JT1962

You will need to get off the ship, with others that are back to back, briefly to go through customs, then will be let back on the ship. You are usually taken to a separate room away from those disembarking the ship. if you booked the same cabin number for both cruises, you will not need to pack. If you have different cabin numbers for each cruise, you will need to pack, but your luggage should be moved to your new cabin for you.

Here are the menus from Butcher’s Cut on Divina in October. The 3 Course Tasting Menu was $ 59 and included an appetizer or soup or salad, an entree and a dessert. The other items were a la carte.

On my January 2022 cruise on Meraviglia , they never looked at boarding times, but there were less than 600 passengers onboard. On Divina in October, they were only letting people in at or after their boarding time. You can show up early and see what happens, just be prepared to possibly wait.

There was no issue, ordering more than one of any item, including entrées, on the Divina in October.

MSC customer service representatives don’t have much knowledge of anything.

They normally say refunds take up to 2 billing cycles on your credit card. I got a refund on an excursion I canceled prior to sailing and a duplicate payment on my May cruise that pasted twice in error. Both refunds took about 3 weeks to be credited back to my card. Apparently I got lucky since some have posted trying for 2 years to get a refund.

I have upcoming MSC cruises with stops in Belize and Grand Cayman. What is the process for tender ports on MSC? I am Diamond in Voyagers Club due to the status match. Do we need to pick up tender tickets at some point? I assume MSC excursions have priority, then Yacht Club, followed by Diamond members?

Looks much better than anticipated. Plenty of choices and everyone should be able to find something of interest.

Unlike Carnival & Royal Caribbean, you cannot use the OBC for purchases prior to your cruise on MSC, even though those items will be used onboard.

I guess it depends on what you consider junk food. The buffet has salads in the first stand alone section. They have some “traditional” Bahamian food - jerk chicken, ribs, rice & beans, plantains, etc. - at the end of the buffet line. Many miss it is usually on the end in a short section that is perpendicular to the main buffet line. I have been to Ocean Cay 3 times and thought the Bahamian food was good each time. Get to the buffet when it opens at 11:00 for less of a wait.

I received an upgrade offer on November 1 for my January 20 cruise.

We love the Calabaza Catamaran snorkeling in Barbados. All inclusive and only 12 passengers.

They do seat you with others in the dining room. There are a few tables for two on the Meraviglia & Diving, but not as many as I have seen on Carnival or Royal Caribbean. I would go to the dining room after you board and ask if you can be seated at a table for two, but realize it may not be possible.

The 3 night cruises tend to have younger passengers than the 7 or more night itineraries.

I booked a cruise for Oct 2023 while onboard the Divina in October 2022 and the only benefit I could see vs booking directly online was an extra $ 25 onboard credit. As an FYI, I transferred my May cruise I had booked online directly with MSC to a travel agent and MSC raised the price by the amount of the agent’s commission. I have never had that happen with any other cruise line. I had not made final payment, so maybe that was the reason. The agent confirmed that MSC told her the price increase was due to her commission. She offered to refund it, but I told her to keep it since she was able to make another booking for me that I could not get booked online.

The same ruling has now been applied to Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and MSC. https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2022/12/judge-also-rules-against-carnival-royal-msc-in-cuba-case/ https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article270608727.html

It’s usually best to book the cabin you want initially. I did not get an email about bidding on my October cruise and asked about an upgrade to a balcony when I boarded. The upgrade cost was going to be over $ 200 more than I paid for the 19 day cruise.

Cruising during a holiday or when school is out is never a good idea. Many complaints from all cruise lines about overcrowded ships, staff shortages, supply issues, etc.

It’s interesting how many in the US still haven’t heard of MSC. I was on the Meraviglia in January and several people on the pier from other ships in Costa Maya were asking questions about the ship, cruise line, where it sailed from, etc. Most had never heard of MSC, but were impressed by the ship.

Sun & Sky for sure. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2018/05/04/norwegian-cruise-line-cruise-port-canaveral-cuba-start-monday/579993002/ https://privilegestravel.com/promos/ncl-cuba-cruise-promo/

Twice on my Meraviglia and Divina cruises this year.

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-judge-orders-norwegian-cruise-line-pay-110-mln-use-cuba-port-2022-12-30/

Agreed. I see a few people use that font and it is unreadable, at least on an iPhone. Maybe it looks better on other devices

I believe the lower level of one of the dining rooms is for Your Time Dining. The YTD is limited and you will need to request to be moved to that option, although it is likely full as well. Your best option is to go to the dining room as soon as you board and see if the maître d’ is available and can seat you at a large table with others in your traveling party during early seating.

https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-ship-suffers-issue-itinerary-impacted/91465