Rec33

Wow 95% of these are great (mostly European cities). You don't need a cruise to go to any of these. The best place for cruises is the Caribbean because you can see more than one island in one trip. I get the Mediterranean, but since when is 1 day enough for Barcelona, Rome, or even Venice, not to mention the damage cruises do to Venice. 

Shout out to those that put the Faroe Islands, Hawaiian and South Pacific Islands, and St. Martin. 

However, in the Caribbean no doubt I would put St. George's, Grenada, Bridgetown, Barbados, any port in Jamaica, Cayman Islands. If I had gone there I'm sure I'd add Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and the British Virgin Islands. 

You did not refer as a Texan who acted rude and showed his ignorance. You said LIKE TEXAS. People here are very prideful , and we are sick and tired of being beat up. Like gun totting idiots who pass calling 911 or haha our express line to the chair . I live in a country where we have freedom of speech and you can say whatever you want but from your posting you appear to the arrogant person. The majority here will give you their shirt off their back. And have!! Thousands lost everything a few months ago and turned around and gave to Florida and San Juan. What I am saying, My parents always told us, if you don't have something nice to say then don't say nothing at all. With that I have nothing else to say.

I know Texans are prideful since I grew up in Kansas, I don't go to Texas and expect to do things I do back home. There are clear cultural differences which is why saying the American experience is better than the European is misguided. To be fair I got along with 99% of the people from Texas that visited because they were truly interested in the culture and respectful and heck most of the times a lot of fun (Generally from Houston and Dallas area, ie city folk). I used it as an example because I'm not a fan of the whole American Exceptionalism myth. For instance, lots of countries have free speech even if they don't have the 1st amendment. Lastly, my mom did too, so have a good one!

You are offensive. I live in Texas and the smart ass remark you made about the gun totting we do here is ridiculous. I am highly offended by it . Better yet come visit Texas , we will show you some southern hospitality.I have reported you to Cruise Critic . Better yet stay your butt in Argentina and climb some mountains.

I've met many Texans and been there, this a true story, does it reflect all Texans nope. But it did reflect a Texan that happened to be particularly arrogant and was endangering lives(mine included) and I was working at the hunting lodge and trying to keep people safe. It goes back to the main point I was making in that if you don't like something you can go somewhere else and don't just assume your way is superior.

Its incredibly awful for running unless you like an obstacle course. As soon as it is light, the deck attendants start arranging all the chairs. There is also a smokers area at the stern that gets busy early and those people can block the area too.

If you want to run outside on deck 15 make sure you do it early in the morning before 7:30 AM...otherwise hit the gym.

Thanks guys! Deck 15 sounds like a no go. Does deck 7 wrap around at the front? I really do like the sea air, and I could get up early or stay up late to get a run in, a U shape would be fine. Really want to avoid a treadmill and I'm not the kind to exercise by swimming (if that's even possible on a cruise ship)

I just had to say I could not disagree more about the "snob" comment. The staff and crew could not have been nicer or more helpful in any way. Everyone we encountered (save 1 person at a bar) couldn't have done more for us and we ask for very little. But they WANTED to help and they were all incredibly friendly if you took a moment to say hello and ask a question. They are not as forward as most Americans are, they come from different cultures. But a hello and a smile go a long way.

 

We've been on the Divina twice and we'll be on Seaside in December. We LOVE the food. All of it! Lol. It really is a highlight of these gorgeous elegant ships. We are most meals in the dining rooms, but during the week we always made it a point to stop at the buffet for our favorites...the pastas and different sauces are delicious! Their pizza can't be beat. Their fries are great, love their salads, great variety of different foods such as curry, jerk, different Mexican foods, etc...But it's all a matter of taste and preference. I think you have to try it yourself, I hope you enjoy the Divina and congrats on your upcoming wedding and honeymoon! Happy Cruising! M

I wasn't trying to be offensive by that, but in the review, there were several times that it seemed that the crew thought they knew better than the passengers. Maybe poor word choice, but I live in Argentina (which is heavily influenced by Italy) and it depends on the person here.

I am actually really excited about this ship for basically everything else you mentioned. I've traveled to (Mediterranean) Europe and a large chunk of the Americas as well as working with companies(co-workers) from just about everywhere so I love the international feel, but the national stereotypes can sometimes be surprisingly accurate. For instance, the difference in American tipping culture and European style service is something I'm very much looking forward to although I know it can be hit or miss (depending on your expectations).

Either or. I've seen joggers on the track. I think 8 times around =1 mile.

I run 5-10ks and am training for some races prior to the cruise and want to maintain that onboard. I'm considering some 3-5 mile runs, any advice on avoiding peak times/lots of walkers(the living kind).

I’ve already started my pricing spreadsheets for world cruise 2021. I’ve been tracking for almost a year. It’s my Official retirement celebration, but at only 54 years old I do expect to continue to work, just far less hours :-D.

 

Anyway, this is what I’ve found with world cruises:

 

1) 90% have availability right up until sailing date (we can still book 2019 MSc word cruise in the USA and there is LOTS of availability for 2018 world cruises still, even though its roughly 75 days until departure.

 

2. While there is availability still, the early bookings on the 2018 world cruises typically ended up being about the same price as last minute discounting because w/early bird they typically toss in free gratuities (which can be $1,000s,) free beverages, free laundry, etc...).

 

3. If possible, World cruise before you turn 60. Dh will be 60 at time of departure and medical insurance is a several grand. Might be different outside USA.

 

4. All cruises I’ve researched do offer shorter legs of the larger world itinerary.

 

5. The USA mainstream lines offering world cruises are princess and Hal - the less costly options are MSC, p&o, Cunard, etc... (hence me hanging around here still lol).

 

If I were sailing in 2019, the merg would be under serious consideration as the pricing is inexpensive comparatively, and I’m fine with all the MSC quirks as long as the price is right.

 

The MSC web site is down right now for me, any chance you can screen shot the itinerary (with port times)? I’d be much appreciative as I want to add all the perks to my spreadsheets.

 

For those considering world cruises, my advice is to start planning two years in advance. Between requirements for immunizations, passport blank page, and multiple visas I’ve found that starting the planning early is critical to avoid stress.

 

Happy world cruise planning :)

 

 

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WOW! :) I'm bookmarking this when I plan one of these for my retirement. Fortunately, time is on my side, I won't hit 60 for a few decades, now about the finances...

I'm sure there are more and I'll add them as I think of them, but none of these things truly affected my trip. We pretty much shrugged off any minor inconveniences we had.

 

What did affect our cruise was the lack of taste in most of the buffet food. A lot of it was really bland. Our table mates felt the same way. Other than the breakfast/brunch crossover time I did not enjoy the buffet.

 

Another thing that affected my trip was the lackluster entertainment. If you didn't want to see the shows you weren't left with much to do. The things they did have planned were all very short and a lot of them were poorly attended. It is almost like they left a lull in things to do so that you had to attend the shows during those hours. Unfortunately if they turn out not to be for you, your nights may fall flat.

 

The cruise line cannot be blamed for unfriendly passengers but they need to come up with a way to engage interaction so that the passengers don't seem so closed off.

 

I can see why couples who want to be alone would love this cruise, people who need to get away and relax on their own, even perhaps big groups who have no real interest in adding to their crew. In my opinion there are at least two kinds of vacations. There are fun active vacations and relaxing escapes and to me this cruise seems more like the latter.

 

It was not ideal for my sister and I but it was beautiful and comfortable so we enjoyed it anyway.

 

Would I cruise MSC again? Not unless they upped the entertainment factor and more Americans started cruising with them. I thought I'd like the Euro vibe but they were too standoffish for me.

 

I'm giving this cruise a 3 1/2 out of 5. They lose a half point for the food in the buffet and a full point for entertainment but I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for this kind of vacation

 

Feel free to ask any questions you have. [emoji846]

Thanks so much for this post! I thought it was very fair and you were very clear on your perspective. I think some of the customer service issues you had (read:slow) is definitely a European thing that Americans aren't used to. Otherwise, it sounded like MSC or their workers should step-up their game and lose the "snob" factor.

I have been curious about the entertainment because I'm not a big Broadway guy, but I do like things like comedians, magicians, and acrobats, so this seems like its really a taste-preference(Witches or the Pirates sounded worth checking out).

Since I'm cruising with them for my honeymoon next year this sounds like it might be ideal for us, but per your advice, I'll be picky about the buffet and watch out for some of the blandness you experienced at MDR. You do sound like you would enjoy Royal Caribbean as there are more activities and things to do without the Carnival "party-hardy" atmosphere. I have also cruised with Princess, but they are more classic and might be basically a slightly more Americanized MSC in my opinion.

We just spent a week in Grenada and used Bruno Delvallee for a tour to seven sisters. You can reach him at delvallee.bruno88@gmail.Com or bruno.restaurant88@gmail.com

Awesome, thanks for the tip, I'll contact him.

Hi all,

I'm a huge fan of waterfalls used to be climbing them(Dunn's River Falls) later jumping off them (where it is safe), now it's likely swimming under them or taking pictures. I am going to be in Grenada from 8AM-3PM and want to see as many and/or the most impressive ones from this list: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/caribbean/2017/05/01/waterfall-hikes-grenada/101040676/

or others.

Any suggestions on private tours where I won't miss the boat?

Which one(s) should I go to?

What will they look like in January(or around that time)?

The frustrating thing about all the MSC ships is that every person who defends the cruiseline blames the negative reviews on consumers who "expected an American experience", or who "didn't want to have a European experience".

 

At the heart of the matter, it seems that the European experience is inferior to what Americans have become accustomed to.

 

Personally, I enjoy the cruises I've taken from American ports. I DO expect that quality of service when I pay the price of a cruise. If MSC service pales in comparison, then future customers need to know that MSC doesn't pass muster.

 

I'm wavering significantly on the 2016 reservation I made for later 2016. On any cruise, we DO expect the staff to be attentive and to provide above-average service. We love meeting & talking to the staff. We love the unusual experience of being doted on. A cruise experience is supposed to special, a splurge, a treat. I DO NOT want to have a lesser level of service. It's very hard to know what MSC offers, because any positive review about them is always making an excuse about customer expectations being too high. It sounds like a huge red flag.

 

If you aren't going to receive attentive service, then you may as well opt for a land-based vacation. The whole point of cruising is to have a special experience that exceeds land-based dining/lodging.

I don't know if you notice it, but you pretty much prove the point of arrogant American thinks the world caters to their needs. Some people actually like not having a waiter come up and ask them if everything is ok every 5 minutes(even Americans). That's not poor service that's different priorities. You like to eat dinner at 6PM and go to bed a 10PM that's fine, but some people like to eat at 8-10PM and go to bed at 12-1AM.

Finally, I'm sure this will upset your feeling of right in the world. So let me tell you the same thing I told a hunter who was shooting dangerously with a shotgun at a hunting lodge outside the US. This ISN'T Texas, go somewhere else.