Janet&Carl

WE are also sailing the Fjords on MSC Orchestra in June.

When I want a fix for the places we have already been I flick through your pictures again. It brings back many happy memories.

Well done on such a fantastic review I'll certainly be watching out for the Fjords review in June.

I have booked two inside guarantee cabins for my mother and aunt on MSC. On each occasion they were upgraded to balcony so I think they got a very good deal. I have heard of many more getting balcony on their first cruise so its not a loyalty thing its more like an availability thing so will depend on how full the ship is. You will get the best cabin available and it won't necessarily be under or over or next to noisy areas.

Your "experience" package ie Bella Fantastica or Aurea will remain the same no matter what your cabin category.

More appropriate to post this pic here

A dawn photo of MSC Orchestra pulling into Sydney

Abosolutely spectacular.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueSkyAerialFilming/photos/o.339352912367/808990035846916/?type=1&theater

I don't really get why that Spanish couple had to be found by MSC employees instead of some kind of authority from Tunisia :confused: Anyway, they are safe and that's what it counts. Unfortunately another elderly Spanish couple died :( They attacked an Spanish speaking group it seems.

 

On the other hand the Costa ship is now crossing the Mediterranean sea and will reach Mallorca by tomorrow. I guess press will be waiting to interview passengers.

Maybe they needed to be told everything was OK in Spanish - if they didnt know what was being said by anyone else they would have stayed in hiding.

A change in docking time is very unlikely but they will be disembarking passengers and I don't know if they will want to get them off first.

If I was you I'd stick with the car. Picked up and dropped of at the port gates - and Olympia is a long drive away. The last time we were in Katakolon MSC was charging $85 (Australian) each - there were 4 of us and I got a private car (a limo turned up) for $80 for the 4 of us.

Excellent value.

I'm not sure if this is allowed so if not just let me know and I'll delete - here is a link to the bigger sized picture which is just spectacular

https://www.facebook.com/BlueSkyAerialFilming/photos/o.339352912367/808990035846916/?type=1&theater

Im not sure how to attach photos but I came across this one which is beautiful. This is the Orchestra pulling into Sydney this morning. its a fabulous photo its a pity I don't know how to post a bigger one

 

We are thinking of booking the Orchestra Grand Voyage from Genoa to Barbados Nov 15 and wonder if you saw the Aurea sun area? Any info? Does it have single sunbeds and double cocoon-type beds, hot tub and bar? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

Hello :) we are also looking for info on the Aurea package sun area ? I will start a thread and see how that goes.

thanks for the replies - Sidari did they have a hot tub etc... or just the sun loungers ?

yes, it includes all the top shelf drinks ;) and all the sundaes in the icecream bar and lots of things in the cafe and all the liquor coffees you can manage - enjoy ;)

The menus will more or less identical on Musica and Magnifica. The basically feature different Italian regions each night. It will be different from the Divina, there won't be a Stars and Stripes side and all the other things they change for the US passengers will pretty much be absent. They will give you vouchers for a bottle of water to use at dinner each night. There won't be pitchers of iced water readily available as or Iced Tea.

On our recent ex Venice to Genoa cruise we noticed an "Americanisation" to the food. We enjoyed the food on this cruise much less than before and found that there were burgers and fries and hot dogs in the buffet which we had only seen on the US and Caribbean cruises we had done. the fries were even served in little boxes and the burgers in paper wrappings :(

Has anyone used it ???

What facilities are available ?

Thanks :)

We booked the Aurea package - I like the idea of anytime dining as well as the sun deck. From the deck plans it doesnt look like there is a hot tub or anything . I'd be happy to hear from anyone who as used this area also.

HI

I havent cruised on the Divina but I have taken pre teens and teenagers on many MSC cruises. They are treated like treasures by all the staff. They have a ball and we don't see them (except when we insist they have dinner with us) from when we step on until when we step off.

They love it and so do we - we get to relax. Honestly, I wouldnt hesitate. Our kids even stay on board while we go on day trips on land.

Hi

We are going on a cruise on the Orchestra out of Kiel. The nearest airport is Hamburg which it 1 1/2 hours away approximately. We are tempted to book a Transfer with MSC from the airport to the port. These have to be pre booked before departure. Given the information on here that sometimes pre booked excursions have had difficulties I wondered if we would be collected or maybe forgotten and left at the airport with no transport?

Has anyone had a pre booked transfer ? What was your experience ?

I have had fabulous service on every cruise from my table waiters and from m cabin stewards. I am Australian and tipping is really foreign to us. I have never tipped other than paying the gratuities and have never had to. I have enjoyed excellent service always.

:rolleyes:

make sure you order a birthday cake - it will be delivered to your table with a bevvy of singing waiters - very special.

Mikesa,

 

Thank you so much for the pictures! I'm so happy to know that we do have a separation between the two living spaces!! YAY! Do you have any photos of the balcony? Did you find it windy, people say you can open the sliding door cuz its at the front of the ship, but to me it looks as if the room really is on the side. Thanks again! Made my day!!

Yes you are right the door to the balcony is to the side - you go out of the lounge - you can't exit from the bedroom.

When I booked my upcoming cruise the invoice stated a $135 per cabin fuel surcharge. I just looked at my final paid invoice and they removed the surcharge but increased the the cabin price by $135.00. Has anyone else had this happen?

yes and when I asked MSC they told me it was port charges.

Its still fuel surcharge on my invoice.

Hi Janet,

 

How was your cruise? I have the same questions as you. I'm sailing MSC Divina in the summer & have booked the S3 Aurea Exp cabin 10008. I cant seem to figure out the room layout, is there a separation, is there a door between the two room? If you can kindly tell me about the cabin layout or perhaps have picture that would help too! Did you also have the aurea exp? What was that like? Thanking you in advance!!!

YES !!! please to say we got exactly what we wanted with a seperate room for our daughter to sleep in and to use as a lounge during the day. I have lots of pictures but don't know how to post them on here. We were very pleased with our choice.

If you go to the web site - choose "ships" - select your ship then choose "cabins and suites" you will see the suite is exactly as pictured. I hope this link will work. http://mscpodcast.msccruises.com/Podcast/VirtualTourFantasia/au_en/index.html?sc=aurea_balconysuite

 

Is tea/coffee available in the buffet or is this extra charge?

 

Are there any other important things to be aware of?

 

Thanks,

 

Julie

yes (almost) 24 hours a day :) coffee, tea and water at no extra charge.

MSC really go out of their way to make children feel special and welcome. The waiters will make a fuss of them and the entertainment staff will spoil them. My family has loved cruising on MSC.

We found La Goulette to be easy - the taxi system is all regulated from inside the port building - you pay them and they assign you a driver. There is a choice of the three main sites Medina, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said and you pay Euro 20 40 or 60 if you do 1 2 or 3 sites. We loved Tunis.

They are normal size taxi's so you would need to hire three of them but it is still cheaper than taking a ship tour.

hey Bugsy

We just finished a Med cruise in November 2014 and our time was 6.pm and 8.30pm.

I had an overpayment processed immediately, through the accounts dept at MSC Australia. Showed up in my bank straight away. I informed them by phone that there was a credit on my statement. I asked if the $100 could go towards the daily charges as OBC. They said they would have to refund it. I thought they would just send a cheque in the mail but they wrote to me by email and asked for my bank details so they could pay me back. I thought it was excellent service :)

I don't always get excellent service - right now I'm busy trying to sort out my next cruise which they have booked as two single cruises in two different cabins instead of the 14 day back to back :( that is proving to be a bit of a nightmare atm.:eek: