Live(ish) report: First real cruise this year - Greece with TUI Cruises Mein Schiff 6 - 9/27

[Miaminice]

@Germancruiser

No, they are not connected. I guess MSC wants to attract customers that way. They recognise loyalty levels of other cruise lines, hotels, casinos etc. 
 

As mentioned above by steamboats, they even converted Elite and Elite Plus to their highest level until a year ago or so. Now it’s just to their second highest level - Gold.

 

It’s done online by filling in a form and sending a photo of a sea pass.

 

I don’t care much for the levels and TBH I think it’s a bit unfair to their existing customers, but I didn’t mind the discount 😉 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Miaminice

[Germancruiser]

Thank you Miami- now that´s sounds great- well the benefits of all cruise lines are not that important- the only perk I love is the Internet package. I stopped sailing RCCL before I could make to - oh my i forgot there teirs- anyway- my only two loyality tiers are Elite Plus with X and Diamond with Cunard- which gives one more internet time- the other perks- well a little bit is always better then nothing. 

A discount never goes amiss! I wait what you have to tell about MSC- maybe I am tempted...! I had or have the same reservations as you had with MSC- my one and only experience with Costa did nothing to lure me to MSC- and never again with Costa. 

I have never been on a " awfull" or " bad" cruise- don´t get me wrong-  I just did not like their interiour and the whole ship felt cramped and stuffed with passengers. Dinning room tables extremly close together - the list could go on and on...! 

 

In answer to an earlier post of yours- I must have put it wrong- I am with you when you say- we all- Nationalities all over the world are the same- we all have our " hit´s and miss" - you put it just right- it felt like holidaying in a German Hotel- albeit good- but still German- home. 

Also there is a fine line between complaining and criticising- and here at Cruise CRITIC one can and should CRITICISE- if the need arises. 

[Miaminice]

@Germancruiser I get the feeling you might like the MSC design 😁

The areas on TUI which you described as overboard in regards of design are the areas which we like as modern/cozy. And it’s exactly the design which does not draw us to MSC... a bit too dark, chrome filled and bling (Swarovski stairs) for us... different tastes.

 

Anyway, I did not want to turn this into an MSC thread... just wanted to emphasize that we would and will cruise again under the guidelines. Just like you.

[Germancruiser]

@Miaminice- i figured that a while ago- that we do like different kind of interior styles on board ships. LOL.

I thought- for an example - the TUI- Bar both on board MS1 and MS2 a revial of the 50s with a touch of the 70s- gone very wrong. LOL.

 

The style of X- ships or my favorite QM2 are my kind of cozy interior.

 

As for turning this into an MSC thread-  sometimes I think all cruise line board should be put together- since on every board the topics are very similar- it is not for nothing that we really are all in this together.

 

PS. Bling- bling and Swarowski- also not my kind of shoe.

Edited October 13, 2020 by Germancruiser

[Miaminice]

11 hours ago, NBliving said:

@Miaminice thank you for an informative review.  My DH and I are so looking forward to the day we can cruise again.  We have been thinking about what we would and would not be agreeable to as far as the "new normal".  Everything you have reported is very agreeable to us as we have gotten used to wearing masks out and about and social distancing, etc.  One question we had, which I hope I didn't miss in your report, was at the pool - did you notice any grumbling about not getting a seat?  Maybe because your cruise was only around 35% everyone who wanted one could get one?  We love to relax by the pool so that would be a big question of ours is how the cruise line handled pool chairs.  

 

I am happy to have been able to take away some of the fears in regards of the overall ambiance.
What we tried to convey (and you seem to have seen it in our reports) is that it´s not much different to what a responsible person already does every day. Just even more safe and in a much nicer environment - incl. cocktails in the sun 🙂

My feeling was that seats were easy to be found. At the pool and the other sun decks.

Of course we could always hear the odd one out who complained about the good spots being taken - late in the day 😉 

But we took it with a grain of salt.

What we did see is that some people wanted to take chairs from the stack of unused chairs and place them on their favorite spots. They did not get far... someone was there right away to tell them that the number of chairs is limited to provide distancing. We liked seeing that.

 

[steamboats]

6 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

@Miaminice- I am bit confues here- how does the loyality staturs with Celebrity Cruises can be transfered to MSC? I did not know that. How are they linked? They are not even connected through ownership?

 

When MSC started out of Miami they wanted to attract more US passengers. So they started the loyality status match (not just cruise lines but also hotels). This was for US passengers only when it started. A couple of months later this was extended worldwide. By October 2018 the changed the rules as they pretty likely got too many Blacks (now Diamond) via status match. Now you need the highest status (Zenith/X, Pinnacle/RCI) to match the highest status of MSC which is Diamond (previous Black). The status is valid for two years. If you don´t cruise with them in that time frame you lose your status.

 

steamboats

[FionaMG]

1 hour ago, steamboats said:

 

A couple of months later this was extended worldwide.

Not available to us here in Portugal. Guess our market here is too small for them. 😞

[carlmm]

4 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

- my only two loyality tiers are Elite Plus with X and Diamond with Cunard-

 

If you want to sail with MSC and apply for a status match, you should try the Cunard Diamond. I got this matched to MSC highest Level Black, now Diamond (albeit maybe two years ago.) Apply just in time as you loose your status with MSC if you do not sail and you can apply for status match only once.

 

For information: MSC is a world apart from Cunard (and both are very different from Celebrity) but I still had a great, just different, cruise.

 

BTW: Thank you for your reports. Danke für die Reiseberichte 😉

[dani negreanu]

5 hours ago, Germancruiser said:

I stopped sailing RCCL before I could make to - oh my i forgot there tiers

 

You can very easily be "Diamond" on RCCL, being Elite/Elite Plus on X 😁

 

I'm Diamond on RCCL and applied for Elite on X, it was done by email very quickly.

 

Let's hope for future cruises on both lines ASAP.

[Miaminice]

I know I started it - but let´s take a Status Match discussion where it belongs...

 

There is a topic on the MSC board for that with all kinds of helpful information:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2664917-msc-current-status-match-tables/

 

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Miaminice

[Miaminice]

OK, not just to steer this back to the actual topic I just thought of something I always wanted to post.

I think I mentioned that washing hands was a serious business at the restaurants.
Staff would only let you enter after seeing you wash your hands at the basins and seeing you use the sanitizer.

 

They also came up with something in the washrooms. I don´t know if it´s new but I haven´t seen it on Celebrity or any other cruise line we sailed with before.

 

Next to the washroom door there was an an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser. The washroom door would only open automatically when using the dispenser... not a bad idea!

[steamboats]

4 hours ago, Miaminice said:

Next to the washroom door there was an an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser. The washroom door would only open automatically when using the dispenser... not a bad idea!

 

I´m pretty sure that this is something new!

 

steamboats

[shipgeeks]

Miaminice and Germancruiser, Happy to have you both here!  I want you to know I have loved your posts.  You have given me some great imaginary cruises, and you are dispelling some myths.

Unfortunately, myths still abound.  I continue to read posts that assume  "they jam 70 people in a crowded bus", "excursions are spent mostly captive in a store", "it's like a prison ship where you have to stay in your cabin all the time", "excursions are extremely over-priced".   ???

I continue to refer those posters to you.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to your next cruises and your next posts.  You are a breath of fresh air, and a ray of hope!  Thank you for taking the time to write.

[Miaminice]

Thank you @shipgeeks!

 

I hear ya... I also read the most ridiculous speculations on how things will be. Everyone just became an expert again...

I kind of get the feeling for most there’s only black and white. Some think from December on their booked cruise is going to happen as if nothing happened and some think the cruises which will eventually sail again some day will be just as you described - nightmares at sea 🙂 

 

And yet it’s so easy to see how European cruise lines started and how they have proven that their concepts (which are not much different to the guidelines introduced by CLIA and the CDC) work. Why would Celebrity, Royal, NCL etc. do it any differently? 
 

However, facts are old school and boring 😉 
 

Anyway, Germancruiser and I - I believe I can speak for us both - are happy that our posts reached a lot of people and delivered some facts without rumors.

And personally I am very happy that I was obviously able to show people that a “new normal” cruise can be fun - without ever having had the intention to be a missonary 😁

 

I hope that all of you get to enjoy a cruise in person very soon!

 

 

 

 

 

[MandL]

This might explain the reciprocal benefits.....

 

https://www.tuigroup.com/en-en/about-us/about-tui-group/our-business/cruises

[Miaminice]

4 minutes ago, MandL said:

This might explain the reciprocal benefits.....

 

https://www.tuigroup.com/en-en/about-us/about-tui-group/our-business/cruises

Sorry, you are mixing up cruise lines... 😁

The reciprocal benefits were MSC and other lines, hotels etc.

 

TUI don’t  have a loyalty program.

[Germancruiser]

7 hours ago, Miaminice said:

Anyway, Germancruiser and I - I believe I can speak for us both - are happy that our posts reached a lot of people and delivered some facts without rumors.

And personally I am very happy that I was obviously able to show people that a “new normal” cruise can be fun - without ever having had the intention to be a missonary 😁

 

I hope that all of you get to enjoy a cruise in person very soon!

 

 

 

 

 

Could not have stated it better- thanks Maiminice!

[Shadow9612]

13 hours ago, Miaminice said:

Next to the washroom door there was an an automatic hand sanitizer dispenser. The washroom door would only open automatically when using the dispenser... not a bad idea!

Wow, that's fantastic. 

 

 

[Germancruiser]

The same on MS1 last week. After using the sanatizer the door opend. Since I have workwise a lot to do with Security and Safety messurements I tried to open the door ( after I sanatized my hands, let the door  open and close again)  without the Sanatizing process. Of course one could open the door by hand. IT NEVER WOULD BE ALLOWED OTHERWISE!

Anyway- a good thing this " MUST SANATIZING PROCESS"!

[spencerdrivecruiser]

1.5 years ago we applied to MSC and got the Black Status Level before they changed the rules.

 

As a black card member, now called Diamond, we received the best specialty Steak House dinner ever.  The steaks were huge with XL Idaho baked potato.  Every Black card holder gets this comped meal.  On X, I doubt anyone got a free specialty meal as of a year ago.

 

There are a bunch of free perks being a Black Card/Diamond member.

 

Book the Yacht Club level with the Black Card status and have Zenith Status.  Great deal.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I'm Diamond on MSC thanks to reciprocity with my Elite+ status on Celebrity.  The only benefits I'm aware of are the specialty dinner and a chocolate ship.  Although if one sails in Yacht Club, which I do, it's difficult to discern which are benefits of YC and which are benefits of the Diamond status.  I got so many bottles of prosecco on my last cruise, I left some on board!

[grayjay]

I have never considered a cruise with the MeinSchiff fleet, but it was absolutely stunning to read in your blog how well it went and how much fun you had.

Just today I read that it is now possible to book cruises of two weeks round the Canary islands on TUI ships similar to what you described , flight included, land tours via cruise line possible. Balcony cabins started at Euros 1500.- which I found quite moderate. The Junior Suite including flights from Germany was 5500 Euros for 2 people.

I sincerely hope Celebrity Cruises will be able and willing to offer such a kind of re-start for all of us again in 2021 - I still have a huge FCC to spend....

[Miaminice]

OK, I know I should not have mentioned MSC... 😂

 

I am happy if some of you had good experiences with them - but let’s PLEASE take the MSC topic to the MSC board - this is not the place.

[Germancruiser]

As the saying goes Miami- " Die Geister die ich rief.." or " Spirits that I have cited - my commands ignore!

In these days - the topics in all boards are quite similar- so I think it´s quite okay- the let them overlap if the situation requires it.

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, Germancruiser said:

As the saying goes Miami- " Die Geister die ich rief.." or " Spirits that I have cited - my commands ignore!

In these days - the topics in all boards are quite similar- so I think it´s quite okay- the let them overlap if the situation requires it.

 

I beg to differ... 🙂 
We are already discussing TUI on a Celebrity board. IMHO excusable since TUI is a cruise line related to Celebrity and there is no separate TUI board.

MSC, on the other hand, is a completely independant company and there is a lively and very active MSC board for all discussions regarding MSC and even a fixed topic regarding status match. IMHO any further relevant information and deeper discussion belongs there. So no overlap required.

I know - mea culpa!!! I should have known that mentioning a status level match, which inevitably includes the word "status level", was going to be a trigger - magically attracting status aficionados... I really should have known 😳  🤣 

 

Regarding this very (TUI/Celebrity) topic I have to say THANK YOU to the hosts and admins.

They kept this topic clean and reduced it to the civilized exchange it is! I think it´s more than fair to them to do our part and stay on track to make their job easier. That´s the reason why I regret the turn this is taking...