Rhea98

I have been wondering about this, also. I do fall asleep to "tv" (really, videos from my Plex Media server). Most recent NCL cruises we were on had Samsung which was pretty easy to attach laptop/chromebook to directly. MSC wasn't so easy so I just loaded up my sd cards and use the Chromebook as a lap tv. I also use Sony wh-1000xm4 headphones. I figure for 8 nights (not 19-25), I'll get by.

Thanks for the reply. If we don't have our suitcase, we might be able to catch Coral Way trolley if the VV shuttle doesn't show. At least we can be more flexible without the rolling bag.

Does anyone know if this service (shuttle) is currently functioning? We have 1:45 check-in with a flight that arrives at 8:45. I see a restaurant (Seaman Cafe) close to Terminal V which I'd hoped to utilize for an early lunch, but the shuttle to Bayside would be great. Dropping off our bag early would be wonderful as I'm the "pack mule" while DH uses a small mobility scooter.

I did the same, except, after purchasing upper class seats to Italy through VA, I had to add points from CITI (online), AmEx (online), and CSR (phone) to get the 100,000 as no one source had enough points. It worked. All of those were instant. I'd already used CITI for the flights and had previously set up VA as a transfer partner with AmEx which may have been why I didn't have to call on those. We booked the March 25 cruise, also.

I think this was my comment. Since the Sea Terrace was not available, I tried the limited view (per info on promo) but only about $1500 credit was displayed with several thousand remaining balance. I hit the browser back button and saw that Central Terrace had a cost of $0. I chose that. I did not expect a portion discount: I expected all or nothing.

Yep. ("OMG! ...)

I heard the Old Fashioned 🥃 is really good, too. In fact, I heard it several times 😉.

We're ok with the one we chose. Thanks for the suggestion. FWIW, I'll repeat my experience posted earlier: "the Sea Terrace was not available so I chose Limited View and only a portion of the fee was given. I went back and saw that Central Sea Terrace was marked $0." That portion of the fee was about $1000 off, iirc. Availability of a specific room type may be a factor. If you don't see the cost of $0 come up, go back to the previous page and see if another is marked $0. I don't think you're "stuck" until you move forward on the booking page.

Exactly. It may not be a giveaway, but it's definitely a reduced rate.

Thanks for the help. I'm pretty sure it's tied to actually "purchasing" a cruise. I think these are the terms. We use alcohol so rarely that it's a moot point for us. We do drink coffee--and some low/no sugar coffee beverages. Heck, I'm just so happy to spend 8 days on the sea--virtually for free--, on a ship/line that sounds very comfortable for us, I don't care about much else. As we have lived for 40+ yrs in persistent hot, muggy FL, we had sworn off Caribbean cruises several years ago preferring transatlantic crossings or Northern Europe/UK (maybe our best cruise ever was all around the British Isles and then up to North Cape, Norway in spring 2018--when Norway and UK were hit with excessive heat 🙄). VV made us an offer we couldn't resist. 🚤 😁

Well, MAYbe I learned something about how VV website works (although I don't know anyone who's figured out MSC--most certainly no me). This morning (2/19--30% transfer bonus on Citi starts), as I sort of expected, the cruise I actually booked is still available; but, the Mar 11 cruise I had hoped to book but which had disappeared, is back! I also saw this pop-up, but text on previous page says " plus up to $600 in free drinks by booking your 2023 voyage by February 28th." It's all pretty confusing to me even though we're platinum on NCL, diamond on MSC, and have cruise a few on Carnival. I'm sure I would find challenges going to other cruise line websites. I'm not one bit disappointed with how my situation turned out. Have you received your access code?

All I know is that Deep Blue Perks are listed on my booking under Add-ons.

Thanks, AtSeaWithChris. I was approved for status match before I booked and didn't know if I needed to resubmit or contact VV. Your excellent info sent me right to "Deep Blue Extras" in the app. I'm pretty sure these perks are per cabin but wondered if DH (also matched with our MSC Diamond) should show anything. Maybe I'd have to create an account for him.

It will show up! 🤞 I was totally shocked when it came so quickly. I used those extra hours booking flights from Orlando to Miami and a room for the arrival night. Looks like you won't need to do any of that!!

Wow! Thanks for all the info and the PICTURES! It looks like DH will be able to take his little mobility scooter into parts of the town.

No, I did not wait.(It was only a loss of 10,000 pts--not the whole 30,000. or whatever it would have been.) After discussing the cruise possibility, DH and I decided we really wanted to take one of the cruises. My first cruise choice was already gone so I moved some pts from AmEx, CITI, and Chase. Hit the REDEEM and about 4-5 hrs later received the key access. I booked the 3/25, 8 day. I'm so unfamiliar with the VV website. the Sea Terrace was not available so I choose Limited View and only a portion of the fee was given. I went back and saw that Central Sea Terrace was marked $0. Whew! I'm expecting the Deep Blue Perks available via status match will apply since the cruise begins before March 31. We are retired (ancient, in fact--at least DH is) and live in south central FL area. I hope you don't remove your "Heart" from my post, but I can understand if you do. I'm not usually such a wimp, but?????

Well, it appeared that my first choice cruise (March 11, VL) is gone. I grabbed the offer today and hope my second choice (March 25) will still be there

I'm waiting until 2/19 for the CITI 30% transfer bonus. At that point, if cabins appear to be available on Valiant Lady, I will try for a voucher and attempt to book.

You may find more help here. We sailed from/to Hamburg about 5 yrs ago. We took the train to a stop near the port then took a pre-arranged shuttle to the port. I couldn't say if that shuttle company is still available, but the forum to which I linked should help.

My cruise isn't until Oct 28. No dining specialties show, yet. (Maybe when I pay??) I noticed some packages that require dining in 2, 3, or 4, or more, perhaps specified venues. It seems that the Trio would be 3 specified venues. I hope that the 3 Specialty Dining experience is the one where we are not locked into 3 different restaurants. We really enjoy Butchers Cut, but even the Dining Experience meal (Diamond freebie) was way too much food for us. We prefer a la carte and sharing sometimes. I just figured it was one more thing with MSC that is confusing. Yet, when we saw the Seashore repo from Genoa to Port Canaveral for under $500, I couldn't help myself!!!! For us, it's about the sea journey. We don't care too much about the food/entertainment. etc. Transatlantics are our preferred itineraries.

This is not an easy topic and getting specific info seems impossible. Also, it could change. "Generally," if you have not traveled to China (not necessarily an MSC thing) recently, and if you are NOT doing a Grand Voyage, AND if you are vaccinated, you will not need a Covid test. Some cities/countries may still require it. I haven't checked. When we were transitioning from our repo cruise to Nordic cruises (same ship), we expected another Covid test. No one told us differently until I asked at the desk a few days before our arrival/transition day when I discovered no stop in the Nordic/Netherland areas required them. We did have to test on the repo (Genoa-Copenhagen) cruise for a stop--maybe Portugal, I don't remember. My experience is really moot as it was nearly a year ago. We still had to test to fly back back to the US. Less than a week after that, it was no longer required. Fortunately, I knew we could (and did) get tests in the Copenhagen airport. Airport tests are a probability (unvaxed teen). For our previous trip, rapid antigen was accepted as long as it had been monitored (tele-monitored or direct). The lack of mention in MSC terms is further confusion/stressful. Hopefully, recent travels from US to Europe for cruise there will let you know.

We cruised from Genoa in May 2022. US covid cards (FL has no digital system) were accepted; our tests were at-home (in Orlando), tele-monitored, and accepted. We carried our cards, although digital from an authorized site would probably have sufficed, because some of the establishments at some of the ports did require proof (EU Covid digital certificate) to enter However, at that time, there was still mandatory covid testing at the port before embarkation. Honestly, I don't know what is happening now. We booked for Oct (Grand Voyage so test required despite multiple vaccinations). I'm hoping that changes by then, but who knows--probably NOT MSC.

Thanks. I enjoyed the "visit." We fell in love with Old San Juan during an NCL stop on a transtlantic in Nov. 2017. I was still deeply into a case of plantar fasciitis but hobbled around as best I could. We are booked on Seashore Oct. 2023 for it's return to US with a stop at San Juan. I'm completely mobile but now DH is using a mobility scooter. Hopefully, first, we'll actually get to take the cruise (our 2021 Seashore crossing canceled us), and second, we will be able to still get around Old San Juan.

That's good to hear--esp about the Diamond gathering. On our European cruises last May, they still weren't having the get-togethers. We did get the Prosecco, maybe some chocolates and our 9th-12th MSC gym bags (two of us on two cruises that time). We never got notification of the free dinner but the restaurant, apparently, had what they needed. In fact, many of us (according to the VC person onboard) weren't even given our correct tiers when we checked in. That took a couple of days. I wondered why our cards we blue???????