Nunagoras

Ok, if the doctors feel like a cruise is still adequate for your father's health condition, better for you to ask special needs department and they'll have a solution for that. Perhaps not blocking purchases because that might not be possible, but a sticker on your father's cruise card stating that he has that certain special need or something else. Someone more used to this specific thing will shine in certainly, but on one thing I must grant you, in my case as a blind individual, special needs departments in all cruise lines alive are usually sort of late to answer, but they are generally GREAT at the assistance level they provide. They'll sort it out for you.

At least good sense prevailed. Fast food is just that. Fast food. There are some minimum. Windjammers burgers were nice to the purpose back in the day at my unique RCI turn. Why to pay JR? Same for pizza. To have a premium pizza available that would be made to order at a charge, that's ok on me, but that is another subject. Cruising is not your common 1-4 hour short-haul domestic flight. It is a complex product to be enjoyed for some 7 days in a raw. Thanks to the info.

True, but bear in mind the distance from port to main attractions. For example in my own Lisbon no need to a ship tour whatsoever. Ship will dock right in the center of the city near the central railway station which is one of the city's landmarks by itself!... Barcelona is another one. Ship will dock just round the main attractions, you'll just need an inexpensive shuttle provided by the port's authorities there, or you can hop on the HOHO straight away. Now think on places like Civitavecchia for Rome. Here the problems do start. Of course you can use the trains, but it is quite risky and booking independently is quite risky as well, unless you're on a cruise with an overnight there.

Casablanca is great for the Hassan II grand Mosque and as Mark has said: avoid the long trip to Marrakesh is that was your sort of thing. Nothing else more interesting. The other 2 I don't really know, even though like again Mark said; Ceuta is a small enclave perhaps not worthy really a visit, other than for duty free shopping. With a so small baby I'd say a no for those cruises. You'd better fit with the usual ports here in the most developed countries. Better, cheaper and more reliable medical assistance if needed, and usually places more accessible to just exit the ship and have a wonderful day ashore. Let those more adventurous ports for when your little one grows up and have a wonderful day!

Wonderful! Many thanks and have a wonderful day!

Many thanks to what seems the most accurate Explora's dining experience out there!... I'm sort of "dating" one of their "short-haul" Summer 2024 or 2025 cruises here in the Iberian peninsular, just some 4-6 nights... My main concern would be lots of shellfish (prawns, lobster, oysters, etc.) that are usual on those 5*+ venues to which I'm allergic to. Maybe if a veggie starter and a meat main is available that's what I'd stick to, but considering it is just a short haul, I may to end up eating mostly on the Marketplace. If they have some lovely options out of shellfish, I'd to be a happy camper there!... Can you elaborate a little bit more on the Marketplace options, please? TBHH; I'm reaching a time on my life when those 2 and a half hour "formal" dinners don't interest me anymore, pan-Asian is not my cup of tea, and I have all sorts of steakhouses at bearable distance from home, so definitely no specialties for me. It would to be just the opportunity to feel the true luxury side of the cruise pond at relatively "affordable" fares, considering I'd vastly traveled the area and I just to need a flight once I can embark or debark here in Lisbon near where I live.

Pay the 100 bucks more, but that is just me. Of course the lack of specialty labor force and supply chain problems are another subject, but that is for another day.

Humm... Are you watching the entire film, sir? I'm sorry... Here where I live there are 2 kinds of situations: On one hand; kids of 12 and above want to have their own thing. Going on a ship with their parents enjoying their adult time listening to the music of yesteryear is their last of the last priorities. They'll to say a strong NO to their parents!... On the other hand wealthy parents want their kids fully occupied by holidays. If it isn't sharing on charity activities, it would be expensive language or science camps on UK, US or elsewhere the trend would be about. On those weeks, those parents will desire to have their own adult thing just for themselves!... Viking is so very well established on said market that they don't even need to sell globally. They'll just to adjust the musical offerings accordingly to the demographic's change. And Virgin is for the wealthy 18+ independent travelers whom want "crazy" cruising. So; for those outside the English speaking market there is simply no alternative for classical full adult cruising. I hope kids numbers would be at least controlled on Explora. And my best bet is that most will be on the 3-6 age group.

We have this pretty much everywhere these days... Not only MSC. It's over the place right now. Tell me a product or service that is now better than what you had some 15-20 years ago? Perhaps some of the luxury+ venues out there or certain specialty IT services... My biggest gripe with all of this is that pretty much all the tourism industry seems inebriated with the Ryanair business model. Nothing against that model for such a 1-4 hour "fast" serve product, but now a cruise which goes for some 7 consecutive days in average? It's becoming a little bit too much. I understand a small menu that is the same everyday with one or 2 options changing as daily specials on those times when finding new crew members is being so difficult and you need to control cost and avoid waste. But current changes on cruising are simply being too much on me. On a land holiday I can wholly to anticipate and plan. Don't like what this restaurant is serving? Go on to the next door. On a cruise it is different. I'm stuck in the same place with several of others being served by the same company nonetheless. I'd be ok paying a little more to have all what I need available as simply as it can be. But companies are going otherwise. From limiting what is already included to add charges on those basics as fast food, we have seen it all... If only the base fares remained relatively stable?!... Perhaps I'll be out for awhile... Or simply go up on the market for the inclusiveness level I expect out of a cruise, in other words; cruise less but cruise better would be my stance for the times being...

At least it's the US based menus which have ever been slightly different from the EU ones. I can't believe them removing the risotto dishes on EU based itineraries, nor them up charging them.

Back in the day, when lady Allure first come Europe for her 1st dry dock, I receive one such towel animals in my first day. A simple no more thanks suffixed for my cabin steward not to do more. We don't have kids, so no purpose. As far as things go: If you have kids with yourselves, it might to be interesting, otherwise better to discontinue that practice. Cabin assistants are still very overworked, no more needed.

Well: It seems that current menus are even shorter now, at least on the US sailings. Some few notes: It seems the Chefs suggestion is out of the extra fee. It also seems the risotto plate is gone. And it seems the always available are out of the fee. My best bet is that they're trying to control demand just on some of the most sophisticated entrees to avoid waste and because they might to be very short staffed. They'll give you free reign on the cheaper, less sophisticated things though. I believe we will have a version of this here in Europe, but the pasta dish will need to be out of the fee roll, because a typical Italian holiday meal is on the likes of "starter/soup/salad + pasta/risotto + main course + desert". Portions might to be small, but for a 4 courses meal, that is just more than enough food.

Yes, it's one more of their IT glitches. And this is more common than one would think about, especially towards the Greek isles. Thanks.

And forgive me to ask, but from your perspective: With ao many shellfish (prawns, lobster, and the likes) available, do they still have options enough on the Emporium Marketplace for the ones just allergic to shellfish? Or does one need to give them notice and dine elsewhere to avoid that cross contamination?

As we can read on several RCI threads here in the forum, in SOME cruises they overbook the UDP or there are difficulties in booking desirable time slots for many. Or, in other words: RCI being victim on its popularity here. Hence the correction. That would be expected nonetheless. What shouldn't be expected is to see the market going for the EU's Ryanair and other airline low cost business model, forgetting that people are just some 7 days inside a single ship, mostly without possible exit during evening and night. For me: I'd just to adjust my program to have a once in a 3-4 years cruise, but cruise full AI cruise lines, than to endure an yearly full base line low cost experience that is totally watered down and which full cost will ultimately to be far more than the advertised price. Explora Journeys is selling just some nice itineraries of some 5-10 night cruises, on a true AI fashion at the price of some 2-3 regular baseline cruises. I don't cruise since 2018. Going higher on the market is now my way forward. Not interested on the Ryanair cruise model of the current mainstream markets, nor the longer itineraries of some luxe lines. I hope there should be some remnants of high quality half to full inclusive experiences and let me to enjoy them as time goes by. Not possible to handle a once a year cruise? No worries! I can await. Paying apart for poor fast food, being it burgers or pizzas?... Ok, on a quick Ryanair flight if that is my mood, never on a 7 nights cruise where I'm on ship with all the others and my last worry would be to stay tuned all day to my onboard account!... I'd to understand the need for pizzas or burguer free reservations, especially on later out of regular operation hours for waste control, that is perfectly understandable. And the ability of the company to impose a hard tax on ones whom don't get up their reserved items, or leave letting a huge leftover. Tell those individuals a $100 will be added to their account in case of those failures. If company doesn't want to consider those "fines" as profit, give them to charities. Good marketing and good disciplinar practice on them, but make me a favor: Let those simple things that can be seen as basic needs to be what they were ever and ever. For now I'm out.

Both Viking and Explora ships do come from a similar platform out the same Fincantieri shipyard, so, no surprise they'd be structurally more similar than different. Explora offers more pools, a casino, and a totally different inside management though. Both great ships. Perhaps Explora more expensive, but different amenities. According to the few videos available, my best bet would be for a slightly younger demographics target on Explora.

Something for everyone, with a classical twist to it, apparently. Great!...

Pretty much all the market is rising prices these days, including Explora! It is crazy, but things are what they are. Maybe when we can control inflation a little more worldwide and the anxious to sail after the pandemic waves go a little bit away, as well as cruise lines do away with pandemic debt we might see some more normalcy on the market again.

Ok! Quite interesting that is. When I was comparing with Musica class, I was comparing "basic" inside design wise. If you watch carefully; it's same MSC's design signature with an Explora twist. Now the market target: Yes; that can be unique as well, the same way as Virgin is unique at their way. Virgin might to be for affluent 20-40yo with no kids. Explora for those same affluent to very affluent ones when they reach say, 40-70yo. Permit me a single note about Viking. They only sell for the English speaking market, and they're doing what is possible and impossible to avoid wheelchairs and other disabled people at their ships, making them a 40-70yo audience as well. non English speaking markets very affluent individuals wishing for a Viking like ship would be called for Explora. I'd be one of them, nonetheless, but I still remain in the fence, for some reason... Time will tell... Regarding avoiding kids, that is becoming such a luxury market feature, these days on land tourism. Nothing against kids myself, but hope that, at that market level their numbers would be controlled.

Ok, thanks!... I'm just trying to realize for whom the heck is really Explora marketing their product to: Refugees from Crystal? Not so much. They planned their company far BEFORE old Crystal went bust. Non English speaking Viking like cruisers? It could have worked, if they have gone that way, but bambini, or if you prefer kids, are a strong part of Italian heritage. Oceania/Azamara refugees? Quite unlikely: Those trademarks are very well founded on a very strong fan base!... X/Princess refugees? Again: Surely both those 2 lines are going larger ships, globally, but their demographics might not be interested on paying so much more to have little bit more than the same... Those would end up on HAL, most likely, and HAL has a strong fan base as well. Regent/Silversea/Seabourn refugees or lite cruisers? Again: Possible but not likely. Strong fan bases on those as well. JIMHO; It seems pretty much likely they'll need to build a niche of their own. At a glimpse from the videos already available, their ships do feel like they're elevated old MSC Musica class ships for old line MSC goers now ready to pay more for some more exclusivity. Let's see how that works in the day to day operations!... Wondering what they'll do with the ships if Explora doesn't become the success they are anticipating...

Dear Até: As far as the dailies I have read about Europa, it seems that they only open deck 19 for regular guests for a small fraction of the time for breakfast/lunch, so "steerage" guests are already cramped!... Either way; this ship seems to have some design flaws. I believe better for them to transform the "secret bar" on another restaurant for YC than this solution that won't satisfy anybody else. Am I wondering where this ship will end up in a few years? Perhaps doing secondary markets on South America or Asia, if they have any ports ready for it. Hope there is time to correct something for world America. They should to know they can't continue to fail on that market...

Well: In certain days, you need to transform a vegetarian entree on a starter and order your regular entree just to counteract food allergies. I hope those instances to be dealt properly. Meanwhile not entirely against these rules. Ships are understaffed right now and food waste might to be a problem they need to sort out in spite of increasingly stricter environmental rules elsewhere. Ultimately there will be more balanced workflow and ship overal management.

Well... Bear in mind that Explora I is a brand new ship from a brand new cruise line, even if from a larger and older cruise and shipping company. First of its all: To book first cruises on such conditions is always prone to less than stellar service, and the possibility of ship delivery delays. Things will improve as times go. I'd to give them an year to book. I have no doubt they'll to succeed, but for the times being let the first user bugs to be dealt with as the first costumers go...