carlmm

There is much more live music in various venues all around the ship on MSC than on Celebrity and HAL. Also, life continues much later in the evening. The mix of guests on average is more international and the whole style is a bit more Southern European. Well, MSC is an Italian cruise line. Eg. room stewards do not want to be your buddy, rather they do their job in the background.

How does embarkation work at Cannes? I only know Cannes as tender port when it was a stop during a cruise.

I once had a hotel with a lagoon view. (And lagoon view generally means the lagoon, there is only one.) It was lovely, BUT it somehow felt like having a sea view in any other city or village. Now I always prefer a room with a view on the Canal Grande or one of the smaller rii. Just feels so much more like Venice.

For a regular transatlantic at least one tuxedo/dinner suit and two dark suits, shirts and different ties for each night.

The two cities are very different, not only in size but also in the asked for "vibe". To get that one in Cannes I would suggest a lenghty walk through the shopping streets and the upscale shops and to splurge on a stay in one of the beach clubs including a lavish meal with wine right there. Easily a couple of hundred Euros but Cannes is like that. Nice also has an expensive beach scene but is so much else and more, too. Even if not your favourite you might throw in at least one of the many great museums. Stroll the flowers market and the narrow, more italianlike alleys of the old town. Continue in the promenade.

Long live segregation, or what does this mean? No fraternization betwwen tue class. There are all kind of reasons why one might invite a guest to his or her cabin. Some might be really private and certainly not the business of you, any other guest or even MSC. Does any of you who say 'No non-YC guests in the privacy of ones cabin' has seen a guest been dragged out of cabin?

As you ask about Cunard: No, you cannot, as a rule, have a non Queens Grill guest dine there. BUT of course Queens Grill guests can invite guests from any grades to their cabins - to show them, to attend a cocktail party in the suite or whatever one wants to do in there.

Very helpful. Thank you. And good health to your husband.

This was pre covid: Last time on Jamaica I went around Famouth for almost a day, visiting churches and historic buildings, partly on my own, partly with the guidance of a local who approached me while visiting a cemetery. Interesting and (for me, being interested in history, architecture and such) a much niecer day than staying on board. I did not get robbed or killed 😉 Rather uncomfortable I felt close to the port where most tourists and ambitious traders mixed rather closely.

A word of warning: The times do not necessarily stay the same from cruise to cruise. They may vary due to season, region, demography of passengers and occupany rate.

Really? There are tons of posts from people asking about the chance of and how to get a complementary upgrade. Will the upgrade fairy visit? Now somebody gets not only a free upgrade within the same typ of rooms, not only from inside to outside but from inside to balcony and still ....😱

Once at least you should feast on tapas, and once at least enjoy a dinner of really local dishes. El Born would be one area to stroll around at night.

Depending in where you stay, the beach is in a few minutes walking distance or a short metro or bus ride away. You could combine the beach and eg the museu d' historia de catalunja.

A few answers: The hop on hop off bus provides a good overview. You can also use it to comfortably reach further out sights. You should get advance tickets at least for the most visited sights like Sagrada Famiglia, Casa Mila and Parc Guell, and also for any cultural events eg in the opera house or the catalan music hall, both sights in itself. Many other museums offer pre booking, top. Do wander around the old city, visit the cathedrale, a couple more of the medieval churches and the palaces. What are you interested in? A good guide book, not the aformentioned, will help to decide.

Maybe you better sue New Zealand.

Thank you for the reply @JohninDC! So there really isn't anything like the super shuttle service anymore?

Quite a number of recent reports make me wonder if I made a mistake by booking an MSC cruise out of an US-port. Are those cruises really that different from the ones in Europe? If all this, like belly flop instead of opera, is the Americanisation some on this boards ask for, I want good old Italian MSC back.

Is there a economical transfer option for single travelers from Miami airport to a hotel in South Beach? The public bus is a bit too inconvenient. In the past I have used Super Shuttle's shared service several times, but that doesn't seem to exist anymore.

Given your tight schedule the airport option given by @KINGBOBOFTHENORTH might be the best. The antigen test there (very commercial) costs € 40 but it probably the most convenient for you. Results are supposed to be given within 15 minutes.

Only those US-Americans unaware of or not willing to recognize European and MSC customs do tip above the norm.

They add daily gratuities to the final bill (unless one paid before or have a grauity included rate as some Europeans have by default) and to individually paid drinks. Yet, beyond these no tipping is required or even welcome. It is discouraged by MSC.

Or you will be delighted. No cabin stewards who want to be your buddy but rather you almost unseen servant. No constant announcements of trivia, junk sale or whatever. Live music all around the ship, pop, jazz, opera, bar piano ... Lively, but not rowdy atmosphere. Tbc... Or you just throw away your demand that every line (every hotel, every restaurant, every place in the world) is like what your are used to being US centric and rather start to appreciate what is different and positive.

Currently there are still many test stations all over Germany. Many charge nothing, others 3€. Due to less and less demand, this might change but currently it would be no major problem for you to get a test eg. in Berlin. Results of antigen tests are normally received within less than an hour.

How sad, you take the bribing habit to MSC. How about waiting your turn like everybody else and dollowing MSC' rules? Most probably not the Europeans as they are not used to tipping as Americans do. Also the understand and follow MSC who discourages tipping individuals.

With a broad stroke, I would say yes. There are many complaints on this forum that in my view only occur because people do not want to adhere to and to play by the rules but rather try to take advantage in any possible way.