no1talks

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.

It's a big deal in the YC. You only get one chocolate bar gratis and you don't want to lose it in the pool!

I'm not a fan of the two-out-of-three many cruises do. Perhaps a UN resolution is in order, to force cruise lines to keep the set unbroken on future itineraries. 😆 I would be skeptical of enjoying that many consecutive sea days on MSC, if it were to be a west coast embarkation and not an island-based cruise. There is also the issue of gambling being banned when close enough to the islands. It's my understanding some ships close the casino the whole time they are in proximity to the islands. If the ship were to model its practices after Pride of America, there would be no casino at all.

DOODIE!!!

I am reminded of this bit from The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)... Treadle (Prince Regent's tailor): That, Sir Percy, is the last word in cuffs! Sir Percy: Oh lord I should hope so! For there should never be another like it! Prince Regent: Oh come now, it's not so bad. Treadle: You see Sir Percy, His Royal Highness approves! Sir Percy: My poor Treadle, His Royal Highness does nothing of the kind! He says it's "not so bad", and nothing in the world is so bad as something which is "not so bad"!

You'll never see me denigrating the Trevi. Many years ago, I had the good fortune of being cast as Oceanus in a production of Prometheus Bound. Accordingly, I have a soft spot for the old titan. And no, I was not nude on stage. I was costumed in a proper chiton. 😁

"I'm shocked! Shocked to find that gambling is going on in here."

Long, long ago, not too far a drive from where I lived, there was an upscale pub of that name with the obligatory Sherlockian motif. It was largely supported by its proximity to a cinema. Unfortunately, the cinema switched to a dollar-movie business model and families on a tight budget replaced the full-price movie fans. 221b Backer Street did not survive the change in customer traffic.

This one has 20 years in business. Maybe it's time you return to Casablanca. https://www.rickscafe.ma/

I'm not confident MSC has enough onboard activities to support my tastes during a long stretch of ocean. I'm quite traditional and I'd want old-school options to be available. We are probably going to do a round-trip transatlantic on Queen Mary in '26 and I look forward to dance lessons, learning bridge, and other traditional ocean-crossing activities of classic cruising.

They may have better deals in the general vicinity, but the don't have an itinerary that combines Casablanca, Canaries, and Madeira. It's also a risk with Ocean Cay's cancellation rate. After the closure and upgrades, the chances will be better, though. This is one place in which I have no interest. Expedition cruises do not appeal to me. Drake's Passage doesn't appeal to me either. 🤢

MSC doesn't have the deepest bench when it comes to itineraries. However, there are several I'm eager to book. Of course, one cannot be certain these particular cruises will be around from one year to the next. Nonetheless, here is my list, though somewhat tongue-in-cheek. What's on your list? #4 10 nights: Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Arrecife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Casablanca, Valencia. You can never have too many stops in the Canaries and this cruise has four, with Madeira and Fuerteventura islands thrown in. That's a lot of islands, but still not enough for salad dressing. The best part of the whole trip will be stopping for lunch at Rick's Cafe in Casablanca, if it's still in business at the time. I'll be taking my dinner jacket with me to don at the restaurant and pose for a picture near the piano with one of the staff. "You played it for her, you can play it for me!" #3 12 nights: Durban, Port Louis, La Possession, Inhaca Archipelago, Durban. MSC doesn't do much in the Indian Ocean, but this cruise looks pretty good. Between you and me, though, my real interest is the three-day stop in Mauritius. With all that time, I'm certain to discover a waddle of dodos that has been keeping a very, very low profile for more than 300 years. #2 11 nights: Tokyo, Muroran, Sakata, Kanazawa, Busan, Yatsushiro, Kochi, Osaka, Tokyo. Even though there are cruises that do a full circumnavigation of Japan, three of the four major islands would still be a fine cruise. One stop in South Korea is included for good measure, too. Do you suppose there would be any problems with US customs if I were to buy some spare parts for my K900 in Busan? #1 14 nights: Hamburg, Bergen, Molde Fjord, Longyearbyen, Honningsvag, Hammerfest, Tromso, Leknes, Stavanger, Hamburg. I think it would be fun being able to say I've been to a place (Longyearbyen) less than 12° south of the North Pole. Plus, cats are banned, so I won't need my allergy meds. Most ships going there are smaller, expedition-type vessels but MSC can take you there in YC style, if that's your thing.

You win Cruise Critic today, sir.

Yes! The lobster roll is very popular, though some New Englanders turn up their noses a bit. Some YCers love getting a burger with a dollop of the lobster salad on it. YMMV on that one.

Watch, now that I mentioned it, the policy will have been changed. 🤪

At least you can still have the Ocean Cay YC lunch, since that menu is served in YC instead, so the prepped food isn't wasted.

Well, it is Holy Week and Lent is concluding. Are you sure they weren't just wearing sackcloth?