morrieb1

I asked the parking company to confirm....and they did

Question:  

Reply this morning:

no.

I'm a solo traveler MSC convert who loved the Divina so much that I cruised it twice last year and am going again in October.  Let me caution you that the 48 hour cancel is cancel and shift funds to another cruise - not cancel for a refund.  My comparison is primarily to Carnival because thats the only other line I've been on so far post Covid.  And let me start by saying I felt very safe on MSC last November - they were serving us at the buffet - running temperature checks each morning - and apparently still, the ships are nowhere near full which is always a nice thing.

What I like - the staff is amazing - they have that Carnival happy to see you/ wanting to please you vibe happening.  The food is good - its not all italian but they definitely do a better job with seafood/poultry/pasta than they do with beef.  Their Lido coffee is excellent compared to other lines, and I was particularly happy with their breakfast buffet selections which ranged from greek yogurt to a coldcut/cheese bar.    The ships are lovely,  plenty of pool areas if you like that sort of thing....plenty of indoor spaces to sit and read or chat with other people.  I found their trivia a lot of fun and not overly competitive (no prizes in most cases) - enough other activities to keep me amused - and their drinks and wifi deal is generally less than just buying the internet.  Cabins are clean, beds are comfortable.  I thought their excursions were good and tended to be a bit less expensive than other lines - and the same for the drinks (though I now always book with the drinks/internet included). 

What I wasn't so keen on.  There are mirrors everywhere - occasionally I'd be startled by seeing myself unexpectedly.  The entertainment is not big production shows - it tends to be singers and dancers with some acrobats sprinkled in.  It's fun, they are talented, but I've often left wondering what exactly the theme was as the song selection is a bit disjointed.  Their customer service precruise is hit or miss, and although Guest Services onboard always tried to be helpful, I had a bit of trouble with accents at times - but considering how many languages these folks need to speak - that's on me not them.

Definitely do the status match - and one other oddity is that you should check the price of the two cruises individually - I've often seen them be cheaper to book that way, even if you have to switch cabins between trips.  

My own tip is that there are less than 125 oceanview cabins on the Divina.  So I book a Bella oceanview guarantee and see what happens.  Last time I ended up with a lovely balcony that would have ordinarily been an Aurea.  

I cruised Alaska in an inside cabin a number of years ago because it was all I could afford.  Right before COVID I cruised the Legend/Glacier Bay and chose a balcony.  For me, it was worth every extra penny.  Yes, there are plenty of outside decks for scenery/wildlife viewing, but the weather even mid-summer can be cold and or wet, and I'm not keen on standing outside in freezing rain.  I find that in rough weather, I need a view of the horizon to be comfortable, so an inside cabin doesn't work well. With the exception of when I've been very far aft or forward - I really haven't noticed a difference in cabin movement so I wouldn't stress too much about the exact location.  

But if its at all possible in your budget, I'd book the balcony.  With so many hours of daylight and so much of your cruise being close to shore......there's almost always something to look at and its much more convenient being able to do that from your cabin.

I actually like Nassau.  You dock quite close to downtown.  If you are into history, the government buildings are interesting and its easy to get around, particularly with a map. https://www.gpsmycity.com/tours/nassau-introduction-walking-tour-4088.html

If you like rum, the John Watling Distillery is walking distance from the pier and has a free tour.  https://www.johnwatlings.com/

Shopping is, imo, about the same as any other cruise port.  If you are a beach person you would probably be happier with an excursion because the one close to the dock is not particularly great.

Can't help with the menu on a three night, but whether or not you find the food to be disappointing is, I think, a bit subjective. For example, recently I was happy with the main dining room food but disappointed by the Steakhouse on my Carnival cruise (not the Conquest, however).   Firefly is right about bringing on a bottle of wine - actually I think that because there are two of you, you can bring on two bottles.  Just be sure you carry them with you rather than having them in a checked bag.

One thing about the Conquest (and most Carnival ships) is that one of the dining rooms is in the middle of the ship so you can't get from one end to the other on decks 3 or 4.  That tends to confuse people.

Capacity - I don't think Carnival is restricting capacity the way some other lines are.  My January cruise (seven night) was about 70% capacity....maybe you can ask on a recent sailing roll call or find a recent review to see the passenger load Conquest has had.

Congrats on the aft and have a great trip.

I returned on the 30th and due to rough weather on the return we didn't dock until 11 and didn't start debarkation for self-assist until probably 11:30.  I was Group 1 with luggage (Platinum) and we didn't get called until noon.  Alter Diem and Accidental String were both on my sailing and can confirm that Dara was leaving on the 30th to go home.

So as CookieShip said, its definitely weather dependent if you are cruising in the winter.

If I don't have my heart set on a particular cabin, I book Bella.  Part of the reason is that if the price drops after final payment I can change to Fantastica - its an upgrade so they'll do it without hassle and give me any additional overpayment as OBC.  I am Bella on my upcoming cruise and was able to choose my dining time online.

Yes they are......I just got off the Legend yesterday and was wishing it didn't take me seeing your post to check them out.....too much music, too little time, sigh.

On 7/2/2021 at 12:33 PM, crewsweeper said:

This is my trick when in ports where you can buy booze and craft beer outside the cruise terminals.

Just don't try to bring a large amount.  1 or 2 bottles or a sixer.

On 7/2/2021 at 11:26 AM, sassy0930 said:

Back in the day we may or may not have simply NOT stopped at the "turn in your booze" table when coming in from port. They see it in your bag and ask you to turn it in, but if you get back in a crowd it's easy to just keep walking. Not condoning or anything. Just saying. Then you're not paying tax on it either...

And I may or may not have always bought extra in port so that I could follow the directions and turn one bottle of booze in when I returned while keeping the rest in my bag.

13 hours ago, mikebisch said:

Is landing in Miami at 120pm too late?

If you travel carry-on only and catch a cab to the port (20 minutes) you'd be there by 2 pm.  Assuming its Carnival - you must be onboard no less than 60 minutes prior to the published departure time, which probably means 3:30 - 3:45 at the latest, allowing for check in.

It comes down to the level of risk you are comfortable with.

On 1/4/2022 at 8:30 AM, mscdivina2016 said:

People on board have posted they were at OC yesterday.

 

The issue is the 3 day covid tests for Bahamas, so as long as the ship goes there first, there is no testing done as its only a few hours away. Those that have OC at the end of a cruise may have an issue

No - that's not what the issue is.  If you look at the US Embassy in Bahamas page it notes that cruise passengers are permitted to debark if the cruiselines processes have received the approval of the Bahamian government.  (I'm paraphrasing because my memory is not all that, but I promise that if you check the link and choose Bahamas, you'll see what I mean about two thirds of the way down the visit requirements under Entry by Sea). https://bs.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

All ships need to report the number of covid cases onboard to the local port authority prior to getting permission to dock.  If the authorities feel that the number of cases onboard pose a risk to the island, then they will not allow the ship to debark passengers.   And its not just a static number of cases - I'm pretty sure the port authority takes into consideration the number of cases they already have on land when assessing risk. That's why its hit or miss whether or not a particular ship docks at any of the Bahamian islands, private or not.    

On another forum someone posted a screenshot from their phone that they couldn't cancel.  But I could cancel the same cruise from my PC just about the same time.  So I'd suggest if you aren't able to cancel from your phone - try to do it on a regular computer.

I can't give you an answer to that question, but I can tell you that I learned last week if you ignore the wait time message and just stay on the line eventually you reach someone.    

56 minutes ago, pghflyer said:

anyone figure out if the ports blocked the ship because they are blocking all ships OR did they block just this ship because of some particular reason/ statistics?

Aruba blocked them because of covid onboard - they decided not to try Cartegena  because they assumed they wouldn't be permitted to dock.  There is definitely COVID among the crew and passengers according to a crewmember that I message with regularly.   This article talks a bit about what's going on https://www.cruisehive.com/msc-cruise-ship-issues-additional-testing-for-guests-itinerary-adjusted/62974

I had that credit (price drop after final payment made) twice in the past few months.  Both times although it was listed as On Board Credit I was unable to use it while cruising - I had to wait and get it refunded to my credit card once the cruise was over (I'm waiting on the second one actually).  I did call MSC to see if I could use any of my OBC towards excursions or anything else before the cruise - and they told me no - I had to wait till I was on board.

So it sounds like perhaps their policy has changed re using OBC before you sail, and thats good.

What you might want to do is see if you can make a change - maybe upgrade your cabin or your "experience".  That would result in a cancel/rebook and then you'd be able to get the new price.  (Like if you were Bella - upgrade to Fantastica).  

On 12/16/2021 at 11:47 AM, Eli_6 said:

We are needing to test two adults and two kids.  I started at 7 am and it is now 10:30 and only three of us have managed to test and we have been attempting to test this entire time on multiple different devices.  In total, I think we are at 7 or 8 attempts at trying. (And my husband is a physician so we aren't exactly unaware of how to take one of these things.)  Four times the person on the online program could not read our license/ID because they said we had poor camera quality.  (My husband and I both have $1500+ phones that are less than 6 months old.) Each time, we had to start our "wait" over again.  I have had the internet connection cut out after a test was opened and couldn't get them back on. (Thankfully, I did buy two extra tests.)  Some of the people who help you are difficult to understand and use incorrect words---like telling me to hold the card backwards when she meant to hold it away from the camera.  One guy told me to "calm down" when I was perfectly calm.  Then he told me to "quiet down."  I finally figured out that he was trying to tell me to turn the volume down on my phone . And I still have one more kid to do.  Sigh. Long story short: I wish I had driven to one of the Walgreens that does the 24 hours results rather than going through this. I didn't do it because the closest one that provides 24 hours results me is an hour away, but it would been easier than this.  

 

Definitely, if you do the Abbott Binax test, be 100 percent sure to buy extras.    

I agree with you.  I began with my desktop and the proctor couldn't get a clear picture of my passport - I tried my drivers license and the same issue.  He said I should log back in on my phone - I did, and the new proctor couldn't get a clear picture of my drivers license for about five minutes - then he had me open the test kit and the service disconnected.  Fortunately, I called back from my desktop, the next proctor allowed me to continue - but it was still an effort getting an adequate scan of my license.  From that point forward it worked just fine.  I had plenty of light (even focused an additional lamp in the area to act as a ringlight) and it still took three different proctors to get a clear scan.

I run Verizon FIOS at home, have a Logitec webcam, and my phone is a Samsung A71 5G.  So I don't think its user error so much as the varying adequacy of the equipment/person at Emed.  If I ran the company I would have the ability for a user to attach his identification document to his log-in profile. Then the proctor could visually check the picture against the person taking the test and the "poor camera quality" wouldn't be an issue.  This is a relatively new technology and I'm sure things will improve over time.  So I'm not criticizing the test - I'm just supporting the OP because I too had issues with my test and not all of the proctors had particularly good "people skills".

I've cruised on Divina twice in the past three months.  Both times I arrived before my listed boarding slot due to transportation timing.....both times I was able to board upon arrival with no questions asked.  Even with the move to Miami - that should remain unchanged based on what I've heard from Meravigla cruisers.  So if the assigned time doesn't work with your schedule - don't worry about it - just get there when you can. Mind you, I suspect its different if you arrive so early that boarding hasn't yet begun.

I"m sorry I don't have the original document, but I am pretty sure that MSC was only providing it free for cruises departing through October 31st....and that's why the link is no longer out there.

4 hours ago, styles27 said:

Just boarded and it took less than 15 min, it went very smoothly. They gave us this at check in 

Thats exactly what I got......but I felt a bit awkward walking down cabin hallways that weren't on my floor  so I was grateful to learn about the Deck 7 option.

15 minutes ago, styles27 said:

Thanks we’re in an aft facing on deck 11 this Sunday on Divina 

Looks like we’ll be getting our steps in 😬

On about Day 4 a staff member suggested that I make the crossing on Deck 7  head aft  towards the Black and White Lounge and use the elevator in front of it.  That avoids the steps and keeps you from having to wander too far down cabin hallways.

On 11/6/2021 at 5:26 PM, styles27 said:

I believe an Italian theme night was also on our 7 day in 2019 but not sure if they’re still doing all of the theme nights now. Will be on Divina next Sunday. 
 

Someone here did mention that the White party was on their formal night which is a little odd. 

That was me - it was on a Divina 7 day in October.  But we had an itinerary change due to docking problems at Ocean Cay, so perhaps that also caused a formal night change.  However, I saw plenty of people in white formal wear and therefore I'm packing a white dress to be safe when I sail next Sunday.

And yes, there was Italian night but I didn't see too many people other than the waitstaff wearing red/white/green.

On 8/13/2021 at 11:15 AM, nw gardener said:

Can't remember the actual cabin number but it was deck 11 on Divina next to the outside stairwell.  Very quiet, stairwell rarely used, would get that cabin again for the balcony anytime.

That is 11297 - I had it a few weeks ago and loved it.  The outside stairs were handy for getting up to the buffet and pool areas. The only issue, as someone mentioned above is that you could only get to it directly from the elevator furthest aft.  Otherwise you needed to choose the floor above or below, walk to the rear and then take the stairs.  There is some sort of closed area on 11 starting a bit past midship.  They gave me a card with instructions at check in.

7 hours ago, tkwbear said:

I just cruised with RC last month. I had all my documentation and had no issues. They did not require an additional test at the cruise terminal.

 

I was excited about sailing with MSC on Saturday but now I'm almost dreading it. Their customer service group is worthless, they changed my boarding time back 3.5 hours for no apparent reason (along with many others). Yes, I've been told to use my original boarding pass (out of 7) but I don't want to anger their gestapo. I still have to do the COVID test online Thursday, which should go fine, but I am just tired of all the crap.

 

Saturday morning I will be sitting around the hotel lobby after checkout for 2-3 hours, something else to look forward to.

I speak from recent experience.  Use whatever boarding pass suits you best.  No one at MSC will know the difference....and I didn't see any gestapo, just a lot of people doing their best to get us onboard as quickly and easily as possible.

51 minutes ago, bones774 said:

Hi All, Jus spent close to one hour trying to get one of my cruises rebooked to another cruise, as per Total Cruiseflex policy. I got nowhere. The CSR is telling me policy has changed at the same time I am looking at their current webpage and directing he CSR to do same. I will lose my money for current booking. Waiting for a super visor to get back to me, considering this is MSC i'm not hopeful. At this point i am waiting till close of business for return call then calling my CC for a chargeback. Taking snapshot of their currently posed Cruiseflex policy which has been the same for months. If this fouls up I'm writing off MSC and advising anyone else i speak with to do the same. Just wanted to transfer one cruise payment to another

Anyone else encounter same? an other suggestions? Thanks

 My thought would be to call again and talk to a different rep.  I've been told by the good ones that there are a lot of new hires who don't understand the systems.  At least that's what I do if I don't like the answer - I just call back in and suffer through the 10 minutes of recorded information again.

2 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

not for RCI. RCI accepts an antigen test for unvaxxed kids upto 3 days. But it can not be done on the day of the cruise, because it interferes with the test RCI administers to kids at the terminal.

 

 

 

" I called both our school nurses. They talked to him. The nurse just so happened to have her book at home. She sent some other paperwork. He still denied it. "

 

what did she hope to achieve by calling the school nurse?

Thank you for the correction.  It's confusing because this was posted to an MSC board and MSC won't accept antigen tests for unvaccinated kids.    With the school nurse involved and the report that they "contacted someone who performed the test and wrote down the results", I'm going to guess that maybe the kids were tested at school by the school nurse, but that an at-home test was used, which probably isn't considered acceptable, as the school nurse wasn't considered a "CDC authorized lab".

In any case, it is a tricky time to cruise with unvaccinated kids, and this underscores how important it is to understand the details of what a particular cruise line requires.