2 hours ago, capitalbarry said:

I really  hoping that MSC will NOT force Canadians to us this site. As I am better off paying US dollars on the USA site,  The rate they are charging for cruise on the Canadian site  are outragious. so frustrating, 😞

Not really sure how  you are going to get around it tbh.

I did a mock booking earlier today and as soon as you get to adding passenger information, for country of residence on the US site it now  only offers you United States or Puerto Rico. 

But i agree with  you if the deals aren't as good it's going to be very frustrating.

I guess for awhile now we have heard people from Europe say North America gets  much better deals than they do. That might now be amended to the US get better deals than Europe and Canada....... 😢😢😢

19 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

Book a balcony for the price of an inside.  We had 3 cruises booked was able to upgrade from inside cabin  to a balcony on all 3 for no extra price.  It was awesome!!!

Im hoping for a Victoria Day sale on the new Canadian site that kicked off today. Id be happy with a fantastica experience just offering a drinks pkg........😏

Yeah mock booking on US site now do not offer Canada as place of residence only USA or Puerto Rico. So we are going to be forced to us the candian sure but as of rigt now we arent getting as good deals. Will be watching with interest to see how things progress. Victoria Day sale??

2 hours ago, capitalbarry said:

well the new website is up and running.... quick look at prices, well my figures would put me $2200. more to switch my suite this December...2019.... will have to look further, but WOW!!! Also can't log in with my MSC user name,  😞

www.msccruises.ca

 

I just did a comparison with both sites for a cruise we are interested in and so far this is what I get

So right now for 4 (as it wont let me  do 6)  USA website offering May 9th 2020 balcony with Fantastica and promotion (although we don't know what it is - although im guessing Easy drinks pkg?) for $4220.20.US.

Canadian site offering it with no promotion when you click on Fantastica experience but main page pricing says it's 2 for 1 for  $5735.94CA.

When i put US price into currency converter it says $5657.03 so right now i would say US price is actually the better deal

43 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

Since I'm booked for 12/20, I'd love a sale or a drink pkg, even if it's the Easy, because then I could up grade.

Thats what we are waiting to do. We have Meraviglia booked for Dec 2020 but nothing came with it at the time. We booked it because they had aft cabins available so we jumped on it.

Just got off on Saturday and the pools and slides were open when in port. We stayed on board most of the day when we were in Jamaica and all pools and slides were open. It was lovely and quiet 😀👍

18 minutes ago, dexddd said:

The bartender in LaBoheme.  Was it Isiah?  We ran into him several times and what a nice guy.  Very quiet but great at his job.  He deserves a promotion. He was part of the group that got extra tips at the end.

Yes i think it was. Quiet but had a wicked SOH.

One night, quite late as he wasstarting to close we stopped by there as our friends wanted to pick up some bottled water.

He handed them over then got out his pad and asked her if she would be signing or paying cash for them.

She looked really confused and a little worried as we had been getting them all week with our pkg.

He then starts laughing saying "Just joking with you".   But he had us all going as i was just about to launch in to an explanation that we didnt pay lol.

50 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

I always thought it was Vicky, but followed CTGNormandie's lead!  😮  Here's one for you Vicky ....  😘

Thanks Bea. 😉😉

30 minutes ago, 8420PR said:

Great review.  I'm glad you enjoyed your holiday!

 

 

I always wondered that when people say the ship is full of rude people, but I haven't noticed it at all - does that mean I am one of the rude people?  🙂  🙂   I'm sure doesn't apply to you!

Never thought of it that way yeah i never encountered them cause they were all under foot where i was trampling over top of them 😂😂😂

No seriously im very polite and i just found others this cruise to be the same. Maybe it was a lucky week or maybe im not looking out for it? I dont know.

Well our last day at sea on our way back to Miami. Time to put some thoughts in print. I have to say the first 24 hours on the ship if you had asked me i would have said i think i preferred Miss Divina but as the week has progressed Seaside has really grown on me. 

We are sailing at full capacity but i can honestly say except for the odd time in the buffet itself i have never felt crowded or had any issues getting tables,  chairs, or sunloungers.

Tip: if you want to lounger but dont smoke or need to be right at the pool deck 8 closer to the front of the ship we always got a lounger with no problem. If i wanted a dip i then just walked down to the aft pool 1 deck down. 

Personally i loved the depth of the pools and could bob quite happily in the middle with no problem. Pool temperature was about perfect. 

The old classic drinks package got me everything i wanted including venchi gelato of which i indulged quite a lot this week.  Will miss that package for sure when we sail next year. If a bar is busy and you don't want to wait i found just walking to a different one solved the problem. 

The bar tender in LaBoheme makes a very good espresso.

The shows have been great - loved the music, costumes and set design.

Our room steward Gerry has kept our room sparking. In fact our friends who are first time cruisers commented that although a cruise ship bathroom was a little small it actually felt much bigger just because it was so clean she said there wasnt any areas she didnt want to touch lol. 

MDR food has been pretty good. Our waiter Brian and his partner worked well together food was hot and we were done in about 90 minutes. It was a nice leisurely time enjoying good conversation  in lovely surroundings.

There are a lot of kids on here this week every time i have seen them they have behaved just fine. In fact i haven't encountered any pushing shoving or rudeness anywhere. 

I think just twice all week did i encounter a slight sewage odour near the atrium but it went  as i kept walking through.

Apart from the shows i cant really comment on any entertainment and i have to say this ship was designed for being outside and with the exception of sleeping and eating in the MDR each night that where we have been. Always without exception we found comfy chairs to have a drink in the evening. Our "go to" place was just outside in the port side between La Boheme and the sports bar. Rarely anyone there. We would sit there before dinner after the show and it was lovely and peaceful.

The only evening entertainment we saw and that was from deck 18 bar looking down on the pool deck was white party and i have to say the assistant cruise director has got some energy she really had the crowd going there must have been close to 1000 people down  there and they all looked to be having a great time.

The only real negative i would say is smokers do sometimes seem to light up where they feel like it. MSC need to keep a tigher reign on that.

Also came across a couple of instances where people brought their own speakers to play loud music. Late one afternoon at the south beach pool I sat and listened to cuban music for about 20 minutes before i realised it wasnt actually coming from the ship but a group with a large speaker on their table.

The one thing to note is really do your homework when selecting cabins. Our room 12173 was perfect for me as i like to feel close to the water when being in my balcony. Some rooms on this ship because of the cut in design seemed to have to look out over quite a bit of deck to see the sea. 

I have to say i love that some cabins have the bed right by the window. To lie in bed and see the ocean right there was for me a perfect start to the day. 

So  to sum up our week its been extremely relaxing, perfect weather in good company on the ship that chases the sun. 

Just now, Beamafar said:

 

Well, I was very grateful for it, anyway, as I hadn't come across it before.  I knew about the subject that your OP was about lol.

😂😂😂 glad it had some use.

DH has just come home and i got him to look on his phone and he had the article i posted.

I wonder if different things appear depending on where in the world you are as i say your link story was quite different.

Im thinking CC has employed MSC's IT dept. Watch this space 😂😂😂     

8 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

The link you posted brought me to Adam Coulter's article:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/3801/

It read quite differently to the one i read this morning

 That is so funny. Incidentally i thought i had copied and pasted the whole article yet  you saw a link? Curiouser and curiouser. Pixies at work or Google gremlins?😏

3 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

The link you posted brought me to Adam Coulter's article:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/3801/

How strange not the article i thought i was posting then by Kerry Spencer. Nooo dont tell me c.c website is getting like MSC's 😉😉

Off now to read the link i sent 😂😂 

8 hours ago, Mattnvick said:

 

55 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

The CC article is dated Feb 28th, so it's not news, exactly, 

7 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 

I'm the same ... other than this forum, the roll call and the ports of call areas of the site, I never check out anywhere else.

 

I hope your DD enjoys her time here;  a lot of people that we've spoken to over the years who spent time working after college have said that they loved it.  Your DD just needs not to let her guard down too much (which can happen due to experiencing the overall friendliness of the Irish - but we still have our 'problem' people,  too!)

Thanks for that Bea I will pass it on to her. Its very useful. Her degree was in social work and now doing her B Ed for teaching deaf blind. She is pretty street wise but never does any harm to reinforce that kind of stuff. Her biggest issue  being 4'11 and looking about 12 is getting people to take her seriously lol but she does a good job of trying 😉

9 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Thanks for the link ... I hadn't seen that article or heard about the plan to 'stretch' Preziosa (maybe!) before.  That's one to watch.  I'll be interested in the itineraries they're planning to offer from Southampton.  We're embarking Preziosa from there next year;  if it's a positive experience, we may consider it as a convenient embarkation port (depending on itinerary - and price! lol).  Flights are much cheaper to Southampton than to Barcelona (which would have been our favoured port for Med cruises).

 

I'd love it if they were considering a Baltics itinerary from this port in 2021 - it'd kill 2 birds for me;  1) experiencing the new, 'enhanced' element and 2) finally getting to visit the region.

 

ETA ... Bytheway, Buon Viaggio - hope you have a fantastic time onboard Seaside!  🙂

Seriously i stumbled on it completely by accident went Googling "c.c. butchers cut". I found a post you answered last year where you posted the fixed proce menu which was exactly the one i was hoping to find.😊

I then saw the above article and thought i would post it for info. Would never have seen it otherwise as i dont tend to look at anything else on c.c apart from the boards. Glad it was useful.

Thank you for your good wishes  im very excited to board Seaside. DH has wanted to sail her ever since she was launched. We are bringing friends for their first ever cruise. Should be a lot of fun. Have a great day.

The Emerald Isle may be on our list for visits next year as DD is planning to live and work there for at least a couple of years after she graduates next April. 

10 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Most reports on Butcher's Cut have been very favourable.  We've eaten there 3 times already and have enjoyed it every time.  We plan to again have dinner there for our Black Card perk on both Seaview (in Aug) and Meraviglia (in October).  We may even splurge for a second night in October as it's a 23 night cruise.  The 'Dining Experience' menu for $39 is well worth the cost!

 

I was delighted when it was reported on here recently that BC was being added on Preziosa and it was one of a number of factors for booking a cruise on her next year.  It's obviously a big hit if MSC is going to the cost and trouble of replacing other venues with BC.

 

Interesting to read that they're going to 'stretch' another ship.

As we have only sailed Divina we didn't have the option to try it. Nearly all reports ive read seem to be pretty favourable and its definitely something we are thinking about for our Seaside cruise which we board on Saturday (Yay excited 🎉🎉🎉).

Price wise the fixed menu is better value than our big Candadian steak chain restaurant The Keg and way, way cheaper than Ruth's Chris.

Butcher's Cut on MSC Cruises (Photo: Cruise Critic)

29 minutes ago, traveltripper said:

Update: Someone finally picked up - waited over an hour. Even though I chose "technical support" option, the agent told me that all options end up in the same place - reservations. He said they are having problems with the website, with no ETA on a fix. He confirmed my booking. He did say sorry for the wait, but that they had a high call volume and that an hour wait is ordinary for them.

 

I just don't know. I'm worried. If this is how they handle things before I've even left the country...

Sadly the MSC web site is notorious. Calling seems best in the morning. We always get through then with no issues. 

Stick with it its much better on board. Have always enjoyed MSC amd their ships are beautiful.

59 minutes ago, MrMike45 said:

  To those who post negative reviews, comments and criticisms...I am curious as to what you find "worth it"

I am fairly new to cruising only been doing it about 3 years but enjoy it very much. 

However on reading negative things posted on c.c. f/b etc the thing i have wondered many times is do a lot of people who  cruise either

A. Like to  complain more than peope who take other types of vacations  or

B. Have highter expectations and or standards.

You read some peoples complaints and think honestly if you are that upset maybe you should stay home or do a different type of vacation.

I struggle to understand the complaints such as no towel animals ruined my holiday or towels or sheets weren't changed every day or of the 200 or so items in a buffet it was the same every day.....

Ranks up there with British travel agents  releasing the funniest complaints ( "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels." Or the best one ever 

"The beach was too sandy.")😂😂

They truly do walk among us......

1 hour ago, LakeWobegon said:

Really, though it was one of my few beefs. I'm hoping this review turns out what I found to be true, that 90% of the experience was great. I'll go back to MSC. In fact, looking at Christmas cruises on Meraviglia right now.

Im guessing the review will be mostly positive. They sound like a laid back cruising family that go with the flow.

I really enjoy MSC. This Saturday will be our third with them, 1st on Seaside though and i have to say im really excited to see what she is like. We just booked an aft on Meraviglia for December 2020 cause we really liked the itinerary.

6 minutes ago, LakeWobegon said:

Don't want to hijack with another topic so last I will say. In our case, everyone was asked to get off their phones in their own languages from what I could understand. Just no one did. I found with Carnival and NCL and RCI, there are typically crew members walking around scolding you to get off your devices if you're on them.

 

Fair enough then i agree MSC need to be tougher. Will see what its like when i board on Saturday. Maybe if its a shambles it's something to bring up at the meet and greet. 

6 minutes ago, LakeWobegon said:

Not just because of the way drill was organized but everyone in the casino was talking and playing on their phones the entire time. 

I find this so strange. Are we that stupid or that obssessed with our phones these days  that if we are at an extremely important safety drill if no one actually tells us to put our phones away we cant work it out for ourselves?

We will do if it someone says but otherwise wont.......what a sad point we habe arrived at with technology.

Or was it that they were playing on their phones when the drill was being done in a language they dont understand and they had heard theirs or were waiting for it. 

I hope the latter which is fair enough. Re the talking that's wrong regardless and 

MSC need to get on that. 

Had a very organised but politely done one on NCL recently and also had one on RCI that was like an army drill and done on the deck which made it very hot with no shade and no seats. 

9 hours ago, lcookie said:

We hit the terminal at its busiest time.  Lines of people waiting to get transportation ou the port, droves of people trying to get into the terminal, and logistics vehicles everywhere.   Despite the congestion, we were in the terminal and through security and headed upstairs within 15 minutes.  This is where things slowed down.

 

When we got upstairs both sides were backed up to the stairway and were barely moving.  To my surprise, they roped off the stairs behind us and would not let anyone else up.  We waited in line a good 30 minutes before we were at the check-in counter.  Five minutes later we were registered and headed to the waiting area.  

 

We had boarding number 32 and they were calling number 12 when we sat down.  Now to my first gripe - MSC please move the picture station further into the terminal.  With the number of people flooding in they caused a massive bottleneck setting up at the entrance.  Also, please create a bypass line for those that don't want to take pics.  

 

All in all we found this to be the most disorganized embarkation we ever participated in.  Those in my cruise group that got there earlier reported breezing through the terminal and onto the ship.  Those after me found my same plight. Not sure what was going on this day but something felt off in the terminal.

 

 

 

 

Really enjoying this review we board her Saturday 😁🚢. Can i ask what time was the "busiest time" that you got to the termimal?

 We are cruising with friends (their 1st time) and i want it to be nice and easy for them.

2 hours ago, hamrag said:

 

It clearly states that venchi, including chocolate martinis are EXCLUDED from ALL packages....that means Premium Plus also, so venchi is now chargeable for everyone no matter your status or drinks package.

The one good thing from my perspective is we just been given $80 p.p obc from MSC in recompense for not now giving us the Fantastica vouchers that were offered when we booked back in January 2018.

It appears  now it wouldnt have been covered under any pkg we had booked anyway, but thanks to them giving us the obc I can go and sample venchi to my hearts content.  😁 77