Morgsmom

Agree to a certain extent HOWEVER the long, long walk from YC to Le Muse is a design flaw. If you want to stay in the YC bubble then the bigger ships provide for that. Otherwise the Divina is certainly one of our favorite ships

We are onboard this sailing 🙂 The YC Director is Rafaello (Italy) who is charming. The YC Maitre D' in Le Muse is Mauricio (a total hoot!!!) and the HD is Minoj (India), also a delight (but always running around!). There are 2300 total pax onboard, with 53 (including one toddler) in the YC. Our biggest discussion is to WHY the cruiseline showed this sailing as fully sold when in fact it's less than 1/2 capacity.

We are talking about YC here. There is a dress code. Unfortunately the bullied Maitre D's by the "it's my cruise I'll do what I want" folks are afraid to enforce it." IMO if you want to wear flip flops and shorts go to the buffet.

they are saying that if you book directly with MSC you will lack an ombudsman to intervene on your behalf should something happen...

Not entirely correct. You can see that there used to be 5% + (up to another 15%) on "select sailings." This was an older version of the Voyagers Club that you have posted above. The current one has benefits based on how far out you book.

Sitting here at Ocean Cay right now and I'M CONFUSED by this thread 🙂....We were at the YC beach yesterday and our boulder/rock buddies were exactly where they always are... 🙂Not sure where the "other side" is

You can only book your dining venue date and time once you are onboard.

You will need to cancel and rebook in order to get the new price. They do not honor price adjustments.

no more 15% off 😞

You will need to make arrangements to do so. It's not an issue in Europe but you need to be accounted for on the ship. Imagine if you got off and then the ship was being held waiting for you to return at the end of the day 🙂

In the list of things that'd I would be concerned about this would rank a firm 99 out of 100. MSC has many more issues than this 🙂

They are on the MERA and I, too, saw that every show for every day was sold out for my December cruise. Perhaps I will try to call.... then again, I might have more self-respect than to put myself through that process.... (anyone who has called an MSC rep who knows less than you do will understand )

Diamond does NOT have late disembarkation privileges. In the US you must be out of your cabin by 7:30 or 8:00 and off the ship by 9:30. They will ask you to wait in a "holding pen" in a lounge which is quite boring. In Europe it can vary as they embark and disembark from many ports of call so there is more flexibility. In the US the ship has to go to ZERO count so that they can start the next cruise.

That'd be a hard pass. With two teens your best bet is to book two adjoining cabins.

One of these days you will tell us WHAT DW puts in those 12 suitcases? It is sorted - shoes in one, trousers in the other... or 1 per day so all outfits for the day in that case. Many of us (ok, maybe just me) are curious 😊 PS - totally agree on no shorts in Dining Room at dinner.

oh, yes, forgot about this lounge. they make the SMOKED drinks there - delicious. It's super quiet during the day (never went at night). While we enjoyed the Champagne bar on the Mera we found it's location to be odd - too out in the open for us.

Hi Bertie! Yes, you can order bottles to your room and they will be corked so you can enjoy at will. While you cannot bring on bottles of wine, liquor or soda when you embark I have found they MSC is much less concerned when you return after a port of call. So you could buy yourself some Diet Cokes while in port and bring them back on - it's highly doubtful they would be confiscated. I know that in Cozumel some guests bring back Mexican Coke (as it is make with real sugar and is quite a delicacy) or Corona and they do not get stopped by security. So if you can make it until your first port, then bring a little shopping bag with you and get some supplies there 🙂

It sounds like it is is cruise (MSC) OBC, therefore likely NOT refundable. OBC bought or gifted by a travel agent sometimes is.

its printed on your cruise card as well as the table number

You cannot book before hand. You can pre-purchase a dining package (heavily discounted) but you will arrange for day/time once onboard. It's very very very easily and there will be, oh, 100000 specialty dining servers in the buffet on embarkation day to help you 🙃

So a couple of things here, as Fantastica you presumably CHOSE early dining. That, unfortunately is 5:15 or 5:30. Second, there is a time listed in the daily planner where the Maitre D' is IN THE DINING room precisely to review dining assignments. This is usually from about 2:30 - 3:30 or so. It is NEVER 15-30 minutes before dining because that window of opportunity has sailed (pardon the pun). At that time you can see where your assigned table is located, how large it is, how many at the table, etc and then you can request to change based on whatever your desire is. I agree that as ships become more full the opportunity for a 2 top is dwindling, so you must be flexible with either time or location (lousy table with no view right near kitchen ddoor but it seats 2). Getting an oceanview two top at 7pm facing the sunset (etc etc) is not going to magically happen. The problem is that you were told the wrong thing about when to request a change. As others have said it is usually solved the 2nd night, so you can go to the buffet or specialty dining the first night (which is ALWAYS empty and you will be doted on).

You must reserve onboard. I can't tell you the price but I'd suspect in the $40-$50 range plus gratuity.

Sent an email 🙂 Donna

I live in Orlando and this is 100% the case. Families LEAVING MCO with tired, cranky kids wearing oversized Disney hats and carrying bag after bag of souvenirs... oh my! It's not for the faint of heart.

@Georgia_Peaches I'm sure that I'm not the only one with mouth agape at the $850 OBC... wow.