chefchick

We are not new to cruising and not new to additional tipping on cruise ships, but I am a little confused. Boarding the new Seascape on the 18th…we will be in the YC. I realize with daily gratuities all ready paid, no additional tipping is “required” but if we feel that our butler, for example, or a regular bartender warrants additional gratuities how does one go about distributing that when MSC specifically states that “tipping individuals is discouraged”. I know we could leave cash for the butler in our cabin upon disembarkation discreetly but what about others we may feel made our vacation special. We are not the types to be palming cash or making a big deal out of handing envelopes on the last night. We are adults and I’m sure we will figure it out, but I am curious how others discreetly distribute additional tips on board? And is it really true that tips generally would be turned down, or worse, could actually put crew in an uncomfortable situation? That is obviously the last thing we would want to do.

Thank you so much for posting the dailies.

When it comes down to it..this is one person’s opinion, determine what is important to YOU and decide from there. If we were only allowed to state what we liked about any cruise, then there would be no CRITIC in cruise critic. I have been cruising for over 30 years, there is always something to love and something to hate….the sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle. We will be taking our first VV cruise next week and from ALL the info I have gathered from here and elsewhere, I will make up my own mind…but I suspect I will enjoy my cruise as I have enjoyed all my cruises, but I appreciate those who take the time, like the OP, to give their opinion. 🥂

Thank you for this info…guess we will have to play it by ear. We have a “reserved” 10:00 disembarkation time from the Scarlet Lady and a 11:00 YC embarkation time for Seascape. Even if we are late getting off Virgin since we are already in port, we can’t possibly be any closer…I’m not worried about making sail away, just trying to make it as seamless as possible. I’m frankly looking forward to comparing the two experiences…I know they will be different, but I am expecting both to be a great time. Happy Holidays.

Does anyone know if there is a “special” menu for Christmas Day or Christmas Eve?

Piggybacking on tiki-man’s question….do all MSC ships use the same terminal in Miami? We will be taking a Virgin Scarlet lady cruise next month (so terminal V) and disembarking the same day as embarking on a MSC Seascape cruise. We are hoping to be able to walk with our luggage between terminals/ships. I’ve read that MSC often uses terminal E which is close by, but does anyone have first hand knowledge or will that info be on my cruise docs?

I prefer to dress for dinner every night….but that is just my preference. What I don’t understand is when people say it’s the Caribbean, I’ll be too hot to wear pants/formal dress/etc…are these people strictly eating outside? The ship is always air conditioned, and that includes the MDRs…why are you all so hot? 😎

Thanks for the replies. I’ve decided to stay at a MCO property and take the shuttle on cruise day. It will save me about $100 overall and I can get a full park day out of my Saturday ticket at Disney.

Sorry if this gets a little long, but here goes. Traveling to Orlando for a quick WDW vacation prior to boarding the NCL Prima in Port Canaveral. Flying in evening of Wednesday 1/25 and checking into Coronado springs resort on property. Have reservations and park hopper tickets for Thurs, Fri & Sat. The cruise starts on Sunday 1/29. My “plan” currently is to enjoy the parks, check out of the resort and storing my bags on Saturday enjoying one more park day, then calling an Uber or getting a transfer (Contrans or similar) Saturday afternoon to a hotel booked near Port Canaveral (Towneplace Suites @ a cost of $300, which is pretty standard currently) Then, it’s a quick Uber ride to the port on Sunday. My limited research shows that a Uber would cost approx $100 from WDW to PC hotel and Contrans doesn’t show picks ups from Disney but maybe others do? Alternatively, I could book a hotel near the airport Saturday (currently looking a bit cheaper) so I could spend more time at the park on Saturday and possibly have more options for transfers either from airport hotels or even from airport itself (which also seem a little less expensive than the Uber option). I assume getting to the port the day of from the MCO area is pretty standard so I’m not worried about that, per say, Question is…what would you do? I am solo. I am not interested in renting a car. In both scenarios there is transportation needed from WDW to another hotel, then the transfer to the port on Sunday. I also thought about adding the Saturday to my current WDW reservation pkg. but that would cost approximately $1000 more so not an option even though that would be the “easiest” solution. So, looking for your opinions. Have you used services like Contrans or others from MCO area hotels? How about UBER from WDW? Is there really much risk involved in getting transportation to the port on the day of embarkation? Is trying to squeeze a little more magic out of my Saturday worth not being near the port? I’d appreciate your input and actual experiences. Thank you in advance.

I boarded the Bliss just last month. It was my first sailing as a Platinum and I was excited to get priority boarding….The whole embarkation process was one of the worst I have ever seen (the worse being another boarding in San Pedro on another line so maybe it’s the port)? Anyway, other than signs and an area for Haven cabins, there was NO signage for any other priority. I asked several people and got no response other than wait in the main line…most had no idea what I was even talking about. Frustrated, I stood in the main line that took about an hour to get thru. Don’t get me started with the clusterf#&@k that was the NCL airport shuttle at LAX. Not a great way to start a cruise. Hopefully your experience will be a better one.

Your videos are great! Boarding the Seascape in December (in the YC) and would love to see some daily schedules if you can…thanks!

We are embarking 12/18-26…I don’t think I’ve ever sailed a ship this “new” as I know there are usually kinks to be worked out, but as our schedules opened up and the planets aligned 😎, we have decided to kick a traditional Christmas to the curb and fly cross country to take side to side cruises on the Virgin Voyage’s Scarlet Lady..disembark and take a short stroll to embark on the Seascape. I am hoping for a joyous holiday aboard her.

They often have “bulk” reservation times on embarkation day at the social or in one of the specialty restaurants for shows prior to when the box office is open..currently is this still the case? I really want to make sure I secure a reservation for SIX…what is my best option?

God, I hope it’s still on….it’s the main reason I am boarding this Sunday. Yep, I love the shows that much. Some pick cruise lines depending on wether they serve Coke or Pepsi products, so don’t judge me. 😜

I will be boarding the Bliss this Sunday !! Be sure to make reservations for shows (if that is a priority, and it should be as they have two great ones plus comedy, etc) as soon as you board..they have not been available to book pre cruise. Bliss has one of the nicer thermal suites (IMO) so if you’ve been thinking about a spa package that includes the salt room, then make reservations as soon as possible because it can sell out.

Great lists…I use many of these items. As non tech savvy as I am, I love that my phone has now replaced my: 1) flashlight 2) alarm clock 3) white noise machine (with calm app) 4) boom box (don’t worry, I keep my music down or put in my headphones and have my own silent disco in my cabin)

I tend to take a cruise every year at this time (happy birthday to ME 🥂). Living in Seattle, I had planned to take a “repositioning” cruise on her way to San Pedro, but it was not offered. Therefore, I am boarding the Bliss on the 30th. I assume they are using that time for a quick refresh or perhaps to give the crew a short break or even to bring more crew on for the winter season? it’s a good question though….I’m just so excited to be boarding her in 6 days!

I will be boarding October 30th….can you let us know what shows might be available and if there is any crowding in the venues? I realize that Haven guests get priority but I am assuming that capacity is nearing normal numbers and am curious if the venues will feel full during shows, etc. Hope you have a wonderful time.

I have been to all three and have good and not so good experiences at all (depending not only on the ship but depending on the chef/servers on any given sailing). My favorite is Le Bistro but I prefer French cuisine and the overall more formal ambiance. I think food is WAY too subjective to get a real sense of what YOU might like by polling random strangers on this forum. My hope is that you will enjoy all three.

Fine, would that make a difference?

To the OP- As to whether bringing an instrument onboard is allowed you may have to verify that with NCL directly…whether she SHOULD or not…I tend to agree with the crowd. Your wife might have a lovely voice and might be a very talented musician but there are very few places onboard where she could play privately and not disturb others. This isn’t a private yacht and folks need to remember you are sharing space on everyone’s vacation. I feel the same way about balcony smokers, people who have full blown conversations during live performances and the yahoos who take over the pool We are all on a cruise to have fun but your fun and my fun might look different.

Just off the NS today….great cruise and I certainly had my fill of cocktails, but the bourbon supply was not great ( but I made do)😜. The biggest “problem” I saw was the weird Canadian maritime rule of only one bar open per deck while in port. As a port intensive itinerary this meant that there was often no convenient bars open for pre dinner drinks and the poor servers had to scramble to the far reaches of the ship to serve everyone. Again, not complaining, it was a great cruise and the crew was outstanding.

Plllleeeaaassseee….Onda butterscotch bundino….you’ll thank me later.😜

On the subject of cocktails…boarding the NS tomorrow. I like a VERY dry martini, or a (not too sweet) old fashion- is finding the right bartender more of a priority than the right “bar”? Also, I prefer Belvedere or Grey Goose for vodka and Buffalo Trace or Woodford for bourbon, are these available under the HIA package and for those of you who have sailed recently, available readily on board? I sailed Royal Caribbean recently where they were literally out of stock of ANY brand of bourbon 😱