Greygooser

I am coming into Penn Station and taking an Uber/Lyft (tomorrow) Is the traffic so bad it makes more sense to go down to lower Manhattan and take the Ferry? I figured the quickest way would be going directly to the port via Uber/Lyft

Cool, thank you. Hope you enjoy the rest of your sailing!

Will do. I plan on doing a “live” thread as well. My first time with MSC

Got it, makes sense. I was under the impression they’d have the hours of the YC facilities as well

Hello all- Going to be in the YC on the Meraviglia next week (very excited) Has anyone ever posted the YC dailies here? It's my understanding they are different from the regular dailies given to the rest of the ship. If not, I will post them from my upcoming trip!

I'm also coming from Manhattan. Uber/Lyft or taxi seem like the way to go.

@AtSeaWithChris a question if you don't mind.. is there a comedian on the ship? also to everyone, has anyone posted the dailies from this Meraviglia itinerary? I'll be cruising 6/11

I'm also taking the (acela) train into NYC (from BOS). Once we arrive at Penn Station, I figure the best way to get to the ship is Uber/Lyft.

Thanks for all that info. Was there a comedian on your sailing?

I am on a 7 day cruise on the Meraviglia, and that's what I was thinking as well. We might end up doing the taco place because that could be fun. Otherwise the YC restaurant and pool deck seems more than adequate. Appreciate the feedback, sometimes I just need some reassurance even when I'm 99% sure it's the right call!

Appreciate all the details! Looking forward to my Meraviglia YC cruise in a few weeks :)

Curious what everyone's opinions are as far as getting a specialty dining package when staying in the YC. I can get the 3 meal package for $71, which seems very reasonable. I understand the menus are limited and there's a surcharge for the Teppanyaki. Just not sure if it's worth it since you have access to the YC restaurants. Also, if you go to a specialty restaurant with a package (as a YC guest), are the drinks included?

I just did this yesterday. I booked my first MSC cruise with a "concierge" a few months ago and was paid in full, then did status match to get to Gold status with MSC. They applied my 5% discount, and then re-issued my booking and it was $800 higher! They had taken the 5% off the current rate, not what I paid. Concierge had to submit to a manager to get a price adjustment. After some of the horror stories I've heard about MSC, I was worried I was going to get screwed over. Thankfully, they made the adjustment. Now my booking says I've paid $60 more than I owed. Not sure if that will end up as OBC or I'll get a refund. On a side note, if you don't have a travel agent (like me) and are booking with MSC directly, I would definitely recommend going through a concierge. On the MSC homepage, scroll to the bottom and there's something that says "AN MSC CRUISE CONCIERGE CAN HELP" with a button "Request a Call". One will reach out to you, and you'll have their direct contact info if you have any issues. My upcoming cruise will be my first with MSC, but if I like it I would book directly with my concierge again.

If you dont mind me asking, is that a consumer travel site? Or a travel agent tool of some sort? It's hard to filter down specific cruise results with MSC. Looking for solo rates in the YC.

I was told they will replace all snacks except for the Toberlone bar at no cost. If you eat a second Toberlone, expect to pay for it.

Just an update. I found where I read that you can get it back on whichever card you use for your onboard account. It was in the Amex offer from last year. Here's the post:

Wow, thank you! For anyone else, post #92 covers the debarkation experience in Civitavecchia as well.

I have never done this myself, I just remember reading that here at some point. I believe the context was someone bought OBC with one card, but then put a different card on their onboard account once on the ship. It's distinctly possible they used to do that, but no longer do. To me it makes much more sense as more and more people carry less cash. Logistically, there's no reason they couldn't refund to any card you choose. If anyone else can chime in with personal experience, that would be great.

I have not learned anything more. I’m lucky that we aren’t going until the end of August, so hoping to get some feedback from other roll calls with a Rome embarkation/debarkation port.

Same with me. Guess they know we'll use it again! Worth mentioning, despite saying it only qualifies via NCL phone agent/NCL.com, almost any travel agent bills the same way and the offer should apply. I've also been told if you already have a cruise booked, you can add $1k of OBC and get it refunded on another card at the end of the trip.

I am sailing with a buddy who does not have any kind of status (has not traveled much). If I just had him sign up for Hilton Honors account to become a "Member", would MSC match with 1 point so he can get the 5% discount? Or is there any other account he can sign up for the achieve the same goal?

Thank you. I'll try the MSC number and maybe I can explain to them. I'd be fine with OBC, as I've read that's what others have received.

Hello all- I booked my first MSC cruise for this June. Of course, I didn't learn about the status match program until afterwards. Now, I have successfully matched to MSC Voyagers Gold level. I did not get the 5% discount when I initially booked, since I was not part of the Voyagers Club. I have read that you can get the 5% back in OBC. Is there a process to this? Does it happen automatically? Any insight would be appreciated. I booked with an MSC Concierge and they don't seem to understand my inquiry and can't give me an answer....

That was my experience on NCL as well, I only ask because earlier in the thread someone said you need an RFI card. I'll bring an old NCL card just in case.