Heartgrove

The phones seem to be straightened out for the most part. Drove down to the phone center store and the old phones ARE STILL backing up photos! Now ithe "cloud" is attaching the original date that the photo was taken instead of the upload date so I am happy with that. A lesson to be learned is to not keep a phone five years without backing up. Some apps didn't transfer so arranging/rearranging that. Camera appears to be much sharper. One of the Utilities is a magnifying glass. That will be very handy in the future! Glad we did it!

I have the same issue with online vendors that use a third-party delivery service. Recently I bought something online that originated in PA, just up the coast from us. I tracked it received by the 3rd party shipper to sit for a few days then as it went to west to IL, sat for a few days, then back to PA. There it sat for four days until sent to MD. A few days later is shipped to the next town over to once again sit. After that to the USPS Regional facility in Richmond, VA. Then finally transferred to our local post office and carrier for final delivery the next day. This seems to be shades of wrecking the post office by the same postmaster installed by the last administration. It use to be mail it - and two days later you have it compared to now where it bounces around for over two weeks. It is a problem when I can have a package delivered (postage free! and not expedited) to my door in four days - from Japan which is half way around the world! - Jack

Just a poorly worded question to the MSC representative by the OP, if what was written in the posting as the actual question. Then to flame MSC with the posting title.

Thank you Rich, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here! With all of the issues with our phones, I didn't pay attention to yesterday's "Destination." Sue and I are scheduled to be in Kochi City aboard the Noordam on April 16, 2025. Thank you to all that posted photos yesterday. Back to the phone center store this morning to finish the upload from our old phones. I'm not expecting a big problem. Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

Thank you for posting. I saved my menus, including breakfast and lunch, from our MSC Preziosa cruise in September. We actually had a special menu for dinner on the 10th night.

@StLouisCruisers Thank you Sandi for the Drink of the Day!

Thank you Rich, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here! After having our phones for five years, we purchased new phones yesterday but it didn't go as smoothly as it should. We are somewhat tech savvy - but! Going from an Android Phone to an I-Phone, but that is not the problem. The lady that was helping us transferred our stored data to the new phones. It was taking twice as long as she had predicted though. Three trips back to the store and it still wasn't completed for both phones when she had completed her day at 5:00 pm. Sue brought the phones home as the lady said they would continue to load overnight. Here is the problem. The lady has a day off. She loaded my stored data on Sue's phone and vice versa! Sue has my contacts and photos and I have hers. Plus mine doesn't work. So another trip or - three tomorrow to get it straightened out. All because my SIm card stopped working last month on my old phone while on our cruise. Hope everyone has a great day! Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

Agreed! Barcelona is one of the smoothest embarkations.

Thank you Rich, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here! One week before we Amtrak-it to NYC for our Carnival Venzia cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. Looking forward to it! Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

If eating in the buffet, it will be crowded for seating at the entry. But in the rear seating should be available.

Thank you Rich, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here! Happy Halloween! Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

Have a MSC Concierge assigned to you. We did that just before our second cruise to confirm our booking and have since booked the fourth cruise with him. The third cruise was booked while onboard but I transferred that booking to the concierge when we returned home. I had called the General phone number to see if any information was available concerning a Grand Voyage in late 2024. About three days later the concierge called me to see if he could be of any assistance. No information was currently available but he phoned again about two weeks later and thus we booked the fourth cruise.

I believe that any recognition while on a cruise depends on the Captain, Hotel Director, and immediate officers. Some just do the minimum while others make it a memorable experience. And I will second the response that the best part of being 4* is free laundry!

The best thing to do is keep an eye open for true sales, not just the ones with a lot of hype. That means doing your homework and keeping track of fares over a period of time. Last year we had booked a cruise on MSC with connecting staterooms. We booked in early September to take full advantage of MSC's Voyager Club amenities. Their Black Friday Sale had a huge savings! That meant that we needed to do a complete rebooking. We had a very helpful representative that I ended up walking through some parts of the booking (we had a special fare code to be used) but kept the same staterooms., etc. We saved about $1,500! We only lost the double points in the Voayager Club with the rebooking.

I have heard that around 157 days out airlines are at their lowest for International flights. I haven't found that to be the case but it could be true. This year I happent find an unbelieveable airfare 218 days before the date we flew. It was RT in Premium Economy for $2,244.00 for three ($748.00/pp) IAD - CPH. Subsequent days after we booked I occasionaly check and found the same itinerary for up to $7,000+!

Thank you Rich, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here! Medications are taking effect so the tender and "hard" swelling is gone.Now it just feels like a 4" x 6" bug bite with the itching. So glad that I went to UC! Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

@luvteaching Karen, with you in spirit. It took one year when I lost my son. When it becomes an anniversary year date, it gets easier to cope. - Jack

We had less than an hour connection last year in Zurich on one of our trips. After losing luggage in New Zealand in 2007 for two days, I am cautious. I travel with a medium size check-in rollabout and a 35L backpack suitcase as a carry-on. In it I pack two days of clothing as well as cameras, toiletries and meds. I can at least survive for two days. The bags transferred and we did too without a problem in ZRH.

Well, back from Urgent Care. I was happy to see that they shuffled people quickly as there were eight patients ahead of me when I arrived. The Doctor was't sure if it was a wasp but agreed that something got me. Prescibed Silvadene as an antibiotic, and Dexamethasone as he was concerned about infection. Now to deal with CVS filling the prescriptions! Almost decided to wait on going to UC but glad I did now. Need to be well for our Carnival Venezia cruise in 12 days!

Thank you Rich, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here! A trip to visit Urgent Care is in my plans for this morning. It seems when I was washing Sue's car on Thursday I was bitten by a wasp without realizing it. I had felt a "pinch" by my waist but didn't think anything of it. Yesterday the area was pink with a head and today it is swollen so it seems like a severe reaction. About six years ago I had disturbed a wasp nest under a tarp outside. They chased me into the house! For that I received twelve bites on my neck and face. I guess that I am more susceptible to their venom now. Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

The two compression joints are the weak points. Silver soldering them may help. They are only pressed onto the cable. Using a plastic wire tie might be better. Someone needs to build a better mousetrap. 🙂

Just like Pre-Check in the TSA lines at times. Mostly early AM when business travelers are going through and the regular line is shorter.

We use a PCC versus a travel agent. Pet peeve of mine when people use TA as that is the accronym for a Transatlantic. Yes there are good and bad PCCs. In eight years we have had three good ones and about twice as many not so good. If they don't respond just request a new one. One time the supervisor went so far as to check phone and email logs. The major advantage to us is with a PCC we still have control of our booking instead of relinquishing control with the travel agent. The PCC will tell us when we have a Mariner rate or Casino rate. Not sure if a travel agent would do that with their fee based on cruise cost. I get all of the OBC I am entitled to with a PCC. Once you work with a dedicated PCC they learn your likes/dislikes.

I am booked on the August cruise and received an updated itinerary today via email. I thought the change was for both.

I misstated as the cable was still with the bag but loose. It was the ferrule that is compressed on the cable end that goes in the barrel that fell off, not the threaded portion.