laudergayle

I wasn’t trying to be flip about your intent…I believe it is a very valid post. So…for my previous comment, I apologize. It’s just the subject title …it’s a little “bait and switch”. I really am sorry that my reaction may have sidelined your intent. And, yes, I believe based on comparison shopping, NCL has some pipe dreams about what the mainstream cruisers are willing to pay.

Right… @Sthrngary you should have posted this on April 1st. JK

Darn…I was ready for a great Haven price!! But great idea about sharing. Thanks.

You may need to surprise her with a cruise instead😊

Lucky us…on our next cruise we’re supposed to get 12 liters plus our 2) half-liters for Latitudes status. The 6L pp was part of a failed promotion last November. It will be interesting to see if they actually deliver it. If they do…looks like I might have a hard time giving it away 🤣

@cruiseny4life I was hoping you would read my review. I thought about you and your husband’s dress code requirement…and honestly, with the exception of Gala Night (which is only on 7+ night cruises), you would be fine wearing shorts and flippy floppies in the Yacht Club restaurant on the Caribbean cruises. And I’ve read and heard really good things about the Meraviglia out of NY. We had a great cruise…we REALLY liked the public space on the ship. So many different bars with entertainment. The ship was fully booked (5000+ people) and the only place that was crowded was the MDR. We were supposed to do Nassau then Ocean Cay, but due to Idalia they kept us in Nassau for two days. Ocean Cay is very close to Miami and the waves from Idalia’s outer bands would not allow the ship to dock. All good. Thanks for asking me😊

NCL Platinum status matches to MSC Gold. The meaningful benefit was a 5% discount on base cruise price…which can be 10% based on longer booking window. We got a fruit basket upon arrival in our balcony cabin and two drawstring bags on last night.

We were on Seaside and had the Duo package at $99 pp. so we got the Dining Experience (shorter menu) in Butchers Cut and the Pan Asian restaurants. The Butcher Cut we had the 8 oz filet…which was the 2x the size of NCL Cagney’s 6 oz. And it was a perfect cook. med for me and MR for hubby. May be the best steak I have had ever. The Pan Asian…meh. If I did again I would order off the sushi menu. However, DH loved his Market Catch Asian style. We only did MDR once and buffet the other night. Based on your ship, I’ve heard good things about Ocean Cay seafood specialty and Hola Tacos.

Hi there…just off a 4-day MSC Seaside cruise, 8/27-31, and here are some thoughts and observations between the two cruise lines. We are NCL Platinum..earned by double points cruises post Covid. Our first cruise was 10/2021 on NCL and we have now taken 6 NCL and 1 MSC. We choose to sail while kids are in school to minimize occupancy, even though all the cruises in 2023 have been fully booked. We opted for a 4-day cruise on MSC as a trial to see if we liked MSC experience. While we were a little concerned that this would be a short party cruise, we found very few annoying individuals or groups. So here is our comparison between NCL and MSC based on our 2023 cruise experience. Service: MSC MSC was fully staffed. Bar service was a little slow at times, BUT, I believe that this was due to being able to order all types of drinks—beer, wine, cocktails, frozen, waters, even fresh brewed espresso, latte, cappuccino at nearly every bar. All of these drinks were included in their Easy Plus package up to $10. With the exception of higher end liquor and wines, most drinks were $10 or less. MSC still has 2x daily turndown. While we don’t require that, the benefit was there were more stewards to room count. Our room was ready by 1:30 pm on embarkation day…and this was after they disembarked previous cruise 2.5 hours late. Our room would be cleaned in the 30-45 minutes we were out for breakfast and freshened up while we were at the evening dinner/shows. Food: NCL (MSC wins for Buffet Hours) MDRs on NCL don’t feel like a cattle call. While Anytime Dining on NCL doesn’t mean “no wait”, being able to dine when you want vs. set times is preferred. The MDRs on MSC were way too packed…tables inches apart from the next. MSC food was okay, it wasn’t as tasty as NCL. MSC recently scaled back their dinner menu, added a $5 fee for second entree and lowered the quality of meal selection. Which is something NCL did at the beginning of 2023. NCL wins on specialty dining—although NCL lowered the food quality in 2023. The number of specialty restaurants along with the food quality and selection is better on NCL. Cost for the packages are comparable. Buffets on the two ships are comparable. MSC wins for longer access to the buffet including late night pizza. NCL has the complimentary Local/O’Sheehans which is a nice B/L/D/Late Night option vs. the buffet. Entertainment: MSC MSC has a good thing going. On our 4-day cruise we had main theater entertainment all 4 nights. They weren’t off Broadway productions but they were well done and very entertaining. An acrobat/magician/dancers, comedian, easy listening singers/dancers, Michael Jackson cover/dancers. The performers participated in the multiple acts. Also, there were 6-7 onboard musicians in various venues each evening. US Itineraries: NCL NCL has much more choice of where to sail from the US…Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Southern Caribbean, Eastern and Western Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, NE/Canada, Transatlantic. Itineraries ranging 3 days 16+ nights. MSC only sails out of Port Canaveral, Miami and Brooklyn NY for now. International Itineraries: Tie I would have given NCL the win for number/quality of destinations, but the NCL 2024 international itineraries are mostly 10+ nights which for many US residents the time/cost of longer cruises is not feasible. Cabin: NCL This comparison is based on balcony cabins. NCL cabins feel larger, the bedding is better quality and the mattresses newer. Cost/Value: MSC MSC is significantly lower cost/better value than NCL…and NCL prices continue to rise…which is why we tried MSC. Bottom line: Both NCL and MSC are solid cruise lines and we would sail either if the cost and itinerary were right for us.

That’s interesting. IIRC the sprinklers went off in Prima Theater shortly after her inaugural sailing.

UPDATE. Seems we’re still on 3 engines. We got onboard yesterday just after noon…we were very early in line. Ship embarked on time….after Cosst Guard inspection and clearance. However the new twist is potential hurricane Idalia. They canceled Ocean Cay for tomorrow and we are staying in Nassau till 5 pm due to the storm and our safety. I guess since OC is so close to FL and Idalia track is still not certain. If anything I would wonder about the 3-day cruise after us.

Unfortunately they only offer future shuttle credit.😞

So the Seaside is having engine issues and won’t start disembarking guests until 9:30 tomorrow morning. We are sailing out tomorrow. We had a boarding time of 1-1:30 but we’re going to get to the port early since GoPort was picking us up at 10 am from airport hotel. MSC has since adjusted our boarding time to 3-3:30…but Go Port says their original pickup for us will remain. Question: assuming we arrive at the Port Terminal at 11-11:30 am…will we be standing outside in the sun for several hours? Any insight is appt. TIA

What’s your itinerary?

Lots and lots of people sail Epic everyday. Some like it some don’t. We liked it and had a lot of fun. The odd bathroom setup didn’t bother us. Be more specific about what you’d like to know about Epic to get better feedback.

While you didn’t ask me…lol, I’ll share our experience. Yes it’s crowded often, but if it were that difficult to eat there, you wouldn’t have so many people raving about how great it is. It’s like finding a seat or parking spot. You have to gauge the people in the space, look at their progress in the meal…are they on dessert or appetizers. On our cruise, we found 2-ish and 8 pm-ish it was quite easy to be seated. And rarely were there people seated at the individual station counters…which I under they now let you order from all food venues not just the one you are seated at.

Question…for your sailing, how many men did not wear a jacket? Did those who did not dress up look out of place?

Right!!! Personally I’m fine with some government oversight on who enters their country. And 7 Euro for 3 years is well worth my time to get approval.

Yes, @julig22 just told me how earlier this week. On main NCL webpage, scroll to bottom, click on ports and find the port you’re interested in. You will see the excursions and prices.

Not me…haha. I couldn’t even get near the edge. The Grand Canyon had me in fits…and there were guardrails and fences. Enjoy your trip…your photos are stunning.

PLEASE STEP AWAY FROM THE EDGE…you’re making me nervous!!

Interesting…following. Seems like flying into an EU country to catch a cruise would require an ETIAS.

I believe it is so you can’t see how lousy you look in your mugshot.

I’m jelly. We booked a balcony and have since found out we’re on the wrong side of the ship for the lighthouse. I’m hoping the ship docks in the opposite direction by mistake…lol.

All good. I just wanted to be helpful. You will enjoy The Bliss if that’s where you end up. We took it last May to Alaska and we’re doing Bliss to Mexican Riviera in November.