Welcome back with excursions question

[Domen]

Have anyone noticed the offering "Welcome back with excursions"? 

 

My local TA sent me this offer which for around 200€ per cabin (additional charge to the cabin) offers excursions for up to 3 destinations (due to COVID-19 port visit restrictions).

Personally I am interested in sailing on 22nd of October 2020 with Magnifica from Trieste (8 day sailing to Greece).

 

Questions that even my TA could not answer were: which excursions will be available (included in the price). I do not believe there will be an offer for a helicopter flyover over Athens, but I really hope that they will not offer just 2 hour sightseeing on foot... also how will they cope with a potential overbooking most desirable excursions? Because I believe that a large percentage of people will take this offer and they will have to accommodate all the wishes. And most desirable excursions will sell out fast.

Also my TA sent me an offer for COVID-19 insurance of some sort (approx. 18€/pers). Does anyone know what exactly does that insurance cover? As I understand it is insurance with collaboration with MSC

Edited August 27, 2020 by Domen

[emmas gran]

Hi at the moment MSC is only allowing Schengen countries to cruise in the Med therefore you will have to hope you get a response from someone who has just been on Grandiosa or try looking at the MSC website for excursion information.

It has been widely posted on here that a family were removed from the cruise last week as they left an organised MSC excursion so please be aware of this

 

Liz

[Até]

Grandiosa also is limiting passengers to only MSC excursions and is also offering the 100€/person welcome back with excursion package.  There is no timeline for how long this will be in effect.  If you select the 100€ package of three you can only choose three from the one excursion offered in each of the ports.  So far there are no descriptions but they appear mostly bus tours with stops at open areas where you must stay with the group.  I've seen a few showing duration and most seem half day, 3 to 4 hours.

 

There have been no reports if MSC is offering other excursions once on the ship.

 

Edited August 27, 2020 by Até

[Até]

MSC is offering a COVID policy and a regular travel insurance that can be purchased together or separately.  MSC now says some type of COVID health protection plan is now required, you can buy theirs for 18€ or purchase our own.  The MSC plan covers up to 3000€ per person for your cruise fare if denied boarding or are denied re-boarding at a port due to COVID.  It also will pay up to 1500€ per day if you have to be hospitalized and will also pay quarantine and/or repatriation expenses.  I currently only have the insurance document in Spanish but somewhere I do have it in Italian and German if you need.

 

 

MSC_Spain_condicionado_2019_2021_120.pdf

 

[Até]

Just a personal observation:  Under the current cruising conditions I would make my decision based on that the ship's amenities and just being able to go on a cruise ship are going to be the greater factor rather than the destinations.  Based on that I think Grandiosa would be the better choice, and that is likely why MSC has postponed Magnifica until late September.  MSC admits soft demand for that ship played a factor in the delay.  If you are set on the itinerary I would suggest looking at Costa Diadema.

[Nunagoras]

9 minutes ago, Até said:

Just a personal observation:  Under the current cruising conditions I would make my decision based on that the ship's amenities and just being able to go on a cruise ship are going to be the greater factor rather than the destinations.  Based on that I think Grandiosa would be the better choice, and that is likely why MSC has postponed Magnifica until late September.  MSC admits soft demand for that ship played a factor in the delay.  If you are set on the itinerary I would suggest looking at Costa Diadema.

+1!... Me too!... I'd prefer a "closed loop" or "cruise to nowhere" on a 60-70% full mega-ship to enjoy the amenities than what MSC is currently doing...

Edited August 27, 2020 by Nunagoras

[Preziosa]

Costa Diadema is only for Italian people....

[Nunagoras]

1 hour ago, Preziosa said:

Costa Diadema is only for Italian people....

...Yes it is... But... Wonder if it is legal by EU and Schengen Agreement regulations... Maybe it is with all this hurdle going on...

[Até]

I wouldn't have thought someone couldn't travel 80km to Trieste to board the ship.  I wonder what affected the policy difference between Costa and MSC.

 

ETA: Slovenia is still not even listed by the EU CDC as a "high risk" country.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Até

[drsel]

Costa Diadema is only for Italian people....

That restriction is only for the September Cruises of Costa diadema around Italy and for the repositioning Cruise from Italy to UAE.   Where boarding is from ports in Italy.

 

 

But from mid October in the Middle East, they are allowing all nationalities to board Costa diadema in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Domen]

Regarding Costa: I also read that cruises were available only for Italians. I think I will search for their cruises as well if October cruises are available for all EU citizens. Maybe I will find something nice out from Trieste (which is hour drive from my home town).

 

Meanwhile I recieved a few bits of information from my TA in regards to their “welcome back with excursion” offer if someone is interested:

-you can choose 3 excursions that are offered. But only 1 excursion per port is available which is shame.... you cannot upgrade excursions.

-their insurance covers covid 19 related problems (if you cannot board ship or ship gets infected). I got terms in English and havent got thru yet.

-if cruise is canceled, you get a voucher with 200€ per cabin OBC. And voucher is valid untill 31st of December 21.

 Basically I think that they are hoping to restart their cruises. The offer that I got is really great but I think I will opt for last minute cruise. Things in Italy and Greece are not looking perfect and who knows what will happen in October.

[drsel]

Please find out about Costa Diadema in the second half of October sailing from Dubai and Abu Dhabi ports.

Info I got is from the customer service of Costa UK

[Hlitner]

On 8/28/2020 at 3:15 PM, drsel said:

Please find out about Costa Diadema in the second half of October sailing from Dubai and Abu Dhabi ports.

Info I got is from the customer service of Costa UK

The issue would be if the UAE is planning to open their ports by October and there has been no indication that this will happen.  We had been booked on a Princess cruise that would have visited both Dubai and Abu Dhabi around that time of the year and Princess cancelled the sailing a few weeks ago.  The reason for cancelling was the closure of many ports on the 30 day itinerary.   I should add that our cruise itinerary also included a port call at Aquba and I believe we were the "last cruise standing" when it comes to a visit to that port.  Bottom line is that it does no seem that any cruise line is planning anything outside of Italy and Greece for the rest of the year.

 

Hank

[drsel]

The issue would be if the UAE is planning to open their ports by October and there has been no indication that this will happen.  We had been booked on a Princess cruise that would have visited both Dubai and Abu Dhabi around that time of the year and Princess cancelled the sailing a few weeks ago.  The reason for cancelling was the closure of many ports on the 30 day itinerary.   I should add that our cruise itinerary also included a port call at Aquba and I believe we were the "last cruise standing" when it comes to a visit to that port.  Bottom line is that it does no seem that any cruise line is planning anything outside of Italy and Greece for the rest of the year.
 
Hank

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/dubai-port-96

This shows that Costa diadema is docking in Dubai on 20 October 2020

[drsel]

https://www.adports.ae/core-business/business-subsidiaries/abu-dhabi-cruise-terminal/abu-dhabi-cruise-terminal-schedule/