Essiesmom

And nothing like the piano bars on Carnival.

The rub is that MSC does not give out duplicate/extra key cards so you can switch people around. The workaround on this ship is to get bracelets ($10 each) and the people switching can trade bracelets in order to open the cabin doors. EM

If you are sailing solo, there is nothing wrong with an upper/lower cabin. More space, ask your steward for a chair. I did, and got a blue velvet reject from one of the MDRs. EM

Had two deck 9 forward Aurea cabins on Seaside and the balcony had two loungers and two chairs. E

On Seashore it is the Manhattan Restaurant, which is in the same place as the Skyline. EM

I think you are SOL unless you are sending it to a US port. Shipping would not be very fast. EM

Dollars, pounds, and euros will be fine. EM

Most cruise lines do not offer programs for children under 3, though it’s under 2 on Carnival. They do have times when you can accompany your child and use the kids facilities. Ask on the Royal Caribbean board about the Royal Babies and Tots programs. There is a board here for Family Cruising, under Special Interest Cruising. Folks there might have some advice. EM

Also try cruisetimetables.com. EM

Calling at Colon instead of doing a partial transit is new to Carnival. And on the partial transits they never offered excursions. But all cruise lines offer the same excursion from the same vendors so maybe someone else will be along with some info. EM

There is some confusion here…the MDR is open seating for breakfast and lunch, and you can ask for a two top. Your dinner assignment depends on the ‘experience’ you booked. If you booked Bella, you will have fixed, assigned dining. If Fantastica, you can request early or late, but might not get it. But Aurea has any time dining, open seating. It may be in a separate part of the MDR, or a separate dining room. If you are unhappy with your dining assignment, there will be a time and place after boarding to speak with MDR staff about a change. EM

MSC Seascape from Miami in the Yacht Club. EM

But they are also common stops on cruises that do not visit the canal. And people tend to not visit this board unless they have a question about the canal. I think the stops in Nicaragua are often cancelled…. EM

We have a member boarding today, doing a live thread. Perhaps you could ask on her thread, to find out for you. Look for the ‘Live & Solo from the Magnifica’ thread. EM

Disney Dream and Fantasy are 130 k, Wish and Treasure 144k. EM