Nunagoras

Off topic: Very happy as well!... Need to admit: Pope Francis is perhaps the most notable personality of this so confusing XXI century!... Great to know they still have the wonderful music at the older ships!... 🙂 🙂 🙂 Tenha um bom dia! (Have a nice day!)

Muito obrigado e que seja muito bem-vindo a Lisboa!... (Many thanks and be very welcome to Lisbon!...) Wonderful to know that those relatively old ships are doing well and that they're recommended!... Have a wonderful return to the now crazy Lisbon! Enjoy all those youth here for World Youth Day!... And enjoy your next MSC adventures!... 🙂 🙂 🙂 Permit me just a simple question: Did they still have the nice classical or otherwise piano music in the atrium area?

While I know; the smaller ships are rarely cited here at CC; there is some information I have here from near Lisbon for the ones possibly embarking the Orchestra on the next Saturday, August 5: Due to the World Youth Day events currently being held here in Lisbon with the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis; Bear with us as we will have too many areas of the city blocked for those events and transportation will be very difficult to do. Please plan your stay and embarkation process accordingly. There are currently more information on this matter on the MSC's social media pages, please follow them there and have an as pleasant as it can be stay with us these days!...

Been there, done that myself. Do you think if cruises were unsafe, any cruise line would still do it in the region? Certainly (and sadly) there are no cruises to Ukraine these days... That said: They are as safe as it can be. Do note that there are some countries in the area where an Israeli stamp on your passport could be a no-no, but no one on your journey I believe. Otherwise it is as safe as it can be. For both Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, you don't even need a ship's sponsored shore excursion either. For Saudi Arabia, yes I recommend a ship's sponsored shore excursion, but that is not out of safety, but because they're just starting to become more touristy right now, and your experience going alone can be less than stellar. That region is great. Like going on every western city with that exotic feeling of the doors of the Orient!...

Preferably BEFORE you book so that the 5% discount is automatically added to your account. Yes, technically you can do at any moment, but their IT department is well known for their mistakes and adding the 5% afterwards may be challenging. Hope to have helped a little bit and have a wonderful Sunday!

That also would have to bear in account the real technical degradation state of a particular ship. The older one couldn't be the most deteriorated one right now. That said; in MSC's terms, the Lírica class will be 30 years old the end of this decade. Little bit too much for an overhaul. Those ships have a very limited number of balcony cabins making them sort of out of standards right now, and I doubt they're modular enough to an overhaul of that magnitude, like the Musica class ones are. That said, my best bet is that they'll all to be rolled out by 2032, if not earlier.

All of us do have our dreams, of course, some would realize, some not so much. That said; let me to just bring my 2 cents, not only from an avid cruiser whose most of my cruises having been with MSC, but from someone with some market analysis skills: At the moment MSC has the keys of the whole worldwide cruise market on their hands for the next 20-30 years to come, because they're the unique ones economically healthy enough to make whatever else they want because of their deep pockets from the cargo line business on where they're just a tiny fraction of. But they're also very secretive of their actions, and generally very conservative on their approach. That said, my best bet is that, at mainstream cruising, they'll continue their gradual growth by slowly ship expansion. I believe they'll to make their 2028-2032 order book by end 2024, early 2025, but no more World class or higher ships. The A380 of the seas are done and won't repeat as the real A380's. The post pandemic, ecological sustainability focused market won't permit more of those adventures and ports availability to handle more is quite limited right now. Enjoy the Oasis, Icon and World classes till there is. They won't be eternal, like the A380 won't as well. I believe MSC will then to order at least 7 new builds: 4 from Saint Nazaire, Fantasia to Meraviglia class size new prototype, 3 from Fincantieri, Seaside class size. The first 4 will arguably to replace the whole Lirica Class which cruises will most likely to be fed by the Musica class. The 3 Fincantieri will be for growing. I bet also they'll to make a new trademark for the Premium segment. Consolidated that be Explora Journeys in the next 2-3 years, it is time to order their new Italian X/Princess like adventure. If the market was like it was before the pandemic, they'd await some more 5 years or such... But their market conditions to reach shipyards is now unique in the world, and they'll to use it as much as they can, once other than maybe Disney, China or Saudi Arabia, nobody of the biggies will make a strong order book at that time frame. Tons of slots for MSC to use at their pleasure!... The 2028-2032 order book will also pave the way for at least 4 to 6 mid priced cruise ships on the 2k-3k guests segment, perhaps with the same platform used for the 4 mainstream France ships, but shorter in size. Also my bet on the Luxury segment would be for an additional order of some 2-4 Explora Journeys ships similar to the current 4 ones, and additionally some at least 2 very ecologically focused ships running on liquid Hydrogen to go to the most sensitive places, perhaps expedition ships sized. As service goes, I don't expect too much difference. Maybe; they'll realize they need a partnership with a reliable hospitality provider to fill the US sub-fleet... But as they want most of in-house business, I'm a bit skeptical on that one. Hope that at least they don't Americanize too much more than they have done right now. Retain their Italian heritage, at least here in Europe would be my best bet. I hope World 3 and world 4 to be slightly different and more distinctive than World Europa and World America had been.

That would depend largely on port's authorities ability to deliver, but it is understandable.

Some of those things are pretty standard, at least on the premium market. Offer the good gelato is one of them, and I agree on that. Excursions and over the top alcohol not so much.

Never did. Seen some photos and videos. Not for me. And, believe me: While, if I were an American, I would be a blue voter, at the same time, I wish those even if subliminar or remote sex related things should be OUT of cruising for the good of us all!... It may not be woke on the eyes of some... But, I'm becoming tired of this proselytism now rounding on such matters. Enjoy your VV sailings though. As I say. Nothing against, but not for me!...

Ok, by the most part a simple "no thanks" suffixes to avoid those photographers. What surprises me is just a post like this on such a 2023 world!... With all those smartphones that actually do take pics nearly as nice as the "pro" ones they make on the ships, I'm just wondering on whether that business is still that relevant or not so much? Perhaps time to move on the business model, JIMHO...

Well... You know... Those activities they've promoted with a sex therapist onboard, and the likes. Some subliminar music, and some, JIMHO, somewhat sexualized decorations elsewhere, including the general Virgin's color pallette. Not my cup of tea, really, but as I said: Nothing against!...

Yeah! I forgot them, thanks! Happens that they don't sell here for my Portuguese market. You know... It's like if they didn't exist!... But as far as I can understand they happen to be a great product for their price tag!... Such a global Viking lite would be great to have at the 2k-3k passengers segment!

Yes, to an extent. And some woke decoration as well... Nothing against that, I can be considered a woke individual if that matters, at least to an extent, but cruising should remain being neutral to those societal developments. First of all: If you want families aboard, you'd want activities appropriate for all ages. If you want exclusivity, you'd think on providing for the more mature crowd of the ones now aged 45+ whom are generally far from woke. Woke activities will need to await. Fortunately Virgin is doing it the subtle way, but it is there, hence adults only which I wholly agree. But, JIMHO, there is a place for a more mature minded adults only cruising on mainstream/premium experience. I believe some full adult out of season sailings would be a tremendous success, bypassing the fluctuation price schemes usually observed elsewhere... But nobody will risk it on current circumstances...

As far as I know, MSC is the unique mainstream lines that hasn't reduced the 2 per day service, at least yet. Either way, if for certain reason you don't want the evening service done, tell them.

Yes, they have. Bear in mind that some less frequent recipes will only to be done on the 3rd party vendors out of the drinks packages, or on the specialty coffee place included in the drinks package. Usually the specialty coffee place included in the drinks package is right around one of the corners on one of the atrium area decks, varying ship by ship.

Ok, other than for those shade and umbrellas request, which MSC really would need to address for the next installments, once those are relatively frequent queries, I can't realistically see what else they can improve now on the YC front. Bear in mind that port conditions is out of MSC's realistic reach, kids and family is MSC's primary market target and the other modifications have to do mostly with the way society is evolving and MSC won't go out of it, for not being out of market. So now, and going sort of out of topic: If one asked me if there was a strong place in the market for an adults only top mainstream to baseline premium classic market target (think between NCL and Princess), I'd answer him that yes there was!... And there will be till the market is ready to address that market niche, other than for current "woke" Virgin Voyages! MSC financially would be the unique candidate ready for it... But their top leaders aren't minimally interested on that. Bambini for the Italians are the joy of the world and the salt of life! They won't remove them even from Explora Journeys, unless there is a hard call from their regulars in the next future to come!... So; for the ones whom want full adult at a relatively affordable way, my recommendation would be: Bear the woke activities of Virgin and give them a try!...

You've hit the nail on the head on this, exactly. Pretty much what I'd say. See my observations in blue and have a wonderful day!...

Pretty much all has been said. Have my answers in blue. Feel free to ask more if you so need and have a wonderful day!...

Pretty much everything was said by previous CC members, congrats. Let me just to focus on the unique two important things not explained: About the look and feel: Expect somewhat like an X lite experience with an Italian flair, especially on the older ships or the YC on the newer ones, even though, the newer ships still retain some of that atmosphere to an extent with a slightly Americanized twist. Simple sophistication would be my best description of the whole experience. About the international vibe, from which, JIMHO, in reality most of the naysayers come: MSC is Italian owned and international cruisers focused, where by the most part, English would be had as 2nd language. Announcements can be done in up to 7 languages depending on region and demographics, even though they tend to make them only for the bare minimum necessary, think safety ones. Entertainment will be more visual, circus and music focused than on the other lines, which isn't bad by itself, but challenging on the offering they really can realistically offer which is consequently to be out of the US mainstream caliber. Either way; you'll be surrounded with a very international crowd aboard any MSC ship. If going with so many languages aboard is something that bothers you, feel free to go with what better suits your cultural patterns. Service is also tailored to that more international mostly European crowd in mind. Even though they have sort of Americanized it to an extent globally in the last years, they still practice reserved professionalism most of the time. In fact, us Europeans want our servers to deliver us our orders, not to be our best friends for the week, and we don't typically expect any compensation when some little things go wrong. Hope I have helped a bit.

Promo availability varies by the market and by the time. Here from where I live promo offering will give you just the basic Easy package and no WiFi for certain select sailings. By the way, they're slowly returning to the classical mainstream pricing structure.

As said above, it depends really on from where you sail and your sailing's demographics. That said; generally for us in Europe, going to dinner in a cruise is like going on a nice premium restaurant on land. Me for one, usually go with trousers and a collared shirt most nights, including formal one, with no tie. On first and last nights I'd go normally with a polo shirt.

Actually they have a quite reliable language support for non native English speaking individuals, at least for the main EU languages. Their service is generally more on the reserved professionalism side of the pond we appreciate here in Europe, not on your face. Actually I want my servers to serve me, not to be my best life friends for the week. Among other small details that keep me being a repeat cruiser with them. Those are the little details. Oh, and generally their shore excursions are language market tailored and generally cheaper than on the competitors. That itself plays a big portion of the thing as well. So; yes; different approach that you can't really to compare. Obviously if true US approach is your cup of tea, then MSC won't be for you. That I understand. Have a nice day!...

What a wonderful review, congrats!... Have a wonderful return home!... As per the X vs MSC discussion about their ship within the ship concepts: X scheme ia a top premium product inside a premium ship, while MSC's one is a top premium product inside a mass market ship. Hope to have helped a little bit to solve the issue. And this way YC can never to come price wise as high as whatever else X has on market any day!...