I WILL NEVER CRUISE WITH MSC AGAIN (Worst Cruise Ever)

[@jillmelissa7697]

You're not alone. I've been a Travel Agent for almost 20 years and I will NEVER ever book another client with MSC. Thanks for your honest reviews. I recommend your videos to many of my cruise clients!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. 😊

[@PortsladeBySea]

Most of MSC ships look shiny and modern but they are packed with thousands of passengers. Getting a sun-bed, seat in the theatre, or bar area is a no, no. If you love being surrounded by people and queuing up you will LOVE MSC ☹️

[@sylvainh2o]

Price was amazing and the Show were awesome on top of the Cafe Rouge having all those shows as well.

[@jeffreywillet9567]

I wish that I had watched your video before I booked a 3-night on the MSC Magnifica in May! I will be a solo traveler and appreciate your solo travel tips. I will keep an eye on my MSC onboard bill and will probably opt for the buffet.

[@Phone_and_Drone]

BEWARE BEFORE CRUISING WITH MSC I recently embarked on a cruise with MSC in UAE and this was to celebrate Eid Holidays with my family. This was our horrible experience: MUSLIMS SERVED PORK: We are muslims and we were shocked to find pork in our disk while we had ordered another dish entirely. It was our utter shock to find pork in our food, which is a taboo for muslims and the crew did not in any way show any remorse for the emotional distress that they caused us. When we spoke to the restaurant manager, he made the matter worse. His explanation was sometimes there around 50 guests and mistakes can happen. Based on that logic a muslim could get served pork, a hindu could get served beef, a vegan could get served meat and a person with serious dietary restrictions could be served food that could be fatal. We also observed lapses in hygiene, which is particularly worrying given the current global health situation. We found utensils and cutlery, which still had pieces of food or stains on them. Also the rooms were dirty when we entered our room, we were shocked to find a dirty sock lying on the floor, so the crew didn’t clean up after the previous customers left. The worst part is, when we called guest services, we were THREATENED TO BE DISEMBARKED. Avoid MSC cruises, it will ruin your holidays, there are plenty of other better cruises with friendlier staff and clean ships. For reference: kzbin.infojGD04OsiLVk

[@MrKarmapolice97]

I have read other reviews where people were charged twice and never got it back, the food was bad, the customer service was worse.

[@gohighlevel-queen]

Took my first ever cruise on MSC and I agree. It was the WORST. Everyone in our party said so too.

[@joshconnell7781]

Currently on the msc seashore now and its been the worst cruise experience ever. To start, the first day i drop off my luggage and the room still needs to be made up and cleaned, all good as i expected that. Leave to explore and come back and they've made up my room. As im looking around i see many bad things like everything on my bed is badly stained, all four pillow cases, the duvet, the sheet. Long black hair on the bed. Mold in the shower, the soap bar holder has soap residue from the previous guests soap bar and a little doody is on the toilet seat. Absolutely ridiculous so im thinking ill just leave my DND light on and clean up after myself the whole trip. On day 3 i get called by the front desk to say due to policy they have to have the housekeeper clean the room. Tell me to turn the dnd off when i go to dinner, so i do that and when i get back they haven't cleaned the room and its around 11pm so i put the dnd back on. The next morning i get woken up by security knocking on my door saying they have to check the room because ive had the dnd on for so long. This huge guy is literally opening my luggage sifting through my stuff, goes through my pile of dirty clothes and when they find nothing just leave without a word. So now im being treated like a criminal, i feel humiliated and im upset people are going through my stuff, seeing some very personal items. All they had to do was talk to me but apparently having the dnd stay on makes me suspicious. I was later told by other staff it was because in the past they've had people do that because they had drugs they were hiding. My privacy was violated because they thought i was hiding drugs because i didnt want room service.... Absolutely horrible way to treat innocent paying guests and i will never give them my business again.

[@Lufu2]

I have seen several people Vlogging about MSC either double charges and won't return money or your experience where they keep your money and say they will give you credit but don't. I really appreciate your video and the others. I know now to never go on and MSC cruise. Thank you for saving us out here with your very honest review!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you for the nice comment and for watching. I appreciate it. Happy New Year!

[@MrKarmapolice97]

Yeah I have been binging bad MSC cruise videos for about 2 hours now I’m never setting foot on that cruise line ever.

[@billysaundersjr4987]

We have been on 5 MSC cruises with another in 29 days. Never once a problem with the food and always your time dining was an option. We actually prefer the food on MSC than Carnival of RC.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Billy. I’m glad they’ve all been positive so far! Enjoy your upcoming one. Cheers!

[@daughter1964]

I went 3 times. They don’t have your time dining for Bella Experience.

[@rdavis4818]

Thanks for sharing your perspective. Taste in food is very subjective. I have read many reviews and watched several video accounts where the individual's experience was that MSC food in the MDR is not good, bland or not even "OK" and some stated that it's the worse of all the cruise lines. If you're enjoying the food on MSC, keep enjoying. We don't all have the same taste. I haven't tried MSC so I can't give my experience. In fact, I usually dine at complimentary specialty and specialty restaurants (on Royal Caribbean but mostly NCL) to enjoy a less crowded experience and generally better food quality. Have a beautiful day!

[@blackpowder4016]

Not hard to beat Carnival's food but this is not the only bad review I've seen of MSC. There's a pattern. Glad you had a good experience.

[@TheDanniExperience]

They owed Shiplife money too. They billed him twice for his cruise. Told him it would be 6 months to get his money back. . He had to go through his credit card company to get his money back.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Ugh so frustrating. I had to contact my credit card company a couple of weeks ago and get them involved. Thanks for watching!

[@frostbiteblog]

Wow, that seafood pasta dish looked like something from a grade school cafeteria. I hope you are feeling better. I'm looking forward to seeing your adventures next year. Merry Christmas!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you so much! I am feeling so much better now and I appreciate it very much. Many more adventures to come. Merry Christmas!! 🎄

[@xXxSapphir3xXx]

Yeah that looked pretty gross.

[@jaywoods378]

Their food is absolutely disgusting. Especially for me since I'm used to the excellent food on Holland America. Don't let the fan boys and cheerleaders fool you. They are always talking about how incredible MSC is. Of course, I understand that a lot of the positive MSC reviews are fake.

[@arum4you]

I sailed on an 8 day Cruise in Dec of 2019 on the MSC Sea Side out of Miami. I had only ever been on 1 other cruise which was a Royal Caribbean Cruise. We went with a large group of people about 10. We had the Bella Experience (the base one) and a drink package and a Balcony Room. Our entire group loved the cruise. For some who had cruised their entire life they said it was the best cruise they ever had. The largest complaint from our group was some walkie talkies they brought on board were confiscated when we came back on board from one of the ports and they couldn't find soft serve ice cream on board. (The walkie Talkies were returned after the cruise) The customer service was great for our group, though we didn't have any major problems to speak of. The entertainment was better than we expected with so many of the shows being in different languages. The ship was beautiful, easy to navigate, and presented a stress free environment. Personally the only thing I wash was different is to have more shellfish offerings. I love seafood and Lobster was an upcharge and there was not shrimp on the Buffett like on Royals. We are Cruising on another 8 Day Cruise leaving out of Port Canaveral 1/23/2022 on the MSC Meravilglia. In my opinion you get more bang for your buck on MSC. Not only is the cruise far less expensive than other cruises but the overall experience feels so elegant. If you are looking to relive spring break MSC is not for you. I have heard the "horror story's" about getting a refund and although I have not experienced myself I would say that because this is a European cruise line, a sense of urgency and customer service is not their forte. The level of customer service that most North Americans typically receive on Bahamian or North American Cruise lines or in your every day life is culturally different and you see that when you have a problem while on an MSC cruise. To many people have made YT video's about their bad customer service to just say its anecdotal. I will leave thoughts about our next cruise here top see if the experience has gone down since the Pandemic. i just wanted to leave some positive feedback from MSC.

[@gingernightmare9152]

I want to do MSC Med cruise for the European experience.

[@bobbrief]

The first word a new crew member learns is No or not possible. My worst cruise experience also. Truly the worst.

[@christymurphy6571]

I just cruised solo for the first time on RCL in Dec. Man it will be hard to cruise with friends again. Lol Absolutely loved every minute. Met people from different places. Really cool experience.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Haha I totally get that. I LOVE sailing solo. It’s a completely different experience, but so awesome. Thank you for watching!

[@mindyschocolate]

I too love sailing solo. I can do whatever whenever. My second cruise of this year family is coming and I hope I don’t end up wanting to strangle people.

[@juarezm.6737]

@@mindyschocolate looll😂

[@ceceliamoreno1845]

Like you, I am one and done on MSC and I was in the YC. Food was borderline inedible

[@lizardstravels]

I have been on 8 MSC cruises. I have never had any problems with them. People don't understand that the cruise line does not want to americanize themselves. The food has been hit or miss.But over the last 3 years the food has gotten better.

[@mindyschocolate]

Yikes, if that’s what you call getting better I can only imagine the dog food five years ago.

[@Poker-is8dt]

@@mindyschocolate I am a US citizen and the snobby comments I see are hilarious to me. The US is in major turmoil and most Americans living on credit and in debt while being obese and expecting the best service from actual hard working people. Times are changing and they will see what hard time actually mean. Maybe they will lose some weight while they are at it lol. So many 1st world problems with debby downers it makes me laugh. I plan to do a MSC cruise soon. Just got off a celebrity cruise. I am not picky and the value looks good

[@adamfischer6768]

You are the second KZbinr that had a bad experience with MSC. KZbinr Cruising with Ben & David also had a bad experience with MSC. I will never cruise on them after hearing these experiences!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Poor experiences on MSC seems to be the consensus. Not cruising with them is the best advice I can offer. Just save your money for something better.

[@kathleenclements3757]

I took my family of 4 first weekend in December....the main dining room was shockingly bad....they put the four of us at a table for 2 and just added 2 chairs.🙄 We never went back and just ate at the buffet whenever we wanted and that was perfect.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Wow. That’s unacceptable! Whereas I had a table way too big, sounds like you had one far too small. The buffet was always good! Thank you for sharing and for watching. 😊

[@mindyschocolate]

I think that’s the plus side to timed dinners. Disney has two seatings for dinners which I believe allows them to plan seating ahead of time and better balance the tables out.

[@flymoferrariracing8332]

Hi Zack, Just wants to know if you ever got your refunded sorted out? , We Where thinks of booking an MSc cruise for 2023 but not so sure now, Thanks for the vlog .

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I did get my refund, but it took about three months. Thanks for watching!

[@cathleensheekeyandchristop4756]

I recently took my first ever cruise and it was on the Divina. I am not interested in cruises in general, I had low expectations, but I have to say I had a great time. The ship was spotlessly clean, the rooms fresh and inviting. The crew to a person was excellent, almost too attentive at times. The food was very good if not always piping hot (a common complaint of cruise ships apparently). But all in all it was a great experience. I suppose 'experienced' cruise boffins may have a different perspective, but for me it was a great vacation.

[@Bobby_Di]

Outside of specialty restaurants, it’s pretty much banquet catering. Cold dishes are prepped and plates are in a refrigerator. Entrees might be individually plated, but with the exception of a steak cooked to order, entrees are cooked in small batches and held on a steam table. Really a small step above the buffet.

[@exUPSman]

With MSC you choose how you would like to experience your cruise. Bella is no frills. Fantastica gives you choice of early or late seating. Aurea gives anytime dining, welcome package, spa usage, etc. Yacht Club is all inclusive. With MSC you get what you pay for. Please don't expect all the amenities if you book Bella.

[@PC-nf3no]

I'll let you know. I sail May 28 Divinia. Got a few upgrades and Fantastica Balcony. Check-in was assigned but I had a choice of 6:30 or 9:00 dinner. I'll be sure to ask for a table for 4 at the main dining room. My Brazilian wife is very picky at a restaurant so I'm a little nervous for her. We've sailed the RCL Harmony and that is our baseline. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I hope you have an incredible cruise! Please let me know how it was.

[@PC-nf3no]

​@@ZachtheTravelingMan Got back yesterday and inspite of a tropical storm, it was a good cruise. Room was good and well attended but could use a few more outlets and usb chargers. The buffet food was not kept ready to eat. Waffle was rubbery, Pancakes and french toast was cold. Scrambled eggs must have been from a box, bacon sucked. Fruits were fresh and Pizza and pastas were ok. Main dining was much better as it is table service and either cooked or microwaved accordingly. There were only 1200 passengers and there were pro's and con's to that. The theatre show's were all real good. The Black and white bar kept things hoppin. Some of the other entertainers around the ship were a little less skilled. The internet Non streaming package worked pretty well. Next time, I will probably get the streaming internet. The staff was well trained. After meeting me one time I was from then on referred to formally by name. Though I tend to be a little critical about buffet food in general, that was really the only downside. Everything else was very good and I'd sail again.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you so much for letting me know. I’m so glad you enjoyed your cruise! I love to hear when folks go and have a different experience than I did.

[@PC-nf3no]

@@ZachtheTravelingMan Yes, we did have a good time. Chances are, the more you travel, the more likely you are to have incidents. Also, personal expectations are a factor as well. I think I'm more of a Marriot guy than a Holiday Inn type. Passenger capacity not withstanding, I think this cruise was closer to the Marriot quality at the Holiday Inn price. Really a good value. I would probably prefer an RCL but I wouldn't hesitate to take an MSC again. And also, Port Canaveral seemed a lot easier than Port Everglades.

[@vincentzincone8012]

I sailed MSC twice and had a blast! They were both 7 night baseball player theme cruises with stars from the past. I booked solo both times Guarantee cabin, got upgraded to a balcony cabin so that was a value. The food was spotty in the dining room so I always had pizza to rely on. Buffets were good anytime. I paid less $575 on each cruise taxes and port charges incl. You probably won't get your money back if it's in the form of a credit. Example: if you're on board expenses were $100 and your credit is $150 they'll wipe out the hundred and keep the fifty. Remember MSC operates as a European cruise line with many different languages on board so you won't see much comedy on board. I understand the longer cruises have comedians on board as MSC adapts to the US market. I go to relax on a cruise anyway and don't need, slides, rock climbing, bumper cars, etc. MSC is very aggressive with pricing and I think kids sail free. Try the Meraviglia for a experience like no other!

[@TheHollywoodList]

SAME VINCE! Last week I went from 8/13-8/20 for 455 PLUS a 50 ON BOARD CREDIT! .... ALSO I won 350 so really paid NADA! LOL well 74 for internet!

[@danjardindagwayan8989]

O,

[@johnmayerislovee]

Hello - I have taken over 40 ( seven day cruises ) over my lifetime and have sailed all level of cruise lines from Carnival & Msc to Cunard and one major point I have learned is that you get what you pay for.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Very good lesson learned. Thanks for watching.

[@tdav225]

I agree. Hard to beat the price but there are consequences. That said, would probably go again lol

[@shepardsmith3235]

I cant see that you get anything better than the Celebrity Edge series no matter what price you pay and the ultra premium likes do not have ships anywhere near as nice as the APEX I was on. Period. And the ultra premium lines cannot compete with the entertainment on the APEX. Especially with its 120 foot long 30 foot high high tech show lounge backdrop which is in 8K. Its amazing. The sense of openness and spaciousness cannot be duplicated by any ship let alone the ultra premium, grossly overpriced, cruise lines. Not even close. If you havent been on these ships you must go on them. And the service was impeccable. First class. And the infinte veranday cabins were huge and the best bathroom/showers at sea.

[@shepardsmith3235]

PS I went on the APEX Twice within two months and I have never done this before. We are booked on the Beyond in December which is even better.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Totally agree with you, Shepard! I’ll be on Beyond next month and can’t wait to feature her on the channel. Have already sailed Edge and Apex.

[@Jane-nc2fr]

I am so happy for you that you can travel like this. That is wonderful. You give us a real happy feeling with your videos. Thank you so much. Keep up the great, amazing content.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you for the lovely comment.

[@ruralrayne]

Ben & David also called MSC their worst cruise ever. I don’t know if you’ve seen their review but they had a lot of the same issues that you faced. From rude staff, to boring ships, and the food being really disappointing

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I haven’t seen their review yet but will have to check it out. Thanks for watching!

[@mindyschocolate]

I’ve read reviews on cruise critic. MSC, Costa and Carnival are the three lines I would never go with, with Princess and Norwegian being average. I’d stick with Virgin (only if you’re childfree though), Royal Caribbean (cheap) or Disney (better have a good job). I’m not familiar with the cruise lines over in Europe other than MSC and Costa.

[@pattty847]

I'm on Seashore rn and everything is good besides the food. The food is def ass, and not even just the buffet but the restaurants as well.

[@erinclancy3323]

I'm new here, and I've been binging your channel for hours. I'm thrilled to hear the Apex is your favorite ship, because it's what I recently booked! Keep up the good work!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Welcome aboard! Thank you. 😊

[@Powerful_Female]

Good to know and thank you for the transparency. I have only sailed royal caribbean and will be on wonder of the seas inaugural sailng next.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Wonder of the Seas looks amazing. Enjoy the inaugural! I’ll be on her next May.

[@denniscostabile4264]

It's all about the ship with MSC. The Divina was positioned as a test ship for the U.S. economy cruise market. Not that old, but not brand new, food that is not great, but not bad either. MSC has had a rough time catering to the American palate. (Americans love fish that don't taste like fish, while Italians love fishy fresh water Carp. They are learning with the newer class of ships out of Miami!

[@chrisjenkins203]

We’ve cruised on the MSC Seaside yacht club package a few times and we absolutely love everything about that ship and the yacht club. It’s so nice booking the same ship with the yacht club over and over. That way, you get on the ship and you are already familiar with the layout and all of the amenities. 24/7 butler service is the best.

[@stanncie]

It' so funny how experiences vary. I just got off the MSC Virtuosa and had a great cruise. No problems whatsoever and my whole family enjoyed the food. There is less variety than US lines but that was fine for us. The portions on the main dining room are perfect and we were satisfied and not stuffed like other cruises. The shows were also very good especially the quality of the performers. They were all great singers and dancers. they also had classical singers which was very unexpected. The feel is very European and I think that's where the main problem comes from. The level of service is very different in the US versus Europe. I for one really enjoyed the international feel and I do speak multiple languages so it was fun rating the language proficiency of all the staff hehe. It's amazing to me that they all more or less speak more than one language and the cruise director was amazing with his language skills. I feel that if you are American and like the 'American' experience you might not enjoy MSC. If you are European or from another nationality and like an international feel with less hand holding then MSC might be for you. I have sailed Royal Caribbean, Princess, Costa and Norwegian and believe it or not my favorite was MSC!

[@presented4319]

Same I Just Got Off A MSC Meraviglia & Had A Fantastic Experience . All Employees Were Great & To Me , Everything About It Was A Dream .

[@Johnny847]

I sold cruises for almost 30 years. MSC has a very poor reputation in the travel industry. I expect the shower to not flood the cabin. I do not expect constantly being sold a la carte dining for 4 nights and having mediocre food in the MDR until they realize that you not paying more! MSC is a pitiful operation! Also the service all the other cruise lines offer isn't hand holding! Rather the other lines are the standard and MSC doesn't even come close!

[@christoels8110]

I couldn't agree with you more. It is all about personal taste. I thoroughly enjoyed all of our MSC cruises to date.

[@juarezm.6737]

@@Johnny847 whats are the best in ur opinion ? brand and ship, can u name 5 ? or more plz

[@Keywester]

I recently posted this review on Ben and David's video "Worst Cruise Ever" and wanted to share it with your followers as well. This information needs to be put out in public so people will stop spending their hard earned dollars on substandard vacations on this cruise line! I have been on 30+ cruises and have NEVER HAD WORSE FOOD OR SERVICE than on MSC. I gave them two chances (Divina and Meraviglia) and both were horrible. On my first MSC cruise, I had a one bedroom suite. When I checked in, the suite was not clean. Pubic hair on the toilet, stained carpet, visibly dirty surfaces (looked as though they were wiped with dirty rags) and....here's the best part....the bedside table drawers were stuffed with the previous guests dirty laundry (underwear). When I reported the unacceptable condition of the stateroom, I was given more attitude than apology. NEVER AGAIN on this cruise line!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Oh wow! Thank you for sharing your experience, sorry it was so awful. That is certainly unacceptable and I’m glad you posted it here for others to see. What gets me is you see so many negative reviews yet it seems like they’ve done nothing to change.

[@Katherine-xo7do]

That's awful!!!

[@diamondpearlgem7589]

OMG.

[@sweetolives2467]

OMG

[@sweetolives2467]

Thanks for the info.

[@shannonhutchinson4084]

As an introvert, forced shared dining is a dealbreaker. I’m not paying for that.

[@quartytypo]

Here is another true story. Bought art on a cruise and they never delivered it. Cancelled to get my money back and the art dealer charged me $250 cancellation fee

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Ugh I’m so sorry to hear about that. What an awful experience.

[@keenanfentress5912]

You need to try Norwegian Cruise Line, best experience!!!! And Happy New Years!!!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Happy New Year to you!! Thank you. 😊

[@hondaboy2001]

Sorry, to hear about your experiences on MSC Divina. My parents and I are sailing on the Divina on Monday for a seventeen-night cruise, so I'll have a better idea after we return. Your observations about the website and the back-end organisation are spot on. When you call the customer services line, they answer quickly but never seem to know what they're talking about. Also, if you speak to two or three people, they will invariably tell you completely different things. My parents and I are travelling down from Central Florida together, but my check-in is 13:00, and my mum and dad's check-in is 15:00. 🙄. I had them link our bookings when I booked the tickets, so they know we are arriving together. Sigh. Btw, did you ever get your money back? I really enjoy your videos. Thanks for taking the time to make them. 👍🏻

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I finally did get my money back a couple of months later following a credit card dispute. Thanks for watching!

[@chrisjacobus4528]

Worst cruise experience ever. Pretty much everything sucked. Never again

[@treyatl2006]

Have you tried them since then? I just booked. There was a great deal. An 11 night for $709 plus taxes and fees. I heard they made a lot of improvements.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I have not. I don’t really have plans to anytime soon but maybe someday!

[@Crybarcz228]

Bottom line, they broke the two cardinal rules of cruising, top food and top service. This will be the 3rd video while I’m literally in the middle about to hit the ‘book’ button for an MSC cruise. You just gave me a moment of pause and my hand is no longer on the button. No matter how beautiful the ship, it’s all about the experience that ‘you’ pay for. I think I’ve seen enough. I think I’ll give MSC a pass and look into the other lines.

[@Goldstar2110]

Haven’t had a bad experience at all on MSC. Went in December and are going again in February! Give them a shot!

[@nevinflynn]

Just came off MSC and don't book. Worst experience I have ever had on vacation. It's cheap at first but when you add everything you'll need / want it becomes more expensive than others. The elevators were a mess, the port unloading and loading was an unorganized joke. The buffet wasn't open all the time. Certain bars were closed and only open at certain times unless it was the casino bar but even then it would take 30 mins sitting at the bar to get a single drink. MSC seascape is garbage.

[@marklittle6408]

printed tickets on Thursday (the same European itinerary you describe) completed the health questionnaire read all the details they sent me, got to port the next Tuesday and got refused boarding as MSC wanted a PCR result within 48 hours. This change was apparently added to their website on the Friday before, there was no communication from MSC and many passengers like me were turned away. MSC are refusing rebooking no refunds as they say it is the passenger responsibility to keep checking their website up until time if departure. No communication, no cruise and MSC have my money. I agree with you totally about their communication. I could have enjoyed a great cruise if they had just communicated

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Wow that is just awful! I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you. That’s unacceptable.

[@marklittle6408]

Have to be fair to MSC they compromised and invited me back the week after. The ship abs crews have been wonderful. The food has been great & the entertainment too. Only about 1/3rd full which I think does help. It’s a sign of a great holiday when the worst thing I have to say is that the choice of tea bags onboard is lousy. 😂👍

[@johnnolan5579]

It's odd that, after reading so many comments like yours about cruising with MSC, they haven't made changes to the things that obviously bother their passengers. I've had so many great experiences with Holland America and Celebrity, I find it difficult to look at cruising with other cruise lines, with MSC near the bottom for me, and reviews like yours don't make it any easier to change my opinion.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thanks for watching, John. That’s the thing that has bothered me too - it’s like they haven’t tried to improve the cruising experience at all. I read so many negative comments since I sailed with them and it seems they never work on improving. It’ll take a lot to get me from sailing Celebrity from now on, they’ve proven to be amazing and offer an exceptional experience.

[@sethschroeder]

I am way late to the party but enjoyed Zachs vlog series. I think the big thing is MSC has made changes but its only to its newer cruise ships where as ships like the Divina likely are left behind without updates. Like how Royal revolutionizes cruise ships but MSC seems to just build new ships instead of reviving old ones.

[@williamjourney6753]

They lost me with the mac n cheese impersonating a main course. Yikes!

[@willychili]

Not surprised at all !!! 😫 To me MSC is the worst cruise line in the world

[@stevealban7741]

I had my Yacht club Grand suite taken away from me a month before sailing and was assigned a balcony cabin on deck 8 with no reduction in fare. Was told if I don't like it, cancel. I now have 17 phone calls which each time I am told a supervisor will call within 48-72 hours, and a dozen emails all unanswered. This has been going on since September.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Oh wow. What a nightmare. I am so sorry to hear that, but it furthers my decision to never sail with them again!

[@johnkean6852]

Does this mean the end 🤔

[@mindyschocolate]

Wow, wth!

[@6360carolyn]

I’ve subscribed to your channel and I must say I love it. I’m from Canada and we have 33 cruises under our belt and probably more than half are with Celebrity and then Princess and HAL. Your reviews are very honest and informative, not to mention your accent, which I love. Keep up the good work!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I’m glad you like my accent haha! And the reviews too, of course. Thank you for the lovely comment. I hope to try both Princess and HAL soon, in addition to all of my Celebrity cruises lol. Thanks for watching!

[@cshawn07]

Thanks so much for the heads up..Getting ready to look into my first cruise :) Won't be looking in thier direction at sll..Seeing That dish and poor service..Screw that....

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you for watching! I’d definitely hold off on MSC, especially for a first cruise. There are much better cruise lines out there.

[@Keep-on-ok]

I have never cruised with them. We have been on 37 cruises but never tried MSC. Thanks for the heads up.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you for watching!

[@paulready8897]

You know it’s going to be a bad cruise when the best food is pizza. For the money issue I would dispute the charge with the credit card company.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

For real, Paul. I’m going to do just that. Thank you for watching!

[@elizabethlanders894]

Just to let you know, on our Meraviglia cruise in November I witnessed them seat solo cruisers at the large tables but they only sat two people at a table for 10. One on either end of the table. So there were at least 6 feet between them.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I did ask about how many people were assigned that table and they indicated it would be full. There were also menus and plate settings at each seat.

[@cysawyer4829]

We will be on Grandeur of the Seas Jan22-29. You said you're on Royal in January, would we see you?

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Sadly no! This video was from last December and I have no other Royal cruises on the books anytime soon. Enjoy your cruise!

[@xXxSapphir3xXx]

Reading these comments and seeing the reviews is enough for me to learn from others and stay off MSC.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Yeah they really have a great amount of work to do to improve their product before I could ever recommend them to anyone. Thank you for watching.

[@johnbryant6935]

We did a 14 night carribean cruise from Miami on MSC SEASIDE in May 2019. ( U.K ) I agree ref crew apart from cabin steward and one barman and staff in champaign bar a bit rude. We ate in the buffet each night, we prefer picking our own scran.

[@bubbascruise]

Ive never sailed on MSC either it just doesn't seem like my kind of cruise line since I only have limited time to cruise. Atleast it was just a 3 day instead of a full week

[@TravelSpreeOfficial]

We had the same experience! The second night in the MDR was awful on our 3 night cruise. Don’t think we’ll be back on MSC anytime soon. Not many good things to say about them.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Sorry you guys had a rough experience also. Seems to be the consensus on MSC. Thanks for watching! 🙏🏻

[@billon2wheels]

Ya we were just in the devina, food was terrible, and they kept charging my card for more and more available money, I asked why are you doing this when we hadn’t hit a 250 limit they charged my card initially they hit it for a total of 450 charged 3 different times , we only spent 80.00 on the ship, we got our money back but still very weird, the mereveglia has better food not sure if we will go back on their ships

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Sorry to hear that, Bill. Thanks for sharing and for watching.

[@sandraspringer273]

I agree. MSC was a one and done for me too. Never again.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I think that’s what MSC stands for: Never Again.

[@chrisbronico3667]

I recently booked my first cruise. It is for February 2023 to the northern Caribbean. I am sailing Norwegian cruise lines. Have you traveled Norwegian before? Did you have a good experience? Any tips?

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Hey Chris, congrats on booking your first cruise! I actually have not sailed with Norwegian yet - but I definitely want to! I’ve heard good stuff about them.

[@jdb316]

I’ve heard that cruise lines use their older, more dated ships for the short cruises like this one and save their newer ships for cruises lasting 7 days or longer. Have you found this to be the case?

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

This is usually the case for most of the cruise lines.

[@bigbouncer2150]

Hey Zach, as a solo cruiser, I also prefer to dine alone. It is actually disappointing to hear about your experience. I have sailed MSC once and I have no interest in cruising with that line again either. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Hey! Thank you so much for watching and for the comment. They’ve definitely lost me as a customer. Happy New Year!

[@TheHollywoodList]

I love sitting with people and dining alone , I really like when you get a solo table with other people tables around so you can talk to them at will.

[@TheIgucis]

Noone should go to cruise alone 🤣🤣🤣

[@bigbouncer2150]

@@TheIgucis I have cruised alone on almost 100 cruises and love it 😀 With the type of work I do, that alone time is a must for me when I travel.

[@djt_Art_Travel]

Hello Zack, the first time I've seen one of your travel videos, loved it, have subscribed. I'm based in Europe, have never travelled with M SC but from the experience of friends and what people generally think over here MSC really don't have a good reputation. Most people think the food at best is bland and poor. And the customer service side of things seems to be terrible. We've never been tempted to cruise with MSC and certainly now would avoid them. Happy New Year and I hope you get your money from the MSC

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Hey David, thank you so much for watching and for subscribing! I can only recommend folks not sail with MSC, based solely on my experience. I know a lot of folks push back against that, but I can only be honest in detailing my less than ideal cruise with them. Happy New Year to you and I hope you have many adventures in store for 2022!

[@sandysinger9268]

Worse cruise line I've ever dealt with and we haven't even sailed yet. The communication and help solving problems leaves me fearful about what our cruise will be like. I've spent hour upon hour on the phone with MSC. On one call I asked to speak with the person's supervisor at least 16 times and never was able to speak with a supervisor. Instead I was hung up on. Now after watching your video, I wish I could cancel and go back to Norwegian. We've sailed with them several times including 2 transatlantic and have no complaints.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I hope your cruise turns out better than you expect. Fingers crossed. Thanks for watching.

[@jeandrejacobs5433]

I had two cruises with MSC and I had wonderful experiences on both my cruises. My first cruise was on MSC Sinfonia and it was a 25 day Grand voyager cruise sailing from Venice Italy. My second cruise was a Mediterranean cruise on MSC Meraviglia. My first cruise was so long 25 days and we had no problems. I prebooked everything before my cruise so when I closed my card MSC gave me money. I could also choose between two different dinning times. You do not need to eat in the resturant. Its your choose were you dine. They have a selection of speciality restaurants to. I disagree with you MSC's new fleet of ships is stunning. MSC Meraviglia was a gorgous ship especially the crystal staircase.

[@history_lives6749]

My wife and I love MSC. We even got married on the Divina. We have been on 4 of their cruises (3 different ships) and we really love it. We did Royal once and it was great but the international atmosphere of MSC is just cooler for us. The food is great and we have no complaints... OTHER THAN their customer service. It's a nightmare. Sorry you didn't like it. PS: you can request a private table in the dining room. You don't have to sit with strangers.

[@AtanasPaunoff]

I have similar experience. MSC is better for me too. I have been on Musica, Splendida, Precioza... Same great experience on every ship :) And I have been once on Royal - Synphony of the Seas, the ship is very nice but I can tell it will be better if this ship were owned by MSC :) I am from Bulgaria and I may see things diferent and have diferent expectations than American people but...

[@michaelirvin2079]

Hello Zach, how are you doing. New subscriber , I have watched other videos on MSC and they were very similar to your experience. I love cruisers just as you do , after hearing your story and others like you I will not be booking with MSC . I would suggest sailing with NCL, I have sailed with them 4 times and it was wonderful. Looking forward to seeing more videos from you , Thanks again 😀

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thanks for subscribing and watching! I’m taking my first NCL in a few months and can’t wait. I’ve heard nothing but great things.

[@clamay822]

I had a similar experience on the Seashore, and I was on it as others as TA. One night preview in November. I loved the ship. Freaking Gorgeousness. But. I did have a sub par experience in the dining rooms. The buffets were much better. I also travel solo. So we get a different perspective than those traveling with others. The service though on MSC was awesome 👍

[@TheHollywoodList]

Whats up Chris! When's your next?

[@LisaSoulLevelHealing]

They watch these channels, and they have improved. The most recent videos show it has improved, so it shows that these honest reviews are worth it.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

That’s good to hear. Thanks for watching!

[@harrybear193]

Hey Zach try princess cruises grand princess 14 day cruise Hawaii April 4 th 2022 I'm booked fingers crossed

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Hope you have a great cruise!

[@rickg2110]

Thanks Zach. Never been on MSC and probably won’t.

[@joannamcdee9061]

Thanks for the info on MSC. I’ll be taking my fav NCL, were all the food was hot, tasty and everything we wanted...

[@vincentclausen2250]

We quit going to MDR on any cruise line 5 years ago.

[@marcomarcon5802]

As solo traveller, I don't mind dining at a table with other solo travellers, or say couples, in fact I like it, but not big family groups

[@WaypointExplorers]

My dad had a bad experience with some onboard charges. He fought with them for months before finally having to get the credit card company involved. We're wanting to try out a bunch of cruise lines, but we'll probably be overlooking msc for now

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Ugh I’m so sorry to hear that. I still have no clue where my money is, even though they assure me it’s coming. Thanks for sharing!

[@msassine65]

ohhh boy! I'm doing a 7 day from Port Canaveral on Meraviglia on January 2nd, and instead of looking forward to this trip, I'm dreading it from watching and reading all the reviews. For some reason, they've removed me from my assigned cabin and I'm now on a guaranteed balcony room. When I called to inquire, I was told for some reason their inventory department does that to all the passengers and will be reassigned a cabin just before sailing. Makes no sense, but I have exactly zero expectations at this point, and just want to get his over with.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Yikes! I didn’t experience that, so not sure what you might expect there. I hope they fix it and I hope you end up having a great trip on the Meraviglia!

[@blanchegiunta4316]

Were booked on meriviglia in 2 mths from Port Canaveral..upgraded, but still not sure what to expect..there customer service dept & tech are less than helpful..good luck

[@andreatuckman1084]

Several years ago we were booked on a balcony cabin. Two weeks before the cruise they emailed us explaining they had overbooked and apologized for the last minute change. They offered us another cruise two weeks later or a free interior cabin. Unable to cruise two weeks later because of a wedding we accepted the interior cabin. On the first day we put our bathing suits on and headed to the pool deck only to be disappointed to find out it was pouring. Never booked an inside cabin again and never cruised on MSC again.

[@boomerkae]

You boarded the day I left Meraviglia. Curious to your thoughts after. It was my first cruise, so nothing to compare it to, but I did feel I was missing some communication, would have loved to known theme nights prior so I could have packed for them. My kids aren't into fancy dining, but we did sit in Waves for a few meals - our own table for three. They loved the buffet and I can't complain about the food there. At half capacity, first day at sea I couldn't find a chair by the pool, but was able the last day at sea. I had some unknown charges on my credit card, but they did drop off a few days after.

[@salliestewart4713]

Sorry for your loss and frustration!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you. And thanks for watching!

[@carablake4368]

Oh man, I wish I’d seen your video a few months ago. We just cancelled our July MSC booking for Yacht Club. No refund yet but it’s only been a few days, but now I am nervous 😬

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

It took a long time but I'm sure they will get it back to you!

[@AiTravelswithLove]

We have never taken an MSC cruise but still enjoyed this video. I definitely felt frustrated for you when MSC was playing "not it" when it came to your money. I feel it's definitely too easy to say they will put money on ur onboard credit but actually did nothing about that.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Exactly and that was my frustration. Being given the run around on all sides. Thank you for watching!

[@lizardstravels]

Refunds can take up to 2 credit card cycles to receive your refund

[@briangriffith2394]

Thank you so much for that information

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thank you for watching!

[@nikkib6604]

Please try out Norwegian & see what you think. I did two in 2019 and so far they are my favorite. Trying the Mardi Gras in January and NCL Prima in October.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I wanna try the Prima so bad! NCL is definitely on my list - one of these days. 😂

[@tonylakin7853]

I sailed on MSC Divina 4 weeks ago in the Caribbean on a 14 night cruise. I have sailed on 76 cruises so feel I do have some comparisons to make. MSC' s new ships are Italian glitz, the style and decor maybe not be to everyone's taste? This was the 3rd time I had travelled on the ship, but did feel it was looking slightly dated. I also agree that the food in the main dining room was a bit hit and miss, while that in the buffet offered a good choice. For me MSC offer some of the best shows at sea today, I felt like I was at the Lido every night, amazing! Their private island, Ocean Cay I thought was outstanding! My all round review and value for money would be good. MSC are are a mid priced cruise line, I have also just sailed on the MSC Seashore, for me excellent in every way, great modern decor and what a vibe on board!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thanks for sharing your recent experience on Divina, Tony. I’m glad you had a great cruise. And thanks for watching!

[@rubyli215]

I had a bad experience with MSC. Back in 2019, 28 days cruise, I am Asian so I know my rice. First day it was fine than for 2 days my rice is not cook. I made a comment, next day was fine. Than it was back to uncooked rice again. How can people not how to cook rice. Over all the ports are great and the price was so low. So we decided to go on another cruise with MSC. Did the deposit for a 13 Middle East experience. Booked our flight, paid for the deposit and next we know they changed to 9 days. Our agent tries to find out the reason for the change, not such luck. Since we have to paid for our flight change, she tried to get us some compensation, no such luck. If we were to stay the 13 days new agenda, we would have to paid extra $650 for the new flight. Why MSC so unreasonable. We weren't looking for anything huge, even $100 or free Wifi we would be happy. Now I am going to think twice before booking with MSC again.

[@nicholasdeegan8718]

There newer ships have a app to keep track of many thing spending being one of them id like to see the older ship get the app to

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I agree, that would be very helpful across all their ships. Thanks for watching!

[@mindyschocolate]

That’s weird the app doesn’t cover all the ships. Disney’s app is universal on all five ships. Doesn’t matter what ship you’re on or even that you’re not even on it yet. All of my excursions and dining were booked via that app.

[@matthewganong1730]

We just sailed on this ship about two weeks ago for a 3-day cruise. Our experience was a lot better than yours it seems, but we did have a financial issue as well. We were bumped from the Armonia to the Divinia and the price difference was about $500. We went through a travel agent who told us that we would get that money as shipboard credit and then get the unused portion refunded after the cruise. Once we got on board we only had $200 of shipboard credit which was part of the package we bought. We asked the reception area about the other $500 and was told that it showed we were owed a refund but that it could not be used as shipboard credit, and that it would take up to two billing cycles for the refund to process. The travel agent contacted MSC and was told the same thing. My wife looked into it and read that they are experiencing significant refund delays and it could take 6 months or more to see the money. On the whole we did have a nice time though.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Hi Matthew, thank you for sharing your experience. I’m glad you had a nice time and good experience, but sorry to hear about the money issue. I just recently escalated the issue with the credit card company to hopefully get quicker results. 6 months?! That’s unacceptable. Appreciate you watching. Happy New Year!

[@matthewganong1730]

@@ZachtheTravelingMan I should say also that it was our first time cruising so we don’t really have anything to compare it to! We did definitely develop a rapport with some of the bartenders though! The pool bartender even came up to the disco bar for a drink with us after he closed up the last night.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

How cool! It definitely helps that your first cruise experience was a good one. I hope you all continue cruising - it’s the best way to vacation, IMO.

[@matthewganong1730]

Update: we did get the refund. Took about 4 weeks.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thanks for letting me know! I let my credit card handle it.

[@lizardstravels]

Did you ask the server for a other dinner choice

[@yogiviben8555]

Shame this happened to you. I sort of expected that their processes would lack some since their prices are so good. Once I move to FL, I hope to spend a lot of time in Europe and their 26 night balcony from Miami to Italy is $1815 on vacationstogo site for the May 8, 2023 sailing. That got my attention. That’s my price range when I am really free of my current work. I’ll keep in mind not to upgrade and opt for the buffet when possible. I may take some protein shakes with me. 😄 Great info, thanks for sharing!

[@LB-ty6ks]

I've been tempted to book an MSC cruise because of their low price for solo cruisers. Low prices usually means a lower quality. Therefore, if I do book an MSC cruise I'll factor that in. I don't know what you paid for your short cruise, but if you paid a cut rate price...well.

[@mindyschocolate]

There are other cruise lines that offer solo cruises. Princess and I think Norwegian if I remember right.

[@mindyschocolate]

Oh, Celebrity. That’s the one I’m thinking of.

[@briangriffith2394]

Thanks for your help

[@chrisjenkins203]

It’s this simple. If you cruise the bottom tier on MSC, which costs you next to nothing, be prepared to be disappointed. If you’re willing to spend a few bucks, Book the yacht club and you will have the best cruising experience ever. Private dining room, private lounges and 24/7 butler service. Priority everything, boarding, show seats, eat in the private dining room at whatever time you want for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus, all of your liquor is included when you book the yacht club. MSC is a perfect example of you get what you pay for.

[@TheSdcole60]

If MSC wasn't your fave as a solo cruiser, which cruise line is your top pick? I've cruised 5 times on Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships, and would like to go on my first solo cruise this fall.😄

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Hi Stephanie, I highly recommend you try solo at least once. I love sailing solo! Celebrity is my top pick, particularly the E class, or the Edge, Apex, Beyond. You’ll love it!

[@biblicalgodisonlytruegod]

Great report. You are 100% right to be upset about the $160. WOW. So happy that you reported this! And I am totally with you about solo dining. I enjoy sitting by myself and watching a video on my iPad. End of the day and tired. CELEBRITY bends over backwards to accommodate me! CELEBRITY treats passengers SO WELL! Six star restaurant service.

[@JamesBen937]

Just got off my first MSC and probably my last MSC cruise. I was assigned a 6:15 pm dinner which was far earlier Than I requested as a gold member. The crowds on the Mediterranean cruise were by far the worst I've ever experienced ever. I've done NCL and RCCL in Mediterranean and nowhere near as horrible people.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Sorry to hear you had a rough experience! Thanks for watching and sharing.

[@daniareyes9841]

That was all they gave you at the butcher's cut steakhouse? A small side of french fries? I ask because Im planning a cruise with my family

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Yep! You could have chosen several sides I guess but that was it for the fries!

[@markt9805]

I had a similar experience on MSC. They have great fares that’s why people sail with them. Try Princess, I would like to hear your impression of the Princess experience.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Princess is definitely on my list to try sometime! Thanks for sharing and for watching!

[@DinaCruisingThruLife]

You know my experience was really bad on the Meraviglia. I met a couple on that cruise and they tried another MSC ship in Europe recently and they were sending me messages from the ship stating how awful the experience had been. They won’t sail again on MSC. I haven’t done my wrap up yet but I’ll get it done before 2022 lol! I just got off the Carnival Radiance and had a great time!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Oh wow the Radiance looks and sounds awesome! I hope to catch her someday. Thank you for watching and for the nice comment.

[@johnkean6852]

With Carnival if you pay for a cabin of 4 people is it true the price only includes food for the first 2 and you need to pay extra for the food for the second 2? I had to do this when l booked NCL and was annoyed since it was advertised as a discount so l invited 2 others, then l was told it was only full board for the first two "main passengers" which l thought was a shock but still had to pay more than the quoted price. *They need to get pricing sorted.* At least that doesn't happen on MSC. Per person price "pp" means full board for all 4! They dont then turn round and ask you for more money.

[@WrightWorld]

@@johnkean6852 My first cruise in 2018 was on the NCL Pearl to Alaska. There were three of us in a cabin together and there wasn't any extra charge for food for the 3rd person. I can't even imagine how'd they'd compute that, especially at the buffet, but even in the MDR unless you're ordering an adult beverage or getting a lobster tail for a given upcharge, there's no prices there either. Were you referring to the specialty dining package they usually offer as a freebie? That only covers the first 2 guests, ditto for the beverage package. Specialty restaurants cost extra for everyone unless offered on a promo. I haven't seen a free specialty dining promo for MSC so far, so everyone pays extra if they want to dine at Butcher's Cut.

[@runningislife87]

We have been on 3 cruises with MSC and never had any major issues. They do have an app and it showed us what we had spent on the cruise the whole time. The food can be odd I will say that, but I love pizza so I can enjoy theirs a lot. I hate it was bad, but I know that with anything it is hit or miss. Last one we did in the Yacht Club and the service and food was amazing.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

I think that some of their ships have the app, but unfortunately Divina did not. Thank you for sharing your experience and for watching!

[@billysaundersjr4987]

Same for us, all great experiences. Last was in the Yacht Club and it was amazing. Again, next month on the Yacht club.

[@lindaparsons8040]

Hi, we booked the seashore awhile back and choose a room on 11th deck. a few weeks later MSC took away our room and notified us that they will assign another room. Huhh. well our cruise is one month away and Hubby called MSC and they finally assigned us a room on 9th deck and then proceeded to charge us $200. more What the heck. Not happy as we already had paid in full.. We traveled on the Divina back a few years out of Miami. That cruise was great. but now were going to have to go on this cruise and the reputation of MSC has gone down hill.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Ugh so sorry to hear about that, Linda. I hope they resolve the issue for you quickly. Thanks for watching.

[@Keep-on-ok]

Here’s a suggestion. Call the credit card company and dispute the $160. They will remove it. Just explain to them what happened. I waited once for a cruise company to refund $10,000 and I had proof that the cruise company owed me that money. I had already waited 6 weeks. Once I called the bank, I had my refund within about 3 days. So, use that option if needed.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

That’s great advice. Thank you for sharing that with me. That’s what I’m going to do because at this point it’s probably my best bet at getting my money back.

[@mindyschocolate]

Yup. Definitely the way to go. I had a similar issue with another business that over charged me by a few thousand. After months of runaround, the bank reversed the charges within a week.

[@blanchegiunta4316]

As for the money problem the same thing happened to another youtuber Jay from "the ship life".. I don't know if he ever got his money.. I'm very nervous booked the maraviglia out of port Canaveral coming up.. upgraded , but still not impressed with their customer service at all.. They're invoices, website and app are very behind what other cruise lines have have tec wise.. good luck!

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thanks for watching! Their slow and poor customer service is the thing that gets me. Fingers crossed haha.

[@xandersun]

The one big useful takeaway from this video is that MSC does not handle refunds or money well (or honestly). That alone makes this review well worth watching. Some of the other complaints (not just on this video), though, seem like they could be chalked up to you-get-what-you-pay-for, as well as cultural differences. You have to remember MSC is a European (Italian) based cruise line, where they don’t have a culture of tipping or “hover” service. And Italy is notorious for lack of respect for lines or orderly processes (like getting on and off subways or elevators). Little things and differences can be annoying, even if not really consequential (like the mispronunciation of the ship’s name as “Divinia”), especially if there are just multiple instances that build on one another. If you pretend you’re not just going on a cruise, but stepping into Italy, it will at least give you an idea what disappointments or culture shock you may experience if you ever travel to Rome or Venice. I think the reason MSC doesn’t really make a big effort at adapting to the American market is 1) a large portion of their clientele are still Europeans who fly to the Caribbean for an “exotic” cruise vacation, 2) they’ve observed that despite it all, and all the bad reviews, Spirit Airlines is still full of American passengers. (Price is her name, and Americans are her b•tch. And Italians even longer.)

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

Thanks for sharing this and for watching. Appreciate your point of view on some of the things I discussed.

[@kevinwright5006]

Thanks for the review. I sell on MSC Seashore in 3 weeks. I’ll let you know.

[@coralgwyn-williams9933]

I have been considering msc cruises due to the cost, but I have seen several videos like this where msc has basically taken money and not returned or refunded it for up to 8 months and often only after it has been reported to credit card companies. Making me think twice.

[@chrisjenkins203]

Just like you said “The cost”. These people are booking week long cruises for like $300 and expecting it to be god level service. 😂 My wife and I book MSC yacht club packages and they are by far the best cruising experience out there. MSC is a perfect example of you get what you pay for. Yacht club for 7 nights, 2 people is between $4-5K. Includes a suite w/balcony, all of your meals in a private dining room, private lounge areas, eat at whatever times you want, 24/7 in room butler service, in room wet bar and all of your liquor is included, Priority show seats, priority boarding/disembarkation. It’s a true inclusive package and you have access to areas of the boat that the rest of the passengers do not have access to. Private pool areas, etc…

[@paulaboukhaled813]

I went on the Seaside and I felt like it is a Mafia cruise.

[@ZachtheTravelingMan]

They’ll definitely take your money and keep it hostage lol. 👀 Thanks for watching!

[@simon5005]

Exactly how I feel about Carnival. I was horrified all the way around.

[@chrisjenkins203]

Carnival is the Walmart of the cruising industry. 😂