slei15

I had that information written down, but it took me a bit to find it.

 

Deck#-Cabin/Balcony (sq-ft)

13-295/280

12-420/388

11-290/312

10-295/323

9-295/323

 

I'm sure both deck 13 and 12 are true suites with a separate living room from bedroom. The other decks probably have one large cabin area.

Awesome thanks!!

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So as I just got off of cruise number 2 for 2018 and look towards the Seaside in November, naturally I had to start planning for 2020 already. I booked the Meraviglia out of Miami for March 15 and March 22 (not sure which week spring break will be yet) in an S3. Looking at the deck plans and cabin choices, I think the 2 on deck 12 (12007 and 12010) are the two largest S3's on the ship in both cabin and balcony size, but can anyone confim this? The plans all say the cabin is between 291-409 SF or something like that, and all of the other decks are around that 291 mark. My confirmation shows a total of 39.66 SM between the cabin, door, and bathroom, which at a rough conversion of 10.78 sm/sf is 427.5 sf. I booked 12007 for 1 week and 12010 for the other. Did I pick right? TIA!

Update...The menus have changed. No more lobster. Still doesn’t look bad, but also now only showing 3 nights.

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So I was playing with the Royal app for our 6/25 Enchantment cruise since they just made it available as of 6/12 and noticed on the dinner menu that there will be lobster tail one night and lobster pasta another. Is this accurate? I haven’t seen lobster on a 4 night menu in years!

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We did the UDP on the Rhapsody in January, having only 3 restaurants to choose from in Izumi, Chops, and Giovanni's. We rotated each night, and did Izumi for the lunches as it was a lighter meal than the others. We got a deal on it in a bundle with the UBP ($61/day/person for both). I never saw it go below $168 for the 7 nights on its own. The package was awesome, and we had the same server in each restaurant each time we went, so it was like having a dining room server. They learned our names, preferences, etc. just like you would have in the MDR. There was enough on the menus to try different things each night. Makes it hard to consider sailing Royal again without the UDP, although it is not offered for our 4 night Enchantment in June since Chops is the only specialty.

That nice rectangle table looks perfect for beer pong....Watch out for the group of spring breakers booking the royal suite!!!

How much are the water slides?

Waterslides are free. Zip line is $5 per ride or $20/cabin for the week according to recent reports.

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I wish they would be consistent. I just did the $18 pp/pd upgrade through MSC (I booked through them too) and it’s not due till the final payment.

The reason for the difference is based on ownership of the reservation. If you book with a TA they own it and are responsible for payments for you. When you add something on without their knowledge (aka upgrading package directly with MSC) then the cruise line doesn’t want to mess up what the TA has set up for you, therefore they collect payment immediately. When you book directly, you own the reservation so it can be applied to the balance owed.

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Sorry don’t mean to hijack your response. When I called in, the MSC rep told me that the cost of the package was due now. I’m not sure if it’s because the package is none refundable or what not (doesn’t matter, because I won’t hanged my mind anyways) but the final payment date was still the same. I don’t know if they is what other people had to do as well but I hope this helps.

 

 

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If you upgrade on your own it is due now. If you do it through your TA it doesn’t have to be paid until final payment date.

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Spidey ... A shame you are not on our sailing, hope you have another great cruise on Seaside. Glad to be of help with the info.

 

This time around we will not be in the Aft Suite though it was available when we booked.

Are you in an SJ3 this time (whirlpool suite)? I am trying to find out what type of sofa bed is in 12067 if it is bunk or regular double.

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Sorry, I was not clear with what I wrote. I was told the upgrade would be $26 per person, per day. I'm questioning if it would be $26 per adult and per child, making the deluxe package $104 for the cabin per day.

According to the small print in the offer flyer, the upgrade must be done for all guests age 21 and older in the stateroom. If your kids are under 21 it will be $52 per day total.

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I just spoke to my TA, I am in a Fantastica Balcony, travelling with my wife and 2 children.. I was told it would be $103 extra to switch from the drink vouchers to the drinks on us package. When I inquired about then upgrading to the deluxe package, I was told it was $26 per person, including the children. Do these numbers make sense? I wouldn't think children would be the same as adults, as a week of the deluxe package for children is only about $60.

That doesn’t sound right about the kids. It is $26 per person per day, not $26 total per person. I’ll look into the kids shortly and report back.

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I’m an seriously debating on the option of upgrading to the classic package for $18/pp per day!

 

I’m trying to be realistic with just how much gelato, boozy coffee and fru fru cocktails I will/should realistic consume in a weeks time lol

 

I need help everyone!! Please help, either talk me off the ledge or push me over! Lol jk

 

 

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If you are going to upgrade, I would spend the extra $56 pp and go for the deluxe. Those gelato ice cream bars are among the most incredible things I have ever eaten (only free with deluxe)! The Venchi martinis are also worth their weight in gold, and only in the deluxe package! Also gives you the minibar, and much better selection of wines, beers, and liquor brands. It just takes all of the thinking out of the equation and lets you go enjoy. The deluxe package on MSC was the best beverage package we have had on any line, and we have done the highest available packages on NCL, Royal, Carnival, and Celebrity.

How much is the service charge? I’m seeing different numbers here. Sounds like what NCL does, you pay 90-100pp for gratuities up front.

 

 

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The auto service charge for the trip is $12.50 pp/pd ($87.50 pp for 7 night). The per drink service charge with drinks on us is above and beyond that at 15% of the drinks normal cost, so for every $5 drink you would see a charge of 75 cents. If you upgrade to the classic or deluxe package you don’t pay that per drink charge, but the base $12.50 pp per day is unrelated and still there.

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I vaguely remember a while ago reading that if you choose Bella, you may be bumped to the buffet. Is this true?

While it does state this in the T&C's, recent reports from the Seaside are that they have added a 3rd seating into all dining rooms and nobody is eating at the buffet. That being said, you were not forced to eat "from the buffet" if seated there..A section of it was turned into an MDR with linens, table service, and the same menus as the dining rooms. Many people actually enjoyed eating in there due to better views and a quieter atmosphere than the jam packed dining rooms.

Ok so I’m not really understanding... I have sailed with Msc twice before. Was on seaside last month so I’m familiar with the different experiences. So they are offering this new drink package with Bella and fantastic new bookings. So what is the difference between the 2 now other than the new drinks on us package. Is there any incentive to book the fantastic which we normally book because it looks like you will not longer get the 12 coupons with the fantastic or a onboard credit As it looks right now Bella is cheaper so why book fantastic if you getting the same thing. I’m I missing something here ? Getting ready to book my next cruise :)

I think where the big difference now comes in is the cabin selection and priority level as far as dining time. Most cruise lines have their cabin categories broken into several subcategories, with the mid-ships, higher decks, etc. increasing substantially in price over the lowest category. Think of Bella being your "lower category" cabins, being lower decks, far aft or forward, etc., and Fantastica being your "higher category" cabins, being higher decks, mid-ship, etc. On other cruise lines it is common to see upwards of a $200 pp price difference within a category just due to cabin location. The class system is just MSC's way of doing this sub-category system.

The perk of the 12 drinks was nice, but only being available for US passengers and apparently for a limited time (didn't start until the summer season of 2017 and now officially slated to end on 3/25/2019), was not the bread and butter intent of the Fantastica category. Those coupons were a royal PITA to have to carry around, and I ended up buying the drink package anyway rendering them useless.

Also being in FL and having been to Nassau a million times, we are in the same boat as you...Our typical Nassau day looks like sleeping in, eating breakfast after the crowds of people rushing to get off the ship are done, debarking once the exit crowds are gone, walking to the Dunkin' Donuts across from the Hilton that is behind the straw market for a good iced coffee for the first time in a week, and then back to enjoy the empty ship. I have not seen any sales on anything pre-cruise with MSC aside from the not paying the 15% on anything pre-booked. They don't do like Royal does with the Cruise Planner sales.

This becomes a good deal in terms of total price only when you planned on purchasing the deluxe beverage package regardless. I just repriced for a client and it was $100 cheaper when factoring in the upgrade to deluxe vs purchasing the deluxe in full under the old program.

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I just got off Seaside on Saturday.

 

There is no way to control the speed. I thought it went pretty slowly compared to other ziplines I've been on but definitely a good view.

 

You have limited control over spin.

 

It was very windy during most of the cruise so the zipline was rarely operating and when it did they only had one of the two lines open. If there is a line it moves slowly due to the staff harnessing and outfitting the passengers.

 

As far as riding position, probably depends on the harness and how it fits the particular rider.

 

If I'm not mistaken you had to be 52" to ride and weigh a minimum of 75 lbs. There was an upper weight limit but I can't remember what it was...thought it was 290 but I could be mistaken.

I don’t think they are strict on the weight minimum...my 60 pound 8 year old son rode it. He is 52 inches.

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Hi, thanks for your response. Do they really locate the kids? How about opening the cabin door?

Last I heard they charge an additional $18/kid for the week for the locating service, but it does work pretty well. The bracelets work well for opening cabins and making purchases.

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I haven't gone on Seaside yet, but I've been asking these same questions myself, and this is what I've found out:

1. Not sure, I've been reading different things about them, I think it depends on your level.

2. We also are getting Fantastica, and from what I can figure, you can use them for the ice cream.

3. You don't need the internet package to use the MSC app, but as others have said, there is no chat feature. If you want to chat, you'll have to go through facebook or gmail or whatever, and so yeah, you'll need the internet package.

4. I've seen on other posts that once aboard ship, the digital photo package goes up to 199, so book online first!

5-6 If you're going to do bowling and the zip line, I'd recommend getting the package on the ship where you buy $50 worth of entertainment credit and get $15 free. You can't get it on the website, but when I called customer service, I could prebook it over the phone.

 

When do you travel? Maybe if you go before me (I'm on June 2nd) I can hit you up with my own questions when you get back! lol

The bracelets/bands are $5 each if not in YC or Aurea where they are included. You purchase them at the future cruise/technology desk in the centrum area.

Yes, I completely agree. The claim of the one 'touted' MSC agent I spoke to was that commissions were minimal on my booking. I was looking for confirmation that this was true.

I am not sure how Voyagers Club 'discounts' would affect the final commissions paid to TA.

The more discounts placed onto the booking, the less commissions the TA will receive, meaning the less they can return to you. Just like when a car salesman sells a car or a real estate agent sells a house, the higher price they sell it for, the more commissions they will receive. The more discounting done on the deal, the lower the revenue basis for a commission payment. MSC is not paying commissions on the pre-discounted value, but rather on the actual sale value. It is the opposite of how we think about tipping here in the US, that if you use a coupon you should still tip on the undiscounted value of the meal...They are paying commissions as a % of the discounted amount.

The perks you will receive from a TA are based on the amount of commissions they receive for the sailing, and factoring in for the TA the amount of work expected to have to be done for the booking, ultimately tying into how much revenue the TA feels they need to make for the booking to be profitable. The level of commission earned depends on the volume of booking done with the cruise line, so adding in the deeply discounted cruise, the TA may not have that much excess commission to play with for perks. IMHO any TA charging a cancellation or service fee is not worth using, as they should be making their money from the cruise lines and providing their services to you complimentary. The better service provided to you, the more likely you are to use them again for future bookings and refer them to others, enabling them to earn incremental future commissions. The only time a TA should speak of a cancellation fee is if it is a booking in penalty and the cancellation fee is a pass-through from the cruise line.

Cruises are just like everything else in life...Subject to personal preferences. If people didn't like different things, we wouldn't have choices in life. Some people like to save a buck and shop and Wal-Mart because the most important thing to them is the cost. Others prefer the shopping experience and are willing to pay more to shop at Publix for groceries, Macy's for clothing, and Home Depot for hardware, instead of accomplishing it all in one trip. Some people want to drive a Lexus for the comfort and status, others prefer a Ford Fiesta for the functionality and cost efficiency. It all comes down to taste, and not everything is for everyone.

I was one of the early Seaside reviewers, from the inaugural sailing. My review was self-admittedly mostly negative, based on what I had experienced. I did have many positives in there as well, and overall, we did have a great time because we made it a great time. I also have 2 more cruises booked on the Seaside, and am using what I learned my preferences are on the initial Seaside sailing to change the way I am doing it and improve the experience for myself. We needed more cabin and storage space, and wanted a hot tub that can actually be hot. So we booked Aurea whirlpool suites. We wanted anytime dining, so we booked Aurea. Some may not have the flexibility to do so, and for those, I would advise then choosing something that is more to your taste. As a travel agent, I recommend to my clients the best options for their tastes. I do not try to sell them what will be best for my pocket, I have serious conversations with them about their likes and dislikes, preferences vs requirements, etc., and set them up with the best option for them. I have experienced almost every mainstream cruise line, and know what to expect from each one when it comes to food, service, cabins, etc. My clients are very happy with the personal service and understand what they are getting or sacrificing based on their choice. The expectations are set going in, and that is how every person needs to travel in order to be happy. Nobody is going to love every aspect of the cruise, but for all the reviews that say the cruise ruined their life (ok maybe a little exaggeration), I bet if they reflect on the 7 nights they will find many positives that they pushed to the back of their mind in order to complain about all the negatives.

As far as the sewer smell,. my wife and MIL went on a 4 night RCCL cruise on the Majesty a couple of years ago. The smell was so bad right outside of their cabin, they had to hold their breath walking down the hallway. They brought it up to guest services, and the solution they had was to scrub down the sewer pipes with bleach and spray air freshener. Needless to say, that only made the problem worse. It was never resolved during the cruise, and they had no clue what was causing it. When you have a ship with such a complicated plumbing system, there are bound to be smells and issues, no matter if it is new or old, big or small. As they say sh!t happens, especially on a cruise ship with all that food. I personally never smelled anything on the Seaside that I didn't smell on other ships (yes we did notice an unpleasant odor by the kids pool area bathrooms, but that was explained in our eyes by the huge log someone left in the toilet). We were all over that ship exploring on the inaugural, and the sewer smell never stood out.

Everybody has their own perspective on everything in life, and when it comes down to it, you just need to do what is best for you based on what your preferences are. Ok..enough rant.

Yes, there is one by the Miami Beach pool right outside the deck 16 buffet at the main pool bar, as well as inside by the Jungle pool.