shipgeeks

I would say ALL pax are off the ship no later than 9, and staterooms are typically not ready til 1 or 2. However, when we step out of our cabin around 6:30, to get some breakfast, many of the cabins in our area are propped open, residents gone, and cabin stewards working. So they don't wait til everyone is gone. They work hard, but they do have some time to do so.

Well! I tried to read this, and the "continue" tab led to dire warnings that my computer has been compromised - "do not try to shut down" - "call this number immediately"... Anyone else? Or any safe option for reading the article?

My point is that it is an American product and should not be expected on an Italian ship. (And it is not even ice cream, from what I have read of the ingredients.) If it is so essential, RoyalNorwegianCarnival will most likely provide it. It is the differences that make MSC appealing to me.

Interesting observation about sailing out of PC rather than Miami, and something I had not thought about, but it makes sense. Lots of overseas charter flights to Miami, but not to PC. In our case, even though we dislike Miami, that would work against us choosing PC. I would rather sail with mostly Europeans, British, and South Americans (who we have never found to be rude), than with almost entirely fellow American cruiseline transplants who complain that their essential ketchup/butter/white toast/soft serve ice cream is not in evidence all the time, or that service people were not friendly. I wonder what the passenger makeup from Brooklyn will be like in the months to come?

Again, why not just wait til you are onboard? Nothing to lose except the worry you are going through now.

We did the credit card stuff after boarding. It was quick and easy -- and we are people who shun self-checkouts, ATMs, and phones. While we were there we reserved all our shows. I highly recommend just waiting til you are on the ship. I believe we did the health checklist in the terminal, while checking in.

Good. We thought the balcony sort of cut off the direct view when we were in the cabin; hence, prefer the OV. And if you both are able-bodied enough to get out to promenade deck and sun decks, that will be by far the best! Good luck!

You might be able to tell from deck plans and ship exterior photos which are portholes and which are larger windows. For safety reasons, typically the lowest deck or two, and the furthest forward cabins on those decks, could be smaller portholes. On deck plans, as well as an indication that they have portholes, you can sometimes gauge this by the curve of the ship structure. The straight side beyond that curve is frequently where the larger windows begin. If you have a ship in mind, I could probably help decipher that. Also, if you are using a travel agent, they should be able to do so. We sailed on Princess when we did Alaska. We thought it was very well done.

We have done this. I never expected a response, and I never got one, but our request had been filled when we arrived onboard.

tobymurph, Oceanview windows do not open; however, that type of cabin would be our first choice for an Alaska cruise; better than a balcony. The windows on a lower deck and all the way forward might be smaller than those midships (portholes instead of picture windows). Also, the windows on the very lowest decks might be somewhat smaller than those above. A good-size window on deck 4 (or similar) would be ideal for seeing the sea and sealife. We enjoyed that, but spent just about all our waking hours up on a sundeck, watching the view in all directions. Please keep asking any questions that come to mind!

I haven't tried; I just keep our loonies and toonies in a drawer at home for our next trip. It's an itinerary that we like to repeat every year!

We have almost always done this cruise sometime in September. Weather has always been good, not too hot, not too cold. Foliage is never something we think about, as we have great fall foliage at home, and don't notice it on the cruise. As far as excursions go, all or most of these ports can be done without excursions, if you are able-bodied enough to do a bit of walking. The first time we did this cruise, we studied the ports in advance, and then just walked when we got there. Lots to do and see at all of them.

Thank you for the replies, everyone. I originally posted because in recent years, titanium dioxide was the recommended ingredient in reef-safe sunscreens, and I was surprised to see it on the "don't" list. However, after posting, I did some more reading, and discovered that it is now considered to be possibly hazardous. Interesting how things develop over time. I will stick with my usual rashguards and hats.

I agree with the above; always lots of non-seafood options at all meals. Also, our waiters have always asked "Do you have any food allergies I should know about?" They are very accommodating. If they don't ask, you can always do so.

We got our Canadian currency at Guest Services on the ship. There is a fee, but it was convenient, and now we have what we want for our usual small purchases.

I love this! Curious about the colored squares on the last page, re fares. Do the squares indicate which cabins have a double bed/two twins? I remember having to be careful when choosing a cabin, to get the bed setup we wanted, as none were movable.

Our boarding documents contain a section on what sunscreens not to pack. Petrolatum/mineral oil, oxybenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate are all prohibited. But titanium dioxide is also prohibited, and my understanding is that it is usually recommended as the only one safe for reef life. Misprint?

Thank you again, all. A friend suggested taking biotin, which I have done, and my hair does seem to be returning to normal. Yay!

Yes, there is a loyalty program: Status Match. Submit proof of your Princess level. There are four "experiences" from which to choose. We have only sailed in Bella, the cheapest. Bella and Fantastica have set dinner times; Aurea has anytime dining. Yacht Club has ---? There is a chart at the top of this MSC section, or on their website, which sets out the benefits of each experience. We were quite happy with Bella, especially with the status match benefits we got. Americans are usually in the minority among the passengers. The ambience can be different. Little things like less availability of ketchup are annoying to some; we found it quite nice to be out of our rut of the other major cruiselines; more like being overseas. Shows are more visual and musical, rather than a Broadway-type story. Announcements are in multiple languages, but are very brief. Only port arrival info and such, no bingo or art auction announcements.

That's good. I asked because I've read some negative things about behavior on 3- and 4-night cruises; not just MSC but most of the other lines, as well. Ocean Cay was just so beautiful. Beaches on all sides, aqua water. Palm trees all over. No loud music, no big structures to block the view.

You might also want to consider the Port of Baltimore, with BWI as the airport. Royal Carib does 9-night sailings to Canada/New England, currently on Vision of the Seas. Usually five ports, and three sea days. Carnival also sails out of Baltimore. Do you have a preferred cruiseline?

Seven night sailing? Or shorter? That could make a difference. Are you locked in to a particular date and cruise? The private island is, IMO, miles ahead of anyone else's. However, it is primarily a relaxed place; no amusement park features.

Pecan pie, with pecan halves (not tiny chopped pieces) on top. Yum.

I saw a post elsewhere that the taxis were overwhelmed, as the arriving repo passenger numbers were so unusual, compared to 99% of Baltimore cruises in which everyone parks at the port or has their own pickup arrangements. It's too bad that one-way cruises do have their downside, especially at the end of a good cruise. People arriving in their cars, for the next cruise, were also held back in the crush. Things should be much better from now on. Our experiences at Port of Baltimore are always positive.

FWIW, a friend takes a medication which regularly causes a dry cough. The doctor acknowledges that this is a common symptom, and that there is no health concern (for him, or for people around him). He does, of course, cover his mouth/use a handkerchief when this occurs. I agree that, unfortunately, there are people who are careless and rude, and do not follow common hygiene and courtesy guidelines. But sometimes things might not be as bad as they seem. We've done five cruises in the last 14 months, and the cruiseline was quite zealous in enforcing hand sanitizing when entering dining rooms and buffet.