CptFatguts

Hi Guys, 

Bruce and Tania from Brisbane, Australia. 

First cruise with MSC. 

Booked Infinite View Aurea on Deck 14.

Cruise is part of our third European adventure. We arrive FCO 29 Nov, spending 3N Firenze and 2N Napoli prior to cruise. 

After the cruise we are heading to Tania's Birthday back in Prague via Zermatt, The Glacier Express and Ceske Krumlov. 

After the 18th we head to Copenhagen, night train to Kiruna, Sweden for a white Xmas. We then fly back to Stockholm followed by ferry to Helsinki for NYE in Tallinn. We finish travelling through the Baltics to Riga and Vilnius. 

45 days after leaving Brisbane we return via Paris and South Korea. 

On 11/11/2021 at 7:00 AM, LeCommandant said:

I booked the 7 days cruise from Jeddah. Departure at the end of the month. 

I will answer all your questions 😉 I will be in Yacht Club. 

My wife and I are disembarking from the Splendida (ex Genoa) in November and I am currently sorting out flights to DXB. 

Could you please indicate the time taken for departure and customs clearance? 

I am contemplating a 10:30 flight ex JED. 

Did MSC arrange any visas on board or was it up to pax to prearrange? We are visiting Aqaba, Safaga, Yanbu and Jeddah overnight. 

Thanks in advance. 

Bruce and Tania

Did you disembark at Jeddah? 

My wife and I are disembarking from the Splendida in November and I am currently sorting out flights to DXB. 

Could you please indicate the time taken for departure and customs clearance? 

I am contemplating a 10:30 flight ex JED. 

Did MSC arrange any visas on board or was it up to pax to prearrange? 

Thanks in advance. 

Bruce and Tania

Living on the west coast of the U.S., we go to Hawaii every year. We cruised it once with NCL. it was honestly the worst cruise ever taken. We have also been to the Caribbean enough times to hit most of the main islands.

 

IMHO Hawaii is someplace you should visit at least once. I also agree with Lazz that you should try to stay on one of the islands for a few days. We also love Maui, but enjoy Kauai and Oahu too. (We're not big on the island of Hawaii, but have enjoyed several trips there.).

 

If you do decide on the Hawaii cruise, may I suggest the Ultimate Guide books. There is one for each island. They are updated regularly. With those in hand you can easily rent a car and see what you want.

 

Aloha, judy

About time you guys came over to cruise Australia, you can borrow a car too.

Love

Bruce and Tania

Have to agree that side of ship doesn't matter.

Sailing at the start of Typhoon season, particularly cruising soutwards, you may end up with more sea than have bargained on.

We sailed on the Diamond last Sept/Oct and were affected by 3 typhoons, we rode out a typhoon by staying 2 extra days in Aomori, arriving back in Yokohama 2 days late.

That being said, she rides out force 11 gales and 6 metre seas with eases

;)

We have had several upgrades within cabin category over the years with P&O Australia ie lowest grade inside to several grades higher. Our last cruise 2 weeks ago we were upgraded from outside fully obstructed to deck 9 forward unobstructed (an additional brochure cost of 250 AUD pp). I find that selecting a gauranteed cabin increases your upgrade chances.

Our best upgrade was on HAL Oosterdam this January. We selected a gauranteed Vista suite at $300 AUD cheaper than a selected bottom grade vista suite. 3 weeks out we were upgraded to a top grade midship vista suite, we were very impressed.

1 week before sailing we were upgraded again...... Full Neptune Suite including entry to the Neptune lounge, we were elated! But it got better, upon inspecting the deck plan, we discovered that our suite was a sunset wrap around suite, 400 sq feet + 320 sq feet of balcony. Our balcony had a table for 4, 2 sun lounges and 2 armchairs with Ottomans and side tables, the remain 2/3 of the balcony was open space. We were very happy!:D

By Australian based, I assume Theid is referring to those using AUD as onboard currency? P&O Australia, some Princess ships and Carnival Spirit. RCI, Celebrity, P&O, NCL, HAL, etc whilst having a season in Australia are not Australian based and utilize USD or GNP as onboard currency. Whilst I admit that tipping is a rare event for me in Oz, when overseas or onboard ships where tipping is the convention, I tip (when in Rome).

I love rewarding those on low wages who give great service, it makes ME feel happy (and is very beneficial to me when tipping bar staff). Respect conventions and follow your own heart.

I started reading this last night. Having never cruised but my mum who is a big cruiser has said lots about tipping.

 

Having never worked on a cruise liner I have no idea on conditions or wages only of what people claim.

 

I worked out for our up coming 7 night cruise with a family of 8, but only 3 of us over the age of 13 for tipping requirements on auto tipping lol is $180.00. ($7.50 x 3ppl x 8 days if that is correct) If I had to pay that for all of us I would either drop the price or only do it for my husband and myself. ($7.70 x 8ppl x 8 days $450.00) now that's a lot of shopping money lol.

 

That lesser amount is certainly affordable even for my husband and I and our 6 kids. And we are only average Aussie earners with a mortgage. I'd be inclined to also tip those I feel have made my families trip that extra special.

 

Regardless of cruise liner workes wages, home conditions, work conditions, no one should feel pressured or bullied into tipping. Everyone has their own personal reason why they do or don't tip, and should not be frowned upon either

way.

 

Thank you everyone for you comments was a good interesting read :)

OnP&O I always tip my chief waiter $50 on the first night, service improves. Assistant waiter $20. Cabinsteward I am non committal here, try $10 day one and tip at the end if impressed. Drinks...try adding $5 tip to an order in a bar that you intend to frequent, intersperse tips of $1 and $2 thereafter, service increases, generosity of drink quantity improves and often drink prices drop. On my last cruise drink tips totaled only USD66, but singles became triples, drink prices dropped and standard spirits were substituted with top shelf.

What a load of bs. We have done the Cherry Blossom cruise and we're nowhere near 70. There were a lot of younger people on that cruise. What a generalisation. Where is your proof that bar staff on P&O & Princess hate cruises from Oz over two weeks? It has not been my experience (in over 25 cruises). We always enjoy the company of older Australians when we meet them - they really know how to enjoy themselves.

Throw your line in, the fish are biting!

:p

Yes I know it is a generalisation but bar staff have told me on p&o and rci personally that their daily income reduces on longer cruises. I would imagine that pensioner Westies would tuck it away though. (:eek:)

Any cruise over 14 days has the potential to be a floating RSL. A higher quality ship can at least deter the octagenarians on oxygen. Bar staff on P&O / Princess et al hate cruises from Is over 2 weeks, they know their wages will be minimal ( all drinks include 15% gratuity). My folks did the 42 night Cherry Blossom cruise a few years back (they were in their early 70s) and were amongst the younger crowd.

Math and spelling are not your strong suit...

From your post:

Salary is approximately $2,000-$2,500 US per month with all expenses paid for including food and accommodation.

Salary is paid fortnightly and is $800 (USD) basic plus tips.

Basic salary = $800 x 2 = $1600 per month PLUS tips

Advertised approx. salary = $2000-$2500

Therefore using the wizardry of mathematics

Tips per month are approx. $400 - $900

Given that the same job advertisement stated 4 months on 2 months off

Annual Salary without tips = $12,800 (8 x $1600)

With tips = $16,000 - $20,000

Hmmm me thinks Australian Jobs are pretty safe and these guys are giving you a very inexpensive vacation.