RachLovesSteak

Thank you so much! Loves Disney and Cruising?? Sounds like you could be a Shinglebell!

@A&L_Ont - I was SO excited to hear you were following along (Victoria can confirm!) one of my all-time favorite cc'ers, and the one who got me researching Star Class suites! Hopefully your next sailing is coming up soon 🙂

Is MSC's bidding process similar to RCCL and NCL? Booking YC is not in our budget for this trip, but I always love to try my luck with the upgrade bids!

Thank you for sharing this! Would you consider the Aurea upgrade to be worth it at an extra $400 pp? I think the perk we'd appreciate the most is the thermal suite access, but it sounds like you can purchase passes in the $100 - $200 range.

I just completed MSC's status match form the other day - super easy! Had confirmation within 24 hours.

This is super helpful! We found NCL's included drink package to be frustratingly limited at times, so it's great to hear that MSC's seems to be more inclusive! Definitely love that bottled water and espresso is included. Thanks JamieLogical!

Thank you so much! This is extremely helpful. Does Aurea always include the thermal suite pass or does it vary by sailing? I don't see it listed as a benefit, only the 10% discount on spa services booked while onboard.

This is SO helpful - thank you! I definitely prefer the itinerary of MSC Seaside, especially the overnight stay at the private island! I'm a beach girlie, so any itinerary that includes two days on a private island with a drink package is a win for me! Great to hear about the inclusivity of the drink package. I'm always hesitant about the "tiered" drink packages (NCL limitations got annoying real quick), so very happy that it sounds like MSC's promo drink package includes most everything. All of this sounds pretty positive! I'd say we're easy to please - give me an ocean view and I'm happy! Mainly just want to make sure we won't be wildly disappointed wishing we'd stuck with RCCL, and it doesn't sound like that would be the case. Greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience!

You'll have to share your comparison thoughts after you've finished both cruises! MSC prices are an incredible deal, especially when the rest of the cruise industry seems to have record-high prices. If flights were a factor for the Allure it wouldn't even be a debate. We'd definitely be hopping on MSC! Jealous that NYC is your home port! I did an NCL cruise out of NYC in 2016 - the sail away views are incredible!

Great question! It's a $1,000 total price difference for a party of 2. I completely agree about the flying adding a level of stress, especially since we already had the idea of a driveable port in our heads. I've actually never sailed out of Galveston (SO has), so could be a cool experience! Thanks for your insights 🙂

Thank you so much! This is very helpful.

Hi cc friends! I've been comfortably back in my cc lurking ways for a couple of years now, but coming out of hiding to seek opinions from the pros 🙂 We are debating booking a fairly last-minute cruise this fall. We have one week to work with and were planning to go for the RCCL Allure since it's driveable for us. The price for an OV balcony has been fluctuating almost daily, and today it's back at a price we consider a good deal. However, during all the fluctuation (and several days of it being "sold out") we found a steal of a deal on MSC Seaside. I have never been on MSC, but I'm always down to try new things! All variables considered, MSC Seaside is around $1,000 cheaper when priced out apples to apples (drink package, wifi, flight vs. no flight, etc.) I've been lurking around here on the MSC board and doing lots of Googling, but thought I'd see if anyone has any insights to share. I love learning from you all and sharing in your vacations, and am grateful for your guidance! **important to note - SO must have good WiFi, so if you happen to have insights on Allure or Seaside wifi quality, that would be hugely helpful. Also how MSC's drink package compares to RCCL or NCL. Thanks in advance!!

Hi cc friends! I've been comfortably back in my cc lurking ways for a couple of years now, but coming out of hiding to seek opinions from the pros 🙂 We are debating booking a fairly last-minute cruise this fall. We have one week to work with and were planning to go for the Allure since it's driveable for us. The price for an OV balcony has been fluctuating almost daily, and today it's back at a price we consider a good deal. Only problem is, during all the fluctuation (and several days of it being "sold out") we found a steal of a deal on MSC Seaside. I have never been on MSC, and while I know there's mixed reviews, I'm always down to try anything once. All variables considered, the total cost difference is around $1,000 when priced out apples to apples (drink package, wifi, flight vs. no flight, etc.) I've been lurking around on the MSC board and doing lots of Googling, but thought I'd see if anyone has any insights to share. I love learning from you all and sharing in your vacations, and am grateful for your guidance! **important to note - SO must have good WiFi, so if you happen to have insights on Allure or MSC wifi quality, that would be hugely helpful. I'm also estimating the drink package at $87.99/day based on a current 3-day sailing I have booked, but thinking it may be a bit lower for 7 days. Thanks in advance!!