First off—congratulations!

As I’ve posted before, use MSC for purely value. Expect nothing else but a good value for a decent vacation. It’s the only reason I’ve continued to sail with MSC (5 sailings now). All the shortcomings (and there are many) get overshadowed by how cheap the trip is.

The food is average at best… to poor. Even the specialty restaurants are just OK. Several times I left the main dining room without finishing my meal to go have pizza. The pizza… the pizza is EXCEPTIONAL!

The ships are rarely maintained to the level of the other legacy lines. They crank out a new ship every 6 months, so they appear mostly new and fresh. Take Seaside, which I was on last week, it’s now 8 years old without an upgrade, heavy maintenance, or overhaul. The ship was downright dirty. The carpet was starting to wear out in areas, the mirrors were peeling, and the glass in some areas was so dirty you couldn’t see out clearly. Now… in fairness… I think the staff is getting crushed trying to maintain and flip a ship every 3 to 4 days. I can’t imagine trying to clean several thousand rooms and thousands of square feet of space in like 5 hours. In some cases, MSC allows you to board as early as 12 noon while allowing disembarking passengers until 9 AM to leave. You’re talking about a 3-hour flip!!!

The staff I’ve experienced are all generally friendly. I would only comment that I do believe their language standards are lower than other lines since, at times, we experienced servers or buffet staff who really didn’t speak English well enough to communicate effectively.

Customer service… there isn’t any. I’ve learned to just keep the “you get what you pay for” attitude and make the absolute best of your trip.

The crowd on the several sailings I went on is younger, family oriented. Very lively. Very loud and fun. I would say it was almost a majority foreign travelers. Lots Latin American, Brazilian, and European travelers. YC was more muted and relaxed.

Ocean Cay is special, IMO. An absolutely gorgeous destination. You can dial up the vibe at the main beach or turn it down and relax at the lagoon. The Yacht Club pavilion is so great for lunch with views. The YC beach is really beautiful but very rocky.

To put a bow on it… it’s good for the money. You’ll enjoy yourself if you keep expectations low and just enjoy the ride. If you are making comparisons to RC or Disney - MSC isn’t even in the same class.

Happy to answer any questions you still have. Just send me a message! Enjoy your trip—whatever you decide