Pookie2u

From what I see, the pricing pre-booked is significantly less than the full onboard pricing. It's the same with excursions, specialty dining, and beverage packages. I believe this is the pre-book discount mentioned as a benefit. What is not mentioned is the specials that are also offered on board, like @HappyInVan discovered. I suggest taking a look at some recent reviews with price lists and dailies to see what regular prices and specials may run. Full disclosure, this is how I'm preparing for my first MSC cruise. I may not get the lowest price but I'll be informed and likely get a good price for everything I plan to purchase. I'll happily take any advice from the pros. 🙂 @80sGal- Simply purchase on the site or app before 2 days prior to cruising, the price should include the discount, then reserve the time onboard.

Give it a try, @Gari I've cruised solo on Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal. I've had fun on all three but not really interested in booking again on Royal. It would really take a good itinerary, price, and possibly a companion as they don't have much in the way of solo fares. NCL and Carnival are both very good but my opinion is NCL is winning right now. They do solo travel best with their room offerings, pricing, and programs. The studio cabins and lounges are fun but I have yet to try the new categories. A solo balcony sounds like something I must try! I love Free at Sea, it give me the chance to try new things and not have to worry about blowing a budget or maximizing drink values. I get what I want when I want it. I've had a ton of fun with the people who attend the solos meetups and the host staff can be delightful. I feel like they are much more geared to my style of cruising and am excited about their ships and itineraries. I can't say the same for Carnival. You can still get good prices on rooms, but they are mostly interiors. Other categories get quite costly with the solo supplement. I'm stuck in between not being a heavy enough drinker and budgeting because I didn't prepay for drinks. I've found myself thinking more about it and monitoring my account on board than I do with Free at Sea. I've never seen a well attended solo meeting on Carnival, although I've found fun people on their ships, I've never met them at the solo meetups. I don't see a whole lot of changes that make me excited about them, I really kind of miss the novelty of their old ships. I loved the cheesy, gaudy themes. I haven't really booked anything with them lately because the itineraries and experiences just haven't won my monies lately. Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions. And I'd love to hear your thoughts after giving NCL a try. Happy cruising!

It was mostly because of some silly construction they had in Monaco right where all of the tour busses pick up. This caused a bottle neck and all the tours in Monaco that day got backed up, all trying to get their people in a much smaller boarding area, all at the same time. It was a big mess. There were 8 late tours for our ship, ours was far from the last to arrive.

That tour was booked through NCL, I also wanted to get an earlier tender plus the guarantee to get back on the ship really came in handy that day. We were an hour late getting back and the water and tender transfer were scary. I did have great luck booking through ItalyTours.IT and their sister company Barcelona Day Tours for other ports if you need a recommendation for other ports. It's nice to have some small group tours.

Aww 😞 That's unfortunate. I do hope you are able to find something similar. Monaco and Nice are really amazing.

You will need Euros if you need to use the restroom in a lot of ports. I strongly recommend getting some even if you plan to use credit.

I did Highlights of Monaco & Nice back in October and really enjoyed it. It was a nice mix of riding in a van, walking, and free time. Both cities were incredibly beautiful, there is so much to see. Our guide was very good and we fit a lot into our short stay, including seeing a movie being filmed on the beach in Nice! I'm happy to try to answer any question you have.

None 😶 But I'm booked in May on the Seashore and next March on the Preziosa, trying to get the full MSC experience. I'm here to soak in all of your wisdom and good sailing vibes. 💜

The menu for Hola! looks pretty spicy. Has anyone had something nice and mild they would recommend?

I was waffling on my last trip, a very port intensive Mediterranean but was weak and spoiled myself with it. I used the heck out of that pass, most days I went twice. NCL has long thermal suit hours making it very easy to go ashore and still avoid busy times. It was my place to recover after active tours, my place to retreat away from crowds, my place to relive the sights and edit photos, my place to send a quick message home to make sure all was well. that cruise made me realize the spa is a big part of how I like cruise and I will always budget it as part of my cruises forever more. @Jennifire7 IMO it's best alone. You don't feel compelled to chit chat and can come and go as you please. Enjoy your cruise!

I love all of the options! if what you are doing does not fit with this thread, just pick that booty up and find one of numerous other options to do. Some of my faves are to just sit and realize there is no other place I'd rather be, that there's nothing else I'd rather be doing than just sitting on this fantastic ship doing nothing at all! I also love lounging and observing others having fun. These are some of the best ways to recoup from the night before and a great way to spend your sea days Oh yeah, and the SPA. I love the spa! Happy sailing @idocdlw! My first TA is next year, same cruise as @JIMESOPUS. I can't wait!

I think this would depend on your ship and of course your personal preferences. Yes, you get more space with the solo inside but you can weigh out the price difference to see if that space is worth it. Some ships have studio areas in great locations on the ship, central to about everything. Do you plan to meet other solo travelers? Of course being in the studio area is where most are. I also find the studio areas to be much more peaceful. I've done both and I like both, I'd lean toward studio on a ship with a good solo setup.

I sailed the Epic in October and had some of those ports. It was the most amazing trip and honestly there is so much to do you almost can't go wrong. They know how to tour in Europe and you will see the most amazing sights... sigh.... Oh yes, so I booked a mix of ship tours and a small group company called ItalyTours.EU. Corfu - My favorite, it really took me by surprise. I booked my tour with NCL - Timeless Villages and Scenic Drive as a random pick because I was overwhelmed making decisions. It was nice and relaxed bus ride with a great story teller of a tour guide. We stopped for the most amazing fresh food at a family restaurant - I think called The Old School and we were served family style by a real family including a young boy who was so smart and so kind, teaching us about Corfu traditions. It poured rain but the island was so charming. I so long to go back for more sofrito. Sicily - Our port was changed from Messina to Catania but you may have a similar choice. I booked Discover Mt Etna & The Vineyard Of San Michele Estate through NCL - AMAZING! The luncheon the vineyard served was divine! Naples- Italy Tours - Pompeii, Sorrento, and The Almalfi Coast. The small group tour allowed us to see all three and not feel rushed, impossible with a big bus cruise ship tour. Well worth every penny and more. Livorno - Italy Tours - Florence and Pisa - These places were so much more beautiful than I ever imagined. Pisa was laid back free time to wander the square, a perfect was to spend the time. The Florence walking tour was good but the sites so amazing I barely listened. I opted to not see the real David and used my free time to wander Florence alone. I located a perfect osteria for some heavenly pasta and tiramisu. Civitavecchia - I skipped Rome fearing crowds and inability to get tickets to the major attractions due to limits and booked through NCL - Off The Beaten Path- Hilltop Towns. It was a perfect. The medieval towns were not crowded and absolutely beautiful. I swear I crossed the Grand Canyon on a footbridge to get to one of the cities 😄 I even saw a real mummy! I have no regrets skipping Rome, but shall return off-season Honestly, what made my trip completely over the top was the Epic's Thermal Suites. After a long day of hiking cobblestones, mind-blowing sights, and crazy delicious food, I'd unwind in the therapy and whirlpool, then relax on the heated lounger and reflect on my day and look through pictures. I'm already booked to go back next year 😄 No matter what your choose, have a fantastic cruise! And welcome to Cruise Critic!

I have my 1st MSC cruise booked for May and it's in an Aurea suite. I double checked my reservations to ensure my booking shows thermal suite access and it does. I also did a mock booking of the same category for my cruise and there's no mention of the thermal suites now and the price is higher than when I booked. What the heck makes it Aurea without the Aurea Spa????? Does anyone have experience with this type of change? I expect them to honor my reservation with the thermals, do I have any reason to worry that MSC will not?

No, you do not need the ship Wifi on and it will not take up your internet minutes when you use Spotify downloads. I use this on every cruise and it works perfectly. I create a playlist for every cruise and download much more than I could ever listen to. It's easy to find your downloads but you do need a subscription to Spotify to use this feature. Just don't forget to logoff of the ship internet when you are done surfing/emailing, it will get you every time.