I am a long time Carnival cruiser. This is what I thought of my first MSC cruise

I just cheated on my favorite cruise line.

I have traveled with Carnival Cruise Line since 1998, beginning with the inaugural sailing of Carnival Paradise. Most of my family’s many cruises over the years have been aboard a Carnival ship. We often choose this line for its low fares and the convenience of driving to its many US departure ports. Plus, we love the variety of food options and the celebratory atmosphere, and we never seem to get tired of alchemy bar.

But lately I’ve been thinking about another cruise line. MSC Cruises It is often compared to Carnival because it offers a cruise vacation at reasonable prices and offers many onboard activities that attract families and cruisers looking for a fun atmosphere. Ever since this European-based cruise line started sailing from the US, it’s been on my radar.

I finally had the opportunity to try MSC during a seven-night Caribbean cruise in MSC Seascape. My cabin was located within the MSC Yacht Clubthe line’s luxury retreat found on MSC Cruises’ largest ships. However, my week-long sailing gave me enough time to explore the boat beyond my Yacht Club cocoon.

Will MSC become my new favorite line or will Carnival forever remain my first choice cruise line? Read on to find out what I loved about MSC and what made me miss a Carnival cruise.

MSC Yacht Club is where it’s at

I was completely in love with the MSC Yacht Club. Of the nearly 30 cruises I’ve taken on various lines, this was my favorite overall cabin experience. As a Yacht Club guest, I enjoyed a private pool and deck area, exclusive dining at the Top Sail restaurant (which was top-notch), and exclusive lounge and bar areas with free drinks. I also had access to 24-hour concierge and butler services (dining and spa reservations, unpacking and repacking, morning coffee delivery, and more), as well as a dedicated concierge and guest services desk.

Related: Everything you need to know about MSC Cruises cabins and suites

The Yacht Club cabins and suites also have bathrobes and slippers, which I used every day. I also made good use of the in-cabin Nespresso machine and a complimentary minibar stocked with juice, beer, soft drinks, and bottled water (still and sparkling), as well as mixed nuts, Pringles, and Toblerone chocolate. Other Yacht Club perks I appreciated were free Wi-Fi, premium alcohol packages, and free access to the Aurea Spa thermal suite.

Carnival doesn’t have a product that comes close to MSC Yacht Club. Guests who book an Excel Suite on select Carnival ships will have access to Loft 19, a retreat-style deck space featuring an infinity hot tub. However, the space lacks free food and drinks. Additionally, people not staying at Excel Suites can purchase passes to Loft 19, minimizing the exclusivity factor.

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My week at MSC Yacht Club made me reconsider my stateroom needs and I may book a suite on my next Carnival cruise.

Related: Everything you want to know about the cabins and suites on Carnival Cruise Line ships

Free Carnival food takes the cake

I am convinced that Carnival offers the greatest value to its customers through its food offerings. The line’s complimentary dining venues are extensive and offer an impressive variety of cuisines, all included in the rate. I’ve had many meals on eight Carnival ships over the past few years, and they have always been good, if not excellent.

Beyond the fantastic main meal and buffet deals, we always find delicious free options at Burger Guy and BlueIguana Cantina (burritos, tacos and bowls). In fact, these two outposts are our traditional lunch spots for the first meal on the ship on embarkation day.

The only dining included in the MSC Seascape fare is in the main restaurants and the Marketplace Buffet area. The remaining five restaurants were additional fee options: Hello! Tacos & Cantina (Mexican), Kaito Sushi Bar and Kaito Teppanyaki (Asian), Butcher’s Cut (steakhouse) and Ocean Cay (seafood).

I tried a complimentary Sea Day brunch on both Carnival and MSC. I found that Carnival offered a better experience: the food was tastier and the service more efficient.

I also made it a point to try MSC’s version of the chocolate lava cake offered on the Butcher’s Cut steakhouse menu. While the dessert was delicious, I prefer Carnival’s version: the famous line melted chocolate cake. The “lava” component of MSC’s dessert was more liquid than Carnival’s version. So when I combined the vanilla ice cream with the cake, it quickly turned into a thick batter. Carnival’s cake-to-lava ratio (a little heavier on the cake with the right amount of lava) soaks up the ice cream a little better.

One menu item where MSC stole the spotlight at Carnival is the made-to-order plant-based burger offered at the Marketplace Buffet on MSC Seascape. The soy-based burger was fantastic and tasted similar to a beef burger. Every veggie burger this Pescatarian ordered on a Carnival cruise was a disappointment: dry and flavorless.

Pools and splash zones were almost tied

It’s easy to have fun on the slides and splash areas on both lines. Our kids are older, but I don’t think you’re ever too old to hit the slides. That’s why I like that the upper deck water areas are close to the main pool area, as is often the case on Carnival ships. When the sun gets bright, just a few steps away you can quickly slide down a water slide.

I loved MSC Seascape’s main pool, especially the circular island with a water feature at one end. I also liked that the pool had an extended shelf of shallow water around it to cool off without jumping in. However, the ship’s main slides were in the Pirates Cove pool area, separate from the main pool. The Pirates Cove space looked more like an indoor water park than a sunny cruise ship pool, which made it less appealing to me.

Carnival is still my favorite when it comes to top deck water fun…with one exception.

In my book, MSC Seascape’s adults-only infinity pool area wins the happiness award over Carnival’s Serenity Retreat. The aft infinity pool features half-submerged loungers and offers a large deck area with many places to enjoy extraordinary views of the horizon.

Carnival’s Serenity Retreat area primarily features hot tubs, as well as plenty of chaise lounges, chaise lounges, hammocks, and clamshells. Only some ships have pools on their decks exclusively for adults. While the Serenity Retreat area offers a relaxing, kid-free experience, Seascape’s infinity pool feels more exclusive and exclusive.

I would have fun with any of the lines.

Carnival may be the Fun Ship line, but I had a great time on MSC Seascape. Both lines feature a host of themed parties, theater productions, and team-led activities, and I did my best to make it to as many celebrations and gatherings as possible.

I know the Carnival parties of the 80s well, which are some of the most lively evenings I have attended. However, Seascape’s white party definitely matched the energy of Carnival. The activities staff members on both lines did an incredible job getting everyone pumped up and encouraging us to let go and have a good time.

As for nightlife in general, I prefer Carnival. Seascape’s bars and lounges were constantly filled with guests, but none of them offered a “theme,” which is something I lean toward.

For example, the ship’s wine and champagne bar on deck 7 looked a lot like a standard atrium bar. With the exception of two nearby high tables with permanent champagne bottles as decoration, nothing seemed to give it that extra “oomph” to make you feel like you were somewhere special. I missed having a place to go like Carnival’s Alchemy Bar or the lively Piano Bar to sing. While I enjoyed the bars at Seascape (especially the sports bar, which is unusual for me), I missed Carnival’s bar scene a bit.