alohayall

2 hours ago, Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin said:

I too have received an email confirmation, even have a copy of my booking information.  When I log into my MSC account, it does not show up.  When I put in the booking #, I get a "there was an issue...."  I called and found out that the booking was inadvertantly put first name, last name instead of last name, first name (or vice versa....).  So, I can pull up the booking if I don't try to log in, but it is not tied to my account.  I need to call again to see why I can't get them married up, but dreading it.

Your reservation needs to have your name correctly listed. Period.

2 hours ago, 2travelers2go said:

^^ And found out (according to rep on the phone) that my reservation was cancelled!!

That’s horrible!

(As to instructions I gave, I wasn’t sure exactly what you had done. Glad you recognized the steps. I guess you did my other suggestion and gave them a call - probably on your own thinking!)

So what did you do?  Just not book it - or try again.

Booking this far out, it looks like about 10% off for VC (they changed the system this year, based on when booked).

And yes, Voyager’s discounts available, too.

Is this what you are looking for:

Not just balconies. Itinerary may be the problem - still lists St Petersburg. That route caused a lot of problems for cruises this year. 
 

It might be a website update. Happens on other cruise line websites, too.  It makes you hold your breath, wondering what the ship and itinerary status is.

This might help.  Might not, either. If it doesn’t, I would call and request the booking invoice to be emailed to you.  Do not hang up until you have it in your inbox - and that is what you requested. I have had decent phone interactions. They are not all bad Customer Service agents. If the wait is too long or you don’t get the answer you need, try again.  

Have you tried logging into the website with your name and password (I’m not sure if you have that already)

Click on this icon:

Next page, use “WITH YOUR MSC ACCOUNT.”  

If you didn’t set up a password, this should be your chance to do so. Select “Sign Up Now.”

I’m pretty sure you have included an email address when booking.

2 hours ago, PaulaG22 said:

…

 

I have checked on the MSC website and it only mentions 4 or 5 restaurants - how many restaurants would you estimate that there are and is there a Mexican restaurant on board? 

 

Also, we have the Premium Extra drinks package but I believe that some restaurants don't accept it.  Would you happen to know which ones? 

 

…

Specialty (fee) restaurants:

Atelier Bistrot (French)

Hola! Tapas and Wine Bar (Mediterranean)

Butcher’s Cut (Steak House)

Kaito Teppanyaki & Sushi

The Premium Extra Package.  Looks like the only restaurant exclusion is Hola Tacos & Cantina. (This may also apply to Hola! Tapas - need further clarification.)

This is the food portion of the menu; seems very limited. Maybe it’s more about the drinks.
 

In 2017, Hurricane Irma skirted the island, causing some damage (Sep 7). San Juan was a functioning sanctuary for those who were able to evacuate from St Thomas. Hurricane Maria fully hit PR on Sep 20.  
 

Cruise ships returned Oct 7.  
 

Once again, San Juan is seeming to have been spared the worst of the storm.  Photos posted at National Park Service’s El Castillo today show a lovely day.  The beautiful old buildings in Old San Juan attest to its beneficial location after 500 years.

Hoping the return this year brings needed tourism dollars as we disembark.  And that our arrival is not a hindrance to the recovery for the people of Puerto Ricans.  

1 hour ago, KATHYMAC68 said:

Did you do anything fun in Boston?

My excursions was cancelled for Oct and I’m torn as to what to do there.

I had a day visit with my niece there years ago.  A lot of what we did was DIY.  We did one tour, led by a costumed guide (which can affect your experience - but ours was excellent).  
 

My photos of our day included the Old a North Church, Faneuil Hall, a ferry ride (probably to the USS Constitution).  
 

I also recommend checking this video for a more recent day in Boston by vloggers (it includes lunch at the Quincy Market Food Hall):

We used public transportation for our day visit (left the car south of the city and took train in to downtown).

Are you in port long enough to go over to St John?  With 2/3 of the island’s being National Park, it provides a nice opportunity to hike, see ruins from the rum-making days - and have some nicer beaches than on St Thomas. It’s Cinnamon Bay has just reopened after repairs of Hurricane Irma damage. 
 

We visited the Synagogue in downtown Charlotte Amalie. It is one of only a few locations in the world that have a sand floor (another being in Curaçao). It is up a hill from the shopping area.   Spending a week on St Thomas, you start looking for activities to supplement the daily beach trip.  Ate lunch at Greengos Mexican cantina in one of the passages in downtown.
 

But you’ve pretty much figured out the situation - beaches - but a lot of very nice ones.  Sapphire and Lindqvist (Smith Bay) often have Jewel-tone water with views of the nearby islands (not just flat cays). 
 

Good luck with planning. 

2 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Which to me is even more outrageous than charging tourists. It's not uncommon for visitors to a country to have to pay for a visa, but nowhere do citizens have to pay for  visas in order to return to their own country.

You worded exactly where I was heading with the thought (I had brain freeze coming up with outrageous). Thanks. And totally agree.

…Residents of Bermuda also have to pay the $40 and get the Authorisation.  It’s not just us tourists. Not really a choice if you want to return home.

The sidewalks seem like they would be fine for scooters. I had no trip worries, so must have been smooth. Your problem will be if you want to be near water. The sand is deep and not compact. Each step I took, I sank in.  So, beyond the scooter not riding in it, your walking on it may be impossible.  
 

For lunch, I am pretty sure the sidewalk went into the serving area. Some of the seating areas around it were in the sand. Bars should be accessible.

I cruised out of Miami on Seashore. There was a high concentration of Latinx guests. My attire would have been ordinary for current mass-market American cruise lines, but I felt underdressed most of the time amid this crowd. Not that anyone else seemed to notice or care. They just dressed better!

The shows may be different than you are used to.  The story I hear is that, as a European cruise line, shoes are presented that do not rely on spoken language as heavily as a Broadway-production English-speaking show would. To provide entertainment to cover 5+ languages, as is common in the Med, there is a lot of movement - acrobatics, dance. The music in the show I saw was English-language, popular music.  But no Jersey Boys, Cats, Hairspray; and shows may have been 45 minutes. 
 

The buffet at night does not have a lot of choices, but it should be enough to create a meal.  There is always a carving station, salads, breads, a choice of pasta, rice, veggies, one or two mains, a few pre-made tasty sandwiches.  And pizza, which I consider the best at sea (and most of earth) - it is Neapolitan style, so thin crust. I discovered a love for marinara pizza (no cheese) and had it everyday on my 7-night cruise (I was a cheese pizza lover).  They would make it fresh for me if it wasn’t out already.  
 

I think the general consensus is don’t go in thinking you are sailing the other cruise lines. (Room stewards maintain the cabins nicely, but are stealthy, not bothering the guests. Bothers some, others love it.). I am sailing again in a few weeks. 

Lots of families on my Seashore cruise last December, with a lot of Colombians, Cubans, and Argentinians.  It had less of an American vibe, which did lend an air of sophistication - for one thing, better dressed.  
 

I am not the biggest fan of a Western Caribbean itinerary, but there is nothing wrong with any of those ports. Celebrating 50 years and beyond with loved ones will be the focus.  
 

And I would pick MSC over the other two when traveling with older people - just for the noise level. Not to say there aren’t areas where a party is happening. 

6 hours ago, lindylooellalouise said:

Yay got my tickets and boarding pass plus luggage labels with no cabin number on,

but slightly concerned as to how will the staff know which cabin to send it to or will we have to collect it ourselves.

Most cruise lines have blank luggage tags that can be written on.  Somebody will lose or forget theirs, most likely. 
 

Glad you got your tickets and boarding pass.  Have a great cruise.  Once onboard, things go a lot smoother. 

On 9/3/2022 at 10:13 AM, morpheusofthesea said:

…Tipped him $50 to make sure DW (12)bags make it on board. 

A 12 year old wife?  Odd that that seemed more likely than having 12 pieces of luggage. Amazing what goes through the mind.  

On 8/31/2022 at 7:37 PM, Shmoo here said:

I believe that's "Palo".  

 

Also, "Palo" on the Wish, but is a steakhouse instead of the other ship's Italian theming.  

Once that auto-correct feature sets in, it holds on tight. Yes, folks, it’s Palo.  😅

On 8/24/2022 at 9:29 PM, dznymom said:

I am quite pleased with the program as it is now although I would love if they threw in laundry like a few (or most?) of the other lines.  I usually leave the chocolate ship behind because it's bulky (and melty) to pack, so changing that to a chocolate bar doesn't bother me in the least.  I really enjoyed the Diamond Party in the past, and wondering if they have brought that back yet?

 

Also curious if anyone has taken advantage of the dancing lesson, and if so, what did you think?  

We had the Diamond Party last September on the Seashore. 
 

We also had the Captain’s Welcome.
 

Free drinks both times. 

I would love Venchi Chocolate bars - the ship is a challenge to eat; such solid chocolate.

• Are you signing in with your Booking Confirmation No. or with your MSC account (email + password). I find the latter to be an easier way to work on my cruise account. 

This may or may not be the solution.  

Can you be more specific - Northern TA crossing near Iceland/ Greenland or out of the Med past Madeira / Azores. 
 

Out of 27 cruises, I have only had bad weather in the Med for a few hours. It could all be place and time. 
 

I did EB in April and WB in September, both FL - Barcelona. 
 

Day 3 of 5 Sea Days, having stopped at Madeira, middle of the Atlantic, 2 days away from The Bahamas. (September WB cruise).
 

Wishing the same for all cruisers 
 

I sailed the Seashore in December. Here is a slice of marinara pizza. I don’t remember any chunks of tomato - I’m not a fan and ate this everyday.  They made this pizza at my request everyday (if it wasn’t out already). It has a thinner, crispier crust; theirs is Neapolitan style.  If you don’t see what you want, just ask. They would even bring it to me at my table in the buffet. (I always ate plain cheese pizza before this. Now I am a convert. Not spicy, either).
 

The hotdog and burger buns would dry out quickly under the warmers. Probably switching out for a fresh bun would help.  Fries and sweet potato fries were good.

8 hours ago, Heymarco said:

Is this like snipe hunting?

So much better; if you could find a snipe, it would probably taste like chicken, not beef. 

18 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

…Not everything is a 'hit' and this will be a 'miss' later in the week when they perform again. …

Great witticism!