JT1962

Thanks for the information and glad it is going well. I will be boarding Divina on October 2 for 19 days and am looking forward to it

Yes. We use Bonine (Meclizine) during the day and Dramamine at night, if needed.

I had the same thing happen last week when I booked a cruise for next May. I got the payment confirmation, but not the usual confirmation email with all of the details. I called the customer service number, provided my information and he resent the email and then it showed up in the system. As usual, it appears they are having issues with their systems.

Unless I missed something, Fiona did not get within 500 miles of Jamaica and they have not had any rain related to that storm and it does not look like they’ve had much, if any, rain in the past week. Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic got the main damage so far and it appears to be headed north into the Atlantic with Bermuda being possibly in the path.

Vista has had propulsion issues for several years. If you do a Google search, you will see they had issues in 2016, 2019 and earlier this year. Obviously whatever is wrong has not been permanently repaired.

The Governor of Alaska has declared the Skagway rockslide a disaster emergency, which should allow for Federal Disaster Funds to assist in remediation. Since the repairs likely won’t be completed by the start of the 2023 cruise season, they are working on expanding the Ore Dock to accommodate the largest ships. They will use Broadway Dock for smaller ships and can dock 2 smaller ships at the Railroad Dock Rear Berth. Those using the Railroad Dock Rear Berth will likely still have to tender passengers to the small boat harbor dock. https://khns.org/governor-declares-disaster-emergency-for-skagway-in-response-to-rockslides

There are a lot more similarities between Carnival, Royal Caribbean and NCL then there are differences. Both have a few pluses and minuses. I have found that the size and age of the ship, length of the cruise and time of year you are sailing has more to do with the onboard experience than the specific Cruise Line. I cruised with MSC for the first time in January and have three more cruises booked with them between October and May. I found their food and entertainment to be equal to or better than the other main stream cruise lines. Although there were less selections on the menu, I always found something to eat. Their private island is my favorite of any that I have been to. If you don’t need amusement park rides, constant entertainment, and prefer a more traditional cruising experience, I would suggest giving them a try.

Layering is key, with a waterproof outer layer. It is better to have a few layers you can easily add than a large jacket. A hat, gloves and face covering can be welcomed when on deck while sailing or on a boat excursion. There are some good Alaska cruise packing lists online with a quick Google search. A daypack is also nice to have to store any extra layers that may or may not be needed at any point during the day.

Hopefully it won’t affect the area where cruise ships are currently. Most lines used to end their Alaska season in early September due to the worsening weather. Many have extended the season over the years with warmer temperatures lasting longer, with some sailing Alaska into October.

Is there an app or information website on MSC Divina that is available to access once onboard without an internet package? I used the MSC for Me app on Meraviglia, but know it isn’t available on Divina. I saw there was previously an MSC Divina Traveler app, but it appears to have been discontinued.

I would use the itineraries that includes Cozumel, Costa Maya and Mahogany Bay. You should be docked at all ports (no tenders), they are all easy to do on your own, offer an easy beach day or great excursion options if you choose.

Many on these boards cruise often, so they get tired of seeing the same shows multiple times, but they are not the average cruiser. Seventy-five percent of Americans have never take a cruise and the average cruiser takes a cruise once every 3 1/2 years, so they are unlikely to see the same shows multiple times. “ A quarter of US citizens have taken a cruise vacation.” “Cruisers average about 3.5 years between cruise vacations.” https://highseascruising.com/cruise-ship-facts-and-figures/

I would take the refund. After seeing all of the issues people had an complaints about future cruise credit during Covid, the refund is almost always a better option. That way you are not locked into the same cruise line, a specific time frame or even a cruise. I’m guessing your personal extra cost associated with the cruise would be your non-refundable airfare. I would submit that as a claim for a refund as well.

It’s still to early to tell at this point. Hopefully they will at a minimum get the potential issues with the Ore / Broadway docks resolved and can use those for the smaller ships. If there are still issues, I could see some ships moving to Haines, since you can still acres Skagway via the Fast Ferry from there. That does add an extra step and more time in getting to / from Skagway.

I agree and think it will likely be well into the 2023 cruise season before the Forward Berth at the Railroad Dock will re-open. If the City of Skagway and White Pass Railroad cannot come to an agreement about the Ore & Railroad Docks, that would leave Skagway with potentially only one berth - Railroad Dock Rear - to start 2023. That berth would likely require tenders to continue to be used until the slide area is fully remediated. https://skagwaynews.com/2022/08/25/wpyr-debates-with-mos-over-status-of-port-improvements-and-structures/

I don’t believe that is posted until you are on board, and possibly buy the second day

As expected, the remediation of the rock slide will be a slow process with government agencies and private firms involved. The repairs may affect the 2023 cruise season if they don’t get a plan approved and start soon . https://khns.org/geotechnical-engineering-firm-pitches-plan-to-solve-skagways-rockslide-problems

The website would not take my American Express for my January cruise but I had no issue using it at the kiosk once on board.

Not sure about chicken wings, but the British Pub had burgers, a hot dog and fish & chips for a relatively small $ 4-5 up charge.

If the original cabin location was forward on the lowest deck, it is likely being used for the Covid quarantine area. That is the location used for that on my Ecstasy cruise in June.

Choose a cabin with other cabins above, below and near you for less noise. You can leave the tv on the channel with the bow / deck cam on at night and it will gradually wake you up as it gets daylight. Book a higher deck for quick access to the outside decks, buffet, etc.

Thanks. They are out if my price range, especially traveling solo. MSC has had great rates for solo recently. I’m not sure if they will continue that after the current promotions expire.

If the pricing you are seeing now is part of the Labor Day Free Balcony promotion, it is unlikely they will allow you to get that price without canceling and re-booking. There would also be a penalty since you are past final payment. I called customer service to see about upgrading to a balcony with the Labor Day promotion on my October cruise, since the price was less than $ 250 more than I paid for an update inside cabin. They said the Labor Day promotion was only for new bookings and I was locked into the price structure that I originally booked. It was going to be $ 1,200 more to upgrade to a balcony, which was more than I paid originally, including taxes / port fees. They said I could cancel, with a $ 500 penalty, and re-book, but I just kept what I originally booked.

I wonder if MSC will ever consider Alaska itineraries at some point? Although that market is getting crowded now.

I agree. I like the option to book a lower fare, then choose what extras I may want, if any. I don’t drink, use the WiFi, eat at specialty restaurants, etc. so raising the prices to include those items in the base fare would send me to another cruise line. Carnival could raise prices by $ 150 a day and include the drink package, WiFi, specialty restaurants and gratuities, but I expect most of their customers would not be happy.