Company Overview | Cruise Line Reviews: Though MSC Cruises was founded in Italy in 1990, it is fairly unknown to the North American cruising public.Costa Cruise Lines, another Italy-based cruise line that markets its ships to America, has already proven that it can be done successfully. But, do we really need another cruise line offering "Cruising, Italian style" to the American audience? Why not? There are enough differences between the two lines.
MSC Cruises is known for somewhat more subdued ships, with classic ship interiors of brass, glass and marble. Costa, on the other hand, owned and closely managed by parent company Carnival Corp. has ships that are identical to Carnival ships in structure; and interior decor that is equally fanciful. This is not to say either is better, it merely implies that if you prefer Carnival, you might choose Costa, whereas if you prefer Princess (for example) you might choose MSC Cruises. For the record, MSC is an independent cruise line, not under the umbrella of any U.S.-based corporation. Also for the record, Costa has been marketing its line to Americans for over a decade now, whereas MSC started in 2004.
The first step MSC Cruises took in establishing credibility in the U.S. was to hire the highly respected Rich Sasso, former president of Celebrity Cruises, to head up the marketing and operations for MSC Cruises in North America.
MSC Cruises next embarked upon a huge ship building program, increasing the fleet size yearly since 2003 while striving to maintain the same onboard Italian ambience. Sophisticated Italian cuisine, hospitality and interior design remain the cornerstone of the MSC Cruises' experience - all aimed at giving guests what they describe as a service that is "Beautiful. Passionate. Italian."
MSC Cruises currently has a fleet of nine ships: MSC Poesia third flagship of the "Musica" class, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera, MSC Armonia, MSC Lirica, MSC Melody, and MSC Rhapsody, cruising in the Mediterranean year round and seasonally in Northern Europe, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, South America, Indian Ocean and South Africa.
In the late fall of 2008 one of the largest ships built by a European ship owner was introduced, the MSC Fantasia to be followed in the spring of 2009 by MSC Splendida. In 2010 MSC Magnifica, the fourth ship in the "Musica" class, will enter service. By 2010 the 12 ships of MSC cruises will be comprised of one of the "youngest" (average age of ships in service) fleets in the world.
Although the primary audience for the company is Europeans, the company is wooing American bargain hunters from its U.S. operations office established in Ft Lauderdale. The company now offers a selection of winter Caribbean voyages on beautiful, modern ships offering discounts to the same itineraries as the more well-known brands. Depending on what you expect out of a cruise, you just might find the right ticket on MSC Cruises.
Regarding your expectations; the same caveats we offer for Costa apply where MSC is concerned. Especially in Europe, English will not be the first language on board, or even the second or third. You will get your menus and daily programs in English, but communication with your waiters, room stewards, and tour guides, for example, can be a challenge. Also, do not expect to easily find American-style food. Breakfast will have beans and kippered herring, along with the soft-boiled eggs preferred by Europeans. Lunch and dinner will be unmistakably Italian oriented.
In the Caribbean, English will be the primary language spoken on board, with a smattering of Spanish. However, there will still be an unmistakable Italian influence on everything, especially the cuisine. So, if you are able to deal with a little inconvenience, and understand that things like trivia games just aren't going to be the same, you will have a fine cruise. But if you want your entire vacation to go smooth as silk and for the staff to be with you every step of the way, then you may be expecting a little too much.
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The MSC Experience:
Unlike Costa, MSC offers a bona fide Italian cruise experience suitable only for the sort of American who, in a foreign country, is never heard to demand, "But how much is that in real money?" The good news is that this is a classy, low-key cruise line where announcements are kept to a minimum and you won't feel nickel and dimed on board. And you can look forward to being served authentic Italian cuisine by Italian waiters at every meal.
While the dining room has a no-smoking policy, so many Europeans still smoke (albeit in the areas where it is allowed) so much that some rooms get inundated, and even some non-smoking rooms can become affected. Cabins are smallish, but well-designed.
Fellow Passengers:
On Caribbean itineraries, expect about 70 percent of your fellow passengers to be American, the remainder European or South American. The 11-night cruises attract passengers over 65. Lower-priced one-week cruises attract younger passengers and more families.
Taking the Kids:
MSC caters to families, with plenty of family suites and supervised activities three times a day for kids three to eight in dedicated children's play areas. There is a kids' menu in the dining room.
MSC has family suites available on several of the line's ships. Plus, the line's "Kids Sail Free" offer is available on all sailings when kids ages 17 and younger share a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults. Supervised activities are available for children in dedicated play areas. There is a kids' menu in the dining room, featuring kid-favorite selections.
Tipping:
On all sailings, gratuities are added to the guest's onboard account (guests have the option to make adjustments at any time during the cruise). In Europe, guidelines are 6 Euro per adult per day and 3 Euro per day for kids ages 4-17. In the Caribbean, gratuities are $12 per person per day and $6 for per child per day. The gratuity for bar service personnel is included in the price of the drink.
