JoLoca2208

We have just returned from Bliss last Sunday. As others already mentioned, NCL is using Pier 66, pretty much in downtown, so very handy. We had an 11 o'clock check-in time, then waited with everyone for the boarding to start, which happened around 11:30. I'm not sure if Haven's guests were allowed to board before that time. 

For things to bring, again as others mentioned, you have to be prepared for all sorts of weather. It seems to be a little colder in Juneau and closer to glaciers, so you will need some layers on you. For us, Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan were very warm and sunny - locals were wearing shorts and t-shirts. I see some people advising you to stay on board in Victoria. Well, if you have been there, stay on board. If you haven't, do go to town, but leave as soon as the ship docks. I absolutely loved Victoria and wish it was the first day of the cruise and lasted a full day, leaving the sea day for the end. 

Overall I loved all ports for different reasons and would do it again for sure. 

This looks amazing! Thank you for posting! We are boarding the Bliss on 27th of Apr 😇 

As a Yacht Club guest, you can embark anytime. Someone posted earlier that the best times are between 10:30 and 11:00am. 

32 minutes ago, ExeCuteUK said:

We sail Sunday. Offer accepted yesterday to YC.

Online booking info showed YC Room on the ticket but no experience.

I emailed MSC support clearly explaining with a screen snip asking them to update it. And today I see they have added the YC Benefits part on the right under experiences.

The only thing they didnt change is highlighted in yellow on my attachment on here which says Bella Experience. Ive sent another mail seeing if that needs to change but doubt it.

Send emails and get it in writing.

I see you have a similar issue. Did you receive a new booking confirmation letter or ticket? We did and it's also a mix. It appears we are keeping our original Fantastica experience plus Yacht Club benefits. I don't mind that as long as they recognise us as Yacht Club guests on Sunday. 

BTW our friend's documents and website info look correct, no mention of an old cabin or Fantastica. So odd

On 4/15/2023 at 5:13 PM, jame_g said:

We were only notified by email 3 days prior to the cruise, they billed the credit card immediately. Ours was not a cheap upgrade because the cruise was almost entirely booked. It was pretty close to the price for YC if we had booked it to begin with.

 

We never got the correct updated paperwork despite calling about it when we saw our "upgraded" paperwork still had us in our original room. We were told it would be handled at the port when we checked in. It wasn't. They knew nothing about it in the port, at customer service on the ship, or in the Yacht club on shore and on the ship. We were given our original room on board and literally treated like we were scammers when we tried to get it corrected, accused of making fake receipts and emails when we showed them the email confirmation and copy of the credit card transaction. It appears that this happened to several other people on our cruise (those who would have been upgraded into the couple YC suites still available and the chain of upgrades that leads to), and that it had been happening for several months prior to our cruise based on what staff told us (and seeing a couple older posts here), yet nothing had been implemented to try to address this on-going issue.

 

 

Your post actually made me worried. We are due to embark Seascape this Sunday; there are 4 of us in two cabins. We initially booked deluxe balcony cabins almost next to each other and then decided to bid on YC inside cabins. We placed exactly the same minimum bid on both cabins a couple of months ago, and since we haven't heard anything back till this week we assumed neither bid was accepted and we are staying where we booked originally. 

On Tue this week, so 5 days till embarkation, myself and my husband got an email that our offer was accepted, however as this was the last of the interior cabins in YC, our friends could not be upgraded. There was a bit of a scramble between the 4 of us on what to do next, eventually, our friends changed their bid to the YC balcony and were accepted pretty much instantly. 

We've received a new confirmation letter, which shows YC cabin, but the experience is a total mix i.e. it says Fantastica and right next to it, Yacht Club. The dining option shows nothing and should be Your time dining. When I check the app, it shows Yacht Club, but the old cabin number. Experience also shows as both, Fantastica and Yacht Club. Similar mess when I log in to their website. 

We rang MSC twice now to confirm the booking and each time they said we are 100% booked in Yacht Club now and they can't understand why there is such a mix of information in the documents, app and on the website.

I just hope we will avoid similar issues to yours on Sunday 

5 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Do a price comparison with the newest ships that each line is offering.  Wonder OTS, NCL Prima, Carnival Celebration and World America.  World America is 449 plus tax for it's cheapest sailing without drinks package.  None of the other three can come close.  And of course I didn't mention Icon OTS, whose pricing is in the stratosphere.

World America is in construction and will not be ready for another two years. The starting-off prices will always be lower, so I wouldn't compare that with other ships already sailing. 

I've noticed that on the European market a couple of years back. When I started sailing with MSC in 2013, they were selling dirt-cheap cruises with equally cheap drink package (€20 per day). This was ongoing for a couple of years, but as they grew in the American market, they hiked up prices in Europe. At the moment they are not any cheaper than NCL or Royal. 

Two devices per person. 

3 hours ago, jean87510 said:

Smoking sections and C-Pap is an interesting combo.

My thoughts exactly 

I think the only time you could sail without passport is if it's a cruise around UK and only with UK ports of call. 

From what I saw on Bellissima, the Sportplex was often busy with teenagers, younger and older playing basketball or football, so I presume the balls were provided. 

As for bowling and F1 VR, these activities are paid for, so even though I've seen people using them from time to time, there were never any crowds or queues waiting. 

I'm yet to sail on Seascape (April), but from my past experience on other MSC ships, the only place you can have lunch on embarkation day is a buffet. There will be a few bars open for drinks, usually in the atrium and by the pool, but for food it was always a buffet only. 

On 1/7/2023 at 10:27 PM, nednrom said:

You have to pay the whole price of the drink.  Inside the YC though, it's been my experience that they will make you any drink regardless of the price of the drink and not charge you anything.  When you go outside of the YC to other bars, you will have to pay full price for anything over $15

This was not my experience. Prior to my cruise on Bellissima I've read a lot that in the Yacht Club you can get a drink priced above your drink package. So, I have asked for McCallan, which was only €1 more than the package limit and was told that I would have to pay the full price. So I think that depends on a bartender. 

On 12/10/2022 at 9:48 PM, Newleno said:

Thanks, I guess I dont have an account, Im afraid if I open an account it just will be one big cluster and my current voyagers number will never be transferred correctly.  I am Gold due to match, you dont get much for gold  except for priority tender.  I just took a cruise and wanted to check if I got any points.  

Can I ask where are you based? As some European MSC websites doesn't have the regular Log In options like for example American one. I can never log in to my profile unless I have a cruise booked. But that's because Irish MSC website is not upgraded to the same options as other countries have. I'm just wondering if that could be in your case. 

On 12/17/2022 at 6:24 PM, Nikita4 said:

No there ist one elegant night on den 7 day cruise. But when you embark in the first port, then ist the gala night perhaps on your last night, for other pax this ist the first night and for others the third. So the elegant night ist for the hole ship on the same night. Otherwise ist to complicated. Im cruising often in the med and Northern Europe with more than one embarking ports. I like this, so its also possible to make a short 3 day cruise from Naples to Genova or so.

I think with the gala night schedule they are working around MSC homeport Genoa. Same goes for Welcome Aboard and Farewell shows. We never board in Genoa, as travelling there doesn't suit us, so we are always out of sync with gala night and shows. But we don't mind. 

On 11/4/2022 at 2:50 PM, NMsunset said:

Hi JoLoca-

As another work-cation person (based in GC Ireland)...but with global responsibilities...brace yourself. 

Highly suggest that you have a backup plan.

What port? Buy a data Sim for mobile or MiFi device...maybe go ashore to hotel or resort that offers WiFi and or a business center.

 

I have been on 5 MSC cruises on 3 ships in last 12 months...always purchasing/using the Browse & Stream.  If the ship has >30% capacity...the speeds are very slow to zero. My last cruise was 12 days this Oct.  best speed anywhere on the ship was 270kbps. Was never able to host or join a video call/conference, losing even voice only most of the time. Sending or receiving large files, the connection would time out...even at 02:00-05:00 thinking most users were asleep/offline...

 

Go in with an open mind that connectivity and speed will be an issue...

any other outcome is a bonus😀

Think about most folks during holidays will be facetime and other heavy bandwidth usage...remember this includes the ~1,000 crew members wanting to communicate with family/friends...plus streaming various media for R&R.

 

Best of Luck

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks! Fully expecting now it will not go without issues. We will be in Palma that day, so if things won’t work with ship’s wifi, I will be covered by unlimited data within EU on my phone. I wouldn’t expect having many zoom calls, but I can use my phone for that. Also, going offshore to use wifi is another option. Thankfully it’s only for one day! 

14 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Good luck with that....you do know there could be another 4499 passengers on board?! 😉

I'm aware. I also know we are full day in the port that day, so unlikely that those 4499 people will be jamming internet all day. 

We are booked on MSC Belissima for the Christmas cruise this year and we are in the Yacht Club. I know it includes premium internet package, which will be crucial for me, as I will have to work remotely for 1 day between Christmas and NY and I will need fast and reliable wifi.

For those who has experience with premium internet package while using laptop, will I be ok connecting it and working away for a full day, while using email, google drive, zoom etc? Or will I be better connecting my phone and using hotspot for the laptop?

On 9/2/2022 at 7:45 PM, Native Floridian 26 said:

NCL and HAL don't require testing for Greece stops unless you EMBARK in Greece.  So if Greece is just a port stop, no testing required for vax pax.  There is no consistency on how Greece is handled, and why is Greece still requiring testing anyway?

 

When will MSC change their protocols?

Thanks for clarifying re. Greece.

When will MSC change their protocols, that's a good question. I was hoping it would be around now. I'm sailing next week Wednesday and still hoping the testing requirement will be removed. 

From 5th of September, NCl, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises are removing pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests for Europe (except cruises stopping in Greece) and US (if no ports of call in Bermuda or Canada). 

22 hours ago, 1trainer1 said:

Wonder when the rest of the world is going to catch up and start letting unvaccinated guests travel?

 

I am wondering mainly Europe as normally soon to follow the US in changing the rules

I'm waiting for testing requirement to be dropped in Europe as well. I'm sailing on 14th of Sep out of Barcelona and since I've heard of testing being dropped in the US, I've been postponing booking my pre-cruise test hoping that it will not be required. 🤔 

If I remember correctly, MSC policy states that you are supposed to book as per your country of residence and they can deny you boarding if you book differently.

But yes it's not fair that you will get different prices for the same cruise on different countries websites. Not to mention different specials like free wifi or drinks package etc. My problem is not even cheaper prices on other countries websites, it's the actual ability to book the cruise online!

Irish MSC website is not supported in the same way as other countries due to small market, it's not being updated regularly with future cruises, prices or any changes to itineraries. And there is no option to book yourself online, you have to call them and do the whole booking over the phone. 

For that reason I tried to book on German, Spanish and Italian websites, prices are better, but it would only let me go as far as country of residence. 

Are you talking about final bill for OBC? Because I was about getting the points for booking and taking the cruise. The OP was asking about pre-cruise revenue, not onboard. 

And yes, for OBC, whoever pays the bill, gets the points. 

1 hour ago, Stockjock said:

But what about pre-cruise revenue which differs from onboard revenue?

As Steamboats commented earlier, you will both get equal amount of points for taking the cruise. Even if you pay larger portion of the cruise fare, you will not get some of your GF points, if that's what you are asking. 

I would just book online with MSC, since you are able to do so (we don't have that option in Europe and have to do it over the phone with MSC agent). You will also be able to chose your cabin and as you said, the price you are getting online is cheaper than what the agent was giving you.