Two Wheels Only

"In Norwegian Joy's suite complex, The Haven by Norwegian, Premier Owner’s Suites with a Large Balcony will be expanded to three-bedrooms. The two suites will include three bedrooms; three and a half bathrooms; a fully renovated living room, master bedroom and outdoor balcony furniture; as well as a new separate dining room overlooking the forward-facing The Haven Horizon Lounge." Does that mean that the Haven "library" will get split in half and given to the H2 (or renamed to H1)?

The most confusing hurdle with MSC is understanding the different "experience" levels. This bothers some people who feel that the levels resemble the "class" system. Other lines do the same to some degree but MSC is the most blatant among the mainstream lines. The highest level is Yacht Club. This is most similar to NCL's Haven, Celebrity's Retreat and to a lesser degree, RCCL's Suite Neighborhood. A dedicated sundeck, dedicated restaurant, lounge, pool, bar, exclusive areas on and off of the ship, priority this and that, butler service, concierge, etc. Aurea is the 2nd highest MSC experience. What you get with Aurea varies by ship. Some ships have a dedicated Aurea restaurant, for example. A separate exclusive sundeck (also accessible by Yacht Club guests), Spa access, anytime dining, a separate bar, nicer stateroom choices, etc. Fantastica is 3rd highest. It's probably the most similar to non-suites on most of the other mainstream lines. You can select your stateroom, you can have a preference (earlier or later) for dining times in the evening but it will be a traditional fixed dining experience. You can add Spa access, drink package (there are multiple packages), specialty dining, etc. Bella is the most basic. You are limited as far as not being able to select a specific stateroom (in most cases) and certain stateroom types cannot be had if booked with Bella experience. MSC will assign a dining time and location in the evening. You're always able to go to the buffet with any experience, though. Some information HERE Some information about the Yacht Club HERE and video..... (the video is a mix of an old MSC video with some new clips/info added) Many people have questions about MSC especially people who are familiar with other lines. MSC does things differently and this can be a problem with people who have a long cruising history, Some of those people want and expect MSC to be like everyone else. That's where most of the complaints come from as far as what happens on the ship. One area where newbies and experienced MSC cruisers can agree is that customer service off of the ship can be.....challenging. Bookings can get messed up without warning. Phone reps can seem to give answers based on shaking a magic 8-ball. Refunds can take months (my longest wait was 5 months) and some people have waited over a year for MSC to return funds. A booking can be changed to something worse without compensation (you'll see the post if you hang around the forum) and MSC won't seem to care. On the ship, things can be great or lousy just like any other cruise. If you sail any line enough times, something will go wrong. How the line responds to the problems can vary but MSC isn't always the most receptive to complaints. With an experienced cruiser, I recommend looking into MSC's status match program (click HERE ) for discounts on even your first cruise. I recommend doing a match before booking since adding a discount after booking could cause a chain reaction of mistakes by MSC reps (see above). I never matched but have sailed my way to the highest level. I've only sailed Yacht Club with MSC, though. SOME people feel that Yacht Club is the only way to go but many forum members cruise MSC with Bella experience and have a great time. Below is a great review by an experienced cruiser (1st time with MSC).... ....and it wasn't their last with MSC. Feel free to ask any questions. Others who are more knowledgeable than I will gladly answer the best that they can.

The cabanas are numbered. The ones in the photos are number 3 & 6 which are ocean front. I can't help with the tree situation since I never took notice of them.

Sometimes, several weeks (months?) after the cruise. 😉

They could change "from" to "after", I guess. 😁 With MSC, we should just be happy if it is actually 90 days instead of 84.

Why do so many pier runners have the same (stupid) giddy look on their face? Why do people on the ship clap and cheer as the pier runner (gingerly) sashays to the ship? Since we can't carry firearms, we should be allowed to throw things at these people. Food, dishes, silverware, furniture....whatever is nearby. ...If I'm the Captain....

In order to get the waiver approved... "The parent or legal guardian must be onboard the sailing with the young adult and present themselves at the Front Desk so they can sign the form allowing the consumption of beer and wine only. A notarized Parent Consent Form or any other document allowing for temporary guardianship for the purposes of the sailing only will not be accepted." ...then, the waiver has to be approved by corporate back in Miami. Once approved, he/she doesn't need the parent/guardian to be there and can drink with anyone 21 or older (or another guest with an approved waiver). I think that the "Corks and Caps" package is no more so the only option is to pay a la carte for drinks if under 21.

Those things would have to be..... somewhere. Something has to give up some space.

The free cruise change is applicable either on the cruise dates or on the destination. Such change needs to be performed up to 30 calendar days before departure, for a new cruise to sail within 90 calendar days from the original departure. Any cruise change shall be requested through MSC Book or our contact centers.

Try MSCExistingReservations@msccruisesusa.com Be VERY specific as far as dates, confirmation numbers, amounts (down to the penny), ship, stateroom number, etc. Give them 10 business days from the time that they respond to the first email.

Are any of the **700 staterooms available? If so, how much more is NCL asking? Those (such as 13700, 12700, etc.) are much larger than their neighbors.

On World Europa/America, there are 2 options for the Duplex Suite. The ones without the hot tub are on the side of the ship. Those don't have the potential wind problem of the front-facing Duplexes. With the front facing Duplexes, the lower balcony should provide protection from the wind. I figure whether windy or not, I'll be ok on one of the balconies if not both. That's an issue with MSC that I don't struggle with in the Haven on NCL. Getting 2 bathrooms or even (gasp) 2 bedrooms is easy in the Haven depending on the ship. All Havens built in the last decade have plenty of options for families of 4. The Royal Suite and Owner's Suite really should have 2 bathrooms. With the World Class ships, there are 2 configurations for the Royal Suite and 2 configurations for the Owner's Suite. If MSC is willing to make them different, there should be at least one of them with a 2nd bathroom.

I've had the Royal Suite on Meraviglia. The hot tub on the balcony for that ship/class is better than the hot tub on the Royal Suite balcony for Seaside/Seaview or Seashore/Seascape. All RS hot tubs are better than the Duplex hot tub, though. You have 2 separate balconies on Meraviglia vs. 1 large one and you have 3 entrances to outside on Meraviglia vs 2. The table on the balcony for Meraviglia is smaller than the table on Seaside, Seashore, and Seascape. The table on Seaview is smaller than the other 3 Sea**** ships and about the same size (different shape) as Meraviglia. We're a family of 4 but were still able to have breakfast on the balcony with Meraviglia. The extra space was missed compared to the Sea**** ships but nothing to complain about. I'll be trying my first Duplex Suite on World America so I don't dislike the Duplex Suites at all. I specifically chose the Duplex on World America because I wasn't happy with the balcony on the Royal Suite or the balcony on the Owner's Suite. With the Duplex Suite, there is more of an open feel (on the upper deck) vs. the Royal Suite and the Owner's Suite for World America. The Royal Suite on Meraviglia has the same problem so that could be the only negative, I guess. It isn't as "open" as the Royal Suite balcony on the Sea***** ships. The Owner's Suite on Seashore/Seascape also has an enclosed feel compared to the Royal Suite and once again, the hot tub on the Royal Suite is better vs. the Owner's Suite hot tub. The Owner's Suite wins on size and view for the interior, though. With your itinerary and time of the year, a more enclosed balcony might be better than an open one. When the Duplex Suite was upgraded from Aurea to Yacht Club, I considered changing to the Duplex. I was already booked in the RS but I thought that the extra bathroom would be a plus. After showing videos to the family, we decided that the RS was the better option. MSC raised the prices from the time that we booked to the time that the Duplex was upgraded so the price difference wasn't much.

Which NCL ship are you considering? Will you be sailing in an interior stateroom, in a Haven Suite, or somewhere in-between? Voyager Class is nearly right in the middle of NCL's fleet in terms of size. Nearly half of the fleet is larger while a little more than half of the fleet is smaller. Which Carnival ship did you try? Was it a newer/larger one or an older/smaller one? With such a wide variety of ships and accommodations, NCL can't be simply described in a way that covers everything.

On Escape, there are very few options to choose from that meet that description.

An SDP meal in a la carte restaurants includes 1 appetizer, 1 soup or salad, 1 main course and 1 dessert (does not apply to cover charge restaurants or Food Republic, Pincho Tapas Bar and Sushi, where a meal includes any 4 menu items). No sharing or to go orders permitted. - T&C

MSC does have a zipline (I did it on Seaside). MSC does have bumper cars (World Class ships). MSC has roller skating (more environmentally friendly, I guess). MSC has plenty of family activities but is playing catch up as far as having a fleet of huge ships with the extra "amusement park" stuff.

As a Yacht Club guest, I recommend making a stop at the Smiling Fish for some ice cream.

You'll see more information if you log in with your MSC account. Then click on Cruise Details to see some more information such as OBC. I don't know if transferring to a travel agent will mess things up on the MSC side.

Carnival has.... Bluetooth, portable and wireless speakers are only permitted within your stateroom and must be used respectfully and at reasonable sound levels and times of day. ...so if NCL did something similar, you'd be fine.

The "included" things on RCCL are paid for whether you use them or not.

Sure. So far, I have gathered that 16020, 16027, 18018, 18019 do NOT have a walk-in closet. Also, 19033 and 19036 (both are wheelchair-accessible) do NOT have a walk-in closet. I want to be sure before posting the list so I am trying to get video/photo confirmation for everything. I'd hate to assume that port and starboard are identical if they are not. Usually, something such as knowing 19013 would make knowing 19018 a safe bet but I'll continue to wait/gather before making any more assumptions. It's bad enough that I am assuming that Seashore and Seascape are identical. Because the deck plans are slightly different/incomplete, I don't want to guess anything at this point. With MSC/Fincantieri, anything is possible. I have video/photo of the following...(all have a walk-in closet) 19002 19003 19006 19009 19012 19013 19014 19015 19025 19028 19030 19032 If anyone is willing to share photos/videos to fill in the gaps or to make corrections, please do so.

CAN I BUY DINNER FOR SOMEONE ELSE WITH MY SPECIALTY DINING PACKAGE? Specialty Dining Packages are sold individually and cannot be transferred. If you wish to pay for someone else’s dinner, you will not be able to use your own SDP. HOW WILL THE RESTAURANT STAFF KNOW I HAVE A SPECIALTY DINING PACKAGE? Your cabin keycard will include an SDP code on the front. Restaurant staff will request to see the card for verification. Please keep it handy.

NCL currently has.... Cruise Casual: the Freedom of Freestyle Cruising Dress cruise casual anytime during the day, in the buffet and in most specialty restaurants. For women, it includes summer and casual dresses, skirts, regular or capri pants, shorts, jeans and tops. Khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts are fine for men. Swimwear is acceptable at the buffet and outdoor restaurant, but a shirt or a cover-up and footwear are required. Be sure to pack a sweater - the air conditioning can be chilly. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants. Please Note: We want you to be comfortable, but tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded, with holes or tears and worn below the hips are not permitted in main dining rooms or specialty restaurants. All Decked-out: Smart Casual Dress smart casual in our more upscale specialty restaurants. For women, it includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops. For men, it's jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear shorts in all our restaurants. What NCL used to have was... Cruise Casual: the Freedom of Freestyle Cruising Dress cruise casual anytime during the day, in the buffet and in most specialty restaurants. For women, it includes summer and casual dresses, skirts, regular or capri pants, shorts, jeans and tops. Khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts are fine for men. Swimwear is acceptable at the buffet and outdoor restaurant, but a shirt or a cover-up and footwear are required. Be sure to pack a sweater - the air conditioning can be chilly. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in all our restaurants. Please Note: We want you to be comfortable, but tank tops for men, flip flops, baseball caps, visors and jeans that are overly faded, with holes or tears and worn below the hips are not permitted in main dining rooms or specialty restaurants. All Decked-out: Smart Casual Dress smart casual in our more formal dining room or in our more upscale specialty restaurants. For women, it includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops. For men, it's jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes. Kids 12 and under are welcome to wear nice shorts in all our restaurants. ...but even after the slight adjustment to the "Smart Casual" section, there are still cases where the code for the actual restaurant differs from what is listed on the site.