no1talks

There are lots of questions out there, but little information. I don't know what would be significant about COVID positives among British passengers that would require mandatory departure from the ship. What about COVID positives from Americans or others on this cruise?

I don't know if those without an instagram account will be able to see this, but here you go.

Instagram video from the ship.

7 hours ago, Fla Mike said:

Since there seems to be a lot of folks who think MSC food does not cater to the American Palette, here is a tongue-in cheek look at the new MSC menu for the American market.

 

Feel free to add your own.

 

Beginnings

Fried Pickles

Pork Rinds

Campbell's® Chicken and Stars Soup

 

Entrees

Hamburger Helper® Lasagna Flavor

Spaghettios® with Meatballs

Salami on Wonder Bread® (Crust removed for our discerning Yacht Club guests. No crusts for our Upper Crust.)

 

Sides

Fried Pickles

Pork Rinds

Loaded Cheese Fries

 

Dessert

Jello® Puddin’ Pops

Twinkies®

 

May we suggest a nice cold can of Mountain Dew® or Red Bull®

 

 

 

Fixed it for you. 😉

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

Our room was very quiet despite having neighbors.
The only reason I know they were all booked is we said hi whenever we were out on our balconies at the railings we could see each other. 
I also met cc member @quattroheadand his wife they were also in an aft facing balcony a few doors down from us. 
 

The detour certainly added a lot of steps onto our day that’s for sure.

 

We also used deck 7 to walk through but by day 3 it was getting hard to avoid the photographer who was set up there outside Butcher’s Cut lol.

 

Because we only had 490 passengers they were really hounding us to take pictures.
 I never posed for so many pictures. My husband was like “just say no to them” but I didn’t have the heart to lol

Just use the James Bond hat-shield move. 😁


(From Dr. No.)

9 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Nor do I talk about my cruise fare/OBC/cabin gifts while aboard the ship or here on CC!

"Cabin gifts" 😉

8 hours ago, styles27 said:

On Divina 11/14th the MDR had the up charge choices which included the NY Strip, shrimp cocktail and surf and turf but our waiter never charged us for them.
 (which earned him a nice extra tip on the last night) 

I cannot relate to how a waiter could pull off an uncharged entree and not get busted. A shrimp cocktail would be easy. Those are likely ready-to-go in the salad station's reach-in, similar to the salads grabbed and dressed by a waiter or the assistant.

Since meat cuts are cooked en masse and then finished to particular grill temps as needed, I suppose a waiter could just call for a steak in all the chaos.

Perhaps cruise kitchens for large venues are just not secure enough to avoid "leakage" of upcharged product, which causes one to wonder how any steaks get billed at all.  
 

🎶Foreign types with the hookah pipes 🎶

(My sincere congratulations, if you know this lyric without a web search.)

I'm about to bid on an upgrade from YC inside to YC balcony on Mera, sailing in late Feb.

Of those of you involved in YC bids on the three Caribbean ships since cruises resumed, who succeeded with the minimum listed bid? Who got their upgrade with a bid above the minimum?

Sure, I could plunk down a big, fat offer without breaking the bank and be assured of the balcony upgrade. However, I'd like to play this out with some acumen and put the saved cash towards cruise spending and better tips for the staff.

So, fess up! If you bid into YC from not-YC, or up from "lesser" YC to better, was it on the cheap or did you run the bid slider up a ways? Thank you all in advance for your helpful replies.

Meh.

As I mentioned a few months back, in a thread on this subject, we'll choose a bottle of Absolut, leaving it unopened and (with some paint pens) make a souvenir by getting staff to sign the bottle and pose for pictures holding it. A sort of high school yearbook, but full of middling vodka. (I'd better not get any grief for taking my Absolut yearbottle around the ship.)

Regarding the use of minibar stuff in the embarkation lounge, that's just MSC using up the remaining stock. They'll change it again, once the remnants are gone. 

1 hour ago, alyssamma said:

You are purposefully being obstinate 🙂

 

Did you try to call to see if you would get those penalties?

 

Rhetorical Q...I know the answer is "no" because you didn't get a cancel letter...

 

You need to livestream your embarkation process...

The video feed...
😜

28 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

LOL, it seems you keep your lawyer on speed dial.

 

Kind of crazy...I live in the US, a lawsuit happy country, and don't have a lawyer. You life in Germany and have mentioned several times having your lawyer sue people for you.

While the U.S. has the most layers per capita, it comes in at #5 (or thereabouts) on lists of the most litigious countries. Germany and Sweden are #1 and #2.

Once our 2022 cruise is in the books, we will begin planning for 2023 and we hope to find a N. European round trip cruise to take.

Given the currently listed 2022 cruises, we will embark from either Hamburg, for British Isles or Iceland, or Kiel, for Scandinavia or Baltic/Russia. If the 2023 schedule from Rotterdam is more interesting than 2022's, we will consider it as well. A pre-cruise family visit will prevent us from embarking from other ports.

When can one expect the 2023 N. European schedule to be made available?
What are your experiences with any of these four itinerary categories? (British Isles, Iceland, Scandinavia, Baltic/Russia)
What, in your opinion, are the must-have ports? (There certainly are many Norwegian ports in the various Scandinavian itineraries.)
Do you feel any ports are not worth the stop?
Of the ships taken for your N. European cruises, what were the pros and cons?
Which months do you think are the most favorable?

As always, I thank you for sharing your experiences on these matters.

Cheers!

17 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

I go with Grey Goose. Simple, all the bars have it.

 

That being said, sample them all 🙂 

To sample all the nonstandard vodkas would mean White Spider morning-noon-and-nightcaps. 

1 hour ago, alyssamma said:

You'll see me sitting in Top Sail with a vodka and 7...

Vodka & 7, you say?

If I may, what are your short-list vodkas in YC?

I ask, because I want to switch-up brands for comparison sake in one of my favorite nightcaps, a White Spider.

(Basically, it is a Stinger which has vodka in lieu of the brandy/cognac.)

I love posts on this topic.

Dress how you want.

To each their own.

Live and let live.

That said,, I'm firmly in the old school camp. For our February cruise,, I'll bring:

Tuxedo.

Dinner jacket.

Special tux for Elegant Night.

My wife really appreciates the extra effort on my part.

1 hour ago, eagletwo said:

Just off the Divina. Met a few travel agents during the cruise that said the chocolate ships are going to be discontinued. I can't confirm if it's true. There were a few changes in our Yacht Club experience that we were surprised. 

This will be our first and last Divine cruise. 

Changes!?! Spill the tea, if you please. Enquiring minds want to know.

I'm not looking to bend the ear of any cruise bartenders, YC or otherwise. I just want to make sure the drink is made in the standard method and avoid a possible occurrence of the following...

Butler: Welcome to Top Sail Lounge, sir! May I bring you a beverage?
Me: Thank you, Benjamin, a nightcap would be lovely. I'll have a White Spider.
Butler: Extra primo good, sir! (Walks to bar.) Tip o' the cap to you, if you know that film reference.

*** Eight minutes later ***

Butler: I apologize, sir... What is in a Wise Spider?
Me: (Explains White Spider recipe fully to Benjamin.)
Butler: Thank you, sir. (Walks to bar.)

*** Eight minutes later ***

Butler: Your Wild Spider, sir. Enjoy! (Walks away.)
Me: (Looks at visibly incorrect White Spider and sighs.)

This vignette is half-jest, of course. I would hope Top Sail, if not the ship's bars as a whole, have access to a drink library in the point-of-sale system. But, since a Colorado Bulldog stymied a casino bartender last cruise, I don't know.
🍸

20 hours ago, alyssamma said:

You *typically* tip your butler, not the bartender. In fact, you will have little or no interaction with the bartender at all (butlers will bring you drinks).

 

Most leave a set amount at the end of the cruise for their main butler You can also do this for the asst. butler, bartenders, Maître D, concierge, etc. But the majority (I believe) just do it for the butler.

 

How much depends on how you use them. Some tip zero, others tip hundreds. Again, tip based on how much you use them.

If we don't scrap the cruise for MSC pulling the double Voyager points (LONG story) I'll be interacting with the bartenders frequently.

Mostly, I'll need to explain my favorite drink recipes.

Last time, I stumped the bartender with a Colorado Bulldog. That's not a super-rare drink.

2 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

I think it depends on when you booked it. If you booked it under the old terms you should get the 2x...

 

But honestly, since you are in the YC, Gold is pretty meaningless. Diamond gets you the dinner and the ship...but there really isn't anything Gold gets you that you don't already get via the YC.

Ah, but I'm playing the "long game" you see.

We had in mind to be Gold-plated for a Northern European cruise in '23, in case we're on a ship without YC, like Magnifica or Orchestra. (I don't get to pick the itinerary on this one.) Gold status would spiff things up a bit on an otherwise pedestrian room "experience" and give us priority in the event we have a tendered port.

If, as you suggest, we're still golden (and Golden) we'll crack on as planned. Otherwise, I'll have to insist the '23 Euro cruise be on Preziosa, Grandiosa, etc.

Even if I can successfully insist on a Euro YC-equipped ship, I'm none-to-pleased with what I read about their take on YC. Honestly, isn't one free Toblerone in the minibar, with refills charged, against the Geneva Conventions or something?

6 hours ago, alyssamma said:

Looks like MSC has changed the wording for Voyager sailings. Looks like basic members don't get 2x points and there is only a single $50 given.

 

Old wording:

As a loyal MSC Voyagers Club member, we're awarding you with the always available 5% off PLUS an additional 15% off your cruise fare. What's more? Get up to €/$50 per person onboard credit to use during your cruise, PLUS you'll earn double points! If you are a Silver, Gold or Diamond member, you'll earn an additional €/$50 per person onboard credit to use during your cruise. 

 

 

New wording:

We've taken our best deal for MSC Voyagers Club members and made it even better! Book any cruise from summer 2021 through Winter 2021-2022 from the Voyages Selection Departures and you'll get a 15% + 5% DISCOUNT!

 

Whether you escape to The Bahamas or Caribbean, journey through the Mediterranean or Northern Europe, or explore the Emirates, you'll find amazing discounts on our Voyages Selection Departures. 

 

If you’re a Silver, Gold or Diamond member over 18 years of age, you can enjoy discounted cruises, up to $/€ 50 pp onboard credit and double membership points for the type of experience chosen. Points will be assigned at the end of the cruise.

Well paint my ass red and take me to the circus; if that isn't seven shades of suck!

I'll see if my TA can finesse this, so we can be guaranteed the earlier double points. (Doubt it, though.) Double YC points and leapfrogging over Silver to land in Gold would make all the COVID "embellishments" worthwhile.

Without the doubling... Meh. We'll probably cancel and avail ourselves of another cruise line.

 

34 minutes ago, styles27 said:

Same for us on our 11/14th sailing on Divina we’re seeing the same message as you when we look for excursions. 

That's a puzzler. You're two months away, with no ability thus far to pre-book excursions?!? Are you concerned, or just planning on improvising your port days? Aren't excursions pricier when booked after embarkation? 

4 hours ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Since cruising has just restarted and some ports aren't even accepting cruise ships, the excursions are not available to view until much closer to sailing time.  We're 12/22 and there is nothing in the Excursions section for our sailing.

Thanks for the reply!

You have a two-month jump on us, so we may not have excursions posted on pre-cruise purchasing until Thanksgiving. Yikes!

Ever since we got our deposit on the record and had a Plan My Cruise open, (Mera in February '22, by the way) all we can select are items from Beverages, Specialty Restaurants, Spa & Beauty, and Internet etc.

"Excursions" page shows the cruise's itinerary, but the individual days cannot be clicked to show any excursions. Furthermore, the page reads, "We are working to enrich our shore excursions program, they will be bookable soon," near the bottom.

Interestingly, in the "Destinations" portion of the website, one can view excursions, their descriptions, and the associated codes. But, one cannot book the excursions from that portion of the website.

What are your current experiences in viewing bookable excursion entries for your pending cruises? Are you self-booked or with a TA? As always, thank you in advance for your informative answers to this head-scratcher.

20 minutes ago, pirokp said:

I’m the original poster of this thread.  I was merely asking how many people have been cruising on a  particular ship lately.  It has turned into a forum not on topic.  Please stay on topic or start another thread of your own to share your views.

Good luck with that!

I, too, had a recently posted question get lured into a dark alley, hit over the head, and its pockets emptied by off-topic replies.

😉

12 minutes ago, phissy said:

No longer appearing on MSC . They have regrouped and reduced. They are doing limited shows in Las Vegas and I got email for show in Seattle.

Sadly, they are not out of the woods by any measure. Neither is Las Vegas, for that matter.

34 minutes ago, abqkjh said:

Is the Cirque de Soleil show available?

Cirque went bankrupt, due to COVID. May rise again, but that remains to be seen.