Nunagoras

I haven't cruised after the pandemic yet, but generally speaking the buffet will be open some 20 hours a day, with at least some pizza and a few other snacks in the same time. For a fee you'll have a few gelato points and on the big ships a good chocolate and coffee bar with some desserts, cakes, waffles and crepes to go. Real availability on the ships may vary due to crew shortages lately.

They may be confusing the spa entrance with the one hour massage. The massage has gone. The spa entrance seems to have been retained.

Before the pandemic the MSC buffets used to open some 20 hours a day. Now it can be hit or miss depending on actual crew and food availability. I'd say: Breakfast from 6-10; lunch 12-15; dinner 18-21; late snacks 23-1. On other times they may have some little snacks. Pizzas is usually mid day to mid night, the dinner buffet is usually less impressive than say RCI ones. There is hot or cold water, some tea packets, and some passable regular or decaffeinated coffee almost 24 hours a day on at least one side of the buffet, sometimes with some cookies available.

This! Surely those "special" cabins are there for a purpose. Honeymoon is definitely one of them. It's unique!... Now; for regular cruising life; and JIMHO; either way: Fantastica for a budget concerning practical travel, or YC if one wants some more luxury!...

As above said: Depends on from where you are and if MSC has a partnership with some companies that fly from where you are and your departure port location. Generally they book an economy level block for their pax. You can't do nothing inside it, nor even to select a seat. They will allocate you a seat by the time you check-in. Maybe; they'll have executive seats for YC guests?...

Pera: While certainly all suites are either YC or Aurea, the other cabins maybe slightly better, but not at a level that justifies an USD 800 on top of your baseline Fantastica package. In summary: Unless you really want a suite, spend your money elsewhere once the perks themselves plus the slightly better cabin location won't justify that. Have a nice day!...

Concur with the above members. Not worth the USD 800 add-on. Better to use them elsewhere.

Yes, the largest worldwide container ship business in a world so hungry of container ship space!... Wow!... Yes, they'll to inherit the cruise market the way they wish. Arguably by natural growth instead of consolidation!... If one of the biggies fails, they'll simply let it fail, and rebuild the market the way they wish... In 10 years they'll be world leader cruise group!... Regarding the supply chain issues, those are a worldwide concern right now and affects all cruise lines. Better days will come.

Yes, as the others have said, main embarkation port for Oasis class in Europe is Barcelona. Civitavecchia is secondary port. FYI: In my sailing before the pandemic when lady Allure first come to Europe, the proportion was more or less 4500 guests in Barcelona versus 1500 in Civitavecchia. That said all dining and entertainment schedule will follow the main port: Barcelona.

Yeah, thanks! Maybe I haven't noticed the old ones, but noticed the current ones!... Have a nice day!...

Now; more seriously: I've seen an image about it on another social media outfit. It seems that they have at least dealt with it rightly. Meanwhile; industry wise there have been a few events of this type on new ships lately. Hope the shipyard closures of the pandemic aren't influencing final quality of the whole product. those events were rare, if any.

Excursions may depend on your confidence level on a place where you're for the first time, and a bit for from you're embarking from. I'd assume, you're embarking in Barcelona once it has the best international flight connection of all the possible embarkation ports. Let us to see what I know for at least some of the ports I visited myself: Barcelona - Easy on your own once the ship docks rightly on the city. There is an inexpensive port bus to Christopher Columbus square, plenty of taxis there (from port to hotel or port to airport it's a fixed EUR 40 rate, from elsewhere to the port it is metered), or if you're just for a day you can use the HOHO straight away from your terminal. If you want to visit La Sagrada Família Church, please book online in advance, once they're doing a time slot visit scheme right now. Marseille - The ship docks in an industrial cargo dock far away from the main city. The easiest way to do it is either a cruise line shore excursion or to use the cruise line's shuttle service to the marina on center city and there to use the HOHO or the little train to the Cathedral which a must to see. Taxis might to be very expensive due to the distance and aren't as plentiful as in other places. Genoa - The easiest on your own of all the ports I have already visited. You dock at the center of the city and the cruise terminal itself is an old palace that is one of the city's landmarks by itself. There are HOHO and such, but with a map on hand you can likely to do the city on foot at a zero cost. I've never visited Messina or Valletta myself. Others may to chime in on those. As far as the cruise experience, and against what is usual on the Caribbean, here in Europe you'll have mostly long days on shore and you'll just likely to have only one day at sea. You'll have lots of Italians and Spanish people on your cruise, and will be on the ship mostly to sleep, breakfast, dinner and any nightlife if you so desire. There are some things that may be different. Go with the flaw, and I think you'll have a great time. MSC is becoming each time more global by the day, despite their long learning curve with the US market. Have a nice day!...

So sad for this story, Bea... Hope that all ends well, afterwards. At least they give you some options, but there is a concern I can absolutely to understand: Pick the new cruisers generation: They'll make the cruise booking from their smartphone, they then book their land adventures from the same smartphone on the local or global online vendor's apps, then they book their transfers from the Uber app on their smartphone, then they book a Ryanair flight from the Ryanair app. They go to their bank account on their bank's smartphone app and finally when in the cruise they expect their cruise line of choice smartphone app would let them to do everything else. They have the word on their palm!... And they go by the immediate experience at the lowest possible price!... I can see from my younger relatives... They don't want nor understand my old world and want their own!... During the pandemic when you were supposed to be in a "bubble" cruise, they had some nice, reasonably priced even though basic, shore excursion packages for the duration of the cruise... And that prompted for a quite nice consumer's experience. Not anymore!... From time to time from here where I live I can to snag some small charter closed group cruises on certain TA's. This is my favorite way of travelling... But they're becoming rare as times go. Cruise lines will need to address this one. They can't compete with the online free vendors anymore!... How about to join them in a fashionable way for those new generations?... Sadly; for now this will let us; the cruising's "grandpas and grandmas" out of place!... TBHH: If using online vendors is not "too much" for you, I recommend you to just go with the flaw... Or to join a small charter group if you can find one at your location for your next adventures! And have a wonderful day!...

True! Some Alasca or Mexico itineraries out of the west coast would be nice! I wholly understand your perspective on San Diego for those cruises... But, as a mostly global line with lots of Europeans aboard their sailings, it seems clear for me that LA would facilitate things far more than San Diego on that one with a lot more international direct connections from LA than San Diego. So; some driving distance for you, or eventually any high speed train that my open in due course... Have a nice day!...

Perhaps too early for now to know. They'll to redeploy her by October/November as usual, on a demand and offer basis.

A supply chain challenge joint with a possible shipyard specialty labor shortage, will unsurprisingly lead to some work delays industry wise. No surprise. The big number of canceled cruises might have something to do with the fact that MSC makes a multi-embarkation policy, especially here in Europe, so no surprise either. Have a wonderful Easter, dear Cruise Critic's MSC boards community!...

Absolutely agree, Bea!... If only MSC was able to think globally and they'd be the "de facto" world leader cruise line for years and years ago!... One thing is the challenge to have some ships running on USD where that is the main currency while other ships would to work on EUR where that's applicable. Another entire thing is to have different rules for different areas! MSC is truly unique on this one!... Paradoxically; other than the WE; MSC's ships identity is mostly the same across the fleet!... It will be nice to see how WE works for the European sailings, especially come winter when some areas will perhaps to be a challenge due to incremental weather... Meanwhile regarding other of your posts: Yeah; those "infinite" cabins seem to be a great concept perhaps done right by MSC. I'd like to have one of those for myself especially on such a low season like cruise!... But a Fantastica level perfectly suits me. No value added on the Aurea overcharge, JIMHO! Have a wonderful Easter!...

I don't believe so. Entirely different concepts! In paper this ship would to be a great concept, despite being a huge departure from MSC's identity. RCI uses to change the ship's identity by ships classes, and that facilitates them to have a new identity each time they launch a new class. So; now MSC has a single identity that runs all of their ships other than for a partial use of the atrium in some ships that sail a particular region... That means that when booking an MSC cruise the clientele mostly knows what may be going at each one's place on the full fleet. Not anymore with the WE! WE is incredibly a wonderful ship, made of barely the Oasis class prototype hence the similarities, but it corrects some of Oasis failures: They've a 2 decks buffet, the aqua theater is replaced with an enclosed lounge, there is no central park garden paving the way for a better organized full inside, the inside and outside promenades are directly linked paving the way for better crowd control and so on! The decoration is distinctively MSC focused. What I don't like is their fail on being attentive to the trademark details: No bar by deck 5 MDR's entrance with the grand piano. The piano bar was relegated to a tea house (would work well on the US or Southampton based cruises, sadly not so much on the Med); no free food by the outside promenade on deck 8, and I could go on. I hope they have something more akin to their identity lines for World III and IV, even though I also believe that some of the new features for young family cruising are the future of cruising!

The WE works differently. They have no "grand atrium", instead they have what seems such a shopping mall promenade with shops, restaurants, bars and the likes. The calming piano bar seems to be Raj Polo, the tea house (I don't know how that would work here in Europe)... Badly compared the WE seems like a pizza place at Starbucks!... Some of the concepts are great... But the general feeling of the ship seems a clear departure from the whole brand's identity. MSC has never had a so big differentiation on their ship's identity, apart the atrium's use for rock bands on some Seaside class vessels, especially if they sail from the US, hence me to be on the fence regarding the actual full ship's concept success here in Europe. It will be a success the day they can put one of those in the US, on that I've no doubts!... Oh; and believe me: If I could to do a cruise this year, it would no doubt to be the WE!...

May I come in with a suggestion? The next time you need a specif item that falls out of the "regular" (Easy package) sort of affairs on the buffet, ask directly the bartenders at the bar counter and not the random servers there, because those are usually the ones whom really know the different items. Those overworked random servers are usually trainees, or less graded servers, whom don't have a single clue of what the real product is about. They'll stick to the basics and let things to go by. Have a wonderful day and Easter!...

By law of the land on most EU cruise terminals the rule is all aboard time 60 minutes before sailing industry wise. MSC ships follow local time at every ports of call, so if you have a time change that will be announced and done at a certain time the night previous to your arrival at said port.

Many thanks Bea and Sid for the wonderful work!... This ship seems incredible!... How I'd like to stay there this year but some happenings preventing me from cruising right now... Maybe 2024!... That said; I may agree with you. Most of the ones ready for such an experience like that on Raj Polo are living on the YC where they already have their version of what is offered there. They better would use it as a general premium like continental breakfast and a high afternoon tea experience during the day then reverting to the usual MSC bar menu for before dinner meet and greet with the calming piano music than this so specialty concept that will eventually go nowhere. They'll eventually need to rethink it in the coming months. I also agree with you that the champanhe bar, at least from the photos seems somewhat impersonal, if I'm making myself understandable. this design seems slightly reminiscent of the old musica class vessels general bar lounges!... the champanhe bar should have been smaller and more intimate. I care less for those "iPad" hotel control panels of today. This one seems quite minimalist, to say the least, but it remains too much for me. The old style little buttons elsewhere directly placed to control each portion of ones areas were so much better... But sooner rather than later you'll have all things sent to your smartphone... Er!... Have a nice day!...

Passenger loads are not something a cruise line can entirely to control; though I suggest everyone to be attentive to the real product details on offer. Even same chain may have 2 or more products on offer. In 2021, in the middle of the horrid pandemic, when we started to have those odd supply chain challenges, I wanted to shop for some small items, some of them weren't exactly your very first needs, but those little things that actually make your days to have some flavor. Then I went to the supermarket that is just in from of my home. The poor supermarket was basically empty of those "little nothings". They had the very basics, but nothing more on top, and sometimes even some challenges over the basics. Then I took such a 10 minutes bus ride to a same chain supermarket near my former employer's office... Night and day different! They had whatever else I wanted in huge quantities and superb quality and variety!... So; I started to do my shopping there... In cruising it is the same: The Divina is a relatively older ship now devoted mostly to the "short-haul" weekend getaway cruises. No surprise the lower prices will command the less than stellar passenger mix, and will also command the less than stellar service level. I can only think on the exhausted overworked crew on said little cruises. They're not motivated to do more. So; now come to the big new flagships on offer. Longer, more expensive cruises will command normally a better passenger mix a relatively better service level. In summary: I'd say that the Divina is now something like my neighbor home chain supermarket, while the Mera vessels better fit my former employer's office neighbor chain supermarket! Both from same provider, different atmospheres according to venue! Entertainment on ships seems very different post pandemic, but MSC has had some challenges on that area. Cirque du Soleil and other entertainment providers went bust with the pandemic. They're now making their entertainment programming mostly "at home". And then there's the crew shortage even at that area. It's not easy. And we should also bear in mind another thing: The new cruising generation may not be that interested on Opera or other classical music settings. On the brand new World Europa they set the "steerage" piano bar to be the Tea House. Understandable IMHO, but fond memories on me of those Musica/Fantasia class atrium piano bars full of classical music of before the pandemic. Perhaps I won't have it anymore, but a new generation will highly enjoy what is akin to their current preferences!... Announcements will be made on every language that has at least 100 guests or a small 20 or more participants charter with a tour leader aboard (in some of my own cruises the Portuguese announcement has been done by my tour leader). Those used to be the rules before the pandemic and I believe them remaining.

Yeah! MSC is using those "older ladies" to make some unique itineraries lately. If it wasn't for some personal happenings, I'd say, I'd to make perhaps to do one of them on the Musica to visit Jerusalem this year!... And I was on Musica when she had just a few months old back in 2006 or 2007 when she even smelled like a new car!... As regarding the OP's post: Yes. MSC is not that cheap cruise corner it used to be anymore, at least for European sailings. On the other hand they have a solid mainstream product to go with Europe wise that is becoming very popular and then profitable for them. I still feel there could be some value on their cruises, but that depends mostly on what I want from a cruise. If I want a port intensive cruise with long days out of ship, then I'd go with them. If I want long days onboard with loads of entertainment to go, I perhaps would go with the competition, even though the World Europa is on my radar... Time will tell what I may end doing for 2024!...

As per my experience, on all cruises taking place on Genoa, Genoa will be likely the "main" embarkation port, wherever they can have Barcelona with more people embarking or not. that said all the cruise will be designed with Genoa in thought. That said, have my best bet on the 2 gala/elegant nights in blue. Usually as per my experience; Captain's welcome gala night is usually very well attended, with the farewell one not so much. Ultimately on my last 2 or 3 cruises farewell gala nights have been "downgraded" to Italian/Mediterranean sorts of nights, even though I have read elsewhere it has been eventually "promoted" again to gala/elegant nights very recently. Other than Captain's reception on the main areas, a slightly better theater show and a slightly more sophisticated dinner menu, there isn't really nothing shining along on gala nights. Bars and lounges will work out their usual entertainment sets.