Why MSC cabins feel different from American ships
Hotel director, MSC Seashore. European and American cruise lines design cabins with fundamentally different philosophies. American lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean) optimize for time-in-cabin because their passengers often treat the cabin as a hangout space. MSC designs cabins assuming you will spend most of your time in public areas, restaurants, and ashore. This is why MSC cabins are slightly smaller but the public spaces are enormous and beautifully designed. Cabin 11200 is a standard balcony that illustrates this perfectly — compact inside but the infinity balcony design creates a feeling of openness that compensates. If you book MSC expecting a cabin-focused experience, you may be disappointed. If you book MSC planning to live in the public spaces, you will understand why Europeans love this line.