Mattnvick

6 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

That particular poster has always had an issue with me lol  🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bea - they walk among us 😉

7 minutes ago, Frode said:

Is this OP (Beamafar) some kind of a Messiah....or what? 

If that was sarcasm it was unwarranted.

There are many of us on here that benefitted greatly over the years from Bea's MSC experience and valuable information. 

Those kind of comments are unwarranted and not needed. You do yourself a disservice!

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

🤣🤣  I didn't see that!

My plate

 

 

DH's plate

 

 

 

Curried chicken with pineapple, raisins and mixed greens.

Hey what's  a purple leaf between friends. Looks great and im sure tasted even better.

 Also was that really Ranch cause here in Canada ours would be white in colour and that colour would be French. Ordering a starter is like a mine field with translation. 😱

However that aside i still love MSC and their food. I miss Seaside and am looking fwd to May. 

26 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

So ... we are now one week onboard and I can honestly say that we would have no hesitation in booking a YIN again!

 

Today's lunch menu 

 

 

 

Not sure i'd be enticed by"grey" shallots........😏  shame as the rest of that dish sounded pretty good. 

4 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

There are no TVs in the Sports Bar and no rugby being shown on the cabin TV.

No tv's in the sports bar? Thats an intersting concept. Pool table? Dart boards? Enjoy your first morning Bea hope the colours when you arrive in Canada are still stunning. We have really seen them change in the last week but Ontario is a little further south. Fingers crossed for you. 

Watching too on the web cam look a beautiful night in NYC. Wishing you and Mr Bea smooth sailing, calm seas and a great cruise altogether. Enjoy my adopted country this week. 

5 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

All's (relatively) good now, thankfully.  DH got the medication he needs to continue with the treatment and is feeling a lot better.

Thats the most important Bea but also happy to hear that thanks to good company you also both managed a reasonably good cruise despite all the trials and tribulations. Inwards and upwards

Im very late to this i hesitate to use the word "party" as there were obviously some stressful times. 

I had seen the heading but hadn't looked too closely at who had started it and the tonight when i  had more time i looked in and realised it was Bea on the Seaview.

I thought this looks great and settled in for a good read. Then i kept reading amd realised it was not going to be all fun and sun on the Seaside sister ship. 

Bea so sorry reading how your week unfolded and anniversary to boot. 😢Hope the journey home wasnt too arduous on your husband or yourself.

Wishing him a speedy recovery from the infection. Someone said you have another cruise booked? Good something to look forward to. 

Have to say though i learned something - although i knew they had a Dr on board i had no idea they would do all the nebulizer and ECG stuff. 

3 minutes ago, exm said:

Then for the next 2 hours we were blasted in 5 languages about 'options' we needed to make before 11PM (I will leave out the fact that my 3 young kids stayed awake because all of these messages)

So you wanted it only in English and if you didnt speak English then to hell with you, you dont deserve to know and my kids need to sleep???

Is that what you are saying??? Cause it sure sounds like it. 

Wow. Unbelievable

Any sympathy i may have had just disappeared right there. With that attitude you probably shouldn't have even been on MSC -  an Italian cruise line - and it looks like you  didn't do your homework as any one who did knows the announcements are given in multiple languages. 

2 minutes ago, CruiseLand said:

Whoever thinking of book the new cruise with MSC please think twice before you book it. It is cheap cruise but you definitely get for what you pay for or get less for what you pay for. It was not worth it for us.

Just curious do you consider Norwegian cheap (as in dollars)?

Having sailed with them i certainly do not. They were telling pax at 11pm on Saturday night when POM was already closed to come to the port next day at 9am to board their ship for a cruise.

Is that any better?

As i said every time each cruise line seems to handle it differently sometimes better sometimes worse.

There is no consistency with any major cruise line out there.

Thats a bigger issue in my mind than anything else.  You could pay a lot more money and be treated the same or worse. You could pay less and be treated better. Or it could all be the complete opposite.

Thats why im loyal to no one. 

13 minutes ago, spearnreel said:

Ratio is 1:1,000. As in we will always have 1 negative opinion on the food, the shows, the room temp, the whatever's and in this case, how the guests feel things should have transpired during the eye of this storm. The other 1,000 satisfied guests mostly stay happy and quiet. I was on the Irma cruise on Divina and MSC couldn't have been more professional and accommodating during the rather difficult and challenging time. Life is so much better when we can focus on all the great positive things going on around us instead of nitpicking the very tiny things we decide to take issue with.

I was interested with all those complaining and saying how horrendous MSC was and how great NCL was doing what was happening on their board.

Whoa.........talk about a "brown" show. A guy booked in the haven supposed to be sailing yesterday (1st) was still being told at 11pm the night before to go to the port for 9am as his sailing on Breakaway was going ahead.

I actually think POM was closed at that point??.....people on board had their arrival time changed 4 x and now they are going to NOLA!!  When someone asked guest services about their car being in Miami the response was get a flight back there and see after if they will reimburse you.....

So in that context MSC did quite well. It seems every hurricane is handled differently by cruise lines.

As you said theu handled it well when you were on Divina. RCI did crap regards Liberty over the storm that slammed Texas a couple of years ago. This time they did very well. 

There seems to be no consistency.

8 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I marked approximate location of Ocean Cay in blue. This puts it in the 'moderate' rain amounts.

 

Thank you. Selfish i know to be even be thinking of Ocean Cay when all these people in other Bahamian Islands are preparing for the storm of their lives. I was just curious. Im guessing at some point down the line MSC may issue an update on how it fared. 

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

My info is coming from CC and Facebook so obviously not vetted for accuracy. 

 

1- I think MSc entered POM with the best intention as I believe they thought the port would close. At that time, Pom went from “whiskey” to “X-ray” warnings quickly in preparation for closing, but I don’t believe Pom ever definitely stated they would actually close- it just looked that way.  Here is where MSc dropped the ball. They were very specific with their letters stating seaside would sail back out Friday night to ride out the storm, leaving no room for a change of  plans.

 

2- ncl sky also entered POM Friday morning under the same situation. Like seaside, passengers could leave the sky or stay onboard. The original letters to sky guests were similar to those given to seaside passengers. However as the dynamic scene progressed, it seems the sky passengers had better updates allowing more time and information to work with.

 

3- at 11:30am (Friday), a ncl guests posted that were informed  the sky would be overnighting in Miami. Guests could debark early, but everyone needed to be gone sat morning to load all the aug 31 people (new cruise). They planned to sail out of Miami as scheduled (albeit early) on Saturday. I don’t believe seaside guests received the same information until much later Friday evening.

 

I have empathy for those who were onboard seaside. Having been on Divina with a medical emergency which put us back in Miami several hours late, I can say from personal experience that communication was sorely lacking (and we were in YC). Many guests missed flights that day. Had they had detailed information earlier some of the tension could have been avoided.

 

i also sympathize with the cruise lines. Dorian has not behaved consistently. Lines seem to be learning as they go along. A few years ago, rcl made an absolute mess of an arrival in Galveston. They were MUCH better this year dealing with Dorian. MSc did a great job dealing with Irma- but may have dropped the communication ball with Dorian.

 

Carnival brought in their ship yesterday evening to disembark pax. They requested permission to stay overnight in port and board pax for the new cruise today - that was in their announcement.

It was denied and also denied boarding new pax  last night so they had to leave. That announcement followed a while later.

Pax already in Miami waiting to get on are having to either camcel or wait til it comes back for a shortened cruise.

Every cruise line was just trying to deal with what info they had available. Im sure they were all scrambling. No good scenario for anyone.

6 minutes ago, CruisingFox27 said:

 

Eyewall has reached the Abaco Islands with wind speeds of 175mph. Incomprehensible!

Thoughts with all of those in the path.

Brutal. Do you know had far those islands are from Ocean Cay? 

1 hour ago, CruisingFox27 said:

 

Thanks for the update, stay safe.

POM is now apparently closed to incoming ships. Seaside departed early evening yesterday, ahead of her scheduled departure time. Hopefully all of the passengers were able to board for their cruise.

Closed and Dorian just been upgraded to a CAT 5. No- one seemd to think or contemplate  this would happen. 4 is bad enough. This is a monster and i hope everyone in its path is safe. Not looking good for the Bahamas 😢😢

10 minutes ago, CruiseLand said:

You can say that since you was not on the ship.

I can catergorically say had i been on the ship and MSC had given me 100 refund and private jet home i would be doing a happy dance.

However i am a realist and know that wouldnt happen.  

Having said that i can also categorically tell you had i  been on this sailing ,  had 6 days having fun but then  realised  that millions of people are about to get slammed by a major cat 4 hurricane and could lose everything, I would have happily slept on the airport floor if it meant i could get on a flight out of what is going to become a diaster zone and get home safely. 

6 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

No matter what the cruise lines do in situations like this, they’re going to piss off 50% of the passengers. They are between a rock and a hard place in a no win situation.

That's probably the most bang on thing  ive read on the thread. 

Only way that wouldnt be true is if MSC had said  "we are going to give everyone who sailed for 6 days 100% of your cruise fare back and a bathtub of booze we have left over and fly you all home on a personal jet." Even then i guarantee some one would say but what about the  unused fun pass money will i be credited for that as well. 😉

2 minutes ago, CruiseLand said:

MSC chose to do something benefit themself instead of their customers. 

Difference between a privately owned company and a company that has to answer to share holders.

No one forces you to sail with MSC you pay your money (usually many dollars cheaper) and you make your choice. Sometimes it works out well and sometimes it doesnt unfortunately. 

Next time you can cross them off your list and sail with a line that you prefer. Happy cruising. 

12 minutes ago, CruisingFox27 said:

Why didn't POM issue an update which allowed time for passenger decisions Friday and time to disembark before US Customs closed? In the circumstances why wasn't there provision for US Customs to operate extended hours i.e. Friday afternoon?

 

Thats the million dollar question for which you will unlikely ever get a definitive  answer except probably we do what we want " becasue we can"..... Not helpful but probably the truth.  

29 minutes ago, TrinaLC said:

 Should have said those who elect to stay will likely head out to sea until x/date, although subject to change depending on storm trajectory and decisions of POM and US Customs authorities

Italian translation?? Maybe they need a different proof reader to make sure that the language or nuances aren't misconstrued. 😉😉😉

https://m.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Mobile/About-MSC/News/Tropical-storm-Dorian.aspx

Latest update (6am) for Seaside and Armonia

2 hours ago, UPNYGuy said:

cruise lines do not have to provide compensation for port substitutions. In this instance, overnighting in Miami was just that. A port substitution.

I would agree with that IF when arriving in Miami this morning passengers were able to come and go as they pleased as you are on a scheduled port stop.

As i understand they were not.

They either opted to leave in which case it was bye bye take your luggage as you wont be allowed back or you had to stay on. 

Therein lies the difference.

Slightly off topic but what is the ship in front of Carnival (or behind depending on your pov as Carnival is pointing the wrong way in the basin😏) and the ship behind Seaside - the one behind Seaside looks like an NCL? on the POM webcam. And are they scheduled to be there or have also arrived early?

12 minutes ago, DMage said:

 

MSC hasn't yet announced that its leaving today. Only that it will leave when the port closes, which the deadline has not yet been set. In fact their website states it will be departing tomorrow. MSC is expecting an update at noon, as is the coast guard regarding port status.

 

Last update:

 

Update: August 30, 2019 9:30 am (EST): 
 
Hurricane  Dorian Update:  
As the safety and security of our guests and crew is MSC Cruises’ top priority, we are closely monitoring Hurricane Dorian, which could have an impact on two of our scheduled Caribbean cruises departing from Miami.
 
MSC Seaside is currently scheduled to depart PortMiami, tomorrow, Saturday, August 31 and MSC Armonia is currently scheduled to depart PortMiami on Monday, September 2. While at this time neither of these cruises have been cancelled, guests scheduled to embark on either ship are encouraged to check this page regularly for updates. MSC Cruises will update itinerary details for both ships upon receiving information related to the status of PortMiami.
 
Please note, as Hurricane Dorian approaches, the MSC Cruises USA office will have limited staff. We encourage you to please check this web site for all updates, rather than calling our contact center.
 
MSC Cruises’ next update will be at 12 pm on August 30.  

 

 

....."I am currently on the MSC Seaside.  We have arrived at the Port of Miami and those who wish to disembark are free to do so and those who do not wish to disembark can stay.   Once everything is loaded onboard, we are headed out".....

The above quote  intimates they are leaving today. I would say the announcement came from the captain and i would go with that as to what will happen rather than the updates that can be out of date very soon after they are posted. 

But we will see. That's just my thought. The 1230 bulletin will be interesting

33 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Here is a good article listing each of the airlines changes also. Since the governor has officially issued a state of emergency, most airlines are waiving change fees. Em: you may want to get ahead of this with flight changes as there are quite a few ships in southern florida Sunday-Tuesday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/29/travel/hurricane-dorian-travel.html

 

Port of Miami Schedule:

 

Port EVerglades:

Right off the bat i can see this schedule is not correct. Unless its been updated anticipating when Seaside will come BACK to a  reopened POM which is unlikely as the thing isn't supposed to hit mainland US  until Monday at the earliest.  Her regular sailing day is a Saturday so this week  it would be Saturday August 31st.