no1talks

In my considered opinion, this is why cruises are so hesitant to enforce so many rules. They know any given attempt may result in a tantrum that is instantly recorded and sent to social media.

I can. 🙄 NIAGARA FALLS!

Agreed.

His name must not be Tom. Otherwise, he would have talked you into painting the railings for him.

But, the two suite categories I mentioned include butler service. I only brought it up because the dissatisfaction you spoke of would have cost less than the $30k you mentioned.

I've watched video of Grand Suites on Grandeur in the aftermath of your cruise. I must say, I saw multiple aspects of the suite's amenities and furnishings that made me think, "Well, that's of no use to Mssr. and Mme. Morpheus." However, it was not lost on me that much of what that suite offered would be much appreciated by another type of cruiser. Before your disappointing cruise, what were the deciding factors for selecting the Grand Suite rather that a less profligate suite (Seven Seas or Penthouse)?

No chef required. 😆

In fairness, Morpheus, they can't fill a ship as of yet (at least I've not seen even a nearly full ship reported). The passenger counts thus far have included plenty of complimentary fares for travel agents, vloggers, and influencers. They have already had to slash prices on lower-tier cabins during a time when well-off cruisers are eager to sail and should happily pay a premium to be among the early passengers. On top of all that, the CEO has made a rather suspect resignation. If MSC were not privately held, I daresay investors would look askance at your use of the word "success." However, Explora Journeys is privately held and the Apontes can bide their time while Explora finds its sea legs and its raison d'être.

This is an excellent question. Thank you for posting it. I look forward to the replies.

You are so right, Ms TK.

Are Yacht Club and Aurea suites blacked-out as "sold" on those 14-day cruises, like the Barbados ones I mentioned earlier?

Perhaps from the MSC websites for other countries, but the US site is as I described. All Lesser Antilles cruises from Martinique (Fort-de-France) and Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre) are listed as 7-nights until the end of March 2025 when Virtuosa will be repositioned to Le Havre, France. It is now a non-issue because we have decided to book a similar cruise on Queen Mary 2 in order to avoid the logistical hurdles MSC entails. We'll still be seeing six of the ten islands. If MSC still has their 14-day route on the books in a few years, when we have retired to Florida, we can cruise it then. Plus, with Cunard, we'll have three enjoyable sea days leaving from and returning to New York.

Perhaps one or more of you have experience in this situation. I'm looking at the Lesser Antilles itinerary of Virtuosa. One can get half of the total itinerary as a 7-day cruise embarking from Guadeloupe or Martinique. You can also book two consecutive cruises to cover all the offered islands. Or, you can book a 14-day cruise covering both portions. That version embarks from Barbados. Here's the thing. Aurea suites and YC can only be reserved on the 7-day portions. On the 14-day Barbados version, those rooms are blacked-out as sold. Of course, I could book the two 7-day portions b2b. However, air travel in and out of Barbados has more options and that makes the 14-day booking very appealing. Have any of you cruised the full Barbados version and did you attempt an upgrade to Aurea or YC? Or, perhaps you were on a cruise elsewhere and the same black-out plan was used by MSC. My concern is the 7-day bookings out of Martinique and Guadeloupe will gobble up all of Virtuosa's premium cabins, leaving none for a Barbados-based upgrade bid. Thank you in advance for your responses.

It will be much appreciated if you post your cruise comments, when the time comes.

All great for a few consecutive sea days. For a long stretch on the sea, I want more activities to consider, such as lectures, organized cardplay, etc. That's why I'm looking forward to doing an over-and-back transatlantic with Cunard in '26.