shipgeeks

I find the idea of plants/trees on a ship just weird, except maybe a potted plant in a solarium. Likewise the lawn on the top deck of some X ships. When I am at sea, I want to see the sea and sky, not things that grow on land.

At home I no longer have easy access to stores with cosmetics and skincare products, but I always have some good OBC on a cruise. If I want to buy cosmetics onboard, do you think I will get knowledgeable advice from the crew members in the shop? Suitable shade of lipstick for my skintone? Best night cream for my skin? Or are they just trained to ring up the sale?

Does your wife truly like surprises? I don't; I would hate getting something this momentous with little or no notice. I was once told we (family) were going out to dinner. I put my reading glasses in my bag. We were actually going to a live performance of Riverdance, which I love. Prime seats, but I did not have my distance glasses. Very disappointing. As was noted above, planning is a big part of a cruise, especially one with significant ports and activities. I hope you will choose to fill her in way ahead of time, so she can enjoy the planning, learning, and other aspects of pre-cruise time.

Where was the ship that it was cold enough for plants to freeze?

Ray, have you sailed on other lines/ships? What do you like/dislike about them, and about cruises in general?

I agree that there will be more and more Americans for the time being, but reading some recent posts (and some three or more years ago), I suspect there will be many who will try MSC for the price, but will not return as it isn't like their usual cruiseline. I just hope MSC will continue to provide that difference, for those of us who appreciate it.

And you will be able to see all of this from an upper deck of your ship, for orientation.

The appeal to us, on our MSC cruises (apart from the fact that we enjoyed the food, the shows, the service, etc.) was the fact that most of the passengers were not Americans, and the cruises were not geared towards just the US market. I sincerely hope MSC here does not become another RC/X/Carnival/NCL. We enjoyed the feeling that we were "away", not just sailing with a bunch of our hometown neighbors. As to the MSC private island, it truly is not like any other. It was the highlight of our ports.

49 cruises so far, and have never purchased travel insurance. Have never wished we had.

Armonia would fit in Baltimore.

We will continue to book Bella, but have never chosen to sail during holidays, nor on any cruise shorter than 7 nights (preferably longer).

Now that I have looked at the deck plan, I see it is indeed a passageway for the inside cabins.

I would agree with PTC, and our experience is that it's a nice quiet neighbor to have, unless you intend to sleep until 10 or 11.

When we sailed on MSC, the only nights that were well adhered to were the formal/gala nights. White Night also had a good bit of participation, dress-wise. Both of those were evident all over the ship, all evening. Other than that, few or no pax in any theme attire. It seems that the themes only refer to late night parties on upper deck (flower power/70s, Roaring Twenties on our cruises).

It was interesting watching the Nassau webcam Saturday morning. One RC ship made it in, with great difficulty. After that, four ships that had been in the lineup all turned around and left.

And the one I used must have a direct contact, because my TA would put me on hold, then come back perhaps a minute later with my cabin assignment and other details. I say Okay, and it's done.

I believe so. When we sailed previously, that was the case. It was super easy, even for us who have never used an ATM or a smartphone. You don't have to do it the instant you board; you can wait a day or two. And you can book shows and things at the same time.

We loved our onboard experience. We used our TA for booking. We had no reason to change anything or use the website or call, so cannot comment on that. I gather that many would agree: as long as you don't need to dispute or change anything, just go on the cruise, it is a fine experience. Perhaps someone here could answer the question you tried to reach them about?

That's a European thing. MSC is European.

A further thought, based on our four cruises during the past year. Ships that have installed new ventilation systems feel chilly to me in all the public rooms. (We do not have AC at home, so I really notice it.) Now I pack almost all long-sleeve garments for dinners and evenings onboard. I've seen other women and girls wearing hoodies over their nice dresses, due to the chill. I don't want to have to do that.

If sailing out of a Florida port, knowing that I might have to stand out in the sun before boarding, and then feel chilly once the ship is moving out, I usually wear long pants (frequently linen), a jersey (with or without sleeves), and a jacket about the weight of a jeans jacket. I have also worn a wool sweater with a blazer for boarding there.

Passengers are more likely to dress up in the evening while onboard.

mnpurple, You just reminded me of a neat experience I had on MSC a while back. I held the door for a young lady whose hands were full with plates of food for her kids. As she walked through, she said "Merci!" It just felt so international, so MSC.

Daytime with shorts, and evening with long pants on Caribbean theme night.

OP, I believe you said you are already booked. I'm wondering what type of cabin you have. The popular recommendation is that a balcony is a must; I say otherwise. We were given a balcony on our AK cruise, and only used it once - for an hour or two - during the entire 10 days. Being up on one of the open decks was fantastic; we spent most of our waking hours there. If the weather was not ideal, a covered deck, or public spaces with big windows, was great, too. That's how we saw a huge group of whales, plus lots of other wildlife, as well as just enjoying the scenery along the way. If your cabin choice is not finalized, I would recommend saving lots of $$ by booking an OV or inside.