JT1962

I booked some great solo rates (0 - 20% solo supplement) with free balcony upgrades in 2022 for sailings in 2022 & 2023. Those promotions no longer exist and solo supplements are 50 - 80%. MSC is still cheaper than other lines in most cases, but not the bargain it was just a few months ago. As far as the “Free Drinks & Wifi”, I’m not sure how they get away with that promotion, since it obviously isn’t free when you compare it to the cruise only pricing. They should change the wording to “Wifi & Drinks Value Package”, since it is cheaper than adding those items to the cruise only fare.

Reservations were required for most of the main theater shows on the Seascape in May. You could reserve on the MSC for Me app or at the touchscreens near the elevators. There was a standby line for those that did not make reservations.

you can book airport transfers by calling customer service. You can also book transfers at the end of the Krews after you board the ship.

I believe NCL uses Seward as their port for Anchorage. Seward is 120 miles (2 1/2 - 3 hours) South of Anchorage, so most recommend booking a 4:00 PM or later flight. Many return flights are overnight from Anchorage and leave at 10:00 PM or later, from my experience. There are several options for transfers - cruise line bus, private shuttles or my favorite, the Alaska Railroad.

I haven’t seen them checking for food in Costa Maya. They do have dogs checking bags at the end of the pier in Cozumel, if your cruise stops there.

I used Dr Dive in October and had a great experience. I booked directly with them after arriving and was only charged $ 20 USD (online was $ 40). My ship was the only one in port and I was solo, so they added me with a family of 4 that had already booked. You may want to book in advance if there are more than 2 of you or more than 1 ship in port scheduled that day (check here https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/costa-maya-port-455 )

Costa Maya has some great options: Maya Chan, if you want an all-inclusive beach day: https://www.costamayabeachresort.com/ Several pay-as-you-go options along the beach in Mahahual, with Krazy Lobster being a favorite. Mayan Ruins and Bacalar Lagoon Tours through Native Choice Tours: https://www.thenativechoice.com/

We docked at Punta Longosta downtown on my 4 MSC cruises that stopped in Cozumel - Meraviglia, Divina and Seascape.

This was my experience onboard the Divina T/A to Barcelona. I prepaid the 20 pieces (prior to the price increase). Guest Serviced said to complete the form in the cabin, put the items in the bag and place the form & bag on the bed. I did note on the form that I had the prepaid package. The items were returned within 48 hours, clean, pressed & on hangars or folded, as requested. There was no damage or issues with any items. I will use the service again on my fall T/A, but will wait until I get onboard to purchase the special offer.

I was recently on the Seascape and the Divina and they never asked for the health questionnaire. I had it completed and asked if they needed it and they said no.

I was on the Seascape May 7 and had 2 washcloths provided each day.

Same thing happened to me for my May 8 Seascape sailing. I had been paid in full for 2 months, had my T/A ask MSC about the cost to add someone to the cabin (not actually add anyone). The next day the website showed I owed over $ 500. The T/A was told they repriced it to the current rate since I “changed” my booking by just asking how much to add someone to my cabin. It took 3 weeks and multiple emails, but the T/A finally got MSC to reverse the additional charge and show it as paid in full. It seems anytime someone at MSC opens or looks at a reservation for any reason, their system re-prices it to the current rate. My T/A said she was done with MSC and would never book a cruise with them for anyone going forward. She said there are issues every time she has booked MSC for someone.

I would book whichever is more important to you. Booking onboard didn’t seem to get me much, other than an extra $ 25 OBC. They matched me to Diamond for Hilton Honors status, so extra points wasn’t really worth anything in my case.

Prices last year were better than this year. I am on the Seascape now and booked this sailing last year solo for $ 649, including taxes / port charges, with $ 200 OBC and a free balcony upgrade.

I believe that is the sale from 2022. I hope they have the same offers this year, but it is doubtful based on the current occupancy of most ships. They may offer more on the Meraviglia, since they offered special promotions just for it after the move to New York.

I no longer have the information with the exact cost, but I think it was $ 200 or less. The car and admission to Kroschel for 2 was about the same as the ship excursion price to Kroschel for just one person.

Never rely on a wake up call or information from any hotel / cruise line. Always set your own alarm and be up early.

I don’t think you can book the 17 yo in a cabin alone. You would need to book him in a cabin with one of the parents and the other parent in a cabin solo. Once you get on the ship, it won’t matter who stays in each cabin. You may need to do some coordination with the key cards so everyone has access to the cabin where they are actually staying. The best option is probably to book mother & son in one cabin and father solo. The father and son can swap key cards, that way the son has access to the solo cabin and the father has access to the cabin with mom.

The Divina has not been upgraded to a “smart” ship yet to work with the app.

MSC has the worst website / IT / Customer Service in the cruise industry. Problems such as yours are common. Sometimes calling them can actually end up making things worse. If you were able to check in, I would try again in a week or so and see if the issue is resolved.

At the machines, you can add money to the machine by charging it to your room card. You can then cash out whenever you want to, take the printed receipt from the machine to the cashier and cash it in for cash. The money charged to your room card will be charged to the credit card you registered at one of the onboard kiosk at the end of the cruise ( less any onboard credit not used). I’m not sure if there is a limit they will allow you to add to the machines using your card, but I’m sure there is one. Assuming it is $ 1,000, that would get you $ 10 back on your credit card, but you would have $ 1,000 in cash to have to safely get back home with. Probably not an issue, but carrying cash does have some risk.

We rented a car and went to the Chilkat and Chilkoot Lake State Parks, went to the Kroschel Wildlife Center, drove part of the Haines Highway and had lunch at 33 Mile Roadhouse.

This issue could affect the time in port for larger ships using the Railroad Dock. If you are on a ship that uses the Broadway or Ore dock, your schedule shouldn’t be affected. https://khns.org/rock-throws-wrench-into-cruise-ship-docking-schedule

This situation could affect the time in port for larger ships using the Railroad Dock: https://khns.org/rock-throws-wrench-into-cruise-ship-docking-schedule

The situation in Skagway is still unknown at this point. Based on this article, some larger ships could now see a shorter day in Skagway with one ship using the Railroad Dock in the morning and another large ship using it in the afternoon. https://khns.org/rock-throws-wrench-into-cruise-ship-docking-schedule