The Dad

I agree the beef tournedos the first day for lunch was very good and tender as can be.   

10 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

Can you get liquid soap in the YC?

Yes

You cannot make reservations for Butcher’s Cut prior to boarding and you may find the food in the YC to be superior to Butcher’s Cut

If you are in the YC, do not worry about the view of your room.  Had a balcony in YC this past February, best views were from Topsail

Regarding the YC wifi, I was able to work using the YC wifi without any issues.

46 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

@JamieLogical is the resident expert on Hola!  I will say that they never looked busy when I walked by…. EM

Was on Meraviglia the week before February break this year, ship was over 1/3 empty and still could not get a reservation the same day for Hola.

In the YC out of NY, we had to get a refund of the photo package.  Only came into YC once for the Capt's cocktail party, only for about an hour.

3 hours ago, Stockjock said:

 

Answers in bold italics below:
 

I have cruised with Princess, P&O, Carnival and RCCL but never with MSC.

A. I think it's great to try different cruise lines, as there are sometimes major differences.

 

We are looking at potentially booking a cruise for Aug 25 on the MSC Seascape out of Miami, but i have a few questions.

 

Are the drinks packages and dining packages worth it?

A. Generally, yes.  In my view, MSC tends to offer the best pricing on both drinks packages and dining packages.  The best deals are when you can get drinks and wi-fi baked into the price.  Also, if they offer a dining package promo, *at the time of booking*, that's usually a better offer than what you may see later.
 

Is there a piano bar?

A. Different ships have different venues.  I can often find someone playing a piano, but not always.  It's not uncommon though.  On some ships, we can often find a pianist, perhaps with vocals or guitar, in the Sky Lounge.  We were recently on World Europa, and there was no Sky Lounge, which I deeply missed, but we did find a pianist in the Raj Polo Teahouse.
 

The kids will be 11 and 13 - does anyone have experience of the kids club on MSC and could give me an idea of the kinds of activities they do in kids club for those ages?

A. No experience, but we've wandered through the areas designed for kids and they seem to have good offerings.  Not sure about 11 and 13 year-olds though, as they are a bit older.
 

Any tips for a first time MSC cruise?

A. Try not to call customer service, unless you have to.  They have good intentions, but often screw things up due to MSC's screwy system.  Also, you may have more announcements in many languages, so be aware of that.  Be aware that MSC has an excellent status match program, so explore this if you have status on other cruise lines or hotel chains.

 

Thanks for any info!

A. Enjoy, and report back once you've returned.  Keep an open mind, as MSC can be a bit different in some ways.

I totally agree about MSC Customer Service, use a Travel Agent for less headaches. 

5 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

The rub is that MSC does not give out duplicate/extra key cards so you can switch people around.  The workaround on this ship is to get bracelets ($10 each) and the people switching can trade bracelets in order to open the cabin doors.  EM

If you are YC, you get the bracelets free.

In the YC on MSC Meraviglia, there are Lobster tails free one night.  I have heard different stories about on other nights.  I know you can ask for it, I am not sure if there is an up charge. 

Not so new.  We booked YC last April and at that time we were told that the deposit on YC was not refundable.

challenge the  charge with your credit card company

If you call MSC, there use to be an extension (For XXX press) for excursions; do not know if they still have it.

On 10/13/2023 at 6:00 PM, JamieLogical said:

 

I know they have Chambord in the Champagne Bar on the Meraviglia. Beyond that, I cannot tell you which bars carry it.

Thank you

2 hours ago, stefmaia said:

Does anyone know if they have Chambord? I do like a Kir Royale before dinner.

My question also. My favorite drink is a French Martini, with Chambord being 1/3 of a French Martini.

SO let me make sure I understand this.  If I book online I get a $50 OBC, which I can then use for anything I want (e.g. Tips); is this correct?

Thanks,

Last time we were on NCL, my son was 7, we were on the cruise with 3 of his friends, they all loved the cruise but hated the kids club (not on the Gem). This time he is with none of his friends; wondering what the kids club is like for a 12 year old on the Gem?

Thanks

Also on next week's sailing. Called RC about 1/2 hour ago; sailing is still on and watch for emails updates.