25 Things Cruisers MUST Know Before Your First MSC Cruise [MSC Cruise Tips 2024]

[@josiahisalive]

This video has helped me tremendously!! I just booked my first cruise ever and next year in May ill be going on the MSC Seascape ☺️ this past year I was battling lung cancer and I beat it so this is a present for myself!! Thank you so much for creating this video for people like myself!!!

[@marlenejohnston9046]

I wish you continued good health!...enjoy your cruise on MSC.....I sure did and I'm booked to go with them again.

[@tgordon8136]

I'm so glad that you're still here. Happy cruising!!

[@pamelasimpson4734]

Thank God you are healed, enjoy your cruise 🎉❤🙏

[@probation2propagation420]

Just wanted to say congratulations on your remission and I wish you the best ❤

[@marlenejohnston9046]

@@probation2propagation420 I have no idea why this message would be sent to me.

[@stephaniewright2045]

I went on an MSC cruise in June, and it was a wonderful experience! 1) If you use the MSC phone app, you can make reservations from there, as well as put in your credit card info, so you don't have to use the kiosk. 2) You do not have to confirm your dinner seating time every night. It's noted in your information packet in your room. 3) Re the hot tubs... the pools and hot tubs close every evening, and are drained and cleaned. They get refilled each morning with seawater, so they will start out at whatever temperature the sea is that day. Might possibly be why the hot tubs are not super hot. Also, they are not chlorinated. 4) All of our excursions ran on time, and the guides knew the languages of all the people on each tour, and were fluent in those languages. 5) Show introductions and ship announcements were all made in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German.

[@Rylandfisher60]

@stephaniewright2045 I went in July. So different from my first and second experiences 3 years ago. I had a lovely time.

[@carlabotelho7848]

Going to make my first cruise to Fiords and have some doughts. Do they speak portuguese? Do we need to buy a package to have coffe at the meals ou wine on the buffet? How do we activate our MSC card? The shows on theatre and commadant dinner or parties have to be paid off?

[@reneeberlack5140]

Thank you for the info

[@christinewallick7670]

We did our first MSC cruise in March on Magnifica and we absolutely loved it but our friends that traveled with us were a bit less impressed than us. We are much more introverted for Americans though so we were excited to try a European line as we knew their service tends to be a bit more relaxed in Europe. We absolutely loved the lighter foods and more calm feel of the ship and crew, we even incorporated a few tricks from their dining style at home because we found some things we really liked better than the more American take. It was definitely a fun party atmosphere but was more toned down than Carnival is. We loved it so much that we have another MSC cruise booked for this year on Seashore and are excited to see how we like the much bigger ship. As our kids are getting older our tastes are definitely changing as far as what we all like most about a cruise when we look back on it.

[@susan-z4m2j]

We always stay in the Yacht Club on MSC cruises and have superb service. The staff couldn't be any nicer or more helpful. Tiziana Piccaluga is the Yacht Club Director and exceeds any expectations you have of the Yacht Club. She handles everything with excellence. Even though we have a private dining room we still love to go to the buffet for a light lunch or late-night snacks like the delicious pizza. The ambiance of the MSC ships is beyond words. The Swarovski crystal staircases are magnificent and getting your picture taken on them makes you look like a queen. Very elegant. The MSC designers are to be commended for their outstanding design elements that make you feel special and enjoy the beauty of the ship. This is our "go-to" ship for all our vacations.

[@LifeWellCruised]

I’d love to try Yacht Club. Only heard good things- thanks for sharing

[@lindakenny4779]

The end of June will be our 3rd sailing within a year on msc. I love it! I actually prefer it over RC, and would choose them every single time. The entertainment is the best I’ve seen on any line. Every single night, new shows & big productions. I enjoyed the food, but when comparing it to years ago, the food isn’t the same on any line. The photo packages are the absolute best, the quality is amazing & the photographers are wonderful. The staff in general is great. I can’t say enough good things about this line, but there will be ppl who are devoted cruisers on other lines who will disagree with me & that’s ok… just enjoy whatever you do.

[@Rylandfisher60]

@@lindakenny4779 The second time for me was better the first. Remember, my first time was in 2019, Thanksgiving week. The food wasn't good and OVERALL the staff wasn't friendly. The entertainment was the best ever!! Enjoy.

[@craigmorrow4799]

I agree. Love MSC and to be honest I found the food to be great.

[@cutepinay2]

Thank you so much for a great review! I’m a big fan of MSC. In my opinion, MSC is great in every way, not to mention that they are a great value for your money! MSC deserves an honest review!

[@LifeWellCruised]

Glad this was helpful - especially from the perspective of someone who knows MSC :)

[@crystalglass1358]

Not only is having a lot of Europeans onboard something that "isn't bad" - it's absolutely great!!! Makes for very interesting conversations and the potential of new international friends!

[@LifeWellCruised]

True :)

[@tabithaweathersbee9348]

Yes, I enjoyed hearing all of the different languages.

[@invictus5649]

💯 That was one of the best parts for me. I go on vacation, in part, to get out from under my rock in the middle of the lower 48, and it's always great to meet people from all over the world.

[@scooby89]

All of you must have had the nice Europeans. The comedian on my sailing even talked about how rude our Europeans were.

[@Rylandfisher60]

I’ve traveled MSC a couple times and I feel the cultural differences does not make for good conversation. Unless something has changed, it wasn’t a friendly experience.

[@jurgenmuck3102]

I'm from Germany, and therefor I travelled on MSC-ships quite often, cause it's a or maybe THE market leader in Europe. Here some thoughts about some complaints, which often come from American guests: 1. What I read in reviews of American guests is, that MSC-food is bland. You have to know, that MSC is an Europaen cruise company, and in Europe it won't be well-received if food is "over-spiced", also the use of artifical falvorants (liks MSG) isn't very welcomed in Europe. So food for American taste often is rather "under-spiced", than "over-spiced", and it's the guest's job to ad more salt, pepper, hot sauce etc. which all is provided in the buffets and MDRs. What is considered as "over-spiced" will be very different between European and American guests. What noticed as "hot" for Europeans will probably only cause a weary smile from American guests. ;) 2. Food general: MSC is an European, more precisely an Italian cruise line. Like all Italian cruise lines, the food is rather Mediterranean based than international. Part of that is, that board is concentraded on the Main dining rooms. On a MSC-ship you won't find multiple buffets and further included "a la carte"-venues like "Burger restaurants", "pizzerias" etc. There will be one buffet, multiple MDRs (to accommodate nearly every guest), and speciality restaurants. If you up to multiple, different buffets, MSC won't be your best choice. 3. Service: MSC crews are custom to international audiences, and they will attend to special needs and wishes of every guest. If they recognize you are from Germany for example they won't bother you with a lot of chit-chat, cause they are knowing that mosts Germans aren't up for that. But they will also do the "American Style", if they know you're open for that. Maybe they need a little hint, the simplest way to give this hint is to start small talk from your own accord. 4. International audiences: MSC traditionally accommodates people from all of Europe and the world. Especially people from South Europe. Therefor it's likley you will see large families, large tour partys and many children on MSC ships. MSC cruises tend to be louder and more livley, than other cruise lines. I personally love that, but for others this would be a red flag. 5. Entertainment: Due to the fact, that MSC accommodates international audiences there won't be "text-based" entertainment like full musical plays, readings or comedians for instance. There will be a lot of music-based shows, which will have very less spoken passages.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Love this! Thanks for sharing & I especially appreciate your tip #3 about giving the servers an indication

[@Harrison-hg2vs]

Same but I’m from uk and also I can go in top 19

[@davie2983]

Brother Thanks for that info, but there is not much msg in America either.

[@RogerWhyte]

I recently took my first MSC Cruise out of New York on the Meraviglia to south Florida and the Caribbean for a 7 day adventure and was very impressed with my trip. During my research and reading some not so nice reviews from other MSC guests about the Maraviglia, I was prepared for anything. Those reviews were written by guests who wanted to find something wrong so they could bad mouth MSC. I found MSC to be a First Class cruise company with a 6 star ship and crew which made my experience one to remember and want to do it again real soon. Going back to the status section of your review, I am a Diamond member of Hilton Honors and was quickly given Diamond status with MSC. This status upgrade made my experience on MSC very enjoyable with many very nice additions to my cruise. The entertainment on the ship was some of the best I have seen. The music and acting was as good as what you would see under the lights on Broadway. The best show by far was the "Houdini Show". It was so good, I had to come back for a second night to try and figure out how Houdini was able to get out of a tight fitting, "Straight Jacket" while upside down spinning around in under a minute. Wow what a show!!!

[@futfut1]

I'm going in dec 24. Is there a separate port fee charge ? I know there is an additional hotel service fee.

[@reneeberlack5140]

Thank you for the info

[@flittlehouse]

We have been on 5 MSC cruises as well as other cruise lines (HAL, RC). We were on the same cruise as you last year and on the Seashore out of Port Canaveral this year and MSC is our preferred line. I agree with everything that you said. One of the things that we like is that it is different from the other lines. Most of the complaints that we have heard on social media are more with regard to personnel taste or lack of knowledge, especially with regard to food. We have never found a lack of choices either in the dining room or buffet; most people do not check out the entire buffet. Those looking for more burgers and hot dogs outside of the buffet, my feeling is that you don't travel to another country and look for a MacDonalds. With regard to the levels, we have cruised Aurea the last two cruises. Even though we are not "spa people," the cabin choice and anytime dining are worth it. The prosecco and chocolate upon embarkation are pluses. While they eliminated the gift, robe and slippers, and free room service (except continental breakfast) on our last cruise (5/12-19/2024), these are minor. We had one of the cabins in the very rear and they eliminate the major complaints about cruise-ship cabins: The bathroom is much larger, the shower is at least twice as big, and there is more storage than needed including three closets for hanging clothes and another with drawers. I appreciate that they may have eliminated some little things to keep the prices down; it is still the best bargain.

[@spacepilot12]

I’ve been on 25 cruises, 5 of which have been with MSC. I enjoy meeting people from all over the world. 3 of those cruises have been from South America to Europe, my last one a 25 day cruise. What I like is that despite not having a lot of US passengers on those ships they have always put me in a dinner table group with other passengers with English as their primary language. On one cruise a couple of my table mates were headliners on the ships shows. The Italian and Seafood on MSC is fantastic. I will be on the Seascape when MSC starts cruising out of Galveston.

[@LifeWellCruised]

That’s great to know

[@FraserAtSea]

I've cruised with MSC so many times, and totally agree with every single one of your points in here, Ilana. I genuinely think that lots of the dissatisfaction with MSC is from people who just don't know what to expect, so great overview - I'm sure this will help so many people!

[@YoWhatupchuck]

June will be my first MSC cruise. I’ve been on Carnival twice. I’ve been watching YT vids since October! This is helpful info and I’m looking forward to the experience

[@LifeWellCruised]

Glad this was helpful. Personally I liked it but it’s good to know that you won’t have the multiple casual “fast food” style options that carnival has. Enjoy!

[@KőváriLászlóPasarét]

Just off a Caribbian MSC cruise. Fantastic experience, for a first timer. Enjoyed every minute. Booked another cruise on board. This presentation is excellent source of cruise information. Thank you for that. Might be useful to shed some light on the optional excursions as well.

[@jcolleenbrown]

We (four of us) traveled on the MSC Meraviglia out of Brooklyn NY last summer and had a wonderful time. Thankfully, we found the experience to be so much better than other people complain about online! Their private island is THE BEST. The pizza and bread were wonderful. We had a charming and competent waiter in the dining room. We're traveling with MSC again this fall, without hesitation! (PS the hot tubs on the Meraviglia were hot! :) ) Thanks for covering all the topics that you did in this video.

[@StelluxeVoyages]

LOVE your vids! My first cruise ever was on MSC Seashore two years ago. I chose MSC because I’m single and they had the most economical single supplement pricing. I had a “free” balcony upgrade and I got the drinks and WiFi package. Be careful when you go, though. I went for my birthday in late September and they didn’t tell me that the entire itinerary had changed due to hurricane Ian. I didn’t find out until I got to my cabin, but if they had time to print and distribute that info, they could’ve emailed me or at least told me at check-in. Other than that, I had a very nice time. You are assigned a restaurant for dinner, but apparently the dinner menu is the same at all the general restaurants. I bought a spa package onboard and it was about 50% cheaper the next day, but it was cheapest in the MSC app two days before sailing. I would like to go on another cruise line next, but since I seem to be stuck on single, I might have to go on MSC again to avoid paying for double for cruising solo. Thanks so much for all you do! 😊

[@grannyoffive1313]

We are seasoned cruisers since 1993… Have taken many cruises and decided to try MSC in 2017… Have taken six or seven MSC cruises so far… Two of which were in the Yacht Club… And have the Yacht Club booked again for September on the seashore booked in the fantastica experience on the inaugural world America Cruise… We love MSA… We love all cruise lines for their different offerings🚢 thanks for a great video

[@evelinev4533]

I cruised on the MSC Seashore in April and absolutely loved everything about it It's an amazingly beautiful ship with fantastic crew members and so much to do.Bahamas/Jamaica/Cayman Islands and Cozumel. Great price too.Ready to go again ❤❤

[@wrh41]

Informative, as always, thanks, Ilana! I wouldn’t even consider an MSC cruise without consulting Ilana’s views.

[@LifeWellCruised]

So glad this was helpful!

[@roan6125]

Sailed on the Meraviglia twice and we loved it. On one cruise, we booked a guarantee interior cabin and they upgraded us to a deluxe balcony room at no extra charge. Booked a cruise on Seascape this year, can’t wait.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Wow, nice

[@marlenejohnston9046]

If we didn't already have a cruise booked for later in the year, I'd be booking to go back on the Meraviglia. However it's not all bad as we booked to go on her again in the Fall of 2026 and I can't wait. I hope you have a wonderful time.

[@wadejfamily]

We booked an inside guarantee, they upgraded us to a balcony for free

[@jasminerucker1228]

@@wadejfamilydid you ask for the upgrade?

[@jworth7203]

I was on a 7 day on Magnifica in late September. LOVED getting to drop our bags off right away! One thing we saw that was different from your experience, is that a LOT of people participated in the theme nights. It was really fun!

[@briangilbert7342]

We love MSC. Four cruises booked this year and 2 of them are total free from playing in the casino 😊

[@Joel-dq8tt]

I was on The MSC Splendida last may. Doing a Mediterranean cruise. At first we were not sure if we liked it, but we ended up enjoying it. Yes, there was a lot of kids. The buffet area was crowded. We found a way out of it. The restaurant is open for a very short time frame. The servers were amazing. All in all we liked it. In fact, we are booked for May 2025...

[@LisaPruitt-e7i]

Booked on our 4th MSC Cruise. We love the service and the ships. Reminds us of the service we used to get on other cruiselines in years passed. The un-Americanized menu is another plus for us! Loved your video!

[@mayraacosta4924]

I am so happy that I work in brooklyn very close to the port😂 also, last minute cruise are a good idea, Iam getting ready 😂

[@alewar6115]

We love MSC this year we booked 3 cruises with them, we’ve been with RC and hate them, also with Disney which was amazing, but in general MSC it’s a great experience, the best pizza and pasta you’ll find, the coffee is delicious and all the personal is amazing

[@tammyrlee]

Great information that will help as we take our first cruise on MSC. And such a positive vlog to offset the negative comments people make about this line. I also think if Americans are cruising on a line that is of another nationality, roll with it and stop demanding the line become Americanized. Enjoy the different experience. New way of hearing pronunciation of clientele. 😉

[@Vic-lk1zq]

British pronunciation.

[@mtnmann1775]

We did our 1st cruise on MSC Seashore Nov 2023 from Orlando. This was our 22nd cruise after sailing Carnival, Hal, Celebrity, and NCL. 1st comment is that we were impressed with the design of the ship and our cabin. The shows and entertainment were very good with lots of places to watch performers. There was a cabaret lounge at the rear of the ship that that had different acts every night, some that were on the production crew that had their own shows. The food we were told was changing from a European menu to a more NA menu with some success. The price of the cruises and itinerary are what made us try MSC. This cruise was $199 US for a 7 day cruise. Not sure if you can beat that. We are so impressed we booked a TA in October then a B2B in April (this cruise is 1/3 the cost of a similar Princess or NCL) At this stage we care more about the ports then fancy meals or larger cabins.

[@terryogden5494]

This was very informative I have always sailed carnival and was wanting to try something new thanks for the video

[@DonDice-t2s]

Your videos are always very informative with excellent advice. My wife and I are cruising on the Meraviglia in May 2025 and your video has answered a lot of our questions. Thanks.

[@jennifer_loves_8766]

I love MSC cruises, I like that they offer something a little different from the other cruises, which makes for an interesting experience. I enjoy differences. I don't want to have the same experience all the time

[@alshock3393]

Thank you for this phenomenal video! Very helpful! You hit all the highlights and a few things I didn’t know I needed to know and am now glad I do! ! I am going out of NY soon and have taken notes! I am definitely that North America guy who loves small talk and banter!! I agree with the other commenters about the awesomeness of an international crowd! You got me even more pumped up now!! Thanks again! Happy cruising everyone!

[@frummox]

Love the way she says "clientele"

[@jdoe836]

JUST HEARD BACK - MSC matched me Diamond for Diamond! I'll need to book for December.

[@marlenejohnston9046]

Wonderful! They matched me Gold for Carnivals' Platinum but I am very close to Diamond now....I think one more cruise will do it....wooohooo!!!

[@Harrison-hg2vs]

I’m dimond on MSc and it’s amazing I went in the party 🎉 but I LOVE IT also if you go on MSc a lot just please get the membership

[@Bullfeathers]

We have taken 5 cruises on MSC. Prior to MSC coming to USA we traveled in almost every other line, including the top of the line, Holland America, many times. We are very happy with MSC. Tried the Fantástica experience but in our most recent cruise this past Easter Week we were offered the opportunity to bid on an upgrade to the Yatch Club. We bid somewhere in the middle of the suggested amounts and got it. I don’t think I want to travel any other way. Are booked on the Seascape for this New Year’s week and already received the offer and bid again. Waiting for reply. However, we are booked in Áurea experience which is one class below the YC and we would be happy with that if the bid falls through.

[@sweetypatnett6123]

Thanks for the info. It was very informative. Beautiful ship.❤

[@CrescentCityTravels]

There is also status matches now with airline companies.

[@larryrobertson3310]

just did the first MSC out of Miami to the VR ! beautiful boat !! everything was great ! the Captain is a hoot !

[@tasbar7743]

Status match is what has me interested as I'm Diamond with Carnival. Hoping to try MSC soon.

[@boatlover1875]

Sounds very similar to our thoughts. We will be on our 7th MSC in the past 2 years or so our of Port Canaveral. We were on the first two Meraviglia cruises and they have made major strides with respect to the North American market since then. Agree, great value, beautiful ships and great crew. Food is an opportunity for improvement but you will not go hungry. Specialty venues are pricey for some reason, maybe that explains the complimentary fare? Our Captain was also Italian one our last cruise on the Seashore. Only two language announcement was his noon update. He was a great guy, he happened to sit down next to us in the sports bar one evening for a Coke and talked to us for a while. Booking and IT is not the best. I've actually had to call before each sailing to fix something, good luck being a Jr. The people who answer the phones are very nice and helpful though. We had people trying to game the elevators as well and after two weeks didn't notice it changing anything but maybe slowing down things. The credit card stations are apparently how they operate in Europe but they quickly figured it out on US sailings so just register your CC like you do on the other lines. Then you can ignore all the announcements about that, I think they are mostly for the Europeans on board used to that. There was no smoking in our Casino except for a small slot area next to (outside) the sports bar. This ship apparently had a lot of inside smoking while in Europe hence the videos. Couldn't detect any odors inside and I dislike smoking.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Very interesting! It seems like the experience of cruising in Europe would be quite different

[@BonnieBush333]

We went on MSC Seashore out of Miami a couple of years ago. We had the Aurea experience and had a private hot tub on our balcony which was awesome! Overall ,we had a wonderful cruise. We did rent one of the cabanas on their private island. It was really nice because it so hot and the shade was nice. However, we had kept having people ask to take our loungers from the front of the cabana. It was my first MSC cruise and I was not sure if we were responsible for keeping track of the chairs or not, so initially I said “no”, but then a person became upset with me and made the statement that it was only my husband and I and we did not need the other two loungers. It was awkward. Looking back I would have happily offered them to someone I just was not sure if we were responsible for them as we were renting the space. The only other issues we had on that particular cruise were embarkation, disembarkation and at times long waits to get drinks. We are sailing again with MSC on the Virtousa this October on the Yacht Club out of Southampton,UK. It will be our first Yacht Club experience so we are looking forward to it. We will also be sailing on P and O, Iona out of Southampton a week after our MSC cruise. We are from Oregon and we enjoy the European cruises but also the cost is a lot less than some of the US cruises and also we enjoy hearing all the different languages aboard.

[@marlenejohnston9046]

Sounds wonderful......enjoy!!!

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thanks for sharing this! True the cabanas are a bit of a mystery 😂

[@noisysaleonline4433]

🤩 i Am going to travel MSC MERAVIGLIA for the second time in a year ! As a Canadian, we love MSC simple beverage package A ++++ choice, unlimited and tip include, you can also remove tips daily cruise, to give your own tips to the stewart , food verry good , room ultra clean, no bad smell in the ship, Broadway show a must see !

[@4daloveofcruising]

Wanted to try MSC. But I've heard about too many issues and bad service. Although we had a family go on their second cruise on MSC and said it was great. I might try it in the future. But where things stand right now. I'll stick with the couple of lines im very familiar with.

[@marlenejohnston9046]

Before booking we felt the way you do but then said "how bad can it be?" So, we booked to sail on the Meraviglia and decided to go with an open mind and we're sure happy that we did as we loved everything about it and can't wait to go on the next one.

[@tracygatlin5945]

Thanks so much for this information will be sailing with MSC for the first time in November

[@melaniesouza3174]

Im going on my first cruise next year and I’m scared because I don’t know anything about cruises 😑😑😑😑😑. This helps a lot . Thank you

[@annikki73]

My first cruise was a 7 night on the MSC Seashore just after Thanksgiving (US) last year. It was *fantastic*! I went from that to a short cruise on the Serenade of the Seas and was... underwhelmed. I think it came down to the cruise staff who run the parties and games and such -- they make or break the cruise for me.

[@loribarber4526]

The yacht club hot tub behind the buffet on the seashore was nice and warm

[@TheRecon1a]

Once MSC comes to Galveston, next year we might try it especially since we'll be Platinum by our next sailing with Carnival and status match would be probably worth it.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Good idea

[@CL-mp4vn]

As Texan, I also like to sail out from Galveston, but somehow I'd like North America based cruise lines.

[@cyoda1359]

I did the YC on Seascape and really liked it. But the included food was mostly meh IMO, even in the YC restaurant. It’s fine and edible of course, but I found myself skipping the buffet and mostly doing specialty dining. Pro tip on specialty dining - skip the package and just go a la carte (the sushi restaurant is only a la carte BTW, and it’s great - loved you showing the shots of it!). If you’re on the package, you can only choose from a limited menu, rather than the full menu. Just go with the a la carte option. The steak house in particular was really excellent IMO as was the sushi. Agree that Venchi coffee place is great but you didn’t mention that they make their own fine chocolates there too! The pillow chocolates all come from there … and the syrup in your caffe mocha is the same chocolate that they use to make candy from! Overall, I found the service good but the passengers less friendly … so it wasn’t so great for a solo traveler like me compared to NCL or Celebrity for example. But you really can’t beat the MSC value especially the YC compared to the Haven or the Retreat. Agree the private island is super nice and relaxing. Thanks for the great video!

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thanks for sharing this! I haven’t cruised solo yet, but I could definitely see that

[@cyoda1359]

And honestly I think it’s because of so many European families who have a different social cruising culture than North Americans plus the language difference. I sat next to a German couple my age (early 60s) in the YC restaurant for dinner. I said hello and asked how they were enjoying their cruise. The husband said sorry they didn’t speak English well. I said ok no worries! Then when the waiter arrived, his wife did a deep dive on the entrees with the waiter in perfect English. I looked at the husband and he just shrugged lol. That’s what I meant! :)

[@paulakehurstdevisme9692]

Anyone, US or otherwise who wants a good, interesting and balanced review should follow Emma Cruises!

[@amandam2598]

Thanks adoptive Mom. I booked my first sailing with them a couple days ago. Thanks to your tip they matched my loyalty! I’m Gold with them. We are so excited!🎉 Our cruise leaves in 3 days!

[@LifeWellCruised]

Haha love that! Enjoy!! 🚢🎉

[@pnetherly]

This video is right on time since I’m considering an MSC cruise for next year. Thank you!

[@PaulaT237]

We did an msc cruise from Barcelona and loved it.

[@Warren357]

I had a great time on my 2 MSC cruises. I’ve booked for 2 more.

[@marlenejohnston9046]

Good for you......I hope you enjoy both.

[@michaelcain1870]

We just booked our first MSC cruise for next February 2025. One thing I found odd in the booking process is that there is no option to pay gratuities. In fact, they don't even mention that gratuities are required. Anyone new to cruising isn't going to find this out until they get their final bill with a couple hundred dollars of unexpected charges.

[@lucycabral9069]

I just booked mine for October and paid ahead of time. So it won't be added to my credit card after. But there is one.

[@wetrix1]

I've just booked with smc and it says gratitude is included in the price

[@probinsyano0229]

We booked with an agent and we paid the gratuities through the agent.

[@izumiassauw]

Just came back from the MSC cruise. It was great! Tasty food and good service at Dinning, fresh food choisces at buffer, the pizza was tasty. The visiting time for the private Island was parfect, we were able to see beautiful sunset. I would like to go again with MSC.

[@lucycabral9069]

Do you have to go to the specialty restaurants? Hubby and I perfect the buffets. Do they have it like other cruise lines

[@robertb7864]

All the cruise lines we've been on have COOL hot tubs. They're not hot! MSC has the BEST PIZZA at sea. We enjoyed our cruise on the Seashore. For the elevators, I found out you have to push the button for the number of guests in your group. If you have a scooter or wheelchair, you need to push the button 1 extra time.

[@annetomwozniak1475]

We had no issues on our first MSC Cruise. We were on the Meriveliga!!

[@JenniferPratt-n9k]

I wil be on preziosa 20th dec so so excited 😊

[@steveshideler1333]

Our families experience on MSC April 2024 was a great one. Staff were friendly and helpful. The food was great, and we didn’t do any specialty restaurants on our 7 day cruise. My wife, who has a Korean passport, even had a letter in our cabin on embarkation written in Korean by a crew member at the excursion desk offering further discounts on excursions that we took advantage of. Our teen boys loved teen club and were so busy with soccer tournaments, basketball tournaments, scavenger hunts and pool parties at the jungle pools that on at sea days we only saw them at lunch and dinner. My main suggestion on my survey was that they dump the Bahamas port stop and instead just go to their private island.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thanks for sharing your experience! Glad to hear

[@marlenejohnston9046]

I agree with you wholeheartedly!

[@FelixTorres-wl5vt]

They can't just stop at private island if coming back to US port

[@steveshideler1333]

@@FelixTorres-wl5vt our 7 day cruise was Bahamas, amber cove and Puerto Rico. Maybe they can do ocean cay instead of Bahamas on that itinerary.

[@FelixTorres-wl5vt]

@@steveshideler1333 I live in PR it is a US port, can't

[@theresamimnaugh1190]

I am so eager to try MSC. It looks like they’re really putting their best foot forward. Can’t wait to try!

[@Wendy-lq8uw]

I recently tried them was pleasantly surprised the Yacht Club was awesome

[@BlackBroadwayLady]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. Great tips. We're actually sailing later today on our very first MSC cruise with the MSC Meraviglia out of Brooklyn NY. I'll be sure to share my thoughts later. Thanks again.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@BlackBroadwayLady have a great cruise & please let me know :)

[@joheirypereyra3563]

Can you please make a video about the tips on MSC Seascape, especially if it’s your first ever cruise

[@leticiavelez2492]

After two Royal Carribean cruises, my husband and I took our first 7-day MSC Cruise on the Seascape ship from Miami in September. We booked the Fantastica package. We were nervous because our booking was scheduled between Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Were we going to be caught in stormy weather? Fortunately, Mother Nature was kind, and we had smooth sailing conditions. With the Fantastica package, the internet Wi-Fi package was included. What we didn't know, until I wanted to set up my phone, was that the Internet/WI-FI was for one passenger. Since my husband set his phone up first, I didn't have the Wi-Fi service, and I was not able to share my photos with my family. Had we known this, we would have purchased the family package. That was the only issue we had. That being said, we absolutely loved our cruising experience! Thank you, Ilana, for your tips. I refuse to go on a cruise without first, consulting with your videos.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thanks for sharing! I’m curious how you liked it compared to RC (I know they are different)?

[@conradlogan5201]

I just returned friday 9/13 from my first MSC cruise (magnifica/miami-bahamas) The value was 👍🏼👍🏼 Im still likely to return to Virgin or RCCL… but I was pleasantly pleased overall The upcharge to travel solo was a big savings Im a fan of anytime dining which wasn’t offered but that was a small disadvantage VALUE 👍🏼

[@gregpierce2468]

Question… on the muster thing… we have heard that all passengers had to go to the cabin at the same time, watch the video then all cruise passengers had to go check into muster station to check in all at the same time. I’m hoping this has changed to where you can check in the muster station at any time then go to the room and dial in ??

[@LifeWellCruised]

Lol, we were together so I'm not sure

[@kmarshie]

I must be European. I give 5 stars to a lyft driver who says nothing during my ride. I hate small talk.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Haha too funny 😂

[@giosalvi]

Same here.

[@Litolygasa]

Agree with you 100%!

[@lizzagrowth]

as a Canadian, same 😂

[@JillSmith-le1lm]

We haven't cruised since having to cancel a cruise booked for early 2020. Now it's our 25th anniversary year and have booked MSC Seascape in October - can't wait!!! Thanks you for all the information you give us - I've been taking notes so I don't miss anything. Let you know how we do in October!

[@travisjaroszewski9899]

Be advised that during the day NONE of the inside, airconditioed bars were open. Only bars open before 5 pm were on pool deck (Hot, crowded, noisey).

[@LifeWellCruised]

That’s interesting. The atrium bar was open during the day on our ship, I didn’t notice other bars one way or the other

[@marlenejohnston9046]

The Edge cocktail bar on the Meraviglia was open during the day and the staff was amazing.

[@SugaBee98]

We always cruised with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. However, tried MSC for the first time last year. Also purchased the Fantastica package which included drink and WiFi. The ship was absolutely Gorgeous. We had a wonderful time. I will say I hope embarking was not great we got on quick due to a special needs family member. Some cruisers were in line for hours. Debarking also needs to improve. Maybe this was just in NY. I will sail again with MSC the crew was welcoming and Fantastic!

[@panquijasan8844]

My friend @sugaBee98 i will the trip on August Fantastica with my family (4 persons) all the Wifi is incluided for the 4 persons?

[@joniferguson2902]

MSC has become our favorite cruise line!

[@marlenejohnston9046]

Ours too....love it!!!

[@jimmyd4685]

Just booked our 2nd MSC cruise for next year on the new World America ship and definitely looking forward to it. We like MSC and very happy with them. ❤🛳

[@teniahawkinssimon7099]

I enjoyed this video!! I am cruising on the Meraviglia in Jan 2025. I cannot wait. I love informative video such as yours. I truly appreciate your positive energy as well as your respect for cultural differences. Thanks for sharing. 😀

[@PrestonRyanDulaney]

Thanks for the video. I’ve wondered what MSC is like and this definitely helped.

[@rosecooper885]

Great Information, my Husband and I are sailing next Month on Magnifica for a short weekend gettaway. I drink a lot of bottled water and usually purchase in advance to be delivered to my Cabin. I didn't see this option available on the app.

[@sophianlamarre4565]

I’ve been on the sister ship, the first one of the class, Seaside, and they do have 2 buffets tho , a big main one and a smaller one at the rear, I remember it being closer to my cabin than the main buffet and would go have breakfast there

[@cathycooper1426]

We are just boarding GoPort shuttle from Orlando airport to our first MSC cruise.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Have an amazing time! Love GoPort 👏

[@PattyDEUBEL]

Where does go port go

[@marlenejohnston9046]

ENJOY!!!!!!

[@davyhamadani2806]

i am going a second time with MSC Cruises Maravillia. I compare it to Norwegian Cruises of 10 to 5 years ago. have good bang for the dollar

[@GuyoGuy007]

Great video! Very helpful! Thank you for taking the time to do it!

[@ritaalexanderfrancis7528]

Our first MSC cruise is month end July it the European on Seaside. Thanks for your trips

[@joycebeard7218]

I have sailed on MSC 4 times since 2012. Hubby and I love them but prefer the smaller ships. Also, all the pasta, bread, and mozzarella are fresh made on board. 😋 MSC is the only cruise line where I eat pasta.

[@maryellendillon4469]

Thanks for all of the MSC information. Did you work on board and if so, did you ding the Basic WiFi that comes with Fantastika to be sufficient?

[@jdoe836]

I just signed up for MSC Status Match, we'll see what happens as I'm Hilton Honors (HH) Diamond. I'll check back in and provide an update. I'd figured I'd do it now as I'm going to drop to Gold at the end of the year as HH changed their point schemes after Covid ended.

[@glendalaforce9454]

The hottubs on Princess aren't very hot either. On MSC, I had entered my credit card beforehand, but I still had to use the kiosk. The elevators are a little hard to get used to. I had heard all the negatives about MSC, but overall I I loved the 2 ships I sailed on.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thanks for sharing your experience

[@marlenejohnston9046]

Good for you! I'm glad you went ahead and didn't heed the negatives.

[@Reed-2big]

We’ve had that experience too, with the credit card - similarly with friends.

[@pdallen5801]

That happened to me, too, about the CC. I entered it online pre-cruise, I checked st the kiosk that my card was registered, but the next day, I received calls from the guest services that they didn’t have my card. I had to go to Guest Services to clear things up. I called my bank before embarking to let them know that was going on a cruise, so it wasn’t my bank’s issue. Once they entered the card, the rest of the cruise was fine.

[@maryanngambino7608]

Went on Maraviglia and we had a great time! Didn’t like their seafood restaurant but liked everything else!!❤

[@reese863]

I noticed you got the shrimp cocktail while dining. But when you were showing the menu, it didn't say anything about jalapeños added. I do not have allergies, but the full count of items in a dish is important for preferences.

[@dorianmeyette8560]

Great timing- I’m sailing on MSC soon for the first time. Thanks for this!

[@LifeWellCruised]

Glad it was helpful! Have an amazing cruise 🛳️🎉

[@marlenejohnston9046]

@@LifeWellCruised I hope you have a wonderful time! My daughter and I went on our first MSC cruise in April'24 and absolutely loved it. So much so, we booked another while we were still on board. It was my 24th cruise and I have to say, it was my favourite. Enjoy!!!!

[@nicolemiller4688]

The Cruising Canucks were on msc recently. Mrs Canuck's lunch was pizza everyday due to a lack lustre menu. Pizza was great mind you.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Interesting

[@marlenejohnston9046]

I find that so hard to believe, as in my opinion, the buffet on MSC's Meraviglia was the best I have ever experienced......24 cruises total with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL. I wouldn't allow reviews to influence me one way or another and I'm sure happy that I didn't when it comes to MSC cruises as we had an amazing time.

[@nicolemiller4688]

@@marlenejohnston9046 msc seachore was their last sailing.

[@marlenejohnston9046]

@@nicolemiller4688 It's like comparing different ships on any particular cruise line to a restaurant chain. There can be a vast difference from one location to another.

[@KyleSellers-y6m]

I’m confused…what is a cel-on-tell? Is that something fancy on a cruise ship?

[@Krypto64]

Good to hear MSC have simplified the process for ratifying credit cards, it was very confusing when we sailed on the Virtuosa a couple of years ago. That bit about Europeans being very reserved made me laugh, we love the table banter. We’ve had supervisors tapping their watches disapprovingly at waiters, we keep serving staff chatting for so long. (BTW, I emailed you about something a couple of weeks back, hope you got it!)

[@MissyCass]

IIlana!!! I love your videos so much! I have to ask in this video the dress you wore on embarkation day. Where did you get it? I just love it

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thanks so much :-) The dress is from Amazon - it's in this post: lifewellcruised.com/cruise-dresses-amazon-resort-wear/

[@alaynachina976]

I've never been on an MSC cruise, but I observed that the experience cruisers at the Port of Galveston were having issues with transport to and from the ship. Some of the parking facilities do not pick up from their area.

[@kmack9954]

Thank you for your video about MSC. I was curious about them. Fun fact…I worked onboard Carnival ships in the late 1990’s-early 2000’s and I get seasick too. Captains always thought it was hilariously made fun of me. lol! My question is my son and I are celiac (gluten free allergy). Do you happen to know how they are with dealing with allergies like gluten?

[@theresa4444]

Love your videos !! Do you know How often Does MSC offer wifi +drinks included packages ?

[@helciobmello]

Thanks for sharing this review on MSC with us. I have heard terrible things about them, specially when food is concerned. I have never cruised with them, only with Royal. I should get to diamond plus tier in Crown and Anchor Society soon, so I am waiting for that in order to status match with MSC and then request a free cruise with them, since I also have some status in Club Royale. I have heard other doing the exact same and not even having to pay cruise taxes and fees. Free should be free after all.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Glad it was helpful! Truthfully I’m not sure of the details how casino programs work :)

[@jameswhitman8710]

I’ve only been on 3 MSC Cruises, so I guess I find them to be a good cruise line. Although I’ve thought about a thing or two about Ocean Cay. First, for me, the best spot(s) in Ocean Cay is the North side of the island past South Beach, over towards the wedding spa area. It’s definitely less crowded and gives you more of having the island to yourself vibe. The complaint I have is the trams don’t run out there so the best you can do is to take the tram to South Beach, get off and walk the rest of the way which on hot days can be real exhausting. Also, the wait for the tram at the main station by the ship is very crowded and the wait can be long. So I believe they need to have more teams running. Two, my next most favorite place is the lighthouse bar. They have comfy couches some in the sun and some shaded by umbrellas but the view is spectacular. Just grab a chair couch or whatever and just walk two steps and grab yourself a drink. Unfortunately you’ll have to walk out to the lighthouse bar which can also be hot depending on the weather. You might decide not to go and just stop at the lighthouse beach; get there early because the lounge chairs and shaded areas can fill up fast. Enjoy!

[@ScottLara]

I sailed on MSC Seashore last year and enjoyed it. Sailing again on Aug 1st with my grandsons!

[@richardkim631]

i'll be on that one too

[@carlabotelho7848]

At dinner in the buffet do we have to pay for the wine or the coffe if we dont buy a package

[@jaengen]

Yes.

[@JeanCarlos-lz4vd]

Sailing on the Meraviglia October '25, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm sure some things will change before then, but at least I'm getting a good idea of what to expect.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Enjoy!!

[@marlenejohnston9046]

We are too and are looking forward to it after enjoying being on the Meraviglia in April'24.