KINGBOBOFTHENORTH

If your credit card used has a time limit to dispute charges, you might want to initiate the dispute now before it's too late. Cruise line appears to be stringing you along.

Cozumel is the destination of nearly every cruise departing from Tampa. Key West is also a common destination, although perhaps not on the same cruise as Cozumel. Key West government and voters have very little authority to regulate interstate and international commerce so I doubt they will prevail in their fight. Since the voters want to limit ship passengers to 1500 per day, Spirit-class would be way too large.

No one at the cruise terminal looks at your boarding time. And don't call it to anyone's attention. Just get there when you get there and get in the queue to check-in.

Yes, you're free to have lunch, go to the pool, self-tour the ship prior to the muster drill, whatever. The muster drills on my two most-recent MSC cruises were at 16:45 on Euribia and 16:00 on Seaside.

I don't know if anyone else sails to Progresso/Merida but Cozumel and Key West are pretty common destinations out of Tampa on the traditional cruise lines. So they're facing stiff competition on this new venture of theirs and they have LOTS of cabins to fill.

We did Iceland a few years ago right after they reopened; they were still doing covid19 testing in the airport parking lot upon arrival! Yes, definitely get a rental car there. Reykjavik is great but the real beauty of course is out of town.

Thanks for sharing. My wife and I did this ship and itinerary in early December. "A winter cruise will be fun", I said. OMG, it was SO cold! Like you, we won't do that again. In the Caribbean, yes, but in northern Europe, no.

Don't let anyone turn you off. MSC does a great job with their themes and entertainment. I did a 3-nt cruise over Labor Day weekend out of Port Canaveral on MSC Seaside. Your cruise will be similar. There will definitely be a White Party as shown on my Blog here: https://www.orlandoentertainmentnews.com/?p=23639 There will be a Sunshine Party which is mostly 70's Disco and if you're overnighting on their private island, a Lighthouse beach party as shown here: https://www.orlandoentertainmentnews.com/?p=23598 You would wear your white clothes and 70's clothes to the dinner that night if you want to. The third night is a Formal Night which can be very informal if you don't want to dress up. Have fun!

They likely offer it on their European websites but not on their American website. We did this route in early December like this: 1) Via taxi, Port to National Express coach terminal at Harbour Parade Southhampton. (5 minutes/about £10 for 2.) 2) National Express coach from the Southhampton bus terminal to Heathrow Airport. (Less than 2 hours/about £20 per person.) https://www.nationalexpress.com/en At Heathrow, the bus stops first at T5, then T4 and finally the Heathrow Central Bus Terminal which serves T2 & T3 via underground moving sidewalks. Make sure you select a bus that goes directly from Southampton to Heathrow, not a bus going to central London and then connecting to the airport from there. I think our bus was around 10:30am. You have to be able to handle your own luggage from the taxi into the Southampton bus terminal (a few steps) and more importantly, from your Heathrow dropoff point to your airline's ticket counters.

You can call them and they will provide that information over the phone.

The Biscayne Bay Marriott is likely the closest location to the cruise ships. But whether downtown hotel prices are worthwhile if you're not going to take advantage of anything there is your call. Getting in at 8PM after a long flight and then waiting a half hour for baggage, I'd be taking a free hotel shuttle to a nearby Marriott and then a taxi/uber to the ship late morning the next day after rush hour.

Cruises are not disappointing to me. I've been on more than 100. But on the final morning of a cruise, it's inevitable that we're leaving the ship so I'm not hanging around. I will be in the Self-Disembark queue, one of the first off in order to get through Immigration before the lines get long, to get to the parking garage before the lines gets long, to get to a taxi to the airport before the lines get long. I have no desire to be sitting in a lounge somewhere waiting for my number to be called. If you like that, great. But I don't.

Correct. More details added: From Baggage Claim, take elevator up to the level that mentions Miami Mover. Follow moving sidewalks to the Miami Mover station. Take Miami Mover train (free) from the Airport station to the Rental Car Center station. At RCC, purchase Metrorail ticket from machine. There are normally employees there to assist. Take Metrorail train to Government Center station downtown. Switch to Metromover train (free). Follow signs to Inner Loop trains. Map: https://www.miamidade.gov/transit/library/metromover-map.pdf Take the Metromover train to College/Bayside station. If you're able to use an escalator with your luggage situation, it's on the north side of the platform and takes you down to the street where you turn right towards the Holiday Inn. If you need an elevator, it's at the south side of the platform but once on ground level, remember to walk back in the other direction.

On the day of embarkation, we all can't wait to get ON. On the final morning of the cruise, we all can't wait to get OFF!

It's been my impression that AIRPORT-SHIP & SHIP-AIRPORT excursions are offered on European websites but not on the USA website. Ditto roundtrip air offers. Interesting story: When we arrived in Martinique several years ago for a MSC cruise, we had not purchased ground transfers because they were not offered in the U.S. Upon arrival there, I stapled our MSC baggage tags to our suitcases and then proceeded out of the airport terminal looking for the taxi stand. A rep from MSC was standing outside and could see the MSC tags and directed us to one of their coaches. The bus was full of passengers who had had just arrived from a flight from Paris and who had purchased the bus transfers. We rode to the ship for free.

MSC really jacked-up their drink package prices last year, even the ones offered when booking your reservation that include the drinks and wi-fi. IMO, the prices have become unreasonable and one can't drink enough to justify it. But if you can drink 6 or so alcoholic drinks daily, then you may break even.

The cheapest would be to rent a car. Check a consolidator like Expedia or others to determine which car rental companies have a location in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Once you have a list, determine which of those companies have a location at Sanford and quotes a one way price picking up at Sanford and dropping at Cape Canaveral. Minimum rental would be 1 day.

Amber Cove is a private area owned by a cruise line. Grand Turk isn't but there is a private area adjacent the cruise docks so it's basically like a private destination. Ocho Rios, Cozumel and Grand Cayman are none of those things. But typical excursions available at each include beaches and private beaches so that quiet experience CAN be had if that's what you're seeking.

Correct. JetBlue is the only domestic carrier at this time using Terminal C where the Brightline station is located. It is well-marked on the airport roadway network. Mostly international carriers are using Terminal C such as Emirates, Norse Atlantic, Aer Lingus, British Airways and many more.

I've attended the White Party on both recent 3-nt and 7-nt cruises. They also had the Sunshine Party (mostly 70's Disco) on both 3-nt & 7-nt cruises. If the ship overnights at Ocean Cay, there's a beach party near the Lighthouse.

I recommend a taxi because they will be lined-up waiting when you get off the ship; rideshares have to be assigned to a driver and won't just be there waiting. There should be a "starter" there who can call up a van for you if none are already there in the queue. If you plan to pay with a credit/debit card, verify with the taxi driver that his machine is working before you get in. Some drivers like to play games that their machine is not working, hoping you'll then pay cash. 11:45am is plenty late enough for you to make it to the airport and gate on time. The security line that goes to the AA gates will be long if that's your airline. Try to check-in for your flight while on the ship at T-24, even if you can't print your boarding passes.

Any walk over that bridge to the cruise port IS a long walk!

You should probably plan on two Uber/Lyft/Taxis and divide your 4 kids among the 4 adults.

Was on a European cruise earlier this month and the Disembarkation Info paperwork distributed the night prior says "Please vacate you cabin by 08:00 tomorrow morning." So regardless of whether you intend to hang-around, you do need to be out of your cabin by 8am. And since every disembarkation port is also an embarkation port, I don't doubt you can get off until later. But what about your luggage? If you're taking it off yourself, you then have to keep it with you everywhere you go. If you put your luggage in the hallway intending to pick it up in the terminal, I wouldn't trust it to still be there when you finally decide to leave.

Yes. If you can handle your own luggage, it's the way to go. You're off quickly; no waiting around in a lounge somewhere waiting for your turn.