4sallypat

So funny reading this thread - differences between US and European folks

MSC phone lines are awful - could not wait with the hold times... Will ask on board...

Which experience did you book ? We booked the Fantastica and we get bottled mineral water (same as regular bottled water), at lunch & dinner in the MDR. Hoping our waitstaff will bring extra bottles out for us to take on shore....

I booked online direct with MSC and then later found out about VC status match. Got approved for an upgrade to Silver using my IHG status. Never saw a discount but my additional purchases (internet & laundry) are showing a discount. Showing 2200 points and I haven't even sailed yet.

Wait, PR is a US territory and no need for a passport. It's a domestic travel isn't it ?

You may get lucky and receive a last minute upgrade when you embark....

If you are a Yacht Club with anytime MDR privileges, then yes. Otherwise, us peons who have early or late dining times are stuck with one time entry..

Doesn't MSC wait until the last few days before sailing to choose who gets an upgrade ?

I assume you are sailing from the USA ? As for the passport, we had the same issue awhile ago with my wife and after waiting with no updates, she was told to go into the Los Angeles State Dept Passport service to get a 24 hr travel passport made for the upcoming travel. Had to prove the flight itinerary and paid a bit more but it was quick.. OTOH my son who had a minor passport that expired when he turned 18, just got his renewed from the post office within 3 weeks. That was super fast IMO. Well worth the expedited fees. Now we are leaving for the MSC cruise this week for the Mediterranean.

Which MSC ship are you booked on ? We are leaving this week for Athens on the MSC Sinfonia. Looking forward to the MDR but the hours at port makes it tough to make the first seating....

That's very good to know that your cruise food is safe in the US but how about Europe - are they as foodborne illness conscious as Americans ??

I'd be more worried about catching Norovirus than worry about food handling....

How do MSC European ships fare with food safety since they will never get inspected by a US or state health dept ? Being a former certified food handler when I worked as a cafe manager in Los Angeles County Health dept, I am worried the European rules don't apply on board ???

I linked my booking with my sons' separate stateroom booking online but none of us have a drink package. I am the only drinker out of our group of 4 so I will be buying ala carte. Drink packages are beginning to annoy me as it seems as if MSC wants everyone to drink heavily. Did the math on CruiseMummy and found that I would have to drink both mine and my wife's allotment of over 8-10 drinks a day to break even. I'd be dead of alcohol poisoning! Sort of silly IMO since I only drink 3-4 per day and that's on a sea day (2 days) whilst at port I'd drink a lot less on board....

Thanks! 3-5 years after expiration. Just ordered a new Rx from my doctor.

Right ? I linked our 2 rooms and MSC still assigned different boarding times. Strange but will show up next week in Piraeus Greece with all of us at one time - why make the others wait ???

Good idea! I also found Canadian transdermal patches I got whilst in Canada without a prescription that expired 4 years ago. Was a nice fishing trip before the pandemic - caught lots of spotted prawns and a few halibut....

Found old but still sealed scopolamine transdermal patches prescribed 8 years ago. Going on a week long Mediterranean cruise next week and wondered if they will still work ?

Thank you @kernow !!

We are traveling with 2 adult sons who are getting a "free cruise" but not the extras like alcohol, entertainment, etc - so they are putting their cruise card with their credit card.

I looked at the free WiFi and Drinks package compared to a cruise only fare on our upcoming cruise. The extra packages were definitely not free and not beneficial to myself or my wife. $350 more person ($700). And since we are cruising with our 2 sons in a different stateroom, if I got the alcohol package, then everyone else has to get the same which is huge waste of money. Since are not alcohol drinkers nor want to connect with reality for a week, we opted for the base fare.

On our boarding tickets. 2 hours apart.

Family of 4 cruising for the first time next week in Mediterranean with a newbie question. We did not get the drink package since no one except myself drinks alcohol (3-4 per day).... When and where do they announce the drink of the day special ? Is it alcoholic or non ? How much do you save ?

We are cruising on the older Sinfonia ship and it has only 1 buffet.

We are a family of 4 and booked 2 rooms and got 2 different embarkation times. How do we board together ?