markwfpb

I've had soy milk on the Divina and Seascape, so maybe it's a fleetwide thing. FYI, they refer to it as soya so ask for that! On Holland America last year, they also had almond milk and oatmilk. Definitely insist on a dairy alternative - taking lactaid seems like a ridiculous way to go for something as simple as milk for your coffee! Save that for a banana split or shake!

Wow! You have it dialed in - that makes sense. But you'd think the drivers would have figured it out by now especially at the airports. Thanks for the info - and all your fantastic "live" posts!

That's happened to us every time we're in Miami and Ft Lauderdale - at the airport and the cruise terminal with both Uber and Lyft! Usually it's just "poof" they're gone and another car is ordered. This past trip, they were supposedly right there and "the meter is running" but we were in the exact spot they were but no car matching its description or plate number. Of course you can't review them when you don't actually ride with them. So their 5-star review remains untarnished!!

We're leaving saturday on the Seascape in YC so this is timely. When/where do we request the bottle of liquor - precruise or onboard? Having been in Divina YC three times, it's never even been brought up - although I'm thinking there's been a bottle of sparkling in the fridge. Was THAT It?! We'd prefer a good cabernet or even a bottle of mediocre tequila!

I've always wondered how big a spender you must be to get these offers, no matter the cruise line. It would certainly be fun to gamble away the money with a "free" cabin than just spend the money up front to book the cabin!

Was the wine offered to you as a (complimentary) pour or did you buy the bottle? I ask because we're about to go on Divina for the fourth time (all YC). One year, the sommelier basically hounded me with the wine list ("30% off just for you") and we bought a few bottles that trip - wines I knew were good and definitely nicer than the standard wine list. But it would be nice to just have decent wines selected and poured throughout the meal and not have an extra few hundred dollars on my account!

We'll be on Seascape in a few weeks, first time and looking forward to it! During our three trips on Divina YC over the years, we've asked for wines by the glass of whatever's included. One year we bought a few bottles for the table over the course of the week (wines we knew well and that were a step or three above the wines by the glass, many of which were iffy). Is there a "trick" to getting the "nice pours" and not spend $$ on by the bottle?! (we treat the crew well and tip nicely, usually at the end of the cruise) One Sommelier kept hitting me up with the wine list and a "30% discount just for you" which got a little annoying in front of our tablemates!

Do you think there was actually something going on at the port or just the usual?! Seems like that's the case whenever we've been through there - I think to myself this can't ALWAYS be how it is - an hour to get just a few miles! Wish there was a high speed rail option or express lane for a bus or something! We always end up tipping our Lyft drivers too - seems like the right thing to do in that situation! Happy cruising from here on out!

Thanks for all the details and pics - Carnival has never been on my radar but we'll definitely consider it now. We've had mixed results with vegan meals on NCL and Holland America after talking to the maitre D and servers. Lots of pasta, fake beef and cobbling together salads and sides - you know the story. What determines when Carnival offers the vegan menu - meal time, sea days vs port days or something else? Thanks again!

Yeah I wouldn't eat that either. Back off.

I drilled down to your two excursion options on the msc site. https://www.msccruises.co.za/our-cruises/destinations/united-states-canada/united-states/new-york Your original "Land and Sea" choice looks much more exciting than "NY Highlights" which focuses on the 9/11 Memorial. I know you'll have just been at sea for a week or more, but seeing the city from the water never gets old.

I lived in Manhattan for years and go back to the city now and then. I know the ins and outs of the various public transit options. And (assuming they guarantee your airport arrival time) I'd jump at the chance to see the city and not worry about luggage. If nothing else, you'll get a sense of whether you'd like to spend a few days there before or after your cruise next time. If you want to do it on your own, there are various spots you can store luggage for several hours - you can find them online (but check reviews, of course!). If you decide to go that route, research what part of the city you'd like to explore and head there. You probably won't have time to go to multiple spots dragging luggage. If you're flying out of JFK or La Guardia, you may want to just stay in Brooklyn to see the sights or hit lower Manhattan. Going to midtown or further uptown would eat up more transit time and add to the travel expense. If you're flying out of EWR, you'd still probably wouldn't want to venture more uptown than the Village. Just my opinion, of course! A totally different option is pushing your flight back a day (or more) and head directly there when you disembark. Spend the day and night then head to the airport for your flight. The hotel bellman can hold your bag before check-in and after checkout!

Yep, 2019, 2020 (end of feb right before shutdown) and March of this year. I do remember the tiny bottles now that you mention it. Nothing this past March but we'll ask next time!

We've stayed in YC three times (Divina) and never had even one 750ml bottle of liquor beyond a cheap sparkling wine. Beer, nuts, toblerone - yes. Will be on Seascape this winter. Do we request ahead of time or onboard?!

Barring a walk to the terminal from a local hotel, is there any expedited way to get there instead of the usual cab/lyft/uber, etc? That is, does the coral trolley or perhaps a local bus have an express lane that's quicker? And is there any talk about extending the light rail to the port?! When were there in March, we spent 30 minutes from the time we crossed over to the port to the time we actually got out of the lyft at the terminal. Maybe that's the usual or maybe it was an extra busy day. Having lived in major cities, we're used to jumping on public transit or just walking.

I like the "trying" part of that statement! Is it true that the other YC floors (16 + 18) can't be accessed without going through 19? As someone who takes the stairs more times than not, I don't look forward to extra flights only to go back down!

If it's anything like our 17 day Panama Canal, you'll have a great time! The Neptune Suites are like a double-wide trailer(!). You have a big window over a built-in deck from the bedroom area PLUS the usual glass windows and door from the sitting area. If you're not already exploring the ship on the HAL forums, be sure to - so much to get excited about!

Aha. I don't blame her with that double whammy! Especially being in the nicest cabin on the ship! We had the opposite - Sailed the Nieuw Amsterdam in fall '21 when passengers and crew all had to be vaxed and have a negative covid test 48 hours before the cruise (remember those days?). Then we were tested every 4 or 5 days on board (it was a 17 day Panama Canal). No masks needed! Never felt so safe as that bubble - even packed into tour buses. It was almost eerie feeling that freedom at that time in the middle of the pandemic - like we were on another planet. Cut to last March on the Divina. From the flight there (including a terminal change in Atlanta) and all the time on board, virtually no one wore a mask. We did mask due to caregiving duties back home - didn't want to return with anything. But after three years of avoidance, we both got it. Both were relatively mild cases, but it was a terrible way to spend our one week of vacation for the year! I must say it was nice being in the Yacht Club at least - spending some time on the balcony.

Thanks for all your responses and everyone else's as well! On Divina, we enjoyed Top Sail and the pool but it's not like they were THAT amazing that it would be worth breaking the rules (let alone a lock!). I think the Yacht Club can have such a buildup that people may expect it to be much more than it really is. All things being equal, I'd rather be back in a HAL Neptune suite on the Nieuw Amsterdam where's nothing "extra" to even break into other than the Pinnacle Lounge with no windows or real reason to hang out in! We loved the crows nest, music row, restaurants, etc. - all of which could be accessed by anyone! Maybe my opinion will change after sailing Seascape!

Hi, I've seen various references in different posts about "interlopers", officer family/friends and plain old sneaky people finding their way into the Yacht Club. Having sailed on the Divina three times over the past five years, I've never noticed it all. But we'll be on the Seascape early next year and it sounds like it's a whole different ballgame on that class of ship. So I kinda want to know what to expect to level my expectations - do the Top Sail and pool areas get overly crowded? Is there a wait in the dining room? Do kids take over the place?! I know every experience is different (YMMV) but is there a consensus if this issue really affects the YC experience for the average passenger? It seems like if the ship's officers and families are there, it's a perk of the job (I don't know if that's the case), but people just strolling in seems like a different thing altogether. Thanks!

Yes, there is an annual Holistic cruise that is usually hosted on MSC that most likely fits what you're looking for. The next one is March 2024. I don't think I can "advertise" it on here, but it should come up pretty high on a google search.

Yep, I get it. I've had many friends over the years who smoke (and three who have sadly died from cancer years later - ugh). I'm not against smoking areas on ships at all. But when people don't follow the rules, that's the problem, of course. I simply don't understand HAL's policy on enforcing the rules. Like I said, the people I reported it to were somewhat appalled that it was even happening. But it seemed like it was up to that cabin's steward to enforce the rules (that's who guest services called, at least) but maybe I'm wrong. Shouldn't it be escalated to Security rather than a lowly steward working for tips? There were several times when a pack of Marlboros (and a yellow pack his wife smokes) were on the balcony table during the day. And to clarify, the smoke was very noticeable even though it was a few balconies below and forward. I'm not highly sensitive to smoke - but our balcony seemed to be in the perfect draft for the smoke. I was told other people had reported it as well, for what it's worth.

Throughout our 17 day Panama Canal cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam, there was a guy a few balconies below ours that smoked day and night. I complained to our cabin steward, concierge (we were in a Neptune suite) and guest services. They all seemed to take it very seriously, but in the end there was no resolution. I think the guy was truly addicted. When we were in line at Half Moon Cay for our excursion, he was (the only one) smoking away seemingly unaware of everyone around him. Sad.

Great, thanks for pointing out where to find that kind of thing - I'll look at the Florida board!

We did a 17 day Panama Canal (San Diego to Ft Lauderdale) in Oct 22. I was surprised the shows and menus repeated weekly (so on a couple days, the shows were on for a third run that trip). But I realized the previous cruises and the ones following ours were all 6 - 7 days. So they didn't change things up for this one repo cruise. On another note, I've often thought of doing a B2B on two different lines - like sailing into Ft Lauderdale on one cruise line, then out the same day on a different one. How great would it be to leave one ship and board another (after hanging out for while waiting for boarding, of course!)? Anyone ever done this?