cublet

2 hours ago, perakcruiser said:

Your perspective is wrong. MSC is not a low-cost line, that maybe is your US centric view, because some US lines like Disney are ridiculous expensive. MSC is Italian, even some guys at MSC USA seem to dilute the experience because they think this is needed to conquer the market. I guess many people cannot manage a holiday in Italy, so they also have problem with a MSC cruise. That is where the *sorry* dumb reviews with the "inedible food and rude crew" come from.

 

MSC is the untouched number one on the European market, everywhere, even the markets in Italy, Germany or UK are so different. That is because they provide a quality experience. Certainly not matching the lines with double prices.

Hello,

This is the best general review of MSC (after my own of course and that of JamieLogical). My own views are posted elsewhere if anyone is prepared to look.

I don't know how many MSC cruises I've done but I have a further six booked including one departing today.so this note is only brief. MSC is, to my mind, on a par with Royal, Celebrity and Cunard. If I had to change just one thing about MSC it would be to replace the cafeteria type serving lines in the buffet with 'island' type sections as on Royal. And that's it.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

All my Anthem ex UK sailings last year had the Suite/Concierge buffet/drinks time as 17:00 - 20:00.

Regards,

Cublet

22 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

I have no plans to lose the lottery this weekend. But I bet I will!

 

If a Hotel Director is even in the loop on board level discussions like that, which I doubt, they’re hardly likely to reveal confidential information at an officers’ lunch.

 

RCG could actually play it quite cleverly and use a program merger to offer carrots and sticks to encourage more veteran top tier cruisers to move from Royal to Celebrity.

Hello,

Introduce a Single Supplement on X of 50% similar to on Royal and I'll be there.

Regards,

Cublet

1 hour ago, sgmn said:

Well they're more expensive than my local pub, though agree similar to a city centre restaurant or sporting arena. The difference being you may only spend a couple of hours at that football or musical event, or occasionally visit a city centre bar.  

On board you're a captive audience for maybe several weeks with no other choice apart from port stops. 

Personally if I didn't have my diamond drinks I would pay per drink. No way could I bring myself to pay so much hard earned money on an alcohol package, especially on the longer cruises with long port days that I prefer.

 

Oh for the days pre covid when a) prices were more reasonable 

B) they had wine and beer packages

C) they had the 10 drink cards which were shareable and at a discount 

 

Hello,

Agreed.

My Pin's 6 drinks and 525 points 3 bottles of wine is quite enough to see me though a week (just). But what would annoy me, without the above, would be the offer to  'Buy one, get one 50% off" - as a solo traveller even with 50% off, a second drinks package is of no use to me so is (would be) a disincentive to me to book.

Much better value is buying a drinks package at the time of booking that includes water and gratuities from MSC and comes in at about £30 per night for me. And I will be giving it a good thrashing starting this Friday!

Regards,

Cublet

PS: And, needless to say, when I order Prosecco I get Prosecco and not something dug out from the back of the cleaning cupboard.

8 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I always get asked. And the drinks go on my folio (at $0). But that's more to find out who's in a suite and who's just a Pinnacle who has to use vouchers.

Hello,

Yes, but and/or Pins and Suite cards were sometimes a different colour so keeping them on show told the waiter which camp you were in.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

The former Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, now Insight Guide, inspects cruise ships and analyses them into four categories depending on number of berths.

The 2024 edition inspected 326 ships whilst a further 17 were not rated because of their recent launch dates.

Out of a possible 2000 points, Europa 2 came top with 1792 points and National Geographic Sea Lion came bottom with 772 points.

Of the total 326 ships, MSC Euribia was in 52^nd place with 1490 points whilst the highest Celebrity ship, Beyond, was is 75^th place with 1445 points and the highest RCI ship was Anthem of the Seas in 92^nd place with 1419 points. Aside from Cunard, the ships ahead of MSC Euribia came from Mid-size, Small and Boutique categories.

Of the top 20 Large Resort Ships category, 12 of those 20 places were filled by MSC ships, beaten by QM2 and Mein Schiff.

The criteria being marked were: The Ship; Accommodation; Cuisine; Service; Entertainment; The Cruise Experience. Price, of itself, was not a criterion.

I don't think MSC's achievements were gained by being 'cheap'.

Regards,

Cublet

10 hours ago, helenb said:

See in RED

I found a very short thread on this from pre-COVID, so I figured it was worth asking again. We just booked a Med cruise on Seaside for 2025. We have been on Seaside twice before, in the Caribbean. I understand that there will be some differences to the onboard experience sailing in the Med. I am expecting:

 

- onboard currency in Euros Yes

- multilingual activities/shows (no trivia?) Not really

- multilingual announcements Few to none depending on importance

- passengers embarking and disembarking at every port 1 or 2 more maybe, not every

- possibly more seafood-heavy menus Never look for seafood so cannot comment

- possibly more smoking onboard No

 

I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight as to the extent of these differences. How is it embarking/disembarking in a port where the majority of the ship is not joining you? If you're not getting off in a port, do they still make you disembark to 'clear' the ship, like they do for people on B2Bs? How much more smoking can we expect? Does anyone have any sample menus from the Med?

 

We will be sailing in YC, in situations where that makes a difference (e.g. menus).

Regards,

Cublet

48 minutes ago, ToeyA said:

I signed up just so i could respond to this comment!

 

I've been on 16 cruises - mostly Carnival & Norwegian - and i will never go on an MSC again. 

 

While the staff on our Seascape cruise in December 2023 did a fabulous job, the cruise was disappointing. The food was HORRIBLE. Who goes on a cruise and loses weight?

 

Under cooked, over cooked or cold sums up the offerings at the buffet - except for the pizza. The pizza was good.  O! And the soft serve ice cream that was only limitedly available.

 

One dinner I ordered salmon and received grouper! I was presented with salmon on a different night and altho it was seared beautifully, it was undercooked and inedible.

 

The sad part was that every staff member we talked to acknowledged that the food was bad - eveb the dining room staff acknowledged and apologized. I felt bad for them. 

Hello,

Whilst I do not go on cruises to lose weight, the only cruise (out of 50+) on which I *DID* lose weight was on Celebrity Eclipse whilst in AquaClass and dining in Blu.

Regards,

Cublet

2 hours ago, little britain said:

It’s also good to tell them when you don’t want to use a voucher - like if you are buying a Coke. Don’t want to waste a $14 voucher on a £$4 tin of Coke !!!!

Hello,

But it's a good deal if you want to use the Coke as a tarnished metal cleaner (the only thing it's fit for).

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

The booking number on the 'strange' upgrade email is unknown to the MSC booking system according to my TA.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

It would not surprise me if the major cruise lines, in order to 'save money', contracted-out their IT. So there is probably a single source of itinerant coders making the same balls-up on all the lines.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

I've had a similar email this morning. Ship, cabin type and sail date are correct, Booking Number and cabin number are incorrect.

Interestingly the upgrade costs are the same as I have already responded to on the booking I think I've got.

I have set my TA on the case.

Regards,

Cublet

17 hours ago, GPPhilly said:

It depends on your credit card.  You need to make sure to use a card that does not charge a foreign transaction fee,  

Hello,

Here, the UK, most zero foreign transaction fee cards come from 'building societies' (mortgage lenders) not traditional high street banks - though the difference is becoming increasingly blurred.

Regards,

Cublet

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I think the OP is concerned about foreign transaction fees.

3 hours ago, alserrod said:

 

 

Hi

 

As soon as you embark you must link you cruise card with your credit card.

When linking it (there are kiosks to do it) you will have a 250€ charge (since Euribia operates in euros)

You will do any purchases on board and, after cruise (maybe 14 days later) you will have a second charge for that difference.

 

When using cruise card you are allowing to charge in credit card, not an instant payment

Hello,

Non-sterling transaction fees are more down to the T&Cs of the card issuer than of the cruise line. But....

I cannot speak for Euribia only Virtuosa out of Southampton. Firstly, last year the onboard currency was the pound sterling (GBP) so no non-sterling transaction fees, and I was not charged anything when I registered my credit card (apart from £1.00 'donation' {?!} to the MSC charity), I was charged the whole of my account at the end of the cruise. This cruise was a round trip with no pick-ups/departures en route which may explain the currency.

Traders may put a 'hold' for an amount on a credit card, it reduces the available credit but is strictly speaking not quite a 'charge'.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

The ban is wider than just alcohol:

Hello,

If you mean an extra charge for the privilege of using a credit card over and above the cost of the goods/services, then No to both.

Regards,

Cublet

On 3/18/2024 at 5:37 PM, goofysmom99 said:

So many of the M&Ms/Connections I used to attend devolved into folks making announcements about their private tours = a rude slap in the face to the folks who put on the gathering since those folks obviously cared about selling Celebrity's tours.  And even though Cruise Critic lists Meet & Mingles as "paused," in light of the current revenue-producing frenzy occurring within all the RCI fleets, I don't see M&Ms ever returning.

Hello,

It's not a "rude slap in the face" if the private excursion is to a place/event that is not being provided by Celebrity - it's their fault.

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

This I did some time ago but I scanned my passport and cropped it just to leave my photo that I then added to 'my account' rather than just the check-in for any particular cruise. Subsequent cruises then picked-up my photograph and used it for check-in.

But sometimes, but not always, at the port they want to take another picture because they "want more of my shoulders in the photograph".  ???

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

I too cannot see the return of CC Connections/ M&Ms.

However my recent experience is not of people touting for passengers on their private tours but that people from Facebook, not CC members, were introducing themselves (and getting the tea and cakes).

Regards,

Cublet

Hello,

For what little extra you get in/with a Junior Suite, I think it should be renamed to something like 'Extra Large cabin with Balcony' so as not to raise expectations falsely.

In addition to the above, you do get a printed Cruise Compass without asking, but (on Anthem) you don't get a walk-in wardrobe in all JS.

Regards,

Cublet

9 hours ago, Beamafar said:

MSC has upped their game for the US market.  

Hello,

By becoming more American and less Italian.

Regards,

Cublet

12 hours ago, ospreycruiser said:

Can anybody advise me how the UK/US time difference works when booking your time slot when checking in? Since the US is ahead of UK time does that mean they have advantage when looking for an early time?

Hello,

I know it's a bit early on a Saturday morning after a heavy Friday night, but are you sure you've got the time difference the right way around?

Regards,

Cublet

13 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

I'm Canadian, but I have to disagree with saying 'labour' is the  'correct' way to spell the word...it's not correct for the US.  I use 'ou' instead of the 'o' when sending any note or post to Americans as it's MY way to spell and I don't have to change because it's going to the US despite auto correct.

Hello,

I worked for a couple of petrochemical companies many years ago - before the days of email and the internet.

So one day a memo arrived castigating us over the spelling of the word 'tyre' and not 'tire'. But at the bottom of the memo was a line - printed as part of its manufacture - saying "Think - is this memo really necessary?".

Regards,

Cublet

6 hours ago, the penguins said:

Oh dear "teen-age" another word/phrase we can't use. Our grandson insists he will be a "teen" in June not a "teenager". Oh yes and when I ask how he got on at Ice Hockey his standard reply is "it's just hockey Grandpa". 

Hello,

If I was being an old cynic and got that response, my presumption would be that he lost.

Regards,

Cublet

9 hours ago, the penguins said:

That would go down just great with our grandson's teachers in Dallas

Hello,

From somewhere I've picked-up the idea that English speakers of English cannot teach that in America to children under teen-age.

Fact or fiction?

Regards,

Cublet