OceansOfTravels

Why not take the free Key West bus? Or, maybe walk down and bus back? Not only is it free, but it will allow you to see multiple parts of the city without paying a dime. 

https://www.kwtransit.com/map

Open up the Duval Loop, and you can see the route, and monitor the future buses and their locations. Don't be afraid to talk to the drivers about it as well, they are very kind and want to make sure you find your way around. I just learned about this on my last trip to Key West after I got on a local bus and the guy asked if I was new to the island, and then he told me about the free tourist bus. So definitely make the walk if that's what you'd like to do (I too enjoy scenic walks in new places), but this bus is certainly worth it!

Thank you so much for your review! I cruised June 17-24 so I was interested in hearing what you had to say about it. I had an inside room on Deck 8 midship and I cannot say anything in regards to the temperature - it was always how we liked it. Never too cold, never too hot, and if we wanted it another way, we changed it and it was momentarily fixed. I'm sorry you had that experience, because it seems like it would've otherwise been a perfect cruise.

But you're right, for the price, the cruise is sosososo right. I hope when they go to redo schedules, they don't pull the ship from Miami ... I hope they can put it on an alternating 5 and 9 night schedule or 4 and 10 night schedule for the winter. A 9 night cruise to Ocean Cay, Tortola, St.Maarten, Antigua and Martinique followed by a 5 night to Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios would be so nice. However, I wouldn't be surprised if they end up sending it back to doing a 7 night rotation with embarkations in Havana and Montego Bay for the European clientele. Oh well.

3 hours ago, mj9 said:

Good evening,

 

Completely new to this forum, I've been searching and reading posts for last couple of days and getting overwhelmed with information.

 

Going on our first Family cruise (me, wife and 2 boys 15yr & 12) next week from Barcelona.

Really excited but is it ok to run through different bits so people can guide/point me in the right direction

So..

1. We've been given am embarking time of 2.30pm, is it possible to get there early or is this frowned upon?

2. We've booked the easy drink package, £168 for adults and £77 for the kids. I know we're allowed drinks up to 6 euros so roughly 4 drinks a day to break even is doable.

I also liked the idea of the kids getting milkshakes etc without having to ask, am i right in thinking they can get milkshakes, hot chocolates etc or just fizzy drinks

3. Is it worth getting the total digital photo package. At the moment its on offer for £80 per cabin

4. Is it worth getting the wifi package for 1 phone, does the ship have public wifi in places. I'm self-employed, so whilst I enjoy getting away from it, I also need to be contactable at some point

5. Slightly nervous about the boys on board, whilst there good kids, I will worry when not in view. Whats the best way to stay in contact. I've read post-it notes in the room, can anyone recommend walkie talkies or is their a system on board for keeping an eye on them?  

6. Is it possible to get a table for 4 rather than share a big table?

 

I'll start with this for now if ok, I have other questions about ports etc but would love to hear your feedback

 

Thanks for your time

Welcome to Cruise Critic! The MSC Seaview is my personal favorite ship (you can expand my signature to see which ships I have been on across the different lines I've sailed), and my cruise on her was also my favorite of all time. I can rave all day about the MSC Seaview. I will try my best to answer your questions, as I can only provide accurate claims to a few of them based on my own experience.

1) You can definitely show up early, we did the same thing. We were told 2:30PM but were onboard by 12 noon. When we did it, though, they were still using boarding groups, so we did need to sit and wait for about 20 minutes until our specific group/zone was called to board. Groups were assigned when you entered the terminal, they handed me a small laminated thing to present to keep moving through security once called.

3) I say so, that way you can pack a bunch of good outfits for photos and be prepared to get some nice ones made on vacation.

4) I did not get wifi on the Seaview (or any cruise of mine for that matter), but I do remember hearing people comment on how it was exceptionally good in comparison to other ships and lines they had been on. Maybe it was because we never stray too far from land while in the Med, or maybe because the ship is brand new and has better technology, I don't know. But, if you're self-employed and need to be reachable, then yes, get it for one phone.

5) To my knowledge, MSC doesn't have an app like Royal and Carnival do at this point in time. So, your best bet is either walkie-talkies, or small notes. I personally think that walkie talkies are not only a hassle for you and your family (your boys will not want to carry it around when they go to play basketball), but to other guests (you don't know how many times on accident walkie talkies go off because people leave them on during dinner or a show ... very annoying). Personally, maybe try getting a small whiteboard at the dollar store and bringing it, and start a system where you can all write where you'll be, when you'll be back, etc. Shouldn't be more than a dollar or two. Or, maybe do a system where you all meet for dinner each night at the restaurant or an hour before dinner at the cabin, and then you can plan out the rest of your night when you all convene. Just a thought.

6) Try to email the maitre'd, his email should be found on the MSC website in your reservation. Request a four top.

I hope I helped in whatever ways I could, happy cruising!

I just did a cruise on the Armonia to these ports, except I went to Key West instead of Grand Cayman, so I'll leave what I just did last month below/my opinions. I hope I help!

Another vote for Native Choice in Costa Maya for me. To me, Costa Maya is a wasted port where all you can do is spend a lot of money on excursions. However, Native Choice charges reasonable fares and gives an amazing tour - I'm so glad we booked with them and we had such a great time. Aside from the Mayan Ruins, beaches (which I don't particularly care for here for some reason), and the regular cruise excursions, there isn't much going on here. So out of all the ports, I would recommend splurging here. Costa Maya is a place where you "need" an excursion - there's absolutely NOTHING outside of the port area, except for excursion buses.

I can't give you a solid excursion choice in Cozumel, I always use it as a beach stop. I really like the Paradise Beach Club, I feel like it offers a great experience for its price ($3 a person with a "promise" to spend at least $10 on food and/or drinks with them, which we have done each time and it's been good) and has great facilities. 

I have only been to Roatan once, and I just took a taxi to West Bay Beach, laid out my towel, and spent the day like that. Got q mojito from a bar at one point. Roatan was my cheap stop - and West Bay was gorgeous so I had a great day. However, no excursion recommendation here. (If you can't tell, I'm a beach guy :D)

You can also go up to the pool deck and just change them out in case you want a fresh one (or an additional towel) during the day. They will make you log an additional towel, but if you are just going to exchange a dirty one for a clean one, they allow that with no problem during their operating hours.

On 8/5/2019 at 11:24 AM, sandramj876 said:

Hi we'll be sailing on August 26th and it's our first time on MSC.  Here are my questions:

 

What did you do in each of the ports?

 

Is there  a blow dryer in the cabin or do  I need to bring my own?

 

Besides Captain night and white party are there any other theme nights I should be prepared for?  I read on another sight of possible 70's night and green, red, & white night.

 

Does anyone have the daily planner they can share?

Hello! I'll summarize our port days below.

Roatan: We took a taxi to West Bay Beach ($25 roundtrip, we just walked outside of the port and paid for it upfront and arranged for our taxi ride back). Once we got to the beach, we just laid our MSC towels out and went in and out of the beach all day. We went to one of the nearby bars for mojitos and wifi for some time as well. Very beautiful beach, I would love to go back sometime soon.

Costa Maya: We did the 4 hour Chaccobaan Ruins tour through Native Choice. We did the morning slot, so we were back in the port area around 1PM-1:30PM. Had it been any other day, we would have changed into bathing suits and just spent some time at the pool area either there or on the ship, but because the US Women's Soccer team was playing Sweden that day (we are avid fans), we streamed it in a bar for the rest of our time in port. I liked our tour company a lot and would recommend them, but as for Costa Maya, I don't like the port. It seems like you either spend a lot of money to do very touristy excursions, or drop a lot of money to go to beaches that most of the time smell of sargassum. Definitely just a tourist trap. However, if you know of a beach club that looks appealing, or you see a tour that catches your eye, do that, because there's truly nothing outside of the port.

Cozumel: We took a taxi from the main taxi terminal at the Punta Langosta port to Paradise Beach Club (I think it was $12 one way? Can't remember perfectly). $3 admission per person into the club, which got us access to their pools, loungers, their beach, wifi, their bathrooms, and their showers. We just had to promise that we would spend at least $15 a person on food or drinks, which we did later on. We went there around 9AM and arrived back on the ship around 4:20 (needed to be on by 4:30), so we surely had a good day there. I would definitely recommend it here if you just want a complete beach club with good food and facilities. I love Cozumel, I've cruised there many times and I spent a week there in 2017, so it is always nice to be back.

Key West: I never liked Key West, and all I asked for when we found out Cuba was cancelled was to not go to Key West ... and look what happened. I was with a friend who had never been before though, so we walked to Mile 0 and took the free bus (highly recommend using this to save money to get around the island, it goes to many tourist spots and is absolutely free) down to the Southernmost Point for her. It was 106 degrees so it wasn't very favorable weather. However, I did some good shopping and ate lunch at an amazing restaurant called Jack Flats - HIGHLY recommend! Definitely ended up being the best Key West day I've ever had.

As for the blow dryer, there is one. It's old, so do what you wish if you like a fancier/stronger one. And the themes you listed were the four I remember: Captains Night (one of the formal nights), White Night, 70s night, and Italian Night. And sorry - I don't have any Daily Planners!

2 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Although Explorer is in excellent shape she is nearly 20 years old and a much smaller ship then the Oasis Class with far fewer bells and whistles.  Happy cruising.

Compared to Empress and Enchantment ... she's like the Oasis to me 😉 If I end up falling for RCI, I cannot wait to try the Oasis or Quantum Class!

20 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

1. The entrance to the spa is separate and there is a hallway separating you from the spa.  Noise would not be an issue.

 

2. He can still go to the bars he just can’t drink.  Try hanging out at the flowrider or basketball court.

 

3. All specialty dining is an upcharge

 

5. Yes you can book a cruise on board.  A balcony on a 7 day cruise with a non refundable deposit gets you $100 in OBC and a reduced deposit.  The same thing but with a refundable deposit is a $75 OBC and you pay the full deposit.

 

6. Free drinks are coffee, tea, iced tea, water, flavoured water, milk, chocolate milk juices from concentrate and lemonade.

 

7. Windjammer and Cafe promenade.  As long as suitcases fit through the scanner you can carry them on.

Do you know what the reduced deposit comes down to or does it change for each cruise? 

Hello,

I am so happy to say that we will be returning to Royal Caribbean in January! We were Carnival-Turned-MSC cruisers, but found a good deal on a 9 night cruise on the Explorer of the Seas to all new ports that we could not turn down. However, by the time we board the ship, it will be nearly 4 years since my last RCI cruise (which was on the Empress of the Seas, which obviously does not reflect the grandeur of the Royal ships), and 8 years since my first RCI cruise, a Hurricane Sandy cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas. For the other two people in my party, it will be their first RCI cruises. Either way, I am very excited to not only make it back to RCI, but to give them a fair try and see if they can win me over in 2020. I just booked this cruise and I have some questions, so I'm grateful for any help whatsoever!

1) We are booked in a Panoramic Oceanview Stateroom (very excited!), which is above the gym and next to the Vitality Spa. Will there be a lot of hallway traffic specifically for the Spa, or is the spa entrance by the elevators/stairs? Will there be noticeable noise from the gym and/or spa? Obviously, the gym will be closed at night, but will a morning yoga or spin class wake us up?

2) We will have a 19 year old with us, a college freshman. When he was younger, he loved going to the teen clubs and making friends, but now that he's over 18, he's struggling to make friends on cruises. Does Royal do anything for the 18-20 age group since they can't drink? Or will he just have to hope for a lonely straggler his age at night and just strike up a conversation?

3) Does Royal have any special restaurants included in the price of the cruise? Carnival has Guys Burgers, Blue  Iguana Cantina, etc, does Royal have a similar concept? Or are all the specialty dining options for an upcharge?

4) Are there any "secret decks" or special areas to note on the Explorer like Carnival has on many of their ships? We are trying to get the local tips before we sail so we can try to blend in 😉

5) Since we take vacations the same week each year, we typically board a ship with that week off and try to use the specials onboard for booking a future cruise. What will the onboard special be for booking onboard? If we like RCI/want to give it another chance, we may want to just book onboard.

6) What are the drink options in the Windjammer without the drink package?

7) What are the lunch options on embarkation day besides Windjammer? And when will our stateroom be available? Can you carry suitcases onboard, or will you need to leave them with the porters? We will be embarking from Port Miami. I can also assume that embarkation will begin around 11AM?

8 ) What machines/appliances are in the gym/spas? Are there saunas and steam rooms for regular passengers? Does it usually get crowded?

9) Any excursion or day trip recommendations for Labadee, Aruba, Bonaire, and/or Curacao? All of them will be new ports for us, so any tips would be greatly appreciated!

10) Any general RCI tips/notable differences between MSC and Carnival? We really want to like RCI, and I'm hoping now that we're trying one of their new ships, we will have a great experience that propels us to book with them again in the future, so any general tips on how to maximize either the Explorer specifically and/or a Royal cruise in general would be greatly appreciated.

Again, thank you in advance so so SO much to anyone that can help, happy cruising!

I really enjoyed the beach day at the Melia Resort in Nassau. It's a beautiful hotel (that I could never afford otherwise :D) with great facilities for the day, we used our points at Starbucks at the Starbucks in the lobby to get us some drinks to save some money (since we booked the package without food) and just enjoyed the pool, beach, wifi, and facilities.

We had the small, movable mirror in our bathroom in our Spa Inside in November 2015. Loved that room and the amenities, it was very quiet and clean. 

Hello! I think you should be fine, most of the loud children will be asleep by 10PM, and if you have late dinner/entertainment, you will still be out and about. You'll have low traffic throughout the night, plus when you're docked. You will likely hear people walking about in the hallway, that's a guaranteed, but every room can hear that. You might just get a little more than usual given that you're near the elevator. So, if you're a light sleeper, this may be an issue, but if you can tolerate the normal hallway noise, you might as well just book it .... if they were being loud when they got off the elevator, they're likely loud all the way down the hall, so your location wouldn't change much, would it?

Enjoy!

4 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I'll be on your same cruise (9-day ABC) on November 29, so I can fill you in on the Caribbean pool situation after that.

Thanks so much, you're actually on the cruise I wanted to book (my birthday is December 4th), but I wasn't able to get the entire week off. So I moved it to the next month where I could get more time 😉

Have a great cruise!

Thanks for your pointers. I just booked a cruise on the Explorer today actually and I just realized that the ship is well overdue for an upgrade. But, given that I usually cruise Carnival, and just got off of an aging MSC ship, it looks like a dated Explorer still beats out my usual selection 😉 So, I am very excited to be making my return to RCI after a 4 year hiatus

Quick question, on sea days, did you find the pools to be full/busy? We have four sea days, and I am worried about not having any space to get into the pool, or having any available chairs on the open decks. Are other places like the sports deck and Flowrider busy as well?

Any general tips/tricks you have for the Explorer? 🙂

Thanks in advance for your reply!

I am going on the Explorer, but they're in the same class and have the same build, so I will just ask my question here.

I am wondering, did you find the pools to be crowded on sea days? We have four sea days on our cruise, and will likely want to spend some time on deck, so we are wondering how crowded the pools will be. What about other things, like the Flowrider and sports areas? Were they packed as well? Just trying to plan some sea days! 🙂

Thanks guys for the speedy advice! I actually called my TA and she was able to hook me up with a Scenic OV room for the same price as a guarantee room, so I snagged that immediately. So crisis avoided 🙂

So excited to be back with RCI for the first time in 3.5 years!

Hello,

I am considering booking a guaranteed OV on the Explorer, but I have never done a guaranteed room. Has anyone had any positive experiences with it? I have a feeling we will be on Deck 2, but is there a possibility that we could be on a higher deck? 

Also, for anyone who may know, we are trying to book three in an OV on the Explorer. Will the third person be more likely to sleep on a couch or on a bunk bed? Just trying to plan/envision, we don't cruise Royal much (twice, once in 2012 and once in 2016 so we don't know much).

Thanks in advance for any help at all!

6 hours ago, spearnreel said:

Got the spa pass for Armonia. Have done spa area on Davina. Have not yet Armonia. Not sure if you experienced spa area but if so any details on what exact features the spa area has would be nice. Im sure steam room, sauna, and the loungers but maybe something else? Thanks.

 

You just about hit it. The other couple that was with us splurged on that for them, and that's all they really talked about. Saunas, steam rooms, and chairs for relaxing. It's a small ship, so they don't have a ton of space to add anything else. The only thing I could compare it to would be the spa pass on the Carnival Splendor, which I can promise you did not compare. It's small, so don't expect much. However, it's very nice and I think you'll enjoy it if you go in knowing it's just really saunas and steam rooms!

21 hours ago, OceanBlueWaters said:

Hello!

I am new to MSC so forgive...

I am booked Solo/Bella (which I am fine with).  I have the Premium Beverage package.  Does the Premium Beverage include Caffè San Marco?  Where can you get bottled water with the Premium Beverage package?  The website does not offer much info and I apologize if asked before...

 

Thank you! 🙂

I do not know anything about the drink package because I've never purchased one on a cruise before - sorry! Hopefully another experience cruiser can come in here and answer questions about that for you.

However, I think you should be able to pick up bottled water at nearly every bar on the ship. Maybe someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe most bars have them. However, if you want to be environmentally-conscious, you could just as for a glass of ice water from the bartender when you're around the ship, and just get bottled water when you're planning on disembarking for the day 🙂

On 8/3/2019 at 10:04 AM, jamon said:

OceansOfTravel.....In Cozumel did you dock downtown or which one of the two further from downtown...also do you remember what day and time the black card cocktail party was...thanks

In Cozumel, we docked at Punta Lagosta, which is the downtown pier. The other two piers are owned by Carnival and Royal Caribbean, and are only used by them and the other lines in their groups (unless for some reason Cozumel has many ships that day,  then they'll pay RCCL or CCL a large sum to dock, but that's pretty unlikely. You'll likely be at Punta Lagosta.

The Cocktail party was on Saturday night, which for me, was a sea day, or the second to last night (Key West was our last night). 

46 minutes ago, jamon said:

Oceans of travels...thanks for the info about going to black card events with my wife....

Enjoy your cruise!

1 hour ago, the mistral wind said:

are their machines with tea and water in buffet

Yes there are, you'll be able to access them 24/7

4 hours ago, the mistral wind said:

Thank you, I was wondering what drinks are complimentary in the dining room. i heard that they charge for water at the table? I just want to know exactly what to expect . I booked this ship for next year. Can you buy wine on board and take it to your stateroom? And can you bring a bottle of wine to consume in your stateroom with you like you can on rccl? 

Hello!

Iced water, in a glass, is totally free and unlimited. We all had it every night. However, if you want to buy bottled water like Acqua Panna or any sort of sparkling or bubbling water, you will have to pay for that. That is a big misconception when it comes to MSC, but rest assured tap water in an glass is free and unlimited.

As for the wine, I couldn't tell you directly. We did not do this, nor have we ever enquired about this. Maybe others will be able to chime in, but for me specifically, I won't be of much help. Sorry!

Let me know if you think of any more questions.

On 7/29/2019 at 5:00 PM, jamon said:

We will be on the Armonia and have a few questions. First, my wife is a Black card member  and I am Classic,  will I be able to go to black club party and the other Black card events with her including boarding on the first day. etc. Also, does anyone have any info on cabin 9001? thanks ahead of time.

We had this exact same situation happen. You will be able to attend all Black Card events, and reap all of the Black Card benefits, as long as you are in the same room as the Black Card holder. If you have a party spread out over multiple staterooms, only those with the Black Card member will be technically allowed to accompany them on their perks. But, if you're sharing one room, then you're all good.

Thanks for taking the time to type out the review. We are considering a cruise on the Meraviglia for January 2020. Could you tell us a little about your stateroom and how you liked it, maybe try to compare it to other MSC ships? Or just illustrate the positives, negatives, and maybe add some tips? Thanks so much!!