We have been on the Meraviglia twice. First time 4 day out of Port Canaveral right when it opened back up after the pandemic. Second Meraviglia out of Brooklyn 10 day to Canada. First one was ok. The second one was terrible. Our biggest complaint was the lack of organization. First regarding tenders - totally insufficient number of tenders causing several hours delay getting off and back on. Second in the buffet - individual passengers cleaning out entire platters of food with a line of people waiting for that item while supervisors just stood by and watched. Third in venues - passengers talking loudly during shows, walking in and out constantly, etc. Also disorganized any time we had a customs check as to where to go when, etc. We have been on about 20 cruises, so we have had plenty of experience to call on. Never again.

As Europeans (Germans) we‘ve cruised on MSC a lot in the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea and from Brazil to Europe. We did that on the older, smaller ships, like the Lirica or the Poesia and on the bigger, newer ships, like the Grandiosa or the Seashore. What we can conclude after all these cruises is that the only consistency with MSC is the inconsistency of the service and food quality and the organization of the cruise. The Yacht Club experience is, in general, much better, but on our last cruise from Barcelona (in YC) we had to wait for three hours on a wooden bench in front of the terminal building because of some computer problems and NO MSC staff showed up and gave us any informations the whole time we were waiting. And all the staff always told us that the service and food quality standards were much higher for cruises out of the USA. We had some very nice cruises with MSC but we are done with them. Probably we‘ll try MSC Explora sometime in the future.

The Yacht Club is the only way to sail MSC.

Having sailed three times with MSC, we have booked three more cruises with MSC between January 2025 and October 2025. The experience is different in Europe because passengers board at numerous ports bus stop style. This prevents congestion as small number leave and a small number board. We did have a RT cruise from/to Hamburg that emptied the ship on return. It was one of the best disembarkations we have had. One of the worst was Carnival Venesia in NYC. We have sailed Fantastica and Yacht Club so recommend that you try YC.

Forgot to mention we sailed YC on the Splendida, Fantastica on Preziosa, and YC on the Seashore. In the Future we are Aurea on Meraviglia, YC on Virtuosa, and Fantastica on Divina.

I just got off the Seashore a couple weeks ago. My experience was different from yours. We had the Aurea experience and this comes with your own dining room. Our service was fantastic there and we also had anytime dining which we prefer over an assigned time. We had access to the thermal spa daily and a private sundeck with hot tubs and a bar. You may want to consider going this route if the Yacht Club is too expensive as it was for me. I actually just booked the same stateroom (forward facing with wrap around balcony) for a cruise in Oct. We really enjoyed it!

That was a great review, thank you! My husband and I have been on two MSC cruises out of Port Canaveral, both times in Yacht Club, we loved our experience. We decided that Yacht Club would be the only way we go on MSC again.

Wow! My experience with MSC buffet and dining room on the Seashore in January was awesome! They had a variety of food! Many different fish dishes, many different meats like lamb, beef, pork. A variety of side dishes and vegetables and cold cuts and cheese. I was so impressed especially after many poor reviews. There are 2 sides of the buffet on Seashore. Plus a kiddie buffet. One side of the buffet had thin crust pizza. The other side had pan crust pizza. It was crowded but the lines were not long. Plenty of tables. Bar right by the buffet. Loved that. I absolutely love MSC Seashore. MDR was also very good. Service was so good. The drinks on the Seashore were so good. Bartenders were spot on. I booked another cruise on the ship. I decided to book a YC interior room. I got an amazing deal so I am so looking forward to having an even better experience.

Your konigsdam cruise is what hooked me. Love you guys!!

Based on your previous vlogs of MSC, this appears to be a very fair and balanced review of your experiences. MSC doesn’t appeal to me. I prefer smaller ships and especially enjoy cruising with HAL. I appreciate that you did draw a cautious comparison between your experiences on the two ships. Thank you for a thoughtful review.

We've sailed on 6 different cruise lines so far and found that our cruise on the MSC Magnifica very comparable to most other cruise lines. We liked the food on MSC better than Carnival, and Royal Caribbean. The vibe of the ship reminded us of the older NCL and Holland America ships. The staff on the ship was great and customer service was terrific. I think maybe because we're older and retired we enjoyed this smaller ship without the water parks and slides and such. The ship offered so many different areas to sit and relax which also is our cruising style. We've decided that from now on we're sticking to smaller ships and staying away from the new big fun park style ships. I think you guys would enjoy cruising on some of MSC's smaller older ships. We'll be booking another cruise with MSC in the future but not on any of their mega ships, but that goes for all the cruise lines. In our opinion all the cruise lines have cut back on service and cheapened up on their complimentary food options while charging more for it. We truly enjoy your videos and Facebook group for all the information and advice it offers. Keep up the good work.

Trying to catch up on past videos. A low price is no guarantee of a good voyage. MSC doesn't enforce their smoking policy so the ship is a fire hazard waiting to occur. Don't like to be outside that much on a cruise ship. Not a fan of glass elevators. Food is a major thing for a cruise line. If the food isn't good then the trip won't be good. Food service doesn't sound good. Did hot items come to the table cold? Holland America buffett is really good. I eat pizza every day on a cruise too. Don't eat bacon. Don't eat lobster, clams, or shrimp either. If service isn't good that can have a negative experience. Seeing decent or better shows in the theater could enhance your experience. Fan of classic country music. It's like a crapshoot on whether the performer will be there or not. Don't like to lay out on a beach. Like to walk around the private islands and explore. Prefer smaller ships.

We just got off a 19 day transatlantic on the MSC Divina a smaller older ship. We chose it for the price and the ports. We had a fantastic time HOWEVER, I had some issues. They ran out of items like coffee creamer not even mid way through the cruise, the food in the main dining room was just weird to me. They never had steak on the menu and the choices were very strange being an Italian ship. The desserts were just not an option at all even in the buffet. A lemon drop Martini was not on any drink menu. Photographers hounded us. The gym was absolutely packed every single day all day! Lots of passengers were rude to the crew and just rude period. It was really strange. Last but not least the language barrier was hard for us. Positives were definitely the ports, the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, the Black and White lounge, the entertainment staff were great! The best entertainment by far was the karaoke! It was phenomenal! There were lots of passengers that were fabulous singers like really good! Who knew! I think we will give MSC a break for a while unless it’s an incredible itinerary.

Great Review! Your observations and experiences were very similar to ours on Seashore. The Yacht Club is a very nice area, and we enjoyed the extra perks that came along with being in there, but we still experienced inconsistencies within the YC that included service, food, communication, (special events going on within the YC), elevators (outside of the YC), etc. Having said that, I would most definitely recommend trying the Yacht Club at some point, because it was not crowded and it really had a very lovely designated area on 4 decks.

A very long time ago!!! 30 minutes lol

Now that's what I call an honest, well balanced, and intuitive review! I have a feeling that if MSC does not have a heartfelt discussion with their service and hotel department personnel, they will be sailing with half-full or even empty cruises in five or seven years. Great vlog!

I sailed solo on the MSC Magnifica early in May, 4 nights to the Bahamas. Much smaller ship then the Seashore. Maybe 2700 passengers. The dining room food was hit or miss. Probably not cruise on MSC again.

Great video! MSC is the great unknown for me and having you guys cover this brand is fantastic. I appreciate that you look at $'s when discussing cruising unlike some other YTers.

Seascape in Yacht Club was a great experience.

Try the Yacht Club. We absolutely love it.

Hi Jerry and Jill. I think you have come to the right conclusion. Why spend money on a substandard cruise ship,cruise line when you can go on something better.

I've heard great things about the yatch club. Great info.

I will be sailing on Magnifica (July 2024) and Meriviglia (October 2025) and will also be having my Cruise wedding on the Meriviglia as well. Cost is a major factor as is accessibility, since we'll be driving to Brooklyn as opposed to having our whole wedding party incurring additional costs for flights and such. I've only previously sailed on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, so I've been very diligent in researching before going on any cruise, especially as I will be entrusting MSC with my Wedding. I appreciate your feedback, especially from any Canadian cruise vloggers as we can relate our experiences and costs when considering cruising for our travels. Keep up the great videos!

I cruised with MSC Magnifica twice this year and loved both times.

Try Holland America. You’ll love it.

Sure have had some pretty great experiences with MSC myself, first with the Divina and also the Seaside. It has been a number of years now as they were both new ships when cruised, so some things may certainly have changed. It does seem that the service industry in particular has been hit hard by personnel challenges since 2020.

Great insight. I’ve been on Carnival a couple of times; first time MSC in June. The concerns seem to be consistent from my research, however I’m still stoked. Cruises seem to be a better type of vacation rather than the theme parks these days

Thanks Jill and Jerry! First, a ship with a 5K capacity, no thanks! Your descriptions of the food and inconsistencies would be a disappointment for us. It sounds too onerous to have to “find food”. It doesn’t sound like a relaxing cruise if you have to work that hard. Appreciate your honest review! ❤

To me, inconsistency is the same thing as undesirable.

I only get to cruise once or twice a year so I prefer to go with a line that I feel offers a more consistent experience. The issue with going with Yacht Club is that you are then greatly increasing your cruise price so that makes it harder to say it is a bargain price. We had a great experience on Princess with a mini suite that was similar in price to Yacht Club when I researched it, and the itinerary was much more appealing. I'd rather go with that mini suite on Princess because I believe I would know what to expect with them unlike the inconsistent offerings on MSC.

I guess we are with you regarding MSC. They just have to do better. We would much rather use our time and money on other cruise lines that are tried and true.

Great review of MSC. I believe that I will stick with Celebrity. I use the stairs as part of my daily exercise, leaving the elevators to those who need them.

We just did a 7 day Mediterranean cruise on Grandiosa.. threadbare sheets on the bed, one pool towel that must be in your cabin at the end of the cruise otherwise there is a €30 charge.. smoking all around pool deck. Pool was SO salty, to the point of being unswimmable. Rude , disinterested crew. Buffet was a zoo, main dining food was ok but anytime we had a salad, the dressing was always really watered down . We had filled out a special needs form , well in advance, as we needed an extension cord to power a CPAP machine.. had to leave a €30 deposit and literally got the last one available .. One person manning reception desk on our embarkation day, while 40+ passengers in line. Ridiculous. Never again.

So how would you compare msc with carnival?

Did both the Seashore & Seaside have a sports bar in the casino? I just got off the Enchanted Princess and was disappointed that they did not.

I am a no on MSC given, while the price may seem low the value for the vacation dollars does not seem to be there. As such with so many options for our vacation dollars, which most likely will require a few more of them but not prohibitally so, the value can be obtained elsewhere. Thanks for the wonderful recap of your experience.

2 for 2 for us. Seaside and Seascape. A + on everything. Only negative didn't get the drink package on Seaside and got nickeled and dime to death. Next time we will get the drink package. I am cruising MSC again next month. My favorite cruise line. I have been on ncl royal and celebrity. MSC blows all of them away by far.

I wanted to try MSC so booked a cruise with them. 30 days prior to sailing, I got an email saying the cruise had been cancelled, with no explanation as to why. Then they refused to give me a refund, only future cruise credit. So, will I ever cruise with MSC? No friggin way!!

I went april 21st through the 28th i can say we did have the same things happen to us that happen to u. First day we had to wait for are food 45 mins just for soup then another 30 mins for the entrée. The guy stated he was getting food from 5th ave and central park restaurant which is crazy i felt bad i said something after that i feel as thoe they work hard but not enough of them are over worked the food was ok buffet was always packed i didn't have trouble getting a seat our table but we didn't eat till 9 in the morning and 1 in the after noon the food was the worst part if i hadn't won 15k at the casino it wouldn't been a great cruise cuz of that it was and i have a free cruise as i got 5000 points i already booked again on the seashore for July if it wasn't free would i go again yes i have two kids and i have to pay a baby sister and for me and my girlfriend it is cheap enough for us to go and relax its a cruise and something we can afford where other cruise lines have gone up on there prices and priced us out where can u go for 998 thats what it will cost if we go again with everything gratuity everything u cant beat it once i get back in july i will most likely book one again in April where the Grandiosa will be there then and ive seen videos of it the way its set up is like the royal Caribbean ones like wonder other seas thank you

Would you two ever go on a Disney cruise? I've heard amazing things about them.

Thanks, there's too many other cruise lines that does it better. No reason to ever cruise MSC

Never cruised on MSC...I live in Montreal...we like small ships...love Azamara...But we have family in Europe.. that love MSC...they did Azores in march ...had a fabulous time ...they are booked for Greek Island and Turkey in Sept. Their itinerary are great ! I don't know if food and service is different in Europe than US...if you look at YT reviews...the one from US are awful....the one from Europe quite good!! So go figure 😉!! It is a shame...that they don't try to improve their status here !!

Hard no 😂

What is your favorite cruise line / ship to date? Have sailed Celebrity a lot and wanting to venture to Princess or Holland for a change.

I will never cruise on MSC again never I don't wanna waste my money on something that is so sporadically ridiculously crazy

After having a horrible cruise several months ago in the Maraviglia, I have come to the conclusion that this companies mission statement is centered around driving future customers towards the yacht club. They aren't the only ones with this idea. Personally, we will never cruise MSC again!

The Seashore is the Seaside on steroids. Basically the same, but larger.

MSC doesn't sound appealing at all.

My husband and I cruised MSC Seaside….worse cruise ever…..never MSC again!

Interesting We did our first Mediterranean cruise on the Presiosa MSC out of Barcelona and had a fantastic cruise. We were a dining table full of Canadians on the cruise and one of the people had requested this (we did not know each other previously) This did contribute to making a great cruise. The buffet was busy and lots of more aggressive people but we just didn’t let that bother us. This was just before Covid hit and there was lots of food options and there pizza was know as the best - yes! Only downside was they charged even for still water in the dining room 🤨 Great itinerary but very busy getting off and on ship So we recently booked the Seashore this Fall out of Florida so I am hoping to have a better experience than what you have mentioned. I was thinking that they would be doing everything possible as they are trying to break into more of the North American market. Hmm we shall see how it goes.