Mark_T

... or at least they have always said they appreciated it and probably returned it to stock. The crew are very good at being positive in all guest interactions, but they are also going to be very careful about receiving 'gifts' of ship stock items and may not even drink alcohol anyway. $$ are always the best gift (only real exception was during Covid when they were unable to leave the ship).

That is the point, unless that changes then I don't see any chance that they will include them directly in their advertised prices as they do in other markets.

I'm sure they will follow whatever the rest of the market does, as they are mostly driven by the price-comparison sites and other advertising. As long as the competition offers fares without compulsory gratuities and advertises those prices I'd be surprised if they did anything different...

Dragon fruit and for that matter durian are not hard to find in European food stores, even Costco sell them in many countries, but I'm sure you wouldn't suggest anyone tried to travel to a cruise with fresh durian 🙂

... need to remember that works both ways though and don't try to export US tipping to other countries...

That is fine, it is your opinion, and one I generally agree with, but when people read simple statements like '... ... they are apt to misunderstand and believe that those crew are excluded form the tip pool, hence my comment.

I do not believe that to be true, they all share in that tip pool, both those you see and those you do not. ... of course as I've said before additional tipping where deserved is fully understandable, but it is additional, as they are included in the pool.

Understood, there are always going to be exceptions, and if for whatever reason there was nothing 'over and above' about the service then I fully agree, nothing extra was due.

So glad to finally get a chance to read this entire thread, sounds like you both had an amazing time. Had a lot of family stuff to deal with since we parted company in Miami earlier this year, but I was determined to get to this tread eventually, and it was certainly worth the read. Thanks also to the others sailing with you for their contributions. This itinerary remains on our bucket list for sure.

What do you believe the cost to be..? ... and where are you cruising from? Getting a single device plan shouldn't be prohibitive, so I'm wondering if you are looking at the right prices and perhaps just looking at the single-day rate x 14?

This is the important question as I'm sure we are all hoping that the OP gets to go on their cruise, and their experience in how it was handled at the port would be helpful for a lot of people...

This is from the CBP website: U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL), a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) or passport, and if 16 or older, a government issued driver's license, picture ID, denoting photo, name, and date of birth. The Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) allows you to re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The EDL is only accepted at land and sea border crossings, not for air travel. An U.S. citizen under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original, notarized or certified copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issues by Department of State, (DOS) and/or Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). https://cbpcomplaints.cbp.gov/s/article/Article1378?language=en_US The critical point for leaving the USA on a cruise is proving citizenship, EDL does do that, Real ID does not as it is available to non-citizens.

In general I'd suggest keeping a close eye on the 'Healthy' section of the menu as they will slip in some excellent choices there, like the butter chicken, and it is all too easy to miss them if you don't study that section every day.

The EDL is enough on its own though, which would have been helpful here.

I believe Jamie is correct, Real ID on its own is not going to be enough sadly..

Is that an Enhanced Drivers License? A photocopy of your birth certificate isn't going to be acceptable.

Did they already sort out the food? There is a list on the MSC Israel website of the Kosher food options... https://msccruises.co.il/en/on-board/dining-drinks/kosher/ No idea if this is available on all cruises though...

Around 9% is about right as it isn't 5+5=10%, it is 5% off then 5% off the remaining 95%, this is why it is written as 5+5%. So you get 9.75% discount rather than 10%

I would not depend on that as it is officially not allowed. Glad she got lucky but I wouldn't treat that as a generally available option...

MSC only let each passenger do one status match, and your current status would get you Gold, but if you wait until you are Princess Elite that would match to Diamond. On the other-hand it really doesn't take long to get from Gold to Diamond...

No, you cannot bring wine onboard to consume during the cruise. If you do purchase anything while in port on a cruise it will be stored for you until the end of the cruise.

As I understand it, the MSC contract provides for their salary in full and in addition a guaranteed sum which reflects their anticipated minimum share of the daily service charge. This allows the crew to plan what they are sending home and removes the fear of being impacted by passengers removing the charges during the cruise. Then as long as the service charges collected exceed the expected minimum they get an additional bonus, if it falls short then MSC cover the difference. This always seemed like a fair solution and gives the crew some stability when they have a large percentage of guests from markets that allow the removal of the 'gratuities' during a cruise...

... I did say 'most' ... 🙂

Yes, and Yes. I defy most people to stay in YC and not feel a strong desire to leave an additional tip for your Butler and his assistant.

Everyone, including your butler are covered by the daily service charge that will appear on your room charges if you booked in the USA. Additional tipping is always welcomed but never expected.