Tom-n-Cheryl

Back "in the day" (to 2012), presenting that card often did spark a bit of a conversation. Now, for the most part, it's just another piece of plastic to them... Tom

Interesting - might give that a go on the Mardi Gras next month. For some reason, I thought that used to be an included Diamond perk (am I losing my mind?). Perhaps it was, but was discontinued as the ranks of Diamond guests swelled. Tom

Are the (non-YC) cabanas just around the lagoon? Are you assigned a cabana upon booking, or upon getting onto the island? What percentage of them are typically booked? (3 night cruise, overnight stay) No bar service there I'm guessing? ... and, are there any which might be more desirable than others (location or orientation reasons)? THANKS ! Tom

On the Liberty a couple of weeks ago, I never saw the Piano Bar open - four straight nights. Tom

No doubt they think - well, if they want upscale amenities, move on up to some of our other lines under our umbrella. I'm just guessing here, but does anyone know if HAL or Princess offer coffee makers in the rooms, at least in suites? Now, if they'd actually encourage people to move among their lines - that would be another good (company) move... but, they don't. Not that it comes with any great perks, but after booking our first MSC cruise (giving them a try in April), we were able to match to their Gold level right off the bat, owing to our VIFP level with Carnival. Our second sailing on Royal had us at their Diamond level, thanks to the tier we had achieved at that point with Celebrity... that's keeping the money "in house". Tom

LOL - yep, apparently that's just an issue that Carnival perceives that their guests would have, Most other lines offer them in their rooms, some with pretty nice setups. On Celebrity we had both a coffee maker and a tea kettle in our room. Tom

I don't know that they're motivated/sophisticated enough to pull that off (predictably) - certainly not on all ships at least, yet... ! All that I know is what I've experienced/measured. Thanks, Tom

Again - if I'm Diamond AND in a suite, I want to be at the very front of the line, because I've EARNED IT gosh darn it! (jk... probably arriving later anyway, at some point where you can both go to and stay in your cabin) Oh - the only line that I'd have any preference (as to first/second/third waves, etc) would be for debarkation. At least, typically, Carnival gets that right. Tom

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Take photos of him trying to force it into the scanner! 😄 Tom

Is that a bag which will fit through their scanners? Is there a size limit? I'd be happy to schlep up my 29" bag -- all 70+ pounds of it, but I can't recall seeing people with larger suitcases. Tom

Yep - makes sense. If I want something special, just pay upfront for it. If I cruise MSC after this first trial run, we'll likely go the YC route. Don't they have ships coming there most days of the week? I'm surprised that they don't keep food stocked on the island, if indeed that's the case. But, then again, I've never tried to run/manage island logistics ! Tom

Good info 🙂 I'm guessing that their research showed that there would not be a market for a nicely located/over water restaurant with table service ($). But, personally, I'd love something like that there. Give me a reason to wander around a small island (living in Florida already)! Tom

You guys got me wondering, so I had to go back and check. I assumed it said PRIORITY, but it did not (also, this was not a suite - if it was, I'm not sure which it would have said): Tom

I've been hearing... Tom

Regarding the speed - there is a "workaround" I stumbled upon. I noticed when we were on the Reflection over Thanksgiving that my speed seemed better when I was running a VPN (Hotspot Shield) on my phone. I tested over multiple days (with and without) and the difference was significant. I'd imagine that it won't work in all, or perhaps even most, situations. I didn't know if that was specific to the network/settings on the Reflection, Celebrity, or what. So, I tested it again (3 days in a row) on our Christmas Liberty sailing a couple of weeks ago. Researching this finding, I came across a couple of articles which discussed it - but none with the kinds of results I was getting. The reasoning given was that, by using a VPN, the provider is not able to determine what sites you're going to, thus they do not implement bandwidth throttling. If nothing else, I'm a believer - and even considered not posting this info on the boards - for selfish purposes. Then again, I doubt enough people will either believe this or, further, go to the trouble of running a VPN. Here's an example - while at sea - first without my VPN running, then with it running (only a minute in between the readings): Tom

They will make substitutions in cases of allergies or dislikes.

It's sort of like the steak sauces in the steakhouse. In years past, they ALWAYS made a point to ask about your preference. The last few times we've sailed I can't say it even came up (all that I want is horseradish anyway). For that matter, and for a brief period of time (since restart) they had the bright idea of trying to "wow" people with a salt selection - asking you which salt you'd prefer the chef to use on your steak. When I order the spice rubbed ribeye, I want it to come "the way it's intended", and with regard to the other steaks - please, just do it the way it's always been done ! Oh.. and bring back the freakin' wasabi to the yukon gold mashed potatoes... wth ! Double OH .... with regard to the horseradish, I often bring my own from home (yep!) as theirs is typically quite mild. Well, this last time my sinuses were cleared in a jiffy with what they had onboard. I was surprised ! Tom

Hey - I'm curious, we'll be there from 8am until noon the next day... Are the cabana's worthwhile, and recommendations of things not to miss there? Are there any places to enjoy a nice lunch/dinner? Are any of those dining options at an extra charge (probably preferred on my part). THANKS, Tom

Can't recall I've ever noticed if that perk ever mentioned per couple, per table, etc... Tom

We boarded the Liberty on 12/22/22. At least 2-3 times, when it appeared we were heading straight along with the masses, I had to approach/speak out to port staff and inquire about any Diamond/Priority line. If I had not spoke up, we would not have known (not that it would have been the end of the world!). Signage was not evident. It didn't help that our local sheriff decided that day to have increased screening - with a drug sniffing dog walking by each single-file guest, one by one. I'm glad someone gave me a heads-up (jk). Tom

Marking my calendar now 🙂 Tom

The IT people at MSC are not professionals, either that or they lack a sufficient budget to do what's necessary for a site to operate smoothly! No, I was just looking at my booking. MSC just completed the status/loyalty match this morning (according to an email I received). I decided to log out, then log back in to see if it had applied. Silly me !! Tom

No - I save that for when I'm at sea (and often get better speeds, owing to less bandwidth throttling). Tom

Of all the ones I've seen over the last few days (my sum total of MSC experience), this is one of my favorites. I read it as almost GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM 😄 (yes, I'm at the right USA website, etc... lol) Tom