raino144

We’ve had 50mm rain over the last 2 days in Switzerland. Winter tyres are on the car as the St Bernard tunnel is 1900m up and possibly snowing up there in the morning. Weather forecast to be 22-28 degrees with possible rain in Barcelona and Naples. It’s October, it is what it is! Malta (Valletta) is a fantastic port of call. Civitavecchia not so much unless you want to visit Rome (2h by coach). 9 hours to departure… should try and sleep a bit now 🙂

We’re almost packed! Realised got the dates in the title wrong: we drive to Genoa tomorrow for a night in the Holiday Inn and then embark Sunday. MSC Voyagers club have inexplicably credited me another 700 points pre-cruise so I set off with 9000 and guarantees Diamond at the end of the cruise, nice surprise! They have also granted my 5 year old Gold status inexplicably (my IHG Diamond status match after having had a post kids cruise hiatus). Does anyone know if MSC are strict on the ages for kids club? Little one is 2 and 10 months and plays like a 4 year old… robust as well! Or are there any other (including paid) childcare options for her now? Last YC was on the Covid rules - so much reduced offering. 5 hour drive tomorrow and I can almost taste the first beer!

We’re embarking on our 5th YC cruise next week, find it very hard to find anything comparable for the money. For next summer Norwegian want £17,000 (no typo) for 11 nights in the Haven. YCD is £6,500 for 9 nights / Royal suite £10,500.

So a few more details…. We will be driving Geneva to Genoa on Saturday morning (via Grand St.Bernard tunnel, as the Mont Blanc is closed for 3 months), staying in the Holiday Inn in Genoa Port on points. Sunday morning we will board 11am ish - parking at Autosiloport in the terminal itself. Apart from meeting up with friends in Barcelona, no real plans to do any tours, mainly plan to enjoy the ship and everything it has to offer… Our 5 year old is already really excited for Kids Club, not sure how to explain to our 2 3/4 year old she’s just a bit too small to go in! That will have to wait for World Europa next Easter… Our 5 year old is also highly excited for unlimited Pepsi Max and Groks (baked Parmesan crisps) :)

Dear all, We followed through on our promise to rebook MSC! Please let me know any commentary requests. We will be driving to Genoa the day before and then boarding! Main reason for choosing the duplex was to be in YC (non negotiable) and to have full height glass on the balcony so we don’t panic 100 times a day keeping the kids safe!

Not as far as I know. But with another batch of Covid flying around, they could change the rules before our departure date, based on what they did in 2020-22…

Updating this thread as we are now T-2 weeks… Really looking forward to our Grandiosa cruise. Duplex confirmed, kids already ramping up for the holiday! As we caught “New Covid” a couple of weeks ago and are now clear again we are comfortable that they will let us on 😂 Will try and post updates again, let me know what you are interested in. NB. With kids 5 and 2, we will be back in the suite by 8:30 each night 😂

Not working for me either. “The Server cannot be reached”. In better news, 3 weeks to departure! 👏👏👏

Hi all, As you might have seen on my prior posts we are travelling on Grandiosa next month in a YC Duplex (we are excited!). Last time we travelled on Seaside, there was almost no childcare for under 3s due mainly to Covid. Our daughter is 2 and 9 months, happily goes to nursery etc…. Is there any facility for her to be looked after for a couple of hours per morning?

We’ve been on Seaside last year. The only baby care was for 1 hour on a sea day. We are hoping for better when we travel next month (kids 5 and 2 3/4) - our 5 year old did love the kids club.

We’re in a Duplex suite next month on Grandiosa which is outside YC (12004) - only the duplex / royal / owners suites could be outside the YC gates. edit: full YC benefits as the suite is above a standard YC1.

MSC voyagers club benefits are not strong compared to YC benefits. We love YC, you’re going to have an amazing time!

Can’t edit but will quote. Just checked Voyagers Club and I have 8,300 points! Seemingly 6600 from the match and 1700 from our last YC cruise. Next YC cruise will put me into Diamond 🙂

Further update… we have a hold on the Duplex on Grandiosa in October this year as well! As long as work holidays are approved we’re sailing this year too 🙂 I checked Voyagers Club after my Gold status match… sat on 8300 points (?!) so the October cruise will send me over the threshold to Diamond (1500 for cruise plus some random on board spending for sure).

Thanks @Two Wheels Only. The deck plan was inconclusive and the ship so new there was little info available. In fact the MSC renders didn’t even show the full height glass on the front, which panicked us for a while, given why we chose this cabin with the kids!!! Edit: We’re in 16006 which is next door to the duplex reviewed by our German friends on YouTube. Seeing the review calmed our nerves.

IHG Diamond Ambassador matched to Gold (seems a bit stingy). I’ll take it though, my 4,300 points seem to have been restored even though we had been expired pre COVID due to two small monsters arriving!

Hi Amy, we weren’t able to take Grandiosa this time (working in Asia this Easter) but have got the duplex on World Europa next year. It looks like we can exit from the upstairs onto Deck 18 and stay in YC zone… we will see! Postscript: kids will be 5 and 3 next year, full usage of DoReMi kids club is planned!

Popping up again to update… Grandiosa didn’t work out, I’ve been sent overseas with work which conflicts with cruise timing. World Europa duplex booked for Easter’24 instead. We did worry about the kids near the balcony, but the balcony is about 1m20 high so unless the kids climbed on the furniture they weren’t getting anywhere near it. One of us was watching the kids like a hawk (on the balcony) whenever they were there.

Please be aware that since Jan’21, you can’t import meats or dairy into the EU from the UK. Sad state of affairs but Brexit….

Late update: we have reserved a YC Duplex on Grandiosa next Easter. Same itinerary but in reverse. Reason for going for the Duplex: it’s on the front of the ship and has full height glass on the balcony so safer for the kids. And jacuzzi. Will be strange doing YC but not staying in the YC ‘zone’!

So… as the thread title says, we originally were looking at a potential end August cruise out of Genoa. We’ve been in YC on Preziosa and Divina before and loved it. When we checked the Covid rules, there was a risk that if we tested positive, couldn’t board… money down the pan (and with a few travels and events in July /Aug, it’s not inconceivable we could catch it again, even being boosted)… Cue a brainwave… 8am this morning we were at the pharmacy to get the Covid tests done, once they were passed, it was on the phone to book for tomorrow’s departure! At this point, even booking parking at the port is tricky (thanks to my Italian friend for calling them up for me as online bookings close at T-72 hours)! So we have a 7am departure tomorrow for a 4hr drive Geneva-Genoa, for a week’s cruise on Seaside in YC, and first cruise with the little monsters! Today has been a bit of a whirlwind…