voyager89

They don't even offer transportation to MIA, let alone FLL. I also suggest uber or lyft. Cheaper and much faster than any shuttle.

I wish someone would post some pictures of the "small" evening buffet. A picture is worth a thousand words...

 

 

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Here is a video of the Biscayne Bay Buffet. It actually looks pretty decent, I thought it would be much smaller.

Sorry to correct you, but first class is YC, second class is Aurea, third class is Fantastica and that means that Bella is fourth class. If you're going to sail on a European influenced cruise line, you need to know your place. And make sure that you have extra coinage if you wish to indulge in the zip line. :rolleyes:

Oh that's right, imagine if they didn't remove wellness, us in Bella would be fifth class! Titanic could never 😂

Still trying to look at the bright side, it's a vacation regardless... but seriously thinking of buying the specialty trio diner. I'm Mexican, I can only do burgers and pizza for dinner for a night or two :( having eggs, bacon and sausage every single day for breakfast on every ship I've been on is already too much for me.

Someone on FB is on board this week and posted the dining schedule. They're not using the Marketplace for MDR overflow but it's STILL closed after 3pm and dinner is at the Biscayne Bay on deck 16. Apparently only 4000 passengers this week as opposed to 5000 last week. Still 3 seatings in one of the MDR's.

 

Waiting for the MSC apologists to explain this.

Wow, so what's left to eat past 3 that isn't specialty and MDR?

Just when you thought we third class Bella passengers got good news, LOL.

We have Bella, first MSC cruise and he no idea they had "experiences" within each cabin category as we booked on an online travel website. So no real TA to deal with. When I got the confirmation it said "Inside Bella" and I was like what is this? That's when I figured it out. Couldn't make any changes even if I wanted to but I was like meh that's ok. We didn't want to fork in a lot of money on a new cruise line we may or may not like. At the end of the day, I guess "Bella" is the same we get on RC or NCL, no perks with the room, but vía your loyalty status or paying for them.

But now the fact that we might dine at the buffet is a bit disappointing. Again, I didn't know now this was a possibility until probably a week ago. That "fine print" isn't on the Mexico MSC website. However it is on the app, which I had to download to double check on my booking as I still have no e-docs (sailing in 20 days).

Usually I wouldn't care to dine with full restaurant service at a non MDR, BUT given that buffet and MDR are the only complimentary options, it is somewhat disappointing. So if we as Bella are assigned to dine at the buffet that will be the only venue I will ever see as I refuse to pay specialty. Never have on any ship, and never will. I'm not greedy or cheap, but as I mentioned on another thread, my money becomes nothing when switching MXP to USD. If I will pay 50 dlls for diner I will pay that in Miami, not in a ship where meals come included with the cruise fare paid. It's a disgrace that there are no other complimentary options like other cruise lines.

I hope I will really love MSC or I will always regret giving it a try, and will go back to NCL.

Lines try things like this every so often. It amazes me at the amount of anger that is geared toward them. I really can,t complain especially for the price we pad in Yacht Club would be well over double in the haven. There is your $10 zip line charge!! I love coming to this site, but the amount of negativity is amazing. If you are frustrated with MSC take your money elsewhere.

It isn't that easy for some of us to just take my money and go elsewhere when in our case, we are sailing in 20 days.

This is our first MSC cruise and while I'm still excited, it's been a bit disappointing to see all these things change and specially when we find them out from fellow cruisers and not The cruise line itself. The website sucks, agents on the phone or even Facebook messenger are terrible, I still can't get my edocs, etc. Having sailed RC's Oasis and Allure there is a lot to do and a lot to eat for free. On the Seaside basically if I don't want to pay anything extra I should just sit by the pool and eat buffet / MDR. By the time we sail they will be charging for the slides!

And talking about price, while it was not expensive, it was not exactly a bargain. It was just a little under other cruises we have done with NCL or RC, but if you Add up the fact that with them you can do slides, rock climbing, skating, flow rider etc AND eat at different venues without having to pay specialty, the MSC cruise ends up being more money. Probably not upfront with the cruise fare, but with The add ons during the week.

I don't consider myself a negative person but then again this was a bit of a bummer. I live in Mexico so it is specially hard for me to afford this vacations. Right now my entire check for a month will switch to 600 dollars, go figure. We like to spend and all, but are ver conscious where we do it. 50 dlls for the week long zip line may not be a lot for some of you but it is for us. That could well be a shore excursion.

Sorry for the long post.

Does it really make a difference who the captain is? It's a genuine question.

Uber. Cheaper and faster than having to wait for other passengers to get on, load luggage etc. And its pretty cheap. Get an XL as you all might not fit with luggage on an X.

First cruise with MSC here, also got the Bella experience. Dinning service at the buffet will be different to say the least, but I would actually love to have dinner on the outside seating if possible. If not, meh, I don´t care. Still a vacation and will make the most of it :)

I believe you have the Cheers package, if you do, anything that is not wine, mineral water, draft beer, sodas and fruit juices durin lunch and dinner, they will charge you a la carte price.

Drink vouchers are unfortunately long gone and cannot be purchased anymore.

As a hobby of mine I am an outside travel agent. This alllows me to try different lines and recommend them to friend and family. I have traveled most domestic mainstream cruise lines what I have found seems to be a lot of parody. Of course each line excels in certain areas. I have been intrigued to try msc back when the Poesia was based in ftl. Never did I see a real fit for my family until they announced plans for the seaside. Sure I am one of the pax that booked a grand suite back in December thinking it was a 2 bedroom, and if I needed the room I would certainly be very disappointed. Msc obviously seems very willing to invest in there ships and seems determined to make a huge mark in the us but clearly they have some areas of opportunity. My point in this, I have noticed based off of just 1 or 2 reviews on cruiscritc that people are willing to cancel based off of a few people’s initial observations from a inaugural transatlantic. People please take reviews with a grain of salt and discover on your own! I know I will!!

Ugh same here. Not even the worst of the reviews could keep me from embarking and trying for myself. I mean the ship has been out for less than a month. I do not expect them to release an unfinished ship BUT I know there will be glitches here and there, and tweaks will be made throught its first few months. I knew it was kinda risky to book such a new ship but I really wanted to give MSC a shot and I couldnt wait to try this specific ship. I´ve been in love with it since I first saw the first renderings.

I have the Bella experience, however I was upgraded to a Fantastica cabin. I don´t expect to receive perks I did not pay for, but I want to know, if I want to have dinner at the MDR at lets say, 8, I cannot do that? 5:30 is waaaay to early for me for dinner, and 9 is too late. I am not sure if I can do their set times. I really enjoyed NCL´s anytime dining.

Thanks everyone for the great input to mull over...Not sure about hiring a car and driving as we drive on the L side of the road in Aus, and trying to figure out unfamiliar territory while at the same time adjusting to driving on the R/H side of the road could make for a stress full day rather than a fun end to the holiday. May just take a taxi to the airport and check the luggage in there and then head back out.

 

We have a full day in Miami mid cruise (doing a 14 day East and West) which we will do some exploring then since we wont have to consider luggage and will have more hrs, but the last day will be good to have shopping available so we can use up any US$ left. Must say I like the idea of doing Lincoln Rd Shopping area and see there is a bus that runs from the airport to there and back .....Any suggestions for our full day would also be appreceated

Yes there's actually a bus that will take you from Lincoln to the airport. It's the route 150, airport express, can't miss it. Take it at Lincoln and James ave and it will drop you at the airport station, the next just go up the lift to take the mover. It should take you around 45 minutes.

As for the driving, I must say I live in Mexico City so I found Miami's traffic and drivers quite pleasant LOL.

Not a local but Miami is probably my favorite city, been there many many times.

Have you thought of renting a car? I think it could save you time and money. Rent a car from the pier - they will shuttle you for free to the offices to pick it up- and you´re ready to go explore without having to go to the airport, go back to the city, and then back to the airport. pretty much the car will help you move around and keep your luggage.

I also recomend exploring south beach. It is a must do when in Miami, walk around Ocean drive, Lincoln road, there is a free trolley from lincoln road through Alton road altrough 5th street where you can do some cheap shopping at TJ Maxx and Ross. And of course all the stores located at Lincoln.

If you want to go by your idea of droping your bags at MIA and want the shopping then I recommend you go to Dolphin Mall. It´s very close to the airport and a quick and cheap bus will take you straight from the airport to the mall, same way back. As mentioned above, Sawgrass Mills would be the best option by far for shopping but its so big you would probably need a whole day just to see it all. I don´t really care much for Aventura, but they just put a new slide outside the mall which seems fun. There is uber and lyft everywhere if you don´t want to take the bus.

Yes, could you please elaborate on this? We have a few days pre-cruise planned and it would be great if we could pick up a shuttle near our hotel.

Unless you are staying right in La Rambla or a couple of blocks away the shuttle will not be exactly near you. Me and my partner would just take the subway from wherever we were staying to La rambla and then take a cab that was jus fot 5 minutes, saves you a lot of money. Been there twice and that´s how we did it both times. Did not know the shuttle was no longer free, its been a couple of years since I went last time. But public transportation specially the subway are very easy to navigate even with luggage. Same to go to the city from the airport.

Yes you can certainly come and check in, leave your bags etc and leave the ship or don´t go in at all and just go back to Barcelona. Just be careful with the time. Don´t know if you´ve been to BCN before, taxis are a bit expensive. There is a free shuttle to the cruise ships but they are usually full.

You will encounter a large amount of people from the European countries. I could go on and on about the differences in the demographics, but for short here are the noticeable changes.

 

1) Formal means formal. The men on formal night will be in full-on tuxedos, and the women will be in gowns.

2) Dinner is an event. Your dinner will take hours to finish, because many Europeans cherish e time they spend together at the dinner table. Don't expect to walk in and walk out like on an American cruise.

3) Independence. You're not going to be asked every 3 minutes in the dining room if you are "doing okay". If you have a problem, speak up, because many Europeans find pesky waiters annoying. They will not tend to you as often as waiters on an American cruise ship, and that's normal, it's how they were trained.

4) Food and Music. Much more selection. Lots of the pool/nightclub music will be Reggaeton and even some French/German rap on occasion. You will have many more options on the types of food as well.

5) Announcements and Signage. Announcements, flyers, and daily programs will be in a variety of languages. Some find it annoying, others find it interesting.

6) Entrtainment. Music is universal, so expect the shows to be more music/dance oriented, and not narrative-based. There will be live music, lots of jazz, and some singers too that will sing the timeless classics, but lots of music.

7) Class. MSC provides a very classy product. The Divina is very modern, with the glass staircase with the diamonds and the modern decor. The people onboard are much classier as well compared to Carnival, and even Royal to me, but I cannot evaluate between MSC and HAL.

 

 

I think you should book it. I took one MSC cruise trying to be cheap and save some money and ended up having the best cruise of my life. I'm booking on Seaview, and I'm finalizing details and dates for a Preziosa cruise as well. I hope it captivates you the same way it did me, it really offers something for everyone, with an international flair, all in the most modern class possible.

 

 

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Every single thing you said sounds amazing to me. I'm embarking on my first one in just a month (Jan 27) and just by what you said, it looks like it will be my favorite cruise line.

Just one thing, I thought they didn't have formal but elegant nights?

I believe that it's been posted previously that you need the actual card on Seaside. I normally used my old seapass card in similar situations.

 

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Yes, someone mentioned - I don´t remember who, sorry - on their review that you can´t cheat this system like you can on other ships and you do need the actual card to turn the lights on. Guess that saves energy of people just leaving cards on for the whole week.

As for lanyards, would never do as they ruin my outfit :) but that´s just me. Do as you wish, like we all should :halo:

Awesome photos, thanks for sharing! I´m sailing in a month and can´t wait.

Those drinks in buckets look lovely, whats in them?

Can anyone explain this to me as this will be my first cruise and I may be missing something. I'm wondering what the difference is between the non alcoholic all inclusive, family non alcoholic package, and family soft drinks package is? They all seem to say pretty much the same things with the difference being the price. What are the stipulations for booking the family packages? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

I would very much like to know this as well. Read the whole thread but didn't find any info on This.

What time are the seatings? 5:30 and 7:30?

So what that mean that if I want to dine at 8:00 and I have Bella experience I can't do that? Sorry for the silly question, I'm more used to NCL's style.

Hi please pardon me for replying to this old thread.

 

I am Asian, 34 years old, gay, working in Tokyo. I am eager to start my first cruise ship experience, so I came here for some advice.

 

The thicky thing is I am genuinely attracted to much older men, who are 65 and up, but got declined by a lot of times because I looked too young for their taste.

 

I wonder is there some cruising line which has a more senior crowd and they would be intrersted in a single young asian man and we can have some fun.

Never sailed, but I have heard luxury lines tend to draw a more mature crowd, Oceania, Cunard, Seabourn, Silversea, Azamara. Also on transatlantic voyages which tend to be longer and draw retired people as not a lot people can afford to be out of their job for 2 weeks or more in a row.

But I guess it just depends. We saw a couple on a transatlantic trip on a Royal Caribbean ship, which usually is thought to be more for families and younger couples, they were around 60 and 30. The next year, we ran into them again on a Norwegian cruise line ship.

Good luck on your first cruise experience!

I'm cruising with a group of 300 or more gays and lesbians called DNR Miami Madness on the NCL Getaway 2/11/18 check it out at https://www.derekandromaine.com/cruise/

That must be fun! An all gay cruise is a bit too much for me but a big LGBT crowd must be super cool. We leave Miami on February 4 after disembarking the day before from the MSC Seaside, too bad I can´t afford the time and money to do another cruise right after ha.

Hello,

Anyone going on this date?

:confused:

Cause the Seaside is a totally new and different design not just to MSC but the whole industry. Meraviglia is just another regular ship, aside from being beautiful I don´t see anything extra special about it.