texangal39

Thank you for the COVID sanitizing reminder! I didn’t think of that. My RCI experience was pre-COVID so I guess that’s just how it was on their ships and it’s probably the same or more strict now that they have to sanitize.

I know the flat pics on the website leave a bit to be desired, but lots of people post videos of their cabins on YouTube. Here’s one I found. I’m not sure if it’s a Deluxe Interior or Junior Interior. But, you can search for “MSC Davina Deluxe Interior” to get a list of videos to check out. Best of luck to you!

Can you please post the prices when you get off? I’d like to know before we board. Will stop by a smoke shop beforehand if the prices are exhorbitant. Thanks so much!

Is the disembarkation the same across the entire fleet; even USA cruises? Asking because I don’t like to be rushed off the ship, which I feel RCI does. I like to have a nice breakfast in the dining room at 8am, take my final “departure photos”, and then get off no later than 10am. RCI made me feel like I had to get off at the crack of dawn; as if they’re saying “Folks you don’t have go home, but you can’t stay here. So get off this ship because we’re done with you!” 🤣 Completely different from my experience on NCL and Celebrity.

Can anyone advise if MSC will punch a hole in your sea card? I prefer to put mine on a badge holder so that’s it’s quickly accessible and doesn’t get lost. #TIA

If we’re taking bets I can’t say that I’ll be correct, but I’m guessing NCL.

I did my status match directly from the website and got a response 2 days later. Send in a screenshot of my NCL status that showed my name, latitudes number, and status. It may have helped that I did it about 30 days before my upcoming cruise.

Thank you for the information and the offer to answer my Portugal questions! I’m focused on Lisbon and am researching the areas I want to do my short term rental in and will make my arrangements in the next 2 to 3 months and plan to contact a real estate agent to handle everything in the next few months. I will reach out via message if I have any questions for you so we don’t derail this thread any further 😃

Thanks for the tips! I can’t wait to get back to Portugal. My trip next year is really going to be about me spending time determining if I’d like to relocate there. I’m considering the country as my new home. I am planning to stay for 2 or 3 months to get a feel for the country and how it is to have a regular life there. My current job is remote (work from home), so location doesn’t matter as long as I have good internet service. Like a normal working person, I intend to work Monday through Friday and do some weekend trips to the Azores and other areas of the country.

Got the email today confirming our upgrade and the new cabin in a better location… mid-ship with cabins below and above it! Yaaayy!! Now I’m just watching the clock and counting days 😁

Well the charge hit my credit card sometime last night while I was asleep, so we are now in the premium balcony, so we gained a little more space in our cabin and on our balcony for a small amount of money 😃

For those who haven’t been to Portugal and to add to what Nunagoras said, the Holy Mother of Fatima Shrine is very moving. It brought tears to my eyes to be there and hear our guide tell the story with such reverence and passion. It is a must visit for anyone who goes to Portugal for sure. I haven’t done the Azores, but plan to make it my thing to do when I go next year. It’s one of my fly & stays that I’m most looking forward to.

We are 2 weeks out; just far enough away to seem like a long time, but close enough to make me giddy with excitement! 😁 I’m a very “plan it” type because I like to put bows on things, but I also like to leave some days open to do whatever feels good; planned spontaneity if you will 😊 Oh, sounds like we have something to look forward to on Ocean Cay. Jerk chicken, ribs, and salad all sound good to me and I also love a good turkey burger so I’ll see if the food truck can accommodate me. The sailing we are on is only for 3nt/4 days so we will not be overnighting at Ocean Cay … unless we end up not stopping in Nassau because of too many ships as has been reported on another sailing. Although, I wouldn’t be sad about that because I’ve done Nassau so many times I’ve lost count 😉 Looking forward to departure day already!!🥰

Thank you you’ve been so very helpful 😀 BTW Portugal is one of my favorite countries. Not only is it a beautiful country that is very diverse in landscape, but the people are very kind, helpful, and welcoming. The people and food are my favorite things about Portugal. My favorite areas are Sintra, Nazare, Costa da Caparica, and various areas of Lisbon and all of the food I’ve ever had was amazing.

So, meal options are limited while the ship is at the private island; duly noted! We plan to get off the ship as early as possible and stay the bulk of the day. Now I’m crossing my fingers that the upgrade I bid on will come through; getting pretty close to the wire. But I’m not panicking. If I don’t hear back though, I think I will call and simply upgrade to a Premium Balcony if they are still available.

Thank you for clearing the app & wifi issue up. The MSC website says something about certain ships having the capability and it didn’t appear the the Divina was one of them, but I wasn’t sure. So, this is good to know; especially the tip about who should set up their account first.

Please post when you get back and tell us all about it. I’d love to hear your experience. I booked a short cruise to give it a try and plan on booking a longer cruise to travel next year with them on one of their newer ships.

Perfect! I appreciate the tips and description of what to expect. It sounds very nice. I’m a pretty laid back cruiser and know how to appreciate each line for what they bring to the table, so I’m really excited to see what I will appreciate and love most about MSC as I have a feeling this line will be my go to for specific reasons; just as the other lines I’ve cruises are. I cruise NCL for the party, RCI for the overall appeal to many when I’m with a larger group of friends & family, Celebrity for the food and romantic vibe, and HAL for the food and destinations.

This is fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing these pics and giving me a good idea on the cabins. This was amazingly helpful and the cabins look nice 😍

Thank you! I will post about my experience. I just got my email matching my NCL status.

Thank you very much for sharing! I’ve read many a post about the pizza on MSC.

Thank you for the clarification. And even though it isn’t authentic Italian cuisine, I’m still excited because I’d rather be cruising any day of the week 😁

YIKES!! Guess I need to figure out if I want to spend another $1200 to move to YC or tough it out. YC seems very attractive, but when I booked my cabin I felt like the cost was so much for a 3-day trip. Now, I’m reevaluating. Guess my cruise research & booking skills are a bit rusty after all this time 🤣

Thank you for the recommendation. I purposely didn’t book Yacht Club since it’s such a short cruise and it seemed the cost was way above what was necessary for that length of time. I’m now trying to decide if I’ll tough it out or if I’ll pay to upgrade. I already submitted a bid on an upgrade to a premium or Aurea balcony, but these keep me with the horde of party people. Decisions, decisions!

Got it!! Thanks a million for the tip on the FTF’s because it didn’t even cross my mind!