dedalus

15 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Lets start by saying that cruising is not for everyone.  We have some friends who strongly disliked their cruise experience and say they will never cruise again.  And then there are those of us who have spent a lot of time on cruises and are completely addicted to this form of travel.

 

Specifically to the OP, we have cruised on MSC a few times (always in their Yacht Club) and really enjoyed the experience.  But this was prior to COVID and its related restrictions.  MSC is also a somewhat different experience in Europe as compared to their cruises in the Caribbean.  Europeans still love their smoking and that can be a problem on ships or even at an outdoor cafe in Paris.  Here in the USA/Canada we have fewer smokers and now do a better job enforcing anti-smoking regulations.  When we travel in Europe the smoking is really annoying but there is little that a traveler can do other then try to avoid smokers.  So in Paris it might mean dining inside a restaurant in order to avoid all the smokers that fill outdoor tables.   And the situation is no better in Italy, Spain, etc.  Trying to get lots of smokers to follow the posted rules is like herding cats although I think it is easier to deal with the cats :).

 

These days the COVID related rules that apply to cruise ships vary depending on where you embark and cruise.  Italy has some tough rules and lots of restrictions.  On the other hand, if you were to cruise out of Pireaus (Athens) to the Greek Islands you would have no restrictions as to independent travel on the islands other then following any locally imposed rules such as mask wearing in some places.  The problems you encounter with so called "bubble excursion" requirements has been publicized by the cruise lines and is usually because of requirements imposed by various governments.  There are quite a few places around the world where land travelers are free to roam and restrictions are imposed on cruisers.  I do not like these policies but that is the COVID world.   It is the same in many Caribbean ports where a person flying-in can satisfy local COVID rules (such as getting a PCR test) and be free to roam.  But cruisers coming to that same island may be further restricted.   Those that do not want to deal with these restrictions are best advised to not cruise.

 

Hank

Thank you Hank! I understand now, it is from the Italian government saying you can resume cruising from here and returning here, but under these conditions- everyone has to be tested before embarkation and before disembarkation and all tours must be bubble tours. We thought of going from Athens but it was just convenient to drive from Austria here. Anyway, all the best to all who commented!

10 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Thanks for sharing this information.  I find it troubling that the cruise line is imposing bubble excursions when the port allows tourism without restrictions.   Previously, I was pretty certain that the ship-only excursions were here only as long as needed to comply with a port's COVID protocols.   Now I'm not so sure.   

Yes, we asked the Freelance tour guide earlier here in Dubrovnik. She said a smaller French ship had no such restrictions, but other cruise lines do have.  So it seems like a choice the cruise line has made.

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Cruising is an industry where “you get what you pay for.”

For whatever reasons, you picked one of the “mass market lines” many of which often try to be “everything for everybody” at a discount price.  But, just as often, they fall far short of the mark on quality while also subjecting you to mediocre food, “nickel-diming,” thundering herds of humanity, incessant announcements, pesky photogs, questionable art auctions, uncontrolled smoking.....

And some of these mass market lines realize their shortcomings enough that they have tried to create a “ship within a ship” area in a wannabe attempt to duplicate the experience found on premium/luxury lines.

 

Bummer that you’re first cruise experience is a bust for you. But, you may want to do a bit more research and give it another try.

I guess that’s my answer really. Jan 2020 for a similar price we flew down to Mauritius and spent some 8 days at a resort with several pools and included restaurants. We sailed around the island, snorkeled, and hired a car and driver and freely explored. But you’re saying I needed to pay more to have a decent experience - therefore the “value proposition” of cruising is simply not there. We could have flown to Crete, Kos, Mykonos, Tenerife, or Mallorca and stayed in a higher quality place and been free to do what we wanted for less. Instead I’m kind of wishing I was back at work sad as it may seem.

8 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Please keep in mind that some of the restrictions you are facing are due to Covid. Once the pandemic is behind us, things will be better.

I understand, but in our excursions we’re walking among land tourists with no restrictions. A lot of it has been a failure of management to do basic planning for the number of guests they were getting…anyway i don’t want to be a bore…I’ll try to make the best of it and thanks for the comment.

7 minutes ago, isosika said:

Sounds like you ;picked the wrong cruise line.

Maybe you’re right…this one looked good from the YouTube videos from Emma and others.  I wouldn’t know as this is our first (and probably last)

I’m currently on my first cruise (on MSC from Trieste) and I’m not sure why anyone would ever choose it. It took 3-4 hours to board much of that in the sun. Then you’re not allowed to leave the ship except with their own excursion, you can’t even buy water and definitely no souvenirs from a shop. To me at least one  charm of travel is to be able to wander and discover places. Last, they don’t seem at all concerned with fire safety as there are a couple of designated smoking areas but these are ignored by both staff and cruiser. I hope it doesn’t cause a disaster some day. So anyway, can someone tell me why they would choose this over flying to a resort, exploring the island and maybe taking a ferry or charter to another? It would certainly be cheaper, better value and less trouble.