Benzbuddy87

At that point why not sashay past a florist yourself? Which gives me an idea. I've never surprised my spouse with flowers. Now I'm trying to think how I can sneak a bouquet into my bag without him noticing. There are some flowers that are pretty hardy. :confused:

Nobody wants to see me sashay! :) I personally wouldn't spend my time looking for flowers in Miami or the Caribbean. However, if they offered an option to deliver flowers to my stateroom on embarkation day, I would likely partake.

Would it be possible to request a coffee maker in Fantastica balcony cabin? We would be willing to pay for the use of it. Thanks!

Nope! Call for room service.

Anyone knows if you can order flowers for your stateroom?

 

I would like to buy the champagne they have with the 2 glasses, but I wasunable to find anything on flowers. Not really thrilled about the chocolate covered strawberries. Thanks!

Voyager - I am interested in fresh flowers as well. My understanding is that MSC does not have a floral shop on the ship. Somewhere on their website, I read that they will obtain fresh flowers from a local vendor in port, and charge your account for the price of the flowers. If that's the case, I'd rather speak to a human to get an idea of actual cost (I don't want to spend $50 for a half-dozen Daisy's). This sounds like a question for a T/A. I forget if I asked my T/A, but she has a list of questions to be answered for her travel group. If you have a T/A, you may want to defer to them ... sometime after the Seaside has sailed the Caribbean. If I find out any information, I will post it online.

MSC for Me bands are $15 each, but children get them free in the kids club. Note that you will still need your regular keycard with you when you leave or reboard the ship in port, as the bands don't work at the checkin/out kiosks.

I thought they were complimentary for Aurea, Wellness and YC, and $5 for Bella and Fantastica?

I have a friend onboard SEASIDE right now. He is a black card member and so is his friend. They are sharing a cabin together. They both used their black card benefit and enjoyed two complimentary speciality restaurant dinners. One in Butcher's Cut for 2 people, and the other in Teppanyaki for 2 people. My friend mentioned it was the same way on DIVINA so nothing new here.

To clarify, on the Divina, Black Card specialty dining includes Galaxy Restaurant and Eataly Steakhouse, but not Ristorante Italia.

I have no problem with bold colors or design choices but the burgundy/purple carpets are not a good design choice in my opinion. As others have already mentioned it is very 80s in nature. A lot of newer hotels and commercial designs are using neutral tones in a bold manner by using patterns and color accents which is what these staterooms need.

Neutral tone with accents sounds like a majority of residential real estate. I don't have any problem with the room as it is shown, though it's possible that the accents (if any) are not in place as of yet. We'll see soon!

The SJ3 whirlpool suites have had the cabin layout on the MSC website for a long time now. So far as I can tell the only real question marks now are the 1 bed 1 bath SE3 Grand suites.

There were numerous variations of several stateroom classes when we booked in 2015. MSC has said that some of the online images were not correct. They kept pushing back the release dates of some of the staterooms ... one year ... six months ... 3-4 months ... 1 month. Those moving targets have all come and gone.

Yeah the red/burgundy carpets are pretty awful. I'm surprised that the designers wouldn't go with something more neutral.

 

If anyone has access to pictures of 9002/9003 I would like to see the layout of those cabins.

Neutral is blah, bold makes a statement! Look at the public spaces of ships - most are vivacious, not neutral or reserved.

I had a Vista Suite on Holland America's Koningsdam and all it was just a stretched normal balcony cabin. "Suite" doesn't mean much today! Bob

If someone has the chance to see the stateroom in advance, at least they knew what they are getting. However, it is truly unfortunate for those who booked based upon it being represented as a suite. :loudcry:

Keep in mind cruise lines like to label everything a "suite" these days. Instant higher yield even if it's not truly a suite.

That's not right to call something a suite when it is not. People have had suites booked for 2 years, only to find out that they paid for something the will not get. In many instances, they are not able to rebook their intended stateroom, or are relegated to a lesser stateroom. It used to be that if you booked early, you had best choice of the staterooms. In this case, we have to sift through leftovers.

Day 1 of two photos of one of the Aft Suites ...

So far, the entrance is as described by Renysmom! :halo:

I can't imagine the performers being happy about 4 shows a night! But I guess they have to do multiple shows since a 934 seat theater isn't big enough for the number of passengers on the ship.

From the post I read (the cruise ship will offer more flexible theater showings (four showings each night)), it sounds like it would be the same show. I would imagine the ship was purposely designed with a smaller theatre, under the guise of more performances. This sounds like a great way to enable guests to spend more time in other public areas, at a time of their convenience. :)

I would think that NCL would have some kind of patent/trademark on it being that they heavily promote their suites program.

Patents are only issued for inventions, ornamental designs of goods (etc) ... not names. Names would have to be encompassed into a design or logo, then the design/logo could be trademarked.

With all that balcony space they should be able to put at least one Lounger. ...

I've been on the Divina in a balcony stateroom with oversized veranda (on the hump). The veranda was large enough to accommodate at least 15 people (ie: cocktail reception), but only had two chairs. I am not sure if they would have provided more chairs (or a lounger) if requested. For what it's worth, I had no issues with the two chairs.

Not always. There are a few "secret" balconies that are larger than those in the same category and are the exact same price. There are "extended balcony" categories which cost more but a balcony on the "bump out" (aka angled balcony) will cost the same as the standard balcony that is next to it if they are the same category. Other "secrets" may be wider than standard, for ex.

Yes, most every cruise line has ships with anomalies. However, in the example I cited (Epic BA/B6), there was no difference between the two staterooms, other than the larger veranda (due to its proximity on the hump). In this case, NCL is charging more for the larger veranda.

At this point, nobody knows whether an S2 will have any upgrades as compared to a B2. When I booked my S2, I did so because of the additional interior space. Granted, in December 2015, the difference in size of S2 vs B2 was much more dramatic as compared to what is reflected on the website today (215 vs 177 sf).

It is indeed a no extra cost - referring to the triangle of stateroom space, and the larger veranda. I was not referring to different categories (B2 vs S2). NCL imposes a surcharge if you want a stateroom with a larger veranda, as compared to another stateroom with similar category and similar location. MSC does not surcharge to select a stateroom on the hump, whether it's a B2 on the Divina, or S2 on the Seaside. Yes, MSC imposes a higher price for an S2 versus a B2, but that has nothing to do with the extra "triangle" of space in the stateroom, nor does it have anything to do with the larger veranda.

I don't want to argue about this, but given that an S2 category gives no additional benefits beyond the larger cabin/balcony, and all of the S2 cabins are the same size and are larger than normal balcony cabins, I don't see how you can say that you're not paying extra for the space. How else do you justify the higher price?

Bill - I don't think you understand what I am saying. MSC has ships which have I2, B2 and S2 staterooms which vary in size (interior space and/or veranda). MSC does not impose an additional fee for a stateroom with more space (interior or veranda) within its respective category. Naturally, a B2 will cost more than an I2, and an S2 will cost more than a B2. Conversely, other cruise lines charge more for a stateroom because of slightly more interior space or a larger veranda. Check out Norwegian Epic, deck 12 (category B6 vs. BA).

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/deckbydeck.php?ship=Norwegian-Epic&deck=12

My previous post was specifically referencing the additional interior "triangle" space and the larger veranda. In comparing MSC Seaside S2 staterooms #9208 vs #15040, 9208 has a veranda which is larger than 15040. There is no difference in price for these S2 staterooms. In comparing MSC Divina B2 staterooms #12093, #12095 and #12097, 12093 has more interior space (due to its proximity on the hump) AND has a larger veranda as compared to 12095 and 12097 (though the larger interior space is not shown on the deckplan). In addition, 12095 has a larger veranda as compared to 12097. There is no difference in price for these B2 staterooms.

The stateroom and veranda are slightly larger, due to the position on the hump of the ship. The basic stateroom is the same size, though there is an additional triangle shape area where the stateroom would end (at the sliding doors). Though the extra space in the stateroom is not "a lot," it is a no cost extra. On the other hand, the veranda is much larger because of its location the hump.

It's not a no-cost extra, since you're paying more to be in an S2 than you would be in a normal balcony, and it's unclear that being in an S2 gives you anything else beyond the bigger cabin (as we recently discussed here).

It is indeed a no extra cost - referring to the triangle of stateroom space, and the larger veranda. I was not referring to different categories (B2 vs S2). NCL imposes a surcharge if you want a stateroom with a larger veranda, as compared to another stateroom with similar category and similar location. MSC does not surcharge to select a stateroom on the hump, whether it's a B2 on the Divina, or S2 on the Seaside. Yes, MSC imposes a higher price for an S2 versus a B2, but that has nothing to do with the extra "triangle" of space in the stateroom, nor does it have anything to do with the larger veranda.

We are booked on Seaside in July. We booked deck 11 aft s2 11210. It looks like it has a different balcony ( larger?) Due to the canbin it is next to with the whirl pool tub on balcony. Any idea if our suite is any larger or if the balcony is bigger? I didn't pick it , it was just given to me and since there weren't many left i wasn't going to be picky😊

The stateroom and veranda are slightly larger, due to the position on the hump of the ship. The basic stateroom is the same size, though there is an additional triangle shape area where the stateroom would end (at the sliding doors). Though the extra space in the stateroom is not "a lot," it is a no cost extra. On the other hand, the veranda is much larger because of its location the hump. We booked one of these S2 suites when the Seaside was released, then later sailed in a similar position (B2, on the hump) on the Divina. Your specific veranda will give you a wonderful panoramic view of the aft of the ship, and may be able to look down to the promenade deck (as I was able to do on the Divina). If this is the case, it will add scale and composition to photography - especially at night time when the promenade deck is illuminated.

I have done a bit of copy and pasting to see how furniture and fittings will fit into the space of the AFT cabins on a scale plan. I have taken elements from other room layouts and placed them, to scale, as per the deck plans.

I will add a bit to what Kelly said in response to this post. I concur that there appears to be only one sofa. There does not appear to be any furniture against the aft wall. Instead, it appears to be a wall of built-in cabinets of some sort. There are signs of a few opening doors on the aft wall, but I cannot tell if they open to a closet - or something else.

I'm curious about the bathroom. My confirmation says it has a shower. Does anyone know if it is a tub like in the drawing above or is it a walk in shower? For the few who has seen the rendering, can you share? Personally, I would rather have the walk in shower.

From what I see, it *appears* to be an oversized shower OR an oversized tub. Kelly, what do you think?

That carpet color has got to go.

That was the color of carpet in my stateroom on my last two cruises on the Divina (Fantastica experience).

... I don't understand why this thread has regressed into a generic MSC thread. This is not the place for questions like that.

A rendering is typically a sketch, painting or detailed drawing. Since the ship has been built, does this mean pictures and video of the ship (including the exterior) should or should not be part of the thread? I agree with Sunkissed Mommy (#1606), we "haven't seen talk of interior renderings in a while."

Wow this thread has gotten WAY off topic. As I am subscribed to it to see actual interior renderings and wouldn't be scanning 81 pages about black card status entitlements and itinerary changes due to hurricanes, can I request that new threads are started for anything not related to actual interior renderings and stateroom / floorplan / construction updates?

Well, at least some appreciate the answers and information being provided. When some have provided information on a rendering, others have criticized the information. Does anyone have interior renderings of the ship to share at this point? Since construction updates and discussion of specific suites are not renderings, should they be relegated to another thread?

I would argue that Black Card free dining has nothing to do with "Interior Renderings".

Yet you engaged in discussion regarding Black Card entitlements?

Yes, we are both Black card, so we can get two specialty dinners, that is great. Thank you. Are the Black card dinners only for certain restaurants? What is the signature restaurant on MSC? Is there a steakhouse? I will book above with concierge in YC, is that correct?

 

Also, for the other specialty restaurants, I would prebook on line but not book date/time? Seems so redundant to have to get on the ship and then still book a date and time when I could have done it online. I would also do this with concierge too, is that also correct?

Yes, your complimentary Black Card dinner(s) will be offered in select restaurants - but those are not known as of yet. There is a steakhouse on MSC Seaside (Butcher's Cut).

If you log into your MSC account, you should be able to see promotions for specialty dining at specific restaurants. I would not book restaurants until you know which restaurants will offer complimentary Black Card dining, as you do not have to book your complimentary Black Card dining online (refer to post #1577). You only book online when you will be paying for specialty dining. Personally, I will wait for the ship to shake things out, then look for reviews of the restaurants before I book (pay for) specialty dining. While Yacht Club can certainly book reservations with concierge, I do not believe you would receive the online booking discount (complimentary gratuities) or special promotions.

[redundant] You are merely paying for your dining in advance, and make the physical reservation once onboard. I realize most other cruise lines enable you to book a specific date and time in advance - perhaps that will happen at a late date. I have planned cruises ad nauseam (including specialty dining), only to change the date and time once I boarded the ship. My experience on the Divina has been that the specialty dining restaurants almost always have available seating, as many passengers do not seem willing to pay for specialty dining. Of those who are Black Card, many seem to wait until the last days of the cruise to make their reservation. On the other hand, I believe this model will change dramatically on the Seaside.

Italian specialty dining and Galaxy

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Discover-MSC/Cruise-Ships/MSC-Seaside/Restaurants.aspx

Odd that they no longer send you your Card via the post

I am fine with receiving a "virtual" card via e-mail when signing up, as well as getting a physical key card (with loyalty status) when I board the ship. Disney Cruise Line has had the same protocol in place for more than 15 years. This saves the company money, which saves the customer money, while also reducing waste. :)

I will also need to know when I can book specialty dining and shows (if I need to book prior to boarding). If I need to change times/dates, I guess then I ask concierge.

Currently, MSC enables guests to book specialty dining in advance, but you cannot schedule the date/time until boarding. In addition, Black Card members do not book their complimentary specialty dining in advance - they merely wait until they are on the ship to schedule theirr reservation(s). Each Black Card member is entitled to one complimentary specialty restaurant dinner, and is also entitled to bring a guest. If you and your Mother are Black Card, you can take each other as your guest (essentially yielding two dinners for each), or you may bring someone else.

One other important thing to remember is that when you pre-book something on MSC, you almost always save money as compared to booking while onboard the ship. As it relates to food and beverages, the price quoted online generally includes free gratuities. If you were to book the same item or package while on the ship, you would likely have gratuities added to the price. In some instances, some of the items offered online (ie: Coffee package / MSC Divina) are not available to purchase onboard the ship.