Mark_T

... just to add a more recent data-point... Completed online application on Sunday, posted old passport on Tuesday (1st Class Signed for), new passport out for delivery today (Saturday). Edit: ... and just arrived at 8:30am (posted through the door by TNT, no need to sign for it).

Butchers Cut isn't a 'Signature' venue, just a speciality restaurant... "The following exclusions apply: tobacco, souvenir glasses, ice cream menu, retail items, minibar, room service, promotions and signature venues Venchi 1878 establishments or Jean-Philippe Maury venues, MSC Virtuosa Starship Club, regardless of beverage price. The Coffee Emporium and Raj Polo Tea Room onboard MSC World Europa signature venues are included in Easy Plus and Premium Extra packages."

Very important advice, this isn't one you can leave to chance, especially if there are several ships arriving that day. On that note, the impact of cruise ships had caused a lot of local resentment, and there are now limits on the largest ships docking when they are not the only ship there so that may help with ticket availability...

The only drawers I recall in the cabin were the two in the lower half of the right hand side of the second wardrobe. I do not recall any other drawers in the cabin, none in the bathroom either just a low shelf under the sink and a little horizontal space to one side of the shower. She managed to pretty much fill the available space with ceramics, dry flower arrangement, and all the other space was taken up with glasses, water bottles, and other bits and pieces. Not trying to be over dramatic but the cabin looked 'full' before we had even unpacked, hence piling as much of that stuff as possible into the cupboard space. Sadly not a fan of her work as it always feels like it is designed to be photographed, not lived in...

I wish I'd taken more pictures at the time, but my firm recollection is that we had to use whatever space there was in the dresser under the TV to store all the random stuff Kelly Hoppen added to the cabin so we had an open flat surface to put our own stiff down on. Horizontal space and drawers were noticeably limited. Nowhere practical to eat room service for two at the same time either...

From memory, no, there is little more than a shelf on one side of the 'dresser', other side is the mini-bar if memory serves. We managed but did feel like an extra drawer or two would have been useful.

This is the bit that people seem to be misunderstanding, 'Basic' is not going away, it is still going to be part of the AI option for non-suite guests, just will not be able to buy it if you didn't get AI in future.

On the flip-side I would have been insisting that you should go off on your own, no point in having everyone tied down 'just in case'...

We just got off Divina last week, it was a short cruise to sanity check our decision move away from Celebrity to Yacht Club on MSC... ... the result is we are booked to be back on Divina in the Yacht Club next year... If you are comparing Divina to the other ships on your list, as mentioned above, the YC restaurant being at the back of the ship, while the rest of YC is at the front, but we also enjoyed the stroll along deck 7 as a little light exercise. Also the speciality restaurants are not really a step up from the YC restaurant and they have a Pizza venue rather than the more popular Mexican restaurant on the larger ships. We loved the ship and the service aspects of YC though, way better than the Retreat.

The equivalent US stats would suggest even lower results (58%) ... Can only hope it has improved since 2020...

Sadly I'd have to agree, the only reason we might be tempted is a lack of alternative variety on an 'M' class ship, but even then it is marginal and we've not bothered so far...

We'd rather take the extra precaution of AirTags and keep checking 2 bags with an even split of clothes between the two. The extremely low risk of being separated from one of the bags for more than 24 hours just isn't worth the limitations of travelling with only carry-on for us. The AirTags don't stop the bags getting delayed, but when sorting out this sort of thing the knowledge of exactly where the bags are becomes vitally useful, both in reducing the impact on whatever else you were planning to do and in making sure the airline knows where they really are...

Thanks, that confirms what I was told on Eclipse.

We have a similar conundrum facing us in 2025, with a Japan cruise on Millennium. Last time we were onboard we were in the Retreat so Luminae supplemented with Tuscan and So5 was sufficient, but this time no Retreat (sold out and we wouldn't have paid what they were asking anyway ). .. add in that there is no World Class bar either and we are starting to feel like the experience is going to be a bit flat compared to our recent cruises on 'S' class ships...

... not what we were told on Eclipse in January, but it would be a simple thing to test for anyone onboard. ... and similarly no sign that 'Basic' is being phased out, as it remains available as part of AI, it just isn't being offered as an option to purchase on its own any more...

Nobody gained Premium without paying for it, AI still includes Basic. The only issue seems to be that the new upgrade option from Basic to Premium hasn’t made it into the planner yet. This change just means that in future, if you do not take AI the only internet option to purchase will be Premium, but if you do take AI you will still be able to pay for an upgrade to Premium if you want…

The FAQ lists an upgrade option that should be in the planner (MCC) it just isn’t there yet it seems.

You can't opt to buy Basic as a stand-alone product anyone more, but it is still being provided as part of AI and is available for those who already purchased it separately, so you have not lost anything...

Even in the England there are many variations on a 'Full English', so no, I wouldn't expect them to be able to guess exactly what you want... The buffet is usually your best best as they also do not always have the larger sausages in the MDR, if indeed they have them at all as depending on where you are sailing they may not be available locally.

Divina has the Pizza restaurant, but no Mexican. Based on the comments of others, I'd probably be avoiding the package and just ordering off the menu. The Mexican restaurant prices seem very reasonable and I suspect there is more food that would be good at Indochine, but outside the 'Experience' menu. For us, we may go to the Sushi restaurant on our next Divina cruise, but we will avoid the package.

Unless Celebrity took the charge for the air fare in the first place, it would have to be a check...

Exactly, that is my understanding as well, you can book lunch and dinner on the same day in different restaurants but you would use 2 of your 9 allowed reservations to do it... This is not 'Unlimited' ...

When we boarded in Genoa this was not the case, which came as something of a surprise. The Yacht Club bags were tagged differently, but all bags were taken and handled together at the same desk before we were able to proceed to the Yacht Club tent. Not what we had expected, but fortunately that was the only poor service point on the cruise. They did however make it clear that we could take any or all bags onboard with us if we preferred...

MSC do have a documented limit on number of bags and weight per person, and the combined total per cabin, but no idea if they ever enforce it.... MSC Cruise luggage limit: Two suitcases (90 x 75 x 43 cm and 23 kg maximum weight) Carry-on bags on MSC Cruise lines: Two hand luggage pieces (56 x 45 x 25 cm and 23 kg maximum weight) Total weight of 100 kg and a maximum of 8 bags combining all the pieces of luggage inside a cabin, including the children’s luggage.

Understood obviously, just trying to get clarity on what you have bought since you said it was 'Unlimited'... I've always read the 'x night package' to mean x reservations each of which could be lunch or dinner but not both... so you can't book, say, Tuscan for 9 dinners and Sushi for 9 lunches with your 9 night package...? ... or have I got that wrong?