brucevr6

This was our first experience with MSC after 21 cruises on other cruise lines , and I have to say , based on reading reviews here, I was a bit apprehensive. However, I can honestly say we had a great time, the ship was beautiful…and spotlessly clean…and I wouldn’t hesitate to sail with MSC again. That being said, there were a couple of things that I didn’t like so much, like the smallest shower I have seen on a cruise ship, and the weird closet design, but neither of those are very important in the scheme of things !! Our cabin attendant, Jati from Indonesia, was great, and it was really nice having service twice a day again!! The food in the dining room was generally hit or miss, with some dishes being really good and others…well, not so good. But we were never hungry and always found something good to eat even if only at the buffet. My attitude is that if I don’t have to cook it, or clean up afterwards, it has to be pretty bad for me to complain!! The entertainment was, bar none, the best and most consistent that I have ever seen on a ship. I’ve seen good shows on every cruise line, but to see 16 excellent shows in a row was something I surely didn’t expect. ( There was no show the first night, and we skipped one night because we were tired, so 16 shows out of our 18 nights ). The dancers and singers onboard, as well as the acrobats , ventriloquists and musicians, in our opinion at least ( all three of us agree), were exceptional in each of the nightly shows. Couldn’t have asked for more. Most of the time the buffet was busy, but not crowded. A few times it seemed like everyone decided to eat there at the same time, so a bit more of a challenge navigating the lines, but again, for us, not a problem. We were on vacation and didn’t have someplace else to be !! We liked the size of the ship, but are sure that even after all that time, there are places we didn’t discover. The water slide area was fun and bowling at sea was a blast too. Poolside entertainment was very good too, so no complaints there either. It was good to see that the crew took care to ensure that not many interlopers from the Yacht Club escaped into the general population, so that was a bonus too 😂!! The crossing itself was smooth and uneventful…calm seas and warm weather… like the other three T/A’s that I’ve done. It was kinda funny that at one port I was speaking to another couple who said they would never do another T/A because it was so rough. Go figure!! It’s a boat moving on the ocean, so yes, I felt some movement at times, but nothing I could consider rough. Slept soundly each night !! So, from my perspective, I would take most of the negative reviews with a grain of salt and just check it out for yourself. That’s the only way to know if this cruise line is for you. We had very little interaction with Guest Services onboard, and what we had was friendly and helpful. The photo department staff were especially friendly, and not pushy at all. The rest of the staff were a bit “ distant “ but they were friendly when approached, and efficient.

@JamieLogical For our upcoming cruise check in opened 30 day prior.

Hi @bruce85. When I had a problem with the app and website and couldn’t check in I just called. They took my information over the phone and sent my edocs while I was still on the phone. Said to just do the pictures at the port and register my credit card on the ship 😃. It was easy and only waited less than 2 minutes to talk to someone.

@RC DancersIf that’s truly what MSC is doing “ adjusting the experience level to reflect what people paid “, it’s surely a poor business model and I would doubt that the company would do that. Cut backs for overall cost cutting maybe. One reason for allowing upgrades is to give people a taste of the heightened experience hoping to attract a new customer to that experience. If they don’t see a big difference in the level of service or the environment in general, they probably won’t consider booking YC for future cruises. To assume that most people who upgrade are “ cheaping out “ rather than just testing the waters is a bad assumption, imho.

Hi @Jay Es. Yes, on the Seaview T/A from Brazil. My other information including address and passport information was already in my file, but like I said, I couldn’t check in online. The call to do it was quick and easy though, and saved the aggravation.

Well, we will find out in 30 days !! I see the red notification on my edocs too, and it’s been on others from other cruise lines too since they started designating embarkation times. We’ve always gone early and no-one , so far at least , has ever paid attention to it. The representative last night said the time was “ randomly assigned “. I guess they can’t know who is in town early and who is arriving the day of sailing and could benefit from the latest boarding times.

We are leaving from Brazil, so not a US port 😃

Hi @actuarian. When I tried online there were no choices for embarkation time…a very late 4-5 pm !! Same time available when I called, even though it was less than 30 minutes after check in opened. I asked to change it to an earlier time but was told she couldn’t…but, that if I was sailing with friends who had an earlier check in time…I could join them 🤔!! Others on CC have said they really don’t enforce the check in times. Hope that’s true.

Hi @Two Wheels Only. In my case I tried both, and separately on three different devices.

I’ve also had the website and MSC for Me issues since last Friday. When I spoke to customer service last evening, the representative said they are working to fix the issue, and that I could always call back to add any services or excursions if I needed them added before the website was fixed. Like I said, the customer service agent was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

Well, check in opened last night and for me at least, neither the app nor the website would let us check in, both on iPhones and on computer. First, couldn’t take the photo. Next, finally accepted the photo but wouldn’t scan the passport, and there was no option to enter the passport information manually. So, rather than get frustrated, I called customer service. Got someone right away with no hold time, and she was very nice and very helpful. Took my information over the phone and emailed my edocs while I was speaking with her. She just said that the photos would be taken at the port, and credit card could be registered then too. Also said they were working on thewebsite issues , so they knew about that already!! That’s the second time I’ve called customer service, and I have been very pleased each time.

Hi@3DogDay. I too will be interested to read replies to your question, as well as your experience when you board the ship. As a US citizen sailing on the same ship March 28th, I have been following this issue closely. I even made a second trip to the Brazilian Embassy last week to confirm that everything was in order. The last time I was there was in early December and at that time they were expecting the visa to be required by January 10th. Good luck, and please update your experience when you board.

Another thing worth noting is that even for Panamanians, Colon is known as a kinda sketchy place. It happens to be at the Atlantic entrance to the canal, and there are some nice things to see around there, but it certainly isn’t a “destination”. Much different from Amador. The duty free zone in Colon has great deals on stuff, but not really worth going to that area, so without more cruise ships stopping, hard to operate shops in the terminal I imagine.

Hi @Fogfog. Since we now live in Panama I agree that it’s sad that the shops at the cruise terminal in Colon aren’t opened yet. The new Amador cruise terminal is still not completely finished, but it was delayed almost two years during covid. Cruises from here, sadly , only operate December through March when I last looked , although they are expecting a longer season eventually. We are hoping for that too since there are many great destinations in range of Panama!! Guess it will depend on demand as time goes by. Our last cruise from here was December 2023 on Rhapsody. Before that on Norwegian Jewel in March 2023.

@Bluewake Cartagena is a great place to visit and Old Town is a very nice and safe area to walk, eat, drink and enjoy. We’ve been there several times and have never experienced the “rappers in your face “ that you mention. It’s kinda like Casco Viejo in Panama, or many other old villages and towns in central and South America. They have been extensively renovated to look like in their heyday, and are lots of fun. Great music, lots of cafes, bars and some amazing arepas. Yes, there are vendors trying to sell stuff…like in almost all touristy areas I’ve visited in many parts of the world… but a simple “ no, gracias “ is usually all that’s necessary. When the cruise ships are in, there is obviously a crush of people trying to see the same things at the same time, same as most smaller cruise stops. We’ve been there mostly on land based vacations. Lots to see and do along that coast.