mizLORInj

We have 11:20 out of MCO and we're going to Uber or Lyft since it's just 2 of us. I'll note how it goes when I'm back March 9th!

ok. Thanks. It was called Diamond Lounge last time I was on Adventure, so good to know that it's changed. There were only 1 or 2 people in there and the concierge was never there when we were, but we didn't go in often. I love the Viking lounge with all those windows. We were on MSC Meraviglia and it has something similar--we kept calling it the Viking Lounge and seasoned fellow cruisers knew what I meant when I said "we'll see you later in the Viking lounge" though MSC calls it Sky Lounge, not to be confused with Celebrity's Sky Lounge. 😁

So we've never gone to the lounge during happy hour on Royal (we've been doing Celebrity and MSC lately). Not even sure we knew this existed and we were just happy to have our drinks wherever and whenever. So, since our drinks are loaded on our sea pass cards, is there a reason to go to their HH in the Crown lounge? (didn't it used to be called Viking lounge?) 🙂 Please enlighten me. Haven't sailed on Royal since 2022 so I seem out of touch!

On Monday I got an email about diamond perks for the March 1 cruise, and all the perks were listed. So I'm hoping diamond is not excluded! I hope the cappuccino machine is working in the lounge though--it was not last time I was on Adventure.

So for the first time we did a guaranty balcony (not sure why they spell it that way) cabin for Liberty of the Seas in August. Booked about a month ago and I just poked around in the app and saw that our cabin has already been assigned. In your experience, has the guaranty assigned cabin ever changed between assignment date and cruise date? We like the cabin we got so I hope it does not change! Thanks in advance.

Thx. How many people? Cost? So just your party? Did you have to give a specific pickup time?

Hello fab fellow cruisers! Haven't cruised from Port Canaveral in many years so I have a question. I just did a price check on Uber for a ride from the port to MCO and got $165. Wondering what others have paid recently for this ride to the airport? We will also price LYFT the day of return (in March). Or are there people outside the port saying $XX to MCO and fill a van like in Ft. Lauderale port? A bus takes too long to fill and we don't do cruiseline transport usually. We (2 of us) are usually among the first couple hundred off the ship. Just exploring options. (this is for return to airport only--we rented a car for our overnight stay the night before ship departure) Thanks in advance! 🙂

Yes, the coffee machine in the lounge never worked on our May 2022 cruise. Hope it's been fixed cuz I'm on it in March!

HI all. How have you used your electronic gift card? I got it a day too late to use toward final payment, but their website says to just show guest services the email (code) and it will be applied. So did you ever do this and did you have any issues? thanks in advance for your input.

Why not take a taxi? I think that's what we did last time--but it was probably early 20teens.

Not according to the Daily Program. The only "included in cruise fare" place listed as open for lunch was Marketplace Buffet. Hola Tacos & Cantina was open for lunch, but additional cost for that one.

There are plenty of seats--just look forward and aft of the buffet food.

Not only the ones shown in pubs, etc. but your in-stateroom tv had EIGHT NFL channels on Sunday!

Think Norwegian ships -- say, Escape and older. Or Carnival. That's the style. Not stations like newer Celebrity or Royal Caribbean ships. We would bypass the line and head to the aft area where there usually were fewer people or no line at all.

Hi all. New to MSC, but not new to cruising the various mainstream cruise lines. We wanted to see what MSC was all about, and it was a plus not to have to fly to a port. Booked a balcony cabin we chose ourselves (therefore, a Fantastica experience per MSC) that included the drink package and internet for 1 device per person. We had learned that we could apply for a status match, so we sent a pic of a recent Royal Caribbean cruise card and a few weeks later we received our Voyager # at the gold level. Some issues with connecting our reservation with our Voyager #s, and after some time on hold with MSC, it appeared straightened out; our accounts showed gold so we thought we were good to go. Continued check-in process as the cruise date got closer. Thought it was strange that there were paper forms we had to print and bring along. We had a 9:30am check in time which is way too early for us, yet as the cruise got closer we were able to select 1:30, or that's how it appeared. Nevertheless, that was our target arrival time. I thought it was odd that we could be fully checked in without posting a credit card, but we were allowed board anyway. I don't think any other cruise we've been on allowed us to board without posting a payment type. There are kiosks on deck 5 where you can post your credit card, so we did that during the cruise. Got to the terminal around 1:20pm with our paper forms ready to go. No long lines at this time. Note that everyone's cruise pic will be retaken so don't worry if yours is not in the app. They did not take the forms we printed. Agent took pics of our passport and then handed us our cruise cards. I noticed they did not say gold status anywhere. . . Walked on board at 1:30 so we headed to our balcony cabin on deck 10 which was not ready yet. Dropped carry-on bags and went on a walkabout. Cabin: Standard balcony cabin. Bathroom was small and had a few storage shelves, and a bit more under the sink. Shower was a nice size and the shower head has adjustable water pressure (button on the left) and hot/cold adjuster is on the right. Sink was an odd shape but worked. In the shower there is shampoo and body wash (separately). There are no tissues in the dispenser (as I had read about--it is true). Closet: Why can't they make them a couple inches deeper. The door was very difficult to slide back and forth, and the lack of depth for the hangers had it getting stuck all the time. Speaking of hangers, there were 5. For 2 people for an 8 nighter. Good thing I packed some, but the steward brought us a few more--note they are wire hangers with some foam over them. Some shelves and drawers, and a safe too. Not a lot of space really. One additional drawer in the vanity where the blow dryer is. We liked the wall shelving to keep papers so the desktop stayed pretty clear. European and US electric sockets. Bed was a little harder than I'm used to but we slept fine every night. 2 little night stands which came in handy. The couch had stains on it. Drapes were very nice and super room darkening; you could sleep all day and think it is nighttime. A stocked mini-fridge. Haven't seen one of those in years on a ship. Most are empty, which is fine by us. Balcony had 2 low-back chairs and a large foot stool. Not the deepest balcony; not the shallowest we've had either. The room worked for us for the 8 nights. Smallish tv with CNN, TCM, Travel, Food, Discovery, Cartoon, ESPN, ESPN2 and a lot of football channels on Sundays. You could also pay for movies. Indicator lights for your cabin steward: in room, do not disturb, please make up room. There is no bathroom nightlight. We did hear noise from the cabins around and above us. We were assigned 6:15 for early dining which was fine. We had a fun group of six at our table. (Hi Sophie and Ian, and Sharon and Mike!) We thought the server was fabulous and attentive, as was his assistant. The food was just ok. If you wanted surf and turf on lobster night, it was an additional $5 charge. I went with the lobster because 1) I feared what the filet was like, and 2) enjoyed one on Wednesday at an actual steakhouse in Miami. The dining room's sorbets were different every night and quite good. So by now we were wondering if we would get the gold perks so a trip to Guest Services was needed. Note, I cannot remember the last time I had to visit Guest Services on a cruise. Long and slow-moving line, so if your issue can wait, come back around the third day when the line was consistently shorter. After 40 minutes it was our turn and we showed the email MSC had sent us with our Voyagers number. Took about 15 minutes and we were handed our gold cards. The gold gift was a very nice backpacky MSC bag which we used to tote towels. We also used the 50% discount for Formula 1 car ride. Muster drill. Everyone goes to their cabin to watch a video ~3:00. Then they call deck #s to show up at the muster station for a card scan. There has to be a better way--like how all the other mainstream cruise lines are doing! This way everyone doesn't show up at the same time. Still, it didn't take that much time. Food. Buffet needs redesign into stations vs. a cafeteria line. I did like the sinks around here to wash hands though not many used them. As I had read in people's comments, the food did not vary all that much. The pizza was outstanding. People don't realize there is the same food toward the aft of the ship and all crowd the more mid-ship areas. Frequently ran out of cups by the water stations, and some were out of order the entire cruise. Fix them! And what's with the shortage of spoons? There was afternoon tea in the aft area as well with sweets and some cookies. I'm a cookies girl and they were not easy to find. I asked about a chocolate chip cookie and was told room service has them. It seemed burgers were always available, but not ketchup! Could not figure that one out. Big dispensers for mustard, relish and mayo, and I saw one for ketchup but it was not out for use. They would put out a big bowl with a spoon in it that they had poured into from a big Heinz ketchup can. While it was not my favorite selection of foods, we did not go hungry at any point either. There is late night food as well: burgers, hot dogs (seemed to always be), pizza, a few salads, some nice little sandwiches, and desserts. Breakfast is the same every day, and remember the same food is farther back by the aft area. Many did not realize there is outdoor seating behind the buffet, but a few days in it got more crowded so our secret was discovered! There was a 2 hour window (12-2) with a selection of fancy cakes on the last sea day. Did not wait in line to try any. They need a bar farther in the back of the buffet area. There is an ice cream counter near the main outdoor pool, 2 bars (opposite ends of pool) and pizza/burgers station where I had the displeasure of seeing a supervisor berating his team -- in full hearing of guests. Bad management. We did not eat at any upcharge restaurant, but our tablemates said they enjoyed the seafood restaurant. Various trivia games held indoors and also poolside on various days. We asked our cabin steward for the room service paper hanging thingie and had coffee and some items delivered one day. After noting that some of what we requested was not in our delivery, we didn't bother using this service again. Also, bring your own pen to fill the form out! MSC has not (yet) cut down to cabin service once per day like other lines have. Our steward had a lot of cabins and we saw him frequently. Not sure whose responsibility it was, but we did not like how many dishes were left on the floor in the hallways every day. We enjoyed the adults only pool and sundeck at the stern of the ship. The pool is salt water and was a perfect temperature, and I am not one to go in ship pools, but I did several times on this cruise on port days when there was plenty of space. There is a lounge called the Sky Lounge that reminded many of us of the Viking Lounge on Royal Caribbean, therefore, that's how we referred to it for most of the cruise. "head up to Viking lounge?" It was a nice quiet space high up overlooking the pool area forward and the sea on the right and left. Quiet except for Sunday afternoon when football games were visible on the big screen and many fans headed to this lounge to watch vs. being in the rain outside. There was usually live music in the evenings too and light snacks. You are asked not to bring food from other places into this lounge; we brought 1 piece of pizza and were asked to take it outside. This room was always cold, and the windows need a cleaning badly. Pickleball was played daily in a multi-use space near the kids area. Formula 1 simulator and also flight simulator for a fee. Ropes course and waterslides looked like fun. Big pool in center that has a huge movie screen. There is also an indoor solarium pool. The entire front of the ship seems to be Yacht Club, so there is no forward viewing area, and no promenade deck (closer to the water near lifeboats) that goes all the way around the ship. The promenade area on deck 6 was cool, and Royal Caribbean-like, and the ceiling was interesting with its various screenings. There's also a bridge across the center of it. There was a bar area here with live music and dancing, and dance lessons. The chocolate shop/making area is quite large with assorted treats for sale. The drinks here are not included in any drink package. We only made it to a few theater shows due to some being at capacity by the time we decided we wanted to go. Twice we showed up just before showtime and were let in as the theater was not full. Note that no food or drink is allowed in the theater. Enjoyed the disco show because I love that music. There was also a disco party right after the 9:30 show. I believe had seen the singing guys called Legacy on another cruise so we skipped that show. There was a magic show we didn't get to. There are two upcharge shows and we had read that one is sufficient so we chose the Rock show (yes, I like rock and disco, and more) which is $18 per person plus fees. It is advertised as serving "a fancy cocktail" which was not fancy at all and quite watery--I think a vodka drink (my choice) and mojito-like drink (was ok). And an alcohol-free drink too. The music was good and so were the performers. No need to arrive very early; there were plenty of open seats at our showtime, and I heard it was the same for the other shows. Was a one and done for us. I will say the lounge this event is held in at the stern of the ship reminded me of a scaled-down RC Quantum class Two70--just smaller and darker, and not as many decks high. It was too bad it wasn't open the few times we went by just to hang out and watch through those big windows. At the end of the cruise there was one last theater show that I would liken to most cruise lines' "Welcome Aboard" show as it showcased the entertainment that had been on the cruise. The 2 dancers were phenomenal--felt like I was watching a dance competition with those two--they were that good. I thought a few times the music volume overpowered the singers when they were singing solo. I liked that there were at least partial live musicians on stage but you could tell a lot of the music was recorded. If you want to participate in silent disco, get in line to sign out your headset. Have not had to do this on other cruise lines. This event was in the promenade area on deck 6. There are so many bars on this ship. We tried to check out most but ended up getting drinks at the Horizon bar at the stern, and the Sky Lounge. One of the few cruise lines that prints photos for you to look through. Problem is there is not enough display space and you end up looking through stacks of pictures to find yours. Don't wait till the last day when the lines are long. Wifi. We had it included in our cruise package, along with the Easy Plus drink package. Wifi would frequently disconnect itself, and it was really only good for texting with iPhones (as I have) and anyone with another type of phone would not get my texts, photos, etc. Not something I usually bother with, either wifi or drink package, but it was at a discounted rate for this cruise. PORTS: Miami. We stayed onboard and enjoyed the aft pool for a few hours, then took Uber to Bayside and went on the ferris wheel and wandered around. Then took Uber to Smith & Wolensky's and had a nice filet mignon along the waterway, and then walked to the beach for a bit. Enjoyed the day there. Ocean Cay. Beautiful. Got great pics as we arrived and ship did a very tight 180 turn to have the starboard side along the dock. It was impressive. Wandered around to various beaches. Stopped at Sunset Beach which had few people and not many loungers. We set up in a secluded spot and got comfortable. Then we realized why this was not a popular spot. The sand is very rocky and the water is too. Red ants. There was a bar but it was not well stocked, but since it was not a popular spot, I now see why. That was not the beach for us. The lagoon was very calm with lots of loungers but too crowded for us. Wandered past the lunch spot which had a very long line, then went to the beach between the ship and the lighthouse. Nice sand and water here but no loungers. Why? Other cruise lines' private islands have rows and rows of lounger chairs. This island just doesn't. Come on MSC. I did get some good ship pics here on this beach. There are little white balls in the sand which I can only imagine are bug repellents since there were no red ants here like at Sunset beach. There are also food trucks around with burgers, hot dogs, and fries. They must think that's all people want to eat. Not the case! Our tablemates told us they went to the farthest beach across the little bridge and they really enjoyed it there. Next time! Lighthouse show was ok. I liked it here and would visit again. Nassau. Another day we stayed on and had the aft pool to ourselves. We did take a wander around the new port area for a bit, but then back onboard. Been here many times so we've done the excursions. -------------------------- Debarkation was simple; we did self-assist and carried our own bags. At 7:15 we wandered to deck 5 to see if it had started and it had, so off we went. Remember to have your cruise card handy and have your payment type posted. The lady in front of us got sent back in to pay her account. A long walk through the terminal to facial recognition, and out we were! In a Lyft ride within 5 minutes. A lot of people ask about weather from NY/NJ. We had beautiful days except the last sea day. Even the first sea day had us outside in summery clothing. It was great. We had rain overnight on night 7, and the last sea day was rainy and very windy--50 mph gusts! The ship pitched and rolled a little, but we didn't find it to be an issue. There were people of all ages on this sailing, and I heard many different languages being spoken by guests. It was a fun cruise; I was on a ship watching the sea go by--not cooking or cleaning. I would think I will cruise with MSC again sometime, but I'm glad I have other options. They definitely need more attention to detail, and to get with modern times in some ways. I'm hoping I've covered everything I can think of right now. Happy to answer any questions. Happy cruising, everyone!

So who has gone to Breezes and is it worth $100 per person? We did a day pass through Atlantis a few years ago and it was nice.

Pretty sure you're speaking about CHECK-IN time which will show on your boarding pass. 🙂

OK good to know. Why would I want to get there that early to sit around a terminal for possibly hours before boarding. No thanks. Our check-in time showing on the app has not changed in the past month, but I do keep checking back hoping it will. I also asked our TA to see if we can change it 1pm, so we'll see what happens with that. Glad to know it isn't enforced.

So we were assigned a check-in time of 9:30am. It says the window is open for one hour. Thing is, we don't plan to arrive that early--we were targeting a 1pm arrival. Do I need to let MSC know this or can we just show up later? Wish they let you choose a check-in time like all the other cruise lines. . .

I confirmed with our cabin steward on the day of embarkation that we showed as Go Green participants. (on Beyond in Feb I had to do it over again onboard although I signed up pre-cruise) Anyway, we did get turndown, fresh towels, trash emptied, and a chocolate on the pillow last week on Eclipse!

Did not notice this last week on Eclipse other than in the 2 tender ports.

Oh, right. San Pedro. Los Angeles Cruise Terminal Berth 93

Interesting! Yet it let him check in on the app and show boarding pass, and do the muster movies!

The bathroom and the cabin were in decent shape I think other than pinholes in the vinyl curtain and ripped tiebacks. Our observations: the balcony (and other public decks) full of rust and bumps where they painted over rust. Our deck chairs were very worn; I've seen them new and this was nowhere near new. When we'd sit in public places we noticed things like chairs that had wooden armrests needed stain/varnish. Our balcony railings were nicely varnished; all the decks below us were not. A couple windows in the Sky Lounge needed replacement. Nothing looked new or refreshed. Decking scratched and gauged here and there. A "luxury" line, like they like to call themselves, performs better maintenance.