MSC vs. Royal Caribbean in the Caribbean
When it comes to cruising the Caribbean, both Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have long and short itineraries sailing out of popular homeports on a variety of ships. But how do you decide which one is right for you?
Royal Caribbean likes to point out that “Caribbean” has always been in its name, so of course the cruise line is a historic mainstay in the destination. But relative newcomer MSC Cruises has been determined to call the Caribbean home, too, even as it prepares for the launch of its largest-ever ship, MSC World America, which will homeport stateside.
As an American-based company, Royal Caribbean has a larger presence with a dozen plus ships navigating the Caribbean Sea at any given time. By comparison, the European-based MSC has a smaller regional fleet, but it is making further inroads in the market from an expanding number of U.S. homeports.
Both lines should definitely be on your radar when deciding on a Caribbean cruise. To help you further decide which is the best choice for your Caribbean cruise, Cruise Critic has compared MSC vs. Royal Caribbean in regards to ship choices, cruise itineraries, the onboard experience and prices.
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MSC vs. Royal Caribbean: Overall Cruising Style
The thing about cruise ships is they come and go, literally. Some will stay in a region year-round, but others will only sail there seasonally. That is to say, make sure whichever ship, or at least class of ship (sharing common sizes and features), you select is around when you plan to be.
Royal Caribbean favors big and bold vessels with loads of accommodation and attraction choices suited to discerning American buffet crowds seeking a sampling of everything, whether that be food or activities.
Meanwhile, MSC is a bit more sophisticated, exuding European elegance and a wider international clientele, for those interested in a Caribbean cruise with a touch of Mediterranean flair.
Service styles also differ accordingly. First, announcements and spoken language on Royal Caribbean will be predominantly in English while MSC’s may include several secondary and tertiary dialects. Royal Caribbean may seem more personal and friendly versus a certain MSC aloofness, although the line has made great strides in improving its onboard service over the years.
In terms of entertainment, Royal Caribbean skews towards a lavish big-theater style staging Broadway shows while MSC is more visual (think acrobats and magicians) to avoid any language barriers.
Another area where they vary is their ship-within-a-ship complexes that afford exclusive access to certain lounges, restaurants, bars and pool and sun decks for guests booked in the most top-tier accommodations (and even some more affordable options in the case of MSC).
The MSC Yacht Club (on all MSC ships) is often a contiguous example with all such accommodations and amenities perched high and up front overlooking the bow, whereas less delineated is Royal Caribbean’s Royal Suite Class (only on Oasis-, Quantum- and Icon-class ships) of offerings amidship and spread elsewhere.
The MSC exclusives therein further include 24-hour access to a concierge and butler, as well as free in-suite mini-bars, select alcoholic and soft drinks in all Yacht Club dining venues and beyond, complimentary Aurea Spa thermal suite use, and priority check-in and debarkation.
Alternatively, Royal Caribbean’s is a tiered system offering a variety of perks to suite passengers depending on which type of suite they have booked. Entry-level suites get access to the suites-only Coastal Kitchen restaurant and more. Perks then elevate to the likes of suite sun deck access, high-speed internet, reserved theater seating and eventually Royal Genie (aka butler) service, a comped beverage package, included laundry and pressing, complimentary specialty restaurants and gratuities, etc.
MSC vs. Royal Caribbean: The Ships
As you might expect, it’s both lines’ older vessels that are the smallest and the newer ones that are the biggest, and a wide variety of experiences can be found on each. Travelers may opt for a medium-sized ship with a more relaxing onboard vibe or a truly giant behemoth with multiple exciting venues on seemingly every deck.
Royal Caribbean’s growing number of ships fit into seven distinct categories, or classes, ranging in passenger capacity from the 2,000s to the 7,000s, and each is usually represented in the Caribbean.
MSC, on the other hand, generally shows off its latest and greatest in the Caribbean to grow its American appeal. That includes vessels more in the way of 3,500 guests on up to the high 6,000s once the all-new MSC World America comes online.
The smallest Royal Caribbean ships are the Vision and Radiance-class vessels named after Vision of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas, respectively.
While there may be less to do on these vessels than on the line’s more contemporary ships that are filled with features and diversions, the classic cruise experiencefound on these "smaller" cruise ship is perfect for those looking for a more laid-back cruise holiday.
Royal Caribbean done a fine job of rolling out many of its recent amenities and restaurants that can possibly fit onboard, although cabins and suites in particular can feel dated on these older ships.
It’s on the Voyager and Freedom-class ships that Royal Caribbean really started rolling out the features. These ships first introduced the line’s signature shopping mall-esque Royal Promenade down the centerline of the ship, stretching from forward atrium to aft atrium.
The split superstructure also frames in multiple pools and whirlpools, adult-only Solarium, FlowRider surf simulators, rock climbing walls, water parks, mini golf and even an ice skating rink – not to mention a plethora of dining, drinking and shopping venues.
Taking the divided superstructure to the next level are the latest Oasis- and Icon-class ships, expanding to a themed neighborhoods concept of seven unique onboard zones, encompassing the brand’s Central Park full of al fresco restaurants, watering holes and other entertaining haunts.
Other areas to explore include the Entertainment Place, the Boardwalk and the Youth Zone, and bonus attractions extend to a zip-line, a growing number of water slides, a fully-functioning carousel and the outstanding AquaTheater.
And falling somewhere in between is the Quantum-class that introduced unique areas like the distinct entertainment and wake views of Two70, the craned North Star pod, and the onboard bumper cars, roller skating, circus classes and even a skydiving simulator.
As for MSC’s eight ship classes, in the Caribbean the line most features the Fantasia, Meraviglia and Seaside series, as well as the upcoming MSC World America for North American travelers --- though the line's smallest vessel, MSC Armonia, has made a few outings to the Caribbean as well in recent years.
Fantasia-class ships such as MSC Divina have fewer pools and adrenaline-pumping attractions, but do offer a Formula One racing simulator, as well as a 4D movie theater complete with some fun special effects. Other simpler activities stretch to trivia, dance lessons, sports tournaments and pool games, as might also be found on Royal Caribbean. Unique to MSC, though, is its wine blending program.
Bigger then is the Meraviglia class and its namesake MSC Meraviglia, with its own handsome take on a central Galleria not unlike Royal Caribbean’s core promenade, as well as Carousel Lounge at the stern similar to the competition’s Two70. On deck are also a sizable aqua park with water slides, requisite pools including a magrodome-covered one, inviting whirlpools and more.
MSC’s Seaside series, as its name implies, is more about scenic views and substantially more outward facing than Royal Caribbean’s mostly inward-focused vessels.
Not only do these have your usual aquatic features and water parks with an abundance of slides included, but so too do they feature a wraparound Waterfront Boardwalk with several outdoor restaurants, bars and other relaxing lounges. A portion is even glass-floored here as well as high above the stern at the so-called Bridge of Sighs.
A new entrant into the Caribbean arena for MSC is the smaller MSC Magnifica. Part of the Musica-class vessels, this ship adds more space per passenger even if it lacks some of the more enthralling bells-and-whistles, like elaborate waterparks and the MSC Yacht Club suite area.
Of course, the biggest MSC ship is yet to debut in North America. Once launched in 2025, MSC World America will more closely resemble Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships with its own split superstructure and high-adrenaline dry slide as well as water slides. There may even be a speakeasy bar to discover hidden among the crew passages, provided you manage to garner special access. The ship will offer Caribbean sailings once it enters into service.
The ship will be a sister to MSC World Europa, which debuted in 2022.
MSC vs. Royal Caribbean: The Caribbean Cruise Itineraries
When it comes to Royal Caribbean and MSC, both lines have Caribbean itineraries offering a dizzying variety of ports with sandy beaches, water activities, jungle activities and rich colonial history. You won't, however, find lectures about your ports of call (unless you count the shopping talks) on either line, nor will any of the day's activities reflect the itinerary in a culturally-significant way. These lines are all about having fun in the sun.
With so many islands in the Caribbean, cruise travelers have several options when it comes to picking a Caribbean cruise itinerary, from Western and Eastern Caribbean to further voyages in the Southern Caribbean, and ranging in length from a quick weekend getaway to a week or even two.
Where the lines do start to specialize, however, is at their respective private destinations. In the Caribbean, only Royal Caribbean has docking privileges at its private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Labadee, Haiti; and only MSC can visit Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, also in the Bahamas.
Of course, they both frequent many other ports of call that are also shared with all varieties of cruise lines. Think Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Tortola in the Western Caribbean; Nassau, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and San Juan in the Eastern Caribbean; and Aruba, Barbados, St. Lucia, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Martinique and Antigua in the Southern Caribbean.
Where the two lines differ are their itineraries (Royal Caribbean has more options, given the sheer amount of ships to select from) and regarding where they sail from (Royal Caribbean also has more option when it comes to homeports).
Besides Southern Caribbean itineraries that are farther from the U.S. mainland and require embarkation or disembarkation in, say, Puerto Rico, most circuits are scheduled roundtrip from the States.
Homeports available to Royal Caribbean guests include Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral and Tampa, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Galveston, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland and Cape Liberty, New Jersey. Select departures even run out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
For its Caribbean itineraries, MSC sails from Miami and Port Canaveral in Florida, as well as New York City and Galveston, Texas.
MSC vs. Royal Caribbean: Pricing
What about pricing on Royal Caribbean vs. MSC Cruises sailings in the Caribbean? Quite frankly, pricing for Caribbean cruises from both of these lines can vary wildly, depending primarily on cruise ship (especially the vintage of the vessel), cabin category, voyage length and sail date.
It is difficult to compare pricing on MSC Cruises vs. Royal Caribbean on a same for same basis for a couple of reasons. First, with Royal Caribbean plying the Caribbean with so many ships of different sizes and ages, pricing varies extensively, while MSC has fewer ships in the region.
Because of a tiered pricing system that MSC uses – which takes into account not only the sailing length and cabin category, but also the inclusiveness of the experience a cruiser wants to have – pricing can seem vastly different on the surface..
MSC's four tiers are: Bella, which offers the lowest price and no inclusions beyond what's typically included on any other mainstream cruise; Fantastica, which includes cabins in prime locations and chance to request early or late dining, specialty restaurant prepaid package discount and free room service during select times; and Aurea, which applies to the best balcony cabins and introductory level of suites and includes flexible main restaurant dining, priority boarding, prosecco and chocolate welcome, a spa package and specialty restaurant package discount, 24-hour room service and access to the adults-only Top Exclusive Solarium.
At the highest end of the MSC pricing spectrum is the MSC Yacht Club, which provides a fairly all-inclusive experience, with access to a private club (lounge, pool and restaurant included), priority check-in and check-out, butler and concierge service, premium beverage package, internet connectivity and thermal spa access.
Prices here are somewhat comparable to suite prices on Royal Caribbean, though what's included in the price tends to make the Yacht Club suites on MSC ships a better value. (Keep in mind, suite prices on Royal Caribbean ships vary widely by ship, as the newer ships have much more expansive – but also inclusive – suites, while older ships have smaller suites with few to no inclusions.)
Overall, Royal Caribbean has the largest variety of pricing between the two lines, but both offer inexpensive options, too. At the higher price points (namely suite accommodations), MSC frequently offers more value for the money, especially thanks to its MSC Yacht Club product.