Heartgrove

For seven years I have used the plastic bag holders with plastic straps without a problem. The only issue is getting the tag through the strap loop. I thought that I would change to the wire cable ones for our last cruise. Of three bags one cable broke because the ferrel slipped off. Strangly enough the bag came tyo our stateroom with just the tag sitting on top and the cable missing. Changing phones soon and plan on adding on the Air Tags. Back to the plastic strap because the cable is not reliable!

With the change in itinerary announced, you may have better luck booking excursions if people cancel their cruise. The change for Edinburgh (Newhaven) does bring you closer to the city. The tender landing is by the Fishmarket and the tram line has just recently been extended to nearby. The stop is about a five minute walk. The tram will take you to the Princes Street stop. The "Royal Mile" is then about a ten minute from there.

Last October we cruised on the MSC Spendida from Genoa. We also stayed at the Grand Hotel Savoia. It is very convenient to the train station. Yes, the guard at the gate will tell the cab driver where to go. The guard will also ask to see your cruise confirmation paperwork so have it ready. We didn't. The day we left, the MSC Seaside was in Ponte dei Mille while we were in Ponte Andrea Doria. When we returned MSC Poesia was in Ponte Andrea Doria and we used Ponte dei Mille to disembark. It seems that there is almost a pecking order as to which ship uses the piers. We will once again be in Genoa in November 2024 for the MSC Divina Grand Voyage to Miami. Looking over the rooftops at the MSC Seaside. MSC Seaside at Ponte dei Mille. Looking at the basin of Stazioni Marittime Genova from MSC Splendida MSC Poesia at Ponte Andrea Doria on our return. MSC Poesia at Ponte Andrea Doria MSC SPlendida at Ponte dei Mille

@grapau27 Happy Birthday, Graham!

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! Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

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! Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

On our last cruise two of our three bags arrived after we had gone to dinner. Surprisingly the one bag that came in the afternoon had the baggage tag just laying on the bag, not attached. I am sure that it will showup. Not ttrying to offend, but you don't have any restricted items packed? If so, security will hold it until you need to claim it.

I don't use a travel agent but I do have a HAL PCC. Anytime there is a change to the booking, a new confirmation is generated and I automatically receive an updated copy of the booking. But the OBC is one lump sum. But for comparison I recently was on a MSC cruise in Europe. My booking confirmation paperwork had everything listed as a line item. I knew exactly, for example, what each OBC was for. There were individual sheets of paper for each passenger as well.

Yes, MSC excursions are very reasonable priced!

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! Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

I carried my full kit on a trip to Sudtirol, Italy in 2019 before a cruise. To carry everything I used my Lowpro Pro-Tactic backpack camera bag. It is the one that accepts the Molle accessories. It fit a Sony A65 (since retired and replaced with a Sony A6500), a Sony A6000, five lenses with accessories, and tripod. On the two straps I attached two Peak Design Capture Clips. With the Capture Clips I was able to carry two lenses and one camera securely across my chest so that I could change leses/cameras without accessing my bag.

MSC Preziosa at South Queensferry, Scotland 16 September 2023

Reduced deposit, $200.00 OBC, double Voyager Club points, and ability to change booking dates including to different cruises.

From Roma Termini to Firenze S.M. Novella is 1H 36M by Trenitalia Frecciarossa trains. About every half hour, plus Italo trains are scheduled in between the Trenitalia trains as well.

MSC does not have benches on the Promenade Deck on their ships for life vest storage like HAL does. Nor do they have Deck Chairs on that deck either.

We were recently on a 10-night cruise from Hamburg and the last night was a "Mediterranean-Themed" night. Instead of the menu from the QR code, we were given special paper menus.

A little history. I called the regular number to find information about a future Grand Voyage. A few days later I received a cold call from the concierge. Mentioned to him what I was looking for. The cruise was not finalized by MSC at that point but he kept on top of it. When it became available, he called us so we could book it. We have since transfered the future booking to him as well. Convenient to have a single dedicated contact.

Use the website to request a MSC Concierge. They should be able to handle your request without messing your reservation up. We have one now for all of our MSC cruises. We made a future booking while onboard and then transfered the booking to him when we returned.

European sailings do have the checkin time enforced. We sailed from Hamburg recently with a 13:00 checkin time. By the time we got to the cruise terminal from our hotel it was 12:00. Had to sit until they allowed us to get in line at 12:45. It went very quickly though and were on board within a half hour.

Have a Grappa for me after dinner while in Italy! - Jack

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! Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need. - Jack

Actually MSC does define the Embarkation Day as Day One on their website in the itinerary of their cruises. The other point is that MSC delineates their cruises by the number of "Nights" not days.

We were still traveling home as we added two days to our travel. It was in my email by the second day after disembarking.

Be aware that with the angled balconies that face forward are breezy while underway.

I wonder if it was the seal on the azipod like the Nieuw Statendam experienced last April 2022. That was due to inactivity during the Pandemic which allowed sea life to burrow into the seal thus leaking.