luvavacation

I haven't had a chance to research the Seaside as thoroughly as I would normally research an upcoming trip, so I was not aware there was an actual chocolate shop! Oh my joy! I thought the gelato would be my food highlight!

I feel I should increase my workouts now and perhaps just stop eating until I get on the ship. :D

Thank you! I am hoping to receive many of the ones that have the lighter praline filling between the two creamy chocolate layers. Yummmm. Lucky for me, my husband is a Hershey's chocolate only guy, so I will get to have both the nightly chocolates! :D

When we sailed on Divina in Yacht Club, we had amazing chocolates left on our pillows at turndown. I wanted to purchase a suitcase full of those chocolates :D, they were so good. Unfortunately, they were not for sale on the Divina when we traveled, and my husband threw out the wrappers I was saving so I could look for them online when I got home. Probably for the best!

Now we are getting ready for our Seaside cruise and I am hoping the chocolates are still put on the pillows at night, and that they are available to purchase onboard. Does anyone know if those tasty morsels of heavenly delight are present on Seaside?

Thanks! I will give that a try!

*update - got in that recommended way, thank you for the suggestion, managed to update nationality and passport info to t he correct information (yippee!), but then the birthdate for one of the passengers, though correct on the booking confirmation email, has reverted to the original incorrect birthdate again. My daughter is now born the same year as I was. No way to change this. Back to MSC phones I go!

I can't do anything with my family's upcoming booking. I want to print the E-Ticket but the website says the "personal information must match the MSC club number". I try to get into the Voyager's Club website, but it only gives me the option for my name, even though everyone else has a number and no one else can access their numbers nor sign up under new email addresses.

I have called MSC numerous times about issues with our booking. First, birthdates changed after booking. First one person's, then a couple weeks later, another family member's. That was fixed. Now the Voyager number information for my son-in-law is an issue.

Does anyone know a workaround? The hang up seems to be the Passport information section. Apparently it does not recognize the passenger nationality nor passport numbers when compared to Voyager's Club. Yet nothing has changed since our last MSC cruise. I am beyond frustrated.

I need to get into the Voyager's club, but can't get in and see what information is incorrect there. Is there a way to do this? The phone number to call for Voyager's club redirects me to reservations and they say they will open a ticket, but then nothing happens.

Any thoughts on how to fix this?

My last MSC cruise, I was detained and not allowed to reenter the USA in Miami because someone, somewhere, entered my passport number incorrectly and I was identified as a "known person of interest". I got on the ship fine, was off and on at ports fine, but could not reenter the US, even though I had all my documentation. Took 5 hours of waiting for someone in border control to realize the mistaken information. Border control stated that MSC entered my information incorrectly and transposed my numbers. Now this. If I wasn't in penalty phase, I would drop this cruise like a hot potato.

Previously sailed on the Divina 3-night last July, and I found the salad bar to be sorely lacking. I chalked it up to the "European mindset" of greens are for rabbits (I am from Eastern Europe, and we did not eat salads like Americans do, rather cabbage and cucumbers in vinegar, downed with some garlic and onions, was all one needed to be strong and healthy :D).

After many decades in the States, I now love a great salad bar, and I realize the younger generation in my former home have also discovered salads. But, perhaps not all of Europe is on the salad bandwagon yet, so I figured the Divina was Italian, the gelato and pasta were fantastic, and I could live without a long buffet of salad fixings for 3 days.

Soon I will be sailing on the Seaside, and having read that it was built with the North American market in mind, I wondered if that extended to the salad bar? Will I be loading up on greens and radishes and broccoli and all that good stuff, or is it also weak like the Divina's? I can certainly go without big bowls of vegetables, but after all the gelato and pasta I plan on eating, it would probably good for me to also down a few bowls of salad!

I am glad to know that I am not losing my mind!

I have had my eye on one of the roundtrip cruises with the overnight in Quebec in mid-September. Decided to just go ahead and book it this morning, and it is gone! I know I just saw it a couple of weeks ago when I showed my husband what might be a great anniversary trip!

We are not interested at all in a one way, but the roundtrip with the overnight in Quebec City, one of our favorite places, was perfect. I wonder why it was removed?

I am a little confused.

If you can't walk 3 miles around the beach how would you metal in a 5k in the same heat with no shade???

The 5K was done first thing upon docking, and we were off the ship in a group before everyone else.

If it is 90 degrees early in the morning, I'm not running, but if there is a ship sponsored event in the morning, it's nice to have the option. If it's the middle of the day though, high UV and hot, and it's a long walk to visit all the areas of GSC, then exploring will be something I do early. I've not been to GSC, I don't know when I may return, so I like to plan things out to make the best use of my family's time there. Planning is part of the fun of cruising for me! :D

Heading to GSC with the Epic next spring. The only private island we have ever been to is Castaway Cay with Disney, many times. We have just grabbed chairs at the beach at times, and other times rented cabanas there on both the family beach and the adult beach. Now I get to try a new island! I am trying to learn about GSC, have done some research here, but still have questions. I am hoping someone will have answers?

1. When do I rent the cabana?

2. We are staying in the Haven. If I read correctly, the cabana's and Haven guests are at the same beach. I like having a cabana because, though I live in FL and love the sun, too much sun with no break does not work well for me. Having a place to rest out of the sun is much appreciated. Do Haven guests have a shaded area, with fans, to retreat to at the beach, or is it only the cabanas that are shaded with fans?

3. Do Haven guests receive an earlier booking window for the cabanas, or does booking open at the same time for everyone?

4. Is any part of GSC netted to keep out the larger visitors? I have an intense, admittedly irrational, fear of sharks. If there is a netted section, I will be there, enjoying the ocean with only some fear of barracudas and jellyfish, but at least no fear of sharks. If there is no net, I will still go in the water, but I will make sure there are many people further out from me so they can spot the shark first.:eek: As I said, it's irrational, I know. :cool:

5. Do Haven guests have priority tenders to the island and back?

6. Can adults use the big slide that I see in some pictures? Is there a charge for the slide?

7. About how long is the walk from one end of the island to the other? I have a need to see everything and explore, but if it is a 3 mile walk and it's 90 degrees, I might abandon the exploration!

Finally, is there an NCL sponsored 5K around the island? I have done the 5K at Castaway Cay, and enjoyed it, especially the nice medal! Wondering if there is an opportunity to add another medal to my adventures!

Thanks for any insight you may be able to give!

Our excursion to Freeport was a kayaking/Gold Rocks Beach/ cave tour of Lucayan National Park. It was an MSC excursion because we wanted to experience all three things and we could only find it through the MSC sponsored excursion.

I don't know who the excursion company is that does this particular tour, apart from the cruise ship, but I know our guide was named Sam and he was fantastic!

We first kayaked the mangroves, which I did not want to do due to my fear of snakes, sharks, and venomous spiders. Apparently, none of that is present in the mangroves. Big spiders, however, are present, and though they may not have been venomous, they still were not something I wished to be up close and personal with. If you fear kayaking in the islands though, I would say don't fear this kayaking in Lucayan Park, as it really was a very good experience.

The cave tour was not something I really cared for. I would have preferred to be at the beach. I love the beach! But others found the caves fascinating, which is fine, but all I could think of was that the beach was still so close and I wasn't on it. The history is interesting, but really, I wanted to stay at the beach!

Ah the beach! Gold Rocks Beach is absolutely gorgeous! I think we were there at low tide, but I am not certain. I know only that the shore stretched out at a gentle incline into the ocean, and the sand was soft and I wish I had a mattress made out of that amazing soft sand.

The waves were not overwhelming, but still good to jump in, and there were plenty of areas where the water collected in pools among the sandy areas where small children could have played without being knocked down by waves.

As far as I could tell, there were no restroom facilities near the beach, but there were restrooms at the parking lot. There was a covered shelter, and when we were there, our group from the ship was using it for our lunch.

Crowds were nonexistent. Even if there were people in the area where you first enter the beach, you have a whole long expanse of beach to get away from them.

I know many people dislike Freeport intensely, but if you venture out of the port and away from the touristy traps, you may find something beautiful on the island, like Lucayan National Park and its beach. We can't wait to go back to Gold Rocks Beach!

My family recently visited Freeport with MSC cruises. We did an excursion with the cruiseline that included Gold Rocks Beach. If I recall correctly, there were no facilities on the beach, but there is an outhouse type of bathroom near the parking lot, before you walk across the wooden walkways to the bridge (it is a bit of a walk).

If you look it up on Google Maps, you may have a better understanding of where the facilities are located.

The beach, by the way, is one our favorite beaches we have ever experienced. Absolutely heavenly and peaceful, with very few people. I hope you find a way to get there!

I did that too, but it didn't matter. Shoreside said I have no excursion confirmation in my name, only in my husband's name. I was told to take it up with them when we get home. There was noting that anyone on this ship can do, or so I have been told.

Presently on the Divina. I am a travel agent, but I purchased this cruise as a regular paying customer because my husband and I wanted to try the Yacht Club. However, as a travel agent, I have two confirmations for everything, including booked shore excursions.

Before we left home, I told myself to print out all confirmations, but then the thought left me. I should've done that.

My husband and I had an excursion booked for Freeport. When we received the tickets the night before, only my husband had a ticket. I inquired as to where mine was, and was told there was no record of my booking. I paid for it all at the same time, and was perplexed.

I am glad I paid for internet, because I then grabbed my phone, and showed both my agency and client email confirmations showing the bookings. I was then given a ticket and permitted to join my husband.

This morning I received a note under the door to contact concierge regarding my excursion. Off I went, and concierge informed me that shoreside booking does not have my booking information so I have been charged for the excursion and will have to take it up with shoreside upon my return. It does not matter that my confirmation in my email shows payment, it does not matter that my credit card account shows that the money was charged, all that matters is someone, somewhere, only entered my husband's name and not mine and now I am being double charged.

The amount of money double charged isn't going to bankrupt me, but I am not giving MSC high marks right now for something that should have been corrected when I showed the email confirmation. And I am kicking myself for not printing out everything, so that concierge could have faxed that to shoreside. There is apparently no way on the ship to print an email from my phone, even if I send it to the concierge email. Printing at home would've been a help! So print it all before you leave home!

Wait, what? I am all packed and don't have any formal clothing packed! I guess it will be the buffet for us!

As a passenger, this lack of correct information is frustrating. As a travel agent, the misinformation from the MSC agents that speak with the travel industry is concerning. I hope this will not be indicative of MSC Cruises as it delves further into the US market.

Well then, drinking coffee, eating gelato and sitting by the pool will have to be the plan! With perhaps a fruity rum drink just to change things up a bit! That will be nice!

I did wonder if there were any places to see or things to do that might be missed when one is busy on a cruise. For example, on DCL, there are some really well decorated bathrooms that reflect the various sections of the ship (sounds weird, I know, but some of the bathrooms are amazing). And there is an area leading to the bars that my family calls "Tattoine" because it reminds us of the sand formations in Star Wars (though I can't remember which ships this was on!). I know the staircase on Divina is supposed to be gorgeous, so that is already on my list of things to see when the ship is in port, but I wasn't sure about some of the other spots on the ship.

What about activities? If I recall correctly, there is bowling on the ship? Is the port day the best time to try it? I am hoping the water slide is open in port, as we do enjoy water slides. I may just leave my husband napping at the pool while I go and explore. I have a need to see all that I can as quickly as I can so I don't miss out! My husband just needs to nap!

Thanks for the ideas!

As a first timer on MSC, I would like to get to "know" the Divina and the MSC experience.

My husband and I are on the three night cruise, and have decided that Nassau would be a good port to stay onboard (been there many times before, nothing against Nassau, but I only have two full days on this cruise).

We have a cabin in the Yacht Club level. I know it has its own restaurant and pool area, and I will find time for that, but what else would you do if you stayed onboard on a port day?

Also, we don't gamble. I have no problem spending my money on vacations, but I can't seem to part with it at a casino. Unless I am guaranteed to turn my $1 into $2 :D, we won't see the casino, so that is not going to be an option.

So, any ideas on what you would definitely want to go do or explore on the Divina during a port day?

Riclop, here on CruiseCritic, on the MSC information page (https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=636), I found this when I was first trying to figure out what to expect for my first MSC cruise - "On three- to six-night cruises, Divina hosts one formal night. "

When calling MSC agents, no one knew what to expect, until this past week when someone actually took the time to inquire.

This is my first MSC cruise, so I wanted to make sure I packed appropriately.

I have been trying to find out about what is happening for the three night MSC cruise, and the agents at MSC have said they have no information up to this point. Then, finally, an agent last night took the time to ask around, and learned that there will be one theme night, the White Night, but none other. So, no Italian night and no formal night of any type.

Not having a formal night was what I expected, but as a woman that loves to get dressed up with a husband that fights wearing anything other than a t-shirt and shorts, this was important to know for marital peace.

If you are on this cruise, pack your white stuff (if you get into theme nights) and that's all we have to worry about!

Ok, maybe a swimsuit and some underwear might be good, perhaps a few other things. :D

Thank you, brunello22, for your help. While I may be game to try the drive, and have even "driven" the drive from the port on Google Maps, I am afraid it just won't be a good idea. My husband has driven the wrong way on a one way in Alaska and a couple other American cities, and he was born and raised here! He occasionally feels that he can find his way around better than I, and my navigational skills, are able. I, on the other hand, am a great navigator (from the time I was 3, my Father put a map in my hand and let me navigate us anywhere around town!), and drive fine in a new place as long as I have someone that can direct me and let me know where to go before we actually pass the turn! My husband's strengths do not lie in navigation (he is much more patient than I am in traffic, however!). Hence, safer for the population at large if we don't throw in driving on the opposite side.

I did try the Lucayan website, but there is a lack of info on it. I also emailed the Bahamas tourism trust that hosts the website, and I receive a "thank you for contacting us, we will get back to you shortly" type of answer. That was just before I posted my query here on Cruise Critic. Island time, I suppose. Perhaps I shall hear back after my cruise.:confused:

At this point, I think I will just book us both on the Kayak excursion, and I just will kick and scream for the beach instead of the kayak. The guides might just be happy to let me go off on my own and meet up with the group later when they get to the beach! :cool:

Two adults, considering going out to the Lucayan National Park. Our cruiseline (MSC) offers a kayaking excursion there, which my husband is interested in, but I am not. I would prefer to just look around the park and then go to the beach there. There is no excursion offered for those that just want to explore the park and then become part of the beach for a couple hours.:D

I am considering either renting a car to drive there (an option that might cause us to fight amongst ourselves as we navigate and attempt to drive on the opposite side of our comfort zone!), or having a taxi from the port. I have read that there are no taxis at Lucayan Park, so this taxi idea might not be good.

Any thoughts? Should we just go with the kayaking excursion and I just don't get into the kayak and run to the beach instead?

My husband and I are on a cruise that docks in Freeport from 8 am to 11pm. We like to explore, love beaches, and doing things one doesn't do on a cruise ship's excursion.

Ideally, what we would like to do is have a tour of the island, stop at a couple nice beaches to snorkel or enjoy the toes in the sand, stop at some historical sights, perhaps the Gardens, forts, things like that. We do not want to stop at shopping markets.

I have looked into renting a vehicle and driving ourselves, but having a tour guide that knows the island and history would be more informative (and probably safer for all involved :eek:). Driving on the left side while trying to navigate and not go to sketchy areas is perhaps a bit too nerve wracking for us.

I have searched here on the forum but not found anything for private tours that is relatively recent, and am only finding tours that are less individualized. Anyone have an recommendations for more of a "build your own" tour?

Sailing for the first time on the Divina this July. Giving this cruise line a try, in the Yacht Club, after previously enjoying Haven on NCL and Concierge level on Disney Cruise Line.

I have read about the different themed nights on the Divina, and the dress code for the formal nights, but I was wondering if anyone has sailed MSC before on a 3 night and could let me know what happens on a short cruise? If I don't have to pack a formal dress and fight with husband to pack and wear a suit, that would be very nice!

I was also wondering about themed nights. Does this happen on the short cruises?

When I called MSC to ask, the agent on the phone did not have any information, so I was hoping someone here had experienced the shorter cruises and would have some advice on what to pack for dinner.

Finally, and I know this may sound odd, can one request a nationality for the server when arriving for dinner? I am of Eastern European descent, and since my parents passed away, I never get to speak to anyone from my home country unless I am on a cruise and luck out with a server from back home! I have high hopes for finding someone, since this is a more European cruise line, but since I have never actually cruised on MSC before, I may be completely wrong in my assumptions!

Oh, thought of one more question. Some people have mentioned the language barrier and being misunderstood when speaking with the crew onboard. Is there a particular language that the majority of the crew does speak? Should I be brushing up on Italian? Or are the crew nationalities more in line with Carnival and NCL (Filipino or Thai as opposed to DCL's Europe or Great Britain majority?). Not that this makes a cruise better or worse than another, I just like learning languages and if I can learn a few words to help with communication, then I am happy to do so!:D

Ha, I thought I was done and then another question popped up! Sorry! But what are the MSC daily news bulletins called? And where can I look at some online to see what the Divina offers for daily programming, especially when in port? Yes, I have a need to know as much as possible, because this is such a short cruise and I have to make the most of it! Sleep will wait until I get home! :cool: We are so looking forward to experiencing this new (for us) cruise line!

Great information! Thank you so much!

I was hesitant about the tunnel because it seemed to take me out of the way, but having never been on it before, I will take everyone's word for it and use the tunnel instead since the consensus is that it seems the safest way with least amount of misdirection.

Mile marker 66, Pompano Beach for gas, got it! Sounds like paying for the gas on the turnpike is worth the extra cost over stopping somewhere in Miami for cheaper gas.

I had planned on leaving the Orlando area by 6:00 am. Even if there are delays, I am hopeful that we will be on the ship before the all-aboard time. And I have a paper map of Florida (sometimes you just can't trust that the GPS will always connect!) so if I have to reroute, I have options. And maybe we will see a nice sunrise as we go!

Thanks again for the great advice! I feel much less anxious about the drive!

I will be driving to Port of Miami from the outskirts of Orlando for an NCL cruise soon. I do not like driving in cities AT ALL (country roads of IL are what I am familiar with), and especially not when it is just me and my children. I am an excellent navigator when someone else is driving, but very nervous when there are lots of exits and entrances and trucks when I am driving.

I am a recent transplant to Orlando, and I drive the toll roads as opposed to I-4, as I can go faster and have less traffic. I am comfortable driving in Orlando, so I am able to find my way around with not much problem. I have never driven to Miami before.

MapQuest and Google have me driving a tunnel to the port. I prefer to just drive over the bridge from Biscayne Blvd to Port Blvd. Is this a viable option?

How bad is the traffic on the Turnpike to where it merges with I-95? Is I-95 going to be a madhouse midday on a Sunday?

Where should I stop for gas and restroom break before I get to the port? I would prefer to have the fuel tank somewhat full for when we get off the cruise and head back home the following week, but I don't wish to pull off to a gas station in a sketchy neighbourhood if I can avoid it.

Thanks for the help!

I have an upcoming cruise, and was considering using a bus transfer from the Orlando area to the Miami port.

I see that NCL uses ESCOT Bus Lines. Has anyone used this from Orlando?

While I do realize that it is possible to drive from Orlando to Miami, I prefer not to. A couple of years ago I was on a cruise from Miami, and that port was crazy! Since I am much better at navigating than driving in crazy traffic in an unfamiliar area, it is best I not be on the road with the rest of you that know exactly where you are going. :)

Not to mention, the port charges for parking are expensive, and the difference isn't all that much to let someone else have the headache and I have a book to read instead. I like starting my vacation early!

So, any thoughts on motorcoach transfers from the Orlando area to NCL port terminal? Does it work well? Are you really picked up right by the terminal, or do you have to use Uber to get to the pick-up spot? All new to me - Port Canaveral, piece of cake, Miami, not so much!