Ljdoc

I have been looking at things to do in my upcoming Arvia cruise and Cinque Terre by train is definitely on the list now. I’d like to potentially do 3 of these stops so assume the card is the best way to go but I was wondering can you purchase these the day before or even in the day online just in case of any reason this port stop doesn’t happen. Also is there anything you definitely recommend on the trip, mindful we have a 9 year old with us?

As you enter the boat you will receive a wrist band that you’d kids must wear at all times on board. Just head to the kids club and you will be given the form to fill out. You can head to the seats nearby to the back of ship and fill them out, take back and you will be all set up then. Have a great time.

Just booked internet for my July Arvia cruise and got 28% off plus my loyalty discount too at checkout. I got 15% off last year after seeing it on here so is a very good deal and the internet on Arvia was very excellent too. I always get internet on a cruise as I need to stay connected so good to get a better deal. Thanks for posting @Leomins👍

Hi @kknb4082, All sounds very normal for MSC, it doesn’t feel like it all works but it does. id just advise when you are on the boat the app will work differently and you will see your card is registered. Once my card didn’t register properly and it was difficult disembarking and went to guest services and there was a huge queue. If it doesn’t work there are machines around the atrium where you can register. Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

All the kids eat in the buffet at the same time so if you ask for your kids to eat together I am certain that won’t be an issue. You won’t get dining times until you get your cruise card and it is printed there along with your restaurant and table number, you will have the same table each night and waiting team. We have always requested early and got early. If you happen to get a late and want to change this you just head to the dining rooms on deck 6 when you board the ship and ask. Depends on availability if they can change you or not. Also when check in opens you get to select a time for embarking, we were 4pm but managed to select 1pm then but I’m sure earlier ones will book up sooner so the sooner you check in the better to get the most suitable time.

Hi @kknb4082, I am just off Euribia doing the same cruise from Southampton with our child, any questions I’ll do my best to answer. One thing I would recommend with kids in Hamburg is the miniature museum, it takes a few hours and is best booked in advance as you can wait on the day for a few hours but it was the highlight of the trip for my child. The kids clubs are great and the staff were very good on Euribia, probably the best MSC kids club crew in all my cruises with them. You need to check opening hours each day on the app and it is best to check the activities each day, you need to get this at the kids club and is a one pager detailing the day. Timings can vary each day and also if want to put your kids in on an evening, they go for kids buffet at 7.30am to 8.30pm so if you don’t want your child to go you need to pick them up at 7.15pm or wait till 8.30pm to drop them off which is very late. Our child did the buffet 1 night, which we were worried about but they loved it. If you raise any concerns with the staff, they will advise and put you at ease. Your children will be in different clubs due to their age but don’t let this worry you. Both rooms are connected with a divider that they can see through so they can still speak to each other if needed and there is a lot of times when activities are being done and both clubs join together. It’s a big ship and busy at times but we had a great time and probably does depend what you want from a holiday. As we have done several MSC cruises before we knew what to expect and we were able to ensure we had a great time.

Thanks for this, sounds like a good addition over similar ships rather than the circus show.

Hi @showingdiva, it’s hard to get any info on the Carousel lounge changes. Would you be able to advise on this?

Great thanks, Butchers Cut is not in Euribia but Le Grill is on the lower Galleria floor where the French restaurant was. The menu is almost identical to Butchers Cut. Just checked and they do have the dining experience so will do the same as you when we embark.

Does anyone know how priority boarding works in Southampton and late cabin check out at disembarkation. I am booked on Euribia in December but this is my first time as Diamomd and struggling to definitely know what this means. Also, how do you go about booking the complimentary specialty dining meal and is this available in Le Grill.

It’s very easy to switch off data roaming on a mobile device and keep calls but I’ve never done it myself and never had an issue with it connecting to data on the maritime network. I think there is a block on it but not sure. I also have only a £10 limit in my phone for extra spend and never had an issue with extra spend. If you have any concerns speak to the kids club staff on day 1 and they will put you at ease. They do it every day of the year and do it very well. we are on early July ourselves.

I have been on a few cruises using kids club but you aren’t given a pager. I’m not sure if you can request one but they are not needed. On P&O as long as you have your mobile phone with you and the kids club have this number you will connect to the ships cellular network. If they need you in an emergency they can contact you on your mobile anywhere on the ship. Just be careful it is expensive to use as a normal network but great for emergencies on the ship or at home. If someone calls you and you don’t answer it won’t cost you but it will cost about £2 per minute or more to answer but worth it if there is an emergency. See below from P&O’s website. While you’re at sea, you’ll still be able to use your mobile phone to make and receive calls, as well as send text messages and photos, using International Maritime Roaming. Costs of calls will be added to your mobile bill, not your on-board account. You are strongly advised to check costs in advance with your service provider On another note, P&O was my first cruise and experience of kids club but they are fantastic and the staff are brilliant. My son who is 8 loves the kids club and P&O is his favourite. They do lots of activities and don’t simply put them in front of a screen. I’m on Arvia in the summer and we are all looking forward to it after Iona last year, you will love it.

It’s good to know this so I’ll keep an eye from the day before, my sone loves going for a few hours most evenings after dinner and P&O does have great kids clubs and the staff are great too. How long are the slots that you book and isolate these designated time slots.

Thanks, do you book slots in advance or on the day or just before you go? We will be on Arvia the fortnight before the school holidays in England as our school holiday start a few weeks earlier so hopefully won’t be too busy. Good to hear it only hit capacity a few times.

Hi Devonuk, Is the app booking new for kids clubs and how does it work? This wasn’t in place last year.

Does anyone know if there are currently any opening time or access restrictions on the kids club on Iona or Arvia. When I was on Iona last July you only had just over an hour twice a day due to staffing levels. The week after I was in there were some changes to this but not sure of it was temporary or permanent. With it being half term this week I assume the ships will be busier with more kids so interested to know how they are currently operating.

I had the same issue booking Arvia through a TA. I was able to book with 2 adults and 1 child and on the day I confirmed with the TA, there was an issue with P&O’s website. Next day they couldn’t book it and said that all the upper berths were closed and sometimes it happens for a day or two whilst they allocate saver fares. A few weeks later they became available but again we were too late by the time we went to book and a few weeks after that we were able to book. Every few weeks since it opens for a few days and closes again. I have checked several Arvia cruises in June, July and August and they are all the same. it doesn’t matter if you book adults or children, you can’t book 3 or 4 to a room. You can book 1 adult and 1 child. I did contact P&O the first time but was told it was down to fluid pricing which I don’t believe it is. it’s strange and whilst plenty of cabins are available that will hold 4 people but they can’t be booked for more than 2. I waited a few weeks and got booked and would imagine it will be the same as you as long as you check daily but as to why it’s happening, I’m not certain.

There was a day each week on Iona where perfumes and aftershave were buy one get one half price or something like that and was very good value and roughly 25% cheaper than on land. I was on a back to back and they had the same deal both weeks. It was busy that day and we would have bought more only we were restricted with the weights of our bags for flights. Although we didn’t buy any alcohol, they did have some really good deals and it was busy. They had some decent costume jewellery which was reasonably priced and was a bit different to the high street. In the tech shop it was very similar to an airport tech shop, lots of expensive cables, speakers, headphones, etc. it was good to browse but I never bought anything. There is the normal P&O branded shop and expensive boutique clothes and handbags which are similar to what you can buy on land. All in all I found them better than the average to browse and bought a few things and passed an hour.

It’s a strange one, when I was on Iona I was on deck 16 in cabin 16321 which had a room above on deck 17 but the room next to me and the corridor to the left as you came out of the room would be under this area. We didn’t notice any noise in the corridor now I think of it. On Arvia. we are on the other side of the ship under this area. I never thought about checking reviews but there are reviews of Ron’s nearby saying it is quiet so at least that gives peace of mind on that front. On looking at some of the higher res photos and the section of photo I took myself in Norway below you can see there is a white panelling but behind this it does look like windows. This is the area the funnels would come out of the ship but this runs through the whole ship and doesn’t take up this much room on each floor. At least it won’t be noisy but still wonder what it is!!

Does anyone know what is in this blank area on deck 17 behind the sky bar. I have a room booked underneath this area and just wondering what is here and will it cause noise. I have been on Iona and couldn’t think what would be here bar storage for the sky dome but not sure. Does anyone know.

There is Gala night, white night, flower night and a 60’s/70’s or even 80’’s nights. It is very loosely adhered to whether people dress up or not. People who did, did go to dinner dressed up but were very much in the minority. I’d say if you want to dress up, go for it but like me if you don’t no one will think anything of it. It’s one of the benefits of MSC, it’s your choice what you wear and when.

We had Covid in July and no questions were asked about previous Covid. it is only relevant if you have had Covid 14 days prior to boarding. I wouldn’t worry about it at all.

Hi Mike, We were in exactly the same position for our cruise a few weeks ago on MSC and did a lot of research and agree it wasn’t clear. We had our NHS certificate showing our vaccine status which was no problem. A test for vaccinated is not necessary and wasn’t asked for. Our 7 year old isn’t vaccinated so we had to get a covid test. As we had to fly to Barcelona we got one at the airport through Randox. Effectively we went to their site, they did the same tests you buy in boots for £2 and they send you the results within an hour, it cost us €35. With the results email they send you a certificate with a barcode that shows you haven’t got covid. I did look at the Randox self test where you take a picture and upload and they send you a certificate but I didn’t want to take a chance. It costs around £12 and can be done at home. As long as you go to a place like Randox, Boots or Lloyds you will be fine as they provide you with the correct certificate. I think they need to know that the test is carried out by a health professional that provides you with the correct certificate. As far as the other tests, for the value of difference in cost I wouldn’t take the chance but not sure if it would be accepted or not. As for timescales we were 48 hours on the needle from when the test was done to check in but this wasn’t mentioned. I’d say you’d be fine as long as it is done within 2 days. When we checked in they were checked, but had no issues doing it this way. Hope this helps.

Hi Connie, I hope you enjoy the cruise. Having never done Yacht Club it would be good to know why you feel it is so much better and potentially a few photos too. Have a great trip.

Just be careful, we booked a seaview bella and ended up in a balcony on deck 14 aft and the noise from the buffet was relentless. There are wooden floors in the buffet and the chairs make a noise each time they move and is very noisy. Started at 7am and never stopped to midnight. Everything else about room was fine, even though it was a few rooms from Aft and rocking was a bit more noticeable.