Posts Tagged with #MSC Seashore
Comparing everything we know to Royal Caribbean
We spent the time to actually compare our time spent on MSC with Royal as that is our "native" cruise line. Taking into account that we have been on 18 RCI cruises.
1. Embarkation process was just ok, the drive in to Canaveral and parking was a headache. Very long line, suggestion is to arrive early as the wait was about 40 minutes just to park. Once inside the lines ran smoothly to check in, Royal wins in this instance, but it wasn't terrible.
2. The Ship - Very clean, it had a NYC theme, lots of mirrors...lots of bling. The layout took some time to get used to. Not a very open concept. The mail entry was open and several floors tall. Without a promenade it did feel cramped at times when travelling thru the stores or from place to place. Reminded me more of an older style setup without the open areas. The pool decks always seemed to be wide open, not a lot of chairs out. they seemed to remain stacked. May have been other reasons for this. Adult only areas like solarium and secluded areas are kept for the yacht club members. Overall it was a very nice ship, very clean, giving the edge to Royal for the majority of their ships being a little more open.
3- The food. The food itself in both the main dining room and the Marketplace was good. I might even say the Pizza on MSC was better. Food in general was comparable to Royal. However, the Layout of the AMrketplace Buffet is horrible for both lines and actually being able to tell where items are. Was a bit of a nightmare especially for breakfast, there appeared to be several lines around every corner, however, noone really knew where to go for these lines and sort of waited in lines for the same thing you already passed. THe WindJammer, while it has its own issues, is much easier to navigate, not to mention the cramped space inside the MArketplace made for a forgettable experience.
4. The Staff - Polite, not overly engaging compared to Royal, but never had a problem with anyone on or off the ship.
5. The Private Island - MSC has a long way to go to get to the CocoCay level here, but you can see that they are trying. There are many areas that they should really not let people go to, Heavily Rocked areas, beaches with 5 or 6 chairs that are falling a part. Rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. from pea size to basketball size...on the beach. Not a good area. Stick to far right when going to the beach area as it is pretty nice there. Lots under construction, so at least you know they are making an effort. The food was fine, but having only 2 lines for the lunch for the entire ship, also not a good experience. Maybe this is part of the construction going on, as they desperately need more food lines. A few food trucks help, but the menu there is limited.
6. The room - Room was great, bathroom, if you can believe it, was actually smaller than Royal, Had a corner balcony which was pretty large, but you sort of had to stare at the folks next door since it was at a corner, not a huge deal, but not one i would have picked myself. I do not use the Room Service or the Room attendant on any ship, but i never saw or heard from ours. Where if i do not use the attendant on Royal, they seem to be overly offended in the nicest way possible. LIke they want to impress you with the cleaning. MSC was not about that.
7. The Casino - The casino at first glance seems large, but the number of tables and slots are actually limited. There was a very small area of smoking, which was surprising but it didnt smell like smoke thruout the casino, similar to some of the newer royal shops limiting smoking to one side. this was a corner section, which you can somewhat ignore if smoking isnt your thing. The casino host was helpful, got the free drinks in the casino. here there is also a sports bar on the upper level that has slot machines in it. you can also get free drinks here. This was especially nice when just watching some March Madness on the ship and not necessarily gambling. I was also given an additional free play for playing on the card...as well as a note on the door on the last night to get additional free play from the host. I accumulated 3000 points in the 3 days, which gave me a discount on a future cruise. they also took my information to send future offers. Time will tell if those offers match as nicely as Royals offers. For those that like Roulette there is an electronic roulette table that pays points like a slot machine.
8. Getting off the ship....another nightmare...wrong turns, terrible traffic, closed off areas, made for a bad experience there.
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Beautiful Ship, Large Casino
Thank you URComped for allowing us to experience a new cruise line and ship, the MSC Seashore. This is a beautiful large ship with multiple entertainment venues. Our interior cabin was nice. but the make-up mirror is located in the narrow path to the bathroom so if a person is using the mirror it is impossible for another person to get to or from the bathroom. Speaking of the bathroom, I have cruised on many cruise lines but the bathroom is by far the smallest bathroom with the tiniest shower of any ship I have been on. The water pressure was good. There was a constant humming sound in the room that wasn't noticeable outside the room. The casino was very large. A good assortment of games, and always able to find open seats despite it being a full ship.
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Pleased???
My balcony comped stateroom was fantastic. However, casino beat me up! I spent nearly $2000, and never hit for more than $200. I saw very little winners and speaking will other fellow slot players had similar experiences. Oh well, its a gamble and luck!!!
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MSC Seashore Excellent Service!
After being on the MSC Mergavilia last year on a 7 night cruise with the most fabulous Casino Host and her staff, I was super disappointed to not find a welcome letter that included a meetup time to meet fellow Casino URComped players and maybe comped players from other companies. There was nothing. I thought no big deal. I will go to the Host as soon as we set sail and the Casino opens. Hoping I did not miss the meetup.
The Casino host was busy but the assista t said didn't you get the letter. I said no. So.she sent me to.the cashier to get a copy. The cashier did not know anything. So she asked her manager and he retrieved a copy. However, it was just the list of general population events for the entire cruise ship passengers. The Casino host became free asked me what I needed and I asked if there was going to be a private even for the comped Casino guests. No, we don't do that and he asked me to show him my cruise card, and he said to the assistant put the sticker on her card. I knew that is what allowed me to get free drinks in the Casino, and they gave it to my guest Jeanne too. Very lovely. The Mergavilia staff did last year too. I had to pay $40 for their slots machine tournament which due to only 4 people paying and signing up they cancelled and credited my account back the $40 and gave me a $20 promotion voucher . That was it. I talked to the host about my concerns he said u night cruises are different.
My bank is only $1500. I played only one round of roulette and had 4 of my single numbers come up. Then I didn't have any more good wins. The slots were super tight and didn't track my points well. Two people went to the cashier after we all had not points tracked after putting in cash. I put in 500 and the others around me said the same. We went to the Casino host he apologized but did nothing.for us. So I went to the sports bar where the remaining machines were and lost the rest of my bank. It was weird I was finally winning up about 400 when the machine froze and would not allow more betting and then put out my money onto a voucher. Several machines where turned on but would not operate after waiting g 30 minutes for service to come and take a look I saw it as a sign to end my gambling. I did one last machine back in the main Casino o e deck below, and won a little back.
Dined at Teppanaki and Butchers Cut, both excellent. Service in the main was wonderful and food was tasty but barley warm. My girlfriend couldn't eat it, I am a slow eater so my food always gets cold. She wouldn't ask to send it back. I know they would have gotten her a replacement. I missed the via venetto walk with all the shops in one place like the Mergavilia
They upgraded me from interior to balcony was so deeply appreciated as my friend and I enjoyed it every day. I love MSC, the staff and the beauty in their art and exquisitely decorated ship and those swarovski crystal stairs amazing. The shows were fabulous and the catamaran in Nassau was fun but needs some TLC but I would always do it as I love sailing and snorkeling I that gorgeous water. Ocean Cay was fabulous as well. Highly recommend. Just go and gamble and ha e fun. No extra Casino perks no big deal.
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Good trip, good ship
Ship is new and attractive and kept very clean. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. The casino staff were also personable and educational. I have found this to not be the case with other cruise lines. The only downside to the casino is that there’s often only one cashier and it can be pretty smoky inside. There were two slot machines in particular that were a lot of fun to play. One was thunder drums, and the other was hyper charge.
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Blog Post
MSC Cruises' Casino Program: FAQs Interview
MSC Cruises' Director of Casino Marketing, Jon Wamba, joins URComped CEO, Craig Shacklett, in Dallas to answer some common questions about MSC's casino program and how it works. (This interview was filmed on December 19, 2024).
Questions Addressed in the Interview:
What can guests look forward to with MSC Cruises? MSC is European elegance coupled with American Comfort. The brand is constantly evolving as they interact with customers and understand what guests want out of their future cruising experience. While ship classes may differ in various aspects, there is a consistent experience shared among all MSC ships. Each vessel boasts an elegant aesthetic, incorporating top-notch textures, surfaces, and materials in both interior and exterior decor, prominently reflected in their casinos. The ships are very clean and polished. The staff is very friendly and MSC creates a fun atmosphere for guests to enjoy themselves onboard. What's the Yacht Club experience and what's included? Yacht Club is a VVIP experience onboard MSC Ships. It is a "ship within a ship" designed to provide a private yacht ambiance on the top forward decks. This exclusive white-glove service encompasses dedicated butlers and 24-hour concierge staff, attending to all guest needs, from excursions and reservations to addressing inquiries and fulfilling special requests. The Yacht Club boasts a distinctive dining room serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with a spacious lounge featuring live entertainment each evening. A private pool deck caters specifically to Yacht Club guests, ensuring exclusive access. Only those with Yacht Club cabin reservations are permitted in this designated area of the ship. Yacht Club members enjoy expedited embarkation and disembarkation at all ports, in addition to premium perks such as a premium drink package and premium wifi package. What comps can players get from MSC Cruises Casino? MSC does have offers that will include free play. Guests can also earn free play through their play onboard the ship. They have a matrix for future cruise credits in the casino that at different stages and hurdles guests can earn a fully comped cabin at various types and earn levels of additional freeplay. To learn more and see the point breakdown and matrix, go to https://urcomped.com/blog/details/3011709/msc-you-choose-signature-rewards-for-dream-points Do players get free drinks in the casino on MSC? Yes, as an invited VIP guest on a comp offer you are entitled to free drinks in the casino while gaming. This will either be coded on the guest's sea pass card or they will require a sticker on their card to identify them as a casino VIP customer. Comp guests are encouraged to check in with the casino staff on Day 1 upon the casino opening to find out which way it works on that particular ship. Are there fees for players while withdrawing money? Cash Advances? What are the daily limits? When guests embark, they will need sure to have a registered card on file that is connected to their Sea Pass Card. This can be done through the app or self-serving kiosks located throughout the ship and in the casino. While playing, guests can charge their gaming funds onto that card through their folio without any additional fees. They can do this by downloading credits directly onto a slot machine, handing their sea pass card to the dealer, or they can make a transaction at the cage. The limit is $50K per day. There are cash advance kiosks onboard near or at the casino cage, however, there will be fees with cash advances according to the guest's bank. How does MSC Reward their casino players? MSC's On-Board Reward Program is a tiered system, based on play. Like many other casinos, players can earn "Dream Points" onboard to receive benefits/rewards. These benefits include 3 different discount levels on a future sailing, a free cruise certificate, as well as possible Free Play vouchers and Casino Drink Packages. $3 coin in (Slot Machines/ Video Poker)= 1 Dream Point Table players must check their points with onboard staff You can learn more by going to https://urcomped.com/blog/details/3011709/msc-you-choose-signature-rewards-for-dream-points
Do you pay taxes and fees with MSC casino offers? The typical MSC offer that most guests are used to requires a $400 deposit for a fully comped cabin, which they receive back as casino credit once the cruise begins. The reason MSC requires this deposit is that they pay the port fees and taxes in addition to the cruise fare for the guest and the deposit is their way to ensure the guest is committed to sailing with MSC. This way the guest is truly getting a fully comped experience. On occasion, MSC will receive special offers from their revenue department which the casino department does not have to pay for. Under those circumstances, the taxes and fees still have to be paid and the casino department cannot pay them under those parameters, so the guest will have to pay them. These types of offers are not as common and only happen on select sailings and are typically very short notice. Does MSC Cruises do a status match? Voyager Club is MSC's loyalty program with multiple tiers. The tiers have been matched with all the other cruise lines so that MSC can do a status match for guests who have not sailed with them before. This can also work with certain hotel loyalty programs as well! Apply before your next cruise and ALWAYS use the highest tier card that you have. https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/MSC-Voyagers-Club/Loyalty-Match-Program.aspx How does solo travel work with MSC casino comps? On the casino offers that require a deposit, it is still a $400 deposit, which they receive back as an onboard credit once the cruise begins. Sometimes as ships start to fill up, there will not be any single-capacity cabins available, but the casino program comps are based on double occupancy cabins. This means that comp solo travelers don't need to worry about being restricted to single occupancy capacity. What is in store for MSC as we look to the future? In early 2025 MSC is launching the world’s largest cruise terminal in Miami in preparation for their newest ship- World America debuting April 2025. In November 2025 MSC will start sailings from Galveston with MSC Seascape- 7 night Caribbean itineraries. MSC Grandiosa will be coming from Europe to NY and moving to Port Canaveral to begin sailings later this year. Lastly, in May of 2026, MSC will start sailing from Seattle for Alaska itineraries. What MSC Cruises’ ships have craps? MSC ships doing US itineraries and departures excluding MSC Divina will have craps. The ships with craps currently are MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC Meraviglia, and MSC World America. Is the casino on MSC Cruises smoking or non smoking? US sailings have a designated smoking area in the casino- usually in the slots sections. World America has an additional smoking section in the casino. There are ships in Europe that have fully nonsmoking casinos. MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape both have casino expansions into the sports bar which are non smoking.
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MSC Seashore Valentines is 2025
Thank you Urcomped! Beautiful ship and great time had! Will definitely do this one again!
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URComped