Essiesmom

There is a fast ferry from Fuerte Amador to Taboga. It looks to take 30 minutes. Tabogaexpress.com. Apparently it is a beach getaway…. EM

Is your cruise doing a partial transit, or is it just a port call in Colon? If a partial transit, you will go thru the Agua Clara expansion locks and wouldn’t need that part of the excursion. Look for something that takes you through some of the original locks. EM

It’s not just United. BA has quite a mess on their hands…. At least one plane load of cruisers for several ships out of Barcelona had their flight delayed quite a bit, and NONE OF THE LUGGAGE WAS LOADED! The whole plane load. Excellent reason to fly carryon only…

Well, Kennedy is probably the best option for that port with that arrival time…unless you just go to the beach. Theme parks too far, long lines, etc. waste of time. EM

Interesting. I’m booked for a 4 night from PC on Seaside in August. I booked a Fantastica inside gty. Yesterday I got the invitation to bid on an upgrade. Options were OV, balcony, Aurea balcony, Yacht Club inside. I think they were probably good prices, and I put in minimal bids for all but the regular balcony. I seldom use the balcony, thus booking an inside. When I went to try and price current rates for that cruise, I couldn’t find it listed at all. I have the following 3 day booked also. Interested to see if I get an invite to bid for that one, too. EM

One thing that has been a constant on this board is that if at all possible, do not mess with your booking. It can cause all kinds of difficulties/changes/confusion. EM

Looking like Intrepid will be one of the lucky ones to board the ship with luggage…EM

You do not have to use the same card to pay off the cruise that you used for the deposit. EM

On the main boards page you have Cruise Lines A-O, Cruise Lines P-Z, River Cruising, then ROLL CALLS. EM

The problem is not unique to Celebrity. A number of years ago we were on Queen Elizabeth and meeting friends from the UK. We could not link our reservations for dining because the US and UK systems did not talk to each other. EM

Charlemagne was gone 400 years when the walls were built…EM

Booking MSC is a choice of experiences. Bella is the entry level and Fantastica is one step up. Cabin sizes, layouts are the same, just locations differ. The basic difference is that with Bella, you do not have free delivery of room service. (The on,y free room service items are continental breakfast). And with Fantastica, you can request dining time. Both offer only fixed dining times, seating. The next category up is Aurea. Mostly suites, open dining which may be in a different dining room. Most expensive is the Yacht Club, the ship within a ship concept with limited access, separate dining room and deck areas. Some compare it to Haven on NCL. I’m in the minority on this board in that my four cruises have been with the masses not in Yacht Club. I have another cruise booked for August in an inside cabin, Fantastica. I don’t find the public areas to be overly crowded. But I’m an old lady and no longer need a pool or a lot of sun. Because most cruises that are at least 7 days have a large proportion of non-north American cruisers, the entertainment is mostly musical. I suggest you sift through this board for threads from those onboard, as they may be posting activity sheets, and menus. All for me right now. EM

Several suggestions: the Ports of Call. Board that covers Italy. Probably lots of discussion there about sailing from Ravenna, Trieste, Marghera… Have you joined the roll call for your cruise? A roll call is where other CC members on your cruise are talking about transfers and excursion (among other things). Scroll down the main boards page and find ROLL CALLS, select your cruise line, then your ship, and look for a thread with the dates of your sailing. EM

1pm is fine. Quite busy, never seen a special area for cruisers. EM

It’s a connecting cabin, bed will be by bath. Sofa by window. EM

Cruise solo a lot. Never feel unsafe in Nassau. EM

Looks like a great place to graze…. EM

On MSC you book by experience. Bella has the least benefits, Fantastica is next. Both of those experiences have only fixed seating dining. Next up is the Aurea experience, and it has anytime dining, sometimes in a different dining room. The fourth offering is the Yacht Club, which is an exclusive area with its own dining room. Reading some of the threads here will give you more of an idea of what MSC offers. EM

Yes, there is soft, ambient light from behind the mirror. EM

We need some cats…please. EM

You will barely find your way around in three days. Seaside has two buffets, one on 8, other on 16. 16 is only open for breakfast and lunch. It is smaller, but not as busy. EM

You would have to book a cabin for three, and they might not let you do that if you only have two. I’ve not seen any experience for this on MSC, but on other lines you can book the third guest as TBA. But I think you will have to discuss this with MSC. Be sure you book a refundable fare…you never know if your child will turn out to be a good traveler….or not. EM

I e also had this problem on Celebrity and Carnival, but today I see them complaining about this on the Princess board. EM

This may be new to Princess, but as I now sail solo, I have run into this with Celebrity, Carnival, and MSC. EM

Island no longer has them. I think they were removed when they butchered her aft. EM in Miraflores locks yesterday: