Two Wheels Only

You can drop off luggage. Many people drop off luggage then park across the street. The bags are long gone before a person returns.

If they do have a "plus" coming, I'd hope that something like 25K points would be needed AND the benefits would actually be noteworthy.

I agree that Yacht Club or ever Aurea is not necessary to enjoy MSC. There are many Bella and Fantastica reviews where the reviewer had a great cruise. The "interloper" term is used to describe people who are in a place that they shouldn't be. It isn't meant to disparage people booked in other "experiences".

You can call and ask for the discount to be added. Make sure that you have your Voyager's Club number and DOB since the rep will ask for them. Before you hang up, make sure that the new total is correct (do the math yourself before you call) and make sure that you receive a new PDF in your email with everything correct. The discount is applied to the base fare, not to the taxes/port fees.

In reality, the server would most likely use the child's SDP to cover the adult's meal. Technically, not allowed but probably put through the system to cover the adult meal. If the choices are... Adult as #1 Adult as #2 Child as #3, buy soda package for the child. vs. Adult as #1 Child as #2, no need to buy a soda package for the child. Adult as #3 ...the second option is probably better UNLESS the child doesn't drink soda. For the OP, it's better to keep the child as #3. For other parents who intend to buy the soda package, the switch would probably be better.

If the child is booked as guest #3, the child doesn't get any drink package. The parents (guests #1 & #2) get the PBP and are charged the 20% service charge. If the child is booked as guest #2, the child gets the soda package and is charged the 20% on that package ($1.99 per day or $13.93 for 7 days). The parents (guests #1 & #3) get the PBP and are charged the 20% service charge. By making the child guest #2, the child gets the soda package for less than buying it if the child is guest #3. Once the age of the guest is entered, the service charge will adjust and can be seen under "details" near the total price. Making the child guest #2 would mess things up for the SDP since the child would have the dining package and guest #3 would not. However, if all 3 are dining together, the server will probably use the child's SDP to cover the adult's meal and would charge whatever the child ordered (if applicable) to the onboard account. In other words, if the child ordered from the kids' menu and the adults ordered steaks, there would be no charge.

As much as we like reading reviews from Yacht Club 1st timers, the adventure before the cruise might be even more interesting. Please, keep us updated with photos about the journey.

"...very old Carnival ship..." is a bit redundant. 😅

People forget poor old Jacksonville....😔

We had an excursion cancelled due to weather and it took 5 months for the refund. 😟

Is it because of the weather?

Encore doesn't have Spice H2O (no charge/adults-only during the day) but does have VIBE Beach Club (limited number of tickets sold/adults-only) and the Mandara Spa (limited number of tickets sold/adults-only). There is also an adults-only pool (area surrounding the pool is all ages) but that area is neither quiet nor relaxing. The Haven pool is all ages but the upper sundeck (outside of the retractable roof) is adults-only.

That's what I was thinking. Was there a change in the scheduled departure time and the OP never got the message? Was there confusion with reading military time (1600 isn't 6pm, for ex.)?

Amenities vary by ship so narrowing it down to a particular ship or class would help to give better answers. Not all ships have VIBE. Not all ships have a Spa. Not all ships have Spice H2O. Only one ship has POSH, etc. Which ship are you considering?

Is that where people go to die? 😁

I have good news and bad news..... The good news is that the deck plan for Joy has the PrivaSea symbol in many places where it doesn't belong.... ..and 10346 is not enclosed nor obstructed. The bad news is that 10946 is not an angled balcony so you might have to move to 10342 for an angled balcony (see thread below)...

I'm not expecting much as far as innovation with World Class 3-5. RCCL is in the lead and is pulling away as far as humongous Class ships. Even NCL is trying something new (Aqua Slidecoaster) after the 5 ships with the go-karts.

Why not try to get the launch rescheduled?

Depending on what you booked and when the cruise is, you can cancel and rebook. Your deposit should be refundable if you aren't past final payment date.

You have to click the right arrow to see the Yacht Club option.

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise-deals/promo-terms-and-conditions If there are any specific questions related to "experiences", just ask.

😝 On Meraviglia, I had a different experience.....literally and figuratively. It seems that a series of little things added up to make the cruise less than ideal. Many people prefer the Seaside/Seaside EVO class over the Meraviglia/Meraviglia Plus class. I tried Meraviglia after Seaside so I was prepared for a letdown. I wasn't expecting to like Meraviglia as much as I did. I would put Seaside Evo first, Seaside second, then Meraviglia as far as the MSC classes that I have sailed. I haven't sailed a Meraviglia Plus ship nor have I sailed on a World Class ship (World America, 2025), yet. Hopefully, you'll enjoy one of the other ships more. I would suggest Aurea or Yacht Club experience since assigned dining was an issue for you with Fantastica experience. I can't comment firsthand on the food served in the Aurea dining room (not all ships have one) but there might be a higher attention to detail with that experience. Yacht Club gives all of the condiments that you want...even butter. Aurea sundeck has towels there for you to use. You can take as many or leave as many as you want. Hot tub temperatures vary greatly by ship. Sometimes, it feels like cold water is being pumped in. Other times, you're sweating from the heat. I don't think that MSC has a standard temperature for their hot tubs. Thanks for the review.

Cabanas provide a bit more sun protection and privacy vs. the pergolas. The Seascape pergolas are a bit better than the Seashore pergolas but Seaside/Seaview cabanas are better than what's on the EVO ships. When I was on Seaside years ago, they were able to be rented for a fee. I'm not sure what they are doing now. It seems that MSC is now going for a "first come/first serve" tactic for cabana/pergola usage on the ships and no longer offers the extras that come with renting one for the day.

There are more available reservations that open on embarkation day. The issue is that there are thousands of people who could potentially be trying to book reservations just like you want to book reservations. That's why doing it as early as possible on embarkation day is the option if you missed the early windows (130/125/120 days before).

They mostly match the other Meraviglia/Meraviglia Plus ships.