JT1962

Many have reported similar issues. Just call MSC and they should be able to email it to you. I was able to get the cruise ticket email for my May 15 Divina cruise two weeks ago, but my May 7 Seascape cruise said I need my TA to print it within 20 days. Both were booked by the same TA. My TA called and they told her they would have to send it to me no sooner than 20 days prior and neither she nor I could print it. Another example of the inconsistency and disaster of the the MSC website.

Maybe not enough bookings to be profitable? Airfare to Barbados / Martinique from the US was very expensive when I checked on a couple of sailings from those ports. Airfare from Europe or South America to Orlando or Miami / Ft Lauderdale may be cheaper than Barbados / Martinique as well. I wish they would homeport a ship in San Juan. Airfare is more reasonable and they could still sail most of the same itineraries as from Barbados / Martinique.

I would book online myself. The only thing by switching rooms is you will need to pack all of your stuff before leaving the ship to go through customs. They are supposed to move it to your new cabin, but it’s not a guarantee that they will. If possible, I would suggest just moving your own things the last day of the first cruise, if you can coordinate with the cabin stewards.

There is no rhyme or reason as to pricing / availability on B2B vs single combined cruise on MSC. Sometimes it is cheaper to book them separately and sometimes it is cheaper to book as one sailing. I booked a 7+12 day sailing as one 19 day sailing in October just for convenience. I probably will book them as B2B in the future, unless there is a substantial price difference. When booking as one cruise, I did not receive upgrade bidding offers and did not automatically get double Voyagers Club amenities. I did ask at Guest Services the 2nd portion and they added the Voyagers benefits to that portion, but I had to request it. You will still have to get off the ship and go through immigration whether you book the 4+6, or the 10 day as one cruise. Those sailing on the following cruise will be asked to meet at a particular location at a certain time, then, be taken off the ship to go through immigration, then wait in a separate location from new passengers, until the ship is cleared, then they will be the first to re-board.

I would leave it alone until I got on board. Calling MSC risks them messing it up and / or sending you a bill for the current rate, if higher, since they would consider it a cruise change.

I’ve been on the Divina 3 times since October - Two 7 night and One 12 night. Both 7 nights had 2 Gala Nights, a White Night & Flower Power (60s/70s) night.

You will likely pay the current price and get only the current promotion. From my experience, I would not contact them or attempt to make any changes. Anytime they have touched my reservation, it has cost me money and a lot of phone calls from my travel agent to get it corrected.

The best option is probably to go to the dining room once on board and see the maître d’ at the dining rooms assigned and see if they can seat everyone together. If you call, you are likely to get a different answer from each person you talk to and those on the ship who need to make this happen may still never be notified.

In addition to the cruise ticket, health questionnaire and luggage tags, I also print the itinerary (for my benefit) and any pages with pre-purchased items such as excursions, internet, dining packages, etc., just in case they are not aware of those items. It’s usually not an issue, but could help, if needed.

Not your imagination. They still have solo rates, just not available on every sailing. I did 4 solo sailings in the past year and the additional supplement was from 0% (Jan 2022) to 20% (Jan 2023). From the main webpage (at least on a iPhone), click the Menu option, then Best Cruise Deals, then Solo Rates. The current solo promotion says it ends for sailings in May 2023, but I am still seeing some great solo rates after that. The longer sailings and those 6 months or more out seem to have the best deals.

I have been on 4 MSC cruises solo in the past year, and all have been great. There were a LOT of solo passengers on board, I was seated at tables in the dining room with other solos, there was a hosted solo cruiser party and scheduled unhosted solo meetings daily. The main issue is their website and customer service are horrible. If you are able to easily book what you want, and leave the booking alone, you should be fine. Otherwise, you will probably be frustrated and another line would be a better option.

I would either call MSC and try to book or get a travel agent who is willing to work with MSC (not always easy to find, lol). I have never found a way to book solo on the website, even when willing to pay double, if there are no solo rates available.

MSC does limit the number of solo bookings allowed. The website also seems to put the cabin you choose during a mock booking on hold for a certain amount time, so you may try again the next day to see if lets you book. I learned this while trying to book 2 solo cabins with a friend a few weeks ago. We were online at the same time booking solo Bella cabins. We both got to the payment screen and it let me enter my payment information, but when my friend tried to enter payment information, a screen came up that said “No cabins available for this rate”. I believe I had locked the last solo cabin because my friend started over and it would not give a solo rate. Luckily I had not hit submit for the payment, since it was inside of the final payment date.

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I’m guessing it has to do with the number of people in the room. They may no longer have any Bella rooms that will hold four people, so they are giving you the Fantastica option on that cabin for free. There is no rhyme or reason to the pricing on the MSC website. And if you call them, you will probably get multiple conflicting answers as to the difference.

The prior sailing did visit Colombia per the itinerary. Those sailings seem to always be delayed 2-3 hours clearing the ship due to closer customs checks. It’s probably best to wait until after 2:00 pm to arrive at the pier if the prior cruise visited Colombia.

Is your cruise from the US? I have been on a total of 4 MSC cruises from the US in the past year and was always seated at tables where some had the drink package and some did not. It was never an issue or even mentioned. I can’t imagine why the drink package would ever be a consideration on excursions.

I’ve learned to never be surprised with anything with MSC, lol.

Glad you received fast service. It isn’t always that way with MSC. I received a Diamond match to Hilton Honors Diamond last year. Others have reported being matched to Gold on MSC. It seems to be luck of the draw as to who processes the request for the match.

Glad you enjoyed it. I was on the Meraviglia in January of last year and have been on the Divina 3 times for a total of 26 days since October, and had a great experience each time. I also don’t get the negative reviews about the food. In 33 days of sailing on MSC in the past year, I only had one item I did not care for - coconut tapioca pudding one night at dinner. I never experienced the same few items over and over in the dining room or at the buffet that many complain about. The breakfast items were generally the same every morning at the buffet, but there were well over 50 different items available. I can’t imagine what else anyone would want for breakfast that was not available. I think many just go to the same one or two stations in the buffet every time and don’t realize there are other options if they just went further towards the back. I have come to the conclusion that many that complain about MSC are expecting a clone of Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL, etc. MSC has some differences for sure, but it’s not horrible as many report. And they currently have the best solo rates available.

Interesting itinerary over newer ship every time.

It’s usually best to book resort pass excursions independently from the cruise and directly with the hotel / resort, when possible. Those booked through the ship tend to be overcrowded, have restrictions once you get to the resort and have a shorter time at the resort than you could do on your own.

I purchased the annual medical travel insurance at the link below. It was only $ 156 for me and provides the coverage MSC needs: https://www.geobluetravelinsurance.com/mobile/trekker-essential-multi-trip.cfm#planInfo

One of the many differences between MSC and other lines is they do not adjust pricing after you book. You must cancel and rebook at the current rate. I tried to add someone to my solo booking and they told me it would be 3 times the rate I booked since it would be a cancellation and I would need to book 2 at the current rate, plus lose the $ 200 OBC from the original booking. It’s frustrating, but cruising is one of the few industries I am aware of that will lower the price after you book if there is a price drop. Most airlines, hotels, rental car agencies, retail stores, car dealers, etc. don’t adjust your price lower if it drops after you reserve / purchase. I’m actually surprised the other cruise lines still do it. If every passenger did this, the other cruise lines would probably stop the practice.

Glad you did well. What specific game did you play on video poker (Deuces Wild, etc)? I only found 6 machines, all together. Did you find others? Thanks.