

[wanderlust7]

We did a Med cruise on the MSC Seaview last summer after doing 2 DCL cruises. The ship was beautiful. The service is not as good as DCL (in non-concierge). I missed the DCL shows. The MSC shows we saw were a bit of a mishmash of dancing and acrobatics. I though the main dining room was just okay, but the specialty restaurants were excellent (we did a package). The pastries and desserts everywhere were delicious. The kids didn't like the kids' club, I think there weren't that many English speaking kids (so you won't have this problem). The kids have to do whatever activity is going on. So they happened to go during an activity they didn't like (singing and dancing). But in general, DS isn't that into the clubs, though DD usually is. DS really liked the water slides on the Seaview. All that said, the price for MSC was great, so I have absolutely no regrets. Would sail them again if the price, itinerary, and ship was right.

Are you considering the Seaside? Sister ship to Seaview, if you have any specific questions, I can try to answer.

If you decide to book, MSC has a status match program. You can status match your DCL Silver to get you 5% off any MSC cruise.

 

[Intr3pid]

We were on MSC Seaview this summer - the sister ship and replica of Seaside. It was a 7-night Mediterranean itinerary out of Rome (Civitavecchia) with a new port every day - and a few embarkation points.

1. The ship was amazing. Very new and beautifully crafted. I would compare it with the larger RCL ships. Tons of activities incl. a waterpark on board. You probably know them all, and here is a video showcasing them:

2. We were also in the Yacht Club (YC) as a family of five. And our total price was about 70% of what we paid for a family verandah on Magic a month later. That said, prices are rapidly rising on the YC suites. You might not find this sort of a difference anymore in the Caribbeans.

3. We picked the cruise because we actually wanted to experience this itinerary with the Europeans. Our kids are about the high-school age, and we have been taking them all over the world to appreciate culture, history, and people. In general, we found the Europeans cruisers in a better physical shape than those in the Caribbeans. (Maybe the food had something to do with it - LOL.) They also seemed to be travelling together or as multi-generational families. It was a very diverse crowd - and much better dressed to boot!

4. While the general food was OK, that in the YC restaurant was excellent. They took good care of us. The YC kitchen would get overwhelmed during the busy hours - hence, a slower dinner - but the service remained excellent.

5. Entertainment was a hit or miss, but some was well beyond the DCL quality. Again, we wanted to experience the difference and went in with a very open mind.

6. The kids didn't use the clubs much because of the language barriers - there were far fewer English speakers on board. BUT - it was a very port-intensive itinerary, and it didn't matter much. They had a great time in the waterpark and with all the on-board attractions.

We also sailed on NCL Star and twice on Magic this summer, and Magic by far felt like the oldest of them. The public areas and the exterior don't show as much - as the staff is always touching it up - but the staterooms tell you the story. That said, you can't compare any cruiseline with the on-board Disney experience. Our kids loved their 10-night Baltic cruise - and made friends who they would still keep in touch with today.

My recommendation? Go in with an open mind, and see for yourself. DCL's prices are a real issue, and you aren't alone in seeking other choices.

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

We've looked into going with MSC. We've read the reviews and heard much of what is mentioned here, which we could all live with (for the price and the itinerary). One thing I had also read was more worrisome; smoking. Some people said that the smoking areas were bothersome, whether with their locations or with the ventilation. For those who have been on MSC, what was your experience with this?

 

[houseofduck]

We've looked into going with MSC. We've read the reviews and heard much of what is mentioned here, which we could all live with (for the price and the itinerary). One thing I had also read was more worrisome; smoking. Some people said that the smoking areas were bothersome, whether with their locations or with the ventilation. For those who have been on MSC, what was your experience with this?

I think that there are more smokers on MSC. They have designated smoking areas and they were utilized. I really dislike the smell of smoking, but didn't think it was too bad. It seemed to be localized to the designated areas.

On the Divina, I noticed the smell of smoke around the casino (which was near our MDR). When we sailed the Divina, the casino was supposed to be smoke free. Now, I think they have one side smoke free and one side smoking. I don't remember any other areas where it was noticeable although I'm sure there are other areas that are designated smoking areas.

On the Seaside, there is a designated smoking area on one side of one of the aft pools. There were always people smoking in that area and I would forget to go to the opposite side when walking through. I also accidentally booked my parents in a balcony room that was above a designated smoking area on deck 8. My parents also dislike smoke. They never even noticed that the smoking area was below their balcony. Apparently and thankfully, that smoking area wasn't used as much as others.

We did Caribbean cruises with them. Med cruises might be different.

 

[lilsonicfan]

MSC is a really interesting line - they do things quite differently. Like aggiedog, and Intr3pid we sailed on the MSC Europe in the Yacht Club (we were on Seaview too). It is super port intensive in Europe, and they run a multi-embarkation where you can board at 4 different ports, so the guests are constantly changing. Seaview and Seaside are both massive ships, the ship itself was beautiful.

You can't expect the same level of service as DCL, in part because I just think they don't do things that way on MSC. If the answer to your request is no, MSC will just say no - they won't bend over backward to try to make the answer yes, or tell you that they will keep looking into it. Yacht Club, however, was pretty awesome through and through considering the price - it was less for our YC room (concierge level, with private pool, lounge, restaurant, and pool deck with buffet for concierge guests, full drink package) than two insides on DCL (we are a family of 5).

I echo the thought that you need to have an open mind, and if you're the type to think any day cruising is better than a day at work, you'll likely have a great time while also thinking "hmm, that was a little quirky".