perakcruiser

Okaaaay 😄 https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/20317796/england-wags-luxury-liner-heading-world-cup-qatar/

Well, nobody else is doing it. Even Costa is not considering it, they really would need to do something like this to stop drowning. And it is the details, to give some people the highest level even they never cruised MSC before, that is surely something unseen also. Some years before you almost never saw a black card holder, now there are thousands.

Very simple, if this arrangement will not work, MSC will completely cancel Dammam as they did last winter. MSC will never ever go there on this route if it is not possible for guests to stay on board without visa. Anyway, the whoe cruise Saudi thing also will never work if guests have to make their own visa arrangements. MBS just seems not to be ready to understand this.

Great to read when you are working to get Black/Diamond since 2011 and will MAYBE get it this months with MSC cruise number 10 😄 But it´s ok, MSC want to win on the american market and to beat RCCL and Carnival they need to offer something completely crazy. Which is what they do with this status match.

Non of the European companies is doing the entertainment as the Americans do it, has nothing to do with MSC. But if you are lucky, MSC will show their short version of La Traviata or another highlight from this category. Only one time, no second chance, be aware of! Much better singers than ANYWHERE else, not too much of them for obvious money reasons, but that should not spoil the enjoyment. Overall, you are coming to late. The phantastic times with highest quality singers on board are gone. And anyway only available on Med cruises.

Nice. You can expect to get the 700 points one week before the cruise. I indeed got them exactly one week before departure.

Oh, I saw this promo on some countries websites, but seems not to be on the US site.

Certainly there is! MSC sometimes runs promos where you get extra points BEFORE the cruise to reach your status faster. And they are doing it right now! Just pick your dream Winter cruise and book by November 30th: as part of the MSC Voyagers Club, together with 5% off of all winter cruises, you will receive 700 extra points credited before departure, to help you upgrade your membership level faster and possibily get exclusive new benefits during your upcoming cruise. You may enjoy privileges such as priority embarkation and disembarkation, late check-out, complimentary dinner at one of our speciality restaurants and much more, depending on your membership level. https://www.msccruises.co.uk/cruise-deals/winter-members-promotion

Maybe at 6 the kids club is closed.

Well, if you start to PAY for a wonderful Cappuccino you maybe really start to enjoy 😄

No, this is not available anymore. All water, beer, wine, coffee packages have been discontinued.

Very understandable, but the first rule is really to avoid the school holidays of UK, Germany, France and Italy. As I have two kids I know the difference between cruising without them outside the holidays and with them during holidays very well. It is two completely different worlds.

For unknown reasons MSC is very unwilling to sell 1 day passes. During Covid they did not sell at all, not sure if they started again. And usually when you ask for the price they are afraid to tell, I think last time I got an answer like "It is absolutely not worth it" instead of the price😄 Just go and try telling them that you are only on a 3 day cruise.

Well, look at the price of your cruise (I am on board as well) and you know why it is popular 😉 But no school holidays, so I am not too pessimistic. Maybe not half empty as the Virtuosa was in February, but that times are probably gone. And if you are frightened about the long lines at embarkation, just go late. The ship leaves Hamburg at 9 pm, I am sure late afternoon the waiting time will be zero.

So true. When I was first time on Virtuosa I had the feeling I have been on this ship before 😄 After we had all recent cruises on the newer MSC ships I want to go back on the Preziosa, still my favourite ship. Maybe just try to call again and pretend it is your first call about this topic. Meanwhile they are maybe more familiar in changing these cruises.

No, it is quite normal to get upgrade bids offers for sold out cabins.

Exactly the same on MSC.

Depends on the ship.

Does it get crowded? - Usually not. I never saw it crowded. Are the loungers heated? - Yes. Is there staff that you would have to tip there? - No. In my opinion the Meraviglia is the first MSC ship with a Spa that is worth to visit. Same with all ships that came after the Mera.

You are only writing about US wines that anyway are only available on MSC ships for this market. Surely the US wine market is not the main wine source for MSC for obvious reasons. What I know from MSC in Europe their wine selection in the YC is great. And you should not look only at the price. In Europe the average selling price of a bottle of wine is somewhat around 3€. Prices above 15€ have nothing to do with quality or production costs, that is just storytelling, marketing, demand and shortage.

I would not recommend someone who never drove on the British side of the road (which unfortunately is also the Malaysia side) to rent a car in Southampton. Also still a lot of manual gearing rental cars around in Europe.

I have been in the British pub on some MSC ships, but I really don´t remember if there was food available. I only went there for a Newcastle Brown Ale from tap 🙂What I know is that they started to have some food options (free or not) in the sports bar, because of the high demand for this from US pax who - please don´t read, American friends - seem to need food all the time during the cruise😉 That is why your question "Is food included in the bars" is difficult. Yes, I remember some small selection of pastries in some bars or other very small snacks in other bars at special times, but also tea time and breakfast is really happening at the buffet. You definitely will not have lunch or dinner in any of the pubs, bars and cafes, so you don´t need to think if included or not. None of the places has anything more than small snacks, but most have no food at all.

I understand your doubts. Especially if you like your booking. But you can do the status match already now. Just trying to get any of the benefits into your existing booking can hurt. Indeed much more than a tiny gift is worth.

Don´t think too much about the speciality restaurants, you probably will never use until you have Diamond😄 Usually the prices for the speciality restaurants are the same across the fleet.

Do we know what food is included with the cruise? I know there are 13 different dining venues, but I am unsure what we would have to pay for and what we don't have to pay for? All normal dining options are included, the so called speciality restaurants not. Same like all other MSC ships. We never used a "speciality restaurant" so far, I guess 95% of the guests never used. I noticed all the different activities like the massive slide, the bumper cars, 4D cinema, various shows etc, I was wondering how much these would cost over the course of 7 days. Shows and slides should be included, for the other stuff the prices are not too much, especially when using the entertainment pass. Nothing to worry about. What are the inside cabins like? Our last cruise was a balcony and it made all the difference, but I want to know if these are quite spacious or are they really small, compared to some of the smaller ships like the NCL Gem we was on not long ago. Insides usually have no sofa, but some do. And some inside cabins are bigger, some smaller. For me Insides are OK, not spacious, not really small. But I have no idea about the layout on the Europa of cause. With a drinks package, would these be included everywhere, like the Gin club, the Pub, and all bars around the ship? I am unsure if some places don't allow it, and you have to pay a premium? Basically the package is included everywhere, the few exceptions are clearly mentioned. Dress code? NCL was quite relaxed, and I enjoyed wearing a polo shirt and jeans for evening meals, is this acceptable on MSC or is it stricter for the main dining rooms? You will not be turned away from the MDR with this. What are the differences between a smaller ship and a large one like this? Are there long queues for drinks/food and activities or is it quite simple processes Simple.