Tom-n-Cheryl

That happened many years ago on Carnival... it's the trickle down effect. Tom

Ask, and ye shall receive ! I guess I should have just been more patient! I just received a certificate in my email good for (up to) 8 nights: Suite Stateroom Aurea Experience + Casino Drink Package Hopefully it won't be too much change to bump up to YC. 🙂 Tom

We're booked in early May. There are not any sea days on our cruise (Nassau and Coco Cay are the only ports), so I'm wondering... are they going to have The Porch and Lawn Club Grill closed for lunch both port days ? I really enjoy lunches there, but on longer sailings, I know that they're only open on sea days. Tom

Is there a specific email address or phone # for their casino department ?

Thanks What if one is not aware of this (unwritten) protocol - for example, after the fact (off the cruise)? Tom

Can someone shed a little light on something for me? I was just on the Seashore (4-nt) and thought to inquire at the cage (after 3 nights of play) how many points I had earned. I was told it was just under 9K. I have no idea how many I received on the last evening, but it should easily exceed 10K total. On the last evening, after I pointed out to the pit boss that the host had yet to introduce themself to me, the host came around and took down my email address. Should I expect them to get in touch with me at some point - and how do I go about cashing in on whatever points I received? The only way we'll travel with MSC is in the YC. So, obviously it will be a matter of getting the regular rate discounted. THANKS

Oh joy !

Thanks Wow... so, if you drive to the pier, you can't get into the parking lot until 11? There must be quite the line backing up by that time. Tom

We sailed in the Presidential Suite on the second sailing of the Mardi Gras. The balcony rocks - as did the perks that sailing. I will say, some of the "newness/special treatment" has faded on return trips, and a few aft corners Excel suites. It's still a very nice balcony - even if all the cushions are cabled into place now. 🙂 We'll be in our first MSC RS come Sunday - and I fully expect the level of service to far exceed anything that Carnival offers up - even if MSC has tightened up a bit. Something they probably aren't doing any more (just by asking) in the Presidential Suites: Tom

I seem to recall this addressed on a couple of other threads, but what's a good time to arrive at the port (again, Seashore/Pt. Canaveral) this Sunday? It's my desire to get on as early as possible in order to make our group dining plans with the YC concierge. Our assigned time is 12:00. Can I arrive/board prior to that? What time does boarding typically begin? Apparently things have been changing at PC (no tent?), so this might be a moving target. With only 1 MSC cruise (Seaside/PC) last year - I don't have much experience with them - other than recalling that it did not seem well organized. THANKS

I've had better luck on both Royal and Celebrity - making contact and arrangements ahead of time. It's the least they could do - given the premium being paid, IMO. Tom

I assumed it was rather difficult to "sneak" in there (only sailed with them once though). I think it's more an excuse for a cut. Tom

Good info! Perhaps they could arrange an order of Gravlax 🙂 Tom

T-4 days (Seashore) and so far nothing, nada. Not even the email you guys have been talking about. I must say, I don't care for "the MSC way". Tom

So, other than having a cabana (as I understand it) for our Seashore sailing in an RS next weekend (4-nt), is there anything else I should expect to receive with the cabin -- in addition to the apparently diminishing list of perks for other YC cabins? Tom

I sat down at a table once and played a couple of shoes without a BJ. As soon as I was finally dealt one, then paid me 6:5. I collected my chips and left !!! Tom

Thanks for the info. I was trying to book their steakhouse for 15 people (taking my office staff). Apparently that's impossible ahead of time. Hopefully after boarding, they can make some arrangements for us. I guess that's "the MSC way". 🙄 Tom

We'll be in a RS on the Seashore later this month - should I expect anyone to reach out to us prior to the cruise? THANKS, Tom

Bye bye

This is what I'm seeing as of today: Pretty slim pickings, given that it's not uncommon to come off the ship +/- $10k (black chip BJ player). The free insides are only for a few 3/4 night Reflection sailings. Tom

I got a little break on this (Allure) sailing - getting an Aqua Theater suite for about $2k. What I like about Royal, anyone at Club Royale Prime level gets free drinks when playing and can also purchase chips at the table with no surcharge. Having said that, I've enjoyed a few great casino bookings on Carnival, getting up to $2,000 OBC, and CHEERS (Drinks on Us Everywhere). There's some real value there. So - pros and cons, as is always the case! Tom

We have quite a few Carnival sailings under our belts, with a fair # of Royal cruises (on the Allure at the moment - 3 night!). One place where Royal shines (on Oasis and new class ships) is the suite lounge and Coastal Kitchen. Even though we have in the past, I don't see us sailing on any prior class of ship with Royal. Kind of the same way I feel about Excel class on Carnival. We presently have the Utopia booked for later this year (again, a 3/4 night Oasis class ship!) and then the Star for '26. The Star is nearly $2k/per person for a 7-nt inside (not what we booked), so it's a significant premium. A comment was made about the passengers -- when we left Pt. Canaveral yesterday, the (Carnival) Liberty left on their 3-nt as well. We've sailed on that very itinerary several times, and hands down you can tell a difference. Everything else being equal - and in general - on Carnival you're going to see a difference in how people perceive "Cruise Casual" attire. You're also going to see more undesirable behavior (language and such). Again, each sailing (on any ship) will have variances and unique characteristics, but there are baseline differences nonetheless. Tom

Things they never even contemplate when building in Italy or France I suspect ! WOW Tom

I found a rough guesstimate HERE. I suspect that something like the Star would probably exceed their upper range (of 2.5 million man hours). Tom