jules815

I know this is sort of beating a dead horse, but currently are there any drinks at Venchi, something like a specialty coffee or milkshake, included with the Premium package? We'll be on Seascape in September in the YC. Just watched a ship tour on YouTube (I know....lots of misinformation out there) and the person specifically said "drinks at Venchi aren't included with any packages." 

3 hours ago, fluffybunny22 said:

Everyone saying that MSC randomly cancels cruises has me paranoid so I've been logging in every day just to check on it. Today it says I can't access that part of the website. I submitted loyalty match requests this morning so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I also submitted a request to transfer the booking to a TA a couple of days ago. Could either of those impact my access to the website? Is this just a bad website or something I should be concerned with? If they cancel a cruise do they notify the TA? I know people have said that they don't notify the customers.

It may have to do with transferring to the TA. I'd call your TA.

49 minutes ago, LoungerOnBalcony55 said:

I've seen some recent reviews where people said repeated requests for loungers on YC balconies (standard size balconies, not the larger suites) were ignored or refused. 

 

Any recent updates on this specific topic? 

We're in a GS on Seascape in September. Balcony looks pretty big but with no lounger. I know it's not considered one of the larger suites but looks like the balcony could definitely accommodate at least one, in addition to the chairs and the is it a foot stool or is it a table thingie. Was definitely planning on asking for one. I love lounging with my Kindle on the balcony.

19 minutes ago, LoungerOnBalcony55 said:

Anything ever available off the grill besides eggs and burgers? If so I might end up eating most of my meals out there...

We've had grilled fish, shrimp and lamb chops. There's always some type of meat on a carving station, a salad area with lots of toppings, a few other hot items, breads and of course desserts. If you're still hanging around the pool later in the afternoon, they come around the loungers and serve things like bowls of fresh fruit, cookies, etc. We were on Meraviglia out of Miami in 2021 and loved it. 

21 hours ago, kayehall said:

I used to print in color, fold and then laminate.  Now I print in color, fold and place in plastic holders bought on Amazon

Are the Celebrity tags the same size as RC?  I bought plastic holders for our last RC cruise in 2016, but haven't sailed with them since then. Just found the holders in the side pocket of a suitcase the other day.

33 minutes ago, phissy said:

Just a quick reminder…..YC deposits are non refundable. If you cancel and try to rebook, you will lose original deposit. Then, charged new deposit for rebooking. Since MSC allows 1 change for YC booking,

I would try to get $200 OBC added since  You are before final payment.

Yes, aware non-refundable.  Didn't know about the 1 change for a booking. I guess all they can do is say no. I'm going to call in the morning and see what they say. 

4 hours ago, JAGR said:

Honestly, I don't use a TA to initiate bookings, unless we are doing a resort stay, where AA Travel or Delta Travel may have a good package deal.  I trust myself to find the best deal I want for air and travel (use points/miles, play with mixed itineraries, etc.  For MSC, I've found that I can get what I want. I then purchase it and just hand it off the to the TA to take it over.  They can run any post booking issues, and then can easily give me a share of their commission in OBC (at least it's usually hassle free for my agent, especially now post-COVID).  Hope you are enjoying retirement!

Thanks about retirement. Enjoying...sort of. I'm still in the cleaning out all the closets phase of retirement. Amazing what you accumulate over the years. 

I also really enjoy doing our travel planning on my own. It's part of the fun for me actually, so handing over the job to another person seems odd to me. If I could do all the leg work like you mentioned, then just hand over the booking for a little obc, I'm good with that. 

Yeah I'm going to just let it go.

If I try to cancel and rebook, I take the chance of the cabin getting snatched up in the process and there aren't any left in our category. (Seascape YC Grand on deck 19). 

On 4/16/2023 at 9:40 AM, JAGR said:

Here we go!  You opened Pandora's box! 😜

I was trying to transfer my booking to a TA to get some extra obc. That's one reason. 

3 minutes ago, JAGR said:

While Jules815 is correct about you being able to call MSC, let the TA do the lifting.  Give them your reservation number, let them contact MSC, and the TA can send you the transfer form for you to sign.

11 minutes ago, JAGR said:

While Jules815 is correct about you being able to call MSC, let the TA do the lifting.  Give them your reservation number, let them contact MSC, and the TA can send you the transfer form for you to sign.

Ugh. I'll remember this. I've never used a travel agent before, but thinking we might start since we're newly retired and see more travel in our future.

JAGR, do you always use a TA? Do you have them book your flights and hotel as well? Even though it's too late for this TA to get our booking (it's a transatlantic next year on Celebrity), she wants to help us with our flights and post cruise hotel in Barcelona. Trying to decide if this is smart. Can TA's get better deals on flights (which are outrageous at the moment) and hotels? 

Noticed MSC is now offering up to $200 obc per stateroom for the cruises we have coming up in September. 

There's no chance I'm going to get this if I call, is there? 😩

As long as you booked less than 30 days ago, you would call MSC and tell them you want to transfer your reservation to a travel agent. I tried doing this for the first time yesterday on an upcoming Celebrity cruise, and missed the cut off by one day. (Pretty sure 30 days is the standard, but I could be wrong.)

I read all the horror stories about dealing with MSC customer service, but honestly have never had an issue. Might be because there's the "if you're in the Yacht Club" option when you call? I always get thru pretty quickly and they've been helpful.

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

Our next cruise is this summer on the NCL Prima starting in London (Southampton) and ending in Reykjavik, with an overnight there before disembarkation. Other ports are Amsterdam, Bruges, 3 ports in Norway, and 2 more in Iceland before Reykjavik. The second sea day is between Norway and Iceland and will be on our wedding anniversary.

 

I should add that we missed out on a Princess Norwegian Fjords cruise in 2020, and will be getting to some of those missed ports this time.

Sounds nice. Fjords is definitely high on our list. 

24 minutes ago, RTShaker said:

I'm heading to FLL later today for a B2B on the Celebrity Millennium on Friday. 21 days to Vancouver.

Safe travels!  

1 minute ago, snowballs mom said:

It all depends on how much luggage you are willing to haul around😄. We traveled from October 22nd through November 28th, starting with a family visit in upstate New York, then the QM2, a few days in England, a two week TA back to Miami with stops in Spain and Portugal, a Thanksgiving Caribbean cruise, and a visit to my sister in the Villages. It was an interesting packing experience since we had so many different climates. I had one medium and one rolling carryon size bag (both expanded and checked) and my husband had one large bag and his backpack. With two TAs we only had domestic flights, so we could go first class and take advantage of the 70 pound limit. We also did laundry (Cunard has free washers and dryers, we get free laundry on Carnival and I did find a Southampton hotel with laundry facilities). 

 

Wow. Sounds like quite the trip. And yes, hauling luggage is proving to be a problem on our upcoming B2B next year. We're going to be in Ft. Lauderdale pre-cruise for a wedding so we'll have that and whatever we bring for a B2B. I know I'm guilty of over-packing, something I intend to work on. My husband thought it would be fun to take the train somewhere after the B2B, but then there's all the luggage. As much as I'd love to, I know there's no way we could just do carry-ons. Even looked at shipping most of our bags home from Barcelona, but Fed X office is closed on Saturdays. (I'm also a fan of the 70lb first class limit!)

4 minutes ago, Tyler414 said:

Spain, France, Italy, Ibiza on Virgin Voyages, I'm a virgin on VV, so we shall see.

Interesting. Are you starting out in Barcelona or is this a TA? We're interested in trying out VV as well. Their food is supposed to be very good and all included. (no uncharge specialties)

9 minutes ago, snowballs mom said:

We are retired and are booked on various lines through 2025. We cruise on several lines depending on price and itinerary. (Since we prefer suites I tend to book really far in advance to get the best pricing.) Since we fly we tend to book less frequently and take two or three long trips each year.

 

We will be on the Carnival Miracle ten day Alaska itinerary this August out of San Francisco, followed by a B2B Mexican Riviera on the Carnival Panorama out of Long Beach a couple of days later (Southwest has quite a few flights between California cities). In January 2024 we have a B2B on the Constellation - first is New Orleans and the Caribbean, followed by the Ultimate Caribbean and the Americas. In July 2024 we will join our daughter and her friend to celebrate their thirtieth birthdays on the Cunard Queen Anne for a fourteen day Iceland and British Isles sailing from Southampton (we will also tour the London and Southampton areas before and after the cruise). Then, for 2025, in January we are on the Carnival Radiance for fourteen days to Hawaii out of Long Beach, with a couple of Mexican Riviera cruises thrown in. November 2025 is our Galapagos cruise on the Flora.

 

Our first Cunard cruise was last year was a TA on the Queen Mary 2 from Brooklyn to Southampton. We loved it, but be aware that they enforce their dress code (two true formal nights and 'smart attire' in the evenings for the main dining room, jeans only acceptable in the buffet and a couple of bars). On our sailing the majority of men wore tuxes as opposed to dark suits on the gala nights.

 

When I mentioned cruising to England my husband mentioned doing it on Cunard. We're not opposed at all to dressing up, but no sure if we want to, if that makes sense. 

46 minutes ago, aml3679 said:

Our preferred cruise line is Celebrity cruises, but, since we both live on a retirement budget, we frequently sail on Carnival.

 

This Saturday, we are leaving out of Port Canaveral on the Mardi Gras for seven days.  In  November, we splurged for a suite and we are on a ten day on the Silhouette.

We wouldn't rule out Carnival at all. They have a nice itinerary that included the ABC's.

We also know there's a difference between a shorter and longer sailing on any line. Anyone been on a transatlantic on Carnival?

16 minutes ago, applebutter said:

Having been a care-giver in the past, I understand the stresses you've been under and I know you need this break. I hope you enjoy every moment of your upcoming cruise.

 

Soon, DH and I and some dear friends will be on our way on a TA to Barcelona. Then, after exploring Spain for awhile, we will hop back on board and head to Rome. First TA for DH and I but we look forward to returning to Europe, especially Barcelona.

 

Alaska is a wonderful place to visit but it might not be the right time for that with the ports struggling to find enough staff. May I ask why you aren't interested? Is it the cold? If the cold isn't a problem, maybe Vancouver would be a good place. Explore Whistler, Vancouver, etc. That's one area we're interested in pursuing next year.

 

Not the cold. I'd love to do a New England into Canada cruise more than going to Alaska. My husband used to travel on business to Vancouver and always talks about taking me there someday. He loved it. 

Thanks for your kind comments. 

19 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We're getting ready to leave for a 33-day Transpacific B3B cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse which you are more than welcome to follow along on the Live From thread I currently have going. Then in July we're doing a 17-day B2B around Japan on the Diamond Princess, a 22-day B2B Canada/New England/Caribbean cruise in October on the Caribbean Princess, a 10-day Galapagos cruise in December on the Celebrity Flora, followed by a 30-day B2B Antarctica/South America cruise on the Sapphire Princess.

 

But then again we're cruiseaholics. I guess my point is there are plenty of itineraries out there, if you have a little extra time. 🙂

Amazing!!

18 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

If you want to try Caribbean again I definitely recommend the ABC's.  By far my favorite Caribbean sailings!  Can't imagine someone not being interested in Alaska as that is one of my favorites also!  But given that you might not be interested either in one of my other favorites, Norway.  Outstandingly beautiful!

Hi neighbor. We're in Cary. Yes, Norway/Fjords is definitely on our radar. I guess never say never about Alaska. 

My husband and I are recently retired and finally have the time to do some longer itineraries. We were just discussing our next cruise, a B2B on an MSC ship in their Yacht Club, eastern/western Caribbean (yawn). This cruise is more about us getting away after caring for my 97 year old father in-law for the past couple of years and we know 2 weeks in the YC will still be a nice getaway. My husband's referring to this trip as our "Caribbean Swan Song." (Although we haven't done the ABC's yet. 🤔)

We also have a Transatlantic booked on ASCENT for next year. Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona. (We did our first TA in 2016 and loved it.) Still haven't been to England, so thinking our next TA would be something starting or ending in Southampton so we could add some days there. We've sailed the most with RC, Celebrity, and a few times with Carnival and MSC. Have no problem with trying a different line. Don't really have any interest in an Alaska cruise.

So where's your next cruise, and if you could do or recommend something other than an eastern/western Caribbean itinerary, what would it be?

10 hours ago, EatonDoolittle said:

I also find it highly entertaining. I think anybody with a sense of fun would. 

I especially love the "and Friends" version where they have the competition. 

So fun to watch the 3 other chefs standing on the side reacting while one makes his/her course. 

 

I've  always enjoyed the food, but the show (to me) is the main attraction.

If I were a picky eater, or not happy with the main LPC menu for that day, frankly I would not bother.    

One can get alternate / vegetarian, etc. offerings at the MDR or buffet with no upcharge.

 

 

 

Is the menu different each day, and are you able to see what the menu's going to be before making a reservation? Looks like something we'd enjoy, once.

On 4/14/2023 at 12:17 PM, horseymike said:

How is the food in the MSC Yacht Club ?

I would probably give the edge to Luminae, but it's been quite a while since we've sailed with X, so not sure if that's accurate anymore. I will say that on the 2 cruises we've done so far in the Yacht Club, we really enjoyed the food. It's not just the dining room either. That entire YC pool area where you can also have breakfast and lunch is just lovely. 

On 4/14/2023 at 11:04 AM, prmssk said:

We just booked an MSC Yacht Club suite for a third of the price of a comparable Celebrity Retreat cabin on a comparable itinerary!  I believe we are now generally priced out of the Retreat. So yes, prices are crazy. Somebody must be willing to pay them though as they are booking up so I really can’t blame Celebrity. 

We started sailing in the YC back in 2019. Prior to that our cruises with X had only been in suites (pre "Retreat".) Had been reading a lot about Yacht Club here on CC and wanted to see what all the buzz was about. Loved it! We have a B2B in the YC coming up in September and we can't wait. 

Our next cruise with Celebrity is a transatlantic next year on Ascent. The price to go from our Sunset Veranda (we're really excited about this cabin!) to a Sky Suite is over 7k. 😮  We got a fantastic deal and even with having to add premium drinks and wifi on our own, it still doesn't come close to what The Retreat would cost.