LuiK

Everything is handed to you – no guest is able to touch any food. The bakery section of the buffet has high quality freshly baked products.

This question, the need to make reservations in advance and the „only one dining per cruise“ policy for some of the restaurants were reported and discussed here over several pages and with updates from the following days:

I can only recommend to do so! But better not during the rush hours of they’re venues. After a very cold start, we had nice talks to them and they team up to „make it right“ for the guests. Even if Explora did a bad job overpromising, badly communicating and pulling up restrictions afterwards like the need for reserving tables in advance and „dine only once per cruise“, the crew on the ship does a fantastic job and tries everything possible - with a smile. The „hosts“ cannot create more space in the restaurants and are stressed when guests overrun the limited space, but what should they do about it? Explora must(!) learn from the design/planning mistakes regarding missing restaurant space and misplaced living room and bar furniture in the Med restaurant that were done with this first ship and correct the flaws with the next ships.

Just a small update to the last post about dinner: We showed up early at 6:30 at Med Yacht Club and enjoyed a nearly empty restaurant. It’s nice there, if there are just a few other guests. 🙈 The food was good and the signature dessert of the venue is an interesting composition. 👍

That the restaurants are cramped and Sakura as well as Marble were fully booked and you are only allowed to visit them once was already lengthly discussed here. The facebook opinion may be from one of the „invited“ guests. 🤣

Here I am and I already posted many observations & opinions in the other topics.

Sorry I am not counting statistics nor searching for the rare exceptions or give quotable statements. It’s just my casual observation that I almost exclusively see nicely dressed cruisers on Explora. At dinnertime there are men with and without jackets but in good shirts (with collar) - not polos nor t-shirts. The exceptions I noticed were groups of TA and Influencers filming themself during nonsense talking… Maybe this was not observable during the free of charge „Travel Influencer Precruise“ in the absence of regular customers. 🤣 Just have a look at people in the restaurant of your local golf club and a McDonalds „Restaurant“ – you will spot a huge difference in attire. I like both but would not dare to show up with my t-shirt and shorts combo to the Explora buffet.

Like I said. You will not see t-shirts or shorts (much). Almost nobody looks shabby. People who pay 1.000 Euros per night know how to look decent. Even I try to fit in 😉

I would state, that the dresscode is casual up to smart casual outside of the pool areas. You only see a few (obviously) non paying guests in less than that like wearing shorts and t-shirts…

English - and that’s sufficient!

Perfect time. They open at 6:30. Also at the left side there is more space than on the right side. Sakura has the best duck I had in my life (duck leg confit). You should also try the black angus teriyaki steak and the 72 hour panang beef – both are magnificent… Just perfect!

Bar Menus EXI_ASTERN_LOUNGE.pdf EXI_ASTERN_POOLBAR.pdf EXI_ATOLL_POOLBAR.pdf EXI_CREMA_CAFE_digital.pdf EXI_EXPLORA_LOUNGE.pdf EXI_Gelateria_Creperie_Menu.pdf EXI_HELIOS_POOLBAR.pdf EXI_JOURNEYS_LOUNGE.pdf EXI_LOBBY_BAR.pdf EXI_MALT_WHISKY.pdf EXI_SKY_BAR_ON_14.pdf EXI_THE_CONSERVATORY.pdf

Restaurant Menus EXI_FIL_ROUGE_Breakfast.pdf EXI_FIL_ROUGE_Dinner.pdf EXI_IN-SUITE_DINING.pdf EXI_MARBLE-CO_Dessert_Menu.pdf EXI_MARBLE-CO_Dining_Menu.pdf EXI_MED_YACHT_CLUB_Bar_Menu.pdf EXI_MED_YACHT_CLUB_Dinner_Menu.pdf EXI_MED_YACHT_CLUB_Lunch_Menu.pdf EXI_SAKURA_Dinner_Menu.pdf EXI_SAKURA_Lunch_Menu.pdf EXI_SAKURA_SUSHI_Dinner_Menu.pdf

Crêperie, Buffet, In-Room and Sakura are magnificent. But Sakura is also very cramped, be there early or very late… Rush hour there is a nightmare. We finished fast and had just a short impression how loud and packed it is at main dining time. Fil Rouge was mediocre. The Beef Wellington had the size of a coin but was ok. I compensated with three good desserts. Med Yacht Club was overcrowded, too cramped and too loud – we left before ordering something. Marble Steak House was closed due to an accidental activation of the sprinkler system and then closed due to private TA meetings.

How should it be resolved that for over 900 guests there are only approximately 100 seats at Sakura and Marble… and even with all other restaurants approximately 300 people have to end up in the buffet each night? It‘s a design flaw of the ship! And even if they cramp the restaurants to the last seat it is no fun, when you have to share tables at a (not so) luxury cruise. On the German website of Explora there is no information about mandatory reservations for restaurants and that you are only allowed to dine once in Sakura and Marble. People were rushing to reserve seats after boarding or managed to reserve onshore – I don't know and I don't care. We pay 1.000 Euro per night. You can get the buffet on MSC and waiting for seated dining in queues for less than 100 Euro per night. When we want to dine in a seated setting, we will get that and will not end up in the buffet because of Explora‘s mismanagements and misplannings – if a table looks available we will make a scene until we are seated. End of story. Here are the opening hours:

We are on the inaugural. The dining situation is a mess and worse than on any budget cruiseline. You are allowed to visit Sakura (asian) and Marble (steakhouse) only once! And all available tables were reserved in advance. Med Club is without reservation but you have to wait in queues. We waited about 30 minutes. Inside it was extremely cramped and loud (no acoustic panels/ceilings, glossy surfaces). There are lounge style tables consuming the space which would be needed for regular dinnertables and adequate spacing in between. Total planning/design desaster. The breadcrumbs from the neighbors 10 cm from you will land on your table. We left this sh**show before ordering anything. On the second day we insisted to dine in Sakura - after some back and forth we were allowed to do so. The food and service there were magnificent!

I dont know what MSC is charging, but if anyone want to go from Kiel Train Main Station (Kiel Hbf) to "Ostuferhafen" cheaply, just take Bus "60S" to "Schwentinestraße", pay 2,40 Euro p.P. to the driver and walk 500 meter to the terminal. If you start from Hamburg Airport, you may use the "Kielius" bus service from Hamburg Airport to "Kiel Hbf" for 22,50 Euro. In total you will save half the price but have to change the bus at Kiel Hbf and have to walk 500 meter.

Depends on the ship. On older vessels other paper/plastic cards work, on newer vessels only any (old) MSC cruise card with RFID will do the trick. So keep your old cruise cards…

Here you have the only - and in any case - correct answer… again. 🫡 No one here can "confirm" what you will get, as MSC has apparently been fiddling with the small print and the acknowledgement of packages at Hola! for the last few weeks and it seems to be an ongoing process.

Hola 🙂 Nobody can give you any useful information because it may change from one day to another. Have fun reading this thread: A few weeks ago the basic/plain/classic Margarita was included on MSC Grandiosa as well as on MSC World Europa. If you order a flavor other than Classic, they might want to charge you. But the only way to be sure for you is to go to Hola! once on board of MSC Seascape and ask the staff. Any information from last week may be obsolete. And even if you do ask if your drinks package applies - ask again for each drink you order. We were told by the waiter that our package was valid at Hola! and then they tried to charge us afterward because one drink (Don Pedro in our case) was allegedly a special Hola! drink, which (arguably) may not covered by any drink package, even if it was covered a week earlier on another MSC ship. The same shell game trick was applied to margaritas in flavors other than classic. Have fun with MSC. 😉

I just went to the MSC website and there is no exclusion for Hola!, nor is there an exclusion in the description of the Premium Extra Drink Package if I book it right now for a future cruise in the "my bookings" section of the MSC website. This part of the small print seems to vary from regional MSC website to regional MSC website. So again: The point is that cruisers should be aware and warned that MSC is currently accepting the Premium Extra Drink Package (Yacht Club Drink Package) in Hola! on some ships, but not on others, and that sometimes some of the drinks may or may not be included in the package (and maybe depending on the flavor of syrup, sometimes plain/vanilla is free at some drinks, sometimes not), and that on some regional MSC websites the description may state that the drink packages mentioned may or may not be applicable at Hola! and that sometimes Hola! is a "specialty restaurant" covered by your package but at the same time may or may not be a "signature venue" that might not be covered. So be prepared to receive a bill for your drinks even though you have bought a drinks package. Therefore, whenever you order a drink at Hola!, ask the waiter whether your drink request could possibly be covered by their sinfully expensive Premium Extra Drinks Package and (important!) in which flavor. Good luck, happy cruisers: Nothing is more consistent than the inconsistency of MSC Cruises! 🤪

Is that an official document from MSC? Source? The official site (current one!) for the Drink Packages does not list any exception for Hola!: https://www.msccruises.com/en-gl/Discover-MSC/On-Board/All-Inclusive-Packages.aspx On the official MSC Website USA and Europe Hola! is listed as a "Specialty Restaurant": https://www.msccruisesusa.com/on-board/dining-drinks/dining-packages-specialty-restaurants and https://www.msccruises.de/an-bord/speisen-und-getraenke/restaurantpakete-und-spezialitaetenrestaurants The Waiters have "specialty" name tags, not "signature" nobody on board mentioned anything about Hola! to be a Signature Venue nowadays, instead referred Hola! only as a Specialty Restaurant - even the Manager was not aware about this possible new excuse and we used the Diamond Specialty Dining perk, which was always and is as today accepted at Hola! - not any non-existing Signature Venue Perk... 🤪 But you might suggest that new trick to MSC. Maybe they will grab it and make other Specialty Restaurants or even the Buffet a "Signature Venue" and the overpriced Drink Packages for will only be usable at one beverage dispensing kiosk within the MDR. 🤑

That is not true. Hola is not a signature venue, it is a speciality restaurant. Read here: https://m.msccruises.com/en-gl/Mobile/About-MSC/News/MSC-Virtuosa-Dining-Offering.aspx If it where a signature venue you could not use the Diamond Speciality Restaurant perk there - what you can do and what we did.

Just have a look at the MSC website: https://www.msccruises.com/en-gl/Discover-MSC/On-Board/All-Inclusive-Packages.aspx "Includes all beverages priced up to €14 / $16! [...] The Premium Extra Package can be enjoyed in our bars, buffet, main restaurant and specialty restaurants as well [...]" The Manager argued that every specialty restaurant can exclude special drinks from the coverage of the Premium Extra Package and all the drinks from the Hola Menu are not included except for the Margarita but only the standard Margarita flavor, not if you choose mango for example. It was handled differently one week earlier at MSC Grandiosa. The fun part is, that a vanilla Don Pedro was included at MSC Grandiosa but not at MSC World Europa just one week later and the manager claimed Don Pedro was never included on World Europa (in any flavor) and it is not possible that it is on MSC Grandiosa... Just the old MSC story: Every Ship has its own rules. Ok, that Cocktails depending on the taste of the syrup are included or not included even if they are covered by the written rules of the Drink Package anyway should be (not) funny enough. 🤪

Be aware, that the "Premium Extra Package" which is the Yacht Club Drink Package, does not include many drinks at specialty restaurants, despite the written rules for the Premium Extra Package state it otherwise. So better ask before every order if the drink you desire is included - or be prepared to fight for your rights, when the bill will be presented to you. For example, at Hola Tacos, only the standard Margarita is included. If you want one of the flavored Margaritas from the menu, you will be charged the full price. Also, the "Don Pedro" Cocktail (vanilla) was to be charged at its full price of est. 8 Euro on our recent trip with the MSC World Europa. At MSC Grandiosa one week earlier, it was covered by the package if you chose to order it with vanilla flavor - other flavors like chocolate were not included. We politely declined to sign the unexpectedly presented bill because of our "Premium Extra Package". A Manager appeared, we gave him the fine print of the Premium Extra Package to read. He said he has different instructions. We declined again to sign the bill, he argued it will be charged anyway, we said that we will then file a Credit Card Chargeback regarding the amount in question and left the Restaurant. The (not) included drinks were never billed to our cabin... Learning: Next time, we will bring our own drinks to the Diamond-Perk-Specialty-Dining on our next trip. No need to argue then...