kelleherdl

If you booked through a travel agent email a scan of your dd-214, or scanned active/retired ID to the agent. They will request the Military USA discount booking code and forward the documents to MSC Cruises. If you booked through an MSC agent or online you should have been directed to email a pdf of your scanned dd-214 or ID’s to MSCexistingreservations@msccruisesusa.com. Your subject line should be the ‘booking number’ US Military Discount. I always put names, booking number, cruise ship, and sailing date in email body. Attach the pdf file as an attachment. That has worked for me every time.

I think we have all been waiting for your appraisal chengkp75. I for one broadly interpreted your assessment of the report to be that there a quite a few officers on the MSC Seaside, in pardon the pun, ‘deep doo-doo.’

Too long out of the US, too long between inspections. The Health and Safety Officer clearly did not have the staff prepared to return to US sailings and the scrutiny of the CDC. So much of this report was stuff you would expect to see in a poorly maintained hospitality/food service operation ashore; inexcusable on a cruise ship. It will be interesting to read the Corrective Report from Seaside when it’s posted on the CDC website.

I’ve never personally seen parties broken up. I trust this will not start another series of posts about abusing ‘privileges.’ You shouldn’t have a problem, particularly if you check in as a group. Depending on the terminal setup the Special Assistance checkin may be located away from the Aurea/Diamond checkin.

You will board with Diamond members after Special Assistance guests. There should be a dedicated Aurea/Diamond checkin line as well. Ask, once you get through security.

US NCL sailings do require Alien Registration Card (green card) presentation at checkin. I’ve always been told alien permanent residents need to have their ARC’s to re-enter the US. I’ve travelled with alien permanent residents and both their home country passports and ARC’s were scanned by the checkin agents.

When you check in at the port your passport will be scanned. The computer or tablet app will adjust the date format based on the region of the cruise. The ship’s sailing manifest is generated off the data scanned at embarkation. Don’t worry about it.

For closed loop (embark and disembark from the same US port) US sailings you may sail with your US birth certificate (which includes US Consular Certificate of Birth Abroad) and government issued ID card. This has been stated correctly many, many times. The goal is to prove US citizenship by birth. A US Naturalization Certificate is used the same way, but they already have a photo so they are good to go. If the names do not match due to marriage it is covered very nicely with the marriage certificate, just in case. But even that can be worked around. The port agents know how to do this. They work with it every sailing. Now different last names for children can get tricky until final adoption papers (I.e. newly issued birth certificate) show the current last name of the adopted child. But I have even seen that worked through even on a weekend. Always make sure you have some sort of court document that connects parent and child for adoptions if the last names don’t match. but please get a passport. Your cruising life will be so less complicated.

I have to agree. When you think about it, if prices change or plans change, they only need to change the numbers. Far less chance of a translation or composition error for our friends in MSC IT. 😀

One thing to add. The GoPort busses depart Terminal 10 at Port Canaveral from the left side terminus as you exit Customs/Immigration. There is a sign directing you to the left. All other shuttles and MSC shuttles are to the right as you exit the terminal.

In the US at least, the ‘bar pour’ can be off-branded at most bars and restaurants (Ambassador is one that comes to mind). I have not found that to be the case on any cruise line I have sailed. Yes, there will be a lowest priced selection for each type of liquor, but it will be an internationally recognized brand. I would not expect to call any of the pours on cruise ships to be ‘generic rot gut.’ They all have international contracts with the major liquor companies.

You do not need the eTicket/boarding pass to check in. You will be able to check in. It will take longer. Some data will need to be entered manually, the kids will need to complete the health questionnaires at the desk and they will need to have a copy of the booking to get through security. The check in agent’s job is to do everything to get passengers on the ship, not try to keep them off. Yes, it is preferable to have the eTicket printed out, but it is not ‘essential.’ It will just take longer at the desk. You really don’t even need to know your cabin number, it can be looked up.

And horrors upon horrors. It used to be said ‘the floors are so clean you could eat off of them.’ Not anymore, with all the bare feet.

Just a slight note of caution….. The checkin agent at the cruise terminal may see that a 17 year old is in a cabin alone and they may alert a supervisor. Just accept that the agent is doing their job as trained by that cruise line. Don’t assume it won’t be allowed. Please be patient if the question is referred to the port agent supervisor or the ship’s immigration officer. It will only take a few minutes if referred.

Just one more thing you need to consider is the length of your cruise. On US 3-night sailings you currently CANNOT purchase a drink package on board. To get a drink package it must be included in your booking.

Yes. First sailing after the inaugural, 4/12/25. Four cabins in Yacht Club.

I think this inconsistency among ships in the fleet, particularly among the Yacht Clubs, will be getting resolved sooner rather than later. It’s been noticed that it’s gotten out of hand. Dennis

We know a trick that is very helpful in this very situation. Whenever you put your passport application together take photos/copies of all the documents. Keep a copy of you application receipt, either from post office or express mail retailer. This will generally work at the ports.

We have always been told not to request pizza come to the Topsail. We even ask in advance about the YC Director’s policy on pizza delivery to Pool One. We have had YC Directors who did not permit it. If it’s allowed your Butler or Junior Butler will be happy to deliver it. Whether this will be one of the ‘policies’ that become more standardized across the fleet for YC is yet to be seen.

On US sailings we had them on 4-night cruises.

eTicket is not a boarding pass per se, like other cruise lines, notably Disney. Yes, it has a barcode that helps at checkin, but it’s not essential. You will board the ship with your cruise card. What it does have that’s important are your luggage tags and your complete booking details. Always take a copy of your complete booking details to document your onboard credit and any pre-purchased excursions and special requests. So, yes try to download and print your eTicket.

As Phissy said. I don’t think it would be wise to test the limits. Their goal is to put casino credits in your account so that you lose them. 😀

I don’t see there is any flaw. When you add a casino charge to your onboard account on MSC you are making an ‘on board purchase.’ If you ask for a credit card advance at the casino cage you are not making a ‘purchase.’ MSC allows you to do the transaction as a on board ‘purchase’ at a table or at a slot. If you have a no-fee credit card for ‘purchases’ there isn’t a charge for that transaction. There will generally always be a fee for a credit card advance.

Boarding of the ship has been delayed for up to an hour as the crew tried to find one or two couples who did not follow the turnaround instructions that were left in their stateroom the previous evening. I was one of those turnaround passengers that was waiting to re-board while those passengers were being hunted down. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) WILL NOT grant general clearance to board the ship until all passengers are cleared immigration. While the cruise company may sell a cabin as an 11-day cruise (1 booking number) or a back-to-back 7+4-day (2 booking numbers), CBP sees 2 sailings. Both ‘sailings’ are cleared individually. That is the process for all US closed-loop sailings.

An advantage for YC guests is the more easy access to the golf cart transportation around Ocean Cay. It is almost ‘on call’ access for even a complete trip around the island if you want it. Without question the YC experience will meet all your mothers’s needs.