luvabargain

I purchased a couple of massages online and then decided on something different, so I canceled for a full refund. I immediately got 2 e-mails, one for each massage stating: "your refund has been successfully processed". Great. In going over my CC details, I noticed that I did receive a refund, but for only ONE massage. Has anyone had this happen where only part of the refund showed up? I'm wondering if I should wait and see if the other one shows up on my statement, or if I need to call right away. I know MSC has been very slow with some cruisers refunds and faster with others, but I haven't seen anything about issuing in increments. Can you tell I really don't want to call them? LOL UGH.

My August cruise in the Caribbean says this now on my booking as well. I booked about a month before the drinks on us came out and prices had gone up when I checked about re-booking, so I just kept my original booking. It wouldn't have been worth the extra cost, as we don't spend very much on drinks. I was wondering about the asterisk as well. If they let us have the package, great - if not, oh well. We'll see on our upcoming cruise.

Thanks for posting your experience. I've been hoping to see some trip reports of the Mariner. We'll be going on a 4 night cruise on Mariner in August, it will be our first RCI cruise. I'm excited to see the updated ship, and we love the Bahamas, so the ports of call are just fine for us for a 4 night. I'm with you in that it will be a little disappointing not to have a formal night.

I've never been to the midwest, so don't exactly know the times and distance involved, but I would say go for it. If it's worth it to you and you can afford it, why not? Spend a few days away and just enjoy yourselves, don't let others here dictate if it will be right for you or not. I know a lot of ppl here where I live who fly to Dallas just for the weekend for shopping and fun, so I don't see how it's any different.

I went ahead and booked for the couple massage under my name after I talked to MSC. It states everything is for 2 and I am hoping there will be no glitches when I get on board.

About 8 am they have free port pick up ..

Some do. I've been trying to figure out which ones and what address I would need to rent from. There's a big fluctuation in price.

Thanks for the link. It helps having all the car rental places listed in one place.

I'll be cruising out of the Port of Miami, but will be flying in and out of FLL. After our cruise our flight doesn't leave until the next day so we'll have a day to play. I'm thinking of getting a car rental in Miami and dropping it off in FLL, but my question is if anyone has had experience with dropping off the rental in early morning either on-site or off-site/shuttle. Our flight leaves at 8am so we would have to drop off around 6am to give ourselves enough time.

I'm loving your trip report. I've been working on dh to take a european cruise, maybe someday. He just is very leery about flying overseas.

Nice trip report. Thanks for sharing.

Sooo you're going to a steakhouse and paying an up charge for salad you can get in the MDR?

Since when does being vegetarian mean you only eat salad?

reviewing all op postings in a thread can often help one avoid embarrassment.

lol

I know this is a little bit older thread, but I signed up to do the ship's tour on Mariner in August. I've thought about doing one before on my Carnival cruises, but felt it would be too spendy with the whole family, this time it is just dh and myself so I'm splurging. I probably won't do one again, as I think all the cruise ships probably have a similar behind the scenes operation.

For our cruise it says $19.99 and it's restriction is the age of 14 up. There is nothing that states the maximum # of participants.

I had a problem with some TA OBC with Carnival. I noticed the lack of the OBC when we first boarded and so spoke to customer service. They contacted my TA for me, and then we went on to enjoy our cruise. We got a message I think the next day that they spoke with our TA and couldn't do anything, but we noticed later the OBC was put into our account. We found out afterward that our TA had put her own $ in for us b/c that is what was promised, but apparently Carnival wasn't honoring the OBC that the TA's got from them for booking a certain # of passengers on the cruise. We had already decided at the beginning that "what will be will be" and we wouldn't get upset over some small OBC if it turned out we didn't get it.

No cruise line can provide reliable information on the requirements

and which documents you need for visiting countries around the world.

You need to get the information from the authorities in each country.

Maybe this website from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services helps.

https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/us-citizens-travelling-internationally

 

(Disclosure: This is not a legal advise)

I agree with this. The ID requirements the cruiselines follow are based on the U.S. government requirements. I don't foresee any problems if you follow the requirements listed on the appropriate DHS website.

$4.99 for 2 photos at Costco.

Free if you take them at home.

I guess the price for couple packages are per COUPLE and not per person

although it says "per person" if you book.

The same applies to the internet packages. The Premium Internet package

is for "heavy users or families" and can be shared on up to 4 devices within

the family. The price says "per adult $xx" . I called MSC and they confirmed

that I don't have to book packages for each person in the stateroom,

just 1 package for me and my wife to share.

Why would somebody book 2 couple packages just to get 2 massages,

2 day passes, etc for each person ?

Maybe MSC customer service needs some more training on their products

and services... ;)

And that is what I figured to be, but when I called they said I had to book per person because that is what it says. I said it made absolutely no sense, and they agreed with me, but that is what they have to go by. Nobody in their right mind would pay those prices per person.

I’ve been rather confused by the individual vs. couple pricing as any of the couple packages note the price as “per person” but show 2 of each of the various treatments. Using the “All Exclusive” as my example: $338 for 1 person receiving 1 of each of the treatments makes sense but $659 per person for each to receive only 1 each of the treatments is way more expensive than if the couple just purchased an individual package for each person. However, if each member of the couple is each getting 2 of each of the treatments, then the couples package is a better deal.

 

I hope someone can clarify what each person gets (number of each treatment:1 or 2) when a couples package at either $659pp or $870pp is purchased.

 

Thanks!

MSC has updated their spa details and pricing, as I was trying to book one last week for the Seaside, I have been watching it, and they now make no sense. Couples packages are now PP, even though you can book the exact same package individually for way less. The 2 I was looking at, one included a massage and facial and the other only the same exact massage yet that one was over $30 more at $312 pp vs. $279/pp. The $279 pp one is also offered individually at $147 - so it makes absolutely NO SENSE why anyone would pay the above couples prices for just a 30 min. basic massage is beyond me. I was wanting to book mainly for the weekly spa pass, but now the details are sketchy on that. I called MSC and they are showing some of the pricing even higher than is what I'm seeing, and yes you have to book it Per Person - those packages were going to be $624 and $558 (couples Wave and couples Touch). The rep agreed with me that it doesn't make sense, and she and her supervisor were both trying to figure it out. They at first told me the thermal pass with the massages I was looking at was for the week, and then after reviewing it said no, only for the day you receive your treatment, as the wording has changed. Why anyone would pay those prices when you can just buy a $49 30 min. massage (online) and a one time daily pass for I believe around $30 -is beyond me. The rep told me that MSC being an Italian company, the wording often gets lost in translation, and they did a big website update last weekend which has led to some changes that are confusing, and she agreed does not make sense.

I've been checking the prices online and they've all been going up. Today the Thermal Area Cruise pass went up from $90/pp to $130 - something I was expecting just from seeing the other prices jump. Just an FYI for anyone looking. They are still showing the inflated prices on the ones I quoted above. They still say they're a 43% savings from onboard prices, I doubt that now unless the onboard prices went up that much as well. I haven't called yet to see about the pricing.

Got to the forums - Ports of Call, United States, Florida. You'll find a lot of advice there regarding Miami hotels.

We just got off Of the Seaside yesterday. I had a bottle of wine in my carry-on bag which went through the scanning machine. The person watching the monitor saw that it was a bottle of wine stopped the conveyor and turned to her associate to ask about the bottle. The answer from her associate was not with this Cruise Line.

 

Apparently, the person watching the monitor is used to dealing with NCL or some of the cruise lines that do not allow wine to be brought on board. We went through the security check around 1:30 p.m. I can't believe my bag was the first one that had a bottle of wine in it. Almost everyone now has the drink package Which MSC is offering, i.e.drinks on us.

I guess that has practically brought to an end sneaking alcohol or wine on board.

 

Have a great Cruise!:halo:

Does that mean they took it from you?

It must just depend on the day/time. When I called customer service to see about getting the federal discount, they answered almost immediately. I had been expecting to wait for several minutes so had put the phone on speaker and was startled when a human voice came on the line.

Well - yikes! I went to put the massage package in my cart and it went up $434! The other one went up $299. Something is off, and I will wait.

Yeah, the facial was pretty much them cleaning my face, using an exfoliant, and rubbing cream on. Not great. However, the Thermal Spa is the best thing ever!!!!!

Thank you for replying! This is what I suspected, based on the description they used "one specific facial treatment". I will save ourselves $55 and just do the one massage - can't wait to use that Thermal Spa area!