wgeddings

Going on the same cruise on the Horizon for Thanksgiving and I notice that Carnival is no longer offering the same excursion we took.  Apparently we were not the only ones very disappointed.  

I think y'all are going far afield with debating the exact percentages and raw data and such.  The vast majority of the cruisers will never even check the CDC levels, much less have a clue what the colors or precise numbers mean.  Some people care and that is wonderful for them.  However, lengthy data heavy debates are going to immediately lose most of the audience so the key element, in my opinion, is the old "KISS" principle (Keep It Simple Stupid).  

The question is whether or not cruising is safe.  There cannot be a yes or no answer because nothing has a yes or no answer to the "is it safe" question.  It is always a sliding scale.  It is not safe to ride in your car since you might be in an auto accident but we all voluntarily assume that risk without worrying if we need to go somewhere.  The better question is probably, How Safe is cruising.  

I think we can all agree that as far as the pandemic, cruising is about as safe as it can be.  Knowing that at least 95% of the passengers on the ship, and all of the crew, are vaccinated and were tested for COVID before the cruise is awesome.  When you go to the grocery store, how many people in the store have been vaccinated?  How many have COVID, have been tested for COVID or are caring for someone with COVID?  Probably a lot of people!  So I would say that the best answer to the "how safe is cruising" is that it is safer than going to the grocery store, safer than attending any sporting event, safer than going to church but not as safe as staying home isolated.  i think that is what people really want to know.  

As for the CDC, it reminds me of the terrorist threat levels and their color wheel that I never understood but that was okay because I do not think anyone else did.  I think comedian Ron White explain the terrorist threat level best when he said there only needed to be 3 levels.  Safe, find a helmet, put on the helmet.  

I believe cruising is as safe as it can be during the pandemic and, is safer than most other things we all do if we leave our house.  

Double check the color meanings.  Yellow may not be as bad as you think.  

11 hours ago, RGEDad said:

Many places do not have tests where the results are available within 24 hours. Some places are tooooo far away. Sometimes one is in foreign lands and need to fly back (Original marketing for these tests), Sometime people have B2B and need testing for the second cruise while still on the first (not all cruise lines provide end of cruise testing). Some just want a back-up plan B incase something goes wrong (ie appointments cancelled). Some are driving for several days and are unable to figure out a place to test mid-drive...

 

Thanks, great reasons.   

13 hours ago, Shaded Lady said:

@itskristene do you mind expanding just a bit on how the new muster process works? If anyone who has actually experienced it on Carnival has posted details, I've missed it.... thanks in advance!

It is so easy and simple.  You have a muster station listed on your Sign and Sail card.  Perhaps Muster Station J.  You follow the signs to Muster Station J and usually it is a lounge or theater.  There are crew there who will check your names off of a list.  Either immediately or when 4 or 5 people are there, a crew member will show you how to put on a life jacket (not on you, just the crew member putting a life jacket on himself or herself).  Then you are done but asked to watch a safety video that plays on your cabin TV in a loop on one of the channels.  You can go to the Muster Station any time on the day of embarking so it is no set time or rush but easiest to do as soon as convenient.  

No standing on deck, waiting on others, hearing loud sirens and being miserable in the heat!  Depending on your mood and desire to be a jerk, you can ask your fellow passengers at the life jacket demonstration things like "how tight do I wrap the cord around my neck?" or wonder at the level of intelligence needed to put on a life jacket (kind of like the "how to buckle your seatbelt" lecture on airplanes).  But the crew are very nice and it is a great process.  

I am curious about the home test kits.  I see a lot of people using them but we got our tests done at a "doc in the box" urgent care place locally.  We had to make an appointment and got the rapid test but it only cost $14 and insurance paid the rest.  If we had no insurance, they said it would have been free under the CARES act.  Why are people paying so much more for the home test kits?  I do not know what CVS or other places charge.   Honestly asking and not trying to debate things.  Perhaps there are no "doc in a box" places near you or something else?

1 minute ago, Solo1959 said:

I wrote a review but it is in the 'review' stage on CC. Basically, this was the ship's 1st cruise in a year and a half so all new (to the ship) staff working with new teams, new supervisors, new protocols, new dinner menus, etc. The first few days were a bit ... off. But they started to get their rhythm in a few days. Things improved and got good.

 

I think the primary focus of Carnival for this first cruise was "just make sure everybody is happy." They bent over backward to help. Customer service was excellent even though there were glitches during the cruise. They made things right for me, no questions asked. Just overly helpful and happy to be back working.

 

The food and the buffet were a million times better than on the Carnival Magic just a month ago. Some of the entertainers were spectacular especially a guitarist who played the pre-show for the Epic Rock on the last night of the cruise. I didn't care for Epic Rock because it was canned music playing with poor to mediocre signers, and dances that didn't relate to the songs. But the pre-show is NOT TO BE MISSED.

 

The ship is beautiful after dry dock and renovation. Nassau was ... Nassau, and Amber Cove was really nice.

 

Things were broken: the a/c in my room didn't work so they moved me, the lights in the dining room were off and we ate in the dark for a few nights. No hot water in my new room. But by the end of the cruise things were being put back together and fixed and working.

 

I love the Elation, one of my favorite ships and I was glad to be back on her for this inaugural cruise. Again, there were glitches getting back to cruising, but most of them were fixed within days or by the end of the cruise. They probably still have some things to do, but they went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied.

Thanks!  So glad to hear.  I know what you mean about crew working out kinks (we were on Horizon first of August and MSC Divina first of Oct) but having more room on the ship was an awesome trade off.  Elation seemed older and smaller than many ships we have taken for a while so glad to hear food was good.  
 

hope they approve your review soon and I’ll try to watch for it.  This forum or another?

On 10/17/2021 at 9:35 AM, Solo1959 said:

I just got off the Elation yesterday, the first cruise back. The Cruise Director told us that we were at "just under 60%" occupancy.

Did you post a review?  Going on Elation in Dec and would love to hear about it. 

3 hours ago, jsglow said:

1. It'll get used up by any onboard expense.

2. They're not switching ships.  Elation set sail this week.  You're good to go.  The folks that still need to pay attention are folks on ships that have not restarted as of yet. 

Thanks but I did not make it clear that I will rejoice if we switch ships.  I preferred not to be on the Elation but it was the only one that had times that worked.   I’ll keep hoping the rumor was true.  

3 hours ago, K_e_short said:

I bet the accidental email caused them to get a pile of phone calls from worried cruisers.

 

I am seeing on Facebook people are still asking about the email so thats probably why the phones are so busy.

 

 

“Unexpected call volume”.  If you get that message EVERY time you call, I by definition cannot be “unexpected”!   Yet almost all customer service lines use that.  As Inigo Montoya would say “I don’t think that word means what you think that word means” 🤒    
 

Saw a meme I really loved of the guy who invented the “press one” voice system sitting in Hell trying to call Heaven Customer Service and having to constantly “press one” and getting “unexpected call volume”.  🤨

I have 2 questions that I hope someone can help me with. 

1 - Our original planned cruise got cancelled and we were given the option to receive a refund or we could apply what we paid to a future cruise and get an onboard credit of $300.00 per cabin.  We opted for the future cruise and the $300 per cabin credit (we had 2 cabins with 2 people in each cabin).  We booked a new cruise, got our credit for amount paid and will have $300 per cabin credit.  My question is can that cabin credit be used anywhere or are there limitations?  I assume it is fine to use it to buy a Bubbles package or shore excursions but do you know if it can be used in the Casino?  If it is available in the casino, could it then be put on your card to use in the slot machine then just go to the cashier and cash out?  Those are separate parts really, if it can be used to gamble in the casino I probably will but just curious if you could cash out. 

2 - We are on the Elation Dec 26 out of Port Canaveral.   I had heard rumors that Carnival may be switching some ships since many ports are closed and from what I understand, a ship has to sail a few times following new protocols to be allowed to sail more.  So the ships from ports that are currently closed but should reopen after the first of the year, need to get "experience' so they can hit the ground running.  More specifically, the Sunshine normally is out of Charleston, SC but since Charleston is closed right now, they have it running out of FL ports.   The Elation is a small and older ship so I would love to hear that some other ship is being substituted in.  Has anyone heard anything about this or know more?

Thanks. 

I got that same message when I entered the extension number of the cruise consultant we previously talked to.  However, if I did not enter that extension number, I got put in the waiting line to speak to a representative.  Sadly, it took me *3.5 HOURS* to speak to someone and get my issue resolved but at least it is resolved now.  I suggest you get a good show going on Netflix or whatever, don't enter an extension number (instead choose option 4 for existing cruise then option 1 for payment question if you issue is about payment) and settle in to wait.  The reps, when I finally got to speak to them, were VERY nice and helpful and American but having to hold for 3.5 hour is unconscionable. 

On 10/9/2021 at 4:36 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

I appreciated reading your review.  Thanks for posting it.  

 

It's curious to me that others, like you, had issues with the Status Match program.  When I sailed for my first MSC cruise, there were no issues.  I had my travel agent make the request and handle whatever details needed to be done.  Could that have made a difference?  

I honestly do not know.  I have not used a travel agent in probably 20 years since when I used to use them, there seemed to always be something the agent missed (even using different agents) and I could get just as good a price on my own.  i tend to think having a travel agent would not help since even the "cruise consultant" on board had no way to contact someone and that was her job within the cruise line.  I cannot stress enough how awful the customer service, guest services were both before and during the cruise.  Crew and waitstaff and cabin stewards were great but the other aspects were awful and from all I have been reading, that is the norm.  You got lucky I believe or it was before they tried to expand.  Everyone makes mistakes or has issues but it was their attitude about it and complete indifference that struck me.  As I said in my review, when the "cruise consultant" claims that the different status levels are not important, that is insulting because it means something to me.  

On 10/9/2021 at 8:17 AM, florida_gal said:

Thank you for posting your Divina experience!  We leave next Thursday and am really looking forward to it.   

 

Curious how many passengers might have been aboard on your sailing...Esp if the ship capacity is like 4000+?

 

And good insights about the Soda, too.  We would normally like to bring some water bottles and a couple sodas with us, too.

Capacity for passengers is close to 4500 and there were approximately 1200 passengers on our cruise.  Crew capacity is about 1300 and there were about 1200 on our cruise (so a 1 to 1 ratio).  that is according to crew that I asked.  

Now is a great time to cruise because no only are prices low, deals great but with ships 1/3 or 1/2 full, it is awfully roomy. 

On 10/7/2021 at 9:54 PM, Ciara01 said:

Hello neighbor!  I was in 13105. 🙂

 

I had excellent service in all dining areas, but somewhat slower bar service.  All other customer service was friendly & efficient, though I had no special requests & no expectations.
 

The food was average, but there were a few standouts - buffet pizza crust was amazing!  Fresh pasta on Italian night & some of the deserts were excellent.  Some of the fish was so so.  Overall the food was better than I expected.

 

I agree, the ship was much classier than I expected.  Mirrors were everywhere & I kept thinking I saw someone who looked like me, then realized it was me.

 

The shows were meh.  I’m not a Tina Turner fan, so skipped that one.  Enjoyed the juggler & strong men the 2nd night. Left the 3rd show due to no interest in the football- cheerleader 80s performance.

 

Nassau was Nassau but without the straw market.

 

Private island was beautiful & the salads at the buffet were awesome!  I’d go back just for the beautiful private island day.  I parked myself on a secluded beach & enjoyed the palm shade, the breeze and the cocktails while working on my sunburn.

 

Totally enjoyed my time on this ship & thought it was a very good value.  I hope they sell enough cabins to keep solvent.  
 

Covid test was the most stressful part of the trip.  Yet, with everyone tested & all > 12 vaccinated, I felt very safe.

 

Until next time!

 

 

 

 

Howdy neighbor!  I agree with everything you said.  The buffet pizza was very fresh and tasty and different from what I have had before.  The "Extreme" show was awfully good I thought but my favorite was the first night (Tina Turner show although I am not a huge Tina fan, the dancers were just really good I thought) but the others with me liked the 2nd night (Autumn in Paris) although I did not.  

I agree the private island was really nice and it is important to remember it is still under construction.  Jayleah said that some of the construction is rumored to be a water park so that would be awesome.   But just a rumor.   

Other than the awful customer service (pre-cruise and guest services on board- not the general crew or waitstaff) I would probably cruise MSC again.  They really have to improve their guest services though.  

23 minutes ago, Z'Loth said:

 

Arrrggghhh.... requiring a card for that particular sailing for the electrics to work would be a severe annoyance and enough to generate a severe complaint. I may have a laptop, camera, ebook reader, tablet, or mobile device charging up while I'm at dinner or lounging at the pool. 

Don't assume it has to be your keycard.  Try other cards (a business card, a credit card, the do not disturb card, etc.).  We have never had a problem where it HAD to be your keycard. My desire is for people who have not cruised before and who would panic if their electricity was not working.  I wanted to be sure they knew what, why and could avoid having to wait in a guest services line. 

Fla Mike - Something I forgot to mention and I wish I could adequately express this, there are a lot of mirrors in hallways.  The mirrors are incredibly clean and I cannot count the number of times I about turned into an alcove that was just a reflection!  It got to be a running joke with all of us.  I mean it as a good thing and a compliment to the ship but always check  before walking into what looks like a passageway.    I have been on many other ships with other lines but none are even close to the glitter and shine of Divina.  

Thurs, Sept 30, 2021 to Sunday, October 3, 2021

Sailing on MSC Divina out of Port Canaveral with stops in Nassau and Ocean Cay

Category B2 Balcony Cabin (13103)

EMBARKATION (Sept 30):

We parked at Cruisetime parking.  The lot did not to be in a nice area and more closely resembled a junkyard due to all the cars parked there but it was nice enough and the people there were extremely nice and friendly.  Parking was $8.00 per day including day of departure and return so although this was a 3 night cruise, we needed to pay for 4 days.  It was no problem and clear on the website but just mentioning it as an FYI.  They helped unload our vehicle and put luggage on the shuttle then took our car and parked it, giving us a ticket.  When the shuttle was full (just a few more minutes), we left and rode to the port where we were dropped off right at check in.  Could not have asked for more and so far, so good.

We arrived at the check-in at the port about 12:30 although our official check-in time was 2:00-2:30 (originally 1:00 to 2:00 but texts the day before asked us to come in at 2:00).  There was no line and no one ever mentioned a check-in time.  Everyone was very polite, helpful and friendly.  First was checking our vaccination and recent test paperwork then security.  My wife and daughter came through with no problem but I had a backpack with a lot of wires and batteries and such that was all in the bottom of the backpack and a jumbled mess on X-Ray so I had to unload some.  They were very polite about it though and patient.  Our travelling companions had a little more difficulty.  He had a butterknife he brought from home (for some reason, he claimed to break up ice) so that was fun to watch.  Then they confiscated an extension cord and made our companions fill out a bunch of paperwork to get it back at the end of the cruise (and we felt bad because it was part of a Welcome bag we gave them right before the cruise).  Meanwhile, I had 3 extension cords and a power bar in my bad which they saw when I unpacked and re-packed and they never said a word about it. 

From there you talk through another checkpoint where they make sure you have passport, vaccination and recent COVID test.  Again, very quick.  Then we walked forward to a line that moved very fast where the ticketing agents (for lack of a better term) checked you in, gave you your card which served as your key and onboard charge card and again verified the passport, vaccination and recent test cards.  They also took your picture.  There was a good bit of paperwork that we were sent (numerous times) before the cruise to fill out and sign but he never asked for any of that.  I asked if he needed it but he said no. Oh well, I had it if needed.  We were told our cabin was ready and we could board and that lunch was being served in Deck 14 in the buffet. 

We were extremely impressed with how nice and elegant the ship looked upon boarding.  Lots of glitter and glam with a lot of elegant furnishings (compared to other cruise lines).  There are plenty of online pictures of the common areas so I will not belabor it except to say that they really look better in person than in the pictures.  Found our cabin with no problem and it was nice and spacious.  Very well laid out.  Although we had 3 people in the cabin, there were only 2 sets of towels but our cabin steward quickly fixed that when it was mentioned. 

IMPORTANT NOTE – see a post I am putting in the First Time Cruiser forum about electricity for the cabins.  Our companions did not realize it and so went to guest services to wait in a long line to report that their cabin had no electricity.  If we had known, we would have warned them that there is now a little card reader thing just inside your cabin.  A card (keycard or other card) had to be in that slot for the lights and electricity to work.,  I assume it was intended to discourage people leaving the lights on when they leave the cabin but it is simple enough to put any card in the slot and never have to worry about it again.  Or you can store your keycard there and never wonder where it is when time to leave the cabin. 

Lunch was very good with a wide variety of food.  It was striking how friendly, polite and helpful the crew was in the buffet and hallways.  They were all anxious to help and quick with a hello.  We were all struck with that since we were expecting MSC to lack the friendliness but so far they outshone everyone else (except Disney).  Overall, we were very impressed as we all headed back to the cabin for naps and the muster drill process. 

Muster drill process was different from Pre-COVID.  On MSC, apparently now everyone has to watch a video in their cabin and then call a number to record that they have watched it.  Then, an announcement comes out asking everyone on Decks 16, 15, 14 and 13 (for example) to proceed to their muster stations without using the elevators.  We were on 13 so we went.  We all filed into the muster station where they recorded your card and then you left to return to your cabin.  Since I know some would have a question about mobility impairment, I truthfully told the crewman that my knee was sore (muster for us was on Deck 7) and I did not want to climb that many flights of stairs and it was no problem as he summoned an elevator for me and several other passengers.  The whole process was smooth, easy and quick and a blessed relief from the old drills standing on a crowded hot deck!

I had big problems with my Voyager Club membership.  Back in July, I put in for the status match and submitted the paperwork.  I should have been Gold and my wife and daughter should have been Silver with all the perks that come with each of those.  I had tried called several times over the last couple of months and tried e-mails but could get no answer.  Finally it was suggested that I try to take care of on board when I might be able to speak to a human.  We waited for the “cruise consultant” who was supposed to open at 4:00.  Lucky we got there early because a few minutes before 4:00, several others came in behind us.  About 4:10, a woman came up to man the station.  I explained the problem and she said she would have to send an e-mail to check on it.  I explained that would not help since we would be off the ship before she got a response so we needed it dealt with now or the perks were moot.  She apologized and said that the company just hired a new person because they had been so busy.  I replied that was great for the future but does me no good since this is time I need it resolved.  She asked what the big deal was about gold or silver perks and I told her and she proceeded to argue with me that they were not really that much anyway.  Yes, you read that right, a “cruise consultant” telling you that her own cruise line’s perks were basically meaningless.  Sure made me want to be a report customer – NOT.  She then said that we could go to the spa for an hour thermal treatment and to just tell the spa to call her and she would confirm it was complimentary.  I thanked her but said that I felt confident that what would happen is we would go to the spa, they would try to contact her to confirm it and she would not be available and it would create a massive mess.  I asked if she could give me something in writing to show them and of course she refused.  Same when she said we could pick a single ship photo and it would be complimentary. 

I like sodas and I drink several a day to maintain a consistent caffeine level.  On other lines, I have brought sodas aboard or bought a soda card.  There was no option to purchase one for this cruise since it was only 3 nights.  Onboard, I learned it was $29 per person per day plus 15% gratuity!  Granted that covers other non-alcoholic beverages but holy ripoff Batman, $29+tip per person per day and you are not allowed to bring a 6/12 pack abord is just awful.  I’ll end up having buy 4 or so a day at $3.90 each and still be much cheaper. 

Dinner was in the Main Dining Room (MDR) which for us was the Black Crab.  Very nice although the chairs really reminded us of what we would expect in an old woman’s living room.  It started out well as we were some of the first seated and liked our table but it quickly went downhill.  Refills of water was very slow, things were brought out piecemeal with one person getting an appetizer before anyone else and one person getting 2 appetizers while some had none.  There was nothing that appealed to me for the entrees so I ordered the NY Strip for an additional $9.95.  Big mistake.  My wife’s chicken was rubbery and a friend’s fish was only so-so.  Friend’s wife and daughter had the gnocchi and said it was like chunks of wallpaper paste.  My steak, which arrived after everyone else was through with their meal, was marginal at best and something I would expect from a Waffle House.  Only my daughter (who had the roast pork loin) was pleased.  Although we were among the first to enter the dining room and order, we were some of the last to leave because service was so slow and bad.  Our waiter asked how everything was and we told him honestly and he just said “oh”.  The helper apologized and claimed they were having some trouble with first night stuff but I do not think the waiter could have been less concerned although I could tell the helper was genuine in her embarrassment at how our dinner had gone. 

The show, which we went into while it was just starting since we were so late with dinner, was pretty good.  It was a tribute to Tina Turner.  There was one woman singer and 2 guy singers.  I had never realized how low Tina Turner’s voice was apparently but all the songs sounded good although a few were not songs I would have picked (Theme from Goldeneye, Disco Inferno, etc.).  The dancers were excellent I thought and, as is fitting in a Tina Turner tribute, danced with high intensity.  I think I liked it more than all my companions and my daughter commented that one of the male singers looked like the Italian version of the Tiger King (that is an image that stays with you!) but I look forward to the next show. 

OVERALL impression thus far – Divina is a very nice ship, great crew in the buffet and cabin stewards but awful guest services and “cruise consultants”.  Pre-cruise customer service is horrendous and frustrating.  Let’s see how it goes from here.   There were approximately 1,200 passengers with a max capacity of 4,345 so there was plenty of room and there were about 1,200 crew so it was almost 1 to 1 passenger to crew.

DAY 2 – October 1, Friday, Nassau

We were scheduled to dock in Nassau about noon.  So we slept late and had a big breakfast.  None of our group was really interested in going ashore in Nassau as we have been there many times.  I could not get the room cool enough to sleep comfortably (I like a very cold room).  On other lines, I have been able to request a fan to use but I went to guest services this morning was told that they do not have fans as the woman looked at me as if I had asked where the best location was for skinning a baby.  Once again, MSC Customer Service shines.   In contract, everyone in the buffet was excited and friendly and hard at work.  They had about everything available for breakfast, including grits!  They were not great grits but we joked that few people say “Let’s go to Italy and get some great grits” so edible is about the most you can expect.  A quick example of how helpful and friendly the crew was.  My daughter got a bagel and asked the guy toasting them where the cream cheese was located.  He said “over there” but did not give any indication of where “over there” was so she asked if he could point.  He smiled and just said, you wait here and I will get it and disappeared.  Another crew member took his place toasting things.  Another woman asked where the cream cheese was and he smiled and said, just wait here and I will get it and disappeared.  A third crew member filled the spot.  First crewmember returned with a huge slab of cream cheese and gave it to my daughter with a  big grin.  The point is that they seemed to relish a chance to be of service and would quickly dash off to get things if they thought you wanted something while other crew were always nearby to fill in any gaps.  We happened to be in the buffet while they were switching from breakfast to lunch and it was like watching a fine ballet or an aircraft carrier launching and recovering air craft. Everyone was dashing about know exactly what they needed to do and getting it done while also watching to see if someone else needed help. Impressive.

They are working on the dock in Nassau and there were other ships parked there so we were the third ship out.  It was a good distance from the ship to shore and since we had all been to Nassau before, we stayed on the ship to just relax.   Plenty of pools and space to relax but one common complaint/observation was that there were no lounge chairs in shady areas.  You either had a lounge chair in the sun or regular chairs in the shade so my girls wanted to layout in the shade on deck, read and maybe nap.  The crew would not allow you move the lounge chairs.  I wanted to be sure to mention Norbert Luis Mirasol who was an incredibly friendly and attentive bartender that helped make the day special. 

Prior to dinner that night, our travel companions had spoken with Anabella in the dining room about our horrible experience the night before.  She was extremely apologetic and moved us to a different table and section.  That night (and the following night) we had Allan and Mustafa, supervised by Sheryl, and it was a world of difference.  Allan and Mustafa were very attentive and things arrived promptly and just as we had ordered.  Sheryl is from Indonesia and one of our travel companions had a best friend growing up who was from Indonesia so they had common ground.  Sheryl even had the kitchen prepare a plate of Adobo Chicken (probably misspelling it).   As bad as the first night was, the second and third nights were to the opposite extreme.  Thank you Anabella, Sheryl, Allan and Mustafa!

We thought this was going to be “formal” night but there was no mention in any of the daily activity things or online.  Of course, there were people in T-shirts and jeans in the MDR even though that was clearly stated as not allowed and earlier there had been plenty of children in the adult areas and pools.  People cannot read and understand rules apparently.

The show that night was “Autumn in Paris” and included singing, dancing, juggling and acrobatics.  It was just okay in my opinion but the rest of our party loved it so it is a good example that not everyone is going to like the same things. 

DAY 3 – October 2, Saturday, Ocean Cay

Ocean Cay is quite beautiful.  There is construction going on because apparently MSC leased it from the government and is trying to completely transform the island.  The palm trees are still mostly braced but it is obvious that a lot is going on and I am excited to see the final result because the interim result is still pretty great.  We got off the ship and got a 6 person tram driven by Jaliyah, who is a beautiful woman from Nassau.  She was so very happy and friendly, full of smiles, with an attitude that makes everyone around her happy.  As we started, my wife asked if she would take us on a tour of the island and she said that she was not supposed to but, sure.  If any MSC folk read this, it was NOT Jaliyah, it was a huge bearded man named Horst from Norway so please ignore any mention of Jaliyah.   Jaliyah showed us the various beaches, stopped at a few locations for us to get pictures of the scenery and helped pick a great beach spot.  She told us about living on the island and showed us where they stay.  She was incredible. 

The others in my party stayed on the beach and had a great time in the sun, sand and water.  Their biggest complaint that was the waiters kept just going to a noisy group of college kids and ignored our group and others.  Also, another group of 20 something year olds were blasting club music that was very annoying.  People need to consider other people so that everyone can have fun.  Other than that the water was great and the breeze kept everyone cool. 

Meanwhile, I went to the outdoor cookout buffet where they had a nice assortment.  Hamburgers, hot dogs, jerk chicken, BBQ ribs, fish and all the sides.  The honey glazed plantains were really great and so were the chocolate chip cookies.  I waited with others for the tram back to the ship and saw how different Jaileah was with the next tram driver.  He was an older man and quite grumpy.  Several times he stopped the tram to tell pedestrians to stop walking on the cart path.  They were out of the way and it seemed he went out of his way to berate them.  I did not get or want his name.

That night for dinner, it was Italian night.  The Chicken Parm was my favorite although I also got the lasagna and the veal ossobuco.   Everyone commented it was the best food of the trip.  Sheryl, Allan and Mustafa took great care of us.  The show was “Extreme” with a sports theme.  There was some singing and dancing along with acrobats, basketball tricks.  Although several of our group chose to pack, those who went to the show really enjoyed it. 

In my cabin when I got back was a message from the “cruise consultant”.  She had checked on the status of my “status match” requests and they have no record of receiving everything.  Guess the several times I submitted it, sent follow up e-mails, called customer service to wait through the long hold times did not really happen.  I guess now I know what happens to the people deemed unfit for working for the cable company’s customer service – they go to MSC. 

DAY 4 – Disembarking

All of us planned to carry our luggage off.  We met as planned at 8:00 AM and despite crew giving very conflicting and confusing instructions (such as telling people to go to the left while someone over there was telling people to go to the right), we eventually got off the ship and re-entry into the US was incredibly smooth and simple.  You just smile for a camera and it clears you.  No forms, no need to show your passport, simple.  I really like the new process. 

The Cruisetime shuttle was waiting where it dropped us off (and of course I initially headed in the wrong direction) and got us back to the facility.  We had a dead battery but the folks at Cruisetime had jumper cables so we were back in action.   I will use Cruisetime again. 

OVERALL – We all had an okay time.  The ship was beautiful and the cabin was very good.  The food was average although there was a large selection and the pizza was very good.  Crew in the buffet area was outstanding but the customer service crew was very bad.  Entertainment was good to very good.  Cost of beverage plan, individual drinks, internet, etc was extremely high in my opinion.  The general consensus of our group was that the customer service crew (onboard and land based) especially needs a lot of training needs to learn to not behave like snotty Europeans toward Americans.  We might consider cruising MSC again if it was an exceptional promotion or deal but otherwise none of us wanted to return to MSC. 

Some of our group were among the many waiting in line at guest services and I wished they had just mentioned it to me.  I decided then and there that maybe a post with info would help spare others the line.  

I am beginning to think status match is now a scam.  I applied in July when I booked my cruise.  Sent follow up e-mails which never got a response.  Called Customer Service and waited on hold several times to be told that the customer service rep cannot accept anything dealing with MSC Voyager Club and there is no phone number.  Cruise was last week (Sept 30-Oct 3) and last rep I talked with suggested I try to talk to a rep on board the ship since I could not get any results elsewhere.  Waited onboard and talked to the "cruise consultant" who said that she would send an e-mail about it.  I tried to get her to understand that since I was ON the cruise that waiting on an e-mail response would serve no purpose since by the time they responded, I would be OFF the cruise and no longer receive any of the perks I ought to get.  She had zero sympathy or concern.  Last night of the cruise I had a note from her saying that they had no record of my submission (submitted it several times), e-mails, etc.  

If you wonder where people who cannot cut it as cable customer reps go, I think it is to MSC "customer service"

We noticed a lot of people standing in line at guest services because "the electrical power in the cabin was not working".  I could not properly put the post with the pictures so I have linked a document to help you.  The power in your cabin IS probably working but you have to insert a card into a slot on the wall.  Also, I have a picture of what the power outlet in your cabin looks like and voltage information.  Note that if  you use a CPAP machine or other device that is on your bedside, the power outlet is normally across the cabin from your bedside table so you will need an extension cord. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GX0cj8QfdH6ScRgPgH5QlYYmLG3vPbUW/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108970385543689336339&rtpof=true&sd=true

14 hours ago, kidless said:

Has Majahual changed? We heard it was nice and considered it for our November cruise. 

When we first went there, it was a lot of quaint mud huts, dirt roads, etc.  Really rural.  We have been back as later cruise ports stopped at Costa Maya and each time it had progressed.  Last time we were there about 5 years ago, it had paved streets and almost all shops were now touristy with lots of bars.  We used to really enjoy taking school supplies to the little school there but has grown now (and CC board frowns on discussing taking supplies now) but it is still a nice place to visit.  We would sometimes take a taxi but the most entertaining way to get there was to rent a golf cart at the port and it is a short drive.  In the Costa Maya part, it is clean and well developed and run by the cruise industry/Mexican govt or such.  At Majahual, it felt much more like you were support really local businesses.  

We have been on many other Carnival ships but in December will be out first trip on the Elation.  Looks like she is an older ship and smaller than we are used to so I would love some tips about things people remember about it.  Also if anyone goes on one in the couple of months, love to have a recent Post-Quarantine update on if anything on Elation has changed.  

On 9/18/2021 at 5:20 PM, Carnac767 said:

We've used Premier Cruise Parking in Miami for several cruises.  They charge $6.95 a day, have a covered parking garage, and shuttle right to baggage drop-off.  Always had great service with them, and it's much cheaper than parking at the port.  Don't confuse them with Premiere Parking, which has horrible reviews.

Check out Premiere Cruise Parking here:  https://premiercruiseparking.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnJaKBhDgARIsAHmvz6cEr8xHKp3UKd5rhGQKo1w1b9NJgvEZQniLGLr98mXA7HeLw6QascsaAnxqEALw_wcB

I am getting an error message for that link and when I tried a search for Premier Cruise Parking, the site that came up had an error.  Finally I got to one that quoted a price of $9.50 and I am concerned it the wrong one.  Would you take a look and see if the one you mentioned is open and operating?

Thank you. 

I really enjoyed Maureen's review, pictures and everything.  We leave Thurs on the Divina and this helped me alleviate a lot of concern about my first MSC cruise.  I join the chorus of happy birthdays and just want to again extend my thanks.  

Tomorrow I have to be tested for COVID prior to the cruise and although I have no reason to be worried (handrail licking aside) it is so scary to think that I may suddenly not be able to go.  Anyone else have that unreasonable fear before a simple test?  Been tested before so not worried about the test, I just do not want to miss getting to go on another cruise!