Two Wheels Only

I don't believe that anything given above and beyond what is required should be considered cheap. If you are happy giving those amounts, that's fine. It's your money and your decision.

Thank you for the update. I'm not surprised that both things happened on the same cruise.

Your view out will be fine but your view down may be blocked.

The configuration tends to alternate for most of the balcony staterooms along the side of the ship. Most people find that bed near balcony "feels" more spacious. The angled balcony was a plus, though.

In your case, was the bed near the balcony or was the bed near the closet?

With MSC, most dress codes are more like "suggestions" than hard rules. Even when something is specifically prohibited in writing (such as no shorts for dinner), the enforcement is (more often than not) inconsistent. You might be allowed to wear shorts on one day but denied entry in shorts the next day. It doesn't matter if it's Gala Night or not. You'll see someone in a tuxedo sitting next to someone in shorts. Some forum members were not allowed in the Yacht Club restaurant for dinner because of shorts. Some forum members wore shorts for dinner in the Yacht Club restaurant with no problem. Either can happen with MSC. NCL's dress codes are written but aren't always enforced. MSC's dress codes are kinda/sorta written but enforcement is more unpredictable.

It depends..... "1 free cruise change * The free cruise change is applicable either on the cruise dates or on the destination. Such change needs to be performed up to 1 month before departure, for a new cruise to sail within 3 months from the original departure. Any cruise change shall be requested through our contact center." - MSC ...but realistically, MSC screws up money matters so often, it's better to just assume that once MSC has your deposit, you'll never see it again. In MY case, I've had every Yacht Club deposit returned to me when there was a cancellation by either me or by MSC. OTHER people have not been so lucky and haven't gotten their deposit returned nor moved to another cruise.

I've done both but I usually book directly. MSC has this new "concierge" service which is basically an in-house travel agent. There was an issue with the MSC website (happens far too often) and I called the MSC concierge to secure a specific stateroom when the site would give an error message. I have a history of navigating MSC's website and gaining access to things that I shouldn't see but that's a story for another day....😉 I've spoken to the regular MSC phone reps plenty of times and I could easily tell that the concierge was more knowledgeable and helpful. I was booking a cruise for Christmas week and many different travel agents and even direct bookers tend to put phantom holds on suites. The concierge was able to see the error message and was able to flush out the posers who were holding the suite that I wanted. I was able to book and everything was exactly as it should have been. Without the concierge, I would have booked a more expensive suite (Owner's) even though my preference was the Royal Suite. As always, prices started to climb as more and more people booked. If there is a better promo or discount, I can contact the same concierge directly and make changes. I already got more OBC and nothing else had to be changed.

I check them myself. With MSC, the age of the guest has an impact on the price. I'm booking for a family of 4 so it isn't as simple as $xxx per person when those prices are usually for guests #1&#2. There is also the Voyager's Club discount which in the past has been 5%, 5%+5%, 5%+10%, or 5%+15%. Those discounts can come and go at any time but it's possible to add a discount months after booking if a better discount comes along. For example, let's say I book and the total price after 5% discount is $5,000. Even if the price goes up months later but the discount is then 5%+5%, I can get the better discount applied to the original lower price. It can be tricky (MSC will often mess up a booking if changes are made) but so far, everything has worked for me with MSC.....eventually.

I've done both Haven and Yacht Club on several occasions. Whether NCL or MSC, the ship choice can make a big difference. There are some things that NCL Haven does better. There are some things that MSC Yacht Club does better. Neither is perfect. Generally, MSC butlers have been better but I've never had a bad butler on either line. I'd give the NCL concierges a better grade than the MSC concierges. Haven concierges seem to have a bit more influence over other parts of the ship in order to get things done for the Haven guests vs. what Yacht Club concierges can get done. Again, ship choice makes a difference. I haven't sailed Divina but I have sailed Seaside, Seashore and Meraviglia. There is shade on all three (Seaside eventually learned to put loungers in the shaded area) but we also had a cabana/pergola every time. The buffet/food options and bar service right on the sundeck give MSC the advantage over NCL. The option to cover the pool in bad weather on most BA/BA Plus Haven ships is an advantage for NCL. Some people like the "indoor" feel of the Haven pool (except for Getaway) and some people like the view of the ocean from the Yacht Club pool. Yacht Club pools tend to be deeper (more than 6ft) but that also depends on the ship. Included Spa access, wi-fi, and included drink package is a Yacht Club advantage but with NCL promos and options, Haven guests can basically get the same things. Stateroom options are more abundant on NCL. It is very rare to have 2 bathrooms even with MSC's largest suites. A DOS or Garden Villa on NCL is larger/more impressive than an Owner's Suite or Royal Suite on MSC but NCL will cost much more. A whirlpool on the balcony (looking at you, Prima 😠) is less expensive with MSC Yacht Club options. Pricing is always part luck, part skill. When prices go up and down like a roller coaster, some people will hop on when the price is low. Some will be shocked when the price is high. I'm one of the people who gets low prices more often than not. One of the Royal Suites that I booked on MSC was only $200 more than what some people paid for a Deluxe Suite on the same cruise. One Haven aft-facing suite that I had was almost $4,000 less than what some other people paid for the same class of suite and their balcony was smaller than mine. These weren't last minute deals. These were cruises that were booked far in advance before prices increased. I enjoy both Haven and Yacht Club and I prefer that they aren't the same.

Technically, the ship can dock on either side. However, 99% of the time, the ship docks with the starboard side facing the island. 😉

🤣

At certain ports, you might have to toss those M&M's in the trash. If the drug/food sniffing dog gets a hit, you'll be asked to empty your bag/pockets and toss whatever isn't allowed.

Seashore and Seascape are the same class of ship with minor differences. Seaside is similar to the slightly larger Seashore and Seascape but a few things have been moved around on the newer ships. Seaside had some teething problems when it was new just as Seascape has some teething problems now. Seaside's wrinkles were worked out just as Seascape's will be. I'll be on Seashore again later this year with Seascape booked for a few months after that. I also sailed Seaside for the first time a few months after it came to the US. Clearly, I enjoy both classes and I even enjoyed Meraviglia last year. Like many people, I started with Carnival then moved on. MSC and NCL are the lines that currently best fit my family (kids slightly older than the OP's) with RCCL's large ships in 3rd. I'd like to sail Icon OTS but the dates and itineraries either didn't match for us or I already had a MSC cruise booked for those weeks. Waiting to jump and book World America as soon as I can... There are plenty of kids onboard with plenty for them to do. The same is true for Carnival, RCCL, and NCL so I wouldn't worry about fitting in with the other guests. I haven't sailed Mardi Gras so I can't compare/contrast the ships that you're considering. As for port vs. port, I can drive to any of the 5 Florida ports on the morning of the cruise so I can't really help in that area. Voyager's Club memberships were extended twice so it's possible that yours is still active. You might be able to still get that discount. If not, maybe a status match could work.

Impossible to know....but I'd like to give some of the credit to us. 🤗

There have been instances when NCL has reversed course on a decision based on forum "outrage" but most of the time, NCL just does what NCL wants and moves on. The most recent one that I can think of is the "Haven restaurant open to anyone...for a fee..." debacle. In that case, NCL got rid of the option and even posted here on CC that since the idea wasn't well received, the Haven restaurant would remain available to only Haven guests (and on occasion, guests of Haven guests 😉). Maybe 99% of the whining is ignored but that 1% that gets through.....

There are plenty of great non-Yacht Club reviews out there. MSC being "different" is often the cause of the bad reviews. There are legitimate complaints and there are "...my favorite cruise line does things differently so I'll never sail MSC again..." complaints. It's important to separate the two.

You could have given the cash to the Yacht Club concierge to put on your account and he/she would've refunded any extra cash on the last night. 😁

All of the BA Plus ships (Escape/Joy/Bliss/Encore) are built with the same aft-facing configurations. The stateroom numbers can vary but knowing the physical location of the stateroom will tell what the bed location is. I've compiled the lists myself by combining photos that I have taken and photos/reviews from others. The information given by NCL isn't always correct so I trust actual guests to fill in the missing gaps. So far, the lists are correct but I am always looking for corrections if my information is incorrect. Sometimes, threads drift and someone may start by asking about one ship but someone else may ask a question about another ship. With the different numbers, it's important to keep things straight. I've made a few blunders (especially when someone asks about a BA ship in a BA Plus thread) but I try to keep things organized by specifically naming the ship and stateroom.

Personally, I don't do it but I'm not paying enough attention to what others are doing at their table to notice. It's like people taking pictures of their food/drink when it arrives at their table. If they want to do it, I have no problem with it.

On Joy, 12958 is bed near balcony.

In my experience, it's a coin toss as to whether or not the requests before the cruise will be fulfilled. You're better off just telling your butler what you want in person.

"ALL CAPS Typing in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is considering shouting by many, so please double check your caps lock key before posting."- Cruise Critic Community Guideline It's only been 3 hours. I need more time.🧐

The elevator goes to 17, 18, and 19. The spiral stairs only go to 17 and 18.

The elevator is next to the spiral staircase. On the deck plan, look for the half-circle in the Haven lounge (17) that takes you to deck 18 near the restaurant.