Georgia_Peaches

Did you just ask the concierge to arrange the car once you boarded or was this done in advance? May I ask the cost? We also have no refundable obc. This sounds like a great thing to use this on.

We also received that post card offer for a free veranda stateroom. I didn’t take it as a scam but I’m sure there are some caveats. Haven’t investigated yet. Anyone know the particulars? Can you upgrade to a suite?

Most people who take the time to post a review Do so because they have a complaint or ten. So I remind myself to take them with a grain of salt. Before cruising resumed to a sense of normalcy that was comfortable for us (no mask mandate or social distancing) we did a few all inclusive Vacays in Mexico. The resorts were great. We enjoyed the food, the drink, the beach, most of the entertainment but at the end of the day it wasn’t a cruise. September marked our first cruise since March 2020. It was pure perfection. To say it sparkled would be an understatement. It was pure brilliance. I think you have to lose something you enjoy in order to appreciate what you once had. I will never again take cruising for granted.

@SusieV do you recall what time passengers were able to disembark when you returned to Cali? Further, can you speak to how long it took to get through customs? Trying to figure out if we could make a 10 AM flight out of LAX if we were among the first to leave the ship.

IMO it’s just another reason I will continue to prefer the traditional S class ships.

I, too found MSC because NCL has priced me out of their suite market.

Wow! Until just now I thought I had no reason to visit the buffet. Guess I was wrong.

Didn’t have a problem getting a drink in a timely manner on Seashore back in August.

Casino slots and all retail venues as well. It’s like a stationary sea day.

To what are you referring?

Yes, I have looked in to this option as the new ship look beautiful and the all inclusive aspect is very appealing. I've priced out a 10 night Alaska cruise for 2023 and it's currently just over 10k...not terrible when considering the per person/per day breakdown but still pricey.

Love to see that MSC are expanding their fleet in the US. However, I would have loved it even more if one of those ships was earmarked for Alaska. Hopefully soon.

Do you know if the YC restaurant is closed as well?

Got it. So then it's not as much the law or jurisdiction as it is the cruise line policy. Not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand. Were I a parent of a 18-20 y/o who wanted to enjoy a beer or wine while in my company on a cruise and I couldn't sign a waiver on Celebrity due to their policy, then I might be inclined to find a line like NCL or MSC who does have such a waiver.

huh...interesting. We met a family on MSC who were traveling with their 19 y/o daughter. She was allowed wine when with her parents because they signed a waiver. We sailed from MIA.

https://www.hangoutbeachbar.com/ wonderful open air beach bar. We ordered some burgers to go and sat at the bar to watch the view while we waited. This bar is on the golf cart path. Highly recommend both if you go there!

I took the op to mean children, ie 15-17 y/o. Something my teen girls would have attempted. The 18-20 crowd are not kids in my book. They are young adults and I believe a waiver can be signed allowing them to beer and wine.

The big one at the shopping center down town. Can’t remember the name.

I agree but the self serve is very convenient if you’re looking to grab and go. DH and I helped ourselves to a few waters and beers to take with us when we stopped in Bonaire. Our butler gave us some ice. We put all this in a backpack and had a picnic on big rock overlooking the water.

Oops. I missed that. Thanks!

May I ask how long ago this was? Just wondering how their protocols have evolved since your experience.

We loved our YC experience On Seashore. As a matter of fact, we’ve booked another experience for Meraviglia for November. It was really, really nice being escorted on board on embarkation day. We were taken to the YC lounge and greeted with a ready made cocktail. We then proceeded upstairs to the restaurant for lunch. Such an awesome way to start to the vacation. Our bar tenders in the YC lounge learned our likes very quickly. After only a day they knew I liked to start with really cold sparkling wine followed by an espresso martini after dinner. We also enjoyed the live music in the YC lounge. DH and I had the dance floor to ourselves every night. I’m not sure why others didn’t dance but we had a blast. On our last night, some of the wait staff from the restaurant came down after dinner service and danced with us. DH and I have been taking dance lessons for a while so it was fun to put our new skills to work. However, many of the waiters had amazing dance moves. It was a blast. In all, we were totally spoiled. They took excellent care of us all week. We are pretty low maintenance but from the butler to the concierge, I felt like everyone went out of their way to make sure we had a great vacation. You are right to be excited! Enjoy!

We took several self tests with us on our seashore cruise. Our plan was to self test in the event that we started feeling ill. Fortunately we didn’t need the tests. But in the event that we were Covid positive, our plan was to self isolate in our cabin. We had no intention of being tested by the ship’s doctor. I guess that’s a personal call for each individual. My understanding is that if you test positive through official channels, you are required to isolate within your cabin.

If true, another example of punishing the masses for the misdeeds of a few. If minors getting their hands on alcohol in the Retreat lounge was an issue , then it was incumbent upon the parents to do a better job at parenting and Retreat lounge personnel doing a better job of monitoring who was helping themselves. No different than a bar tender having the responsibility of carding individuals who appear to be under age. Having said all that, on Silhouette there was self serve beer and soft drinks in the lounge. But that was in 2019.

Is this ship the sister of the Meraviglia? I’m definitely intrigued by the animated ceiling. We are on Mera in November. Looking forward to seeing for myself.