MSC Virtuosa - European metropolis tour - 19/27 March

[Ulsteinvik]

The pilot strike in Hamburg was pushed back by 12 hours. The strike will start tomorrow at 6 a.m, so that will no longer affect the Virtuosa.

Edited March 26, 2023 by Ulsteinvik

[sidari]

7 hours ago, LiquidWu said:

I can rule out a change to another port instead of Hamburg, we are already there.

What has not yet been mentioned here is the total closure of the Elbe Tunnel. Steinwerder will be difficult to reach as a result. Plan extra time.

We took a taxi in 2017 from the ship and back 

[LiquidWu]

On 3/25/2023 at 9:50 PM, ConnieTact said:

That’s my fave pasta dish! I loved it! 
glad you enjoyed it! 

Oh yes, I like duck meat in all variations. It is relatively low in fat and still tastes delicious.
In general, I always find the risooto and pasta dishes on board the MSC ships remarkable. You can really still feel the Italian influence.

[LiquidWu]

21 hours ago, ConnieTact said:

Have a safe homeward journey! I hope the strike action doesn’t delay your travels. 

 

20 hours ago, insidecabin said:

Safe travels home, enjoyed another Virtual Virtuosa trip.

Thank you very much to both of you. 
I had my own car parked at the port, so I had no stress with possible strikes or postponements. 
Although we came from a port outside the EU, there was hardly any control at customs. I think the officials have a sense of who they need to control. I was only sniffed by a drug-dog and that was it.

A last sad farewell look
 

Edited March 27, 2023 by LiquidWu

[LiquidWu]

Since here sometimes was asked about the settlement and currently even a "BEWARE" thread is discussed still my experience:
At 6:00am on the day of departure my boarding account was closed, at 6:04am the correct amount was debited from my credit card. The rest of the previously blocked (higher) amount was released.
I was still able to use all public areas incl. my beverage package at my leisure until 9am. Then I disembarked, all financial matters were settled. It could not have come better.

PS Only my cell phone woke me up at 6:04am. To be on the safe side, I had set up an alarm for credit card charges during the trip 🤣😂
Note to self: next time delete the night before

Edited March 27, 2023 by LiquidWu

[kernow]

Thanks for your review, I enjoyed it. Looking forward to our cruise in May.

[Cathygh]

We are on our first MSC cruise on Virtuosa soon, I have your blog to be very helpful, thank you. Can you tell me what time you have to leave your cabin by when you disembark please?

[LiquidWu]

8 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

We are on our first MSC cruise on Virtuosa soon, I have your blog to be very helpful, thank you. Can you tell me what time you have to leave your cabin by when you disembark please?

Thank you, have a wonderful cruise.

The cabin must be vacated by 8am so that it can be prepared for the new guests.
The time to disembark is usually later, so that you can then still have breakfast in peace. If you have a beverage package, then that is also valid until you leave the ship. Of course, early in the morning the bars are closed, I was thinking more of a cappuchino and a freshly squeezed orange juice 😉

[Cathygh]

28 minutes ago, LiquidWu said:

Thank you, have a wonderful cruise.

The cabin must be vacated by 8am so that it can be prepared for the new guests.
The time to disembark is usually later, so that you can then still have breakfast in peace. If you have a beverage package, then that is also valid until you leave the ship. Of course, early in the morning the bars are closed, I was thinking more of a cappuchino and a freshly squeezed orange juice 😉

Thank you very much,

[Saab4444]

On 3/25/2023 at 11:14 PM, Ulsteinvik said:

Is there any information whether tomorrow's pilot strike will affect the departure of the Virtuosa in Hamburg? Tomorrow from 6 p.m. the pilots will be on strike until Tuesday. There are rumors that Virtuosa could get stuck in port.

 

https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Warnstreik-im-Hafen-beendet-doch-der-naechste-kommt,warnstreik2298.html

The pilots do not strike in Germany, it were the pilot boat drivers and all other kind of transportation..