peder

I would like to book connecting YC cabins on the Virtuosa for 5 people in total (with 3 younger kids), but (and this is a common problem in any class of cabin with MSC) the only connecting cabins in YC are for 4 people, meaning I'd need 8 total in my party to be able to book the 2 connecting cabins. Adjoining cabins do not work for us, we need connecting.

How do folks work around this? Is this something MSC customer service would handle?

That's not correct. The cruise lines charge what they can charge. Regardless of the amenities onboard.

In Disney's case, the simplest explanation for why consumers continue to pay Disney prices, is that people will stand in line for an hour on a short 3-day cruise just to get a photo with a Disney princess. The brand appeal is that strong with Disney.

But for anyone that's not a Disney fanatic, their prices are absurd.

I've been on the Seascape sold out BTW, and it's manageable. First day the buffet is bonkers, then things settle down. I would probably only sail Aurea or Yacht Club to have the private enclaves, but I don't think you'll have any trouble finding quieter spaces if you're willing to walk around a bit.

I didn't look into your specific sail dates, but it's been pretty common for the Seascape to be sailing completely sold out.

We did Concierge on the Wish, thought it was wildly overpriced / significantly less value than MSC Yacht Club. One and done with Disney Cruise Line for us.

Also agreed that Royal with Icon is ludicrous. A non-suite option for our family isn't much cheaper than a 1-bedroom Concierge stateroom on the Wish on a per-day basis.

Not many threads about sailings out of South America, even with MSC running 5 ships down there this winter. I'm not seeing many posts on Facebook either... are folks using other social media sites or message boards to discuss MSC cruises below the equator?

Curious about the New Years cruise on the Grandiosa. Wondering where the ship docks at Copacabana, for instance.

15 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

The top brass was on with family.

Hey, whatever works, right? 😅

Definitely reading some better reviews for Seashore after their awful start in Port Canaveral. Glad they've figured things out.

Just the Seascape moving to Galveston, or will they add a 2nd ship there as well?

I can't imagine there's enough variety of itineraries that are possible to accommodate 2 ships.

Exactly, the name would make no sense without the spa package.

You're not the only one that's sailed on a completely full Seascape

I had seen something about this cruise being canceled on the FB groups. I assume other cruises must also be canceled if the repositioning cruise is canceled?

20 minutes ago, jmsnyc said:

My cruise is sold out.   The buffet is crowded all times so there is no timing it.   The conveyor belt didn't look so good and the sushi sits on those plates quite a long time

 

I just think tacos should not be surcharged.  It may not be the same now but I remember Johnny Rockets on Royal included

And seat selection shouldn't be charged for basic economy on an airplane. Just the way it is.

But at least in my experience, for near identical staterooms and itineraries, Royal would cost my family 2-3x as much, and even with the nickel and diming we're still way ahead with MSC.

5 hours ago, jmsnyc said:

Haven't watched the video but YES.. It is chaotic.  The buffet is overcrowded and lines are unbearable.  Tough to find a table.   Have to sit at dirty tables and move food to window sill.   Never msc again!

 

And the food is crap compared to every other cruise I've been on

 

And I'm posting while on board the Seascape 

Agreed, but also just a matter of finding the right times and right food items. If you can time things so you're not there at rush, you can basically have the buffet to yourself, and the selection of meats, cheese, fruit, bread, and pizza all tend to be very good.

Also the prices at Hola and Venchi are very reasonable, same with the sushi conveyor belt. Can make the entire trip a lot more enjoyable if you drop in to these places.

11 hours ago, Husky1987 said:

I feel like a high school level economics class with a section on supply and demand should be mandated before anyone can post on CC.

The question is how are consumers affording this?

There's no more cash-out refinancing, stock market has been less consistent (and many even relatively recently took big losses when re-allocating to fixed incomes with high interest rates), and many consumers are feeling the squeeze from many directions.

It's just bizarre to me that cruise prices are exploding when it seems like there'd be a lot of pressure for the opposite.

And actually, Cruise Radio covered several interruptions here: https://cruiseradio.net/severe-weather-causes-disruptions-miami-cruise-port-reopens/?

Definitely not fair to say these were MSC-specific issues.

The NCL Prima, a cousin of sorts of the Seashore, has had some issues with high winds, breaking free from its moorings one time in Belgium. Maybe something about the shape of the ships is more prone to issues with windy weather, or at least warrants extra caution.

And I had posted this on Facebook as well, but MSC wasn't the only line in Florida to make change; Holland America postponed Nieuw Amsterdam's arrival in Port Everglades.

https://cruiseradio.net/severe-weather-delays-cruise-ship-back-to-florida/

I see inventory on the French MSC website for a cruise we're interesting in that does not have availability in the US. I am not a French resident, only US, but is there anything I can do to book these cabins? Curious if anyone has had any luck with MSC and pulling inventory from one region to another.

They're already changing the Feb 14th sailing? Didn't they just announce it?

Sounds like absolutely nothing is showing improvement on the Seashore at Port Canaveral.

How can customers even make any plans with Explora? I was about to book (and went as far as getting a hold on two cabins), but now leaning toward letting that option pass and saving myself from future frustration should they redeploy yet again.

Also I'm worried that they'll make cost-cutting decisions, meaning that even if my sailing did proceed as planned, it's too far out for me to have any confidence that the product will still be the same thing they're promoting today.

Answering my own question because I had just looked the other day and yes, all the Red Sea cruises are now repositioned to the Miami + San Juan areas. Big change.

2 hours ago, frankhi said:

Looks like Explora 1 is back in the Caribbean for winter 2024-25 and on sale.

Did this just change?

Did you end up booking? I'm having trouble finding much info about the Bellissima's jaunt around Asia. I assume different social media apps are used, but you'd struggle to even know this ship is in operation based on how little info there is out there.

2 hours ago, quattrohead said:

Seaxxxx class ships might be bigger overall, but they are ridiculously tiny inside, horrible design. I will take any other ship over these.

Only spent 4 days on Meraviglia but it was very easy to use and enjoy.

I meant crowded outside by the pool areas, despite the Seaside class ships have the highest percentage of outdoor space in MSC's fleet (similar to the Prima/Viva and a few other ships designed in the same era). I never experienced any crowding inside.