frank808

CLS is a lot nicer than the YC1 suites for sure. The only suites that compare to CLS are the two story suites I have seen on euriba but still not the wow factor of a CLS. MSC two story YC rooms are smaller and are enclosed compared to CLS. Hope our cruising paths cross again. We will be on MSC for a couple Med cruises in October, then sailing the last Med cruise on explorer of the seas and staying on for her TA and the next 3 cruises out of Miami. Those last 3 cruises are long 10 and 11 day itineraries. Maybe you two can join us as we will be in your neigborhood? Stay safe and happy cruising.

When shares of RCL were under $20 we bought some. We have paid off 100 shares from just the OBC we have received on our cruises. Now will be working on getting OBC to pay for the next 100 shares. When dividends come back, it will make paying off the shares we bought even faster than just getting OBC for cruises.

Your passport and passport cards will come in separate mailings. There will be a tracking number provided by email when the passports are sent out. Then you will get a 3rd mailing with the documents you provided for passport. If you log back into passport website you will see if the passport has been sent. If you see the documents have been sent back notice, your passport was probably sent back a week before that date. Just got back our second GE renewal. It was within 48 hours of online application, got the approval for renewal with no need for an interview. Our first and only (thankfully) in person interview was done at Houston Bush airport. Scheduled a long layover from our HNL to MCO flight and did interview there. There was appointments available for all days and most hours. There was no interviews available at the HNL location for at least 9 months. This was about a decade ago, before covid shutdown, and appointments were already scarce then. Hope our paths cross soon. Wife and I are scheduled to do Med in Sept with MSC and then board Explorer for the TA and then B4B. Plan to return home in time for Christmas 2024. If god be willing we will be cruising a lot more in 2025 and forward. Have not cruised out of Port Canaveral since 2018. Pricing of RCL has been pretty steep and with Navigator out of San Pedro she has been our port of choice since restart from covid.

Just renewed last month and it took about 4 weeks.

Have and explorer cruise out of Miami over thanksgiving 2024 and could not get the single solo supplement code to work. Few cruises before and after this date the supplement was valid.

You forget the all important free internet (well at least to me) for the voyage. That is what I look forward to the most on hitting P.

It was right before covid in Jan or Feb of 2020 that D+ was eliminated from Concierge Lounge. I was on one of the first sailings this happened. At least we got to use the concierge lounge for a few times while not in a suite before the expulsion.

You are right about taking longer to make P. We started MSC YC about 2018 when we were about 200 pts into C&A. Have done about 10 more cruises with MSC YC in past 5 years. I love the YC space and pool on every class of ship (fav is Seaside class) EXCEPT the Europa we sailed last year. The ship is amazing (reminds us of Oasis class) but the YC pool area was small and the outdoor grill/bar was not on the pool deck. We booked a few YC cruises for Europe and the TA on MSC for 2024 but went with Royal instead for Europe and TA to hit P instead. Will sail MSC in early 2025 on Seaside and then see what to book after that. YC used to be a great price and now it has crept up in pricing...just like Royals.

Love that drone show.

The only Amex card I got this offer on was the Green Amex card. None on my Marriott Brilliant, Hilton Aspire, Blue Cash, Hilton Business or Marriott Business.

I have cruised 12 times with MSC on Seaside, Seashore, Divina and europa in Yacht Club. I will say it costs less than sailing Sky class on the Oasis and Quantum class ships. Though the YC1 rooms are about the size of JS on Royal. Cabin is not like a crown loft suite but the shower is the next best after the showers on Oasis and Allure. YC lounge and restaurant are larger than SL on Royal. Plus included drink package, wifi and spa access. No need to worry about chair hogs and such in YC. Still cruise Royal but have started to do more cruises with MSC now.

That many times on that seat with the drops going full blast, your rear end must have been sore. Or did you have some type of cushion? I went 20+ rounds with my son and I was sore. I can only imagine doing it 72 times. Must have been very few people riding that day that you hit 72 trips. At 5 minutes a ride, it would take 6 hours to do it 72 times! It took us about 7 hours to do the 20 something trips when we last rode it. Get off and walk back to the boarding area and wait 15-30 minutes in line to get back on. If our cruising paths ever cross on Labadee, we will have to get together and ride the coaster! A fellow kid at heart would make for some great times and laughs!

Bring a towel so you can fold it up and put it on the seat. Helped a lot when my son was small and we rode it over 20 times in one day. 😩

For explorer sailings in Nov 2024, Deluxe Beverage package is down to $47.99 a day. Lowest I have seen in over 4 years.

In a JS our cruises this month and got the white tubes. Since we are supposed to get upgraded bathroom amenities, room steward got us the Loccitane big tubes that GS and above have. Just had to ask this time but in prior cruises it was already done.

Yes still on Oahu. We just got back on Oct 4 from Alaska followed by TP to Hawaii. Love these long cruises with so many sea days. Met so many fellow cruisers in the DL. This was on Brilliance so took over half the vortex lounge every evening for happy hour. Met many like minded cruisers from all over the world. We had so much fun, that we are booked for the TA on explorer out of Barcelona next year. This is the best part of the DL. A place where like minded folks go that helps break the ice. I know one thing, that whoever is in lounge, we share the love of cruising(well maybe not everyone but 95%). No unlimited happy hour drinks but I still went to DL every evening to meet new and old friends. Have not found that kindred spirit on our 10 MSC cruises. Have made a few friends on MSC but not the same. Hope our cruising paths cross one day and I can finally meet you and bucky in person. enjoy Viking and Celebrity. A lot of our friends that cruise a lot have gone over to Celebrity. They tell me that the food reminds them of Royal of yesteryear.

That would be the biggest perk for me when we get there.

What is about the difference in price between Sky JS and JS on the same sailings?

Agree. RCL did not even finish the Concierge Lounge to Suite Lounge name change on all the ships. If they are going to change DL to Crown Lounge then something is coming up!

Just book business class roundtrip 😜

Yep with RCL crazy prices it is driving wife and I towards MSC YC bookings. I will say we are about 50/50 between RCL and MSC now. Although MSC has raised their YC prices it is still a bargain compared to Sky class with RCL. Wife and I just got off Radiance last week and it was great. Only had to fly one way to Vancouver and 6 wonderful sea days coming home. Sure beats even flying Polaris back home! Keep in touch regarding your HAL cruise here to Hawaii. When you stop in Honolulu wife and I would love to show you around. Just hope that we are on island when your ship docks in Honolulu. Stay safe and happy cruising! Frank

Pre covid,I have had refundable(travel agent) and non refundable OBC. MSC would use the non refundable first. I got cash for the refundable portion from the concierge. Withdrew the non refundable from the casino. This past June/July all my credit from the travel agent was non refundable (same TA as used for MSC previously). Maybe different OBC rules for European sailings?

Sure miss those double wide hallways. Have not been back on an Oasis class ship in probably 4 years or so. RCL doesn't sail that class out of the west coast much! Hope to cross cruise paths again with you and your wife.

Just off Radiance. JS and lower cabins are blue cards. GS and above is silver and P got gold cards.

Sounds like a conversation I just had in the DL this past week. Husband informed me that they just booked the April 2025 sailing of Ovation from Honolulu to Australia. I told him that he probably meant Honolulu to Vancouver as this is when ships reposition to Alaska for the summer season. He got agitated and replied I was wrong. Said he would show me the booking to prove it. I said no need to and enjoy his cruise in April 2025. Then excused myself to talk to other friends. Just avoided talking to them again for the last half of cruise.