Cruise Talk: MSC bottom of the league in UK

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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Lines » MSC bottom of the league in UK

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Topic: MSC bottom of the league in UK

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 02-12-2009 08:02 AM

According to Cruise.co.uk a site featuring reviews by ordingary cruisers MSC rated the worst of all lines amongst its contributors. Costa also fared very badly.

RCI and Cunard scored the highest.

I suspect that US scores would reflect the same bad news for MSC at present.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 02-12-2009 08:55 AM

..and Thomson came above P&O, Celebrity, HAL, Azamara.. make of it as you like, a strange mix imo

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

buddhaJoe
First Class Passenger
Member # 4356

posted 02-12-2009 09:28 AM

i think they do not understand
italian or french culture and language, as their appetite might be a bit typical english as well

so this ranking says nothing, or if it does
it tells me something about ordinary english
travellers , and you could seriously ask if
that is an example of good taste....

regards
Joe

Posts: 366 | From: De Goorn, small village in The Netherlands | Registered: Jan 2004 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 02-12-2009 02:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by PamM:
..and Thomson came above P&O, Celebrity, HAL, Azamara.. make of it as you like, a strange mix imo

Perhaps Thomson's passengers are simply easier to please/have lower expectations.

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 02-12-2009 02:37 PM

Just take into account that this is a travel agent's website that gives something away free in return for a review [used to be something off your next cruise, at present it's the Berlitz Guide]. Some reviews are very good, others are a mere paragraph of twaddle. I tend to think some are written purely to get what's going free. This imo skews things somewhat.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

bmajor
First Class Passenger
Member # 1754

posted 02-12-2009 03:16 PM

What irks me is the media picking up the story and running headlines such this...

World's worst cruise ships revealed in online survey
article here.

I am sure we all know members of the public that might believe stories such as this.

Posts: 1371 | From: Orewa.New Zealand. | Registered: Jan 2001 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 02-12-2009 04:00 PM

quote:
Originally posted by dougnewman:
Perhaps Thomson's passengers are simply easier to please/have lower expectations.

I though that until I cruised with Thomson. They really do offer a 'solid' package. The food for example was better than some of NCL's and the QE2's (M), as was some of the service, IMHO.

Mind you it does appear that more of that web sites readers have cruised with Thomson than some of the other lines.

MSC are picking up some really bad readers reviews on just about every cruise web site at present. Brits and America's seem agreed in their opinions.

[ 02-12-2009: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Grant
First Class Passenger
Member # 1000

posted 02-12-2009 05:05 PM

Perhaps I view things from an odd angle, but it is reports that highlight the poor things about hotels and cruise ships that I make sure I read, rather than those reports that heap praise on everything.
I don't know about you, but when I spend money and time on a vacation, I leave expecting things to be good! After all, most of us spend a little time researching our choices. As I have those expectations, I do not need someone else stating what I already know.
What I do care about, is "what do folks find poor or worse" about a potential holiday choice. Some things just do not matter to me, and others are of great importance. Thus, if I read that the food or service is poor I would give the choice some serious second thought, but on the other hand revue type shows mean nothing to me so no how bad or amaturish they are it makes no difference to me. Interior design is hardly noticed by me, yet a lack of deck space is critical (thus major concerns over Solstice). Deck entertainment is just fluff, but take away a walk around prommenade deck and I get worried (Solstice again). I never spend extra money on suites, but if the standard outsides and balcony cabins are poor or cramped-please let us know.
I tire quickly of aticles and reports that are glowing, I look deep for the dirt and negatives!!! So, the Cruise.uk.ca article was a good read.
Grant

Posts: 834 | From: Victoria, BC, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

jetwet1
First Class Passenger
Member # 6361

posted 02-13-2009 02:14 AM

No Carnival on the list ?

As ever these online surveys are suspect at best, the one thing I will say though is that we have book two cruises for this year, one on HAL and one on Princess.

We did look at MSC, but for whatever reason we did not book with them.

I kind of like the idea of what they are trying to go for, but spending $3k-$4k and having a bad time is kind of off putting for me and with all the negative reports I keep reading I just can't bring myself to book with them.

Posts: 608 | From: Las VEgas | Registered: Mar 2006 | IP: Logged

r.fiebig
First Class Passenger
Member # 5240

posted 02-13-2009 03:21 AM

jetwet1,

Carnival has a fairly small number of European passengers. That's the most likely reason for not finding Carnival on the list.

Best,

Raoul

Posts: 775 | From: Paderborn, Germany | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 02-13-2009 07:37 AM

Are there Italian or German websites where people can post their reviews ?

If so what are they saying about MSC ?

If it is the same type of feed back then MSC needs to up their game. Mind if they want to crack the US market they need to up their game anyway.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

Kevin Griffin, London
First Class Passenger
Member # 6010

posted 02-13-2009 08:00 AM

But Carnival is there with 178 reviews - these are the scores and the number of reviews:

Seabourn (4.92) 24 reviews
Oceania (4.48) 58 reviews
Regent (4.37) 35 reviews
Cunard (4.36) 1108 reviews
Silversea (4.35) 23 reviews
Royal Caribbean (4.15) 1654 reviews
Princess (4.08) 1079 reviews
Thomson (4.06) 755 reviews
P&O (3.93) 2042 reviews
Celebrity (3.93) 117 reviews
Holland America (3.91) 117 reviews
Fred Olsen (3.89) 864 reviews
Island (3.89) 517 reviews
Ocean Village (3.87) 731 reviews
Discovery (3.71) 49 reviews
Carnival (3.70) 178 reviews
Azamara (3.65) 63 reviews
NCL (3.56) 692 reviews
Costa (3.25) 303 reviews
Transocean (2.97) 70 reviews
MSC (2.84) 243 reviews

Posts: 148 | From: London, England | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged

Kevin Griffin, London
First Class Passenger
Member # 6010

posted 02-13-2009 08:03 AM

The scores are out of five by the way.

Posts: 148 | From: London, England | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 02-13-2009 08:09 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mike sa:
Are there Italian or German websites where people can post their reviews ?
If so what are they saying about MSC ?
If it is the same type of feed back then MSC needs to up their game. Mind if they want to crack the US market they need to up their game anyway.

The insights I get from PamM and my brother who
sailed the smaller Opera and Lirica both concur that the style and format is un-orthodox; both are veteran cruisers.

What concerns me with other people's reviews is lets say that if they hate the SSNorway or the SSOceanic because of the small cabin with the round window, that has little credibility with me.

The chav taking a cruise and the Count have different wants and needs.

According the the statistics Kevin just posted, the sampling #'s between RCL and MSC are too small for statistical evaluation.

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Johan
First Class Passenger
Member # 4458

posted 02-13-2009 09:29 AM

I really think MSC-bashing is a cultural thing.

The first post I read (and I think on which i posted), when i discovered Cruise Talk in february 2004, concerned an immense bashing of MSC because they served brown eggs at breakfast instead of white...olalalalal twas a thing...

I just checked the spanish infocruceros website, and randomly the Armonia (which is among the older ships) is described as "hermosa", "fantastico", incredible good 18 days (it was a transatlantic cruise), good food etc.

I have never cruised MSC, nor affiliated with it, but I can't believe the cruise MSC company couldn't have grown so mteorically if they had delivered something bad, and not touching somewhere a soft spot in their passengers heart.

it must be culturally, it is inherently not anglo-american, what all the other companies are.

If asked, I'd prefer to sample a MSC cruise before Costa (which I regard as essentially similar in offerings and fleet).

I don't think you can compare Thomson, Cunard or Princess (or even RCI) with MSC

Posts: 1895 | From: Antwerpen, Belgium | Registered: Feb 2004 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 02-13-2009 09:35 AM

Looking at the list Kevin gave us I am surprised how low Fred Olsen is given the reviewers are all UK ! Thought they had a dedicated and loyal following, What old chap etc !?

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

Olsen Dk
First Class Passenger
Member # 16253

posted 02-13-2009 09:51 AM

Don’t not know how al dose bad review`s about msc com along, me and my family have bin on 3 msc cruise, ant we love them all very most. All of them on Opera/Lirica, lovely ships whit a god atmosphere, it’s over best holiday to time. We have never cruise whit other companies,

Over 4 cruises is also msc, it’s on msc orchestra the 2 may from fl. Lauderdale to Copenhagen 18 days. Maybe over honeymoon, so that’s going to be over cruise of life.

There is some bad review`s, like this http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=923367 from people who was to drunk or??? To notes the cruise

[ 02-13-2009: Message edited by: Olsen Dk ]

Posts: 22 | From: Slagelse Denmark | Registered: Jul 2008 | IP: Logged

r.fiebig
First Class Passenger
Member # 5240

posted 02-13-2009 02:22 PM

Mike,

http://www.kreuzfahrtberater.de/, a large German cruise agency, has customer ratings in which only its own customers who have traveled onboard the ship they are reviewing can vote.

Most of MSC's ships get four out of five "smileys" for the ship itself ("MSC Musica gets 3.5), between 3.5 and four smileys for their cuisine and between 3.5 and 4.5 smileys for service.

Best,

Raoul

Posts: 775 | From: Paderborn, Germany | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

Tom Burke
First Class Passenger
Member # 5238

posted 02-13-2009 02:53 PM

I've cruised with MSC - Sinfonia, in 2005, our first cruise (review here) - and we enjoyed it; it got us hooked on cruising.

That said, I now recognise that there were some cracks in the product even then: the Italian senior waiters & managers didn't really have any languages in common with the Balinese junior & drinks waiters/waitresses, who mainly spoke just Balinese and English; I witnessed a couple of tense moments between manager & staff member. And we also encountered the 'italian shrug' a couple of times, when we were asking for something from reception.

Having read a number of recent reviews, it would seem that it's the service element where MSC are doing really badly, especially with english-speaking passengers. I wonder if they've just expanded too fast? - in 2005 they had the new mid-size quartet plus their older ships; now they've got, what, 3 Musica-class ships? 1 or is it 2 Fantasia ships? plus most of the ones they had before. It must be very hard to grow a service-industry company by that much, that quickly, and maintain quality, and it looks as if MSC haven't managed it. Perhaps, though, as their cascade of newbuilds slows down, they'll be able to improve things.

Posts: 1469 | From: Sheffield, UK | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 02-13-2009 03:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mike sa:
Looking at the list Kevin gave us I am surprised how low Fred Olsen is given the reviewers are all UK ! Thought they had a dedicated and loyal following, What old chap etc !?

They do, but as many of the regulars are 'older' maybe there are not into writing online reviews for that or any other web sites.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 02-13-2009 04:09 PM

All these lists are not worth looking into with too much detail. Look at Condé Nast's list of best medium sized cruise ships for 2009. Rather an oddity at No 5 - a 'cruise ship' ?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

CliveB
First Class Passenger
Member # 6640

posted 03-03-2009 05:59 PM

More lists, more reviews. The ratings are just absurd.

Yet again it shows that the only way to get a good idea of how right a cruise line is for you is to try it for yourself.

Island cruises rated above Azamara, come on!

Posts: 35 | From: Chatham, England | Registered: Jun 2006 | IP: Logged

Mattsudds
First Class Passenger
Member # 4324

posted 03-04-2009 05:56 AM

quote:
Originally posted by CliveB:
More lists, more reviews. The ratings are just absurd.
Island cruises rated above Azamara, come on!

You're absolutely right of course. These things can be absurd. If this pretends to be an objective, comparable quality measure then its nonsense. But if its an enjoyment/ value for money/ line meeting expectations is it that far out? Kind of reminds me of Tripadvisor where its perfectly sensible for the Travelodge to get 5 out of 5 vs the Sheraton with 3 out of 5. Doesn't mean that the Travelodge is better, just that people got closer to what they were expecting to experience. Maybe (I don't know) that is how people rate their cruise lines. Like others, I think one individual's experience is interesting but I put more weight behind it if I know its from someone who has done more than one thing.

Posts: 80 | From: London, UK | Registered: Dec 2003 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 03-04-2009 08:04 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mattsudds:

You're absolutely right of course. These things can be absurd. .

Example in the movie: The Jerk: Steve Martin in a 5 star restaurant on being served escargot and vintage wine:

quote:
Hey, this food's got snails in it! What is this old wine? get us some fresh stuff!

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

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