showingdiva

Service charges on MSC (certainly out of the UK for UK passengers) are included in the cruise fare. So you won't have any extra charges for that on your bill at the end of the cruise if this is your case. What will be on your bill are any non-included restaurants, drinks if you don't have / want a drink package, gelato, casino and purchases in any of the shops, excursions etc. You get your MSC card at check in. It will be scanned when you board the ship the first time, and each time you get off at ports. If, for example you want a drink, when you order it, you will be asked to scan your MSC card. If you have a drink package, the cost is added to your bill, but then taken off to balance it back to zero. If you don't have a drink package, it will add to your bill like a tab, and you will get a balance at the end of the cruise which will need settled before you disembark - or you can pay in (by cash or card) a credit amount at the beginning of the cruise when you register your card. I assume virtual debit cards can be used just like an ordinary one. Just be careful when registering a debit card, because it will automatically hold an automatic charge of £250. The best idea is to go to Guest Services, where the ATM machines are when you embark. They have staff around to help you.

You can register your credit / debit card before your cruise or at one of the ATM machines on board. Your MSC card is used for all purchases, including signing for any drinks you have as a pre-bought / included package, The same card also scans you on and off the ship at ports, opens your cabin door and needs put into the slot to work the cabin lights / air conditioning. What you owe at the end of the cruise is taken off the card you have registered.

Self-disembarkation carrying own luggage is early. The day before leaving, you will be given information with your daily ship newspaper on your disembarkation time, time to put luggage out etc. As a general rule on Virtuosa, the higher the deck your cabin is on, the later your disembarkation. This is a big ship, so other than those who opt for self- disembarkation, which from memory is around 7.30am, there has to be a degree of traffic management. The last deck is around 10.30am, but it does vary slightly from cruise to cruise.

I received one from Cunard today

Opening hours are 7pm until "late". Whilst it could be argued that it is better to be above something than below it on a cruise ship, if this room change is as a result of a TA error, I would be asking them to move at least one or two decks higher into the main passenger decks.

I often (on average tree times a week) have both coastguard and air ambulance helicopters fly past my office window (NHS emergency department). Even in a modern building, once they're on the helipad, you can feel the ground floor corridors vibrate underfoot, four floors below, and we have to shut windows with the coastguard helicopter (they are huge beasts close up!). It's little surprise the immediate area on a cruise ship is evacuated. I hope Arvia's medivac recovers quickly. As others have said, would not have been an easy decision.

Would hate to think post-autumn 2024 would spell the end of Virtuosa in the UK.

Sorry to hear that not everything is going to plan on Virtuosa. I'm still very much wearing rose coloured glasses after a recent wonderful Fjord cruise on board her (my third Virtuosa holiday in 18 months). I can understand what would draw people to YC, although personally, I'm not keen on its location, being a mid-ship, relatively low deck kind of passenger. That said, I'm also a believer that every passenger should receive exception service, But as a solo traveller, a good Fantastica balcony is very acceptable. Thank you for taking the time to post during your holiday. I hope all the little irritations are sorted quickly.

I don't have a problem with P&O trying to attract a different audience post-pandemic, or that they have followed others into the huge ship, mass market. But from reading reviews, and bearing in mind the devastating toll that covid had on all cruise lines and how they are trying to recoup losses, P&O still seem to be all over the place in certain aspects. Personally, when I book, I want to choose my cabin and its location, and as a solo traveller, when booking, don't want to be exploited because I am and want a nice balcony cabin or charged double because a cruise line doesn't think I will spend money on extras. Are P&O solely guilty of this? Absolutely not. But on my current chosen cruise line, I can have all that, and have just had the holiday of a lifetime in the fjords for the same price that P&O want me to float around the English Channel then pop into Zeebrugge for four days for the same price. P&O - I will be back, Just not in the foreseeable.

MSC Euribia was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique

It was a US article I read late last night. I've got a significant interest in Euribia being identified / sorted before October . Discovery Princess may also be in a similar already operational position as Euribia.

45 ships believed involved including Rotterdam, Queen Anne, MSC Euribia and the new MSC luxury Explora 1, whose delivery rejection seems to have been the catalyst in all this.

Having done a dummy booking for a Princess cruise, I can truthfully say that irrespective of cruise length, cabin grade, itinerary or ship, Princess are clearly unhappy at the thought of solo travelers

Condolences to you and your family at this sad time.

Operational reasons

I still have Fred's Braemar at Rosyth, with a for sale sticker on her

Of course it doesn't stop anything. I work in a hospital in real life, and it's just as bad there as a cruise ship. If people are going to be (for want of a better word) "manky" irrespective of what measures are taken, there will always be people of all ages who don't wash hands, touch food. etc. Cruise lines can only do so much. Passengers need to play their part in acting like responsible grown ups.

No. There's an eternally cheerful young lady at the entrance to the buffet on MSC Virtuosa who thanks you for washing your hands, sprays you with hand sanitiser then tells you to have a nice day.

A bit murky as she left the Firth of Forth, keeping close to the deeper Fife side of the river. But nonetheless, Britannia departing this evening ..

Not necessarily. I'm not long back from Virtuosa, in a cabin with a sofa that could convert. The bed was next to the balcony.

Only experiences on Virtuosa ex UK, but the music on board that annoys me the most is the proximity of the singer / piano player to the guest services desk. Post-covid, it was even worse when they had screens, but it's got no better since they were removed. I still find both passengers and staff members virtually having to scream at each other. In all honesty, I've found neither carousel show loud, and in the main theatre, I tend to sit near the back. I find Cunard shows far greater in volume.

Britannia is due at us in the Firth of Forth on the 21st. Anchoring / tendering at South Queensferry, but will require a tug to hang on to her aft due to the proximity to both our beautiful Forth Bridge and the nearby Hound Point oil terminal. Tendering to Hawes Pier with both the ship's tenders and the help of our local excursion ship.

Yes, life is too short to sweat the small stuff. Arcadia in August this year? If so, coming via Edinburgh (always a good thing!) and decent itinerary otherwise. If 2024, she's going the other way round via Ireland. Been in Arcadia suites, but never an aft one. Can't recall when she's off for a refit. Otherwise, if willing to spend that sort of money, would be looking at MSC Yacht Club in June 2024. Similar itinerary. Bigger ship, yes, but without the dining dramas.

The MSC ship that homeports in Southampton in the summer - MSC Virtuosa in 2022, 2023 and 2024 only embarks passengers there. Currency in GB Pounds. The winter / Christmas ship - Virtuosa last year winter, Euribia this winter and next, homeports in Hamburg, but embarks passengers at each port on the continual loop of Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre and Southampton. Currency in Euros.

😲 Even more excited now. Thank you for posting this.