cruiser82

Thank you for the tip about the Sports Bar. One of the negatives from my previous MSC cruise was that I didn't love the food (other than the pizza) so I will definitely try the Sports Bar for a change of pace.

Thank you for your review. I agree that the pizza on MSC is really good!

Thank you for your review. We're not cruising on the Divina until March 2021 but it's never to early to start reading reviews!

Hi Bob, great to see you again! I hope you guys are doing well. Looking forward to following along with the rest of your review 🙂

51 minutes ago, GettotheSun said:

 

So I know not a direct answer to the question, but wouldn't the guests also get a bottle of "champagne" at the start of the cruise given they are in the Haven?

True, good point. My mom wouldn't drink that so it would be all mine lol

9 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Ask your butler. He/she can provide a pitcher of soda/iced tea/lemonade, etc. and you probably won't be charged. The butler will (almost always) charge for alcoholic drinks but you'll probably get a pitcher (from the gun) of soda without charge.

I'll keep that in mind, thank you!

16 minutes ago, tampadee said:

Are you saying you would only purchase one soda, one alcoholic drink, and one milkshake for the entire cruise?  If so, it would not be worthwhile for you to pay the gratuities on a free beverage package. 

Yes, we aren't planning on buying it so I was hoping there would be another option for Haven guests to get free drinks.

Just now, Two Wheels Only said:

 

During booking, simply do not select the beverage promo. You will not be charged the 20% of the package. 

 

 

You can pay for drinks a la carte if you do not have a package. The bartender will swipe your card. This is for every bar on the ship including the Haven bar. 

That's what we plan on doing, not selecting the package. I was hoping as a Haven guest there would be a way to get a free soda at least but it looks like that's not the case. 

Thank you both for your help! This won't change our decision to book the H4 but it's a bit disappointing that they don't offer something since it's a suite.

My mother and I are thinking of booking an H4 on the Joy. I understand that as part of the current promotion we could get the "free" beverage package but we would still have to pay the gratuities. My mom does not purchase any drinks during a cruise and at most I would buy one soda, one alcoholic drink and one milkshake (if the ship has a restaurant that offers them). Even though I do think that just paying the gratuities would still be a good deal for most people it would not be for us.

As Haven guests, is there any kind of happy hour or way to get a truly free drink if we book an H4 (I know some higher room categories would have drinks included)? I know that there is the Haven bar but from what I've gathered the only way the drink is "free" is if you purchased a drink package and that it is not a place Haven guests can go to get a free drink (I'm thinking of something like the Concierge Lounge on Royal Caribbean).

50 minutes ago, jkgourmet said:

 

Did it have the required raised seal?  Photocopies are not acceptable.

I can't remember, but the issue ended up being that it was a Puerto Rican birth certificate and its authenticity was questioned. That's all been resolved now and she has her passport so we're good to go. 

12 minutes ago, Match Game 72 said:

We have cruised MSC in the Med and Caribbean. The MDR menu in the Caribbean is a little bit Americanized. For example, you will find New York cheesecake. Chocolate chip cookies were not to be found in the Med, but they are plentiful in the Caribbean.

Good to know, thanks!

I took my first MSC cruise in September. It was a European cruise and I was travelling solo. I did a lot of research here and I would say that most of the reviews were spot on. I think that the fact that you're here on Cruise Critic will give you a realistic expectation of what to expect and I would also say to go with an open mind. There are probably going to be things that are different than what you're used to but different doesn't mean bad. I liked MSC enough to book another one for 2021 and this time it will be a Caribbean itinerary so I'm looking forward to seeing how a Caribbean cruise is vs Europe (food, passenger mix, etc).

On 12/27/2019 at 12:38 PM, DCGuy64 said:

I work in downtown Washington, DC and there's a passport office located at roughly 19th and F Sts, NW. I believe they offer same-day passport renewal so if it's worth your while, you could come to DC and have it done in a day.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies/washington.html

Hey neighbor! My mom and I went there a few years ago when her birth certificate wasn't accepted for a trip to Jamaica, they were very helpful.

1 hour ago, jkgourmet said:

 

See what I mean???  (Cruiser82, please understand that I'm NOT picking on YOU.  I'm just making my point.)

I only mentioned it in that post as a joke since it clearly wasn't relevant to anything else I was saying 🙂

As a tennis fan I loved your John McEnroe joke! 🙂

I sailed in a Bella inside solo this past September on Preziosa. I don't feel like I was a second class citizen in any way, and as someone else mentioned no one would know you're Bella unless you tell them. I liked that experience enough to book another cruise on MSC for 2021 (Divina) but this time we will be in the Yacht Club. 

On 12/24/2019 at 6:42 AM, EllaDuChien said:

 

I am also sailing YC in March 2021.  Very excited to try this out.  It is my annual solo escape cruise so I am really looking forward to enjoying the YC level.

Oh cool! My first cruise on MSC was this past September on the Preziosa and I did that solo (first time).

Edited to remove my question about your sailing because I see you already answered that in another post :). We're on the 3/2 sailing.

Thank you for your post. I won't be on the Divina in the YC until March 2021 but like most Cruise Critic members I'm starting my research early. The YC seems great as it is so I'm excited for the changes after dry dock.

I submitted my mom's status match last month and had not heard back. I called them on Friday and they matched my mom's RCL Diamond to Voyagers Club Gold. The rep confirmed that the program was very popular and they are behind on processing the applications.

4 hours ago, IrishComet said:

Just off the Preziosa from Hamburg.

Any Question's, Just ask and I will try and answer.

 

I will do a review later.

 I'm on this ship next month for my first MSC cruise, very much looking forward to your review. 

Good question. I wasn't able to find an answer so I decided to take the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam when I'm there in September. I'm hoping I can meet up with some other solos during the cruise so we can travel together but if not I'm pretty sure I can do it on my own. I booked 11:15 tickets for the Anne Frank museum and a walking tour for later in the day.

Thank you for your review. Is there an additional fee for the gelato or is it included in the cruise price like ice cream is for other cruise lines?

9 hours ago, Colorado Babe said:

Thank you so much for your review.  We really want to book this ship perhaps fall of 2020!   

I hope you do book it! I think you'll really enjoy it.

8 hours ago, IRMO12HD said:

Great review; thanks for the room tour!  Just curious; did the noise from the Promenade make it through your patio door?  I noticed the sounds as soon as you opened the door in the tour, but hadn't heard (or noticed, anyway) any sounds prior to that . . .

Some noise did come through but not enough to negatively impact our cruise. There definitely wasn't noise in the room in the evening when we were going to sleep but during the day (especially sea days) we heard the tiniest amount of deck music in the room.

8 hours ago, Ralphinsc said:

Thanks for the room tour! We are staying two rooms down from that on our April cruise. Awesome review!

You're welcome! I hope you enjoy your cruise.

9 hours ago, perfect match said:

Thanks for sharing. Can't wait for our turn on Symphony! 

I'm jealous, I want to go back!