Odd MSC itinerary, repositioning question

[jcwilde1]

I am going on my first MSC cruise (we usually do NCL) and our itinerary is a bit odd and I noticed they are not selling it online anymore. It looks like we get on half way through a 7 day cruise that is underway and stay on after it disembarks. Has anyone been on a cruise that is odd like this? Our main concerns is the atmosphere, it is no fun being on an empty cruise ship! 

 

For information: We get on in Barcelona on the 14th and go to Marseille and Genoa and turn around, stop in Marseille again and back to Barcelona on the 18th. 

 

Any thoughts or similar experiences would be appreciated.

[Nunagoras]

It is usual for MSC to host multiple embarkation ports. That one seems odd, really; but by the dates it will be a season transitioning cruise. I wouldn't be so worried on the travel atmosphere change, once I'm used to it, and it's not usually as impacting as some may think about. It is really like to be on any land hotel with guests coming and going all days... I would worry more about the fact that being season changing, it will likely to be full or partial crew turnaround week copled with a possble party like little getaway cruise in the mix... I had one of those with a 3 nights cruise "built in" my week long regular cruise... A less than stellar experience TBHH, BUT... It was perhaps my "cheapest" cruise to date, at least in a penny per day count and on a value to the money point of view. Yeah: Those itineraries tend to be sold at a hard discount.

[JT1962]

I believe MSC allows passengers to embark and begin they cruise at multiple locations throughout the cruise, at least in Europe. Thank of it as a hop on hop off bus tour, but on a ship. I believe you do roundtrip from your embarkation port. 
 

Also, MSC allows bookings of back to back cruises as one cruise, so that may be affecting what you are seeing also. I am booked on a 19 day cruise in the Caribbean in October, but technically it is a seven day cruise followed by a 12 day cruise.

[jcwilde1]

All of that is good to know. When we booked I noticed they did this "any embark location" thing and seems like now they are more traditional, so maybe we just booked on a style they aren't doingfor this one anymore. I called and they said they aren't offering this cruise for new people anymore even though they have rooms available. 

 

As for price, yeah it was good. $1550 for 4 nights for balcony, fantastica & easy plus drink package. I am sure we will have a great time no matter what, we are not high maintenance except for a dietary restriction. 

[kernow]

Just wondering which ship you are on, it's nothing to do with the Grandiosa/Virtuosa change is it?

[Essiesmom]

Looks like Grandiosa sails April 9 from Genoa.  EM

[kernow]

Grandiosa was supposed to be repositioning to Southampton mid April but is not coming now. Not sure what is happening to it now but that may be something to do with why it's not bookable at the moment. 

[jcwilde1]

oh that is interesting. I will have to keep an eye on it. 

[Nunagoras]

Back in the day before the pandemic MSC used to finish their next summer season by mid October each year. Perhaps worth it to await a few weeks, especially once on this post pandemic and Europe war times, so many modifications are being made.

[papadave]

You'll be fine.

In Europe, MSC embarks and disembarks at nearly every port, maybe at every port along the way.   For us, last summer, it meant that there was no single day where everyone on the ship was crowding around and waiting to get off the ship, nor was there a single day where the entire staff was exhausted from turning over the entire ship to a completely new set of passengers.   

 

As for this, or any other, cruise line not showing a sailing as available to book, that seems to happen a lot.   For a minute.   Sometimes they are reallocating cabins and need to freeze things, like when they offer upgrades.   I don't know how long this lasts, but I have seen a number of cruise which are temporarily unavailable for booking, then become available again.   Of course, during the COVID pandemic, I also was checking to see if the price changed on the cruise I booked, couldn't make a booking, and then found out a particular cruise was cancelled.   Still, right now, not too much of that is happening, so I would not worry.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[kernow]

5 hours ago, papadave said:

You'll be fine.

In Europe, MSC embarks and disembarks at nearly every port, maybe at every port along the way.   For us, last summer, it meant that there was no single day where everyone on the ship was crowding around and waiting to get off the ship, nor was there a single day where the entire staff was exhausted from turning over the entire ship to a completely new set of passengers.   

 

As for this, or any other, cruise line not showing a sailing as available to book, that seems to happen a lot.   For a minute.   Sometimes they are reallocating cabins and need to freeze things, like when they offer upgrades.   I don't know how long this lasts, but I have seen a number of cruise which are temporarily unavailable for booking, then become available again.   Of course, during the COVID pandemic, I also was checking to see if the price changed on the cruise I booked, couldn't make a booking, and then found out a particular cruise was cancelled.   Still, right now, not too much of that is happening, so I would not worry.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Hopefully you are correct but there are some changes to Preziosa/Grandiosa/Virtuosa at the moment and many of us are waiting to find out what is happening.

 

 

[sealynx]

I was once on a cruise from Amsterdam to Hamburg and back to Amsterdam, that was actually the last night of a cruise ending in Hamburg and a first night of a cruise starting in Hamburg. But because they also sold both cruises with (dis)embarkation in Amsterdam, they would have several empty beds the last and first night. They sold that separately as a mini cruise. I seems you have the same thing.