Sancho_proudfoot

A gradual return is my bet, as countries ease their various lockdowns. I suspect there is a limit to the patience of populations with regard to restrictions.

In several countries, cases are now plateauing or decreasing, and l think this will continue.

We are booked on the Seaview for this November (which hopefully is still on). We have sailed extensively with RCL and a couple of times with Celebrity.

We chose MSC partly because it is different. I'm looking forward to a big mix of nationalities (instead of just Americans and more of us Brits) and a different approach to many.aspects.

I personally enjoy long leisurely dinners ( have never ever eaten dinner in the buffet and not going to start now).

Roll on November!

On 4/13/2020 at 1:27 PM, nosapphire said:

Check your insurance. As the FCO advice is now indefinite, which gives you a valid reason to cancel, you may find that you can recover the deposit via your insurance.

I would be very careful about doing this. The insurance company may deem it as "disinclination to travel" which is NOT covered. I would wait until the cruise line tell you it's off.

After reading this thread, l checked mine( turns out the email went straight into spam) and my membership has had the extra year added, too.

We are booked on the Seaview, out of Barcelona on November 13 2020. At the moment we are working on the assumption that it's going ahead.

I really hope so; we're managing ok in the lockdown, but have had one family death due to Covid-19.

Additionally, just before the shutdown, we had agreed the sale of our house and the purchase of the next one, so we're trying to get that sorted by email etc.

We're going to need that cruise come November!

It was that dull 'nothing happening' phase between Christmas and New Year. I was sat idly flicking through the colour supplement of the Sunday newspaper and saw a full page advert for a cruise on a brand new ( in fact, still at the builder's yard) ship.

We discussed it, and ummed and ahhed for a day or two. The eventual decider was a line in the advert which offered free parking at the port if we booked by 31 December.

We took a deep breath and booked it, in an inside cabin, reasoning that, if we found we hated it, we were going to have 'wasted' the lowest amount of money!

We spent the next four months anxiously studying the progress of the build (at one point saying "it'll never be ready").

In the event, of course, the ship was completed, had her sea trials, and l remember driving to the port; we passed one cruise ship docked, and DW said "Is that our ship?".

No, l replied as we rounded a bend and saw it, dwarfing the first ship we'd seen - THAT'S our ship!

At the time, that new ship was officially the biggest cruise ship in the world, and that first moment of stepping aboard a brand new ship is still fresh in my memory.

Sailing a first cruise, on the brand new Independence of The Seas, with the semi-legendary Ken Rush as CD got us well and truly hooked!

We are booked for November, so plenty of time for things to change. Unless the UK foreign office official guidance says "do not travel to....(and mentions any if our ports of call)" we're going. Unless it's against official guidance, insurance won't pay up ( as it's deemed to be 'disinclination to travel') 

On the plus side, I'm getting swamped with emails from cruise TAs offering great deals. Maybe now's the time to sneak in a cheeky last minute cruise......

It was $5 last time l was aboard

I have, on a couple of occasions, seen the "ships photo"( the one taken at embarkation) of a guest taped to a till, with the passenger's folio number and a comment in thick black marker pen " do not serve alcohol".

I think she'll be back. I think she has overestimated her skills as a singer ( yes, she's good, but not that good). Once she isn't all over the TV the popularity of her singing shows will drop off.

On our first cruise, over 12:years ago, we did every shore trip through the ship. 

Now we never do. I study the offerings from the cruise line then start researching independent operators doing much the same thing as the ship.

Some of our best shore trips have been with a guide stood on the quayside approaching people as they get off the ship - most memorably in Costa Rica.

Yes, I get that it's a risk - but so is stepping off the sidewalk.

Am l also right in thinking that many of the ships also have USB outlet sockets?

We were in Vegas, ahead of travelling to San Diego to join our cruise. The Rugby Union world cup semi final was being played, and we could only find one bar that was showing it on TV.

That bar was full to (over) capacity. At the interval, while a few folk eased out for a tobacco break, we got talking to a guy stood in front of us. He was backpacking around the world, and had arrived in LA two days earlier from Japan. He was moving on tomorrow to Denver.

He lived in the next street to us back home in the UK.

18 hours ago, Jahquis27 said:

I am contemplating upgrading the easy package as well. What was the price upgrade?  

We upgraded like this; as we are in the UK, and sailing out of Europe, our charge was in GBP £ and/or Euros €. Charge was £8/€10 per person per day 

I have no problems with people wearing/not wearing formal attire on 'formal' nights. What l do take issue with is someone on either side of that particular fence name-calling the other side ("formal attire is stupid..." "I can't abide seeing people in casual clothes on formal nights").

Live and let live.  If l want to wear a tux, bow tie, shiny shoes and so on, l will, and by all means you wear your chinos and golf club polo shirt. I won't call you out over it, and l expect you will similarly respect my dress choices.

Thanks for that; we were wondering, but have since reread everything, and found out about the Aurea deck area, which is what we were thinking of.

We always dress formally on the formal nights. Over the last few years we have noted a decided resurgence of formal dress on cruises out of Southampton. About 5 - 6 years ago maybe 50% would have dressed formally; in July this year my guesstimate would be 80%- 85%.

It is far less prevalent on cruises out of US ports.

Is this pool open to all, or is it restricted to (say) black card members or suite guests, or Aurea experience guests?

The prices on RCL for us UK based cruisers are starting to make us think twice. We did 14 nights in  a balcony cabin on Explorer this summer for roughly £4000 for the two of us ,(including the drink package) sailing from Southampton.

We are now booked on MSC for next year, 21 nights, Barcelona to Dubai, Aurea suite with drinks package, and flights to Barcelona and return from Dubai, for under £6000.

If ever such s breakdown was obtained, it would surely lead to passengers saying " l didn't go in the casino, so deduct that bit" " l didn't attend any shows in the theatre, deduct that bit" " l didn't have any laundry done, so deduct the cost of the laundry staff and running costs".

On the Explorer last month, out of Southampton, at a guess, 80% were dressed formally. Formal dress on cruises out of the UK has made a big comeback in recent years 5/6 years ago it was probably 50%formal.

By all means, wear whatever you feel most comfortable in; however, if you choose not to go formal, please don't make a performance out of it. (Several times over recent cruises, l have heard comments like "it's my vacation, no-one is going to tell me how to dress")

I recall boarding at Port Canaveral a few years ago (so it may have changed since then) there were large signs prominently displayed stating tips should not be given to the porters taking your luggage for loading. However when you have a porter, built like the Incredible Hulk, stood astride your cases, hand outstretched, it's kinda difficult to refuse

Over the last few years, l have noticed that true formal dress on formal nights out of Southampton are back in a big way. On Explorer last month, l would estimate 80% of men were in tuxes. Although not enforced it is now very much the 'done thing' this side of the pond. 

It is much less common in the US and on Caribbean cruises.

Ps probably 3 formal nights on a 12 nighter.

13 hours ago, Shippy said:

1.  It seems to take a long time for MSC to complete the match and give you credit.

2. They have already downgraded the program. We did it in the beginning with our Royal Caribbean status & got black. If we did it now, we would only get gold.

3. They can CANCEL this program at ant time !

Initially MSC matched our RCL Diamond to Gold; l queried it and got an apologetic email confirming an error, and that we are, in fact, Black on the VC program.

Like the OP, we are Royal Loyal, having worked up to Diamond. We too are trying the Seaview next year. We did status match from RCL Diamond and were matched into MSC Black.

We are booked into an Aurea suite and are looking forward to the private areas!