CruiseIreland

We crossed the street outside the port gates, crossed the square to the metro and took the train to the train/bus station. Bought a ticket for the coach to Aix-en-Provence en Provence. Lovely town. Worth the trip. Marseille is nice too but we had done it previously. Ken

This guy, Gary Bembridge recently travelled to Egypt with Ama. Here's a link to his YT channel https://youtube.com/@tipsfortravellers?feature=share9

Thank you for your very interesting review. We're doing the same trip, in reverse, in August so I'm delighted to see a review of a Gate 1 trip. Ken

Any crew member who solicits a review from us can Foxtrot Oscar!!

I always carry a swiss army type knife and it contains a corkscrew. Obviously ✔️checked in! Very useful. No need to parade to bar to get wine opened!👍

I have had the same experience with MSC, so I bring my own extension cord everywhere, as previously and post cruise hotels may not have a socket near the bed. However, can anyone explain to me why bottled water or ship water, which I believe is distilled or at least purified, will not do? I am genuinely interested in the difference if it is bad for the (a) user or (b) the machine. TIA

Hi. We sailed on Meraviglia and Seaside in 2019. The design of Meraviglia means that the Meraviglia Lounge is located very near the MDR so when we left the MDR (we always have late dining) we could never get a seat in the Meraviglia Lounge. However, the theatre, the English pub and the Sky lounge, at the top of the ship, always had seats available. The Seaside layout is different and we were always able to get seats in the Haven Lounge which is towards the back of the ship. The Mera does not have an atrium but the Promenade with the amazing ceiling. Activities in Seaside's atrium could draw quite a crowd with limited seating. Ken

Indeed, that's true. Very well maintained. I would add, in relation to shows, that many of the ships have a themed show, such as Rock of Ages.

Hi. We like MSC because it's great value for money. Many don't care for the food and, to be honest, we had better food on Royal and Norwegian, though that's 10 years plus ago. The shows on MSC tend to be 'samey' except for the Michael Jackson tribute and I'm not sure if they still do that. The shows are short and use backing tracks rather than live music. There will be acrobats in almost every show, regardless of the theme. Speciality dining is quite good and a nice break from the MDR. I think a stateroom with 3 adults will be snug but your call. If anyone in your stateroom has a drinks package, all must have the same package. We did Norway a couple of years ago and loved it. Preziosa was one of our first MSC ships, we liked it but it's old now and not as glitzy as the newer ships. Enjoy. Ken

@Eliminator55 I booked with the UK travel agent who I can't name here but I would take the cruise 1st! Incidentally, the US travel agent is not allowed by MSC to book non US/Canadian residents on their cruises. We cancelled that cruise(buyer's remorse) but we booked a HAL cruise with the US TA no problem. As BAH said, different Ts & Cs apply in different countries. Ken

Went through this a few weeks ago. The NZ app is a disaster. Finally got it done online. If you have any confirmation, print it out but your NZeTA is electronic and will be on their system, similar to US Esta. Ken

That is a real shame! The food should have been better and the service sounds second rate. I don't think I could have put up with that behaviour one night, never mind 4 nights in a row! I suppose you were just unlucky in your neighbours. One thing strikes me is that we take the knowledge shared here on cruisecritic for granted. We've sailed 8 times on MSC and have never had rowdy neighbours, food hit and miss and waiter service patchy. We go back for the price to be honest. Hope you enjoy your next cruise more than ever to make up for this one. Perhaps a longer cruise would be better? Ken

Be great if you could report back here on your experience. Have a great cruise!

We're booked on Monarch Queen for August so it's great to read these comments!

First river cruise, after 11 ocean cruises, booked for August with Gate 1, Monarch Queen, Prague to Budapest(coach transfer from Prague to the Danube. Very excited as it is a surprise birthday gift for Mrs C.

We found Indian food options in the buffet, towards the back corner, on every MSC cruise we've done(8). Service is usually friendly unless the staff are run off their feet, which can happen.

Hi. We are considering a Gate 1 cruise on the Rhine for our 1st river cruise. It's on the Monarch Princess. Can you all recommend Gate 1 and the Princess? We are not too fussy but like a comfortable room, thinking of French Balcony as we always sail balcony on ocean cruises. I like the itinerary and it's a surprise for my wife. Thanks in advance. Ken

If you search 'Visit with Us' on the Tube, they have posted 3 videos recently of their Uniworld Nile cruise. In one they show entertainment and evenings onboard. You can get an idea of what passengers wear.

Loved your trip report. I hope you will report on your Seascape cruise in 2023. Ken

Loving the trip report! Keep it coming! Were you ok after eating the dodgy shrimp? Ken

Well, I managed to find the pricing by searching G, not from the MSC website. The Premium Extra package is priced at €62 pppd in the Mediterranean. I reckon a basic package is included with the TA offer, as you suggested, Nunagoras. Many thanks, Ken.

Thanks all, I'm trying to get the TA to come back with suitable date. It seems good value to add the package. Ken

Casual is fine in Butcher's Cut, that is neat, no beachwear, shorts etc but I believe extra latitude is allowed on first evening in case luggage does not arrive.

Thanks but no, it's not included under a promotion but as an optional extra. I suppose what I'm really asking is 'what is the cost of the Premium Extra drinks package? ' either pre cruise or onboard, if booked direct with MSC. Ken

Beautiful lady. RIP. Sincere condolences to you. She was lucky to have you willing and able to look after her as you did.👏