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MSC Cruises: 4 ships score 4 stars with Berlitz

MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Armonia and MSC Sinfonia (entering service in March 2005) have all scored 4 stars in the prestigious Berlitz Ocean Cruising & Cruise Ships 2005 Guide.

MSC Opera, MSC Cruises new flagship inaugurated last June, took the 4 stars in the guide’s rankings, followed close-by by sisterships MSC Lirica and MSC Armonia, which gained top place amongst Mediterranean cruise ships with departures from Italy, overtaking in the rankings its principal competitors (namely Costa).

Note: Every year about 250 ships are examined. The evaluation process, using a scoring system with a maximum of 2000 points, takes into account the ship’s characteristics, the comfort of cabins, the food quality, the level of service, the various entertainment choices, the choice of itineraries and excursions.

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Comments?

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cruiseshipluver wrote:
...a question comes to mind...what type of line would MSC be considered as?????

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MSC Cruises are aiming to become a "Premium" cruise line. See here: CruisePage.Com's Cruise Lines

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Originally posted by bulbousbow:
MSC Cruises are aiming to become a "Premium" cruise line.

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Well from Mec1's report it sounds like thay will need to aim higher if they are to ever suceed!

Everyone does however agree that Opera & Lirica are both beautiful ships. I liked the food on Lirica, loved some things, but did comment on the not good cakes for tea and mediocre buffet lunches, but there was always something good, even if everything wasn't. The same went for my HAL trip... some of the food was 'ghastly' [my omelette was a great rubber ball for eg.], but there was always something good on offer. Just because I did not personally drewl over all the food does not make the ship any less starwise. Some entertainment was excellent, some lousy [I only went to 2 shows, one I walked out of, one I was spellbound].. it's hard to provide things which everyone will like [actually one lot of our tablemates did not like any of the evening entertainment, anther couple though it all wonderful... such a difference.]

It's possible I expect to have a damned awful ship with the most superb 6* cuisine and be rated the same as a most beautiful ship with awful food.

If I can compare Westerdam to Lirica briefly.. there are +'s & -'s to both. Westerdam's biggest drawback is her passenger bottlenecks, the flow is dreadful at meal times, but the food in general was fine, some very good, some not so, I would not say overall that W's food was any better than L's, it all depends on what an indivdual wants. The cakes/cookies/desserts on W, were far superior, but that's my/our palette, the non-us/brit main courses were superior on L.

I could go on endlessly, but no time I'm afraid. Every cruise is always as enjoyable as one makes it, whatever the -'s. Food & entertainment are low on my list of 'excitables'

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Well from Mec1's report it sounds like thay will need to aim higher if they are to ever suceed (as Premium)!

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I've not been so I don't know first hand - but I do not think my above statement is wrong. I do agree that it's all very subjective, but we must look for a general concensus of opinion, if we are to be able to grade any cruise line.

A lot of people seem to have very high hopes for MSC. However, from the reviews that I've read MSC are often considered 'good' or even 'very good' (3 to 4 star) but that's not the same as 'Premium' (5 star). Just look at the competition; Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruise Lines, Oceania Cruises, Peter Deilmann Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club, Windstar Cruises etc.

I'm not a 'foodie' either, but food is an important 'focus' and 'selling point' for all cruise lines. Even 'budget' lines optimistically
boast about their fine food.

If MSC want to be a 'premium' cruise line, the general consensus needs to be that all aspects of their operation, including the food and entertainment, are of a high quality, not just O.K. to good.

Joe has put MSC under the 'budget Line' in the 'Readers Review' section. I though that they are more 'Mass Market', but certainly not 'Premium'?

I await Ernie's report.

[ 01-20-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

In general do Americans take much note of a cheeseboard? To be honest I cannot recall seeing the option on restaurant menus there, but could well have missed it.

It's difficult to grade a line as a whole when they have a variety of different rated ships, old with the new etc. A 20yr old 4* ship must have better food/service etc than a new 4* mod con ship. I once read an article on how hotels were awarded stars and the point allocation. Extra points for bedside light, more if another reading light over bed, all sorts of things. One could have got an amazingly rated hotel just by putting the lights in the right positions, regardless of the cleanliness of the rest.

Mike

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Joe has put MSC under the 'budget Line' in the 'Readers Review' section. I though that they are more 'Mass Market', but certainly not 'Premium'?

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Hi Malcolm,
Based on the MSC's new ships alone, I place them above the "budget" category. Food and service is subjective as is entertainment. I don't think it's fair to categorize a cruise line on those attributes alone. If that were the case, then QM2 might be classified as "budget". She continues to receive complaint after complaint regarding her food and service. She also receives praise on her food and service. I think the take-away is that QM2 continues to be inconsistent.

MSC is striving to be a Premium cruise line. I think they will succeed but it will take some time. Meanwhile their rates here in the US for the Caribbean cruises could be classified as "budget". You can't sail on anything cheaper ($495 per person) than MSC OPERA out of Ft. Lauderdale for 7-days. At these rates I am quite forgiving regardless of how the cruise line rates itself.

I think next year will be a different story, and by then MSC will have had time to refine and improve the product.

I leave tomorrow for my mom's house in Naples .... so it won't be long now. I'm really looking forward to it ... something different for a change. Last time I felt like this it was in anticipation of boarding QM2!

Looking with anticipation to your comments afterwards.

J

[ 01-20-2005: Message edited by: Johan ]

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Originally posted by Johan:
Bon Voyage, Ernie, and to your mother also !

Looking with anticipation to your comments afterwards.

J

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Thanks Johan,
If the internet isn't too expensive, maybe I'll post some early impressions during the cruise. I don't think the weather is going to be all that warm on the first and second day, so I may have some free time on my hands to post.

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Originally posted by eroller:
You can't sail on anything cheaper ($495 per person) than MSC OPERA out of Ft. Lauderdale for 7-days. At these rates I am quite forgiving...

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Ernie, I keep totally forgeting that US cruise prices can be very different to those in Europe! A 7 Day cruise from a UK port, with a budget cruise line, would cost at least $1000 - probably more? The Med is no cheaper.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
If I could cruise for $495, Baked Beans for dinner would be fine by me!

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At least that would create your own “aura” of personal space on any crowded ship, but I doubt you will be invited to sit at the captains table.

Just a question, what makes the Berlitz star system reliable? I know for any survey to be considered reliable there is a fixed number of test that need to be don. Just a one sporadic test could not be considered as reliable or give a total picture of how a ship is operated. Also as Pam said there are many different people that have many different tastes or satisfaction levels. Okay the hardware of the ship can be checked with a list of points, but food ambiance entertainment etc and how it is perceived by different passengers is pretty hard to test let alone give a marking.

I personally find it hard to let my judgment be manoeuvred by a categorization list that deals with personal choices. (When my TV guide rates a movie low and titles it weak. I definitely watch the movie, I know that I will enjoy it)

Onno

[ 01-20-2005: Message edited by: Onno ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Ernie, I keep totally forgeting that US cruise prices can be very different to those in Europe! A 7 Day cruise from a UK port, with a budget cruise line, would cost at least $1000 - probably more? The Med is no cheaper.

If I could cruise for $495, Baked Beans for dinner would be fine by me!

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Malcolm,

An 8 day cruise with Pullmantur's Oceanic, including flight London-Barcelona v.v. is costing you less than EUR 1000,-

http://www.travelscope.co.uk/ocean-cruises.html

The product is on the whole good to very good.....and if you take the price into consideration then it is hard to beat...especially compared to Costa.

If you then compare the pricing to the US-Lines operating in Europe then MSC is at least 30 - 50% less ......and my experience shows that the US-product is definate not 30-50% better...so why pay the extra $$$$`s.

A year before we were on the Carnival Jubilee and this was rated as 3 1/2 - Star ship....the food on this ship was worse....and the ship itself especially the cabins are nowhere near to the MSC Lirica. ....so why shouldn`t the MSC Lirica be 4-star?

We also cruised on the Carnival Triumph and this is a 4-star ship and is comparable to the MSC Lirica. As Pam said, there are some + and some - points, this is however valid for all ships....basically however the cruising experience on the MSC Lirica was similar to the Carnival Triumph.

On reading the reviews it seems however that the main "gripe" seems to be the food ....in one sence it is a "hate it or love it situation"....I noticed a tendancy that Europeans find the food good and Americans less good.... Question is who can determin if the Italien food is good or not.... the Italiens or the Americans....but that`s another issue .

We are booked this spring on the Diamond Princess and we are paying a similar price to the MSC Lirica in the Med. ....so, I`ll have a chance to compare. !!

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Originally posted by Tom Burke:
I have the Berlitz Guide. The reviews for the 4 MSC ships are very, very similar - almost word for word in places - so I don't think they are based on actual experience of all four. Indeed, as Sinfonia doesn't enter service with MSC until March, they can't be.

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Whether A&S should be relegated to 3 1/2* is debatable, I think possibly not, but wouldn't argue; however a review more or less combining all 4 ships together is not acceptable. The minimum should be a 2 & 2 lumping.

My Berlitz Guide is rather out of date now [2000], so I haven't read the actual report referred to. It will appear online sometime in the future though if Teletext get around to updating their site.

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Originally posted by Sailor:
Time will tell who is right....

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We are ALL right! (At least in our own minds)

Conclusion don't usse Berlitz they are not trust worthy.

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Tom Burke wrote:
Whereas Sinfonia was announced as having been bought by MSC last July, and joining the MSC fleet in March 2005 - a much longer gap, and presumably longer period in dock. Could this mean that a more fundamental restyle will have been done on Sinfonia than on Armonia?

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Tom, if memory serves me correct, I think the reason why Sinfonia was not refurbished earlier and deployed, was because it was already too late to have her inserted into the 2004 summer Med season, opting to have her ready for the 2005 season instead.

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Tom, if memory serves me correct, I think the reason why Sinfonia was not refurbished earlier and deployed, was because it was already too late to have her inserted into the 2004 summer Med season, opting to have her ready for the 2005 season instead.

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But they could have deployed her to the Caribbean in the winter, immediately after a quick 'restyle'?