trintrav

Bid 200pp for a balcony (from an OCV) on a 10 day Japan cruise on the Diamond.   Accepted about 3 weeks from sail date 

5 hours ago, Beamafar said:

@trintrav  I’m hoping that your absence is as a result of you having too good a time onboard, but I’d love to hear how your cruise is going.   There is so little about this particular ship, and, while the itinerary you’re doing is the last of the season, things like bar and restaurant menus are of particular interest to me. 
 

I understand that most items in the YC lounge are included, but have you gleaned any more information about drinks price increases on the regular bar menus and what’s included in the packages?   Are they still allowing you to just pay the difference in price for items outside your package?   What percentage is the service charge, if so?  15 or 18%?

Service charge is 18 percent i believe.  Haven’t seen the gratuities show up on the folio yet.  And yes. You just pay the difference over 13 euros on drinks. 

Greetings again 

For some reason it seems that this website is blocked by the MSC server when using ships Wi-Fi.  Hmmmm. Makes me wonder.  I figured out that the workaround is using a VPN and connecting to US servers. (I use Nord btw) 

Last night was a meet and greet in the yacht club lounge with the captain and senior staff.  Get seats at the bar for the best service and viewing.  Sadly some Americans (i am American) dressed up in full Arabic garb (costumes they bought ashore undoubtedly) thinking that was formal and classy.   They made a mockery of the Arabic customs in my opinion and were the laughing stock of the evening.  Very embarrassing.  Don’t flame on me.  Just my opinion. It was rude and distasteful 

We had a lazy day today. The ship docked in Dammam Saudi Arabia and we chose not to get off.  I refuse to lay the Saudi visa fee and we’ve heard that the port simply isn’t worth it. (Even from folks who returned today) 

The thermal suite was wonderful this morning very few people and everything was available. 
 

Since we were in Saudi Arabia where alcohol is illegal all bars were closed while in port. 
 

Sad to report that we tried the regular Buffet on Deck 18-19 outside is the yacht club and the food was abysmal.  Poor presentation, lacked any real flavor. Verbal just bad.   Went from there to the pizza and burger place and it was similar there. Very disappointed, so we will stick to the yacht club.  Last nights Lobster Dinner in the Yacht was fantastic.  Lobster done ro perfection and the Truffle Risotto was phenomenal as were the desserts. 
 

Last night we visited the new Gin Bar. Everything was basically below the 13 euro threshold, so all good. 
 

We got tokens for the Secret Speakeasy from the butler   Going to try that later in the week.  I’ll not comment on that much since it’s supposed to be something you search for and i don’t want to ruin it for anyone.  I will say that drinks there are excluded from the package. 

27 minutes ago, RBrowny said:

Oh, I Can I ask who is able to access this area please? To me, it looks the best location for me and my partner away from the main pool, and just offers a fantastic all round view. Thank you

Everyone has access to that area.  Haven’t been back there during the day to see how crowded it is 

First stop was in Sir Yani Bas Island. I don’t plan on commenting much on the port calls because the Europa is leaving the Middle East for the Med at the end of this cruise.   The most important takeaway was to book the wildlife tour for early Am hours when the animals are most active.   We saw everything but the cheetahs.   Pretty amazing place. 
 

We had dinner last night at the Teppanyaki place last night.  The food was good but our cook was a dud. The other cooks in the place were so lively and engaging.  Ours, not so much. He was pleasant and soft spoken.  But not the show we were expecting. 
 

Today is a sea day.  We had an 11 am appointment for the Thermal area.  It was pretty crowded, but with some patience you could visit all of the features.  The impolite people who put their towels and books and glasses and such on the thermal loungers to reserve them while they are doing other things are annoying. That shouldn’t be allowed.  They are limited as it is.  I was tempted to take the stuff and put it on the floor, but my wife made me behave. 🙂 

8 hours ago, Beamafar said:

Which venue was the Broadway show in, the main theatre?  

There are really two main theaters in this ship. The larger world Theater on deck 7 is where the broadway shows are. 

10 hours ago, Captain-John said:

 

Thanks so much for sharing your experience so far. I note you are primarily NCL cruisers (as are we). Have you by any chance been on Prima, and if so how would you compare to World Europa?

 

Both Prima and Viva are sailing the Med in Nov '23, same time we are boarding WE and it was a real dilemma not helped by the Prima pricing reducing significantly recently.
 

 

I appreciate capacity has already been touched on (would have been one of my questions too!) but I am particularly keen to find out how busy the thermal suite gets on the occasions you use it.

 

In the past, on Meraviglia the area became extremely congested and almost unusable so I hope they have mitigated this with the booking system... even although I generally like the freedom of being able to walk in without a booking, I can see the upside.

 

 

This is great news!

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise and thanks again for taking the time to share it with us.

We have not sailed on the Prima yet.  Only 2-3 times in the Haven as it’s usually out of our price range. The yacht club as you know is very reasonable compared to NCL.

I visited the thermal suite yesterday in the afternoon of a port day.  They seemed put off a bit that i didn’t have an appointment but allowed me access anyway.  It was not crowded at all with all of the features except the snow room in operation. 

12 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Who is the Yacht Club manager and how long will he/she stay on the ship?

 

Any Champagne included in the Yacht Club?

 

We are cruising on the World Europa in July.

Not sure who the manager is.  And yes, champagne is included. 

1 hour ago, ocdb8r said:

Thanks for the excellent post.  Answered two questions I had in my mind:  do we get 2 devices per person in YC or per cabin....so glad it's per PERSON; also had previously heard about using a VPN for streaming rather than upgrading - thanks for confirming.

 

No more reserved seating for the shows?!?!  I hope this is due to lower than normal capacity.  This is one of our favorite perks (aside from being able to just show up shortly before, also being sure we also get good seats).

 

Any issues with capacity at the YC dining room or on the YC pool/sun deck?  Some early reports implied the additional capacity of the World Europa had some teething pains for these areas.

 

Glad to hear about the now "upcharge" if you go over 13 Euro - bit disappointed to hear Patron triggered this (I would have expected a shot of any of the main Patron variants to be under 13 Euro!).

Not sure what the current occupancy is.  I was told that MSC did away with reserved seating for YC fleet wide though.   We’ve never had to wait for a table for the YC restaurant but it’s only day two and we tend to eat earlier than most Europeans or Asians.  We haven’t really spent time on the sun deck yet.  Tomorrow is a sea day so we will see. 

1 hour ago, RBrowny said:

Thank you for getting back to me! That's brilliant. I think it will all depend on capacity, as we're going to Europe.

 

Hope you have an amazing time. I really can't wait to get on board, for what it's worth we're not in the Yacht Club. It's our first time on MSC as well.

I’ve heard mixed reviews about the food in the buffet and main dining room. So far the yacht club food has been fantastic. we are eating at Teppanyaki tonight. 
 

Regardless, the ship, facilities and entertainment has been superb. And we are picky.  You'll Have a great time. 

5 hours ago, sueh664 said:

This is really interesting 🙂 We board Europa on Sat for 21 nights…. Your point about the drinks package is sparking my curiosity 😂 Do you know if this is just for YC or everyone? Would be great to think you only pay the difference!

Everyone depending on the package you buy.  The regular package includes any drinks up to 13 euros.  Now, the rule is that if the drink is more than 13 you only pay the difference.  Prior to this sailing you had to pay full price for the more expensive drink.  For example last night i was drinking shots of patron which were 14.  I only paid a euro plus the service fee 18 cents i think

Sir Yani Bas beach day 

6 hours ago, RBrowny said:

What a brilliant and insightful post.

 

I'm curious about the capacity and how well spread out all the passengers are so there's enough space for everyone, where it doesn't feel over crowded?

Honestly when we were first walking around the ship it felt empty.  I’m not sure what the occupancy is currently but it’s never felt crowded at all. We’ve not wait for anything really. 
 

FYI there is no more reserved seating for YC in the shows. However we got there 5 mins before show time and got decent seats on row 2
 

Demographics, I’d say mostly Russians.  Very few Arabs this week as a Ramadan starts in a couple of days. 

Greetings from the MSC World Europa!

This is our 62nd cruise, and 2nd time on MSC in the Yacht Club.  First was on the Grandiosa last year.   We’ve cruise on many different lines with some recent river cruises as well.  Most of our business goes to NCL.   We are grateful for MSC’s status match program as NCL Platinum has earned us MSC Diamond.  I frequently read reviews here and Im grateful for those that take the time to pose, so its time to pay it forward.

We flew to Abu Dhabi for two nights precruise to get accustomed to the time difference.  I am not going to spend much time talking about port calls as this is the World Europa’s last Middle East cruise for a while as she is headed to the Med.   Abu Dhabi was incredible.  A vibrant and modern city, and reasonably priced.  Perfect weather in March.  Everyone was very friendly to us westerners. Used the Careem App to get around.  Their version of Uber and much less expensive than taxis. 

Embarkation was flawless.  We arrived at  1130 for a 12 pm appt time and were the only YC members checking in at the time.  Luggage was quickly whisked away, and we were seated in a nice area  and offered refreshments while someone came to us to process our passports (which they keep for a couple days so I’m told).  Before we could even finish our Prosecco’s , our butlers assistant arrived to escort us on board, and though security.  Except for a river cruise, this was the fasted embarkation we’ve ever experienced.

Once on board, we were escorted to our suite in the Yacht Club (A pretty standard YC balcony cabin on Deck 18). The Asst Butler explained the room features, and off he went.  We met our Butler Camilla later in the afternoon.  The stateroom while certainly not a  “suite” was very spacious and very well laid out.   Sparkling clean, but to be expected on a ship that is only a couple months old.   Note for those who use CPAP machines.  Bring or ask for an extension cord as there are no outlets near the bed.  Only a USB outlet near the reading light.  They happily brought us an extension cord.

After a breather, we explored the ship.    I will say after 60+ cruises, this is by far the nicest, most well laid out, and architecturally pleasing that we have experienced.   Even beats the RCI Oasis class ships.  THe ship is spotless.   We got a tour of the Thermal Suite of the spa, which we plan to take advantage of several times this week.  They say you should make an appt, so we will see how that works out.  Last year on the Grandiosa, we didn’t get to experience it because they only allowed a few in at a time because of the pandemic.  There are several new features we have not seen in other thermal areas.  Excited to try later in the week.

Since we are Diamond members, we are allowed one specialty restaurant per cabin, so we plan to choose the steakhouse.  You have limited options, 3 I think.   We purchased the Asian Duo package which allows us to use the Teppanyaki restaurant and the Sushi Restaurant during the week.  Otherwise we will eat in the YC restaurant.   The food there tonight was very good and the service exceptional. 

Tonight we opted to see the Broadway Show, which was fantastic. The talent and the set effects are top notch.  We also signed up for the Ibiza Interactive Disco show which was disappointing.  Maybe we didn’t have enough alcohol yet to fully enjoy.  LOL

One thing to note on the YC Drink Package. We were told in advance that if you spent over 13 Euros on any one drink you would be charged the full price of the drink…not the difference between the two.   We learned that starting with this cruise, you now pay only the difference.  In this case, 1 euro.  This is reasonable.

Regarding the internet.  With YC, you get two devices per person with the Browse package.  Don’t upgrade to Browse and Stream.  If you want to Stream, simply long into a VPN (we use Nord VPN) and you can stream at full speeds. We were able to watch Netflix.   The channel offerings on the TV are horrible 

Anyhow, Day 1 in the books.  I am not going to post any photos as there are so many already online everywhere.  If there is anything specific you want to see, let me know.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I will try to answer them on my downtime.

Cheers!

We are booked on this 8 day sailing from Abu Dhabi!  Who's in?

Hello. I’m looking for recent experiences on this issues 

We originally had a  med cruise on the grandiosa booked for March of 2020. It was canceled and rebooked a couple times and now we are set for March 2022.  We opted then to leave our fully paid cruise rather than take a refund in exchange for a 25 percent credit which now does appear on our MSC invoice. 
 

im getting conflicting information from our travel agent and MSC won’t talk to me directly because we booked through a travel agent.   The travel agent told me originally that this credit (which is 1500) is in the form of an on board credit that must be used or lose on this upcoming cruise. 
 

I called MSC last week in an effort to use the credit to book shore excursions and was told that the credit is not an on board credit, but will be refunded to me AFTER this next cruise.  Is this accurate?  No one will confirm and travel agent isn’t sure. 
 

have others been seeing these credits refunded to original form of payment lately? 
 

thanks 

Hello,  My apologies if this has been asked/answered.  I couldn't find anything recent.   We depart on the Grandiosa in March, and the docs I just printed say that we can only exit the ship on an MSC Excursion.  If we leave on our own or on a private excursion, we will be denied re-boarding.  Is this still accurate?  I think this was the case last summer, but I thought that changed.

Tried to call MSC, and I can't get a straight answer.

Boarding the Azamara Journey next week in Athens for an 8 day charter.  Any questions?  So excited to cruise again!   First time with Azamara! 

thank you! 

Apologize in advance if this has been asked/answered.  We were booked on the Grandiosa Med cruise for March 2020, paid in full.  Obviously canceled due to Covid.  A while after that, MSC offered 100percent refund or rebook with 125% FCC.  We opted for the 125 FCC.  Last spring, we opted to book for Spring 2022 on the same ship.  Had a ridiculous time reaching our TA to rebook.  They for about 2-3 months we were given the runaround that FCC's weren't ready yet, computer issues, ect.  (Originally booked in the YC and wanted to rebook in the YC).  Finally got rebooked in June and the FCC amounted to over 1500.  We got an invoice from the TA showing the FCC, but MSC won't confirm it when I contact them.  They won't tell me anything since I booked with a TA and now post-covid, the TA is virtually non-existent. 

My fear is once on board, being told there is no record of the FCC and of course, at that point nothing that the TA can do.  Am I overthinking this?  

Anyone else with a similar experience?

8 minutes ago, HofstraJet said:

Does anyone know if you have to book within 12 months or sail within 12 months? Thanks!  

 

PS - My TA is still waiting for MSC to process my credit. Sailing is Monday. Ugh.

They are saying you can book anytime, but you have to sail within 12 months of your original booking.

Also, FWIW, the TA line to get through to MSC is hours long wait.  The Customer 844 number  is easier.  We got through in less than 10 mins,  

3 minutes ago, taximom61 said:

rebooked the cruise for October, it went very smoothly. and the wait time was maybe 5 minutes if that, I was very happy with the customer service from MSC. I attempted to rebook my United flight and was told they could only rebook on the 3rd of June (all the articles I have read say that you can reschedule if your flight is anytime between March 1 to June 30 and they will waive the fees) however the idiot that I got for the rebooking was very rude, he had an accent and I asked him nicely to repeat his statement a couple times. Well by the end of a 45 minute hold, he told me can't you understand, I am speaking English to you, we can't change your flight, unless you want to go on June 3rd. 

I work in the customer service industry, and know the importance of courtesy, so I was not short with him at all, I would not do that. I do not think I should have been spoken to in such a manner.  

as is I am still attempting to get my flight rescheduled.

does anyone have any suggestions on where I go from here?

We also rebooked for the Grandiosa (Oct 23) and was told by American Airlines that I could only rebook up to June  6 (Because that it the one year mark from when I purchased the tickets).  She gave me a link to send an email to Customer Relations and she said they would extend that date given the circumstances   Once they do, I will be able to rebook the flights to BCN with no change fee.   I hope this helps.  Suggest you email United's Customer Relations team.

Decided to rebook for October.  Similar itinerary with one day less deleting Palma.     Hopefully our TA can secure that space today.    Good luck to all.

22 minutes ago, CelebrationFamily said:

And just like that, I got through...as others have reported, if I want to simply cancel, I lose 75% of my fare. If I want to reschedule, 100% of my fare will be applied to the new sail date. This can only be done by phone and the key is to ask for the "crisis queue" when you call. You must call by the night before your sailing and the new sail date must be within 1 year of the current sail date. Good luck to all! 🍀

Thank you so much for posting this.  Since the only deadline is the night before, I may wait until the week before to see how this pans out.  Our flights are into BCN.  I wonder if AA is waiving their change/cancel fees to Europe yet?

1 hour ago, CelebrationFamily said:

I've successfully canceled all excursions for our March Grandiosa. Tour companies were great about issuing refunds.  Now time to make the call to MSC. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. 😜

We are booked on the Grandiosa on March 26 from Barcelona.  Let me know what MSC tells you.   Thanks!