debsjc

I went ahead and booked a normal balcony, which had no solo supplement. If I had gone for the Studio Balcony, it was more expensive and it would just have been a guarantee (so I probably would have been moved anyway) I'm happy to hang out on the balcony, and attend some of the singles events that are on the program. I plan on having a relaxing time and not doing too much!

We have been tier matched to Voyagers Club Gold level. I've read through the list on benefits, and although it's nice to have I don't think there is a lot we would use. When you are on board are there any events scheduled? Any other benefits like easier to get show or restauarant booking? We are not YC, just a balcony Fantastica.

Thank you, I appreciate that, It wasn't clear from the website. I thought maybe they gave us tickets for a day they decided on! Do we book on the app the day we get on?

if we pay in advance,will we just get assigned a date and time in advance, or can we still choose one when we board?

I have the same problem as the OP If we pay for the shows in advance, can we change the date and time to a performance that suits us on board? Or can we get a refund if that isn't possible?

Thank you, was the choice when you checked-in on the app 30 days before?

Just booked the Virtuosa for August, and we haven't sailed MSC for many years A couple of questions please 1 - Do we have any choice over embarkation time, or do they just assign it? I know with some cruise lines you can select an option online, or when you check-in 2- Does anyone have a discount code for AB parking at Southampton, that gives any more than 10% off please?

Thanks, That's what I thought!

Just to check, are you saying I can access free wifi on my phone, in a designated area of the ship (whilst at sea?) I'll be on the Breakaway

Sorry I left it too late to edit. Maybe I would still have access to the Studio lounge, would anyone know please?

I was looking at a cruise on the Breakaway, and single occupancy on a regular balcony was coming up quite a lot cheaper than in a Solo balcony cabin. I would have preferred to have access to the Studio lounge, but it's quite a price difference. Has anyone come accoss this before, any advice?

Been reading through your post with interest, as we are considering this ship for Norwegian Fjords in August. I am concerned about how busy it might be. Is there usually someone outside to grab a sunbed, maybe away from the pool, or do they all get taken early? In the evening is it possible to get a seat in a bar, maybe with some live music?

Thank you both. The route and the date suit us perfectly, I am just a bit concerned about reviews of the ship being overcrowded, and the food being poor.

Apologies for jumping into your topic, but would anyone be able to confirm that Alesund and Flam are not tender ports for MSC? (for the Virtuosa)

I would usually spend hours researching, but we are a bit short of time, as looking to make a quick booking on Virtuosa ex Southampton. We have only sailed MSC once, and that was many years ago. Last few cruises have been Princess & Celebrity. Could you tell me the pros and cons of MSC? It's for a 7 day trip, and we would probably eat more in the Buffet,or casual eats. I believe we can only have early or late sitting in the dining room, not anytime/open. It would be for a standard balcony cabin, without a drinks package. Are there any included drinks on the buffet, aside from water? How is the evening entertainment? Thank you

Driving in The Algarve area of Portugal is fairly easy, so maybe it's just the cities that were difficult.

If you want to walk around a flat area of Lisbon I recommend Belem. We took an Uber there from the ship, which took about 15 mins. It's a lovely area with gardens, monuments, a monastery, and most importantly the best pastel de nata cafe! https://lisbonlisboaportugal.com/belem-lisbon/belem-district-lisbon.html

I gave them £1 a bag, especially as they were kind enough to take then straight out of the boot of the car (AB parking)

On my laptop nothing worked, except BBC weather and Gmail, and even they took about 3 minutes a page to load. On my phone it was better (as obviously phones use less data)

It is shown as non premium, but it not shown as still. You have even mentioned that one needs to open the bottle and but it in the fridge to remove the metallic taste,...... not realistic in the OVC! As I mentioned before the brand is not the issue It's not that the basic internet wasn't what I expected, it was about it not being fit for purpose. Celebrity have to to be transparent with what they are providing,

Our neighbours this cruise had 2 very noisy children, who were allowed to shout & scream on the balcony, slam the door about 30 times a day, and run around the corridors banging on other peoples doors!

Regarding the internet, i wasn't expecting to able to stream videos, just look up google maps, and tourist info websites on my laptop. I think it's below basic, if it doesn't work on a laptop at all. I understand about the plastic, that's a good point. However you have to ensure it's a reasonable product. and that water tastes awful. I preferred the water from the dispensers in the cafe. Also in Europe particularly people drink sparkling water a lot, more than still with meals, so people expect there to be an option for that. (Soda water is not the same) One solution would be for the classic beverage package to specify 'Still Filtered Bottled Water' so it's less misleading.

You are right about the standard balcony cabins being small on Oceania, but everything else was so good last time we sailed with them, we didn't mind. (it may have changed now) Your experience on Seabourn definitely sounds disappointing. The production shows were very good on the Silhouette, some of the best we have seen. Also, I can confirm you just pay the extra if you order a cocktail not on the classic package, for example $1 more for a mudslide. We only had 2 sea days, on the rainy one the solarium was full very early, on the sunny one the loungers by the main pool had all gone by about 10am

They did have a cook to order pasta station in the OVC which was good. I don't think there was a stir fry station though. Unless maybe they would have done it, although it said pasta on the sign above.

I am really surprised you didn't have a great experience on Seabourn, I would have expected them to be excellent, but we haven't cruised with them for years. Have you tried Oceania? I agree it's getting harder to get great service on any line. We did look at Aqua, but the Persian garden on the Silhouette is small, and we weren't over keen on the Blu menus. The Sky Lounge is lovely, but often even that was totally full, and it was used for a pub quiz every evening, so not very relaxing.