Sancho_proudfoot

Thanks all. The onboard  spend bit  majes sense; however, I think we're  missing some points for actual cruising. We status matched and at the time , that gave us 10,000 points and Black ( now diamond).

We've done 1 x 7 night cruise and then 1 x 21 nights.  That should, I think give 700+1000 but DW has only got 10600 showing.

I'll discuss with the loyalty ambassador on Virtuosa  in September. 

My wife & l are both diamond level with MSC.  I had an email telling me I had 14600 points; my wife had one a few days later saying she has 10500.

As all our cruises are together,  surely they should be identical?

I cannot get hold of anyone at MSC to discuss this; customer services here in the UK gave me an email address. I emailed  that address- it didn't bounce back as undelivered, but  equally,  it hasn't been answered either.

You can deposit  cash onto your cruise card/onboard account. On Virtuosa  there are machines  ,( one to the left of Guest Services, two more on the deck immediately above) where instead of adding a credit/debit card you can add cash. It will take GBP £ or Euro € . Currently while the ship is homeported in Southampton the onboard currency is GBP - if you load Euros, it will take them but at  a poor exchange rate.

On the last night, go back to the same machine and it will refund any unused cash   right down to the last penny/cent.

I see from deck plans there is a cyber cafe on deck 6. Are there also printers available  in there?

I gather there's two cruise terminals at Dubai  quite a bit apart. I think MSC use Mina Rashid,  but can anyone confirm  please?

Apologies, it's on Channel 5. 

Anyone watching this series, started a week ago, at 4pm on Channel 4. Its on every day and there's 20 episodes in all. Following 3 groups on a week's cruise in the Med.

I'm a bit disappointed in it - its more about what they do ashore, instead of onboard.  Some aspects jar a bit - the three girls together keep saying they're on a shoestring  budget ......and they're in a suite!

The family with 2 kids '- I know they're homeschooling the kids, but EVERYTHING they  do has to be an education.

So far, in 4 episodes, the cruise director has sought them out and chatted to them - like THATis a regular happening!

On 7/31/2023 at 2:03 PM, MaisonRose said:

Preparing for my next MSC Cruise: I’m a recognized Diamond status. Do I need to re confirm my status or does it stay in my record?

This is my second cruise within one year.

t

Thanks for indulging this side topic.

Susan

You keep your MSC matched status for 3 years  .

  If you haven't  sailed with them in that time you lose it.

We did the itinerary  you're looking at over New Year 22/3.  Apart from a lot of rain, and a cool breeze, no issues with weather  and calm seas.  It was actually quite warm on Hamburg on New Year's Day.

I so dislike comments suggesting that to get full value from a drinks package,  you have to be a borderline alcoholic. 

The drinks packages include decent coffees, *proper* juices,  soft drinks bottled water ......nor just alcohol.

So: breakfast - fresh orange juice a decent coffee or two. 

Mid-morning - a couple of soft drinks in the heat

Lunchtime - 2 beers with food

Mid afternoon - a couple of beers

Just before coming inside to prepare for the evening - something like a pina cola

Before dinner  - a cocktail 

Dinner- 2 glasses of wine

Late evening- a nightcap, and 2 bottles of water to take back to the room.

That's only 9 alcoholic  drinks  but easily uses the daily charge on the package.

On 4/13/2023 at 2:01 PM, cublet said:

 

 

The PE package cannot be used in 'signature venues'.

 

 

Yes it can! We had the PE package on Virtuosa and used it in Butchers Cut with no problem.   The Speciality restaurants do have *some* drinks exclusive to that venue  and you can't order those off the package.

We prebooked both Carousel shows on Virtuosa.   We didn't (couldn't) pre book dates/times but that was easily done once onboard. If the ship is full, there is an option on the app to 'book' the main theatre shows ,( what it does is guarantee your entry to the theatre) as there will be more passengers than seats in the auditorium. 

On 6/4/2023 at 5:46 PM, weloveamerica said:

Seems to me msc forget the exchange rate, how can the same drinks be so much higher in pounds, surely they should be less in pounds than euros.

I think they just do a straight swap ' a €8 drink becomes an £8 drink ( and vice versa when they change back, ) as its simpler  than trying to handle currency fluctuations. 

We normally take a city break over New Year.  For 22/23 we were looking at 5 days in Prague. Our TA emailed us with an offer for 7 nights onboard MSC Virtuosa,  including  the premium drinks package.

The price for that was less than our quote for flights and hotel ( no meals or drinks) for 5 nights in Prague.

It was that "dead period" between Christmas and New year.  I was idly browsing the colour supplement from the Sunday papers, and came across an advert. It was for a 10 day cruise, on a ship so New It was still being built.  The price was great, and we hummed and hawed for a day or two.

Ultimately,  what swung it was if we booked by 31 December we got free parking at the port.

We went for an inside cabin, as the cheapest option, reasoning that if we hated it we hadn't spent an absolute  fortune.

That ship still under construction was Independence of the Seas,  and we were on her 2nd ever voyage ( the first was a 4 day tester to Ireland).

Needless to say we didn't hate it....... 

Apparently MSC have also updated their stance on drinks over the upper limit, and now you just pay the extra  instead of the whole price.

ABP parking, literally next to the terminal. Secure, you keep your keys.  We went from parking the car to being onboard with a drink in 20 minutes.  There's discount codes around if you look.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn,  a few hundred yards from the Horizon  terminal.

As Diamond members we had the Butchers Cut 'tasting' menu on Virtuosa recently. Although supposedly 'restricted ' it was a fine meal.  We had the premium drinks package and were able to order our regular wine choice from it.

On 1/30/2023 at 10:59 AM, elmsliebev said:

thanks for the review. We're on her in March and looking forward to our first MSC cruise. 

Can I ask what you did in Zeebrugge? We're thinking of going to Bruges.

A bit ashamed to admit we didn't do much. DW wanted a few bits n bobs (including a big bottle of Curry Ketchup!) So we wandered ashore, on a cold,  grey drizzly day to a Supermarket where we got what we were after.

On 1/30/2023 at 12:34 PM, perakcruiser said:

You walked across the Elbe tunnel to the "real" city or just to the quarter of Hamburg that is nearest to the cruise port? The latter is more like visiting Istanbul, but unfortunately without interesting places to see 😄 

We walked through the warehouses and factories to the Alte Elbe tunnel, through the tunnel emerging in St Pauli District. As it was both Sunday  AND New Year's Day  no main shops were open,  but we had a wander along the waterfront,  and the food/ snack stalls and souvenir stands. 

Royal Caribbean  progressive trivia first prize  and MSC morning trivia bottle of fizz @

If you're sailing with MSC then use ABPMSC22 ( type in, not C&P,) for 15% discount. 

We are Diamond on RCCL, and did a status match for a cruise that  actually  didn't  happen, thanks to covid, but it did give us Diamond with the Voyagers  Club.

In recent years, we've  done European cities for New Year (Tallinn,  Krakow....). We were  looking at Prague for New Year and it was a bit pricey.

Then we looked at MSC cruises. Thanks to our lovely TA we got 7 nights ( The "Northern Pearls" cruise) including  the Premium drinks package for less than we would have spent on Prague.

Drove to Southampton the day before. Stayed at the Holiday Inn from where we could see the cruise terminal  (found my wife stood at the window at 3.30am watching the ship dock).

Had a boarding time of 1.00 o'clock.  Took a chance, and drove the 5 minutes to the terminal at 11.30. 

Easiest check-in EVER. On board by 11.45.

First impression  was that the ship is gorgeous. Easily found a seat in the Virtuosa lounge at the end of the Galleria.

First dinner onboard was a disaster.  We'd asked for, and got, a large table  but only 1 other couple at an 8-top. As the ship was sailing full, they squeezed in 3 dinner sittings. We were allocated 7.30. By 8.40, all we had had was a bread roll.

Starters arrived  at 9.05. While we were finally onto our  desserts at 9.30, we were bring hustled out of the dining room so that they could get set up for the next sitting.

Next day we got a note, changing our dining room.  Service after that was fine.

New Year's Eve (at sea) was great. We stayed in the Star Lounge ( no problems  with finding seats). The ship was entering the Elbe estuary, and, boy, do the Germans know how to welcome  in a New Year, the fireworks  along the coast were fabulous

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As Diamond members we got a complimentary speciality meal. We chose Butchers Cut, as we're  steak lovers.  Superb filet mignon  and really good service.

We took lunch a couple of times in the Pub, which was very quiet. The "Sir Burger" is excellent. 

We prebooked both Carousel shows, well worth the €9 price (although the free cocktails were a bit odd).

The main theatre shows were good  singing and dancing mainly,  but very professional and enjoyable. Only one guest artiste, a singer from Liverpool  who turned out to be the poorest show of them all.

We booked an inside  cabin - we wouldn't  use a balcony in winter.  We were pleasantly  surprised at how spacious the room it was, and the bathroom was excellent. The room was so comfy and warm we overslept a couple of times.

Only went ashore at Hamburg and Zeebrugge.  Walked into the city in Hamburg  about an hour each way. Very  "industrial " area where the ship docks, so nothing much to see.  We were there on New Year's Day, which was Sunday   so all the main shops were closed  but some stalls open on the Riverside.

All in all a great introduction to MSC,  so looking forward to being on Opera in October for a Suez canal transit.

Yes, all off by 10.00am to allow fir new arrivals.