Homosassa

If you have insurance, carefully read the policy for cancellation coverage due to Covid or other medical problems. All insurance policies are not the same and may not cover all reasons for cancellation or trip interruption.

Google can also help one find information....

Have your checked your cruise confirmation documentation for information about your booking? Any cruise reservation confirmation on any cruise line for any itinerary that required a passport that I have booked over the last forty eight years always had the passport information in the confirmation.

Perhaps the issue is a misunderstanding on what occurs during the booking process for any cruise line reservation. The options are fixed (traditional) seatings (early or late) and open dining. The open dining option is called by different names by different lines (Freestyle, eat any time, etc.) One can request the preferred option at the time of booking, however, it is not assigned (confirmed) until the staff member in charge of the dining room actually makes the assignments a short time (a week???) before embarkation. MSC is also more complicated because depending on your "experience" that you booked, your dining time options vary and can be limited. Bella is assigned a time for one of the fixed seatings, a/k/a traditional dining.. The fixed seating is exactly that. One is told what seating time one is assigned and after approximately fifteen minutes of that seating's start time, the doors are closed for entry. Fantastica is also assigned a traditional dining time, however, one can request your preference of early or late. It is only Aurea and the Yacht Club experiences that have a dine anytime option. The assignment of the traditional seating and table is fixed in place and can not be changed on a daily basis. At the time of booking, if you all have the same "experience," the reservations should have been linked to aid the dining room staff in making assignments of table and time.

The topless decks were located in the most undesirable location on the ship; the highest deck that was forward or aft. On any given day, that area would be moving with the "motion of the ocean," blazingly hot with sun, and very windy. With the advancement in the designs for stabilizers and other features that smooth out the ride, those areas became more useable for the passengers most of the time. At some point, a marketing genius figured out that those areas could be used for expensive cabins that could be touted as more exclusive, "ship within a ship," best views, etc. Build, them, advertise them, and there will be some that buy the cabins in still the worst location for feeling motion (and then post on Cruise Critic complaining about the motion that is sometimes felt).

The right to go topless is a subject that has come up on my breast cancer board. It often involves women that have opted for bilateral mastectomies without reconstruction being hassled by others when they go topless. The laws are not about going topless, but about indecent exposure which is defined as the breast areolae being exposed. This is not an issue for unreconstructed women or those who have not had the areolae imitated by a tattooed skin graft and skin twist for the nipple. However, you would be surprised by those whose knickers are in a twist about any women exposing their chest area.

I enjoyed the grilled kippered herring that MSC usually has somewhere on the breakfast buffet.

From my experiences on various MSC ships, smoked salmon (not lox as that is a specific product that many would not like because of is texture) and bagels are offered in the MDR at breakfast. The platter comes with condiments such as cream cheese, red onion, capers, and tomato. However, the buffet can be a gastronomic journey into the variety of fish eaten at breakfast around the world. Many times, depending on the international groups on board, specific items will be found in the buffet in the small section that offers typical breakfast food for that culture. There is usually a section does have a variety of fish (grilled, smoked, pickled, cold acid and herb processed) available. Fish species may include chubs, herring, and trout ). In this case, given the cruise itinerary of New England and the Maritime provinces, I would expect there to be plenty of herring, especially pickled, because of the its popularity in the Maritime areas of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (New Scotland).

Those French fry and hot dog sandwiches look like MSC's version of a chip butty with sausage for their UK guests.

Of course this information is on the website. Go to the MSC USA website main page. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click "Terms and Conditions". Read section 13; Cancellations and Changes by Passenger. When you booked and paid for your cruise, you agreed to the T&C, It was also included in your on line check in.

Perhaps the banner across the Carnival website page concerning system upgrades and management this week end could be a clue?

I answered this in your other thread. Yes, they can change your cabin. No, it is not a change in how NCL (or any other cruise line ) does business. You get what you pay for, and when it is a guarantee cabin rate, it can be the worst cabin in the category.

That is because a guarantee cabin is called "Sail Away" on the US website and this information is included on the booking page. While it doesn't state that the assigned cabin can be changed after assignment, the Ticket Contract gives them the right to do so. If one books a "guarantee" or "Sail Away" rate, you can't be sure of your cabin until the day you check in at the pier.

Were others booked on this transfer? How did they know where to met and you didn't?

I am making an educated guess and say it will be Kennedy (Terminal 4) for European guests. LaGuardia is limited for international flights (Canada, Bermuda, Bahamas, and Aruba). Newark does have international flights, but I don't know how many and which countries.

For those of us who understand the concept of public health and fulfilled our responsibility of receiving our vaccinations and boosters, the reinstating of controls and requirements should not cause us any problems.

Read Post #26 above for link to NCL Covid and other diseases policy in Ticket Contract.

I guess you didn't read my post(right above yours) or the link to the Ticket Contract that covers Covid and other diseases.

This is not covered in the NCL Terms and Conditions on the website. It is in the Ticket Contract, which hopefully you read before booking as it is binding on you. There is a whole section on Covid and other diseases, changes in procedures and requirements, and no refund if any requirements, at the time of sailing, is not met. https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/NCL_Guest_Ticket Contract_US_EN_02_2023.pdf

47,839 finishers in 2022 (doesn't include runners who dropped out). Thousands of spectators.

Room prices will also be astronomical in Brooklyn. The problem is that any hotel in Brooklyn that is close to the port is going to be impacted by the road closures. Anyone trying to reach the port will be dealing with the closure of Fourth Ave and the thousands of runners and observers along the Brooklyn Fourth Ave route. If any car service is willing to go to the port from a local hotel, the rate hikes will be phenomenal. Bus routes will be impacted. There is a reason that the cruise fares for this date are so low. This is not a "I will just drive to the port and park" day.

Are you planning on using surface transportation from Middletown, NJ? It is going to be a nightmare on November 5. As a former NYC resident, if I was attempting to reach Red Hook from New Jersey for a cruise, I would bit the bullet and go into Manhattan the day before and book a hotel on the east side below 59th Street (the farther downtown the better). The room price will be astronomical because of the Marathon (may equal the cost of the cruise), but at least there is a chance of being able to reach the ferry to cross to Brooklyn. Hopefully, the ferry will be maintaining a normal schedule.

I just checked my travel agents and your cruise is still listed. Only a suite is still available from my TA. My TA is known as a clearing house for last minute cabins. At this point, the ship is probably full and the upgrade (free or otherwise) process is started to shuffle anyone willing to join the daisy chain game of upgrading.

Anyone trying to reach the Red Hook Terminal on November 5 will need to allow extra time. The Marathon not only impacts the Verrazzano Bridge, but other surface roads, and bridges throughout the five boroughs of NYC. In particular, Fourth Ave is close for the race and that is a road that anyone coming from the east will need to cross to reach Red Hook.

I do not believe the solo cabin policy has changed; rather it has gone back to the policy for solo cabins precovid. The policy was probably suspended during start up to have passengers on board. Back in 2016, my sister, sailing solo, wished to go on a cruise with us. It was explained to us at the time that MSC offered solo rates on limited cabins on certain ships and itineraries at limited times of the year. Luckily, the ship and embarcation date we were on had solo rates available. Same story in 2018 when she booked solo.