I’ve put together this article to help you choose if MSC is the right cruise line for you and whether you should consider cruising with MSC.
About MSC cruises
MSC, founded in 1989 in Italy and is now based in Switzerland. It has a global operation and is the largest privately owned cruise company. It forms part of the massive MSC shipping company.
Its current fleet at the time of writing, comprises 17 ships with a further 12 ships on order and due to come on line by 2027. MSC is the fourth largest cruise company in the world.
In 2019 MSC signed a 100-year lease on a Bahamian island to create Ocean Cay MSC marine reserve, exclusively for MSC ships and guests.
MSC pricing structure and brands
MSC’s pricing structure, in my opinion, is excellent. With a move away from confusing perks and add-ons, customers choose, at the point of booking, their cabin type and then choose the ‘experience’ they would like to enjoy and from this the final price is calculated.
This ‘build your own package’ system makes cruising with MSC very affordable.
Each experience includes different packages.
- The Bella experience is the lead-in package and doesn’t include drinks package, spa or any other frills. It is ideal for non-drinkers and people who wish to keep their cruise experience lower-cost and simple.
- The next tier is the Fantastica experience. This includes room service with no delivery charge and free breakfast room service. Also included is a 50% discount on personal training, wider choice of cabins, priority when choosing dining time and a free photo.
- The all-inclusive Aurea experience offers great value and includes, along with the perks of the Fantastica experience, beverage package, priority boarding, any time dining, free access to exclusive sundeck, a free massage, complimentary use of the Aurea spa, spa cocktail, relaxation amenities (bath robe and slippers) and a free MSC gift.
MSC Yacht Club
MSC Yacht Club is a ‘ship within a ship’, almost like a private club onboard.
With a choice of luxurious suites, the services of a butler 24 hours and a private concierge to help your vacation run without a hitch, you could easily find yourself never wanting to leave.
MSC Yacht Club boasts an exclusive restaurant, bar lounge with enviable views to the front of the ship and private swimming pool.
MSC Aurea spa is included and for days in port you can tailor-make your excursion and enjoy the destination your way.
Don’t like to mix with the masses? MSC Yacht Club guests can enjoy private, out-of-hours shopping and jewellery viewings.
Front row seats in the theatre are also reserved for MSC Yacht Club guests to enjoy being up close to the action.
Find out more about MSC Yacht Club here.
The MSC onboard experience
MSC ships are stunning, opulently decorated with stairways studded with Swarovski crystals, elaborate chandeliers and enough bling scattered around to keep Madonna happy.
The emphasis is on style and luxury, rather than gimmicks.
What I found refreshingly different about the interior of MSC ships, was the space and plentiful seating. Other cruise lines I have sailed with seem to place the emphasis on the outdoors, that’s great in the Caribbean most of the year but on rainy days and nights in Europe everyone is indoors. The wide selection of indoor seating venues on MSC ships is perfect, especially after an hour in your ‘killer heels’.
MSC dining experience
You can eat like a king or queen when cruising with MSC. The larger MSC ships have a great range of eateries, the two main dining rooms are complimentary, as is the buffet. Speciality restaurants (fee payable) include the Eataly Steakhouse, La Cantina, American Sports Bar and a range of smaller snack outlets.
MSC buffets (food now plated by staff) are famous for their Italian food, especially pizzas.
At the time of booking, guests can choose between early or late dining (for main dining rooms excluding buffet) or guests on the Aurea experience can dine at any time during the restaurant opening hours.
It’s worth considering that on European cruises, many passengers will be southern Europeans who tend to eat later, so bear this in mind when selecting your dining time.
MSC onboard entertainment
Particularly on European cruises, because of the vast range of guest nationalities, much of the entertainment is what they class as ‘non-vocal’ for example music, dance and singing rather than comedians or game shows.
The theatre shows are fabulous and lavish just as you would find on ships from most major cruise lines.
MSC onboard vibe
Similar to many major cruise lines, MSC has moved away a little from the traditional formal-style cruising. That’s not to say you won’t seen men in tuxedos or women in floor-length cocktail gowns but there are no hard-set dress codes (apart from trousers for men in the main restaurants).
The emphasis is on enjoyment. Each night you can expect a theme night including the ubiquitous ‘White Party’ and also a ‘dress up or not’ night where the officers will be available for photos.
Dinner is usually linked to the various themes and on most cruises, on the last night, you may be surprised to see the famous MSC Baked Alaska being paraded round the dining room as passengers cheer and clap to show their appreciation.
Family cruising with MSC
In typical Italian style, families are well catered for with MSC, children from 0 to 17 are accepted in the different childrens’ clubs which are open every day.
Family cabins are perfect, with pull-down or sofa beds and an option for connecting cabin for families with older children.
For an extra fee, children (and adults!) can enjoy the benefits of the ‘fun pass’ which allows unlimited access to arcade games.
MSC Aurea Spa
Relax in the luxurious spa, enjoy a massage after a long day exploring in port or keep fit in the state-of-the-art gym.
The Aurea Spa is free for guests with the Aurea experience and for Yacht Club guests. For other guests, passes are available to purchase.
If you like to stay fit while on a cruise but don’t want to use the spa or gym facilities, all MSC ships have a jogging/walking track.
MSC Cabins
Cabin choice varies from ship to ship but all MSC ships have a wide choice of cabins to suit everyone, whether its about budget or personal preference.
Interior, outside and balcony cabins are a good size, with great bathroom facilities and decent sized closets. Go up a level with a suite which has a larger seating area and on some ships a larger balcony.
The newer MSC ships have grand suites and family suites, along with suites with a whirlpool bath.
Yacht Club suites vary in size ranging from Yacht Club interior suites, right up to the 62 sq metre Royal Suite.
Take a look here
Where can I sail with MSC?
MSC has a great range of itineraries, some not offered by other cruise lines which tend to focus more on the Caribbean. Here are some ideas for cruising with MSC.
Cruise the Mediterranean and take in Italy , France, Spain, the Greek Isles, the Adriatic and many more destinations.
Take a trip to South America and visit Brazil and Argentina.
The Caribbean is of course featured in the wide range of itineraries as is the Middle East, South Africa and Asia.
At certain times of year you can sail across the Atlantic between Europe and the Americas.
For something extra special, consider the annual ‘World Cruise’ on the MSC Magnifica, now in its second year of this amazing trip. Experience places you have never seen before on this 120-day five-continent cruise.
MSC Voyagers Club
As with most major cruise lines, MSC has its loyalty club. The Voyagers Club has fiver tiers, ranging from ‘Welcome’ to ‘Diamond’, each with a range of perks.
MSC will status-match loyalty levels from other cruise lines to entice new customers, remember to mention it at the time of booking. You will be required to provide proof of membership in another cruise loyalty scheme.
So what’s different about cruising with MSC?
If it’s your first time cruising with MSC, you may notice a few quirks or differences from other cruise lines.
MSC runs very flexible itinerary durations, therefore it is not unusual for passengers to embark and disembark at different ports in one cruise. For example, you may embark in Genoa, then the next day in Rome, another group of new passengers could come aboard!
MSC attracts a wide range of nationalities, especially on European cruises, so expect to hear a whole host of languages spoken. If in doubt, a smile goes a long way!
Announcements will be made in different languages too.
Personally I found that there was less emphasis on hard selling onboard, unlike some other cruises I’ve been on. For example on some cruises, after a relaxing massage in the spa, the relaxation was washed away by the therapist trying to sell me a range of spa or beauty products. I once got talked into buying a 200 dollar face cream when I only went for a nail polish touch up!
With MSC it was the other way around, I had to practically chase the lovely therapist through the spa in order to purchase some body oil!
Top tip – on the last night onboard there are usually great offers in the shops and discounts on photos.
Forgot to buy that lovely photo of you and your loved one gazing into each others eyes on the crystal staircase? Don’t worry, passengers on the newer ships can purchase them online after you arrive home. Visit mymscphotos.com
MSC cruises tend to be a little lower-key than other cruise lines, as do the staff. First time MSC cruisers may find it unusual that they rarely see the room steward, that’s not to say your room isn’t made fresh and clean ever day, but the cabin staff are less interactive with guests.
There is a choice of drinks packages. Easy, Premium and Premium Plus. The Easy package is perfectly adequate unless you prefer a wider choice of wines and premium spirits.
Onboard payments are also handled differently. Most cruise lines will swipe your credit card at check in. With MSC there are machines onboard where you link a credit card to your onboard account. It is your responsibility to ensure everything is settled prior to disembarkation.
One final difference is the tea! This is mostly important for many UK cruisers. MSC uses Yorkshire tea bags which gives a decent cuppa, unlike that ridiculous stuff on a piece of string!! Well done MSC!
Why cruising with MSC suits me
After being loyal to NCL for a number of years, last May I decided to change it up a bit after spotting online an MSC cruise with a great itinerary.
We embarked (along with my Mother and Father- in-law!) in Genoa, Italy on the MSC Magnifica, one of the smaller in the fleet. The itinerary took in Italy, Corfu in the Greek Islands, Montenegro and Croatia, with disembarkation in Venice Italy.
The itinerary was fabulous (but that’s for another article). The ship was excellent, we booked a suite with the Aurea experience and it was great value.
The food was good and the staff were friendly and polite. The free-flowing Prosecco was definitely a bonus.
We enjoyed evenings listening to live music in the bars and days exploring the ports or relaxing on the Aurea private sundeck.
We took advantage of the spa, including the complimentary massage and we used the gym every day.
We felt we got great value for money, the ship, although one of the older in the fleet, was stunning and the suite was spacious and luxurious.
As Platinum card holders for NCL we were automatically given top-tier status which meant we enjoyed bottles of Prosecco in the room and my particular favourite, a chocolate replica ship (which I have to admit sat in my refrigerator at home for months before I could bring myself to eat it!)
See you onboard sometime!
You never know until you try!
I still need to get on a cruise at some point. Thanks for all of the tips and insights – really enjoyed reading it!
Thanks Krista. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy cruising so I started with a short 4-night one out of Miami and really enjoyed it! Been hooked ever since!