Indeed, there is usually always a quiet spot that can be found somewhere when needed. I was very impressed with MSC as they have a dedicated gluten-free kitchen for those of use who are celiac...a real bonus!! Always appreciate your reviews and your "drama-free" experiences you share, really, really appreciate that! Looking forward to your next adventure! Bruce and Otis
That is great to hear about the dedicated kitchen! And thank you for the last comment about drama free. It isn't the easiest way to grow a channel but it is certainly the way I most enjoy sharing my experiences to help others make good decisions for them.
Just got off Seaside Dec. 2024 - for context I have cruised MSC twice before - so I knew what to expect….however I was pleasantly surprised! Noticeable improvement in food - on Par or better than Royal and NCL (since they have declined). Dinner was done in one hour - no long waits (Okay….one time at MDR breakfast but still great for a 7 night cruise!) Balcony room for 7 nights under $1100 for two? Thanksgiving week? Can’t beat it….I also don’t expect Celebrity or Royal level entertainment - Will sail again.
This was my 3rd MSC cruise and my last. Check in was an easy go. Total time from car to cabin 35 mins. As I was putting my clothes away I found the cleaning staff had failed to check the dresser drawers and the past guess had left items behind. I called the front desk and the head of hotel services came up with the cabin cleaner. I told the boss that they makes these people clean a room in a ridiculous amount of time and I just wanted to owner to get his items back.. The cabin cleaner started to say something and the boss told him to be quite "I will talk to you later" My daughter's room had not been cleaned . She has to call guest services 3 times to get some one to clean her room. One of her bed had urine stain mattress and no sheets. My cabin cleaned did a great job the entire trip, my daughter's not so much. He took her back towels on day 2 and it took 3 days and 10 phone calls to get them replaced. Just as we were set to depart the last port the cruise director made and announcement "that due to a medical emergency there would be a delay in the departure. An hour and a half later they said they were waiting for medical personnel and the investigators to release the ship. (Translation somebody died) (Maybe it was a mediocre food) On a high note my girlfriend's son and his guest had a great time although they were drunk the entire trip so that may not count Date of experience: July 22, 2024
Great vlog. Yes, I've heard mixed reviews about MSC as well, mostly about food and service. My food experiences are different from most (gluten free) so I always have to try for myself. So I'm being open minded about my first MSC cruise on Magnifica this month. Thank you for sharing!
@@kenyapp1Hey yes, for MSC, they do best with gluten free in the dining room. They have options on their menu, plus you can pre-order for the next night. In the buffet, gluten free options aren’t labeled but they have a LOT of naturally GF options…protein, veggies, burgers, fries, salad. If you ask is something is gluten free, they will help you to track down the manager who will give you a buffet tour to show you all of your options. Specialty dining depends on the ship. Magnifica only has one and they didn’t do well with gf when I sailed 11/2024. Seashore did well and crew members were well informed. You’ll have great options. Just do the standard process of including in your booking notes and notifying the server or finding the buffet manager. I never went hungry or had anything I didn’t like! 😊
Thanks for this great review! I just booked a back to back cruise on the Seaside for Dec 2025. 7-day (4 and 3 day) solo cruise for $800 (inside cabin) You can't beat that. I really like MSC. Do you know if I will have to disembark after the 1st cruise? I booked the same cabin.
That is awesome and you can get some amazing deals there! Huge Value for they money! You will have two options, get off the ship with all the other guest in the morning and enjoy the port. Alternative, they will give you a meeting point on the ship for all B2B folks. You will meet here and once the ship has debarked all passengers (zero count) they will walk you off the ship, through customs, and then turn you around and walk right back on the ship. Here is a VERY old video I made on this in post covid times that provides more insight. ruclips.net/video/bQMCQiNzbCc/видео.html
after 20 cruises 2 on MSC i can say the food is very similar on most cruises because they use the same suppliers however on MSC seaside the service was very very bad all over the ship at least 2 hours for dinner in the dinning room i only went there 2 times on a 7 day cruise in 2019 and 2 months later we took a cruise on the MSC Armonia fantastic service and very good food
Thanks for this review! I almost counted MSC out due to so many low ratings. The price is so good for many of their sailings, that I am willing to look around and give them a chance.
Right?!? For the prices, it is worth forming your own opinion for. I honestly don't understand why so many people give them a hard time. Feel like they are trapped in a negative feedback loop and their team hasn't figured out how to pull out of it.
My daughter and I cruised every couple of years on Disney. Now i don't do anything disney and i have grand kids so i tryed Seaside to see if it would work. I thought it was great but i was the only one with that opinion. Peter Punk was totally entertaining but I can't explain why. As soon as the oldest granddaughter is 42" tall (for the water slides) I'll be back.
I do think MSC ships are absolutely gorgeous, but I'm just off MSC Meraviglia, and I think the issue is that MSC have brought their VERY European cruise product and just assumed it'll work in the USA. The only thing I could see that was different is that the US market get free ice cream (we don't in Europe), but that was the only difference...
the Gelato in the US is still a charge, you are not missing out! What does "European Cruise Product mean"? I have been trying to nail this down but can't seem to come up with a good defintion.
I was with a group of 10. We all had different experiences regarding food. The issues I had was that it seemed to have been defrosted food. Sometimes with a freezer burnt taste.
I was in the MSC in Feb 2023 and the one awful I can't forget is the fact that one has to sit squewed to the side on the toilet because it has a panel right on one of your knees (and I have very short thighs), I don't know what the 80% of the rest of population does!. (see 12.02 min)
I've been on 3 MSC cruises, and if I can't afford the YC anymore, I'll stay away. The ships are MUCH too crowded. Their newer ships are much smaller than the Oasis class with almost as many passengers. The YC is the only way to have some room for yourself.
Hey Melvin, I did not experience that on the sailings I have been on. Though, I have heard many people swear by the Yacht club and how nice it is. Hoping to win an upgrade into there one sailing!
You; "if you have a different one, let us know in the comments" Me: I'll take that invite. I cruised MSC Seaside three time in 2023 (the first year for me trying that cruise line), and the experiences could not have been more different. The first was truly horrible from start to finish, but it wasn't until the next week that we all learned why, when the ship received national attention for all the wrong reasons. We should have never left Port Canaveral. Having a really large (huge!!) travel agent presence onboard only fueled the PR nightmare . . . that MSC deserved. I was booked to return again three weeks later, and I gave great consideration to cancelling, but there was nothing available for a swap, and I already had the vacation days reserved. I'm SO glad I didn't, since the second experience was my favorite cruise of 2023. The ship may have looked the same, but the 'feel' was extremely different/better, and I wanted to extend that cruise. Yes, Peter Punk still sucked as an entertainment offering and, no, you are not the only one who felt that way. There was a significant turnover of staff/crew between those weeks, and it was obviously needed. Regarding the onboard technology, I agree that it definitely had its limitations, and I achieved much better success with booking on the public area screens. It was still better than that dismal online research/booking website that I have trouble believing they continue to allow to exist that way. Will I continue booking with MSC? Absolutely YES, and already have, but I also know the range of experiences can be significant. Heaven only knows how many of those travel agents, and passengers, onboard that late April sailing have told clients and others, "Run for the hills!!", keeping them from realizing the temporary bad reputation isn't full reality of the product.
Thank you for sharing and I've certainly heard from other travel agents who refuse to sell MSC! What you described can unfortunately happen with any Cruise line in any shit. The way they staff and the turnover can greatly impact the customer and guest experience. Glad they got it together for your second round!
Think the airy comes from the glass and stainless steele. Agree, that isn't a result of the maroon and block lol Interestingly, someone was just telling me these are classic Miami colors from the olden days which made a lot of sense!
I just got off the Meraviglia, my first MSC voyage. Never again. Never. Ever. Again. Maybe I've been spoiled by Celebrity and Cunard, my expectations for MSC were properly adjusted yet the actual experience fell well below them. I didn't care for the design, too gaudy, no flair, but my aft cabin was great, the main reason I booked the trip (and a very affordable single supplement). The food was lousy, the MDR was loud and the menus and presentation were so inferior compared to other ships I've sailed. The buffet, strictly institutional fare, dull, unimaginative and repetitive. I honestly had better meatloaf during a recent hospital stay. The staff were all around hard working and friendly, just about the only positive I can offer 24 hours after disembarkation. 10 nights and I was ready to get off after 7. I've learned my lesson, stick with the more premium lines.
Hey Craig, thank you for sharing your thoughts for others to see! Though, if comparing MSC, arguably, one of the cheapest cruise lines, to a premium cruise line, I can certainly understand why you were disappointed! I would have been too!
Agreed! MSC versus Cunard is like comparing the Holiday Inn to the Waldorf Astoria. Not even in the same ballpark. People need to realize these are much different products.@@TheWeekendCruiser
Hey CJ, this is in-line with the other mass market cruise lines I have been on. Main dinning, buffet, and snack area are complimentary. anything else, you have to pay.
Terrible experience on the seaside. Like of activities. Rude staff. Felt discriminated against a few times being I did not speak Spanish. The emergency training was a joke. Went to the Madison theatre to be told to go back to the room to watch it on the tv. Many of the people on board went straight back to the bars / casino. Felt super unsafe if an actual emergency happened. Will not travel with them again
Thanks for sharing Julia! Always like to hear people with different experiences! Though, the emergency training on most lines is remote. On Royal and Celebrity it is on the app and i believe most people watch in mute while multi tasking at home 🤷 though, still a much better experience than our old muster drills. Just hope we never have to test how effective they are! 😳
Hey Keeperzero, thanks for sharing! Always glad when someone provides a different opinion. Would you mind adding details for others to learn what did not meet your expectations?
We have done 2 MSC cruises: the Meraviglia and the Divina. Meraviglia was really fun. That was our first with them and really enjoyed it but the Divina experience was very forgettable. We do like Ocean Cay. However, we just sailed Virgin and the service and food on there is impeccable and we have sailed five different lines. Don’t think we will make it back to MSC now that we have experienced Virgin. 🛳️
![25 Things Cruisers MUST Know Before Your First MSC Cruise [MSC Cruise Tips 2024]](/img/1.gif)
Indeed, there is usually always a quiet spot that can be found somewhere when needed. I was very impressed with MSC as they have a dedicated gluten-free kitchen for those of use who are celiac...a real bonus!! Always appreciate your reviews and your "drama-free" experiences you share, really, really appreciate that! Looking forward to your next adventure! Bruce and Otis
That is great to hear about the dedicated kitchen! And thank you for the last comment about drama free. It isn't the easiest way to grow a channel but it is certainly the way I most enjoy sharing my experiences to help others make good decisions for them.
Just got off Seaside Dec. 2024 - for context I have cruised MSC twice before - so I knew what to expect….however I was pleasantly surprised! Noticeable improvement in food - on Par or better than Royal and NCL (since they have declined). Dinner was done in one hour - no long waits (Okay….one time at MDR breakfast but still great for a 7 night cruise!)
Balcony room for 7 nights under $1100 for two? Thanksgiving week? Can’t beat it….I also don’t expect Celebrity or Royal level entertainment - Will sail again.
This was my 3rd MSC cruise and my last. Check in was an easy go. Total time from car to cabin 35 mins. As I was putting my clothes away I found the cleaning staff had failed to check the dresser drawers and the past guess had left items behind. I called the front desk and the head of hotel services came up with the cabin cleaner. I told the boss that they makes these people clean a room in a ridiculous amount of time and I just wanted to owner to get his items back.. The cabin cleaner started to say something and the boss told him to be quite "I will talk to you later" My daughter's room had not been cleaned . She has to call guest services 3 times to get some one to clean her room. One of her bed had urine stain mattress and no sheets. My cabin cleaned did a great job the entire trip, my daughter's not so much. He took her back towels on day 2 and it took 3 days and 10 phone calls to get them replaced. Just as we were set to depart the last port the cruise director made and announcement "that due to a medical emergency there would be a delay in the departure. An hour and a half later they said they were waiting for medical personnel and the investigators to release the ship. (Translation somebody died) (Maybe it was a mediocre food) On a high note my girlfriend's son and his guest had a great time although they were drunk the entire trip so that may not count
Date of experience: July 22, 2024
Great vlog. Yes, I've heard mixed reviews about MSC as well, mostly about food and service. My food experiences are different from most (gluten free) so I always have to try for myself. So I'm being open minded about my first MSC cruise on Magnifica this month. Thank you for sharing!
Great feedback for any situation!
Hi there, can you share about your gluten free experience? I did MSC years ago, but that was before I discovered my gluten allergy!
@@kenyapp1Hey yes, for MSC, they do best with gluten free in the dining room. They have options on their menu, plus you can pre-order for the next night. In the buffet, gluten free options aren’t labeled but they have a LOT of naturally GF options…protein, veggies, burgers, fries, salad. If you ask is something is gluten free, they will help you to track down the manager who will give you a buffet tour to show you all of your options. Specialty dining depends on the ship. Magnifica only has one and they didn’t do well with gf when I sailed 11/2024. Seashore did well and crew members were well informed.
You’ll have great options. Just do the standard process of including in your booking notes and notifying the server or finding the buffet manager. I never went hungry or had anything I didn’t like! 😊
Thanks for this great review! I just booked a back to back cruise on the Seaside for Dec 2025. 7-day (4 and 3 day) solo cruise for $800 (inside cabin) You can't beat that. I really like MSC. Do you know if I will have to disembark after the 1st cruise? I booked the same cabin.
That is awesome and you can get some amazing deals there! Huge Value for they money! You will have two options, get off the ship with all the other guest in the morning and enjoy the port. Alternative, they will give you a meeting point on the ship for all B2B folks. You will meet here and once the ship has debarked all passengers (zero count) they will walk you off the ship, through customs, and then turn you around and walk right back on the ship. Here is a VERY old video I made on this in post covid times that provides more insight. ruclips.net/video/bQMCQiNzbCc/видео.html
@@TheWeekendCruiser Thanks so much! I'll check out the video.
after 20 cruises 2 on MSC i can say the food is very similar on most cruises because they use the same suppliers however on MSC seaside the service was very very bad all over the ship at least 2 hours for dinner in the dinning room i only went there 2 times on a 7 day cruise in 2019 and 2 months later we took a cruise on the MSC Armonia fantastic service and very good food
Cruises are always hit or miss with service! Glad you were able to go back and experience a better sailing!
Thanks for this review! I almost counted MSC out due to so many low ratings. The price is so good for many of their sailings, that I am willing to look around and give them a chance.
Right?!? For the prices, it is worth forming your own opinion for. I honestly don't understand why so many people give them a hard time. Feel like they are trapped in a negative feedback loop and their team hasn't figured out how to pull out of it.
Great info thanks. On it next week
Let us know how it goes!
My daughter and I cruised every couple of years on Disney. Now i don't do anything disney and i have grand kids so i tryed Seaside to see if it would work. I thought it was great but i was the only one with that opinion. Peter Punk was totally entertaining but I can't explain why. As soon as the oldest granddaughter is 42" tall (for the water slides) I'll be back.
I do think MSC ships are absolutely gorgeous, but I'm just off MSC Meraviglia, and I think the issue is that MSC have brought their VERY European cruise product and just assumed it'll work in the USA. The only thing I could see that was different is that the US market get free ice cream (we don't in Europe), but that was the only difference...
the Gelato in the US is still a charge, you are not missing out! What does "European Cruise Product mean"? I have been trying to nail this down but can't seem to come up with a good defintion.
I'm definitely MSC curious! Thanks for sharing, it looks like a really great ship. I'm hoping they add a ship to the West Coast in the future.
hah this is the title of my next video "MSC Curious" ;-)
@@TheWeekendCruiser love it!
LOL 🤣
Great explanations, but is the app optional?
Yes, you don't have to use their app.
I was with a group of 10. We all had different experiences regarding food. The issues I had was that it seemed to have been defrosted food. Sometimes with a freezer burnt taste.
That would not taste good! Consistency could be an issue with MSC. I'm doing a lot more in 2024 and excited to see how they do over the long haul.
This sounds so much nicer than Meraviglia.
Brandon would you do a inside cabin on MSC Yacht Club for us please would love your feedback on that experience thanks again great job as always..
I am bidding on them Kris! Would love to feature the Yacht Club and see what all the fuss is about in there! Sounds like an amazing experinece.
I was in the MSC in Feb 2023 and the one awful I can't forget is the fact that one has to sit squewed to the side on the toilet because it has a panel right on one of your knees (and I have very short thighs), I don't know what the 80% of the rest of population does!. (see 12.02 min)
I never would have thought about this but for tall people with longer legs, you might be up against it! Thanks for calling this out.
A beautiful interior, but hard to navigate.
I've been on 3 MSC cruises, and if I can't afford the YC anymore, I'll stay away. The ships are MUCH too crowded. Their newer ships are much smaller than the Oasis class with almost as many passengers. The YC is the only way to have some room for yourself.
Hey Melvin, I did not experience that on the sailings I have been on. Though, I have heard many people swear by the Yacht club and how nice it is. Hoping to win an upgrade into there one sailing!
You; "if you have a different one, let us know in the comments" Me: I'll take that invite. I cruised MSC Seaside three time in 2023 (the first year for me trying that cruise line), and the experiences could not have been more different. The first was truly horrible from start to finish, but it wasn't until the next week that we all learned why, when the ship received national attention for all the wrong reasons. We should have never left Port Canaveral. Having a really large (huge!!) travel agent presence onboard only fueled the PR nightmare . . . that MSC deserved. I was booked to return again three weeks later, and I gave great consideration to cancelling, but there was nothing available for a swap, and I already had the vacation days reserved. I'm SO glad I didn't, since the second experience was my favorite cruise of 2023. The ship may have looked the same, but the 'feel' was extremely different/better, and I wanted to extend that cruise. Yes, Peter Punk still sucked as an entertainment offering and, no, you are not the only one who felt that way. There was a significant turnover of staff/crew between those weeks, and it was obviously needed. Regarding the onboard technology, I agree that it definitely had its limitations, and I achieved much better success with booking on the public area screens. It was still better than that dismal online research/booking website that I have trouble believing they continue to allow to exist that way. Will I continue booking with MSC? Absolutely YES, and already have, but I also know the range of experiences can be significant. Heaven only knows how many of those travel agents, and passengers, onboard that late April sailing have told clients and others, "Run for the hills!!", keeping them from realizing the temporary bad reputation isn't full reality of the product.
Thank you for sharing and I've certainly heard from other travel agents who refuse to sell MSC! What you described can unfortunately happen with any Cruise line in any shit. The way they staff and the turnover can greatly impact the customer and guest experience. Glad they got it together for your second round!
There isn't anything airy about the maroon/black and mirrored decor on that ship!
Think the airy comes from the glass and stainless steele. Agree, that isn't a result of the maroon and block lol Interestingly, someone was just telling me these are classic Miami colors from the olden days which made a lot of sense!
Just took that cruise last week, WONDERFULL SHIP excepttttttttttttttttttttt THE FOOD SUCKED
Haha well, glad you like the ship!
I just got off the Meraviglia, my first MSC voyage. Never again. Never. Ever. Again. Maybe I've been spoiled by Celebrity and Cunard, my expectations for MSC were properly adjusted yet the actual experience fell well below them. I didn't care for the design, too gaudy, no flair, but my aft cabin was great, the main reason I booked the trip (and a very affordable single supplement). The food was lousy, the MDR was loud and the menus and presentation were so inferior compared to other ships I've sailed. The buffet, strictly institutional fare, dull, unimaginative and repetitive. I honestly had better meatloaf during a recent hospital stay. The staff were all around hard working and friendly, just about the only positive I can offer 24 hours after disembarkation. 10 nights and I was ready to get off after 7. I've learned my lesson, stick with the more premium lines.
Hey Craig, thank you for sharing your thoughts for others to see! Though, if comparing MSC, arguably, one of the cheapest cruise lines, to a premium cruise line, I can certainly understand why you were disappointed! I would have been too!
Agreed! MSC versus Cunard is like comparing the Holiday Inn to the Waldorf Astoria. Not even in the same ballpark. People need to realize these are much different products.@@TheWeekendCruiser
I was very disappointed when I traveled from Barcelona .on msc so it will be a long time before I try it again.tell were very rude.
Hey Jay, trying to uderstand the last part of your comment "tell were very rude". Think you mean the Clientele was rude?
msc most reseraunts cost extra
Hey CJ, this is in-line with the other mass market cruise lines I have been on. Main dinning, buffet, and snack area are complimentary. anything else, you have to pay.
Terrible experience on the seaside. Like of activities. Rude staff. Felt discriminated against a few times being I did not speak Spanish.
The emergency training was a joke. Went to the Madison theatre to be told to go back to the room to watch it on the tv. Many of the people on board went straight back to the bars / casino. Felt super unsafe if an actual emergency happened.
Will not travel with them again
Thanks for sharing Julia! Always like to hear people with different experiences! Though, the emergency training on most lines is remote. On Royal and Celebrity it is on the app and i believe most people watch in mute while multi tasking at home 🤷 though, still a much better experience than our old muster drills. Just hope we never have to test how effective they are! 😳
Don't waste your money on MSC. Worst cruise line. Will never go back
Hey Keeperzero, thanks for sharing! Always glad when someone provides a different opinion. Would you mind adding details for others to learn what did not meet your expectations?
We have done 2 MSC cruises: the Meraviglia and the Divina. Meraviglia was really fun. That was our first with them and really enjoyed it but the Divina experience was very forgettable. We do like Ocean Cay. However, we just sailed Virgin and the service and food on there is impeccable and we have sailed five different lines. Don’t think we will make it back to MSC now that we have experienced Virgin. 🛳️
Virgin is a step up in experience and in price! ;-) I just wish I could afford her every weekend!