graveytrain

Thanks for the review. I’m looking forward to more!

Thanks for the information!

What happens if one pays in full before the final payment due date and then notices a drop?  It is 7 days before final payment is due but my TA made final payment today. When I checked pricing, a few minutes ago, there is a few hundred dollars difference. Do you think I could receive on board credit for this amount? 

Thanks to all for the help. The video was very helpful. 

1 hour ago, perakcruiser said:

As there is a direct train as mentioned from airport to port every two hours I doubt that MSC will offer a bus. Using German trains is very easy and the app of the railway company offers English language. So buying the tickets is also dead simple, all can be done in the app. 

Is there a place in the train for luggage? Do we keep it with us?  We are not familiar with trains

3 hours ago, RudiRatlos said:

There may be a transfer by bus that you can book with MSC (just ask MSC or your TA, it may not be bookable online).

 

Besides that, going by train from Berlin to Warnemünde would be quite easy. There are direct trains that take 2,5 hrs from Berlin central station to Warnemünde. Announcements in german trains are usually in german and english. Warnemünde is the last stop of the line, so you will not miss it. The station is within short walking distance to the cruise terminal.

Thanks for the information. I will try calling first.

Hello all, We are planning our first cruise on MSC. Our question concerns embarking and disembarking at Warnemünde. Does MSC offer transportation from and to Berlin? We will be flying into Berlin and would like to pay MSC to get us to/from the ship. I am not comfortable doing this by myself. My husband and I are not familiar with the train system in Europe (although it has an excellent reputation) and do not speak much German. We have used this service on other lines. Thank you for your help.

I agree.  This has been going on for a long time and is the reason that I no longer purchase spa treatments on the ship. I would love to utilize the services offered, but when the sales pitch begins when you walk in the door and doesn’t end until you leave, it is a waste of money and time. The profit margin on the products they push must be substantial 😜

Can’t wait!

Great review! Thank you so much for taking time to create!

Thank you for the review!

We are to arrive between 12:00 and 12:30. I don’t know if earlier times are available. 

Thank you, thank you!!  

On 5/27/2021 at 3:37 PM, VegasCrossfire said:

We will be going from Vancouver to Clarkston on June 20th.  This will be our first river cruise.

 

We are looking forward to a new experience.

Looks like you will be the first one of this group to sail. Please give us a report!

Looking forward to your posts! Have a wonderful cruise!

Thank you again for the report! 

I’m looking forward to reading more! Thank you for posting.

20 hours ago, denamo said:

Well....we are extremely disappointed.  We were to have started our cruise on April 17 with a night's stay prior to the one the company provides in New Orleans.  Unfortunately, we've been informed today the boat was overbooked, and our reservation has been cancelled. We were a guarantee. ? So much for a guarantee.  They will honor our reservation at a later date and even up grade our cabin or fully refund our fare. 

 

Sadly this evening, I've been cancelling hotel arrangements and flights.  😞 We don't live in a very robust market with many flights, so it becomes necessary for us to typically go a day ahead and stay a day after the cruise ends. 

 

So, thanks Tim for letting us live vicariously.  We're not sure at this point if we'll reschedule or request a refund.

Wow, that is VERY short notice of cancellation!  I had no idea it was possible to cancel that close to departure. I’m sure you are very disappointed. 

1 hour ago, Floriduh said:

The band is great. They play in the bar and for the shows.

 

The shows had 3 singers and they were all top notch. I am a bass player and really enjoyed watching these musicians at work.

 

The shows were full of great "sing along" songs. The Themes included 50's and 60's, a whole different show for the 70's, A one woman show called Broadway On The Brain, and a couple more I can't think of right now (because I didn't see them).

 

There are two shows. Early seated diners can see the show after eating while the late diners can catch the early show.

 

During the days there were games, trivia and a couple of bingo sessions.

Thank you Floriduh! Sounds like great entertainment!

19 minutes ago, Floriduh said:

Well, I am finally home and ready to write some more. Long details are hard on the phone.

 

I will start out by saying we had a great time. The boat is beautiful, the food delicious, the entertainment fabulous and the staff very friendly.

 

But, I do need to point out some very major issues. 

 

Dining:

Due to a combination of staffing issues and Covid there are two major problems. One, the River Grille is NOT open for dinner and only has limited offerings for breakfast and lunch. This is NOT what was stated on web site and advertising materials. And, two, there is NO ROOM SERVICE. Room service is advertised as 24 hour.

What this means, in reality, is that unless you go to dinner and sit in your assigned seat at your assigned time, you are not getting dinner. I never knew what a blessing it was to have 24 hour pizza available on Carnival ships.

 

Wheelchair access:

Once on the ship there are no issues with my wife's scooter. Getting on and off the ship for boarding, excursions and debarkation was nearly impossible. The staff was always there and willing to help, but it was bigger than that. Four inch thick water hoses in front of the debarkation ramp meant my wife's scooter had to be lifted over the hose. And they are not light. 

The ramps often had angles that were hard to get over without getting "beached".

Once off the boat, most of the docks were covered with gravel. And, in one case, about 8 inch high railroad tracks. Most of the elderly crowd had to be helped over the tracks. Walkers, wheelchairs and scooters didn't stand a chance.

 

Internet:

Guess what? There is no phone/Internet coverage while floating down the Mississippi. The ship has free wifi, but it is slow and unreliable.

 

Booking Excursions:

The new app doesn't work. We made our reservations and the next day they were gone. I added them back, printed my tickets and they were gone again. But I then had my tickets in hand and they worked with us to get our tours.

 

Again, I don't want to "bad mouth" the company or the cruise. We had a blast. The dining issues will be fixed with staffing and the app will be fixed soon, I'm sure. But, the wheelchair access was something that may be a deal breaker for some.

 

Hope you enjoyed my updates. I did what I could with the limited internet. It was great meeting Cindi and everyone else.

 

So good to be cruising again.

Thank you for the update. It gives hope to those of us awaiting our return to cruising. Can you give an example of the entertainment provided at night?  Having only sailed on ocean cruises, I don’t know what to expect!  Glad you had a great time!

Thank you TinCan782 for the photos and videos! They are fantastic.

I believe the April cruises were canceled. 

I would love to see pictures! What kind of entertainment do they have? Thank you so much for the information. Our April 11 cruise on the Columbia River was canceled. This would have been our first River cruise. Our next hope is the Black Sea in July!  

How was dinner and breakfast? Was social distancing in play?

Thanks for the photos! Since you do not board until 3:45, could you have kept your room in the Hilton until later? Did you send your luggage earlier?