kseattle

Thanks. My parents are on board so I am curious and following!

Uber is available at the airport, and there is a designated area for getting picked up that is right outside the terminal building.  We paid $47 (USD) for the largest size, which was a large van that easily fit 4 of us and a dozen pieces of luggage. We took it to our hotel next to Circular Quay. There is also a train that runs between the airport and CQ. 

Manly Wine

8-13 South Steyne, Manly, New South Wales 2095 Australia

Also interested in this topic.  I’ve heard great things from my cousin about Manly Wine (it’s a restaurant) in Manly Beach, so we will take the ferry over and spend some time there. She also said the ferry to Manly Beach is basically a Harbor Cruise, so don’t waste money booking one of those separately. 🙂

If you don’t want to rely on free WiFi hot spots for using your mobile apps, you could look into getting an International Day Pass from your US carrier for that first day. Last I used it, At&t charged $10 per day for that feature. I actually switched carriers to T-Mobile before my last international trip because international data roamIng and texting is included for free with most of their plans. Saved a lot of money and hassle, and the monthly charge was lower than AT&T’s, with more things included. 

Did anyone in this cruise do the sommelier selection of wines -- 10 of 15 bottles prepaid? I'm curious what the wine selections were as compared with the house bottled wines. Thanks!

We didn't know about the themed nights before boarded. The third night, it was suggested that people dress in green, white, and red to celebrate Italy. It was carried out in the dining room, with the evening's show, "Simply Italian," and a team game, MSC's Little Italy, was dedicated to Italian music, dance and folklore and held in the Black and White lounge. The fourth night, it was suggested that people dress as you would have in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. This was for the Flower Glory Party that was also held in the Black and White Lounge. "Fancy a trip back to the 60's, 70's, and 80's? Join us and be sure to wear some flowers in your hair! Step back in time to the 60's and 70's by wearing your finest floral garments! The suggested dress for the fifth night was casual white. There was a White Party held at the Aqua Park on deck 14. Of course, Gala Formal Nights were held on second and sixth nights while the first and last night's dress was casual.

 

My husband and I have cruised many times on various cruise lines including the MSC Poesia. I will have to say that the entertainment team on the MSC Divina was the best that I have ever witnessed over all my times of cruising. These young men and ladies did everything that they could to get everyone involved in the activities.

Thanks for posting this info about the theme nights. We sail in a few weeks, so I will keep this in mind while packing!