Nunagoras

As far as I understand they stopped to sell drinks packages on less than 5 nights globally by mid December. The ones purchased online or as part of special promotions before that date, or as part of partner TA's blocks offerings still ongoing will be honored.

By and large; all the itineraries do have an indicative time sheet on itself where you can see docking and departure times. Shore excursions will to work round those times minus an hour for the longer ones. That said on the day before they'll to have the shore ex shown on the shore ex desk, on the daily planner for next day and at guest services.

Yeah! Understand. MSC is trying to follow the destination as per cruise experience goes. If you depart from Barcelona they'll most likely to have Flamenco dance, if from the northern Europe there will be some beer fest, if from Brazil, there will be Samba, and if from US there will be comedians and so on. Nothing against, but me thinks MSC will do whatever they can to not become the 2nd Carnival out there. They don't want the drunken crowd reputation to pick them, and they reacted hardly at their first event of the kind. And as per other threads they're apparently doing so globally. I believe they're more on the likes of capturing RCI/NCL crowd than the Carnival one. Time will tell.

Many thanks to the very detailed review! Permit me a few observations: While this time of the year, except for Christmas and New Year Eve cruises, this is low season. On Brazil they're at high season as well as on the UAE. No surprise for the higher fares. Port taxes and local city taxes add to the count on the most recent years as well. The short weekend escape cruise market seems to be well in its full force there even on bigger ships!... The bar situation seems exclusive for Brazil as far as I understand, even though ships are understaffed elsewhere. Also bear in mind that some ships are now being run on a partnership between MSC and a local event organizer. Maybe that explains some differences. Once your sailing was international, they may have had the usual MSC entertainment, but in some Brasil exclusive ones they'll to change the Brazilian things. MSC seems to have finished to sell drinks packages for less than 5 nights cruises in mid December this year, at least for the US, hope globally. They'll to honor the previously sold online ones till they finish. For the sins of a few in the US all of us will to pay one or the other way... Those drinks prices are very reasonable. And those menus great if they have the proper staff to deliver. Sadly; to sail from Brasil is so expensive from here in Portugal right now!... I'd like to do more, but I'd to spend more on airline tickets than on the cruise itself!...

Many thanks!... La Pescaderia menu seems great! As far as I know Premium Xtra package can to be used at specialty restaurants for quite a while now and it is included with YC bookings. Wonderful that Coffee Emporium is included in the package and good!... Abu Dhabi is wonderful. Visited there for a day!... Have a nice sailing!... 🙂 🙂 🙂

Pretty much the opposite. For now they've basically stopped to sell drinks packages on 3-5 nights cruises out of the US (they'll honor those ones already purchased beforehand the decision or on ongoing TA block promotions), so, I believe they'll never to become "that" party line. Ships, even the World Europa or others of the most recent ones, are far more beautiful than whatever else Carnival has on offer. Surely the Mardi Gras or the Celebration are nice ships pushing the Carnival trademark up, but MSC plays on another league. I believe; sooner rather than later MSC will to purchase the whole NCL or RCI group (Carnival Group is extremely big in Europe for the EU competition Authorities to approve such an acquisition like that without severe correction measures. At least AIDA and Costa would need to be sold out of the new behemoth cruise group) to themselves and then they'll to become another beast, but for now they'll tend to retain their classy affordable cruise experience to endure with the usual mix of US and worldwide guests alike.

According to the videos I've seen during the World Cup, there is a specialty restaurant concept that stood out on me apart all the others; a place named "La Pescaderia". While it might to seem odd, you enter from a fish market, you arguably choose your meal, and then you go to see it being prepared for your enjoyment while you await. Can you talk something about it, please? If I ever go on said ship I'd definitely to eat there. The others not so much. I used to have several good restaurants of their kind at bearable distance from home, or the concepts are not for my liking, so no need to an up-charge, but that fish one seems different from whatever else I know; sea or land alike!... If it isn't too much, may I ask a few questions: Is the regular bar/lounge space from where you can order from the regular MSC bar menus included on the drinks packages good enough for the ship's size? And what about "Coffee Emporium": Is it included or excluded from drinks packages? Is the venue really worth a visit, or is it better to pay a little more for Jean Phillipe? And finally: Is there a place where they host a piano bar sort of things with classical or piano arranged music for regular passengers outside of the YC, like the usual deck 5 bar on the older MSC ships? I haven't notice one on the videos out there.

Too early; me thinks! They're on their first revenue cruise currently! People may be enjoying themselves, perhaps with few English speaking natives onboard, and CC trends to be a mostly English native website, while MSC cruisers trend to be very international! Many videos from the World Cup hotel day pass stays though, and the reviews tends to be mostly good! I believe the facility was great on that purpose. Time will tell for the cruises!... Meanwhile have a wonderful new year!...

Ok, I know; I'm new on this board. Yeah, I'm a guy, retired from the financial industry. Been a market analyst back in the day. Cruise primarily on MSC and occasionally on RCI as I said. Been for professional reason's inside pretty much every other line's ships here in Lisbon back in the day, oh, well, before the pandemic, once I retired at its beginning. TBHH: If there is a thing I know that for sure is market segmentation. I'm content enough with what my cruising segment used to offer. No need for more on me. So now there is this cruising mix?... Good luck to them trying to offer on a bigger ship what should have been offered on a smaller one! No place for same quality at different sizes!...

In favor of Princess. Trending to against the Sun Princess concept; unless done well!... I can to see a niche market for such a ship like this, if they turned it full adult cruising at a point. It would capture some from the mainstream ready to pay a little bit more to have a little bit more on a calm and fashionable way. I can't to see market for such a ship if it is to do roughly what CCL, P&O or Costa are doing. For that they have those trademarks...

Many thanks to your view which I can subscribe. If that is the case, so well: Go for it at the 5k ish passengers. Now: If the prices are to be what I mostly see from where I live, without the incentives "everyone" might to capture to go with, then 5k ish is an ABUSE to even come across. Princess and X used to be slightly above the mainstream lines for a reason. Removing that reason removes why the usual price differentiation. I'd never to pay more to have a "similar" experience on a premium line if I have a cheaper one at the next door. Have a wonderful Christmas!...

It's pretty much easy to understand: At current CCL fares; I would tolerate 6k guests around me, BUT, at current Princess fares I wouldn't tolerate 5k guests around me! And I wouldn't be alone nor on these boards, nor largely on the cruise community! What's the part that, both the Carnival Group's "fat cats" and many here can't understand? If I want mainstream I know where to go. If I want Premium, me thinks, I should to know where to go!... Oh, well: Unless Carnival Group's thinks there is a market niche for a classical baseline mainstream ship with a premium(ish) flavor on top. Good luck!... Have a wonderful Christmas!...

According to some easily accessing web sources the Sun is on the 5,000 ish segment. Size to do so is there! Now: AIDA is currently German mainstream. P&O has became UK mainstream, and Carnival is US mainstream lines. OK with huge crowds out there, but Princess is coming from the above segment, or say upper mainstream or Premium segment. Want a Premium ship at premium prices with baseline crowds, terms and conditions? Good luck. That will please no one, unless P&O became 3 starish in Europe and they would need a 4 starish classical style cruise line here, then yes, it would to succeed out of the demise of Costa and the more demanding European crowd, but seriously that is far out of question. So, that will generally to please nor the mainstream folks unable to pay upfront to go premium, nor the Premium folks whom wish to escape the baseline crowds! Hope the 4,000 ish numbers to be true, at very least!...

Have your answers along the quote and have a wonderful Christmas!...

This exactly! First of its all: Cruising as anything else will be what one makes it to be: In search of a nice time? Surely! In search of the bad, the ugly and the ugliest? Oh, no doubts!... That said; understanding the market segmentation while not key to have a great time, it helps!... So; basically; my over to top pro tip for everyone on their first time cruising adventure is certainly: Research for what you want that cruise and book accordingly! Are you on a budget? On a need for luxury? on a special moment on your life in search of a once in a lifetime experience? "Fun" activities are critical? Food quality is a deal breaker? Little to no kids is a deal breaker? Among others; those are the questions one would to put to themselves before booking. As a quite regular cruiser myself; I'm now in a moment on my life when to cruise less, and pay a little more to have a better service may be important. To each their own though! Have a nice day!...

AIDA Cruises is a partnership between Carnival Group and a German business called "AIDA Club". AIDA works like an exclusive membership sort of business. The ones whom pay their membership fees will have the right to book elsewhere in their portfolio at a set price and at a certain terms and conditions. Most of those enjoying these benefits in Germany are doing so as part of their employment pay package. Problem is: Everywhere else work relations are more and more temporary and otherwise, Germans want more flexibility on their holiday experience, booking online, and enjoying more affordable experiences. Also; after the pandemic there is a trend towards land holidays instead of cruises there. Either way; club holidays are having such a decline in demand year after year, Europe wise, including Germany. AIDA announced a big restructuring during the pandemic. I wouldn't be surprised to see AIDA out of the cruising industry in the next 5 to 10 years to come, or at least their product as being highly modified.

No. While some sailings might to be 100% US citizens, on most ones things will most likely to be very international in mind. To give you an idea: On my unique RCI's Oasis class sailing, actually on the Allure, we had more or less 25% Italians, 25% Spanish, 25% US, and the others 25% from elsewhere, mostly from EU countries. What may very well to succeed is that by the most part Americans will be more likely to accept the 3 starish CCL product, while the Europeans will simply go more with MSC or the other 4* and above products out there. Considering that coming to Europe is not cheap for Americans due to the airline tickets, to take a Carnival cruise may to make economical sense more than anything else.

In order to understand Costa's fate it is worth to understand how the European cruise market has evolved on the last 20 years. Back in 2002; Costa was the definite mainstream top cruise line in Europe. Cruising for most continental EU citizens was basically Costa. And Costa was owned by German based "AIDA Club Holidays", such a mostly land based club holidays with a cruise venture in Germany for the Germans and another on Italy for the global markets. I'd say; they have no real competitors at that time. Pullmantur and TUI were too small to count. RCI and NCL were little to even existent on our markets of the time. P&O, Princess and Cunard were mostly an UK sort of thing... And there was that "smallish" MSC business with 3-5 relatively small ships at the time. Times were promising for Costa... Then MSC started to grow to become current definite top leader on the mainstream. TUI and Pulmantur become part of the RCI's umbrella, AIDA and Costa joined the Carnival force and the mainstream American lines finally discovered Europe. The market had a huge shift... And Europeans became more demanding. They don't accept Costa's 3 starish cruises anymore. MSC, with a solid 4*, touching the 4*+ EU land hotel quality product has basically eaten pretty much all the formerly Costa Business, except perhaps those youth party like cruises elsewhere. Pretty much all the formerly Costa TA parters where I live are now solid MSC cruises partners. MSC has 21 ships to date and counting... The Germans on AIDA are more likely to leave the cruise industry now than to renew Carnival's partnership, me thinks... So, now that Europe is mainly an MSC plus American mainstream and Premium lines sort of thing; me thinks Costa has its fate well marked for the next 5 years to come: It will be finished and her ships redeployed as "Carnival Fun Italian Style". Perhaps some of them will ultimately to be redeployed for the classic mega-ship European itineraries... But I don't expect something else other than that. Europeans want Premium, not baseline, this is the trend here. Carnival group will need to adapt things out. I see ships like the brand new Princess Sun as having a huge success here. Not so much for the Costa product anymore.

May I come in? For the ones that don't know me I'm more prevalent on the MSC boards, once that is my cruise line now, with a presence on the RCI boards occasionally once I have gone once with them. There seems to be a trend here on CC across all boards that will be good to follow largely on the society: People want to upgrade their cruise experience on a cruise less but cruise better sort of experience. Similarly all cruise lines wish to have newer generation cruisers, while on the other hand handling short of badly staffed ships... TBHH: It won't be so difficult for the baseline mainstream companies like CCL, RCI, NCL, MSC to bring along a whole set of new sailors, especially on the exploding short weekend getaway cruise market... But now how will the upmarket lines to react? Princess and X are somewhat going on the same way the baseline mainstream ones are heading, just on more refined way. Upper market ships are also smaller than the baseline mainstream ones too. I'm curious to see where this will lead us eventually. On one thing I'm almost certain: Apart the brand new occasional cruisers out there nobody seems happy with the direction the cruise industry is heading, or at least not here on CC, even though CC only represent a tiny fraction of the cruise industry clients... Personally count me as one more on the "cruise less + upgrade cruise experience" crowd.

...And sadly; my take on it is that, no matter if true or false, this guy just wanted his 15 fame minutes... And he may very well to have them...

Well: Some of those influencers are just being "full of themselves". And they're getting as "fuller" as direct social media revenue diminishes. At least some of those social media are now moving for personal subscription business. Want more money? Capture your viewers, please! That said those small things can happen: MSC or otherwise. Once in Barcelona cruise terminal, embarking from an MSC sponsored shore excursion, one the port's authorities security guys tried to steal my smartphone from me... Blocked by one of the ship's Israelis security whom was at the near be!... TBHH: Those things happen!... No need to come as excited as it can be to the social media over those happenings!... Just beware of your belongings and be nice and patience to the ones serving you makes the trick for a happy day!...

It used to be a star; maybe they have replaced with a larger circle on the international site? The Portuguese variation of their site is very outdated, so I can't help you more!...