Homosassa

My husband is lactose intolerant. He has never had a problem on any cruise line because he knows what foods contains lactose and avoids them. If he wants to "cheat," he uses Lactaid and limits his intake. By the way, cream contains a minimal amount of lactose and can be used instead of milk. Cream is available in both the buffet and other dining venues.

This is an assumption and perhaps a reflection of a personal philosophy. There is another well know cliche about what happens when one assumes....

Our responses are very real and, thanks to the explanations you have received, ignorance can no longer be an excuse. May whatever the appropriate consequences of any decisions that are made occur, whether they are apparent or not.

Karma can be wanton (paraphrased to meet board guidelines). One can put one's little one who is completely potty trained in the water and have a problem when there are others that are breaking the rule with swim diapers or whose parent is especially slick and just skipped the diaper completely. A little one with diarrhea (and maybe fever and vomiting) as a result of swallowing contaminated water will certainly add to the pleasure of the cruise.

There is a difference between recommendations (ie.,; dress codes)) and rules put in place to protect the health and welfare of everyone on board. The restriction of no diapers in the children's area will vary from ship to ship based on the design of the baby area. Some pools are specifically designed to control the contamination of a leaky diaper; most are not. The decision of whether to follow the rule that is in place to protect everyone or not follow it is a personal one and reflects upon one's personal viewpoint of their place in the universe...

If it is true, it appears it may be a recently implemented restriction across the cruise line industry. I have seen recent post regarding the same issue on MSC, RCCL, Celebrity, and other Carnival brands.

The ship was chartered as a salsa cruise after he booked. Notification was sent out and options for rebooking and refunds given. He refused all options and insisted on a cabin. He was given one as shown above (still wasn't happy). All the information was slowly offered in posts over several threads, including information offered by others on the same sailing. By the way, how often does a cruise line get pushed to the point that a passenger is threatened with detention from law enforcement if they attempt to board the ship? I am sure the moderator will remove my posts and his.

Cringe worthy advice. Four hours at room temperature is the limit at which food should be thrown out. A half hour should safely bring the meat to room temperature.

We have never had any problems with our MSC bookings. The problems seem to occur when someone attempts to change the reservation and not being aware of the change and cancellation policy of MSC. And be aware of the story about being downgraded from Yacht Club. There is way more to the story and MSC was not at fault. Instead it was a passenger who did not want to follow instructions when the ship was chartered.

Read the MSC policy that you posted. You lose the deposit. No refund. Whether is just $199 or $597 depends on the MSC policy on when changes are considered are cancellation. You need to look at the terms and conditions for your specific booking.

I eat anything I want in moderation....

OP, there is a great deal more to this story than this rhetorical question and, in many of our opinions, is not MSC's fault.

As a result of misbehavior by those who considered the short cruises a booze cruise, MSC tighten restrictions several years ago. The restriction include not having drink packages available on certain itineraries from some ports on certain embarkation dates. There is also a MSC Code of Passenger Conduct and a section on alcohol use in their ticket contract on their website. MSC is not an alcohol centric line and many are surprised at some of the areas on the ship where alcohol is not permitted. As any crew member is empowered to deal with those who are overserving themselves, there can be subtle controls, or not so subtle controls, placed on the passenger of which the passenger may not be aware. Anyone who has posted a review in which they complain of the lack of or difficulty obtaining a drink has been managed by the crew.

The idea that it is going to be quite a while before cruising resumes from Baltimore is not a big surprise to those of us who know the area well and can understand the implications of the many official statements from those involved in the removal of the bridge wreckage and opening a channel for the more important cargo port.

Looks like Essiesmom and I were typing at the same time. In any case, no matter what fare churning game you may devise to receive $400 back, it isn't going to fly.