showingdiva

50 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

I have been reading some negative feedback in other places about the lack of “premium” drinks. The discussion is around many past offerings disappearing from the menus.

 

According to the reports a number of the more expensive cocktails have gone from menus and the wine choices all favour the plus package $€£limits. There are (allegedly) so few above the plus limit people are questioning if premium is worth while now.

 

Anyone who has sailed recently have any thoughts on this? We always have premium and have been able to drink decent champagne by the glass and have the choice of some pretty good wines. Has anything changed?

 

 

 

Friends are just back from their first MSC cruise on Virtuosa to the fjords.   They had the premium extra package, and by their own admission had a fair amount of champagne and merlot.  They thought what was available in the package was far superior to anything they have had on other cruise lines in terms of both variety and quality.   When MSC discovered they were celebrating their 40th anniversary, a complimentary bottle of Moet appeared in their cabin.

9 hours ago, NewWestwardbound said:

Which cruise ships sailing out of Southampton are affected please?

6 minutes ago, NewWestwardbound said:

I think you have misread my posts. 

3 hours ago, NewWestwardbound said:

Do any of the CDC reports relate to sailings from Southampton? 

4 hours ago, NewWestwardbound said:

Any other ships from other lines?

Nope.    As has been said by others, if you have any anxieties for yourself or family / friends in the near future, all you can do is base your decisions on your own circumstances, stay safe and enjoy your cruise.

22 minutes ago, FannyLiz said:

I’m far from a cruise regular having done only one solo trip with Saga.  Before booking this cruise however I did a mass of research via forums, brochures and YouTube.

 

The one thing I did determine was that I did not want to go on any cruise where I had to timetable my day to be in certain dining rooms or theatres that

I had had to pre-book weeks beforehand.  I wanted to be able to eat and be entertained where and when the mood took me on any particular day. I did not want to queue or possibly not get the venue or experience I wanted because of over-booking.

 

This worked out perfectly on Saga and is why I have another cruise with them booked.

 

 

This sums up perfectly one of the main reasons I have strayed from P&O.   That said, nor did I think I would find myself straying from Arcadia to an absolute monster of a ship, but post-covid clearly fried my brain on that one.  

3 hours ago, NewWestwardbound said:

Do any of the CDC reports relate to sailings from Southampton? 

You've more or less asked this three times in the last nine hours.   Yes, they do as people have answered.    If you are sailing soon, there's only two choices - cancel, or accept that the cruise lines, mainly P&O at the moment, are doing the best they can, in a situation that they rely on others, namely their passengers, to observe good hygiene.

10 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

and Arvia now as well.

Someone who will be embarking reported on a live feed yesterday that Arvia's departure on Sunday had been put back until 7.30pm.

I watched her leave on the live feed, as Silver Dawn, which I worked on board on Tuesday, left behind her.

My colleagues are looking forward to welcoming everyone to South Queensferry on Sunday  (I'll be helping Seabourn Venture disembark in our other port).

24 minutes ago, mcoler181 said:

Much to the wife's dismay England are likely to be playing when we are on Virtuosa, I'm assuming they will show the Euros on board somewhere.

 

Is there a sports bar like on Seascape with loads of tv's? If not, any idea where they might show it?

Yes, it's on Deck 16, beside the bowling alley.   You may also find matches being shown in either Masters of the Sea or on the big pool screen 

That would irk me too.   I'm teetotal, but included in my drink package (MSC) is:

Non-alcoholic cocktails - there's about 10 to choose from

Fresh fruit and protein cocktails

Energy drinks

Sodas / soda by glass and bottle - Full fat Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite and Fanta

Flavoured water

Wide range of hot drinks

Soft serve ice cream - up to four flavours, sauce and toppings

(Beverage gratuities included)

No limit.  Cruising out of the UK, works out at £21 pppd

To be honest, I could think of much worse places than a relatively small cinema to be under - which is surely sound proofed anyway.  A large theatre, the buffet and the pool deck immediately spring to mind.  Given you are going to the fjords, you are unlikely to be spending much time in your cabin, save for getting ready for dinner and sleeping.   It was worth your call to P&O to see what alternatives there were.    I'm sure everything will be fine.

If you pre-book a specialty package, then yes, you are offered a set menu for each restaurant. 

Otherwise, if you book each separately on board, then it would be the full menu.

Hola cantina can only be booked on board - it's brilliant - and the all you can eat price of £17.99 is incredible value, as you can basically point to everything on the menu, desserts included, and say "one of each please".   You definitely need a couple of hours for there, and accommodating clothing.

It depends whether I have been on the particular ship before or not.   If I have, unpack, discover what is happening (non-P&O), have some lunch, watch the muster drill on the TV, book the evening's show.   If I haven't, go for an explore.

13 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

 

As another pale and pasty Scot I avoid too much sun as well. I never get a suntan, it just adds more freckles!

 

White - sun - lobster red - peel - white

I'd be in YC in a flash if I thought I could justify it.   But I can't.   So, a lovely Fantastica corner balcony it is.

The Virtuosa cruise that is returning to Southampton tomorrow have had fabulous weather in the Fjords, Flam and Haugesund in particular.

Although before they left Southampton,they were told the itinerary was changing, and instead of a day at sea followed by the Shetlands, they went to Zeebrugge and then a day at sea.

2 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

That's not always the case. There are plenty of people who can afford the Yacht Club but, for whatever reason, choose to not book it. 

 

Me.   Would never use the butler / concierge etc.   Hate where YC is positioned (high deck, forward).   Don't drink alcohol.  Don't need a separate deck to sunbathe, being very pale and Scottish 👻 

38 minutes ago, vwgolf2 said:

The cruise we're looking at leaves Southampton on 6th July. Scottish schools will have finished by then but English schools, at least where I live, won't finish for summer until 25th July.

 

Thanks for your reply; I do agree with your point about people wanting champagne for the price of lemonade. We see this everywhere!

Go for it and enjoy !

2 hours ago, vwgolf2 said:

My wife and I are considering a cruise on the Virtuosa from Southampton in July. We're seasoned cruisers (27 and counting) but never with MSC. I've read some online reviews and they are, quite frankly, pretty bad so I'm wondering what differentiates MSC in general, and the Virtuosa in particular, from the other cruise lines we've been on: P&O, Marella and Royal Caribbean mostly. The food and deck space are he most important aspects to us on a cruise.

If I'm honest, and having done three Virtuosa cruises, plus one on almost identical sister Euribia (and three more booked over the next three summers), I struggle to understand some of the reviews of her.   I "defected" from P&O but still cruise with Cunard too.

Cruising on anything in July, there's going to be a lot of kids - all four nations' schools will have broken up by then.  

The food has a Mediterranean aspect to it, although over the last few summers she has been based out of Southampton, there have been "British" additions.   Put it this way, I've never gone hungry.   The Market Place buffet needs avoided at peak times 8-9am and 12-1pm.   A lot of cruise lines have put an emphasis on paid for specialty restaurants.  MSC is no different.   Hola! tacos at £18 a head all you can eat is great.

Plenty deck space (even more if you are in Yacht Club).

One of the main problems I see is that people are expecting champagne at lemonade prices.    The ship is beautiful and very clean and the crew work hard (twice a day room servicing if that's important to you).

1 hour ago, amurray88 said:

Hi All,

I've read a range of posts about how to get to La Rochelle from the port. Alot are saying there is a free shuttle but others say there isn't.

 

Can anyone clarify please?

 

Thanks!

I haven't yet been on a ex-UK MSC cruise with a free shuttle bus.   Zeebrugge is an exception because the port don't allow anyone walking across it, so there is a bus to the port gate.   Expect to pay somewhere in the region of 10-15 return for a shuttle bus trip from the ship.   Tickets will be in your cabin the night before.   You just fill in how many people from the cabin require the bus and they add the cost to your ship account.

8 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

We'll  put YC on our list, but  we like to sail out of UK. 

 

MSC Virtuosa (including Yacht Club) out of Southampton, summer '24, '25 and '26.

MSC Preziosa out of Southampton winter '24 / 25 on loop of Hamburg / Rotterdam / Bruges / Le Havre

8 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Thanks for the 'heads up'.  The worst thing G.B. brought up about this cruise ship is the alleged 'thin' walls between cabins and being able to hear 'things'. I cannot imagine this demographic up til late hours doing anything disturbing that a couple raps on the wall with a Champagne bottle wouldn't stop immediately. Besides it may just be a delightful soiree hosted by a fellow CC poster fulfilling their dream vacation.

For what it's worth, I worked a couple of days on board Vista last year.   Absolutely delightful ship in all ways, engaging crew, happy passengers and beautiful ship.   Probably in my top 3 of all time favourite high end, boutique ships (and I've worked on lots, including the vast majority of the Oceania fleet).

19 minutes ago, abbeydoo said:

We lived and learned! 

As much as I love Virtuosa, I can think of so many reasons I would never have booked that particular 2-nighter.

It was a UK bank holiday.

It was a weekend.

The ship is actively marketed as a family ship.

It had been advertised by both MSC direct and multiple travel agents at a heavily discounted price for some considerable time.

These short cruises on all cruise lines have always been carnage.

The whole idea of the dining bedlam is to entice passengers into the quieter, paid for specialty restaurants (which are all very good).  MSC are by no means the only ones to do this.

I do hope you give them another chance on a longer 7 night + cruise.  

1 hour ago, JessicaB97 said:

Thanks for the input. Have seen the GP this afternoon, they’ve checked her ears, throat, chest, temperature and feel she is a perfectly healthy to be going on holiday. She has a slight red throat from coughing but feel it’s just a cold and her body is acting as it should be to fight the cold. No need for antibiotics and have assured me not to worry. 

Good news.   I've worked in the NHS for 25 years, and I understand the frustrations.

I hope you have a great cruise.

12 minutes ago, CCFC said:

A cold is a virus, anti-biotics will not help as they are anti bacterial. You just have to ride a cold out unfortunately.

You are absolutely correct.   However, if - heaven forbid - it did develop into something else into such a small child, on a cruise ship, away from the UK, if it were me I would be wanting reassurance and all avenues covered before I walk up the air bridge.

Would you not be better getting her seen before you depart, either by a GP or a pharmacist?   Then, if it was felt warranted, you would be given a few days prophylactic antibiotics.  The other issue being if you did have to see a doctor on board, your insurance company may not consider reimbursing the cost if you knowingly boarded when you daughter was unwell.

On 5/5/2024 at 1:00 AM, eroller said:

I would love to see a Deluxe Oceanview cabin on Deck One.  These have the two bathrooms.  I have one for a crossing in January.  

Me too, please.   Trying to justify that QA has no solo cabins and the 15% deposit.

Not trying to take this off topic, but Ambassador's Ambition is going to be an Edinburgh Festival event space for a few days in Leith from 7th August.   Disembarking / embarking "normal" cruise passengers at either end of the visit.

Rivals to P&O.  Anything in reality.   Depends what matters most to a potential passenger ... destination, size of ship, embarkation port, cost, etc, etc ...

As long as they're qualified  🤭