Motegi

Depends a great deal on the rules for each country.   
 

In November we were not allowed to leave the port area in Jamaica unless we were on either an MSC excursion or one of a limited number of government authorized bubble tours sold by certified tour operators at the port.   It is part of their tourist “Resilient Corridor” pandemic safety program.  We had elaborate plans to explore on our own but were not allowed and we were not notified until we physically tried to walk out of the port.  As it was too late to book an MSC excursion by then we ended up paying even more for one of the local bubble tours.  It ended up being a glorified van ride around town where we weren’t even allowed to leave the vehicle for photos.  This was even before Omicron.  I can’t imagine what things are like there now. 
 

Rules are changing constantly,  What may be allowed this week may not be by next week.  
 

Check the official government websites for each of your ports of call to see what the current rules are.  MSC doesn’t have control over what is or isn’t allowed right now. 

With the pandemic I wouldn’t expect to see anything until about a month or two before your cruise.   Also I wouldn’t be surprised if you have some itinerary changes between now and then.   Two of our upcoming cruises this year have had major itinerary changes already. 

36 minutes ago, FrostyJoe said:

Thank you. Can you just tell us when you arrived at terminal 10?

Our assigned window was 1:00-1:30.  We arrived just before 1.   We were onboard just after 2. Not YC, regular line.  Cabins were ready by the time we were onboard. 

46 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

 

TY for this... glad to hear the CD is good

Sad that Cirque isn't back. Hopefully they can become solvent and come back-- we saw them twice for dinner/show and it was a lovely evening both times

Will check out the band. Did you need reserv for seating or is the seating and tables changed?

Bar service?

 

When and how do they do temp checks? Do you have to go by a desk or certain officer?

Having seen one of the first Cirque shows to reopen in 2021 after the bankruptcy reorganization, Mystere in Las Vegas, we are confident that they will return to the ships once they are at full capacity.  Cirque needs to ensure profitability so they are targeting the larger venues with bigger profits right now.  

We really enjoyed Cirque’s “Sonor” in the Carousel Lounge during our last cruise before the pandemic in 2019 and had tried to catch the other show as well but they cancelled the performances in the latter part of our sailing. 
 

For the MSC cast shows in the Broadway theatre we made reservations through the MSC For Me app.   The did scan our cards one night as we entered but didn’t for the other two.   There were plenty of empty seats for the late “fully vaccinated” show every night.   All seating was available with no mandated social distancing.  However most groups left two or more empty seats in between.  
 

For the Off The Record performances in the Carousel we did not make any reservations and there were a decent number of empty seats.  
 

All bars and lounges encouraged guests to be seated and a bar server would come to take your order.  Most seats at the bar counters were blocked off as they didn’t want passengers congregating there.   Things did get a bit confusing at certain areas like the Banboo pool bar where we tried to grab a drink while passing through.   Apparently there was an informal queue to the right of the bar which we were not notified of until we noticed that we had been bypassed by the servers several times for people who had walked up after us. But as soon as we walked over there we were able to order.  Certain bars did run out of some selections throughout the cruise which we felt was odd for the very small number of people onboard.   For example Baileys and Disarono Amaretto were in short supply at many bars.  Coke Zero was out of stock sometimes as well.  Many of the bottled beer selections in the Pub sold out and some of the wine by the glass selections in the MDR were no longer available.  However, for the most part the bar staff would make every effort to locate those items even if it meant that they would have to run to another bar to retrieve a cup of it just to prepare our drinks.   The level service onboard this cruise was above and beyond all expectations. 

For the temp checks, as we had in Divina in November, there are staff stationed outside the dining areas at breakfast who will scan your cruise card and check your temp with a wireless IR thermometer.  For this reason, the flow of passengers at the buffet has been made one way with entry through the center and exit from the sides.  I would assume that if you are febrile the would then direct you to the medical center for an antigen test.   However we were always normal temperature.   If you miss the morning temp check you can ask them to check at lunch.  They were able to check us at the YC Concierge desk as well on Divina.   

We were just on Meraviglia this week.  All five of us took at home antigen tests 3 days before our cruise with the thought that if any of us came back positive we would utilize MSC’s Cruise with Confidence program to reschedule.  By the time we would get the mandatory official 2 day tests it would have been too late per the programs rules.   Luckily we were all negative with the at home tests.   We were also negative on the official tests at the free county testing site the next day.  
 

Just beyond the security X ray station at Port Canaveral we were placed in line for MSCs newly added mandatory pre check in testing.   There were lots of testing bays but it still took a while to get through the line.   Once the samples were taken (they go pretty deep) we had our vaccine cards and 48 hour negative test documents scanned.  Then we were ushered to a very crowded waiting area sorted by test group.  We were practically seated on top of each other there.   Attendants then periodically scanned our bar codes to check if our results were ready.   It probably took 10-15 minutes for all of us to be notified of our negative results and then allowed to proceed to the check in counter. 
 

We did see at least one group who was notified that they had a positive result at the terminal testing.   They were pulled aside and given information on who to contact for a refund/reschedule to a later date.  They were told that their checked bags were being retrieved from the ship as well.  
 

There was no additional mandatory testing once onboard.   They were still performing daily temperature checks and had activities and areas  onboard sorted for vaccinated/unvaccinated.   Masking was required indoors when not eating or drinking and masks were provided for each cabin on embarkation.

2 hours ago, quattrohead said:

Hi Motegi,

How is the Meraviglia ?

Thinking of doing one of the weekend cruises in February to check her out, looks lovely.

Meraviglia is a beautiful ship.  The entire ship emphasizes the interior space on decks 6 and 7.   We’ve been on Mera twice.  I think you two will really enjoy it.  
 

The Sky Lounge on deck 18 was a nice quiet place to relax with a great view.
 

The cruise director, Sara, was wonderful.  Way more polished and enthusiastic than Monica that we had on Divina in our opinion.    
 

However, we aren’t sure if it was because of Omicron, but there seemed to be far fewer activities and musicians onboard than we had on Divina.  We did not have a Voyagers party during our cruise and there weren’t as many trivia’s, dance lessons, or game shows.  And even with ~750 passengers onboard this cruise, because Mera is a much larger ship than Divina, it felt quite empty.  If you do decide to go I highly recommend catching the band “Off the Record” in the Carousel Lounge at night. It’s a great venue (lighting and sound made for Cirque du Soleil) and the band has a fantastic stage presence.  Their Disco themed performance was our favorite.
 

COVID protocols were much the same as we had on Divina in November with the exception that they have added an additional mandatory antigen test at the terminal before check in.  Daily temperature checks were still in place.   There also seemed to be better adherence to masking indoors among passengers. 
 

The level of service onboard was exceptional once again.  We also heard some of the crew from Divina just transferred onto Mera this month.  
 

The prices for Mera are incredible right now so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get onboard again before MSC takes her back to Europe in the spring. 

Just disembarked Meraviglia at Port Canaveral today.  We were one of the last off the ship.  They had several face recoginition stations but they had our group of 5 bypass the electronic terminals and manually checked our passports.  No lines.  Only took a few seconds.   Fastest disembarkation ever!

I’ve cruised on MSC four times in the Caribbean. Always presented my passport at check in but never was held.   Simply verified and returned.  

When we were there in late November on Divina we stayed at Ocean Cay overnight as scheduled.

Will be on Mera next week and scheduled for overnight.  We'll see how it goes!
 

P.S. Maybe Mera's Captain is less comfortable departing OceanCay in the wind?

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

If the numbers are accurate and last week's Meraviglia had 169 crew members and 60 guests test positive, I wonder what the threshold number is for the CDC to turn her red? 

 

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/

 

 

I was wondering the same.  Seems like there have been spikes on many ships now mirroring what we are seeing across the country.  

May not matter too much soon though since the CDC's Conditional Sail Order will be allowed to expire on the 15th.  

Divina just switched mid cruise from their Central America itinerary to Western Caribbean after being denied entry at multiple ports due to COVID numbers onboard.

The Mexican government has recently decided to allow all cruise ships to dock as long as COVID positive passengers and crew remain quarantined onboard.  
 

Wherever possible I think we will be seeing more Mexican ports being added in place of other Caribbean stops that are being denied.  

I read from multiple people onboard right now that there was a tragic incident today.  Initially it was announced by the Captain that there was a possible passenger overboard.  However it now appears that, tragically, the person had fallen from an upper deck into a lower deck and has subsequently passed away.  The ship is heading back at full speed to Miami so that authorities can board and conduct an investigation.  This may be another reason why boarding times have been pushed back. 

Day 11 - Falmouth

The theatre show was “Simply the Best” again tonight.  Please refer to my review of it from last week
 

Late night entertainment was the “Romeo and Juliet” game show again.  It was pretty funny last week so we went again but found that they had the exact same jokes and made the exact same situation occur.   Even the end result was exactly the same.   
 

Frankly, as frequent cruisers who have seen similar game shows with more spontaneous results and truly unpredictable and hilarious outcomes we think that MSC Cruise Staff didn’t have to resort to using the same gags and jokes and create the same “rigged” end result as before.  
 

We even talked to the couple who “won” the week before who told us that they knew the “fix” was in before they started the game.  They were told how it was going to go and what they needed to do. 

If MSC Cruise Staff are just going to run what is essentially a scripted show, it makes us not interested to see the same show again in the future.  

I’m not going to tell you what the gag is nor the outcome but you know if you’ve seen it already.  No need to see it again. 

Day 11 - Dinner at LeMuse 

This is a repeat of the menu from the 18th.   The only difference is that this does not coincide with the White Party like it did before.  So I was able to order the items I really wanted without fear of staining my clothes.  I’m a messy eater, BTW.

Our selections and ratings remain the same as the 18th with the addition of:

Ligurian Cioppino (not pictured) ****

French Salad: ****
Chocolate Soufflé: ****
 

Day 11 - Falmouth

A pic of Seashore sailing away.  

Empty pier beside us

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

What are Jamaican Patties?  

Think of an empanada with a flaky crust and Jamaican spices.

Day 11 - Falmouth

In a sudden mid cruise switch, Divina’s port of call in Jamaica was changed from Montego Bay. to Falmouth   All of MSC’s Montego Bay excursions were cancelled and passengers were instructed to rebook for Falmouth.   No official reason was given for the change.   I heard varied reasons such as Montego Bay already having 2 ships which meant that Divina would have to tender passengers ashore to Jamaican Health Department COVID restrictions prevented cruise ships from visiting there.  
 

This sudden change was a little disappointing for many of us as we had researched and planned activities around Montego Bay before the cruise.   So Pam and I decided that we would try to hire a taxi in Falmouth to take us to Montego Bay for the day.   Another couple we met had planned to do the same so we decided to split a taxi once we arrived. 
 

As we pulled into Falmouth we were surprised to see the newly christened MSC Seashore in port.  She is definitely a gorgeous ship and Pam and I are super exited to sail on her in just a couple months. 
 

Once the authorities cleared Divina around 10AM we made our way to deck 4 to disembark.  We met up with the other couple and made our way to the taxi stand.  Falmouth’s port area is quite spacious and designed well with plenty of shops for cruisers.  
 

Much to our surprise and disappointment the port taxi company salesperson told us that none of us were allowed to go to Montego Bay today due to COVID restrictions.   There were only a very limited number of destinations allowed according to her.  

Determined to find another way we decided to walk to the road to hire a taxi outside the port gates.  At the gate the authorities placed blue wristbands on each of us to indicate that we were visitors and told us we were only allowed to cross the street to a small fenced in street market.   Jamaican police were also there watching that we didn’t stray.  At this point the other couple decided that they had enough and went back to the ship..

Pam and I had our hearts set on eating Jamaican Patties from Juici Patties so one of the shopkeepers offered to go out and buy them for us.  We’re so happy she did because they were AMAZING!  

Pam and I walked back to the taxi stand and decided to just buy the Falmouth Highlights tour ($100 USD for up to 4 people).  The salesperson said we would be stopping for photos at multiple spots as well as have an opportunity to buy souvenirs and have lunch.  So we boarded a van with 3 others and headed off.  
 

Our driver was David “Big Bird” of Big Bird Tours who said it was his very first day back on the job since the pandemic. Apparently Falmouth had only just been reopened for cruise ships one week prior.  
 

Falmouth itself is quite impoverished and David said that there weren’t many sights to see so he would be taking us a little further out.   He admitted that Montego Bay was open for travellers but that he was instructed that we were not allowed..  
 

We drove by St Peter’s, the oldest church in Falmouth, followed by the library, a school, the tax collector, and a couple other places and then headed into the Queen’s Highway out of town.  Most of the “sights” meant that we couldn’t leave the vehicle but were only allowed to take photos with the windows rolled down. 

We stopped at a small officially authorized gift shop outside of Falmouth that was seriously overpriced.   Coffee was $50 a pound.   Sangsters Rum Cream was $30 a bottle.  There were a couple of other businesses in the same complex but we weren’t allowed to even walk into them.  
 

David did take us to a nice Jamaican restaurant, the Jamaican Jerk Centre, that was not touristy at all.  All of the other patrons there appeared to be locals.   The jerk pork, Red Stripe beer, and other food was delicious and cheap!  
 

 
After eating we headed back and stopped at the base of the Martha Brae river where the bamboo floats were being collected.  We were able to get out and snap a few photos.  
 

There were a few more “pics from inside the van  only” stops on the rest of the trip back to the cruise port.  

All I can say is that Jamaica is very restrictive for cruise passengers at this time.   It’s not MSC’s fault despite what some very vocal fellow passengers were saying.  I also saw multiple fellow passengers taking out their anger on the local shopkeepers and the taxi stand salespeople.  These people have no control over the current restrictions.   Any of these concerns should be expressed to the local governmental authorities.  

Day 11 - Falmouth

Day 10 - Sea Day

i forgot to mention that we were awakened in the morning by some loud ripping/tearing sounds followed by machine grinding/polishing noises in the hallway outside our stateroom.  
 

Apparently they were changing out the hallway carpeting.  I didn’t think it looked very worn before but they must’ve felt that it was time for a replacement.  
 

I just wish we would have gotten a letter in our cabin about it the night before like they do when they wash your balcony.  
 

However, I will say that the carpet crew was extremely fast and the results looked fantastic.   Perhaps I could hire them to replace some carpeting at my house!
 

Anyway, here are the photos (First  is after they had taken out the old carpeting and padding, removed any adhesives and started to place the new padding.  Second is the completed result) 

Day 10 - Theatre Show

There was a nice presentation of the Divina’s senior officers and the Captain in the Pantheon Theatre.  
 

This was followed by another performance of “Autumn in Paris”.  It was better overall this week and the juggler didn’t have to struggle with rough seas.  

4 hours ago, SingBill said:

Loving your review.  Would it be too much to ask for you to find out the cost of Covid test onboard.  We wii be on Divina mid-December and doing a side to side over to Royal Caribbean and need to get tested. Thank you if you can but understand if I’m asking too much

From what I understood speaking to another couple who were tested at port on Sunday it was around $80 per person. 

Day 10 - Sea Day

Slept in a bit and skipped breakfast at LeMuse. Sorry Arthur!  
 

Instead, we went back to Aurea spa for some fruit smoothies followed by lattes at Caffe Italia on our way to morning trivia in the Jazz Bar.  
 

We teamed up with a nice couple from Texas but were just one point shy of getting the win.
 

Day 10 - Sea Day

Day 9 - Theatre Show

The evening performance in the Pantheon Theatre was Jordan Bennett and his critically acclaimed one-man “Feelgood Show”.   It was an  eclectic mix of comedy, show tunes, and easy listening hits.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Bennett

Day 9 - Ocean Cay Daily Planner