skittl1321

But even the 3/4 party hard cruiser is a bit unique in the US for choosing MSC instead of Carnival. I just feel like this song has been part of the cultural fabric, it seems like it is in TV shows all the time, since the mid 90s. It would be difficult to have never been exposed to, even if you don't have a special affinity to it.

For a 30 day cruise, it seems like 40 pieces is too small to even be useful. You almost need to pick a port to live like a local and visit a laundry mat!

With the low price, too many people must have been using it. Better to sell it for twice the price and have half as much laundry to do. (We never do laundry on the cruise, but we have never cruised more than 10 days, so we just wash at home; I usually bring small detergent sheets that I can clean things in the shower as needed.)

You think so? I would think that it is a pretty well known song, especially among the demographic MSC attracts.

I haven't been to Asia, but I've never had trouble finding ketchup or toast in either Europe or South America.

What is PI? I hardly think MSC can be faulted for having rude passengers. Rude passengers exist everywhere.

That is one of my favorite locations too- so easy to get off and then back to your cabin for ports. But for many people high cabins are near "where the action happens". They want to be up by the buffet and outside decks. Clearly, if there was a lot of demand for deck 1, cruise companies would price them higher.

3rd and 4th passengers always get a discount; so you just get a slightly bigger one with the kids. Compare it to 2 adult passengers and 2 adults + 2 kids in one cabin and see what the price difference is. (And yes, there are quite a few fees in there that aren't free.) It's all about marketing.

I think whether a marriage license has a space for a changed name depends on the state. I got married in a state where changed name was not on the license. When I went to change my name in a different state they kept telling me I needed a judges order (I did not) because how would they know what name to change it to, since the marriage license didn't have my new name on it. I pointed out that I wanted to change my last name to the last name of the person I married, but the bureaucrat kept saying "but how do we know?" until finally a third supervisor said to just do it. I would be nervous, but think it is likely, that a cruise port employee could put together 2 and 2, if you have a maiden name on a birth certificate and marriage license, and the other name on the marriage license matched your drivers license. But if you are the kind of couple who creates a new last name, then I would be pretty worried about it.

You can always pay by the drink if you think that would cost less than $60 per day for 26 days.

I have never considered getting a salon service on a cruise ship, but the hair and waxing services are way cheaper than I pay, and I'm not even in a major US city. I wish there was more "to do" on the ship, rock wall, zipline, mini golf, ropes course- something? So I am a little nervous about what we will do on sea days; I've found previous cruises to be hit or miss on boring sea days, we usually do trivia, but some cruises don't offer many options, so it is just read a book or play a card game (not a drinker or a gambler)...I am really hoping the kids like the kids club, because if they do not, I am not sure how to fill their days! Were the pools very crowded? Your photos show them empty. The food looks really good. I am very excited about that.

My daughter's passport just expired, and I didn't realize it until now (kids passports are only good for 5 years!) We sail in 16 weeks, and currently the passport office is saying that non-expedited passports are 10-14 weeks. I have an appt for her next week; but I am concerned if that date extends, I won't have her passport back for a backup plan. We COULD expedite her passport, but I also know that on a closed loop cruise (we are sailing out of Miami, returning to Miami), it is possible to sail with only a birth certificate. Our (adult) travel companions have done that many times, and plan to on this cruise as well. (We have only ever used passports.) The requirements on the MSC website say you need a birth certificate and a government issued photo ID. Our 6-year old obviously does not have a photo ID (and her school does not do IDs). Can she sail with only her birth certificate, or does she need an expedited passport? (I am not concerned about any scenario where we are stuck in another country and need to fly home, only boarding the cruise.)

Does your crystal ball say there will be price drops? Because the prices could also go up. Cruises have been booking very full- because people are eager to take vacations they missed. There is no guarantee waiting will get you a better price. So check the crystal ball, but otherwise, book when the price is comfortable for you, and know that if you wait, you might get a better deal, or might not get a vacation...

Just so you know, if there was an emergency, the airports (not just ones around cruise ports, but all over the world) deal with this all the time, and there is a procedure in place. It's just a gigantic pain in the butt.

Fantastica is probably not "free", but because there are no Bella rooms left, you just aren't seeing a Bella price so Fantastica upcharge has already been added in.

Thanks. Glad to know we need to give them permission to be able to do this. I would much prefer to pick them up. (Walking to school is a norm here too; within a 2-mile radius there is no busing, and the kids walk, though usually a group of them all walk together, not just a single kid. But to me, a familiar neighborhood where they have gone over the route is very different for my 4-year old than an unfamiliar crowded ship.)

Thank you both for the thoughts; and for the spelling correction.

I've gone through several pages of the board without finding what I am looking for. Are there any Miami hotels with a free airport and free cruise port shuttle? We've managed to use these from every other port we've traveled from, but had a harder time finding a good recommendation in Miami. We will be a group of 4, two young children, and would like the hotel to have a pool. Thanks for the help

We will have a 5-year old and a 7-year old on our European cruise. My daughter REALLY wants to see the Eiffel tower, but I am thinking it might make more sense to do a seperate trip where we go to Paris, rather than do it from the cruise now that I have seen how expensive excursions are... (EEK! That was half the reason we booked the cruise; oops.) What do you recommend from La Harve? Is it worth the time and money to go into Paris? Normandy? Or something closer to the port?

Very excited to read along. We will be cruising this summer and are very nervous about MSC in general, and such a large ship being so crowded.

No, I have never gone to a specialty restaurant. There has always been plenty of included food. (Oh, I take that back- I did a Chef's table once. So I have paid for a meal. But it wasn't a specialty restaurant.) My cruise bill is usually under $10; I like to get chocolate covered strawberries, but I don't order drinks or buy anything from shops. Chances are we will not go to this one either, but it looks good so I wanted to learn more about it.

I have seen different vloggers say different things, so I was wondering if anyone can tell me the current situation on the Seascape? Does the All you can eat at Holas Cantina have a time limit (one person said 45 minutes? Another alluded to "just stay here all day and keep eating"). Does it included everything on the menu or just the tacos? I have never paid to eat on a cruise ship before- but this intrigues me.

If you notice I said "I can't speak to that"- I have no idea whether there were servers walking around or not, as I get my drinks from the bar directly. But, my point was, the room service stuff is not new. It is not post-covid, and it isn't MSC specific. Cruises really ought to just charge an arm and a leg for room service to discourage it. They clearly can't keep up, especially as ships have grown to small cities.

Do you tip when room service is delivered on MSC? (Especially something like continental breakfast when you are not paying a delivery charge or a food charge?) I have seen in multiple places here, as well as on the MSC website, that MSC discourages individual tips; but I just can't get it into my American head that I really shouldn't offer a tip for a service like this. Can someone assure me that if I don't tip for breakfast delivery they won't be spitting in my food the next day?

Where do you get free soft serve for the minor's package? (Seascape specific if you can say) Previously, I was told that it was the same as the free for all, and almost never available.