PGPrendy

I suggest also having a letter signed by your husband stating that he's consenting to your travel with the children from whatever the timeframe is. I'd suggest getting it notarized. You may or may not be asked for it, but it's good to have just in case.

Never mind. It's definitely in the tour description. Guess I read too fast the first few times. The deluxe option includes all you can eat service and open bar. The day pass and transfer does not. 

Hi 👋

I'm excited about an upcoming NCL Escape cruise which includes some time in Cozumel. I've visited Cozumel before, and I'm considering staying on the ship, but I'm also considering making use of the excursion credit offered by NCL. Thinking of visiting Playa Mia. I've read various reviews of the location itself, so my question isn't so much about Playa Mia itself, but rather, what the difference between the two NCL shore excursions are. The written descriptions don't seem to explain the difference, but one is $89 while the other is $49. Other than price, do you know the difference between the Deluxe Beach Break at Playa Mia, and the Playa Mia Day Pass and Transfer?

Thanks!

On 5/2/2021 at 4:42 PM, FreestyleNovice said:

*bump*

 

The before and after for anyone interested. 

Nice to see! Just booked Escape and searched to find out if she's been fixed. Thanks for sharing!

On 9/23/2021 at 9:30 AM, glentally said:

Hello PG, I am on the April 10th sail.  When is yours.  Unfortunately I also was looking for anything but nothing. We will have to wait until we get closer to the first sailing which I believe is December 5th.

Hello Glen! I'm on the March 20th sailing. Yeah, definitely hoping we'll hear more from those sailing between December and March. 

Good day, everyone! It's been a while since I've been on these boards, but I logged in today to search for info on Grandeur of the Seas. I've searched, but did't see anything on it. Please forgive me if I missed it, but has there been any word on whether Grandeur will go into dry dock / be refurbished or refreshed before its sailings from Barbados?

Thanks in advance!

Thank you for sharing your experience here.  Your photos are gorgeous!  We are considering the Escape for our 10th anniversary vow renewal next year, and I have been wondering about the experience.  Although not exactly the same as a vow renewal, I think that reading about your wedding experience helps :-)  

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

If you are looking for warm weather, I would not choose Bermuda.  Temperate, yes.  EM

Thanks Essiesmom!

Hi everyone!  

My husband and I are deciding on our 10th anniversary cruise, which will take place in October 2019, and we would like input, preferably from those who've cruised on NCL Escape and RCCL Harmony of the Seas.  We are looking at 7-day cruises on both, and are planning to have a vow renewal ceremony attended by 3 to 6 guests, 2 of whom are our children, ages 4 and 8.  

Escape is doing 3 days in Bermuda, and Harmony is doing San Juan, St. Maarten, and Labadee.  Bermuda would be new to us.  Labadee is also new for us.  We have been to San Juan and St. Maarten before.  We prefer warm weather for this occasion and for our cruises in general.  

Pricing, based on the room categories we are looking at, is comparable, however, Harmony will require airfare, while we can easily drive to the Escape.  

We will be sailing with our two sons, ages 4 and 8, and they will room with grandma.  So, we are looking for a cruise that will appeal to all of us.  I have sailed 9 times before, and my husband has sailed 8 times before, and we have done NCL and RCCL one time each, but on older ships, and while we liked both of those cruises, we cannot honestly compare those experiences.  Also, our most recent sailing with our boys and grandma was on the Disney Dream, so I am hoping that what we select won't disappoint in the realm of activities for our boys.  We had our family time on Disney and, at the same time, easily had adult time because the Oceaneer's Club kept our son occupied for much of the day. 

We have eyed a few Disney options for our amniversary, but the cost of the vow renewal pushes that option out of our preferred price range. 

So, all that being said, between Harmony and Escape, which one would you select, and why?

Thanks, in advance, for your time and input.  

Peta.  

Hi everyone!  

My husband and I are deciding on our 10th anniversary cruise, which will take place in October 2019, and we would like input, preferably from those who've cruised on NCL Escape and RCCL Harmony of the Seas.  We are looking at 7-day cruises on both, and are planning to have a vow renewal ceremony attended by 3 to 6 guests, 2 of whom are our children, ages 4 and 8.  

Escape is doing 3 days in Bermuda, and Harmony is doing San Juan, St. Maarten, and Labadee.  Bermuda would be new to us.  Labadee is also new for us.  We have been to San Juan and St. Maarten before.  We prefer warm weather for this occasion and for our cruises in general.  

Pricing, based on the room categories we are looking at, is comparable, however, Harmony will require airfare, while we can easily drive to the Escape.  

We will be sailing with our two sons, ages 4 and 8, and they will room with grandma.  So, we are looking for a cruise that will appeal to all of us.  I have sailed 9 times before, and my husband has sailed 8 times before, and we have done NCL and RCCL one time each, but on older ships, and while we liked both of those cruises, we cannot honestly compare those experiences.  Also, our most recent sailing with our boys and grandma was on the Disney Dream, so I am hoping that what we select won't disappoint in the realm of activities for our boys.  We had our family time on Disney and, at the same time, easily had adult time because the Oceaneer's Club kept our son occupied for much of the day. 

We have eyed a few Disney options for our amniversary, but the cost of the vow renewal pushes that option out of our preferred price range. 

So, all that being said, between Harmony and Escape, which one would you select, and why?

Thanks, in advance, for your time and input.  

Peta.  

I am interested in knowing this too.

Sure, there are plenty of taxi's in Cartagena at both cruise port and airport.

Maybe a point to consider: There will be a lot more people embarking and disembarking in Cartagena than in Curacao so I personally would pick Curacao.

Thank you! We've booked to sail from Curacao! Looking forward to our first Pullmantur experience!

Hi everyone!

I am looking at a Pullmantur cruise option that my husband and I can embark on in Curacao or in Cartagena. We are hoping to decide on an embarkation port soon. I've pretty much figured out the way to the cruise port from the airport or hotel in Curacao. However, for Cartagena, how far away is the airport from the cruise port? I would like to think that taxis are readily available at the Cartagena airport and cruise port, right?

Thanks, in advance, for your input!

We were on Fantasia from Barbados 13-27 Feb. Monday nights were Gala nights on both weeks, our first evening onboard on 13th was white night and the same the following Tuesday, Thursday 15th was 60s,70s & 80s and again the following Wednesday. The daily programmes didn’t mention any Italian night but a couple of times during the fortnight we went to the Yacht Club restaurant for dinner and the theme was mediterranean night, the staff were all in uniform with olive green waist coats, bow ties and aprons, the tables were set in the same colour also. if you need daily programmes i have all of them from the 2 weeks so if there any in particular you are interested in I can try to post. In the main people joined in with the themes, both me and my husband threw ourselves into the theme nights as this was our first ever cruise.

Thank you so much! Your response provided exactly the sort of information I've been looking for! We're very excited about this cruise, and intend to fully participate in the theme nights onboard too 😊

Hello Cruisers! My family and I will be sailing on MSC Fantasia this month, and I am wondering if the theme nights will be the same as we experienced on the MSC Divina: White Night; 70s/80s Night; Red, White, & Green for Italian Night; and of course Formal Night. Has anyone on this discussion board sailed MSC Fantasia's Caribbean itinerary recently? If so, I would love your feedback on the theme nights, and if possible, a photo or a few photos of the Daily Programs. Thank you!

My family and I enjoyed our MSC Divina cruise in March 2017. We traveled with our two sons, 6 years old and 2 years old, and the crew and guests embraced them. My older son especially enjoyed the 4D theatre, mini-bowling, and watching his dad in the F1 simulator. The kids club staff were very friendly as well. Having sailed Disney, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean, I think MSC is a great cruiseline for children. Enjoy your cruise!

For those of you who've sailed on the MSC Opera from Havana, how do you usually handle Embarkation Day? Check in and then leave the ship to explore Havana, or explore Havana, then check in? I know Day 2 is another full day in Cuba, but I'm wondering if Day 1 will allow for any sort of exploration off the ship. I have also posted this on the MSC boards. Thanks in advance.

For those of you who've sailed on the MSC Opera from Havana, how do you usually handle Embarkation Day? Check in and then leave the ship to explore Havana, or explore Havana, then check in? I know Day 2 is another full day in Cuba, but I'm wondering if Day 1 will allow for any sort of exploration off the ship. I will also post this on the Cuba boards. Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone,

I am writing to share with you my feedback from our recent MSC Divina cruise. I am thankful for Cruise Critic and this virtual community, as I researched a lot prior to our sailing, and found these boards to be quite informative. So, in case there is someone else planning a cruise on the MSC Divina and searching for information the way that I did, I am sharing my review here. We just returned yesterday, so this is a fairly quick review and will certainly miss some details, but I may be able to answer questions if you have them.

Although this was my 5th cruise, this was my first MSC cruise, and I loved it. My mom, my husband, my 6-year-old son, and my 2-year-old son sailed together on the MSC Divina, from March 25, 2017 to April 1, 2017, from the Port of Miami to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Nassau. We had two Bella staterooms on Deck 8, one room across the hall from the other: balcony stateroom 8251 and inside stateroom 8253. We had a wonderful time! The crew and staff were generally very helpful and cheerful.

Our stateroom steward, Lynyrd, was excellent in keeping our rooms in order and providing any requested services, such as emptying the refrigerator on Day 1, so that we could have the space in the refrigerator for our sons’ milk and medicines. Lynyrd also provided us with fresh beach towels as we really put those to use during our vacation

Our waiters at the Black Crab Restaurant were Francis and Kishawn, and they were wonderful. Francis and Kishawn were very attentive to our family of 5, and got to know our favorite menu items really quickly, including those that our 6-year-old son really liked. For our 6-year-old son, who is a picky eater, this was his 4th cruise, and it was the best he has eaten on any cruise thus far. Prior to sailing on the MSC Divina, I read a number of reviews that stated that dinner in the main dining rooms took too long to be served, but we honestly didn’t experience that. Our food and beverages were always brought to us quickly. On the last night of the cruise, we received a phone call from both Francis and Kishawn because they found a bracelet at our table after we left. We hadn't even realized that my mom's bracelet had fallen off, and we are so thankful for their attention and for them contacting us, so that she could retrieve it.

My 6-year-old son attended the children’s club during the second day of the cruise, which was the first full day and a sea day, and he said he enjoyed it. They called me after he had been there for two hours, saying he was ready for me to pick him up, so I did,and he seemed fine, but just wanted to go somewhere else at that point. When we would see the children’s club staff around the ship, they were pleasant and greeted him. His favorite parts of the ship are the 4D theatre – we bought the family pass for $60 and went each day thereafter to watch the 4D movie clips, which he enjoyed. With that pass, my husband also experienced the F1 Simulator. Our 6-year-old really wanted to ride in the F1 Simulator, which I had shown him on videos prior to our sailing, but at over 4 feet tall, he isn’t yet tall enough. I didn’t actually ask what the height requirement is, but basically, the person’s feet must be able to reach the accelerator while he or she is securely seated in the simulator... the seat does not adjust. We also enjoyed bowling in the Sports Bar, which is also included with the family pass. I liked going to the Sports Bar on Deck 7, by the way, as it was a welcomed change from the busy buffet on Deck 14. We had breakfast at the buffet each morning; we ate lunch at the buffet on Day 1 and Day 2; and we ate lunch at the Sports Bar on Day 6 and Day 7.

I enjoyed my visit to the Aurea Spa on Day 6 of the cruise. My spa manicure by Alexandra was relaxing, and I love the wash, blow dry, and flat iron by Junior, which made my hair look super healthy and shiny again after days of sun, sand, and beach. Alexandra and Junior were both delightful, and it was a pleasure spending time with them.

Giuseppe from MSC Photography delivered service with a smile, and was great interacting with our 2-year-old son while we sorted through the many beautiful pictures we had to choose from. Our portraits on the MSC Divina are gorgeous!

Last, but not least, George in the MSC Logo Shop was consistently pleasant and attentive in our multiple trips to the MSC Logo Shop to purchase souvenir items to remember and to share parts of our wonderful cruise on the MSC Divina. We are especially thankful for the staff named here, and for all the wonderful crew and staff members of the MSC Divina!

A number of things could have been better about our cruise on the MSC Divina, and most of those have to do with getting on and off the ship on port days. We definitely appreciate the 4 ports on this 7-day or 8-day cruise, depending on how you look at it, but we definitely think that there should be more time in each port. Although we've cruised before, we felt rushed in most of the ports on this particular cruise. I also think that embarkation on Day 1 and disembarkation on Day 8 were very smooth, and was actually the BEST we have experienced thus far. On Day 1, wearrived at the Port of Miami a bit after 11am, after giving up our many bags tobe sent to our staterooms, we were checking in at about 11:25 am, and we were on the ship by about 12 noon. On Day 8, with multiple trips to the bathroom, as can be expected with a family of 5, and with a longer wait for one bag in particular to come along on the carousel, we were outside of the terminal in Miami, with all of our bags, before 10:30am, after being given a 10:45am disembarkation time! However, I think that embarkation and disembarkation at the ports of call was not smooth. I'm not sure if certain gangways are closed at certain times when embarking and disembarking on port days, but with the volume of guests on MSC Divina, and with the limited time in ports of call, it may be more efficient to have all the gangways open for a better flow at embarkation and disembarkation on port days.

Overall, our first cruise on the MSC Divina was truly a wonderful experience, which I think was beautifully exhibited in the touching speech by Captain Scala after the Michael Jackson Starwalker show. The show itself was an amazing display of talent and unity. The demographic represented on the ship is awesome! As someone with a B.A. in International Studies, and a love for languages and cultures, I loved sailing through the Caribbean, being greeted by fellow cruisers and greeting fellow cruisers, saying, “Bonjour,” “Bonne Soirée,”“Buona Sera,” and “Buenos Dias.” We definitely experienced that more on the MSC Divina than on any of our previous cruises.

Bravissimo, MSC!

BUFFET

One thing we did hate about this ship was the buffet. It is completely disorganized and the layout is not user-friendly whatsoever. Going into the buffet you have to know that you were going to eat a burger one day or pizza one day or salad. Etc. If you want to try and take a little bit from one or the other its practically impossible to get through because of the way everything is laid out and the length of the buffet itself. When the ship isn't busy it's not as much of a problem however during the peak times this can cause some frustration.

One other thing that MSC cannot control however people should go in knowing is that there are a lot of flat-out rude people on the boat. Not workers but other Cruisers. I by no means think Americans are above anyone however there were a lot of foreign speaking people who were blatantly rude. I don't mean one or two but a pretty significant amount. Don't know if there was any occasion that I tried to get off an elevator that I wasn't pushed aside or had someone walk in the elevator before letting me out. Again I'm sure Americans do this as well however everyone I encountered this with was foreign speaking during the cruise. There was also a lack of giving someone personal space while at the buffet. If you were dishing something up people had no qualms with reaching over you around you or just blatantly going in front of you. Again nothing that MSC can control however you might want to go in knowing that there will be a lot of different nationalities with different behaviors on this Cruise Line versus some of the standardized American ones.

We just returned from the March 25, 2017 sailing, and I just posted my review on here, but forgot about this. Yes! We encountered people who just cut in front of us at the buffet, on the elevators, and yes, this happened more on our MSC Divina cruise than on any other... a significant number of times. We pretty much took deep breaths, shook our heads, and remembered that we're on vacation, and just kept it moving, but it really is pretty aggravating.

Awesome! Thanks for asking and answering this question. I had been wondering if my 6-year-old's dress shorts would do. I'm happy they will!

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Happy to know that it has been done. I honestly wouldn't try it with a 4pm set sail time, but our ship sails at 7pm, which is why I'm considering it. Even with a 7pm sail away time, I'd aim to get back to the port well before 5pm.

Can you check in early at the Port of Miami, but then leave the ship to explore Miami and return before "All Aboard" time... taking the same items you would at a port of call... or are the rules different for the homeport?

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Hello,

I am hoping to be able to book a cruise for my family on Opera this year, and while I can find the sailings on the MSC UK site, I am not able to book with our information because it has "United Kingdom" as the default "Country of Residence," and it won't allow me to change that. We live in the U.S. Any suggestions on how to go about this booking?

Many thanks!

Hello everyone! We are traveling as a family of 5... my mom in one room, and my husband and I with our 2 boys, ages 2 and 6, in another room. What's the best way to purchase a photo package in advance? Online, it seems as if the purchase is per person, but chances are, we will be taking most of our cruiseship photos together. Can we make just one photo package purchase as one family? Has anyone done this and received all their photos? Thanks!