pattieuk

I feel the YC experience is totally worth it as long as you don't mind being cocooned . The massive crowds in common areas also impact on getting off the ship at ports , however the butler escort service , bypassing lines amidst 'worried consternation' ( ...disgusted looks ) can be a real perk sometimes. Probably the overcrowding will apply to all the large capacity ships . Generally the behaviour , respect and attitude of some travellers has gone downhill am sorry to say . On some short flights I have been on , the rows have been littered with crisp and sweet packets empty bottles and detritus which is totally unnecessary since the attendants make regular collections of thrash throughout the flight . Similarly people cannot seem to speak without shouting anymore. Perhaps I am showing my age ,ha ha ! As far as the different classes in Celebrity- I will have to pay more attention since it is usually the ports we focus on rather than the ship.

Thank you so much for this helpful comparison. I've always aspired to the Celebrity Retreat but when looking at the suite sizes and actual menu samplers - I have stuck with aquaclass , or looked at princess or queen's grille suites or Regent . Your comparison has persuaded me that MSC wins hands down . I am currently onboard MSC Virtuosa YC and WOW ! …… Despite booking MSC YC a couple of times 10 yrs ago , there wasn't anything particularly striking ( just the dread of hearing the announcements and showtime quips in 4-5 languages - so much repetition, we were determined not to book MSC again ) , This time it is a completely different experience and pleasantly so . Attentive staff and excellent service , fantastic quality food and luxurious generously sized rooms , very impressive and at a fraction of cost compared to Celebrity Retreat or Regent Seven Seas.. I like the secluded rooms which are quiet and give easy access to the dining venues and theatre . The show quality was excellent too plus everything was presented in English without multi translations . Venturing outside the YC area was interesting but after 15 mins of crowds, noise and carnival like atmosphere- I was ready to retreat to my sanctuary. The nice thing about Celebrity would be the ability of exploring other areas, bars / cafe without the overcrowding that comes with MSC , so although within the YC confines , activities and entertainment is rather limited , it was perfectly adequate for our needs . Price wise and value - I would say MSC wins hands down . ( okay the alcoholic beverages might be more mediocre compared to Regent Seven Seas etc but that is not such a priority for us ).

I'm due to visit Indonesia with Holland America on Westerdam as a first timer on HAL , and since I had conflicting information about visas when due to fly to Jakarta last February , I asked HAL and was directed to cibtvisas who wanted to charge me a $85 processing fee for a 35$ visa on arrival . There are 7 travelling in my group and I have not been able to apply for the eVoA , as I do not know the HAL port agent address in Jakarta , our first stop. I have been reassured after contacting HAL customer services that the visa will be processed once onboard for a ' small fee ' of $60 each x 7 , in addition to the 35$ for the actual visa . I wish they could have told me that after my first enquiry back in February. The thought of having to waste time and energy queuing up for this process just for HAL to make a few extra bucks is clouding my experience somewhat! Hopefully the visit to Komodo and rest of Indonesia will be a memorable one for the right reasons .