shipgeeks

Am I the only one who prefers short, unpainted fingernails? I consider myself fairly girly: I love fashion, makeup, hairstyles, earrings. But I don't understand the appeal of the long and/or painted nails that I see in ads and such. I have to admit, I have no idea how many women do, which I why I posed this as a question. When I meet another woman, I probably notice what she is wearing, her posture, her hair, her smile. But even after all the MDR tables I've shared with other women, and classes I attend, I realize I've never noticed anyone's nails, except for one woman who had very long, multicolored and patterned nails, and always had a drink in her hand. What do you do?

When we did that several years ago we used the HAL transfer. We were glad we did, because as it turned out, the ship could not go all the way to Montreal, and we docked further downstream. The bus transfer took an hour or so; a taxi would have cost a fortune. And we saw no taxis at that port, just the chartered buses.

JessyCruises, We appreciated your info about the Container Village, and we enjoyed it on our visit last September. This year, we will be docked in Saint John overnight: Monday, September 18 through Tuesday, September 19. Any thoughts about whether there might be any additional attractions there?

I can state with certainty that RC staterooms do NOT all have coolers/fridges. Why not just ask for an ice bucket and ice, and put a carton of milk in that each night?

We did a winter HAL cruise from Manhattan a number of years ago. Very cold departure, but seeing the lights of the city start to come on, around 4pm as we prepared to depart, and then sailing into the sunset, was so magical. We now do winter Caribbean departures from Baltimore every year. Winter coat, hat, gloves for departure; they go under the bed by the second day. We enjoy it. Perhaps not being pool people, or even caring about having hot weather, helps, but it is among our favorites.

Same here. DH is the one who always insists on taking his tuxedo; it's up to me to rise to his level. And when I see him, it's a very good level!

Just a guess, but in the past, when we booked cruiseline transfers there were reps holding big signs on poles near baggage claim, or between the arrival gate and baggage claim. Couldn't miss them. The signs clearly named the cruiseline, and the reps were in a sort of uniform to match. They could answer any question, check off your name and ship, and direct you to the appropriate bus or other vehicle. We never had any advance confirmation, but it all worked out just fine.

If not at Home Sweet Home, on a ship at sea is my only other desire.

I imagine butter is not standard because toast is not standard in European cuisine. Baguettes, croissants, and best of all, MSC's sticky buns, are so much better. Be sure to try them. (But you can always request butter if you need it.)

As mentioned above, the Maritime Museum is perhaps a 15 minute walk, along the boardwalk, from the ship. Flat terrain, and a pleasant walk, unless the weather is bad.

Quite the contrary, in our experience. On RC the attire we see is the whole range, from tuxes to shorts. On MSC the proportion who were dressed up was considerably higher. Maybe those who spend the evening up on pool deck are in shorts, but in the dining rooms, bars, dance venues, theaters, we were impressed with how many dressed up.

Absolutely.

I never expected a reply to my request, and I never got one. But our request had been fulfilled when we got there.

But if they become a clone of the other lines, they lose people like us who value their unique product.

Our first MSC cruise from US was in 2002. I agree, it has become much more Americanized.

Or is there a disconnect among some American passengers, in not realizing that the entire world is not exactly like the US, or like RoyalNorwegianCarnival cruises? Many of us hope that MSC will never become more Americanized.

Re "no butter in MDR", post #13. I have been a dinner guest at the Italian-Australian Club several times. The pasta was excellent, as were the sauces (but tiny sauce to pasta ratio, by American standards). The bread was excellent, but was never served with butter; it just was not part of a meal. One of the things I like about sailing on MSC is the authenticity, even when I sometimes miss my usual way of doing things (I do like butter). I can have moments of feeling like I could be in Italy, not just another suburb in PA. If I were Chief Decision Maker for MSC, what would I Americanize, and what would I not?Personally, I don't want MSC to become another RoyalNorwegianCarnival.

I have several of those wardrobe trunks, as I was blessed with two unmarried aunts, one of whom was a missionary, and one whose family traveled by train, interstate, to their summer home each year. I used them when I migrated to Australia, and then used them as furniture there. They still grace various rooms of my home. Last year we sailed with a lovely woman who was aboard for three consecutive months. She dressed very well. Her companion mentioned that she had eight pieces of luggage.

We are long past the days of buying Things onboard, and we have done just about all the excursions we will ever want. We prepay our gratuities. So any OBC left over goes to extra gratuities for crew members (by name and department) and/or crew welfare fund.

We've sailed on Enchantment, a similar size ship, five times in the last 14 months. Overall, we found the food in both WJ and MDR good to excellent, with lots of variety, including the new menus. Some standards in WJ at lunch, such as burgers, taco bar, etc., but lots and lots of new things every day, too. I'm surprised to read that Vision appears to be so different.

If the ship is there into the evening, there could be a light show on the lighthouse.

Worthwhile? Price?

I have to disagree. We book Bella, and never felt like we were on a Carnival cruise. (However, we have not been aboard during a Drinks Included cruise.)

Ocean Cay is a paradise. Just beautiful aqua water, sand, palm trees; no thrill rides, no blaring music. Just nature, with enough amenities for comfort and ease. Paved walkways, and trams for those who want them. Food trucks all over, with a few choices, plus a mid-day buffet. No tendering required.

The shows are, IMO, less Broadway and more Cirque du Soleil. Less singing (but lots of music), more movement/dance/gymnastics. We enjoyed them. MSC has four "experiences" from which to choose when you book. The one you choose will determine your cabin type, dining room dinner times, amenities, etc. Bella and Fantastica have assigned dining times; Aurea is anytime dining. Yacht Club has its own cabins, dining, pool, amenities, etc. It's worth reading up on these before booking. Service is good but more formal, less gushy-friendly. Some cruisers interpret that as rude or cold; it is just more European. Likewise, many passengers are usually European, South American, and British. Announcements are made in multiple languages, but they are brief, and are only about docking times, etc.; no long messages re art auctions, jewelry sales, bingo, and such. The loyalty program, status match, is free to join. You will be asked to provide proof of your level with another cruise line, hotel, etc.