Homosassa

Yup! Looks like the wood cut I referenced in Post #7.

Sorry, I totally forgot about the comeback from the film.

😉

Stay on board in Santorini. If your ship is there with multiple other ships, sightseeing on shore resemble the famous wood cut of Dante's seven circles of Hell with the condemned trudging shoulder to shoulder. https://apps.lib.umich.edu/blogs/beyond-reading-room/inferno-according-alessandro-vellutello

Depends on the embarkation port. For example, in Tampa, it has been a long standing policy for the port terminal for any cruise line that any beverage containers must be in carry on luggage, not checked luggage.

Do not place the passengers in the cabin between you in the awkward position of saying no to you. And please be aware that your balcony is not a sound proof hang out area. Any conversations or noise out there will carry to any balcony above, below or around you.

I have consistently used the same on line agency since 2001. I stay with one agent, and when they have been promoted, they pass me along to an agent that they respect professionally. I have found that because this agency does a volume business with different cruise lines, their advertise fare usually is less than any fares posted on the cruise line website and usually has offered perks (like OBC) that is not on the cruise line site. On the rare occasion that I have had a problem with a booking (cruise line error) , the agency I deal with is the a thousand pond gorilla with the cruise line and any problems are quickly resolved. This included our first MSC cruise where I was given certain on board perks with my booking and a second cabin linked with ours did not receive them (same cabin class). The agent called MSC and the line found that it was a mistake on MSC's end and resolved it by honoring the mistake for my cabin and extending the same on board perks to the linked reservation. No screaming, no threats of lawsuits, no endless bad mouthing of the cruise line, just a professional resolution and customer service.

While it may not have anything to do with the MSC on board experience, it is useful for those who have never travel outside the US and have no idea that what might "fly" on Southwest will not make it on board the aircraft outside the US. Just as everyone should be fully aware of the Terms and Conditions of each cruise line before booking, people also need to research any restriction on their means of transportation to the cruise port. Luggage restriction are available on the website of each carrier being used.

Park N Go is a cruise parking lot just outside the main entrance to the port. We have been using them for years when cruising out of Fort Lauderdale. Make your reservations before hand. When you enter the lot, you will be directed to a canopy where there will be help to unload your luggage and place on a shuttle (it is valet parking). The shuttle will run often (will not be necessarily full) and you will be dropped at the luggage drop area for the cruise. At disembarkation, if the shuttle is not there, it will be withing minutes. The driver will call ahead with your information and the shuttle will drop you at your car. https://bookparkngo.com/ftlauderdale2.php

There is a navigation channel on the TV that is specific for the ship. It will show the ship's location and any pertinent weather information (wind, rain, temperature, wave heights, etc.). Of course, you could look a window or go out on dock to determine weather and wave height.

What lost time.? First, 10 AM was your pier arrival time, not your boarding time. Second, it is a common misconception that the cruise length is counted in days when it is actually in nights. Look at the itineraries. Day one starts at the departure time, the last day ends when the last passenger leaves the ship (usually before 10 AM). You will have the same number of full nights as booked. While Carnival may offer a small amount of OBC because of the delay in boarding, you will still have the same length of cruise.

I didn't want you to be disappointed in your MSC cruise. There are many differences in MSC that cause unprepared cruisers to become upset. Some examples are change and cancellation policies, what to some people are limited kids programs, recommended dress code, and the cosmopolitan and multicultural composition of the passengers.

In a nutshell, yes. I belong to a MSC board located elsewhere on the web, and the alcohol policy on MSC has caused some agita to those cruisers who were unaware of the differences in the on board experience from other cruise lines.

Geezer Couple, I am trying to be discreet. MSC is not a "party" cruise line. Because of recent problems on short three-four day cruises, drink packages are no longer available for those cruises . The availability of packages on other itineraries will be decided on the characteristics of that particular sailing. While the seven day cruise from NYC is more than three-four days, it is the same itinerary as the cruise line has had problems with (more sea days). One will find that bars will open later in the morning and the number open will be limited depending on the time of day. Pours may also be light compared to other cruise lines. In other words, if one cruises to drink, MSC may not be the best choice. Let the flaming begin....

JamieLogical, As you have never cruised on MSC before, make sure that you are aware of the cultural differences on MSC as regards to the availability of drink packages and the obtaining of alcoholic beverages. The differences have been a shock to some cruisers who have only cruised on other cruise lines.

Sounds like a certain Honda dealership that used to be near me in Maryland. People were foolish enough to get into bidding wars for a car on the lot.

I tried to post a link to the video, but had no luck. Please google "Bimini Bahamas Channel Navigation" for a video that shows how narrow the channel is. It makes it easier to understand how wind blowing can cause problems for a cruise ship,

It took less than a minute to find the information about vaccination and testing for transatlantic cruises on the Royal Caribbean website. There is absolutely no excuse for a cruiser not to know this information before leaving on a transatlantic cruise. Blame away, but it is still on the cruiser to do their homework and obtain the official written policy.

Were you on a charter cruise and were the pineapple fronds upside down?

Don't sit and read while having coffee!!! This statement has me scratching my head. So if I grab my book and head up to the buffet for a cup of coffee, what am I suppose to do? Belly up to the coffee bar and toss back my coffee while reading the book (modified Italian style)? Wander through the buffet reading while sipping my coffee? Or is the act of reading a book that is so horrifying Would staring at a cell phone be better? Please explain why sitting at a table drinking coffee while engaging in a second activity is so wrong.

As long as you don't see a hurricane (or tropical storm) predicted for the area to which you are cruising, stop worrying about the weather.

Again, you don't have enough information to base your conclusion about the system not being secure. It reminds of the time my husband was on an upper deck and saw a young girl opening a door that read "Crew Only." He stopped her and said she wasn't allowed to use that particular door. She smiled sweetly at him and said, "It's okay. My Daddy is the Captain." He got the missing piece of information that explained her actions.

Like any rule that Carnival has made in the past, the rule is a reaction to the problems they have had in the past. Obviously there has been a problem with kids under the age of twenty one (think spring break cruises). That is why the rules of no more than fifteen alcoholic beverages in a twenty four hour period, no ice chests on board, no carry on booze, just read the carnival website. Carnival knows the characteristics of its market demographic.

You know what the rules are, be prepared to have them enforced. You can always look for a stairwell that is less crowded (those fore and at) that he can use for training.

But it is definitely not "NY" pizza. As I am used to what is "NY" pizza (in actually the closest you can come to Napolitano pizza without being in Italy), the HAL stuff does remind me of a frozen supermarket pizza.