Booked my first cruise, please bare with my silly questions

[safkool]

I just booked msc splendida march 2017 for med. ive given $109 OBC from my travel agent. There are three things can i have in mind that i have to pay for. Streamer internet package, non alcoholic beverage package (i dont drink alcohol) and gratitudes.

 

OBC is something that can only be used once im onboard as far as i know. I wish to purchase the internet package in advance to avail 20% extra (i need to be connected while on board).

 

Do i need to book the drinks package in advance? Is there any difference if i buy now or buy on board?

 

Can I use the OBC to pay for gratitudes while im onboard or do i need to pay for this before i board.

 

It seems i will be able to get my deposit refunded if i cancel 90 days ahead of the date of sail. If i do web check in now will it effect the refund policy in place?

 

Will it be comfortable to wander around the cruise with a baby stoller? My baby will be 15 months old. Will i have problems moving around dining area and other places?

 

Can i sneak soda cans and milk etc on board? If so how?

 

Apologies again for these new questions. Hope you guys help

Edited June 10, 2016 by safkool
New question

[BethV114]

Answers (to the best of my ability!) in red below.

 

I just booked msc splendida march 2017 for med. ive given $109 OBC from my travel agent. There are three things can i have in mind that i have to pay for. Streamer internet package, non alcoholic beverage package (i dont drink alcohol) and gratitudes.

 

OBC is something that can only be used once im onboard as far as i know. I wish to purchase the internet package in advance to avail 20% extra (i need to be connected while on board).

 

Do i need to book the drinks package in advance? Is there any difference if i buy now or buy on board? MSC does not charge gratuities if you purchase the package in advance, so it would be 15% less. I won't comment on how this impacts the staff, as I have no idea.

 

Can I use the OBC to pay for gratitudes while im onboard or do i need to pay for this before i board. Yes. This would be a great place to spend OBC.

 

It seems i will be able to get my deposit refunded if i cancel 90 days ahead of the date of sail. If i do web check in now will it effect the refund policy in place? Not according to the MSC rep I booked with yesterday.

 

Will it be comfortable to wander around the cruise with a baby stoller? My baby will be 15 months old. Will i have problems moving around dining area and other places? I haven't been on MSC yet, so have no personal experience. I can say that we took our daughter on her first cruise at 15 months and did not use her stroller on the ship. We barely even used it off the ship!

 

Can i sneak soda cans and milk etc on board? If so how? Most cruise lines scan your luggage before you board, so I don't know how much luck you will have with this. If you drink a lot of soda, I would consider a drink package. Milk should be free and readily available at the buffet and dining room. If you are using toddler formula, I'm sure there would be no problem in bringing this onboard with you.

 

Apologies again for these new questions. Hope you guys help

[safkool]

Thank beth. Thats very helpful.

 

Still welcome any reply from past cruisers of MSC splendida on med.

[deliver42]

I'm not sure there would be enough room in the dining room for a stroller.

[mairead224]

Thank beth. Thats very helpful.

 

Still welcome any reply from past cruisers of MSC splendida on med.

 

we have done the splendida in the med when our daughter was in a stroller and had no issues with maneuvering it around the dining room. I will say they are good and keep families near entry doors. Your waiter will also have a high chair waiting for you every evening.

 

As prev poster said it is unlikely that you will be able to bring drinks onboard and while at port I have seen a number of passengers having wine etc confiscated.

[mairead224]

Sorry meant to add that I agree again with the prev poster and I would contact your TA about the deposit? As far as I am aware your deposit is non refundable.

[safkool]

My TA says deposit is refundable if i cancel 90 days in advance.

 

This is the itinerary:

 

Europe

Mon, Mar 27:

Civitavecchia, Italy

(Depart 6:00 PM)

Tue, Mar 28:

Palermo, Italy

(10:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Wed, Mar 29:

Valletta, Malta

(10:00 AM - 6:00 PM)

Thu, Mar 30:

(Depart 12:00 AM)

Fri, Mar 31:

Barcelona, Spain

(9:00 AM - 6:00 PM)

Sat, Apr 01:

Marseille, France

(9:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

Sun, Apr 02:

Genoa, Italy

(8:00 AM - 6:00 PM)

Mon, Apr 03:

Civitavecchia, Italy

(Arrive 8:00 AM)

 

What time do you think embarkation will start? I wish to get onboard early.

[mairead224]

Embarkation is always 3 hours before departure however they generally start boarding before then. If you got there 4 hours before departure I bet they are checking passengers in already.

[mikesteg]

Will it be comfortable to wander around the cruise with a baby stoller? My baby will be 15 months old. Will i have problems moving around dining area and other places?

 

I haven't been on Spendida, but I suspect it's like any other ship. You will be able to get around with a stroller, and I definitely recommend bringing one. That said, you may find you'll need to detour at some points (ie. elevator or ramp instead of stairs), and you will want to avoid any really crowded areas. People who can't see the stroller are prone to tripping over it. Pretty much just as you do on land, except there are some natural congestion areas prior to dinner or the shows that can get very busy.

 

At 15 months, your baby will be toddling along quite nicely. At the same time, still relatively easy to carry. :D I would not bring the stroller to the dining room or the shows as there generally isn't a good place to stow them. We did take strollers when our kids were tiny, but would collapse them and put them up against a railing or column so they'd be out of the way. Even that can be tough and in the way of the staff.

 

You can bring the stroller to the buffet however, and it's a good idea if it has some carrying capacity for food items. ;)

 

Milk will likely only be freely available at breakfast, but can be requested at lunch and dinner. (This might be different in Europe however.) Nonetheless, you might consider bringing a thermos and take some back to the room with you after breakfast. Some ships have the small cartons, which can easily be brought back and stored in the refrigerator. However, some ships just have a dispenser.

[tomvet]

I haven't been on Spendida, but I suspect it's like any other ship. You will be able to get around with a stroller, and I definitely recommend bringing one. That said, you may find you'll need to detour at some points (ie. elevator or ramp instead of stairs), and you will want to avoid any really crowded areas. People who can't see the stroller are prone to tripping over it. Pretty much just as you do on land, except there are some natural congestion areas prior to dinner or the shows that can get very busy.

 

At 15 months, your baby will be toddling along quite nicely. At the same time, still relatively easy to carry. :D I would not bring the stroller to the dining room or the shows as there generally isn't a good place to stow them. We did take strollers when our kids were tiny, but would collapse them and put them up against a railing or column so they'd be out of the way. Even that can be tough and in the way of the staff.

 

You can bring the stroller to the buffet however, and it's a good idea if it has some carrying capacity for food items. ;)

 

Milk will likely only be freely available at breakfast, but can be requested at lunch and dinner. (This might be different in Europe however.) Nonetheless, you might consider bringing a thermos and take some back to the room with you after breakfast. Some ships have the small cartons, which can easily be brought back and stored in the refrigerator. However, some ships just have a dispenser.

 

Milk will be available free for kids at any bar. They will also give you boiling water for kids bottles. They will also deliver boiling water to your cabin to make up formula at no charge even if you are in a Bella cabin.

 

We have twins, so a double buggy. We parked it at the dining room entrance and the kids wobbled or toddled to our table. There will be no issue for you.

[safkool]

Is there any advantage to pre-pay gratitudes or is it the same if i leave it to pay on board with my OBC?

[mairead224]

Is there any advantage to pre-pay gratitudes or is it the same if i leave it to pay on board with my OBC?

 

No advantages at all. Some people prefer to pay as to have it out of the way others like me prefer to pay onboard.

[safkool]

thank you. i've been given $109 obc guess i'll use that for the 7 euro per night per guest when on board and purchase the drinks package and internet package in advance since advance purchase has some benefits.

[mairead224]

thank you. i've been given $109 obc guess i'll use that for the 7 euro per night per guest when on board and purchase the drinks package and internet package in advance since advance purchase has some benefits.

 

There is also the option of using it towards photos, casino, specialty restaurants, formula 1 racing, bowling, 4D cinema. In addition I believe they offer an unlimited use of the last 3 options for 7 days at a cabin price of 55 euros.