DeclanDiamond

Won't even let me log in.

22 minutes ago, Tierun said:

What ship are sailing on? It is only on newer vessels.

Virtuosa

Is the MSC for me app only accessible when you are on the ship? I dont sail for another 11 days but have downloaded the app to my phone but when I enter my booking number, name and captcha it comes up with the message"your login attempt was not successful"

I am thinking of using Randox for the antigen self test. Can someone please confirm for me that the one I need is the "Lateral Flow - test at home" kit for £13.50 on this page please? ... 

Pre-departure - Covid Randox

Thanks

On 8/16/2022 at 11:14 PM, CruisingFox27 said:

We were also 'blow in's' but have recently returned to sunny England. And the climate was an influence. It wasn't so much the temperature but the rain and, as we were on the north coast, the 'refreshing sea breeze' 🥶

 

Our Norwegian Fjords cruise was one of our favourites, the scenery is stunning. I hope you have a fabulous time. 

Haha, we are inland, in the Sperrin mountains and as well as feeling the cold, it seems to rain 6 days a week year round! 

Thanks again

Thanks, yes saw this today. Sailing 2 weeks time and was wondering if MSC would follow some other cruise lines and stop pre testing for Northern Europe. I gather that people have been doing antigen self tests for MSC with certification for some time though.

On 8/15/2022 at 10:02 AM, carlmm said:

Indeed most of the passengers on our cruise wore thick jackets in the more northern parts while some locals wereebjoying the sun in t-shirt. In August. 

Thus for us, we would say no shorts. Yet you maybe more lucky or cold resistent.

Appreciate you commenting, thanks. I'll take your comments on board and pack accordingly.

On 8/15/2022 at 9:00 AM, CruisingFox27 said:

Absolutely concur with this advise. Our sailing was June, it was certainly warmer in Southern Norway, t-shirt was fine but we needed proper winter coats etc when we were in the Northern areas. Layers are definitely your friend for this trip. Again, support the previous statement that it depends on the temperature you're used to. We travelled from Northern Ireland, which is always cold, so are used to those temperatures. If your from Florida it's going to be freezing 🥶 

Thanks, we are from Northern Ireland ourselves, however I was born and raised in London and indeed find Northern Ireland cold ... never got used to the temperatures even after being here for 30 years!

I'll definitely pack for every eventuality then.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment.

2 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

Take layers, it can be really nice or a bit colder (particularly in the evenings when the sun drops).
 

Southern Norway is still ok temperature wise in September around 60f daytime but I would take shorts and a fleece and a waterproof jacket to layer up or down (warning, I am Scottish so used to colder temperatures all year round, if you are from a hotter part of the world it may feel cold to you).

 

 

Appreciate that, thanks.

Hi, we are booked for a week on Virtuosa on Sept 3rd. I'm wondering what clothes to pack. Is it liable to be cold and wet in Norway, or sunny and warm .... or both!

Should we pack fleeces and waterproof coats/and or shorts and t shirts?

Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

19 hours ago, Rebel Rouser said:

On my NHS App. It looks like it has a rolling Expiring date. Mine now say Dec 2022. when I had my last Jab (booster 28th October.

Thanks. Yes, mine is the same (Dec 22), but that's just the rolling end date of the travel cert on the app. The actual fact is that my second dose was in May 21 and my booster in Nov 21, so that will be 300 days approx since my booster if I cruise in September. I just don't understand how it affects the 270 day vax rule that a few of the companies are insisting upon.

On 4/23/2022 at 5:20 PM, FIFE1 said:

I think a lot of people will be in the same position. We are due to cruise in October and it will be more than 270 days since our booster and we are not in the group so far for 4th jag. 

Just seeing this. I'm thinking about a September cruise and I got my booster mid November last year, so around 300 days when the cruise departs. Still unclear how that leaves me.

2 hours ago, BettyCruiser said:

Looks like it's under the plunge pool, so probably some pool workings.

Yeah, that looks about right, thanks. Do you reckon the room below that would be noisy?

2 hours ago, Guardsy said:

Could just be utility areas.  Housekeeping storage.  We will be on Regal in less than two weeks.  Wish I could tell you that I will remember and stumble onto the 15th deck to check it out for you!

That'll be the least of your worries, I'm sure. Have a fantastic time.

Hi, does anyone know what this white space is on deck 15 midship?...

OK, after spending the last month trying to identify a suitable cruise, I have now got a shortlist of two: Rome to Athens on 7 May and Athens to Barcelona on 27 August.

However, the wife is now having second thoughts after reading reports of people being refused embarkation because one person on their transfer bus had tested positive at the port testing procedure. NOT SURE WHICH CRUISE LINE IT WAS. To be fair to her, the fear is not contracting COVID19 now that we have had our 3 jabs, but is being refused embarkation so far away from home because of someone else!

Does anyone else have this fear?

On 11/5/2021 at 8:45 AM, macsford said:

I also looked at this and found that any flights I looked at 

 

Either, had prolonged journeys owing to 1 or mostly 2 stopovers. Would be very lucky for the luggage to arrive at the same end destination at the same time as we arrived.

 

Or. had terrible timings....very early starts or very late arrivals.

 

Or both the above.

These are not meant to be long haul flights where I expect some degree of inconvenience but are to relatively close destinations.

If we want one of these cruises we would be better booking our own direct flights. Flexible on any Northern England airport.

 

There may be some suitable flights for Heathrow or Gatwick but for us .......if it looks too good to be true...etc.

Hope they suit some folks.

 

Cheers.

This deal suits because we live in Northern Ireland but the only flights included go from Dublin, which has less flight offerings than the bigger UK airports anyway. But we have found a few with direct flights now. Not sure how the "restricted or flexible" options work though, seeing as they are "free" anyway.

I need to clarify with them though as far as I can see the conditions state that there is ATOL protection of the cruise package if going from UK airports. I don't know that affects us living in the UK but flying from/to Ireland.

On 11/5/2021 at 3:25 PM, postcardswansea said:

We have been able to take advantage of this offer, and managed to get some decent flights - as long as we get to keep them!  Our regional airport had only crazy indirect options, but we switched the search to London and had a few decent time / carrier choices.

Great, which dates/itinerary did you choose? "as long as you get to keep them." Why shouldn't you?

Did you get "flexible" flights and did you have to pay for baggage or was it included?

Cheers

12 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I would not be concerned about the forward cabin other then to check what is above and below.  But that aft cabin is adjacent to the large vent shaft (that is what ends in the big stacks up on deck) which is an area we would avoid.  Those vertical shafts have various blowers and other equipment which can result in constant (and even some intermittent) noise.  The only way to be sure about that cabin would be to find somebody who has been adjacent to that vertical shaft area and get their report.

 

Hank

 Great info. Thank you Hank. That diagram is slightly confusing since two pictures have been posted joined together. The top one shows the actual cabin on deck 14, whereas the bottom one shows position immediately above on deck 15.

11 hours ago, ChutChut said:

Sideway insides are good cabins. I've stayed in three of them. That dead space in the middle b/t the insides is an interior crew hallway. On occasion, you may be able to hear (faintly) noise but rarely at night. I'm a fairly light sleeper and I did very well in these cabins. 

 

The dead space next to m428? could be a steward closet. Those could be noisy with carts going in and out. I would try to avoid those.

 

I would go with R424.

Good stuff, thanks.

1 hour ago, Roberto256 said:

Far more important than a few square feet...

 

AVOID the sideways insides with upper berths (unless you plan on using them)

 

VERY intrusive.

 

Thank you.

29 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Not sure, but I do not think they used to show a different size for those sideways (say when Regal was newer).  Maybe I am wrong.

 

The closet/storage area seems larger to me - IIRC, definitely a bit bigger.  Just seems better.  The desk/work area is longer and much better.  The drawback is that when you open the door and step in, you are directly at the beds, so be careful.

 

With the traditional layout, the closet storage are is smaller, but you do step into almost a small vestibule and the sleeping area and desk are in the back, so seems more private.  Easier if one person comes in later at night.  

 

All-in-all, I would pick a sideways if location was where we wanted, but would not hesitate to book a traditional layout if location suited.

Good stuff. Thank you.

28 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Not sure, but I do not think they used to show a different size for those sideways (say when Regal was newer).  Maybe I am wrong.

 

The closet/storage area seems larger to me - IIRC, definitely a bit bigger.  Just seems better.  The desk/work area is longer and much better.  The drawback is that when you open the door and step in, you are directly at the beds, so be careful.

 

With the traditional layout, the closet storage are is smaller, but you do step into almost a small vestibule and the sleeping area and desk are in the back, so seems more private.  Easier if one person comes in later at night.  

 

All-in-all, I would pick a sideways if location was where we wanted, but would not hesitate to book a traditional layout if location suited.

Thanks very much.

6 hours ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

Had an interior cabin similar to that one precovid. 

I liked the layout much better than the slightly smaller interiors.

Elevator noise was nonexsistant.  We never noticed it.

 

That's great. Thank you.

10 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Those sideways cabins are said to "feel" larger, because of the layout.

Best appointed?? Everyone in an inside gets the same thing.

 

Even cabins that are closer than that cabin, i.e. directly across from the elevators, don't hear much except during "rush hour"...dinner, end of shows, etc. Most of any noise from the elevators would just be some minor chatting as people leave the elevator lobby & head to their cabins.

Thank you for your reply.

By best appointed, I mean more favourable to me in terms of being mid ship, rather towards either end.

This cabin is 175 sq ft as opposed to the other sideways cabins further along which are 166 sq ft.