Who is booked for MSC Caribbean November/December 2020 Cruises?

[Budget Queen]

19 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Both MSC and TUI are successfully operating Covid-free cruises in Europe.  In spite of the recent hype that there were positive cases on the TUI ship.  Turns out it was a Greek lab screwup and there were no positive cases on board.

 

I say give people and businesses a choice.  Those who wish to shelter in place may continue to do so.  Those who wish to be on a cruise should also have that choice.

AND,  what do you think the future will be IF (and when)  there are positive cases?   It's going to happen.     Decisions have to be made conservatively and with many parameters,  you simply are not aware of and ignoring.   

[KennyFla]

5 minutes ago, Budget Queen said:

AND,  what do you think the future will be IF (and when)  there are positive cases?   It's going to happen.     Decisions have to be made conservatively and with many parameters,  you simply are not aware of and ignoring.   

 

Again, we are saying let people make their own decisions.  If I am comfortable with cruising under the new parameters, I should be allowed to go.  I have gone to work everyday in a medical facility during this. 

MSC in Europe charges a small sum to provide insurance for evacuation in the case of a positive case.

[Budget Queen]

4 minutes ago, KennyFla said:

 

Again, we are saying let people make their own decisions.  If I am comfortable with cruising under the new parameters, I should be allowed to go.  I have gone to work everyday in a medical facility during this. 

MSC in Europe charges a small sum to provide insurance for evacuation in the case of a positive case.

It isn't your decision.   The businesses are taking all the financial risks,  have everything to loose.    As I said,   pertaining to the US-  which is a litigating society,    far more has to be considered conservatively  .      Just  1 major, outbreak could mushroom  and  lead to bankruptcy.    

[KennyFla]

1 minute ago, Budget Queen said:

It isn't your decision.   

 

That's the problem, isn't it?

 

1 minute ago, Budget Queen said:

 The businesses are taking all the financial risks,  have everything to loose.    As I said,   pertaining to the US-  which is a litigating society,    far more has to be considered conservatively  .      Just  1 major, outbreak could mushroom  and  lead to bankruptcy.    

 

I believe the Cruise lines are ready to go.  It is an oppressive CDC preventing people to go.   

[Até]

Currently it's the cruise lines that have decided their ships won't sail from the US until November, not the CDC.

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Both MSC and TUI are successfully operating Covid-free cruises in Europe.  In spite of the recent hype that there were positive cases on the TUI ship.  Turns out it was a Greek lab screwup and there were no positive cases on board.

 

I say give people and businesses a choice.  Those who wish to shelter in place may continue to do so.  Those who wish to be on a cruise should also have that choice.

 

Do you have a link to that?  I'd love to be able to cite something in the ongoing battle with the doom and gloomers.

I swear, I think if CDC allows cruising and nothing bad happens there will be some folks here that will be devastated.

[KennyFla]

33 minutes ago, Até said:

Currently it's the cruise lines that have decided their ships won't sail from the US until November, not the CDC.

 

Please.  The cruise companies were pandering to the Almighty CDC to gain some favor.  Once the CDC rules, there is no appeal.

[Toofarfromthesea]

27 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Do you have a link to that?  I'd love to be able to cite something in the ongoing battle with the doom and gloomers.

I swear, I think if CDC allows cruising and nothing bad happens there will be some folks here that will be devastated.

 

Never mind, I found a link.  For anyone else wanting to read about it:

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2020/09/28/covid-19-tui-cruise-12-crew-members-test-positive/3559971001/

[mamaneedsavacay]

Currently, the order is set to expire tomorrow, but I don't know of any cruise lines that are sailing out of the US until November 1. So if the order expires tomorrow, as we hope, then Nov/Dec cruises seem quite likely, as the cruise lines had already given themselves a month-long gap between the end of the order and the beginning of sailing. If they extend the order, the question becomes "until when?" and if it's another 30 days, will the cruise lines feel comfortable with Nov. 1 cruises not knowing whether there will be another extension after Oct. 30? Not to mention a national election that happens that first week of November. 

 

There are plenty of other threads were the debate is happening over when cruising could or should resume. I was hoping we could use this thread to share info we get from MSC or our travel agents about the actual 2020 cruises we have booked, since by this point we've all paid in full and we will be the first group of Guinea pigs. Kind of like a big 2020 roll call. I've been watching the Seaside/Mera individual roll call threads too. Maybe everyone will allow us our "wishful thinking" 😁. 

I'm booked for 12/27, my MSC app is showing all the advanced purchases available, including some excursions (like beach break) that make me think that either they are going to take payment now and have to refund later, or they aren't following the same excursion standards as the MSC European cruises. It's also already offering me the web check-in button, but I'm too far out to have the boarding info sent. I'll be really excited when we get to 20 days out for you November cruisers in the next few weeks. 🤞

 

I do still have some outstanding issues with my booking, namely that only half of my family is listed at the moment. It was supposed to be fixed five days ago, but I'm not going to bother my TA to follow up again until Oct. 1.  I know she's booked on her own Thanksgiving cruise on a different line and is as anxious as I am. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

New article on Cruise Critic:

Double Testing Catches False Positives: Why You Shouldn't Panic Over COVID-19 Test Result News

[BermudaBound2014]

Well, we have our answer. The CDC has extended the No Sail order by another month.

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23576-cruise-ship-no-sail-order-set-to-extend-through-october.html

[mamaneedsavacay]

I wonder if MSC will adjust, or if that's just in time. 🙂 

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

23 hours ago, Budget Queen said:

AND,  what do you think the future will be IF (and when)  there are positive cases?   It's going to happen.     Decisions have to be made conservatively and with many parameters,  you simply are not aware of and ignoring.   

 

Thank you for insulting my intelligence.  I am just advocating for free choice here.  The parameters that the cruiselines have set up is that "positive cases" will be isolated.  In what other "illness" do we call a person with no symptoms a case?  Think about that for a while.  

[Toofarfromthesea]

FWIW, I just got my updated invoice from my TA for my 11/7/2020 cruise.  As we knew, the ship changed from Seaside to Meraviglia.  My cabin changed from 16018 on Seaside to 16015 on Meraviglia.  I'm content because I wanted the level the Lounge is on because that is where I expect to spend a lot of time.  With a drink at my elbow so I don't have to wear a mask.

On our previous Meraviglia cruise we had 18013.

Fingers crossed that we get to go.

[Até]

5 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 In what other "illness" do we call a person with no symptoms a case?  Think about that for a while.  

Tuberculosis, Chlamydia, Typhoid, Hepatitis, Cholera, Epstien-Barr, Gonorrhea, HIV, Poliomyelitis and Clostridioides are just a few of the transmissible ones that have significant amounts of people who can have no symptoms, can have long periods being contagious before symptoms start or people can remain contagious long after their symptoms have passed.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, Até said:

Tuberculosis, Chlamydia, Typhoid, Hepatitis, Cholera, Epstien-Barr, Gonorrhea, HIV, Poliomyelitis and Clostridioides are just a few of the transmissible ones that have significant amounts of people who can have no symptoms, can have long periods being contagious before symptoms start or people can remain contagious long after their symptoms have passed.

 

You missed my point.  They don't count you as being a "case" until you actually display symptoms.  How could they?  They don't know you have whatever and neither do you.

[Até]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

They don't count you as being a "case" until you actually display symptoms.  How could they?  They don't know you have whatever and neither do you.

I suppose you're talking about COVID, if not please clarify your point.  But regardless of the disease if you test positive by whatever test the authorities assume is definitive then you are counted as being a positive case, symptomatic or not.  Asymptomatic people get tested all the time, but sometimes it requires investigation by scientists to find the sources.

[mamaneedsavacay]

As of right now, one could still purchase a balcony cabin on a 14-night Meraviglia cruise departing Miami on 11/7. 

 

I generally take this as good news, but it seems to fly in the face of the "short cruise" part of the return-to-cruising guidelines. So I don't know how "real" it is. Maybe they can do it because it's actually B2B 7-day cruises.

 

11/1 cruises were presumably sold-out and haven't been listed on the website for awhile, so even if cruises disappear, I don't take that to mean they are canceled. But you would think that they would stop selling early November cruises if the no-sail order extension was going to change their start date. More FCC/refund headache for them to deal with. 

 

@matondo  @IsanTom  @gavenalex  have you any updates on your bookings? One month to go for you!! 🎉🥳

[gavenalex]

No updates other then CCL cancelling all cruises thru 2020 except departures from Miami and PC.

[mamaneedsavacay]

1 hour ago, gavenalex said:

No updates other then CCL cancelling all cruises thru 2020 except departures from Miami and PC.

 

Yes, my TA is booked on a Carnival cruise over Thanksgiving out of PC. We've been emailing this morning and she is hopeful that hers will still sail, but who knows. It makes sense that CCL is consolidating their efforts in Florida to start. 

 

I would say that MSC is probably best positioned to be in the FL start up bunch in Nov/Dec, but at the same time the progress update I've gotten on my Dec booking makes me wonder how they are in the cruise business at all when it comes to their reservations systems. Basically, my cabin is being held by a post-it note at this point. And two of my family members are in an imaginary second cabin. And it all still hinges on the FCC escalation manager finishing the job. I hate spinning any wheels on trying to get this straightened out, but at the same time I want a clean booking in case the cruise is canceled and we have to move it to another future cruise. (Reports are it can't be converted to a refund in any way.)

[Toofarfromthesea]

2 hours ago, mamaneedsavacay said:

As of right now, one could still purchase a balcony cabin on a 14-night Meraviglia cruise departing Miami on 11/7. 

 

I generally take this as good news, but it seems to fly in the face of the "short cruise" part of the return-to-cruising guidelines. So I don't know how "real" it is. Maybe they can do it because it's actually B2B 7-day cruises.

 

11/1 cruises were presumably sold-out and haven't been listed on the website for awhile, so even if cruises disappear, I don't take that to mean they are canceled. But you would think that they would stop selling early November cruises if the no-sail order extension was going to change their start date. More FCC/refund headache for them to deal with. 

 

@matondo  @IsanTom  @gavenalex  have you any updates on your bookings? One month to go for you!! 🎉🥳

 

I wasn't aware they they are marketing the 11/7 Meraviglia as a 14 day cruise.  I am booked for the first 7 days of that cruise.

But I'm not surprised.  When we were on Meraviglia last year we did a 14 day cruise which included 7 days in the Baltic and 7 days by the fjords, but a lot of pax were just on the first 7 days and others were on the second 7 days.  Plus, on the 7 day Baltic portion some folks were on the Kiel to Kiel itinerary, while others were on the Copenhagen to Copenhagen itinerary. 

MSC builds a lot of flexibility into its itineraries.  Heck, the prior year in the Med, people were getting off and other people were getting on at almost every port.

[Toofarfromthesea]

41 minutes ago, mamaneedsavacay said:

 

Yes, my TA is booked on a Carnival cruise over Thanksgiving out of PC. We've been emailing this morning and she is hopeful that hers will still sail, but who knows. It makes sense that CCL is consolidating their efforts in Florida to start. 

 

I would say that MSC is probably best positioned to be in the FL start up bunch in Nov/Dec, but at the same time the progress update I've gotten on my Dec booking makes me wonder how they are in the cruise business at all when it comes to their reservations systems. Basically, my cabin is being held by a post-it note at this point. And two of my family members are in an imaginary second cabin. And it all still hinges on the FCC escalation manager finishing the job. I hate spinning any wheels on trying to get this straightened out, but at the same time I want a clean booking in case the cruise is canceled and we have to move it to another future cruise. (Reports are it can't be converted to a refund in any way.)

 

Are you dealing directly through MSC, or are you using a TA?  I use a TA and got my updated info from them.  I've never gotten any communications from MSC.

[mamaneedsavacay]

5 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Are you dealing directly through MSC, or are you using a TA?  I use a TA and got my updated info from them.  I've never gotten any communications from MSC.

 

Yes, this is all communication via my TA. I can see my booking on the MSC for Me app and on the Plan My Cruise section of the website. But it is all incorrect based on how much they have had to change manually. She assures me that there is a note on my reservation to not cancel and that all of my family members are listed, just not all in the same place. If I want to add excursions, photo packages, arcade card, internet package (and I do!) she will have to call and do that for me by phone after the full fare is settled. On our last "normal" booking, I was able to that for myself via the website even though it was a TA booking. Just trying to roll with it for now, but my level of trust is low. 

[mamaneedsavacay]

@Toofarfromthesea

I admit that I am spying on your roll call thread, I'm sorry! Just hungry for information about these 2020 cruises. I saw that you just posted about excursions for sale, and I have been specifically wondering about your 11/7 itinerary because it looks like they are still selling it on the website, and it includes the Cayman Islands. Have you gotten any notice of itinerary change? 

 

Do you have Cayman Island excursions available for purchase? Because the Cayman Islands have explicitly stated that they are closed to cruise tourism through the end of 2020. They asked Carnival to stop selling itineraries that include the Caymans. My 12/27 cruise originally contained Georgetown and it changed to Costa Maya around the same time that CI started saying they would stay closed to cruise ships. So I assumed that was the reason. But it wouldn't make sense that an earlier cruise still has it. 

 

To your topic, on my 12/27 cruise, they are selling a lot of excursions, including the Costa Maya waterpark, whose own website says it is closed until further notice. There are other tours on which I wonder how they could maintain the covid-free bubble. Like the Xenses park (park of the Xcaret family) from Coz.  Unless these parks and beach breaks are closed to the public and open to one cruise ship at a time, I don't see how that would fit the new cruising guidelines.

[Toofarfromthesea]

2 hours ago, mamaneedsavacay said:

@Toofarfromthesea

I admit that I am spying on your roll call thread, I'm sorry! Just hungry for information about these 2020 cruises. I saw that you just posted about excursions for sale, and I have been specifically wondering about your 11/7 itinerary because it looks like they are still selling it on the website, and it includes the Cayman Islands. Have you gotten any notice of itinerary change? 

 

Do you have Cayman Island excursions available for purchase? Because the Cayman Islands have explicitly stated that they are closed to cruise tourism through the end of 2020. They asked Carnival to stop selling itineraries that include the Caymans. My 12/27 cruise originally contained Georgetown and it changed to Costa Maya around the same time that CI started saying they would stay closed to cruise ships. So I assumed that was the reason. But it wouldn't make sense that an earlier cruise still has it. 

 

To your topic, on my 12/27 cruise, they are selling a lot of excursions, including the Costa Maya waterpark, whose own website says it is closed until further notice. There are other tours on which I wonder how they could maintain the covid-free bubble. Like the Xenses park (park of the Xcaret family) from Coz.  Unless these parks and beach breaks are closed to the public and open to one cruise ship at a time, I don't see how that would fit the new cruising guidelines.

 

No need to be sorry.  Yes they still show Grand Cayman's, which puzzled me.  That, and the large number of offered excursions is what made me wonder if in the event they would actually be available.  For my wife and I it is irrelevant since we had no plans to get off the ship except possibly at Ocean Cay.

Since I am booked on one of the earliest scheduled uncanceled cruises I'll try to pass on anything I find out.  And if we DO get to sail 🤞 I'll try to send a post or 2 about how things are on the ship.