YellowDog

Ok, so I just searched Dolphinaris and this thread came up...well, not really a thread, because nobody helped.  So, did you go?  Will you help me? 🙂  Im thinking about it also.

Ok, I just booked for March and the first thing I went looking for was the Thermal Spa for my wife.  I get it for her in advance every time.  Glad it isn't just me no seeing it.  Maybe it's their website...its always been a bit wonky.  If anyone sees it come back, let us know.

Is anyone else having an issue with the verification?  When I put my school in (a public US High School) it just loads and loads...I guess I will keep trying.  I also with they would extend it into 2023 for sailings.

Hey everyone.  It has been a while since I have been on Princess but would like to book Alaska in 2023 for my 20th anniversary.  Our honeymoon was on the Grand back in 2003.  Anyway we want to make it a family affair.  This will also be the first time that we will have to fly to a port (we are in Florida and normally cruise from here)  So here are the million questions:

• Does Princess ever do a "kids sail free" promo?  Right now the kids are prorated as the 3rd and 4th pax, but their age does not seem to matter.
• I usually use a travel agent...but with flights etc.  Might it be better to go through Princess this time?
• Right now the cruise has "tips" and "drinks" included.  is that something Princess always has the option for now, or do I need to jump now?

Any other tips, tricks, hints at booking Alaska.  Ideally, I would want to stay in SF for 2-3 days before the cruise.  Do you have any suggestions regarding that?

I will take any and all info.  Thanks everyone 🙂

Hey everyone, so it has been 15 years since my last Disney Cruise (on the Wonder).  This summer I will be on the Dream.  So...What's new?  What cool tips and tricks and hidden hints do you all have?  You know...the stuff I can't find on the website.  Taking my two 11yo kids with me. So this is our first Disney Cruise with kids.  Can't Wait!!

Hello RCCL fans!

I am looking into a Royal Cruise (I have not sailed them before) and I noticed the "kids sail free" promo.  On the site the price does not seems to reflect the promotion, though it says I qualify.  But then there is a place for a promo code.  Do I need a promo code for kids sail free?  Do any of you have it?  When I continue with the mock booking, the price seems too high to be reflective of a KSF promotion.  Any help or ideas is appreciate. 🙂

Just a quick review of my, and my family's cruise, on the MSC Seashore.  We are a family of 4.  Me, DW and B/G twins 11 y/o.  This was our 3rd MSC cruise (we had been on the Divina and Seaside previously).  We traveled with another couple and their DD (9).  They had not traveled MSC before.  After 2 years in a row of cancelled cruises, we were very excited to be back.  We live within driving distance of the port, so we drove down to Miami the morning of.

Embarkation:  Went as expected.  We had Aurea experience, so we had a "special" line.  It was still a line...it was fine.  We were the first cruise however that did not have the "at the port" COVID test.  Which was nice and I am sure helped move things along.

The ship is gigantic and it is gorgeous.  Very reminiscent of its sister (the seaside)...but I think it is even sharper looking.  Throughout the whole cruise it was very clean...rarely were empty glasses seen sitting or empty plates unbused.  To my knowledge we were the largest group of passengers so far, close to 3,000.  This caused some slow wait times at bars that were often staffed (it seemed) for the less populated cruises previously.  The ship is fairly easy to navigate once you get the hang of it (usually 6 days in :))  No complaints about the physical ship at all.  Plenty of seating in lounges and on decks.  I have read about slow elevators, and while this happened sometimes, I found myself alone on the elevator more often and stopping only at the floor I desired.

Food:  Dun Dun Duuuunnnnn.  Ok, first...The food was very good.  I think many reviews and board posts confuse bad food (ie:  undercooked, spoiled etc) with food that is simply not to their liking.  Would I order everything I ordered again...probably not...but that is my taste.  Was any of the food bad?  No.  In fact my kids (who are decent eaters) had a great time trying new things knowing that if they did not like something, they could get something else.  That's the beauty of cruise food.  We ate "anytime" dining 4 nights in the Central Park restaurant.  Because of this, we had different servers each night we were there.  All were attentive,  and did a nice and professional job.  We felt a couple of the meals were a little "slow" but then remembered, that is kind of how it is supposed to be.  

The other 3 nights we had dinner in the buffet, mostly because there were other things we wanted to do, or were too lazy to get dressed up :).  The food for dinner in the buffet could have been more varied.  It was often very similar to lunch.  But, what was there was good.  My only wish is that the buffet would carry (at dinner) the same choices as the dining rooms (as I have seen on other lines.)  We had breakfast and lunches almost all days in the buffet, and while they could have used some more open stations (again we were the big group) All the food was good...The pizza of course is borderline famous on MSC and it very good as always.  Just with they had more varieties.  They never seemed to have more than 3 types at a time...I remember the Seaside and Divina having more.  My kids lived on chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and pizza the rest of the day...oh and the fries that according to by DW and her friend were so good, they even named them "crispy golden children"  

The only specialty restaurant we tried was Hola!.  My wife and I had done the Butcher's Cut and Ocean Cay on previous ships.  Hola! was terrific.  We went for a late lunch and with 4 adults getting the all you can eat, they literally just brought us everything on the menu family style.  It was so much fun.  I am not a huge Mexican food person, but this was great.  My kids loved the rice and beans and Quesadillas. 

Entertainment:  We enjoyed trivia during the day and duelling pianos in the evening at Times Square.  My wife, while she admitted the performers were very talented, did not care much for some of the stage shows.  They were not really story driven, but more thematic...but the performers were very talented.  The more traditional shows (one on women legends, the other celebrating American music) were enjoyed by all.  

BUT...the real entertainment treat on this ship is in the Cabaret Rouge lounge in the aft of the ship.  They did artistic tributes with modern music and a live band.  These shows became the highlight of the trip.  The performers were great and very personable...they would come back out after the show and talk and take pics.  My kids loved that.  Pro Tip:  The Cabaret Rouge is a cool room but with very weird sightlines.  Get there early to get a good spot.

The Kids:     

The Kids:  First off, they loved the water park.  My son especially was king of the water slides and must have ridden them a million times.  I did the "tube" one a couple of times and it was fun.  They also enjoyed the jungle pool and my son also liked the hot tubs on the sides of the ship on deck 8.  They loved Venchi for gelato ($) and because we had the Easy+ drink package the kids loved getting mocktails.  It was funny to see them at shows with Strawberry "daiquiris" in hand.  The did not go to the kids club much this trip (they did a lot on the Divina and Seaside) but that had to do with their age.  At 11+ they were at the top of the Junior Club age range and were no allowed to move up.  Honestly, they should have some overlap in the age groups although I know they have to draw a line somewhere.  My son would have loved the next level club up.  They did go to the cupcake decorating and the cooking demo at sea and they seemed to like those.  We went to a "family" game show, which really was not that at all.  Oh, and they weren't too old for a pic or two with Doremi. Pro tip:  My son, who showed no interest at all in the arcade for 4 days, racked up a pretty hefty bill one night...be careful.  Don't make my mistake. Either put a spending limit on your kid's cards or get the play pass.  Lesson learned.

The Ports:  Cozumel was...well, Cozumel.  We hired #cozumelwithdanny to take us around and we stopped at Aquarium beach.  Much smaller than Playa Mia or some of the more popular spots...but it was good for us.  Kids could go around on their own more because they couldn't go to far.  They both kayaked for the first time too!  We did not stop at Grand Cayman as it was still under COVID restrictions.  We went to Falmouth Jamaica, but DW was not feeling great, so we stayed in the new port area which was nice, and had all the typical port stores you would expect.  The highlight here though was Ocean Cay.  Wow was that place gorgeous.  We did get a Cabana which was nice for us to get shade and have a home base.  However, we found it odd, that they offered no drink service.  I thought the bars were quite slow on Ocean Cay but again I think that had to do with the largest crowd they had to date.  DS and I ate at the seafood food truck ($) where I had a lobster roll and he had lobster grilled cheese...both were awesome.  My DD got ribs from the buffet and I thought they were really good too.  Unfortunately, our itinerary did not stay late enough to see the light show.  Frankly I don't understand this as we were just going back to Miami the following day.  

Cabin:  We were in 14083.  We found it to be a good location for us.  As a Aurea cabin though we thought maybe it would be slightly larger or have a tub.  It did not, it was just like the Fantastica cabins we always had.  There is nothing wrong with that, just thought it should have had something extra.  Now, with kids, I will say the bunk beds were a huge plus over the pull out sofa.  The bunk beds have a much smaller footprint which make getting around the cabin easier.  Yes, the bathroom is small, but all cruise bathrooms are.  Our room steward was efficient and professional, and that is all I need.  I don't need personality and flash...just clean towels and a made bed.  He did those things wonderfully.

Oh, and while I cannot speak to the Thermal Spa...my wife was there a LOT and had nothing but good things to say.  She also had two massages which she really enjoyed and there was no hard sell of products.

I think that is it.  Overall it was a terrific trip...there are always little things of course, but nothing to dampen our time.  Also, for anyone consider this cruise, if you are going to compare it to other lines (I even see a lot of "well...on Disney..." type posts) be sure to also compare the price.  MSC is a great family value...Now, I just have to book another one while my kids are old enough to be free 🙂 Have a great time.

Nope...We are the on the Seashore...so #26 is safe 🙂  I agree with you though, it is good to have a home base.  We did one years ago on Princess and it was a little more involved and included food etc.  But, Im looking forward to ours on Ocean Cay as well.

17 hours ago, hummer2407 said:

I have never rented a cabana anywhere and never thought I would but I highly recommend the cabana.  Get number 26.  It is next to bar and food and bathrooms.  We enjoyed it so much we got it a second day and just got one for our cruise in 2 weeks.

If you don't mind me asking:  How did you pick a certain number?  I have one reserved for an upcoming cruise, but do not remember the option of picking.  Also, is there a map somewhere that shows all the locations to choose from?

A quick question.  On past MSC cruises I have filled out the Kids club forms beforehand and printed them and brought them, saving time once onboard.  I can not seem to find how to do that now.  Even when I googled MSC kids club form, I found the form, but it did not recognize my sail date, which means it must be an outdated link.  Anyone have any luck with this?  I don't like my whole first day being paperwork 🙂

I read on another forum that the pax expectation for the 3/12 sailing is 2800...and that is about 50% for that ship.

For the GD...don't forget the Seashore has a whole waterpark area tailored to kids.  My kids (8 at the time) loved it on the Seaside.  Also, the Jungle pool area had a smaller wading area for kids as well on the Seaside...that may be mirrored on the Seashore too.  Im on this cruise too with 2 11 y/o.  Not worried about the college crowd.  

Ok, my cancelled cruise still has me bummed...looking for next year.  Question on Meraviglia balconies.  Has anyone stayed in a forward facing angled balcony 13150, 14086 or something similar?  They show a larger balcony on the deck plan...how was it?  They are also right near the panoramic elevator...was that an issue?  lastly, I like to be closer to the upper decks but concerned about deck 14 being directly under...any issues there?  Any info would be appreciated as always :)

Hi all:  Well, like a lot of you, I was cancelled off my recent cruise...3/15 on Meraviglia.  So I am looking at the same cruise next year.  Well, since I have a credit, that's like free money (at least I keep telling my wife that :)).  So it was thinking of bumping up to the Aurea package (we have always done fantastica) I was a little disheartened to learn that the drink package is just the easy package...so I'm wondering where the real upgrade is...right now the price difference to jump to Aurea for us is about $600 for the family.  The private deck sounds good, and I would buy my wife the thermal spa access anyway, so I guess there is that.  If they included a real "unlimited" drink package its a no brainer...so, should I do it?  Are the cabins any better?  Are the other perks worth it?  What do you think?

Thanks!  We have been on the Divina before and really liked it.  Was looking at the 11 night Caribbean in March (with my cancelation money + from this week) DW was really hoping for a refurbished spa area which was one thing she wasn't crazy about on the Divina the first time.  

Well, like q lot of you, our cruise was cancelled, so now I'm thinking toward next year.  I read somewhere that the Divina was going into drydock this coming fall.  Do any of you know what the plans are?  We were on that ship a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, and we are considering it for next spring, was curious what upgrades it may have by then?

Ok, This is a bit specific but I was wondering if any of you have stayed in an aft facing cabin on the 14th deck.  We are in 14225 in a couple of weeks and while Im excited for the aft view, I was curious about possible noise from above?

This is a little specific, but is there any chance any of you have stayed in a aft cabin on deck 14 on the Meraviglia?  We are in 14225 in March, and I was wondering about noise from above (the buffet is up there I think) and also the overhang on the balcony.  Amount of shade etc.  Just general impressions of the location .

We did 4 in a balcony on the Seaside.  DW, myself and 2 kids.  What was nice about the bunkbed is that it has a much smaller footprint than a pullout bed, so the rooms seemed bigger because we didnt have to shimmer around the pull out bed.  Plus kids like bunk beds...but who will be on the top bunk?...let the arguing comence 🙂

Quick Question:  I remember reading that one of the Cirque du Soleil shows was more family friendly?  Does anyone know what I am talking about? (because Im not sure I do) 🙂  Should I go with the Viaggioo or the Sonor show?

Agreed.  We Really enjoyed the Seaside, but this next cruise will be in late November, and while the weather will be better than most of the world...the outside spaces may not be as necessary.  One thing I thought was great on the seaside was the two buffets and the way they spread out the crowd.  I noticed the Meraviglia does not have that...did anyone notice it being "too congested"?  When we were on the NCL Getaway, we ran into that a bit.  

Hello old friends...its been awhile.  I have been on the Divina and the Seaside and liked them both...so I don't need to be sold on MSC.  BUT, as of now,  I am booked on the Seaside again in November.  Well the Meraviglia is going out of Miami the same week.  I really enjoyed the Seaside but part of me just likes trying new ships.  Has any of you been on both?  Pros and cons of each?  We will be bringing kids (both 8) and they liked the kids clubs on the Divina and Seaside.  The itineraries are a toss up for us, with maybe a slight edge IMHO to the Meraviglia.  Oh and we won't be in the Yacht Club (and haven't been in the past either) 

Yep, bingo costs. I only played once (the last one for the free cruise...I did not win):(:( .

If I remember correctly i paid $40 for 3 cards (nine total squares) They were the punch card/tab type that you punch part way through the perforation. The only issue I had, was she called out the numbers way too fast and with no table in front of you (in the theatre) it made it cumbersome. They also played simultaneously on the pool deck and had a close circuit feed out there to those folks. Overall it was fun.

We had one on out recent Seaside cruise (3/17/18) . It was the coffee cuddle on the website and quite a good deal if it is still offered.

We were on the 3/17 cruise with our 7yo b/g twins. Our kids really enjoyed the kids club overall. There were a lot of kids on our sailing. The folks who work there are very good although like all cruise ship staff, overworked. We did the dinner with the kids club most nights. My kids loved feeling "big" and going to the buffet with each other and their friends in the kids club. Word of advice: Swing up there in the morning first thing if you want your kids eating with them that night. It will fill up and the can only take so many. One day I did not do that and our kids were left out as they were full. The activities were fun...my daughter loved the crafts and I think my son wishes they got to play outside in the sports court more (he liked that when they did it) . My kids also liked performing in the "Doremi" dances and in the kid talent show in the main theatre. My son to our surprise even signed to do a "talent" . We didn't even know he had that talent...we were right ;) but it was really cute. The bracelets help sign the kids in and out far more efficiently than what they had on the Divina over a year ago. Because of the # of kids ( alot) they didn't do any cooking or anything like that as they did on the Divina. Overall, a really good experience. As other posters said, the water part area is second to none...as is the gelato :). Id be happy to answer any specific questions you have.