Markanddonna

BTW- there is a very nice free trolley that will take you are Miami. We went to Bayside to pick up some items in between cruises. You pick up the trolley right outside the terminal. Miami has a very good website that even shows the trolley locations live.

I agree. As a person of shorter stature, I always seemed to have trouble seeing with the taller people blocking my view. I prefer the E muster. We are punctual people, and waiting for those who had to be coaxed out of the ship to the muster stations was irritating.

We have a short MSC cruise booked for a "take our granddaughter on a cruise" trip in March. She loved the 4 day MSC cruise last year, but she was an eight-year-old on her first cruise. We loved the cruise only because she was so happy. Still, it was far better than the B2B MSC cruise in Jan 2023. We have no more MSC cruise bookings or plans to book after the one in March. We have two long cruises, a Celebrity TA and a Princess TP for 2023.

Yes, I miss the opera, but in the USA, most of their passengers are now Hispanic from central and south America on many cruises. Their Italian food was a huge step down as compared to the Italian restaurant Eataly, which used to be on some of their ships.

Sort of...I doubt they will stop the overbooking. A lot of loyal MSC folks don't believe that the Jan 20 sailing on the Divina was fraught with so many problems. I just checked the latest 20 Divina reviews, and they were 2.2 out 5.0 with ten rating it a one. The last day (3rd sea day in a row) was the absolute worst with so many people at a fever pitch in anger. A fight broke out between passengers over no available loungers, and a crew member was injured. We were approached by a really nasty woman who demanded we give up our two seats (both occupied!) because she thought our activity of playing cards should be done in the lounges. It was unreal.

We did a B2B on the Divina out of Miami, and they gave us an instruction sheet on the process. We were given two options: leave the ship before 8:30 AM and return no earlier than 11:30 or get off later and be processed in the theater with a mandatory custom's interview that could take up to two hours. We spoke to another couple that said it took over two hours. This was in late Jan 2023.

On my last two MSC cruises (March- Meraviglia and B2B Divina in January), the crew were overwhelmed by the surge in passengers. It significantly affected our satisfaction and even generated actual fights amongst the unruly passengers you seem to be attracting lately. MSC lost a lot of loyal passengers this year because of the overbooking with an insufficient number of crew members. Are you considering not overselling to avoid this?

Mr. Vago, why does MSC allow far too many passengers on certain sailings when the crew is woefully understaffed? There is a tipping point, and we experienced it on the Divina on the Jan 27 sailing.

Thank you for the well written explanation.

I read that bigger ships don't go in the inside passage where it is more scenic and calm. Does anyone have an estimate on which ships don't do the inside passage?

We took the Blue Bus on the fourth of July. That holiday is a BIG deal in Juneau. We almost didn't make it back to the ship because of traffic jams.

I think a cruise in Hawaii sounds like a great idea- better pricing and more efficient. I've been there several times, once on a transpacific to Australia.

MSC production shows were fine but you have seen variations of them before: Abba, rock star, etc. Nothing innovative or distinctive and their sets were the same as five years ago- a set of lighted stairs. RCCL in May had some really unique offerings rather than the same old. On our ten day, there was no show at all scheduled for the theater. The CD told us the night before that we would be busy packing. After their disastrous unplanned sea day (couldn't go to Ocean Cay), they decided to show Top Gun at 9:30 in the theater.

Just off an MSC cruise. From what I heard from others, there were no changes of dining times allowed. We were on a B2B and our first group of tablemates were fine but most didn't come to the MDR and they went to the buffet. Our second sailing had a wonderful group that showed up almost all 10 days. I noted many groups of one solo at a table or one couple at a table of eight. If I had that situation, I would prefer NCL where you can share tables. We once asked the waiter if we could invite a solo we noted who was eating alone at a table for eight to join us at our table (six people at our table didn't show) and they refused.

You folks need to work on your reading comprehension. I never stated NCL was prestigious, just that I had cruised in the Haven. I consider prestigious to be more like Seabourn, Regent, Viking, Oceania, etc.

We are there with you! I often wonder if we have an asterisk next to our names with the cruise lines that says "try not to book these folks."

The January 20th sailing was better. We had about 600 more passengers on Jan 27 and they were also a more demanding group. The sea days on your sailing were pretty normal. It was close to anarchy on the last day of the Jan 27 cruise when we couldn't go to Ocean Cay. The pool deck had angry people laying and sitting on the ground, on ledges...unreal! We didn't get to eat in the mdr at all for lunch or breakfast, partly because my husband got food poisoning from the scallops and then became quite sick. Bur it was very crowded because others wantwd to avoid thw buffet. I got to see the ship when everyone else was at port on excursions though, including many visits to the medical center with him. I enjoyed the sun and warmth.

Divina was in terminal E last month and on Feb 6. MSC is building a new terminal (I think AA) but it won't be ready until spring. I called MSC twice to find out our embarkation terminal and was told by both it was F. Is wasn't. You will see your ship as you enter the port area which is pretty confusing.

MSC is struggling with cutbacks, many relating to the lack of staff. For example, the MDR at lunch on sea days went from serving 90 mins to just 60. There was a long line to get in at breakfast or lunch. We were told the kitchen couldn't handle both the demands of the buffet and MDR, so therefore the hours were reduced. Not enough staff to keep cups, glasses and silverware in the buffet. I walked around the entire buffet a few times and couldn't find those items. This happened on multiple days. The crew, although very overworked, was always pleasant, smiling, and tried their best to serve everyone. We are very hesitant to book any more cruises beyond the two that are within the next ninety days. Cruising has taken a hit on many lines and if some of them survive, it will take a while for them to get back to better standards. This past 17 day cruise was so very disappointing.

Last week, we were on a B2B MSC cruise and my husband picked up bronchitis (with his COPD) and became dehydrated. On his fourth visit to the medical center, they insisted upon giving him a antigen and then a PCR test. We had already self administered two COVID antigen tests that were negative. Their tests were also negative. Before they tested, they explained that if he tested positive on the PCR that I would also be tested. If he was positive, he would be moved to a different cabin. If I was negative, I could resume my cruise as normal and walk around the ship. If positive, I would have been quarantined also.

We just got off a B2B ship on another cruise line. My husband, who has COPD, picked up bronchitis and he's still coughing. He had three antigen and one PCR COVID tests that last week onboard and all were negative. There WAS COVID onboard (the CD had it!) , but most problems seemed to be the typical cruise crud we've seen before the pandemic. I am still surprised that most people on this cruise just opened their mouths wide and coughed and sneezed without covering.

As a Diamond, we were given our sparkling wine, the chocolate bars and the macaroons on our first day with both our B2B sailings in Jan. 2023. They don't give you a letter or coupon for the other perks such as the free photo and specialty dinner. You just ask for them at the appropriate place.

What if this discrimination applied to restaurants? Two people at a table will generate more profit for the restaurant than one. I don't see how a business can discriminate against solos. I can understand why they do.

Just off the MSC Divina and the cruise director had COVID for five days. We unfortunately had to use the medical center several times and no one there wore a mask. My had three antigen and one PCR test that week with all negative results. Colombia required either a COVID vaccination record or testing before the cruise. The staff never asked to see my card. I asked them about it before I left the embarkation counter, and they said they already saw it. No they didn't! It was in my purse! It didn't seem like COVID was a big deal on that cruise but there were plenty of hackers who haven't learned to cover their coughs.

Your posting is very accurate. A friend from Brazil pointed out that January is when lots of South Americans take their vacations. The cruise next person on our first B2B Jan sailing told me our passenger composition for the 10 day was only 25% North American which also includes many people who speak Spanish as their primary language. I didn't perceive them as rowdy, but rather loud and entitled/rude.