I looked for this video last night after watching the new “censored” video. Finally found it today. You guys should pin this video with the new video. People will see even after being mistreated horribly I might add, your review in the new video sounded great. Very positive. MSC REALLY REALLY messed up by the way they treated you. So sorry you had to go through all that nonsense. Love you guys.🥰
I also watched this video after seeing their latest one, and MSC missed a great opportunity to improve their PR. Ben and David's most recent cruise had started off on a positive note, and a member of management should have sat down with them and worked out any concerns about filming the cruise, like where and when to use their more obvious camera equipment. A bit of civil conversation, a handshake, and problems could have been solved.
We went on MSC Seaside Sept 2023. So many things were bad. Food was bland. The staff not outgoing at all. The soda dispensers weren't working, you could only get soda from the restaurant bar. One pool didn't have towels, they made you go to another deck to another pool and get towels. I asked for assistance at front desk, asked the staff about a charge, she printed out my bill, said nothing. I reviewed it, said thank you and she was silent and gave me a "thumbs up", instead of speaking to me. Very odd. And I've worked in hotels, at Universal Studios and Disney in Orlando.
I'm so angry that some staff member on that MSC cruise was so awful towards you that it caused Ben to get upset to the point that he broke down in tears. Thank you both for being so helpful with your cruise reviews. You both seem to be so genuine & have such fun personalities.
“Let’s be balanced “. 15 min of negative and 4 positive. That tells me all I need to know ! Thank you for your honesty and not just tickling our ears to make a cruise line happy!
My wife and I went on the Divina in Feb 2015 for our 40th Anniversary. We thoroughly agree with all of your comments! Found the ship was absolutely stunning, but trying to get around the ship was very, very confusing. It seemed to be chopped up into confusing areas. Other than costume changes, the main entertainment in the theatre had the same cast, with costume changes only. All Opera!! Then in 2018, we booked the Seaside, hoping to see improvements. It did not happen. Like you said, real bargain prices, but unfortunately did not feel it was worth it. We have stricken MSC off of our list!
I agree with you! My sister and I had cruised with MSC a few years ago and the customer service was one of the worst I've seen on a cruise ship. We've been detained during disembarkment, accused of stealing the life jackets from the rooms even though very obviously life jackets couldn't have fit on our very small suitcases! They had us open to inspect our suitcases, meanwhile every one else had left the ship but us! I was so angry and they never apologized!
Oh Ben, my heart aches for you. To be brought to tears is just inexcusable. And not being seated with your partner is unacceptable. It's no secret you are traveling together.
honestly, I think the crews on the usa based ships are trained differently. I know when I was on the Seashore in December, I had many conversations with all sorts of the crew and it was a common statement that they had to in a way "bid" to get the location/ship and that there was extra training involved. to what extent I do not know. but that was what I gathered.
THANK YOU!!! We have been cruising since 1992, and we tried MSC this past September on the Seashore. The ship was fabulous and the beds are among the most comfortable out there. That's pretty much where the good ends. Boarding was a nightmare, no welcome when walking on board (I mean nothing!) You have to wait until you get on board to add your cc to your seapass card, the lines are insane. You have a question? Good luck, no one will have an answer. Connecting to wifi is a nightmare, then have to do it all again when on the private island. Want a drink? Good luck because you have to order from waitstaff and not the bartender. I literally had a bartender out right ignore my existence and told a waitstaff to take my order to get me away from his bar. 😳 Dinner, omg! What a crowded chaotic nightmare. They had the tables jam packed together and the put my husband and I at a table surrounded by tables with children and babies. On top of that, they tried to set a single cruiser at our table (awkward ) and got mad when we said no (BTW, she didn't want to either). The food was horrible, cold and yuck. I could go on and on but yeah, not a good experience at all. .
@@ExoticDoll yes, I mean there was no one saying welcome aboard. How would you like to walk into a hotel and not be greeted when you walked up to the check in. No crew made eye contact with anyone when everyone boarded. It was very unwelcoming. So, yes, it's very important.
We sailed on MSC Meraviglia back in October 2019 and I must say that your review is SPOT ON!!! Everything you mention is what we experienced, and to add to that, they would run out of coffee cups in the buffet every morning! Everyone would stand around waiting for cups and then a crew member would come out with just 2 or 3 trays of cups and it would turn into a melee with the passengers fighting over them. I was surprised to hear you mention that you’d sail with them again. We decided never to sail with MSC ever again. We prefer to take our hard earned money and sail with cruise lines who are better organized and don’t abuse their customers. Oh, and to be fair… we’ve been on about 20 cruises so we know the difference.
@pitchsd I've only been on 2 cruises, Carnival and MSC but I've worked in hotels and theme parks in Orlando Florida for 20 years. MSC customer service is severely lacking. I'm not cruising with them anytime soon.
Sooo, How do you really feel? LOL Great review. Some people save up for years for a cruise, to be treated like dirt and yelled at is not cool. Thank-you for telling it like it is.. Very good job guys.
Why do hearing people need to be yelled at? They can do the separating of human voices from background noise, I have been told. I'd have to be yelled at because I can't. Working my way through the video but I assume they're just angry and overworked and need a nicer job. Get paid to put a diamond puzzle together or something.
Will never go on this ship or cruise line. I work hard for my money and don’t need unhappy crew shouting at me! Ben & David you two are the nicest, respectful gentleman I have seen on You Tube. Thank you for keeping us informed ❤️
You are missing out on an incredible vacation. I just returned to from a 7 day cruise on Carnivals brand new ship Mardi Gras and the crew was absolutely amazing, friendly and so helpful. The ship was beautiful and the food was amazing.
A friend of mine went on MSC out of Miami. She said it was the worst cruise she has ever been on. The rudeness, the lack of food and drink, as well as the quality, were all things she noted as horrible. Everything closes early and there’s little to do on the ship. She will never sail with them again. I will never sail with them. There’s a reason why they are often cheap.
I really appreciate this video. My wife and I have been on 5 cruises but since 2007 due to family commitments. Now that the kids are grown and gone, we are planning our next cruise for the Fall. We had our choices narrowed down to about 12 different cruises including 2 MSC cruises. Your review, along with the comments from so many of your viewers helped us narrow our choices even further as we will NOT be sailing with MSC! Thank you for potentially saving our vacation!
Are you still planning a cruise? Because I just got out from the MSC seascape and it was great, honestly, I had a very different experience from this guys, I really recommend it to you. Actually, I think that it wasthe best vacation I’ve ever made.
You guys are so gracious and generous! A crew member yelling at you, is not training, it's someone who should find another career path. Unless you're blatantly doing something that would injure you, another guest or a crew member, this should never happen. This doesn't mean things won't get better, but with so many other options out there, this is definitely putting MSC on the "wouldn't even consider" list.
That’s how I feel as well! They don’t have to be trained not to scream, that’s common courtesy, if they don’t have that then they need to stay shore side and stop working with the genera public.
Would never use them. All they have to do is properly train and listen to customer complaints and it would make a world of difference. They're shooting themselves in the foot. I am sorry that sweet guys like you were treated so badly.
You are both so amazing. I can tell how painful it is for you to talk about the negatives but I know I can count on you to be absolutely truthful and that's why you are my favorite cruise channel. Love to you both.
This again proves that strong negative engagement with staff carries much further than positive messaging. I can recall on another cruiseline my brother was yelled at by a server and it occurred 35 years ago. Those engagements never get forgotten and always are eligible for reliving. In this case with Ben and David, 145,000 people have heard of their experience.
Yeah. I'm opting out of MSC because of this video. Costa have the same budget price but no one yelled at me there in a Costa cruise. Everyone is friendly.
I did an MSC cruise last Dezember over Christmas, and yes, very rude crew. Unfortunately, I forgot a small box with 4 pieces of jewelry, contacted my travel agent since it can only be done that way, and after 6 months they say that nothing was left behind in my stateroom. It's amazing since you have a room steward and only that employee takes care of that one room, so yes, my jewelry just disappeared. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I did get a Christmas bonus from MSC, called COVID. Only attempted to use the main dinning once, horrible, I was talking to the waiter and he just turns his back on me, didn't want to serve us, our main dining room was closed, and we always used the speciality dining, nothing special about those restaurants either. Also, it's like you in a bazar, crew always trying to sell you bottles and packages of some sort. I love cruising, but it's like you say, their ships are beautiful but the service and organization is horrible. I'll only sail with them again if there is nothing else available. Thank you for your posting.....
@criof65fly. I couldn’t find 2 rings which I was going to wear on a cruise on Cunard Queen Victoria, I searched high and low for them. I was getting very upset because they were of sentimental value, as well as very valuable. I suddenly , as a last resort, I thought on the off chance I will ring Carnival House and just see if I had left them. To my great delight they were there! The next passengers had found them, and handed them in! We were going on the Victoria again later that week so arranged to collect them. I was so lucky, they only keep them for so long before they are auctioned for charity and they were going the next day! I did write a letter of thanks to the couple, obviously they wouldn’t give out who they were, but promised to forward the letter for me! They had the rings ready for me when I called to collect them. Well done Cunard!
Ben & David, thank you for creating this video! We were fortunate enough to get one of MSCs "bangin' bargains". While our experience with the staff was immensely different, everything else you said was spot on! We had a similar experience on a Caribbean cruise on the Divina. As a first-timer on MSC, it left me with a sour taste of MSC; I don't know if I share your willingness to cruise with them again
THANK YOU! I hope they listen to your feedback and respond. Our MSC Divina cruise was dreadful earlier this month, I seriously thought about eating Pringles from the gift shop for dinner. We posted a video on TikTok about our experience and they keep ignoring us. Our video has over half a million views and it is apparent by the comments we are getting, they just don't care about their passengers. I'd rather sail NCL, Royal & Virgin any day 🛳
Most they don’t care about the CREW! MSC practice SLAVERY with crew members. The lowest salary ever on a Cruise Line, not enough crew members on board to do all the work, which means double-triple amount of work per crew member. And all that is reflected in the quality of food and services. So…. ENJOY YOUR CHEAP CRUISES! 🤷♀️ And wonder yourself if by buying a cheap cruise, you are not encouraging SLAVERY. 🤔🧐
We had a distressing experience with MSC. Family holiday celebrating my dad’s 60th and he was taken ill in the pool and fell unconscious. The “lifeguard” just stood and watched in his full clothing and Cat boots! My partner and I had to jump in and save him. The care (or lack of) following this was appalling and upsetting for us all. My dad ended up being rushed to Civitavecchia hospital and the rest of us had to sail on without him. The staff were just terrible. My one and only cruise and I will never use them again.
Crazy this happened to you guys!Y husband and I have had the best experiences on MSC! Our dining room waiter was so sweet! Bartenders remembered us and gave us free drinks! The food was delicious! We’ve cruised from the US and Europe both the best experiences!
Thanks for being honest guys. We have pondered MSC a few times but have actually been out off by friends who didn’t like it. So your review here just reinforces our decision not to try them ! We love Princess to be honest
We had a very similar experience when we went on a MSC cruise. We had booked a suite with a balcony but when we got to our stateroom there was just a ceiling to floor sliding door but no balcony! We went to guest services and have never experienced such disrespect from a member of the crew. We let this go for the remainder of the cruise but complained when we got home to our travel provider, all we had from MSC was a 15% discount on a future cruise. They are first and foremost a shipping company and that's how they made us feel, just another piece of cargo! We recognise everything you have said, the food, entertainment and the attitude of the crew, just not impressed at all.
Is this for real? So when you opened the door you could fall off the ship or a immediate railing? I would have bounced the charge on my credit card and filed a complaint with my state AG in NY. That's insanity. What ship was this?
Your karma must be delivering. I have sailed 3 times with MSC and had 3 excellent vacations. Just came back from a Mediterranean cruise and already booked for a Caribbean cruise. 3 sides to every story I guess.
I have cruised at least 20 cruises in the Mediterranean. MSC is an absolute nightmare. Check in from Valencia took 5 hours. Even water you have to use your card to pay. Nothing is free and I love to spend money and pay. But order a bottle of water you have to swipe your card. Nothing impresses me so far. Even if you pay me, I won’t cruise with MSC again.
@@jerrymok3780 Do they have juice machines or something in the Breakfast buffet. I called them the other day. They said only water, coffee and tea. How could that be when all the competition offers some basic juices.
We're currently editing a 7-Day Mediterranean MSC Cruise video that we'll be posting to our channel soon, and we couldn't agree more with EVERY point that you made! MSC has been by FAR the worst cruise experience we've ever had. We almost got left in Tarragona, Spain because the app (that we were told to use for keeping up-to-date with the cruise schedule) had the wrong departure time published! Needless to say, we will not be cruising with them again. Thanks for all of the great info and confirming that we aren't the only ones that feel this way about MSC! Lol... Cheers!
Im on the MSC seashore right now and i will never sail with them again. I kept my DND lit up pretty much constantly as i clean up after myself and dont want people messing with my stuff. 3 days in and front desk calls saying they have to have housekeeping in my room as its policy, he said when i go to dinner just turn the DND off so they can clean. Thats what i did but no one cleaned and i turned the DND back on when i got back. The next morning i get woken up by a big security guy knocking saying he has to check the room because ive had the DND on so long. Okay they want to make sure im not destroying the room, fare enough. Well he comes in and immediately opens my luggage looking around inside it, goes through my pile of dirty clothes ect... i assume looking for drugs or something like that and when he finds nothing just leaves without a word. The housekeeper is apologizing this happened but its not her fault. I was so humiliated and upset being treated like a criminal when i did nothing wrong.
My first cruise was on the MSC Splendida in the Mediterranean in 2012 and I had many of the same experiences you outlined in this video. It’s a shame they haven’t improved as a cruise line in the last ten years.
I've done 39 cruises now on various lines and have to say that your review is spot on. Admittedly I've only done 2 on MSC, both newer and absolutely stunning ships (Seaside and Meraviglia) but both those ships would rank dead last with food for sure. Chaotic is the absolute best word to describe the service in the MDR. It seemed like every waiter had too many tables and were spinning around in circles possibly racing against some sort of invisible clock. We had to beg to get things like silverware or another glass of wine. Food was "plopped" on our table as the waiter ran away, almost afraid for us to answer a question (or possibly complain) and we were never checked on. The food was abysmal and am not even close to a foodie. Often dry, bland or cold, I just couldn't believe me eyes. On the Meraviglia, I finally couldn't take it anymore and ate at a specialty restaurant and it was a completely different story as food and service were great. I will say this , the ships themselves are works of art and prices cant be beat (mostly because of numerous reviews like this one). I'd advise, that if you want to sail MSC, first since the price is so low book a specialty dining package as well. Add that together with your fare and you are comparable to the other lines. Other ship service was a bit spotty too but I had some great bartenders (though in every case they were trained by other lines before going to MSC) and my room steward was fantastic. I did get yelled at (it felt like that compared to other lines) by both the loyalty ambassador (go figure with that) and a shop keeper. Both times being really testy with a simple question and basically "it is what you see" and why are you bothering me. Only one other time did that happen on any other line on my other 37 cruises.
I honestly thought I'm the only one that wasn't happy with the food quality on MSC. As everyone seems to have had a blast on the cruise I was on. Everything was so bland to me no matter what I dished or ordered.
Thank you for sharing. I couldn't agreed with you more with my experience with MSC. Our room servant kept entering our room without knocking. After entering, she finds that we were sleeping and stood in front of our bed asking what time we would leave the room because she need to clean our room. The food were the same throughout the 7 days we were there. And all of the announcement were in 7 different languages.
We have cruised MSC twice with a third booked BUT we have only cruised in the Yacht Club. The ship within a ship is spectacular - 5 star drinks, food, service, butler and amenities. The dining with new men everyday with sommelier is what has us rebooking each time. The management, kitchen and service is managed completely separate than the rest of the ship. We travel in the Yacht Club without a need to access the rest of the ship though so for those who love to explore the rest of the ship, this will not work. I would be interested to see how you felt about the Yacht Club in comparison to your recent review of the Haven on the Viva.
I just did two Bahamas/Caribbean cruises with MSC on two different ships and I agree with what you are saying. In addition, I found the embarkation process on the Seashore to be excruciating (almost 4 hours) and I found the quality of drinks (i.e. mixers) to be inferior to what I get in other cruise lines. I am thinking about cancelling another cruise I had with them in February and rescheduling with another cruise line. I just can't think of a reason to go back on MSC.
Ben & David I worked as International Host on the MSC Orchestra back in 2013 and I can tell you that in my 18 years as a crew member MSC was THE WORST experience I had !!! Even worse, i was hired by the company knowing I used a walking cane to walk (I had an accident during dry dock on the Crystal Serenity) and the Hotel Director asked me not to use it because "it doesn't look good" 😫 Of course I didn't finished my contract and resigned with a bitter flavour in my mouth on my last ship as a cruise ship crew. Hugs from Chile guys 😎👍🏻
My husband and I sailed on the MSC Seaside a few years ago. We did notice that the crew wasn't as friendly as Carnival. We also didn't like any of the food in the dining room.
100% spot on. We are on the MSC Seaside right now and not having a great time. It's our first ever cruise and most likely the last. Really badly organised and the main restaurant has dreadful food and service.
Wow, I wonder if their rules are different when sailing in Europe, as I’ve watched quite a few US vloggers post videos of their MSC cruises, including even having interviews with crew and officers, and never had a problem.
Did MSC Virtuosa in June and totally agree with your review. Beautiful ship, clean and rooms well appointed but food, entertainment and Wi-Fi are appalling. Booked another cruise line next year to Caribbean.
I’ve heard so many negative things about MSC from multiple people. I’ve heard even the good things are hit and miss too. It really doesn’t seem worth the gamble to try it. I’m used to and love Princess so I feel I would end up super disappointed. Thanks for the info. I very much appreciate the honesty.
@@nan-sea3814 I’m glad you like it. I haven’t seen anything that really appeals to me besides the physical ship itself in any vlogs I’ve watched. 🤷🏻♀️
@@eileenmcdonald1599 I’ve heard the same things other places. I don’t rely on one source. Do you know them personally? Why would you say that if you don’t know them?
So sorry to hear of such a bad cruise. Agree with people pushing and shoving. But here’s an exception on Splendor of the Seas when trying to get into an elevator my wife uses a mobility scooter we were pushed back 3 times until a Chinese gentle stood in the door and ordered everyone off to allow us on or the elevator was not going to move. As we entered he apologised for the rudeness of his fellow passengers. Always in bad moments there are uplifting things . Keep up the great 👍 vids hopefully we might see u in the flesh some day.🤩🤩
Thank you for this video and glad I found it. We JUST came back from the Disney Wish and that crew was top freaking notch. Cannot sign their praises enough. I’m immediately looking for our next cruise and want to try another company just to see. Just crossed MSC off the list. Thank you gents.
Wow! I've been on some 23 cruises (CCL, NCL, Princess, RCCL etc.) and I bet that if a crew member so much as raised their voice to a passenger, they would be fired on the spot. You guys are very forgiving to the unforgivable. Fair waves and following seas to you.
I would have requested Captain’s Mast against the manager, head waiter and any other crew member yelling at me. I would try to get them fired, No excuse for a crew member yelling at a customer. You are basically paying The Ship’s parent company for their service.
Agree with your review 100%. I’ve sailed on multiple cruise lines and after sailing on MSC Virtuosa in August, I found it was the worst cruise I’ve been on. It was such a shame because the ship itself was beautiful and we were lucky to have lovely weather on a Southampton roundtrip British isles cruise. The cruise was let down by poor service, mediocre food, underwhelming entertainment and Covid protocols that did not deliver what was promised by MSC. The ship was massively overcrowded and the holiday felt like one long queue.
@@thatonetemplar Hopefully you will have an amazing time now that things have calmed down a bit with Covid and it will be quieter as you’re not going in the school holidays. Document and photograph any issues you encounter just in case- I ended up taking MSC to small claims court and got my money back. The ship itself is stunning and there’s so much to do. I went on one of MSC’s first Southampton British isles trips after they resumed sailing following the pandemic. Hopefully, MSC have ironed out all their teething issues and all will be fine for you.
@@thatonetemplar MSC advertised certain things including social distancing in bars & restaurants, limited capacity in the pools and social distancing around the pools, booking system for the kids club, no self-service in the buffet, strict covid protocols etc., it was all on the website. However, on the cruise I was on in August-Sept 2021, I don’t believe MSC delivered what was promised. The ship was so crowded, it was impossible to implement social distancing- so effectively a breach of contract. In addition, after my child caught covid on board, we were put into quarantine in an isolation cabin that had not been cleaned properly since having other covid symptomatic passengers in it. There was still food and rubbish from the previous passengers, dirty cups, balcony, bed. It was really horrible and scary. Again, a breach of contract because the rigorous covid protocols MSC advertised were not evident. I complained multiple times and MSC ignored me so I went through small claims court which was another hassle. This was over 6 months ago now and I don’t want to worry you, hopefully everything will be smooth sailing for you and it’s only a weekend so you can enjoy all the fun things they have on board.
Totally agree with everything you talked about on MSC Virtuoso. I cruised a week ago with them and it was crazy busy, real party ship, hardly any vege food in the main dining room. I also wondered what I had watched in the theatre !! Seemed all the same, as you mentioned! I’m going on P&O Iona in a few weeks, after enjoying the Azura at Xmas. Have you tried P&O?
I am so so so glad you posted this!!! People acted like we were crazy when we said we hated every second of our MSC cruise. We were so upset at every single thing you mentioned that we tried to leave and fly home, twice. We will NEVER EVER EVER go on MSC again even if free. We were on Divinia, bought the highest room and packages they offered in the yacht club. 7 days 2 ports and we paid $8k and were treated so badly that you’d think we were stow always. Everyone should be treated equally weather paying high or lowest, but if you were American, you were treated like the worst people on earth. I was shoved so hard at the buffet that I went flying down the line cutting my arm. 2 security stood right there and did nothing. When I asked for help in a towel or something for my bleeding profusely arm I was told “Go to your cabin!” I’m sorry you had to experience that level of disappointment too, but now that you have and you’re so public, maybe people will actually believe me. We went out of Miami and most of the cruisers were European. It was also the smelliest cruise. Do they bathe? Anyway, we do have a friend that has had good cruises on MSC but she checks to see the amount of Americans onboard first. If there isn’t many, she doesn’t book
Do yu also read Hands Andersons Fairy Tales also?Some of yu will believe anything you are told without checking. Let us have details bu tat rarely happens.
My wife and I went on a MSC cruise and vowed to never give them another penny of our money. This review is spot on. Big ship, but the crew were some of the rudest people we've ever met...and the food was very disappointing.
I guess everyone should cancel their gratuities and only tip people that are nice. Imagine if everyone decide to cancel their gratuities that would pass a strong message.
Just went on my first MSC cruise. It was outstanding. So much more friendlier than Carnival. The carnival staff will push right through you cut in front of you while you’re walking. I never experience any of that on MSC or feeling like I was crowded I highly recommend this cruise line. I have been cruising since 1983.
This is interesting because if they are so surly and disorganized it does make you think what would happen in the event that something went really sideways at sea.
First of all, I’m so sorry to hear you were yelled at multiple times, and even split apart as a couple at dinner. That is inexcusable. As you said, paying for your holiday, means assuming some basic quality of service, food, and even resolution of issues. I won’t tolerate terrible service, or being yelled at. The lack of hand washing, and other sanitation by passengers is awful. I have physical disabilities, as does my mom, whom I travel with often. If they treat regular passengers that poorly, I can’t imagine what a person with disabilities would experience. Thank you for your honesty, and still having great attitudes! Love your channel!
Really appreciated you honest review. I was myself employed 12 years at one of MSC Cruises sales-/marketing-/booking offices in Europe. I've cruised onboard almost all of their vessels until/including Meraviglia in June 2018 (a ship which I personally find waayyy to big). The cruise product got more and more bad, while the ships got (and are getting) bigger. There were (are) so many complaints - all the time. During the last couple of years of my employment I realised that I no longer proudly could represent the company. I therefore voluntarily quit. MSC indeed has very big problems when it comes to the food, the service and the boring and repetitive entertainment. (FYI: Have cruised onboard a number of a cruise vessels from NCL, RCCL, Celebrity and HAL as well....so I'm quite experienced 😊). I would say that the main problem for MSC Cruises is the management within all levels...and then I mean the Italian (!) way of leading & managing employees. I feel sorry for the "regular" employees onboard the MSC ships (very many of them are very unhappy as they are not treated well nor respectfully by the bosses). The captains onboard MSC Cruises are mostly very invisible and silent (which is very uncommon on board ships belonging to all other cruise line shipping companies) - as are even all the other officers in charge. I believe he (they) don't want to get in contact with the passengers...as they are uncomfortable when meeting complaining passengers.
My friend cruised 3 times with MSC (various ships) and she said each time the crew complained so much that it literally made her uncomfortable-she hasn’t cruised with them since and said she never will again.
@@dennisalexanderreilly8624 Won't happen. MSC is a privately owned shipping company from Geneva, Switzerland. Cruise ships are a side business to them.
Never been on MSC before but I'm not hearing good reviews. It's sad that the management isn't involved in solving problems with customers and staff. employees can only do so much if they don't have good management teaching them and leading by example how to provide good customer service. The ships might be more focused on showing off fancy decorations than focusing on customer service. Bad management will destroy a business faster than anything else. Why would employees want to do their jobs if management treats them like shit and expects them to show that same attitude and disrespect toward their customers? I wouldn't want to spend my hard earned money on a vacation that will give me shitty service. I do feel bad for employees subjected to this type of work environment. I would quit and move on.
I'm happy to say on recent MSC cruise 3/22, ships officers were all highly visible & interacted w passengers. The Captains announcement daily always ended w a little humor..the only real downside was the main DR'S food quality..& website/IT booking Not easy, Lotta glitches..
THE most accurate review of MSC. Used the once and found the same. Will never use MSC again. Rudest staff at sea. They prove the point that you get what you pay for. Now only use RC and Celebrity. Thanks for the uploads. Great content gents
My first cruise was on the MSC Virtuosa. It was a beautiful ship BUT the Customer Services was not good. The buffet was appalling. I got bad food poisoning and wasn't able to see the Doctor. I was directed to the shop to buy tablets. We paid extra for the shows and it was well worth it. Leaving the ship at Southampton was a nightmare, no warning was given that there was going to be a delay and we had to queue up for hours there were no announcements or apology given. Months later there was a good deal on the MSC Seaside going to the Caribbean. It has to be the worst Customer Services ever. Dirty room horrendous food. I would never travel with MSC again.
Just got off Meraviglia and it was the WORST CRUISE ever!!! All they do is upsell.....if you don't buy their drink package GOOD LUCK getting water. We had about 4k people on our boat, and after 9:30 at night there was ONE place to get water. I mean ONE FOUNTAIN if you didn't pay for the drink package. It was outrageous. The food was lackluster AT BEST and though the ship was beautiful the M.O. for the company is not something ANYONE should want. Limited shows left us super bored, bad AC left us hot at night in the Caribbean. Everything you wanted, you had to pay extra. Fool us once, but never again!!! They also treat their staff like slaves - it was honestly awful. MUST-SPEND-CASH CRUISES, NEVER AGAIN!
Hi Guys, I just wanted to say thank you two for your honesty. My wife and I have been on a few cruises, but not that many. We are seniors, and we do enjoy good food, the entertainment and above all good customer service. We are on a limited income and we think that everyone should get those three things on their cruise. We were thinking of trying MSC, but not any more. Again thank you for your informative vlog. We are subscribers to your channel and watch you two all of the time. Keep Cruising!!!
Please don't discount MSC, I have sailed 21 days with the line (both pre and post pandemic) and have another booked for May 2023. My wife and I have numerous sailings with other carriers under our belts and have never had anything but a great time on this line, and the price-point is excellent. In fact: the brand-new Seascape is due out this winter and we booked a 7-day Caribbean sailing with a a balcony and also received a $200 onboard credit for less than $600pp! Not only, but they point-matched us to our Platinum status and we are receiving even more perks as senior Voyager Club members...with only 21 MSC days to our credit!
Great review. Spot on. We sailed in the yacht club. The food was awful everywhere except The Butcher's Cut. The only way we would sail MSC again would be in the yacht club.
Thank you for this video. I am loyal to MSC because of their itinerary & prices. My first MSC cruise was to Cuba. This hooked me. Recently did MSC Yacht Club. Amazing service! Going on the MSC Seashore in May 2022. I do have to agree on the food. Carnival & Royal are better, but like you said in your video "The food is ok if you are not picky". I'm hopeful that MSC will improve in the area you described because I would hate to think that my best MSC cruise was the MSC Armonia December 2018 🙂. Thanks again guys!
I went on an Al and Chuck RuPaul Drag Race Crusie about 5 years ago, when MSC first started sailing out of Miami. The cruise was okay, the food was good, but the service was totally horrific. Their staff had no idea!
Is it true that if you have the easy plus drink package, that when you order a drink that exceeds the limit, you’re charged for the full drink and it not prorated (for example, for a $9 limit you buy a $12 drink, you’re charged $12 not $3 (plus gratuity)?
Exactly my experience with MSC! A crew member swore in front of my kids and I made a formal complaint. Ended up in the Hotel Directors office and had a meeting with him, he basically said he was embarrassed to work for MSC and they will never reach the same standards as RCI etc. Will never be back!
My very first cruise was on MSC Armonia January 2019. One of their older, smaller ships and boy is this review spot on. I’m so glad my experience didn’t completely turn me off from cruising.
You repeated EVERYTHING my wife said 5 years ago when she went to Canada on MSC. Still a bad experience even AFTER COVID??? Afraid they will never change!
Hi guys, now I'm panicking, we're a family of 4 who have NEVER cruised before and are about to book onto MSC Vertuosa in July 2022 for a Canary Island cruise. Now having listened I'm seriously considering whether or not this is a good idea. I had to be convinced to cruise in the 1st place place but this seriously worries me . I fully appreciate that some people's experiences are not others, but it's seriously putting me off. So, have they improved any or still the same? because if not it might have to be something else.
I think you better go on another cruise with MSC Virtuosa, we have just come back from a cruise with them and all the staff were fantastic especially in the dining room. we had stakes most nights and on several occasions we had two servings, and asked had we had enough? we could have made ourselves sick. Even the children had whatever they wanted, even if it want on the menu. One evening i asked for a cider and the head waiter even went up to deck 7 to get me two bottles. We would defiantly use them again, The only thing that made us mad was the wastage of food. plates piled high with cakes, buns, bread, pizzas piled high and just left on the tables, even at midnight food was still available. and unfortunately some children were just abusing the service. this was our first cruise, and I don't think royalty could have had a better service.
I’m sorry you had to experience that treatment on a cruise. Yelling at you in the middle of a busy Buffett (or anywhere really) is extremely unprofessional. I’ve never had a desire to cruise msc, but I definitely don’t now. I hope someone from msc sees this and does something to make changes to their service.
And yet I had a completely different experience with MSC then these 2. Please don't listen to this and try them yourself. So unfair to listen to 2 people when there are thousands that will tell you they loved MSC.
@@jeannenelson2392 thank you for saying that when people complain and put it out there it make the cruise look so bad and people listen iam leader and not a follow I have to see for myself poor cruise line a lot of people do this and people listen
Thank you guys for your honesty, very refreshing and endearing to your TH-cam channel. I never fancied MSC anyway and very pleased to have had my concerns verified.
Wow! MSC.. I've read a lot of bad reviews about this crusieline too and hearing it from you guys, omg! It just made it official and legit that this is not worth a trip to experience and thanks for informing us. Would never ever try that cruise line for sure. Love u both! Happy Holidays!
I'm so sorry you had these experiences... I just returned home from my very first cruise (Norwegian Bliss) and I was blown away by how amazing and helpful our crew was.. I imagine that if any of the crew had screamed at guests like the MSC ones, they'd be immediately booted by NCL...
Two things: one, I believe MSC is actually a shipping line with mainly container ships, and this might have an influence on their training. The cruise line might be a subsidiary. Usually cargo doesn’t complain. Second, the apparently haphazard service makes me question their behavior in an emergency. My uncle sailed on them once and HATED it. His complaints were comparable with what you just expressed. Hope they get it together soon.
They did indeed start as a shipping company, but the moment they branched I to the cruise industry then they should have realized that they aren’t handling cargo any longer. There’s no excuse for rude behavior, and lack of training. I too question how they would handle emergencies. They aren’t even on my considered cruise line list.
This ^^. I can just about cope with the food and crappy entertainment if the itinerary was worth it, but I am actually scared to travel on MSC. We waited nearly 2 hours for the muster drill to start on Fantasia while the staff ran around like headless chickens. I would not want to be on there in an actual emergency
Very glad to know to never sail with MSC. I’ve seen the Shiplife channel talk about issues with them but his videos are made to be sensational rather than just telling it as it is like you guys do. Knowing that you’ve also had a ton of trouble with MSC makes it very clear to me that the line is terrible. Thanks for this video!
I’ve just booked my 4 th cruise with MSC ( USA) they were great. Crew were amazing, polite and couldn’t do enough for you. I’ve just completed my 71 st cruise. So I’ve cruised many cruise lines
@@patmitchell9428 You are the exception, maybe you have had better experiences than most of us? Our Dubai cruise the staff and crew were excellent. But the constant hawking of dinner packages, and random charges on our cruise account, finished us for MSC. Life is too short to put up the MSC BS!
I totally agree with you guys. We cruised on the MSC Divina a couple of years ago out of Miami. It was a very dirty ship. The best thing about that cruise was the aft balcony cabin. The food not good at all. The pizza was the best of it. We had a cruise booked on the MSC Meraveglia out of NYC in October 2020, which of course, was cancelled due to covid. So we rebooked for this October out of Miami and that cruise was cancelled as well but only for Canadians. I found out about the cancellation only because I called to ask a couple of questions. So, MSC has had my money since I made my deposit in the summer of 2020. I asked for a refund but they told me I will not be getting until the end of Decmber 2021. This is not good enough. They cancelled my cruise, they should have refunded my money right away. Is anyone else experiencing the same issues? I will never cruise with MSC again.
I can’t believe they haven’t given you your money back yet. We had a cruise for 2020 with RC (have cruised them before and love them) they offered us our money back or another cruise at 110%. We have had to reschedule a couple of times but that’s thanks to Covid. We are set for Symphony of the Sea February 2022 but now that blasted virus is back mutating again and I hope it doesn’t stop this cruise too. I would check around and see if there is some group that oversees cruises that could help you get your money that is just ridiculous! Good luck. Try a Royal Caribbean if you haven’t already, we really enjoy them. We prefer the bigger ships but that is because I like to do all the activities, like zip lines and stuff, my husband sits and takes pictures while I zip by.
@@danasandoval624 thank you so much for your reply. I would love to find out if there is a group or anyone that can help. We cruised with Norwegian, Carnival and MSC, of course, would love to try RC. I've heard many positive things about the them. Thanks again. Have a great day.
@@colleens7641 we have cruised with Carnival and RC. We prefer RC, Carnival is more a drinking party cruise line. Don’t get me wrong I love a good Pina Colada but getting wasted every day isn’t our idea of a great cruise. The ships we have been on all seem to make a large bar the center of the promenade on Carnival ships with lots more bars throughout the ship. RC has beautiful ships the oasis class which we love have a area called Central Park that has lots of plants with some restaurants and bars mixed in, then on the back section of the ship is the boardwalk which has a carousel, restaurants and bars and the aqua theater which puts on fantastic shows. We get a balcony cabin overlooking the boardwalk so we can sit on the balcony and watch the shows as often as we want. RC has lots of bars too but many other things that they highlight. The shows they put on are broadway style productions. Their adult only Solarium, also one that allows children is also very pretty. Even when the ships are at capacity they don’t feel crowded, the only time we waited was usually the first night which is normal because everyone is getting adjusted to the rhythm of cruising. Sorry I wrote a book, we just enjoy RC so much (have a cruise this spring on Symphony of the Sea) and if you get the opportunity to cruise on RC do so I don’t think you would be disappointed at all. We also have always had very helpful people anytime we call and the cruise staff are always great. No matter what line you choose have a wonderful time on your next cruise.
Thanks for a upfront and honest review. I have sailed with other cruise lines and never experienced anything like you described. We were thinking of doing a MSC this a summer but you have helped with our decision. We work to hard and have very little time off to even take the chance…. Thanks
Our experience was that the food at dinner was poor. Breakfasts were cheap and nasty. I mean virtually inedible. Admin was appalling. The far east staff untrained. Horrible queues. Not a good relaxing holiday feeling at all. Our first and last cruise.
Just got home from my first MSC cruise and I am disgusted!!! Everything went wrong, 5 hours in line to get on board. Charged from stores on our account that we never purchased!! Fighting charges, hour wait for literally everything!!! Absolutely unorganized and unapologetic!!
Never had the desire to cruise on MSC, and you've convinced me to continue that! Great video, thank you for the info - even if it's hard to talk about the bad stuff.
THIS. All I ever see are "omg how awesome was Cruise Line X?!?" and it just sounds like reviewers trying to discounts or free sailings in exchange for positive content. These guys renewed my faith in online reviews. :)
They were literally CENSORED on a recent MSC Europa cruise, yet they gave it a 5-star review, concerning the food, the accommodations, etc. The Ship's management blew it big time!@_rosamunde
I know this video is a couple of years old now, but thanks for sharing this. There are simply far too many cruise lines to choose from to have to put up with bad and/or abusive service and behavior. That buffet manager needs to receive anger management and customer service training or lose his job. That simply is not acceptable. People do not need to settle for that kind of treatment when they can spend their money with a cruise line that excels in making their guests feel welcomed. Personally, I have absolutely no interest in cruising with MSC....especially if that's how they treat their clientele. No way.
Thank you for the honest review. Vacation time is very precious time and we don't want to waste it on a mediocre cruise line when we can pay a bit more and get value.
Thank you for this honest review. When I first started cruising solo, MSC was actively refusing to price or book solos. I wrote them off then and never looked back. Not to over-generalize, but my worst cruise was an NCL cruise from Florida that was fire-sale priced at the last minute. Trashy people bottom feed the lowest prices. Many passengers were rude and horrible and the crew couldn’t handle them.
Wow, I had a terrible experience and didn't even make it on the ship with MSC, long and crazy stor by, ut hearing they treated you guys so badly and hearing other customer service stories from others definitely helps me decide to go with the multiple other options for cruising. Low pricing isn't worth a ruined cruise. Too many other choices out there
We took our first and last MSC cruise. At dinner one night I told the waiter that this is not the dinner that I ordered and he said to me well that’s what you are going to eat and walked away. I was so shocked just started to laugh. You get what you pay for.
I went on an MSC cruise years ago and I remember the dining room manager went out of his way to make sure every guest was happy and every crew member was working hard.
Thank you for another great and honest video guys. I was horrified to hear about your experience aboard the Virtuoso, absolutely shocking. I agree with every comment you made as I had cruised twice with MSC and quite frankly, I very much doubt there’ll be a third. My son is about to board this ship next weekend…I feel sorry for him already!
Was on there in August, lovely ship and really looked forward to it. It was a big let down, worse cruise I have been on. Purely down to MSC not the staff, the management was the worst. They have no idea or no desire to help you have a good experience, once they have your money you are on your own.
Absolutely agree with you, Guys. I have sailed with MSC twice, the second was 'because they can't all be like that' so we gave it another try. DUMB! The most beautiful ships have the worst crew in the world, and the food was even worse! Almost inedible and I actually lost weight. We have friends that booked a back to back on MSC and were so unhappy that they disembarked after the first week although they had paid for the two weeks back to back. The hospitality staff didn't ask what was wrong, or what they could do to help them or to make it right. Nobody cared enough to. So they got off with everyone after the first week and didn't go back on. Now it had to be REALLY bad for that. MSC never called or wrote to them afterwards. Never again, too many really great ships to choose from! Keep up the good work Guys and tell it like it is. Thanks
@@אריהטל-ת2ז everyone else commenting had the same experience, myself included. It was horrible. People work hard all year to pay for a nice holiday, not to be treated poorly. Would never go MSC again.
@@אריהטל-ת2ז great 👍. Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Next time treat yourself to Princess Cruises or Royal Caribbean.... You'll be amazed in comparison.
Hi guys, I am so grateful for your honest review as I was contemplating going on a cruise with MSC but wanted to first check out other people’s experiences. Your review has helped me alot to make my final choice. I value all the things you commented on too so will now take a further look at other cruise lines before making my choice! Thanks!
I am pausing this video at 5:48 to say I AM FURIOUS to hear that an employee made Ben cry. That sucks, and I am sending a belated cyber hug from across the Atlantic. What a chump. ❤to you Ben and David.
I looked for this video last night after watching the new “censored” video. Finally found it today. You guys should pin this video with the new video. People will see even after being mistreated horribly I might add, your review in the new video sounded great. Very positive. MSC REALLY REALLY messed up by the way they treated you. So sorry you had to go through all that nonsense. Love you guys.🥰
Same. Agree.
I also watched this video after seeing their latest one, and MSC missed a great opportunity to improve their PR. Ben and David's most recent cruise had started off on a positive note, and a member of management should have sat down with them and worked out any concerns about filming the cruise, like where and when to use their more obvious camera equipment. A bit of civil conversation, a handshake, and problems could have been solved.
We went on MSC Seaside Sept 2023. So many things were bad. Food was bland. The staff not outgoing at all. The soda dispensers weren't working, you could only get soda from the restaurant bar. One pool didn't have towels, they made you go to another deck to another pool and get towels. I asked for assistance at front desk, asked the staff about a charge, she printed out my bill, said nothing. I reviewed it, said thank you and she was silent and gave me a "thumbs up", instead of speaking to me. Very odd. And I've worked in hotels, at Universal Studios and Disney in Orlando.
oi vey
how do people get these jobs ?
I'm so angry that some staff member on that MSC cruise was so awful towards you that it caused Ben to get upset to the point that he broke down in tears.
Thank you both for being so helpful with your cruise reviews. You both seem to be so genuine & have such fun personalities.
😅
@@Skyblueradio?? I don't understand the laughing until you cry with laughter response
I mean saying someone who cried "broke down in tears" is a bit extra.
“Let’s be balanced “. 15 min of negative and 4 positive. That tells me all I need to know ! Thank you for your honesty and not just tickling our ears to make a cruise line happy!
My wife and I went on the Divina in Feb 2015 for our 40th Anniversary. We thoroughly agree with all of your comments! Found the ship was absolutely stunning, but trying to get around the ship was very, very confusing. It seemed to be chopped up into confusing areas. Other than costume changes, the main entertainment in the theatre had the same cast, with costume changes only. All Opera!! Then in 2018, we booked the Seaside, hoping to see improvements. It did not happen. Like you said, real bargain prices, but unfortunately did not feel it was worth it. We have stricken MSC off of our list!
If the service isn’t consistent, there’s no point in risking a cruise with them when you spend the money.
I agree. No matter how cheap the cruise is it's not worth it to support a company with bad core values.
@@chriztee2020I agree, you should pay double.
I agree with you! My sister and I had cruised with MSC a few years ago and the customer service was one of the worst I've seen on a cruise ship. We've been detained during disembarkment, accused of stealing the life jackets from the rooms even though very obviously life jackets couldn't have fit on our very small suitcases! They had us open to inspect our suitcases, meanwhile every one else had left the ship but us! I was so angry and they never apologized!
Oh Ben, my heart aches for you. To be brought to tears is just inexcusable. And not being seated with your partner is unacceptable. It's no secret you are traveling together.
If this line had a problem with their sexual preferences it should be in the brochure. Period.
What?????? OMG!!!!
Not gonna lie sounds like a homophobic incident speaking as a trans person who is very forgiving . Why would you do that?!?
honestly, I think the crews on the usa based ships are trained differently. I know when I was on the Seashore in December, I had many conversations with all sorts of the crew and it was a common statement that they had to in a way "bid" to get the location/ship and that there was extra training involved. to what extent I do not know. but that was what I gathered.
I'm very gay and felt no homophobia in my experience with MSC. Again, leaving from USA ports.
THANK YOU!!! We have been cruising since 1992, and we tried MSC this past September on the Seashore. The ship was fabulous and the beds are among the most comfortable out there. That's pretty much where the good ends. Boarding was a nightmare, no welcome when walking on board (I mean nothing!) You have to wait until you get on board to add your cc to your seapass card, the lines are insane. You have a question? Good luck, no one will have an answer. Connecting to wifi is a nightmare, then have to do it all again when on the private island. Want a drink? Good luck because you have to order from waitstaff and not the bartender. I literally had a bartender out right ignore my existence and told a waitstaff to take my order to get me away from his bar. 😳 Dinner, omg! What a crowded chaotic nightmare. They had the tables jam packed together and the put my husband and I at a table surrounded by tables with children and babies. On top of that, they tried to set a single cruiser at our table (awkward ) and got mad when we said no (BTW, she didn't want to either). The food was horrible, cold and yuck. I could go on and on but yeah, not a good experience at all. .
"...no welcome when walking on board" is this so important?
@@ExoticDoll yes, I mean there was no one saying welcome aboard. How would you like to walk into a hotel and not be greeted when you walked up to the check in. No crew made eye contact with anyone when everyone boarded. It was very unwelcoming. So, yes, it's very important.
We sailed on MSC Meraviglia back in October 2019 and I must say that your review is SPOT ON!!! Everything you mention is what we experienced, and to add to that, they would run out of coffee cups in the buffet every morning! Everyone would stand around waiting for cups and then a crew member would come out with just 2 or 3 trays of cups and it would turn into a melee with the passengers fighting over them. I was surprised to hear you mention that you’d sail with them again. We decided never to sail with MSC ever again. We prefer to take our hard earned money and sail with cruise lines who are better organized and don’t abuse their customers. Oh, and to be fair… we’ve been on about 20 cruises so we know the difference.
Which ones you liked the most in those 20 years? Thanks.
@pitchsd I've only been on 2 cruises, Carnival and MSC but I've worked in hotels and theme parks in Orlando Florida for 20 years. MSC customer service is severely lacking. I'm not cruising with them anytime soon.
Sooo, How do you really feel? LOL Great review. Some people save up for years for a cruise, to be treated like dirt and yelled at is not cool. Thank-you for telling it like it is.. Very good job guys.
Just knowing I could be on a ship that allows crew to yell at passengers turns me right off. I'll never sail with MSC.
Why do hearing people need to be yelled at? They can do the separating of human voices from background noise, I have been told. I'd have to be yelled at because I can't. Working my way through the video but I assume they're just angry and overworked and need a nicer job. Get paid to put a diamond puzzle together or something.
Na bro mcs is really good
Just knowing i could be on a ship being filmed by complete strangers turns me right of .Well done the crew
Have never had a problem with MSC.
I have observed more than a few passengers on cruises that deserve to be yelled at.
Will never go on this ship or cruise line. I work hard for my money and don’t need unhappy crew shouting at me! Ben & David you two are the nicest, respectful gentleman I have seen on You Tube. Thank you for keeping us informed ❤️
Totally agree 👍👍
You are missing out on an incredible vacation. I just returned to from a 7 day cruise on Carnivals brand new ship Mardi Gras and the crew was absolutely amazing, friendly and so helpful. The ship was beautiful and the food was amazing.
Tell crew it's their nap time. Go find their teddy before they fall asleep on their feet.
Why generalize the whole cruise line?
You should make your own opinion. I have been on 3 MSC cruises and loved it
A friend of mine went on MSC out of Miami. She said it was the worst cruise she has ever been on. The rudeness, the lack of food and drink, as well as the quality, were all things she noted as horrible. Everything closes early and there’s little to do on the ship. She will never sail with them again. I will never sail with them. There’s a reason why they are often cheap.
I really appreciate this video. My wife and I have been on 5 cruises but since 2007 due to family commitments. Now that the kids are grown and gone, we are planning our next cruise for the Fall. We had our choices narrowed down to about 12 different cruises including 2 MSC cruises. Your review, along with the comments from so many of your viewers helped us narrow our choices even further as we will NOT be sailing with MSC! Thank you for potentially saving our vacation!
Are you still planning a cruise? Because I just got out from the MSC seascape and it was great, honestly, I had a very different experience from this guys, I really recommend it to you. Actually, I think that it wasthe best vacation I’ve ever made.
You guys are so gracious and generous! A crew member yelling at you, is not training, it's someone who should find another career path. Unless you're blatantly doing something that would injure you, another guest or a crew member, this should never happen. This doesn't mean things won't get better, but with so many other options out there, this is definitely putting MSC on the "wouldn't even consider" list.
That’s how I feel as well! They don’t have to be trained not to scream, that’s common courtesy, if they don’t have that then they need to stay shore side and stop working with the genera public.
Love your truthful reviews…🙌
I will NEVER go on this companies ships.
Would never use them. All they have to do is properly train and listen to customer complaints and it would make a world of difference. They're shooting themselves in the foot. I am sorry that sweet guys like you were treated so badly.
@@PsychGirlRaven How do you know that you have been told is actually true? You do not.
You are both so amazing. I can tell how painful it is for you to talk about the negatives but I know I can count on you to be absolutely truthful and that's why you are my favorite cruise channel. Love to you both.
This again proves that strong negative engagement with staff carries much further than positive messaging. I can recall on another cruiseline my brother was yelled at by a server and it occurred 35 years ago. Those engagements never get forgotten and always are eligible for reliving. In this case with Ben and David, 145,000 people have heard of their experience.
Yeah. I'm opting out of MSC because of this video.
Costa have the same budget price but no one yelled at me there in a Costa cruise. Everyone is friendly.
We just came back from an MSC cruise, never again. Everything you have said is true . Thanks guys :)
I did an MSC cruise last Dezember over Christmas, and yes, very rude crew. Unfortunately, I forgot a small box with 4 pieces of jewelry, contacted my travel agent since it can only be done that way, and after 6 months they say that nothing was left behind in my stateroom. It's amazing since you have a room steward and only that employee takes care of that one room, so yes, my jewelry just disappeared. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I did get a Christmas bonus from MSC, called COVID.
Only attempted to use the main dinning once, horrible, I was talking to the waiter and he just turns his back on me, didn't want to serve us, our main dining room was closed, and we always used the speciality dining, nothing special about those restaurants either.
Also, it's like you in a bazar, crew always trying to sell you bottles and packages of some sort.
I love cruising, but it's like you say, their ships are beautiful but the service and organization is horrible.
I'll only sail with them again if there is nothing else available.
Thank you for your posting.....
@criof65fly. I couldn’t find 2 rings which I was going to wear on a cruise on Cunard Queen Victoria, I searched high and low for them. I was getting very upset because they were of sentimental value, as well as very valuable. I suddenly , as a last resort, I thought on the off chance I will ring Carnival House and just see if I had left them. To my great delight they were there! The next passengers had found them, and handed them in! We were going on the Victoria again later that week so arranged to collect them. I was so lucky, they only keep them for so long before they are auctioned for charity and they were going the next day! I did write a letter of thanks to the couple, obviously they wouldn’t give out who they were, but promised to forward the letter for me! They had the rings ready for me when I called to collect them. Well done Cunard!
I have never sailed MSC. I've heard more negative reviews than positive. Now, I have decided I will not waste my money on MSC.
Ben & David, thank you for creating this video! We were fortunate enough to get one of MSCs "bangin' bargains". While our experience with the staff was immensely different, everything else you said was spot on! We had a similar experience on a Caribbean cruise on the Divina. As a first-timer on MSC, it left me with a sour taste of MSC; I don't know if I share your willingness to cruise with them again
THANK YOU! I hope they listen to your feedback and respond. Our MSC Divina cruise was dreadful earlier this month, I seriously thought about eating Pringles from the gift shop for dinner. We posted a video on TikTok about our experience and they keep ignoring us. Our video has over half a million views and it is apparent by the comments we are getting, they just don't care about their passengers. I'd rather sail NCL, Royal & Virgin any day 🛳
Most they don’t care about the CREW!
MSC practice SLAVERY with crew members.
The lowest salary ever on a Cruise Line, not enough crew members on board to do all the work, which means double-triple amount of work per crew member.
And all that is reflected in the quality of food and services.
So…. ENJOY YOUR CHEAP CRUISES! 🤷♀️
And wonder yourself if by buying a cheap cruise, you are not encouraging SLAVERY. 🤔🧐
We had a distressing experience with MSC. Family holiday celebrating my dad’s 60th and he was taken ill in the pool and fell unconscious. The “lifeguard” just stood and watched in his full clothing and Cat boots! My partner and I had to jump in and save him. The care (or lack of) following this was appalling and upsetting for us all. My dad ended up being rushed to Civitavecchia hospital and the rest of us had to sail on without him. The staff were just terrible. My one and only cruise and I will never use them again.
Hope you're dad is well.
Sorry to hear about your dad ,did they sneak him off the boat that not one of you cold go with him .
So, your father was taken to the hospital and you continued cruising?
And it’s MSCs fault your had a medical emergency? Maybe if his health wasn’t as well, he shouldn’t have gone
@@SkyblueradioJust curious, what exactly do you think lifeguards are there for?
Crazy this happened to you guys!Y husband and I have had the best experiences on MSC! Our dining room waiter was so sweet! Bartenders remembered us and gave us free drinks! The food was delicious! We’ve cruised from the US and Europe both the best experiences!
I agree with you, love my 7 cruises with MSC.
Us too! MSC Seascape was amazing. We had nothing like what they’re talking about…interesting vid.
Thanks for the blog. I am no longer interested in sailing on MSC. I did want to try it once in the yacht club, but forget now.
So a couple of malcontents can make you choose a different cruise line? Ok
Thanks for being honest guys. We have pondered MSC a few times but have actually been out off by friends who didn’t like it. So your review here just reinforces our decision not to try them ! We love Princess to be honest
We had a very similar experience when we went on a MSC cruise. We had booked a suite with a balcony but when we got to our stateroom there was just a ceiling to floor sliding door but no balcony! We went to guest services and have never experienced such disrespect from a member of the crew. We let this go for the remainder of the cruise but complained when we got home to our travel provider, all we had from MSC was a 15% discount on a future cruise.
They are first and foremost a shipping company and that's how they made us feel, just another piece of cargo!
We recognise everything you have said, the food, entertainment and the attitude of the crew, just not impressed at all.
Is this for real? So when you opened the door you could fall off the ship or a immediate railing? I would have bounced the charge on my credit card and filed a complaint with my state AG in NY. That's insanity. What ship was this?
There’s more to the story I’m sure
Your karma must be delivering. I have sailed 3 times with MSC and had 3 excellent vacations. Just came back from a Mediterranean cruise and already booked for a Caribbean cruise. 3 sides to every story I guess.
I have cruised at least 20 cruises in the Mediterranean. MSC is an absolute nightmare. Check in from Valencia took 5 hours. Even water you have to use your card to pay. Nothing is free and I love to spend money and pay. But order a bottle of water you have to swipe your card. Nothing impresses me so far. Even if you pay me, I won’t cruise with MSC again.
@@jerrymok3780 Do they have juice machines or something in the Breakfast buffet. I called them the other day. They said only water, coffee and tea. How could that be when all the competition offers some basic juices.
We're currently editing a 7-Day Mediterranean MSC Cruise video that we'll be posting to our channel soon, and we couldn't agree more with EVERY point that you made! MSC has been by FAR the worst cruise experience we've ever had. We almost got left in Tarragona, Spain because the app (that we were told to use for keeping up-to-date with the cruise schedule) had the wrong departure time published! Needless to say, we will not be cruising with them again. Thanks for all of the great info and confirming that we aren't the only ones that feel this way about MSC! Lol... Cheers!
Im on the MSC seashore right now and i will never sail with them again. I kept my DND lit up pretty much constantly as i clean up after myself and dont want people messing with my stuff. 3 days in and front desk calls saying they have to have housekeeping in my room as its policy, he said when i go to dinner just turn the DND off so they can clean. Thats what i did but no one cleaned and i turned the DND back on when i got back. The next morning i get woken up by a big security guy knocking saying he has to check the room because ive had the DND on so long. Okay they want to make sure im not destroying the room, fare enough. Well he comes in and immediately opens my luggage looking around inside it, goes through my pile of dirty clothes ect... i assume looking for drugs or something like that and when he finds nothing just leaves without a word. The housekeeper is apologizing this happened but its not her fault. I was so humiliated and upset being treated like a criminal when i did nothing wrong.
My first cruise was on the MSC Splendida in the Mediterranean in 2012 and I had many of the same experiences you outlined in this video. It’s a shame they haven’t improved as a cruise line in the last ten years.
i went on cruises in 2011, 2015 and 2018 and they were all absolutely amazing… idk what you guys are going through😭
I've done 39 cruises now on various lines and have to say that your review is spot on. Admittedly I've only done 2 on MSC, both newer and absolutely stunning ships (Seaside and Meraviglia) but both those ships would rank dead last with food for sure. Chaotic is the absolute best word to describe the service in the MDR. It seemed like every waiter had too many tables and were spinning around in circles possibly racing against some sort of invisible clock. We had to beg to get things like silverware or another glass of wine. Food was "plopped" on our table as the waiter ran away, almost afraid for us to answer a question (or possibly complain) and we were never checked on. The food was abysmal and am not even close to a foodie. Often dry, bland or cold, I just couldn't believe me eyes. On the Meraviglia, I finally couldn't take it anymore and ate at a specialty restaurant and it was a completely different story as food and service were great. I will say this , the ships themselves are works of art and prices cant be beat (mostly because of numerous reviews like this one). I'd advise, that if you want to sail MSC, first since the price is so low book a specialty dining package as well. Add that together with your fare and you are comparable to the other lines. Other ship service was a bit spotty too but I had some great bartenders (though in every case they were trained by other lines before going to MSC) and my room steward was fantastic. I did get yelled at (it felt like that compared to other lines) by both the loyalty ambassador (go figure with that) and a shop keeper. Both times being really testy with a simple question and basically "it is what you see" and why are you bothering me. Only one other time did that happen on any other line on my other 37 cruises.
I honestly thought I'm the only one that wasn't happy with the food quality on MSC. As everyone seems to have had a blast on the cruise I was on. Everything was so bland to me no matter what I dished or ordered.
Thanks for the warning
Thank you for sharing. I couldn't agreed with you more with my experience with MSC. Our room servant kept entering our room without knocking. After entering, she finds that we were sleeping and stood in front of our bed asking what time we would leave the room because she need to clean our room. The food were the same throughout the 7 days we were there. And all of the announcement were in 7 different languages.
great review... been wondering about MSC, so appreciate your honest feedback
We have cruised MSC twice with a third booked BUT we have only cruised in the Yacht Club. The ship within a ship is spectacular - 5 star drinks, food, service, butler and amenities. The dining with new men everyday with sommelier is what has us rebooking each time. The management, kitchen and service is managed completely separate than the rest of the ship. We travel in the Yacht Club without a need to access the rest of the ship though so for those who love to explore the rest of the ship, this will not work. I would be interested to see how you felt about the Yacht Club in comparison to your recent review of the Haven on the Viva.
I just did two Bahamas/Caribbean cruises with MSC on two different ships and I agree with what you are saying. In addition, I found the embarkation process on the Seashore to be excruciating (almost 4 hours) and I found the quality of drinks (i.e. mixers) to be inferior to what I get in other cruise lines. I am thinking about cancelling another cruise I had with them in February and rescheduling with another cruise line. I just can't think of a reason to go back on MSC.
I’m so sorry to hear you were treated so poorly. Thank you for your always honest reviews.
Ben & David I worked as International Host on the MSC Orchestra back in 2013 and I can tell you that in my 18 years as a crew member MSC was THE WORST experience I had !!!
Even worse, i was hired by the company knowing I used a walking cane to walk (I had an accident during dry dock on the Crystal Serenity) and the Hotel Director asked me not to use it because "it doesn't look good" 😫
Of course I didn't finished my contract and resigned with a bitter flavour in my mouth on my last ship as a cruise ship crew. Hugs from Chile guys 😎👍🏻
Oh that’s terrible. I’m so sorry you were treated that way.
My husband and I sailed on the MSC Seaside a few years ago. We did notice that the crew wasn't as friendly as Carnival. We also didn't like any of the food in the dining room.
100% spot on. We are on the MSC Seaside right now and not having a great time. It's our first ever cruise and most likely the last. Really badly organised and the main restaurant has dreadful food and service.
Wow, I wonder if their rules are different when sailing in Europe, as I’ve watched quite a few US vloggers post videos of their MSC cruises, including even having interviews with crew and officers, and never had a problem.
@@eileenmcdonald1599 and what exactly do you think YOU’RE doing bad mouthing them on every comment?! Look in the mirror honey.
Did MSC Virtuosa in June and totally agree with your review. Beautiful ship, clean and rooms well appointed but food, entertainment and Wi-Fi are appalling. Booked another cruise line next year to Caribbean.
I’ve heard so many negative things about MSC from multiple people. I’ve heard even the good things are hit and miss too. It really doesn’t seem worth the gamble to try it. I’m used to and love Princess so I feel I would end up super disappointed. Thanks for the info. I very much appreciate the honesty.
i love msc- so there ya go.....
@@nan-sea3814 I’m glad you like it. I haven’t seen anything that really appeals to me besides the physical ship itself in any vlogs I’ve watched. 🤷🏻♀️
@@eileenmcdonald1599 I’ve heard the same things other places. I don’t rely on one source. Do you know them personally? Why would you say that if you don’t know them?
So sorry to hear of such a bad cruise. Agree with people pushing and shoving. But here’s an exception on Splendor of the Seas when trying to get into an elevator my wife uses a mobility scooter we were pushed back 3 times until a Chinese gentle stood in the door and ordered everyone off to allow us on or the elevator was not going to move. As we entered he apologised for the rudeness of his fellow passengers. Always in bad moments there are uplifting things . Keep up the great 👍 vids hopefully we might see u in the flesh some day.🤩🤩
Thank you for this video and glad I found it. We JUST came back from the Disney Wish and that crew was top freaking notch. Cannot sign their praises enough. I’m immediately looking for our next cruise and want to try another company just to see. Just crossed MSC off the list. Thank you gents.
Wow! I've been on some 23 cruises (CCL, NCL, Princess, RCCL etc.) and I bet that if a crew member so much as raised their voice to a passenger, they would be fired on the spot. You guys are very forgiving to the unforgivable. Fair waves and following seas to you.
I think what you meant to say, was Fairwinds and following seas
I would have requested Captain’s Mast against the manager, head waiter and any other crew member yelling at me. I would try to get them fired, No excuse for a crew member yelling at a customer. You are basically paying The Ship’s parent company for their service.
Agree with your review 100%. I’ve sailed on multiple cruise lines and after sailing on MSC Virtuosa in August, I found it was the worst cruise I’ve been on.
It was such a shame because the ship itself was beautiful and we were lucky to have lovely weather on a Southampton roundtrip British isles cruise.
The cruise was let down by poor service, mediocre food, underwhelming entertainment and Covid protocols that did not deliver what was promised by MSC. The ship was massively overcrowded and the holiday felt like one long queue.
Same experience. The queue for the buffet was out onto the sun deck!
I'm doing the same cruise next weekend from Southampton also, I had no idea MSC had such a bad reputation
@@thatonetemplar Hopefully you will have an amazing time now that things have calmed down a bit with Covid and it will be quieter as you’re not going in the school holidays.
Document and photograph any issues you encounter just in case- I ended up taking MSC to small claims court and got my money back.
The ship itself is stunning and there’s so much to do. I went on one of MSC’s first Southampton British isles trips after they resumed sailing following the pandemic. Hopefully, MSC have ironed out all their teething issues and all will be fine for you.
@@bluebell151 What happened on your cruise to warrant the small claims court?
@@thatonetemplar MSC advertised certain things including social distancing in bars & restaurants, limited capacity in the pools and social distancing around the pools, booking system for the kids club, no self-service in the buffet, strict covid protocols etc., it was all on the website. However, on the cruise I was on in August-Sept 2021, I don’t believe MSC delivered what was promised. The ship was so crowded, it was impossible to implement social distancing- so effectively a breach of contract. In addition, after my child caught covid on board, we were put into quarantine in an isolation cabin that had not been cleaned properly since having other covid symptomatic passengers in it. There was still food and rubbish from the previous passengers, dirty cups, balcony, bed. It was really horrible and scary. Again, a breach of contract because the rigorous covid protocols MSC advertised were not evident.
I complained multiple times and MSC ignored me so I went through small claims court which was another hassle.
This was over 6 months ago now and I don’t want to worry you, hopefully everything will be smooth sailing for you and it’s only a weekend so you can enjoy all the fun things they have on board.
I trust you implicitly from your other reviews and there is zero chance I will ever go on an MSC ship after this review. Thank you for saving me.
you are making a huge mistake, MSC is the bomb.
Totally agree with everything you talked about on MSC Virtuoso. I cruised a week ago with them and it was crazy busy, real party ship, hardly any vege food in the main dining room. I also wondered what I had watched in the theatre !! Seemed all the same, as you mentioned! I’m going on P&O Iona in a few weeks, after enjoying the Azura at Xmas. Have you tried P&O?
My hubby wanted to go on one 12 years ago. He loved it I hated it. Was bored ridget. I get sea sickness bad as can feel every move on it. Never again.
I am so so so glad you posted this!!! People acted like we were crazy when we said we hated every second of our MSC cruise. We were so upset at every single thing you mentioned that we tried to leave and fly home, twice. We will NEVER EVER EVER go on MSC again even if free. We were on Divinia, bought the highest room and packages they offered in the yacht club. 7 days 2 ports and we paid $8k and were treated so badly that you’d think we were stow always. Everyone should be treated equally weather paying high or lowest, but if you were American, you were treated like the worst people on earth. I was shoved so hard at the buffet that I went flying down the line cutting my arm. 2 security stood right there and did nothing. When I asked for help in a towel or something for my bleeding profusely arm I was told “Go to your cabin!” I’m sorry you had to experience that level of disappointment too, but now that you have and you’re so public, maybe people will actually believe me. We went out of Miami and most of the cruisers were European. It was also the smelliest cruise. Do they bathe? Anyway, we do have a friend that has had good cruises on MSC but she checks to see the amount of Americans onboard first. If there isn’t many, she doesn’t book
MSC tried once, vowed NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!
That's horrific! How are they even licensed to sail?
You two are always so fair and balanced. Even describing your worst cruise you still point out positive aspects. I just love watching you. ❤️❤️
Do yu also read Hands Andersons Fairy Tales also?Some of yu will believe anything you are told without checking. Let us have details bu tat rarely happens.
Fair and balanced? Now that's funny.
My wife and I went on a MSC cruise and vowed to never give them another penny of our money. This review is spot on. Big ship, but the crew were some of the rudest people we've ever met...and the food was very disappointing.
Which ship or destination?
100% agreed … Rude Crew
and AWFUL FOOD
same experience we had on MSC Meraviglia . Never again!! rude and worse food
When did you cruise with them and which ship? I cruised with them back in 2019 and service was excellent.
I guess everyone should cancel their gratuities and only tip people that are nice. Imagine if everyone decide to cancel their gratuities that would pass a strong message.
Just went on my first MSC cruise. It was outstanding. So much more friendlier than Carnival. The carnival staff will push right through you cut in front of you while you’re walking. I never experience any of that on MSC or feeling like I was crowded I highly recommend this cruise line. I have been cruising since 1983.
100% agree. MSC is our preferred cruise line now.
This is interesting because if they are so surly and disorganized it does make you think what would happen in the event that something went really sideways at sea.
First of all, I’m so sorry to hear you were yelled at multiple times, and even split apart as a couple at dinner. That is inexcusable. As you said, paying for your holiday, means assuming some basic quality of service, food, and even resolution of issues. I won’t tolerate terrible service, or being yelled at. The lack of hand washing, and other sanitation by passengers is awful. I have physical disabilities, as does my mom, whom I travel with often. If they treat regular passengers that poorly, I can’t imagine what a person with disabilities would experience. Thank you for your honesty, and still having great attitudes! Love your channel!
Really appreciated you honest review. I was myself employed 12 years at one of MSC Cruises sales-/marketing-/booking offices in Europe. I've cruised onboard almost all of their vessels until/including Meraviglia in June 2018 (a ship which I personally find waayyy to big).
The cruise product got more and more bad, while the ships got (and are getting) bigger. There were (are) so many complaints - all the time. During the last couple of years of my employment I realised that I no longer proudly could represent the company. I therefore voluntarily quit.
MSC indeed has very big problems when it comes to the food, the service and the boring and repetitive entertainment. (FYI: Have cruised onboard a number of a cruise vessels from NCL, RCCL, Celebrity and HAL as well....so I'm quite experienced 😊).
I would say that the main problem for MSC Cruises is the management within all levels...and then I mean the Italian (!) way of leading & managing employees. I feel sorry for the "regular" employees onboard the MSC ships (very many of them are very unhappy as they are not treated well nor respectfully by the bosses).
The captains onboard MSC Cruises are mostly very invisible and silent (which is very uncommon on board ships belonging to all other cruise line shipping companies) - as are even all the other officers in charge. I believe he (they) don't want to get in contact with the passengers...as they are uncomfortable when meeting complaining passengers.
My friend cruised 3 times with MSC (various ships) and she said each time the crew complained so much that it literally made her uncomfortable-she hasn’t cruised with them since and said she never will again.
Wishing LVMH would buy them; can imagine how good they would become.
@@dennisalexanderreilly8624 Won't happen. MSC is a privately owned shipping company from Geneva, Switzerland. Cruise ships are a side business to them.
Never been on MSC before but I'm not hearing good reviews. It's sad that the management isn't involved in solving problems with customers and staff. employees can only do so much if they don't have good management teaching them and leading by example how to provide good customer service. The ships might be more focused on showing off fancy decorations than focusing on customer service. Bad management will destroy a business faster than anything else. Why would employees want to do their jobs if management treats them like shit and expects them to show that same attitude and disrespect toward their customers? I wouldn't want to spend my hard earned money on a vacation that will give me shitty service. I do feel bad for employees subjected to this type of work environment. I would quit and move on.
I'm happy to say on recent MSC cruise 3/22, ships officers were all highly visible & interacted w passengers. The Captains announcement daily always ended w a little humor..the only real downside was the main DR'S food quality..& website/IT booking
Not easy, Lotta glitches..
THE most accurate review of MSC. Used the once and found the same. Will never use MSC again. Rudest staff at sea. They prove the point that you get what you pay for. Now only use RC and Celebrity. Thanks for the uploads. Great content gents
My first cruise was on the MSC Virtuosa. It was a beautiful ship BUT the Customer Services was not good. The buffet was appalling. I got bad food poisoning and wasn't able to see the Doctor. I was directed to the shop to buy tablets.
We paid extra for the shows and it was well worth it.
Leaving the ship at Southampton was a nightmare, no warning was given that there was going to be a delay and we had to queue up for hours there were no announcements or apology given.
Months later there was a good deal on the MSC Seaside going to the Caribbean. It has to be the worst Customer Services ever. Dirty room horrendous food. I would never travel with MSC again.
Just got off Meraviglia and it was the WORST CRUISE ever!!! All they do is upsell.....if you don't buy their drink package GOOD LUCK getting water. We had about 4k people on our boat, and after 9:30 at night there was ONE place to get water. I mean ONE FOUNTAIN if you didn't pay for the drink package. It was outrageous. The food was lackluster AT BEST and though the ship was beautiful the M.O. for the company is not something ANYONE should want. Limited shows left us super bored, bad AC left us hot at night in the Caribbean. Everything you wanted, you had to pay extra. Fool us once, but never again!!! They also treat their staff like slaves - it was honestly awful. MUST-SPEND-CASH CRUISES, NEVER AGAIN!
Hi Guys, I just wanted to say thank you two for your honesty. My wife and I have been on a few cruises, but not that many. We are seniors, and we do enjoy good food, the entertainment and above all good customer service. We are on a limited income and we think that everyone should get those three things on their cruise. We were thinking of trying MSC, but not any more. Again thank you for your informative vlog. We are subscribers to your channel and watch you two all of the time. Keep Cruising!!!
Please don't discount MSC, I have sailed 21 days with the line (both pre and post pandemic) and have another booked for May 2023. My wife and I have numerous sailings with other carriers under our belts and have never had anything but a great time on this line, and the price-point is excellent. In fact: the brand-new Seascape is due out this winter and we booked a 7-day Caribbean sailing with a a balcony and also received a $200 onboard credit for less than $600pp! Not only, but they point-matched us to our Platinum status and we are receiving even more perks as senior Voyager Club members...with only 21 MSC days to our credit!
Great review. Spot on. We sailed in the yacht club. The food was awful everywhere except The Butcher's Cut. The only way we would sail MSC again would be in the yacht club.
Thank you for this video. I am loyal to MSC because of their itinerary & prices. My first MSC cruise was to Cuba. This hooked me. Recently did MSC Yacht Club. Amazing service! Going on the MSC Seashore in May 2022. I do have to agree on the food. Carnival & Royal are better, but like you said in your video "The food is ok if you are not picky". I'm hopeful that MSC will improve in the area you described because I would hate to think that my best MSC cruise was the MSC Armonia December 2018 🙂. Thanks again guys!
I heard the Yacht Club was better and way cheaper than Norwegian's Haven.
How was the MSC Seashore?
@@baaamakingbaaaa I have never been on Norwegian.
@@aaronwoodyear4036 I loved it. New ship. We liked the MSC Meraviglia better.
@@aaronwoodyear4036 beautiful. I was there in October 2022. Of course it helped being theme after New York City. My home.
I went on an Al and Chuck RuPaul Drag Race Crusie about 5 years ago, when MSC first started sailing out of Miami. The cruise was okay, the food was good, but the service was totally horrific. Their staff had no idea!
Is it true that if you have the easy plus drink package, that when you order a drink that exceeds the limit, you’re charged for the full drink and it not prorated (for example, for a $9 limit you buy a $12 drink, you’re charged $12 not $3 (plus gratuity)?
Exactly my experience with MSC! A crew member swore in front of my kids and I made a formal complaint. Ended up in the Hotel Directors office and had a meeting with him, he basically said he was embarrassed to work for MSC and they will never reach the same standards as RCI etc. Will never be back!
My very first cruise was on MSC Armonia January 2019. One of their older, smaller ships and boy is this review spot on. I’m so glad my experience didn’t completely turn me off from cruising.
You repeated EVERYTHING my wife said 5 years ago when she went to Canada on MSC. Still a bad experience even AFTER COVID??? Afraid they will never change!
Hi guys, now I'm panicking, we're a family of 4 who have NEVER cruised before and are about to book onto MSC Vertuosa in July 2022 for a Canary Island cruise. Now having listened I'm seriously considering whether or not this is a good idea. I had to be convinced to cruise in the 1st place place but this seriously worries me . I fully appreciate that some people's experiences are not others, but it's seriously putting me off. So, have they improved any or still the same? because if not it might have to be something else.
I seriously recommend Norwegian, RCCL or Celebrity for your trip. Food and staff are great. So is the entertainment. Best to you, Bon voyage
I think you better go on another cruise with MSC Virtuosa, we have just come back from a cruise with them and all the staff were fantastic especially in the dining room. we had stakes most nights and on several occasions we had two servings, and asked had we had enough? we could have made ourselves sick. Even the children had whatever they wanted, even if it want on the menu. One evening i asked for a cider and the head waiter even went up to deck 7 to get me two bottles. We would defiantly use them again, The only thing that made us mad was the wastage of food. plates piled high with cakes, buns, bread, pizzas piled high and just left on the tables, even at midnight food was still available. and unfortunately some children were just abusing the service. this was our first cruise, and I don't think royalty could have had a better service.
I’m sorry you had to experience that treatment on a cruise. Yelling at you in the middle of a busy Buffett (or anywhere really) is extremely unprofessional. I’ve never had a desire to cruise msc, but I definitely don’t now. I hope someone from msc sees this and does something to make changes to their service.
And yet I had a completely different experience with MSC then these 2. Please don't listen to this and try them yourself. So unfair to listen to 2 people when there are thousands that will tell you they loved MSC.
@@jeannenelson2392 thank you for saying that when people complain and put it out there it make the cruise look so bad and people listen iam leader and not a follow I have to see for myself poor cruise line a lot of people do this and people listen
Thank you guys for your honesty, very refreshing and endearing to your TH-cam channel. I never fancied MSC anyway and very pleased to have had my concerns verified.
Thank you so much for your videos! I’m paying a lot of money for a vacation and these are the things I need to know! ❤️
Wow! So sorry you both went through that. I do need to scratch that line off my list.
You guys are amazing...love you both for your honesty, fairness and impartial opinions. Carry on the great work!
Wow! MSC.. I've read a lot of bad reviews about this crusieline too and hearing it from you guys, omg! It just made it official and legit that this is not worth a trip to experience and thanks for informing us. Would never ever try that cruise line for sure. Love u both! Happy Holidays!
msc divina and armonia both great. don't listen to these guys
I'm so sorry you had these experiences... I just returned home from my very first cruise (Norwegian Bliss) and I was blown away by how amazing and helpful our crew was.. I imagine that if any of the crew had screamed at guests like the MSC ones, they'd be immediately booted by NCL...
I'm
Two things: one, I believe MSC is actually a shipping line with mainly container ships, and this might have an influence on their training. The cruise line might be a subsidiary. Usually cargo doesn’t complain. Second, the apparently haphazard service makes me question their behavior in an emergency. My uncle sailed on them once and HATED it. His complaints were comparable with what you just expressed. Hope they get it together soon.
They did indeed start as a shipping company, but the moment they branched I to the cruise industry then they should have realized that they aren’t handling cargo any longer. There’s no excuse for rude behavior, and lack of training. I too question how they would handle emergencies. They aren’t even on my considered cruise line list.
I worked in shipping/logistics for 10 years. Trying to work with MSC was always a nightmare. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the cargo complained!
This ^^. I can just about cope with the food and crappy entertainment if the itinerary was worth it, but I am actually scared to travel on MSC. We waited nearly 2 hours for the muster drill to start on Fantasia while the staff ran around like headless chickens. I would not want to be on there in an actual emergency
Thank you for being honest about your experience. We are just beginning our retirement travel and need more people like you to be honest about it all.
My question would be was this primarily on the European cruises? Have you sailed on MSC out of the USA? Was it any different?
We have not sailed from the USA. We have sailed from Mainland Europe and the UK
Very glad to know to never sail with MSC. I’ve seen the Shiplife channel talk about issues with them but his videos are made to be sensational rather than just telling it as it is like you guys do. Knowing that you’ve also had a ton of trouble with MSC makes it very clear to me that the line is terrible. Thanks for this video!
The shiplife channel is all about the drama for views...clickbait much 🤢
I’ve just booked my 4 th cruise with MSC ( USA) they were great. Crew were amazing, polite and couldn’t do enough for you. I’ve just completed my 71 st cruise. So I’ve cruised many cruise lines
I just unsubbed from shiplife. I was so put off.
@@patmitchell9428 You are the exception, maybe you have had better experiences than most of us? Our Dubai cruise the staff and crew were excellent. But the constant hawking of dinner packages, and random charges on our cruise account, finished us for MSC. Life is too short to put up the MSC BS!
I totally agree with you guys. We cruised on the MSC Divina a couple of years ago out of Miami. It was a very dirty ship. The best thing about that cruise was the aft balcony cabin. The food not good at all. The pizza was the best of it.
We had a cruise booked on the MSC Meraveglia out of NYC in October 2020, which of course, was cancelled due to covid. So we rebooked for this October out of Miami and that cruise was cancelled as well but only for Canadians. I found out about the cancellation only because I called to ask a couple of questions. So, MSC has had my money since I made my deposit in the summer of 2020. I asked for a refund but they told me I will not be getting until the end of Decmber 2021. This is not good enough. They cancelled my cruise, they should have refunded my money right away. Is anyone else experiencing the same issues? I will never cruise with MSC again.
I can’t believe they haven’t given you your money back yet. We had a cruise for 2020 with RC (have cruised them before and love them) they offered us our money back or another cruise at 110%. We have had to reschedule a couple of times but that’s thanks to Covid. We are set for Symphony of the Sea February 2022 but now that blasted virus is back mutating again and I hope it doesn’t stop this cruise too. I would check around and see if there is some group that oversees cruises that could help you get your money that is just ridiculous! Good luck. Try a Royal Caribbean if you haven’t already, we really enjoy them. We prefer the bigger ships but that is because I like to do all the activities, like zip lines and stuff, my husband sits and takes pictures while I zip by.
@@danasandoval624 thank you so much for your reply. I would love to find out if there is a group or anyone that can help. We cruised with Norwegian, Carnival and MSC, of course, would love to try RC. I've heard many positive things about the them. Thanks again. Have a great day.
I would love to cruise with RC as well...Happy Friday :)
@@colleens7641 we have cruised with Carnival and RC. We prefer RC, Carnival is more a drinking party cruise line. Don’t get me wrong I love a good Pina Colada but getting wasted every day isn’t our idea of a great cruise. The ships we have been on all seem to make a large bar the center of the promenade on Carnival ships with lots more bars throughout the ship. RC has beautiful ships the oasis class which we love have a area called Central Park that has lots of plants with some restaurants and bars mixed in, then on the back section of the ship is the boardwalk which has a carousel, restaurants and bars and the aqua theater which puts on fantastic shows. We get a balcony cabin overlooking the boardwalk so we can sit on the balcony and watch the shows as often as we want. RC has lots of bars too but many other things that they highlight. The shows they put on are broadway style productions. Their adult only Solarium, also one that allows children is also very pretty. Even when the ships are at capacity they don’t feel crowded, the only time we waited was usually the first night which is normal because everyone is getting adjusted to the rhythm of cruising. Sorry I wrote a book, we just enjoy RC so much (have a cruise this spring on Symphony of the Sea) and if you get the opportunity to cruise on RC do so I don’t think you would be disappointed at all. We also have always had very helpful people anytime we call and the cruise staff are always great. No matter what line you choose have a wonderful time on your next cruise.
Thanks for a upfront and honest review. I have sailed with other cruise lines and never experienced anything like you described. We were thinking of doing a MSC this a summer but you have helped with our decision. We work to hard and have very little time off to even take the chance…. Thanks
This is just my silly opinion but I went on one of the msc cruises and I had a blast. Food was amazing and everybody was super nice.
Agreed- the last 6 cruises we’ve had on MSC, we’ve loved and never had a issue that they didn’t resolve
same for me, couldn't fault it
Our experience was that the food at dinner was poor. Breakfasts were cheap and nasty. I mean virtually inedible. Admin was appalling. The far east staff untrained. Horrible queues. Not a good relaxing holiday feeling at all. Our first and last cruise.
Did I mention the tummy bug?
You probably ate at the wrong resteraunrs
Just got home from my first MSC cruise and I am disgusted!!! Everything went wrong, 5 hours in line to get on board. Charged from stores on our account that we never purchased!! Fighting charges, hour wait for literally everything!!! Absolutely unorganized and unapologetic!!
Never had the desire to cruise on MSC, and you've convinced me to continue that! Great video, thank you for the info - even if it's hard to talk about the bad stuff.
I took an MSC cruise in 2005 and felt all the things that you are talking about. I am so sad to know that it hasn't changed a bit, maybe gotten worse!
I liked this review. Honestly so many cruise reviews are so positive that its refreshing to see something different
THIS. All I ever see are "omg how awesome was Cruise Line X?!?" and it just sounds like reviewers trying to discounts or free sailings in exchange for positive content. These guys renewed my faith in online reviews. :)
You know I had to rewatch this video after what just happened!
They were literally CENSORED on a recent MSC Europa cruise, yet they gave it a 5-star review, concerning the food, the accommodations, etc. The Ship's management blew it big time!@_rosamunde
I know this video is a couple of years old now, but thanks for sharing this. There are simply far too many cruise lines to choose from to have to put up with bad and/or abusive service and behavior. That buffet manager needs to receive anger management and customer service training or lose his job. That simply is not acceptable. People do not need to settle for that kind of treatment when they can spend their money with a cruise line that excels in making their guests feel welcomed. Personally, I have absolutely no interest in cruising with MSC....especially if that's how they treat their clientele. No way.
Thank you for the honest review. Vacation time is very precious time and we don't want to waste it on a mediocre cruise line when we can pay a bit more and get value.
Thank you for this honest review. When I first started cruising solo, MSC was actively refusing to price or book solos. I wrote them off then and never looked back.
Not to over-generalize, but my worst cruise was an NCL cruise from Florida that was fire-sale priced at the last minute. Trashy people bottom feed the lowest prices. Many passengers were rude and horrible and the crew couldn’t handle them.
Wow, I had a terrible experience and didn't even make it on the ship with MSC, long and crazy stor by, ut hearing they treated you guys so badly and hearing other customer service stories from others definitely helps me decide to go with the multiple other options for cruising. Low pricing isn't worth a ruined cruise. Too many other choices out there
We took our first and last MSC cruise. At dinner one night I told the waiter that this is not the dinner that I ordered and he said to me well that’s what you are going to eat and walked away. I was so shocked just started to laugh. You get what you pay for.
Wow!! That's crazy
@@Radmxray I don't believe it
@@teresatacinelli8529 neither do I
I went on an MSC cruise years ago and I remember the dining room manager went out of his way to make sure every guest was happy and every crew member was working hard.
I'm so very sorry that you were treated so badly. That's so sad. It's so uncalled for.
Thank you for another great and honest video guys. I was horrified to hear about your experience aboard the Virtuoso, absolutely shocking. I agree with every comment you made as I had cruised twice with MSC and quite frankly, I very much doubt there’ll be a third. My son is about to board this ship next weekend…I feel sorry for him already!
Was on there in August, lovely ship and really looked forward to it. It was a big let down, worse cruise I have been on. Purely down to MSC not the staff, the management was the worst. They have no idea or no desire to help you have a good experience, once they have your money you are on your own.
Absolutely agree with you, Guys. I have sailed with MSC twice, the second was 'because they can't all be like that' so we gave it another try. DUMB! The most beautiful ships have the worst crew in the world, and the food was even worse! Almost inedible and I actually lost weight.
We have friends that booked a back to back on MSC and were so unhappy that they disembarked after the first week although they had paid for the two weeks back to back. The hospitality staff didn't ask what was wrong, or what they could do to help them or to make it right. Nobody cared enough to. So they got off with everyone after the first week and didn't go back on. Now it had to be REALLY bad for that. MSC never called or wrote to them afterwards.
Never again, too many really great ships to choose from! Keep up the good work Guys and tell it like it is. Thanks
Thanks guys I will never ever sail this line !! Thanks for the tip and savings of our vacation!!! As always luv ya stay safe !!
Please dont leeson to them and give msc a chance
This line would definitely not be for me. I would not tolerate crew shouting at me!! Thanks for the heads up guys.
@@אריהטל-ת2ז everyone else commenting had the same experience, myself included. It was horrible. People work hard all year to pay for a nice holiday, not to be treated poorly. Would never go MSC again.
@@jamesbm971 i am now on bored the msc sea view. The service is amizing....
@@אריהטל-ת2ז great 👍. Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Next time treat yourself to Princess Cruises or Royal Caribbean.... You'll be amazed in comparison.
Hi guys, I am so grateful for your honest review as I was contemplating going on a cruise with MSC but wanted to first check out other people’s experiences. Your review has helped me alot to make my final choice. I value all the things you commented on too so will now take a further look at other cruise lines before making my choice! Thanks!
I am pausing this video at 5:48 to say I AM FURIOUS to hear that an employee made Ben cry. That sucks, and I am sending a belated cyber hug from across the Atlantic. What a chump. ❤to you Ben and David.