Two Wheels Only

They could have given you a YC stateroom without a whirlpool. You actually got a better stateroom than one would expect with your upgrade. The Duplex Suites on the Mera/Mera Plus Class are arguably the best on the ship. When I sailed Meraviglia, I was in the Royal Suite (1 bedroom/1 bath) but I seriously considered the Duplex Suite (1 bedroom/2 bath) for my family of 4. The balcony for either stateroom isn't great but the rest of the stateroom more than makes up for it. As mentioned above, you get everything "Yacht Club" with the only exception being that you aren't in the actual Yacht Club enclave. It's not a big deal as you can just use your stateroom card or wristband to enter the Yacht Club areas. You still have your Spa access, too. I'd bet that 100% of people would rather have what you now have on Bellissima vs. what you previously had on Virtuosa.

It can be done but..... ...it's not ideal.

She can bid and maybe she'll move, too.

10. If I have two reservations can I bid only once and if accepted, cancel the second reservation and move the guests into the upgraded cabin?No, if you have two cabins you will need to submit two separate bids and they will be considered independently. NCL cannot guarantee that both reservations will be upgraded. In the case that one of the reservations gets upgraded, you cannot move the other guests into the upgraded cabin. All reservations cancelled within the penalty period will be subject to cancellation fees.

Was it Mary? 😉 They are connected in groups.

I agree that others do similar things but for some guests, the idea that parts of the ship are off limits to them and even parts of the private island/beach are off limits to them causes complaints. I've read many negative reviews from people who complained that their pool was too crowded but the empty pool for "others" was off limits. Some people really hate seeing a butler lead a group past a line. That leads to complaints that the lines are too long. If the butler never lead anyone past the line, the complainers probably wouldn't be so quick to complain. Some people really hate seeing someone hijack an elevator. If the Yacht Club guest never commandeered the elevator, the complainer probably wouldn't complain about the "1/2 hour wait" for the elevator. "Look at that nice hot tub. Lets go there......what?!? Fantastica can't go there but Aurea can?!?...MSC sucks!" - bad review. Some complaints are valid and some are just complaints for the sake of complaining. I've seen people on excursions forced to throw away bags of food (taken from the buffet) and then blame MSC for not including lunch on the excursion. I won't even get into the "Where's the butter?" drama. 🤗

We're already booked on Seascape and I doubt that my family will try Robotron but I think that I'll give this one a try.... VR Motorcycles Passengers with a need for speed will love Seascape‘s new VR motorcycles, where players will be transported to the racetrack with wind and water effects to complete the experience.

What it means is that your promo choice must me made/finalized at least 24 hours prior to sailing. If you want to select or de-select the PBP promo, it must be done more than a day before sailing. Same with the SDP promo. It isn't a restriction on reservations.

MSC is different in many ways. Some people complain because things are simply not what they are used to. Some people don't do their research and complain about the experience that THEY selected. Some people have an aversion to different food types. Some people don't like "foreigners" and MSC attracts many different nationalities. Some people don't like some of the traditions that MSC has for many such as assigned dining and formal nights. Some people don't like the tiers for "experience" and see it as class segregation (NCL's Haven is often seen in the same way). Some....maybe ALL have issues with MSC's IT department and MSC's land-based customer service. With so many different things, one can understand why MSC's reviews are all over the place.

Officially, those not booked in the Haven suite do not get Haven access. If the concierge allows it, consider it to be luck. If the concierge doesn't allow it, don't hold it against the concierge. How are the guests currently booked?

They both have about the same amount that is "exposed" with 9 having a bit more that is covered. They are both more covered than exposed because the balcony above provides the coverage.... ...the shape of the ship from the outside isn't staggered to exactly match the staterooms. Some staterooms are directly above another and some are recessed. ^^ Deck 9 ^^ Deck 12 There is a list from NCL that gives square footage but their list isn't 100% correct for depth and the differences in width aren't taken into account. Not exactly. The previous guest might ask for more or less furniture. 2 loungers, 2 chairs, and a small table will fit on decks 9 and 12 as well as a few other decks. If you're on deck 13.... ...no. 😟

Yes. It might get lost in the junk/spam folder or lost in the other emails from MSC.... Your Personalized Experience Starts Now Dear (whatever your name is), You have made an excellent choice in booking a MSC Yacht Club suite, and I can’t wait to welcome you on board. Luxurious accommodation and exclusive services are only the beginning to what awaits you. No request is too great and no detail too small to make your experience a memorable one, starting now. Customize your experience by choosing your daily newspaper. Ensure sweet dreams by selecting the perfect pillow to meet your needs for a restful night of sleep. Let us know your preferred drink of choice and get ready to say bon voyage! Please let us know your preferences by completing the form below* two days before your departure. My preferences I look forward to welcoming you on board. Your MSC Yacht Club Butler *As part of your suite amenities, we are pleased to personalize your minibar with a choice of 1 bottle of either Wine, Spumante, Champagne, or Spirits. We will always prioritize your first choice. In case your selection is not available, a similar choice will be provided onboard. This email was sent by: MSC Cruises (USA) Inc. 6750 North Andrews Ave. Suite 100 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 USA

The stateroom (9324) directly port side of the wheelchair accessible stateroom (9924) is the one with the narrowest aft-facing balcony on deck 9. Your 9922 has a wider balcony than 9324. Yours is bed near closet. 12312 - bed near closet/narrowest aft-facing balcony on deck 12. 12908 - bed near balcony. It depends on your bed location preference. Personally, I prefer bed near balcony. I also prefer deck 12 over the slightly deeper deck 9 because of the better view. 12308/12908 would be my first choice for a B1 on Encore. I'd then take 12310. The similar staterooms on deck 9 (9320/9920) would be my next picks.

The full size of the photo (5184x3456) makes it easier to see that balcony and 9322 next to it. You can see the difference a bit more clearly (click here then download original image). If you want the same bed location on deck 9, your only other option is 9922.

I thought that the 2nd ship was sold for scrap. The first one is almost complete.

"The ship is custom-built for Dream Cruises designed specifically for the Chinese cruise market. Therefore interested parties will have to deploy the vessel in Asia, or spend more cash in order to adapt the vessel to the western cruise market." - an older article. The best option is to buy the ship on the cheap and spend some on completion and renovations. NCL spent over $50M to renovate Joy after the ship was completed. Being larger and incomplete, Global would be even more expensive.

Physically, the configurations are the same. The stateroom numbers are slightly different. I have a list for Joy. I can post it later.

On paper.... Starbucks Package Terms and Conditions: Must be at least 18 years of age at time of sailing to purchase. Package must be purchased by all qualifying individuals residing in the stateroom or additional staterooms under the same method of payment for the entire length of the cruise. Package may not be shared and are non-transferable and non-refundable. Eligible guests are entitled to one beverage per person per transaction. Includes all coffee, tea and RefreshersTM beverages by the cup. Excludes canned drinks, bottled drinks, food and merchandise. Beverage selection is subject to change onboard. ...but in person, you might get lucky.

It's an old photo. Not mine but that area is still probably not for parking.

You can do cash and OBC. Credit card isn't "required". On my first MSC cruise, I had OBC and put down cash after reading the horror stories about MSC bookkeeping. The OBC was burned through as well as some of the cash and the remaining amount was returned to me in cash. This was in the Yacht Club so the concierge handled everything but if not in the Yacht Club, a trip to Guest Services would have been needed. On later cruises, I used a credit card which had a zero balance so that I could keep track of all holds from MSC. Some weird amounts would show as "pending" but in the end, everything was correct to the penny by the last day. For my cruise this past March, I booked an excursion before the cruise with a credit card. The excursion was later cancelled due to weather. It took 5 months for a refund which was a check sent to me. So far, MSC has been correct as far as money exchanging hands between us. There are horror stories from others as far as deposits not being returned, cancelled cruises, cancelled excursions, FCC, etc. but I'm one of the lucky few who isn't owed anything from MSC.

It could of been fun. 😈 "Could of" vs. "could've" is always fun on a forum. Since it's Cruise Critic, let's do "boat" vs. "ship". Since it's NCL, let's do "tip" vs. "gratuity" vs "service charge". We've already done "pants" vs. "shorts" vs. "long pants" vs. "short pants" vs. "trousers" vs. "sweatpants" vs. "yoga pants". How about "Free at sea" vs. "Fee at sea"? 😉

Both Joy and Encore have some Haven suites that are located outside of the Haven complex. These suites are lower and further back but in many cases, they are larger and less expensive than what is in the complex. The HJ category on Joy is located mid-ship and can sleep up to 4 people. There are also aft-facing suites which have a larger balcony than what is found in nearly every other Haven category. Encore has fewer options but most choices are the same as Joy's. The "outside of the Haven" suites have advantages and disadvantages so it's really up to you to decide which is the better option. Personally, my family of 4 prefers the aft-facing suites and would take the right one of those (there are differences) over the 2 BR suite located within the complex. Motion doesn't bother me as I have stayed in suites all the way forward as well as suites all the way aft. Walking to the Haven is a non-issue for me. For some people, the Haven experience is diminished if staying outside of the complex but it depends on the individual.

Which ship are you considering?

Standing

Thanks for the review. I'm glad that you enjoyed your first NCL cruise.