Essiesmom

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Go back to the main boards page, and scroll down until you come to Cruise Discussion Topics. There you will find a board for Cruise Travel Insurance. Lots of good advice there. EM

Arrange a time and place, and wear something they can recognize. Is this person on your roll call?

Suggest you ask on the Florida Departures board.

Warmest applies to all of us living in the South now…although we are in a cold wave today, it’s only 86. EM

A little reading here will show that messing with a reservation may create a real mess. All kinds of bad things can happen, from cancel and rebook, to fare changes, etc. What ship are you on? MSC doesn’t issue extra room key cards for people who book in one room and plan to sleep in another. Although it has been reported that the Yacht Club concierge can do it. So unless you are on a ship that also has bracelets available, cabin access can be a problem. So, we need more information. EM

I believe the balcony could be a bit smaller because of the curved corner. I suppose decreased privacy depends on what you plan to do there. As to the Panama Canal, are you looking at dull or partial transit? And if a full transit, eastbound or westbound? If eastbound, I would be happy with starboard side, it WB would prefer port side. It of course, you would be out and about on the ship much of the time. EM

You have resurrected a 5 year old thread. The first post is the OP’s only post, so I doubt they are still active on these boards. According to a reply by @chengkp75on a similar thread, cargo lines have not resumed carrying passengers since the pandemic. EM

Aaahhh…okay. EM

Enlarge and you’ll see it is just a couple of kids with their arms over the railing. EM

I’m on that cruise, sailing solo, but not YC. Also on the previous cruise. Booked Fantastica inside gty, was assigned balconies, and won upgrade bids to Aurea balcony both legs. Not the same cabin, though. Four doors apart. I can deal with it, though. I’m a little old lady, so not up to much drinking but I do like to chat. EM

Been to Aruba many times and have never been asked about yellow fever. EM

You might invest in a copy of Rick Steves’ Mediterranean Cruise Ports to give you an idea of how you can do touring on your own. It’s quite possible/probable that not all members of your group will want to do the same thing. EM

I haven’t seen a single mention of Carnival…makes me think this thread might have started on the Royal board. Carnival has a kids club, family OV cabins with a split bath. Keep an eye on bed situation, too. Those cabins will have a sofa couch and an upper above. Some cabins for 4 only have uppers. A 3yo might be too big for a pack play. MSC also has family cabins, some with bunk sofas…a sofa that becomes upper and lower bunks, or a foldout couch that is queen size and could be shared by the kids. EM

On our first cruise we discovered we couldn’t lounge on our beds and read in our OV cabin with the heads of the beds under the window. We had to leave the cabin and move around the ship. I still find that true. If I start to feel funny, I put on my sea bands and change position. In which case, make sure the heads of your beds are not against the outside wall. So you don’t want to book an inside or OV cabin with upper bunks because the beds will invariably be under the window. EM

Probably because the first 6-9 months will be crowded with platinums and diamonds who all have priority boarding. Things would be too crowded with FTTF people added. EM

Some MSC ships have three connecting cabins. I am sailing on Seaside next month and was originally assigned one. I have since been moved. There are also quad cabins connected to a double. On the deck plans, the double dots denote a bunk sofa, which is a sofa that turns into an upper and lower bunk. With that configuration you could put the four of you in one cabin and the grannies in the connecting double.

OMG, that’s quite an itinerary change. EM

Probably not. But you could hope for early morning bacon… Seriously, I think it might be more likely if you were above the galley, but still slight. EM

You might see if there is any luggage storage at the airport. Many, many years ago I had a 10 hour layover in Honolulu, coming back from Tonga. Not sure if I cleared customs and sent my luggage to connecting flight, but I do know I checked carryon in a locker and caught the local bus downtown. EM

She said the MIL did the booking. EM

Where are you coming from? Do those 9 days include getting to the port? A travel day on each end would limit to a 7 day cruise. EM

Looking at departures from Barcelona in April 2024, it appears there are many other departures, but you are only wanting r/t itineraries? EM

Carefully consider the times in port. It has been suggested that Europe based ships that have mostly European clientele spend shorter times in port, because the guests have mostly been to the ports before and are just onboard for the ship/relaxation. And I would probably book the trend. I don’t go for the newest, biggest ship. Actually, I would book the smallest, which for Costa would be the Pacifica. For MSC, Seaview. May I ask why you are only considering these two lines? EM

I’ve read and reread this thread, and can’t find if you ever mentioned how old/young your daughter is. I’m enjoying reading about Seaside as I have been on her before and will be again for a week next month. But not in YC. EM

I have only been able to see one at a time. To see another I have to log out and sign back in with another booking number. To log out, click on profile at the bottom, and then in the upper right is the little tool wheel. Lick on that, and from the drop-down menu, logout. EM