lovelights

Actually, I did call once. The woman on the phone was less than helpful. For every question I asked she said if I booked they would take care of it. All she was doing was a hard sell and I didn't appreciate it when I specifically led with I just had questions as someone who had never cruised with MSC before. She also said the 5% discount was only for booking a balcony when I also told her I was looking at Inside rooms.

 

I thought the experts here would be able to assist so I could go in armed with all the information I would need. This board seems less helpful than the other cruise lines though so I will just try to Google I guess.

Wow, what a nice thing to say. I was going to type some information, but you're right, maybe you'd be better Googling it with an attitude like that.You just posted these questions less than 24 hours ago (yesterday around 2:30pm). Sorry, but some of us have jobs and aren't home for about 8 - 9 hours of the day, and others of us also do this thing call "sleep".

A taxi or Uber may be cheaper from MIA to the port of Miami only if traveling in a group. I am traveling alone. I heard that a taxi is $25 for 1 person or $18 on the transfer bus. To me it makes sense to go with the transfer.

Oh, I thought she said she was leaving from Clearwater, which is way over here on the Gulf side of Florida. Can't imagine what an Uber would cost to take someone to the other side of Florida. I thought those were only if you were traveling some place more local to where you already are. Oh, and a bus..... geez.... wonder how many days that would take to get you from here to there?

We thought the same thing.... that the MSC Divina reminded us of the Princess cruises we've been on. I liked the desserts better on the Divina though. lol

Mine says cabin 15mq. Bathroom 2mq. So looks like yours has a bigger bathroom but smaller cabin area

 

 

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I know, right? Like how the heck long am I planning on staying in the bathtub? lol To be honest, I'm going to be enjoying the outside of that ship as much as I can. :)

I recently booked our next cruise for Seaside, and I noticed on my paperwork that it indicates that my room has a bathtub. This has to be a mistake, right? There would be no reason that they would give Bella balcony cabins, bathtubs, right? I was comparing the size of the room with the balcony room we had on Divina, and the room is smaller on Seaside than on Divina, but the bathroom on Seaside is larger. I've seen photos of what the bathrooms are suppose to look like, and they surely have no tub in them.

This is the information that it has on my paperwork after I booked and paid a deposit:

Category: B1 - Balcony Stateroom

BALCONY BELLA

English Info Cabin: Cabin Area 14.00mq - Door 0.65mt

Bathroom Area: 3.00mq with Bathtub

That's exactly what it says. If anyone else has a B1 Bella Balcony Stateroom on Seaside, can they please let me know what it says for "English Info Cabin" on their paperwork? Thanks.

Meraviglia is on the radar but for now, I'm just lurking. :p

I can't wait for reviews/photos from CC members.

 

When those Miami bookings open up.....I'm all in.

Same here. Waiting so we are able to book, and can't wait to read everyone's reviews.

There seems to be a lot of fanfare about MSC Seaside that Meraviglia seems a bit overlooked!

I'm really looking forward to getting on board in July & will do a review.

I don't think it's as much about Meraviglia getting overlooked, as it is about Seaside will be in the U.S. two years before Meraviglia. I noticed that most of the people posting about Seaside is from the U.S.

I plan on booking Meraviglia for our 2019 cruise, but unless I'm mistaken, I believe that Meraviglia isn't coming to the U.S. until Fall of 2019. Once we are able to book Meraviglia over here in the States, I'm sure she'll get her fame just like Seaside is getting hers.

I believe MSC goes through ESCOT Bus Service, which is the old Cruise Connection Bus Service. We've used them many times. They have designated places at pick-up points in different cities. We usually pick it up in Port Charlotte off of Kings Highway. Some of the buses go to Ft. Lauderdale, and some go to Miami. Sometimes, depending on how full the bus gets, they will drop people off in Ft. Lauderdale, and then go on to Miami from there.

I'm booked on Seaside for January 2018, but we didn't get the deal on that ship where your bus transportation is included. I wish it was because from where we are (Port Charlotte area), it's $90.00 per person for the bus to get us there, and back. It's actually less than driving, because that would be $140.00 for parking, and probably about $50.00 in gasoline, and it doesn't matter anyways, because my husband hates to drive, and I'm not driving in downtown Miami. lol I believe it was only Divina that had that offer, however, with Seaside, they're offering $50 OBC, free dining drinks, and one of their packages of wi-fi is free (I think it's like the $40ish one).

Anyways, the buses are really nice if that's what you happen to get. Some are suppose to have free wi-fi on them, but our bus didn't have that. However, they have t.v.s, and the driver usually puts on a movie after the last stop, and by the time the movie is over, you're at the port. We just used their service in October of last year.

The other options at night would be dining out in Old San Juan and even taking in a Flamenco show. I think this would be a great opportunity to have the evening in San Juan!

I agree. I've been to San Juan during the day, and we had a wonderful time. But I have family going this time that thought they were going to be able to visit the lighthouse and forts, and tour the town, and I haven't told them yet that the ship isn't arriving until 5:00pm. I seriously don't think the new island is going to be ready by November of 2018 (it took NCL, 4 years to finish Harvest Cay), so I'm thinking about going in October now, since Seaside will be there from 7:00am - 5:00pm, and I'll have the opportunity see the new island when Meraviglia goes there in 2019. (provided I haven't kicked the bucket by then)

I would love this. Take excursion to Bioluminescent bay

Oh, I forgot about that place. So I guess that would mean that everyone that takes an excursion would be going there, because it's probably the only thing to do. LOL Seriously though, I would love to see that, if they have an excursion that takes you there and gets you back before the ship leaves.

Yes, that appears to be the timetable loaded for November 2018. It seems this enables one less sea day, so 4 ports (instead of 3 on San Juan sailings today).

 

Personally, my first thoughts are positive (as the late arrival means seeing a different side to San Juan). However I agree it is unconventional.

Basically, it's still 3 at sea, when you think about it. If the ship isn't getting to port until 5:00pm, up until that time, they're going to have a day at sea. The only difference is the passengers are not going to be able to book a shore excursion or actually see much of San Juan in the dark. And I really wouldn't consider 1 hour at a dock to be classified as a day in port.

When we went there in October, we arrived around 7:00am, and we got to see the "different" side to San Juan. It was the side that made us decide to get back on the ship. We were docked there until 2:00am the next morning. I remember feeling the ship vibrating when we were pulling away from the dock, and I got up and went out to the balcony to watch us leave. I loved San Juan, but I loved it during the day.

I've been waiting to book on Seaside for November of 2018, because I wanted to make sure that the new island showed up on the itinerary before I booked. Not that it makes a difference, because if the new island isn't ready by then, I'll be re-booking later. But anyways, I noticed that the arrival time in San Juan is 5:00pm, and then the ship leaves early in the morning at 1:00am the next day (or I should say 1 hour in to the next day).

Am I reading that time correctly? We've been to San Juan before on Divina, and most activities close at 5:00pm or by sunset. The El Morro Fort and Lighthouse closes at 6:00pm. We went in October of last year, and it was dark by 5:30pm, and that was before daylight savings time changed. In November, it's going to be dark even earlier.

If that time is correct, I'm just not understanding why MSC would have the ship just spend the night there. Now I'm thinking about reconsidering my options.

Thanks for the pic, Mike. It's listed as a stop for my 05/18 cruise on the Seaside. Hope it gets done by then.

I just looked to see if I was to book on the Seaside for the month of May 2018 if it's on there, and it's not showing the new island as a stop. It's not showing it on the itineraries for 2018 until November.

I hope it's completed by the time I go on the Seaside in the Summer of 2018!

It's not on the itineraries for the summer of 2018. It starts to show up on the itineraries beginning November 3rd, 2018.

Since they have changed the buffets from self serve to having it served to you, there has been a huge decrease in Norovirus on the ships. I am grateful for the change

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I read on a post a few weeks ago, that they only do that the first 48 hours of the cruise. It isn't a deal breaker that would cause me not to cruise on HAL though. We're really looking for peace and quiet. We're not looking to get in the pool, for we have a poolside home, but my husband said it might be nice to hop in a jacuzzi. Just want to get away and relax.

We are in our 50s as well and we jus t sailed on the Oosterdam last April right after dry dock. The ship is beautiful and the cabins really nice especially if you get a signature suite. We tend to stay up late on vacation and enjoy a drink in the piano bar and just hanging out. You you like to sleep early as you say I think you would love HAL as it is a quiet ship where most are in bed by 11 for sure. For cruising the Caribbean most people tend to stay up late and have fun. I think you might want to look at a more lively line like the Oasis from RCCL. It also depends on time of year. Summer cruises will have lots more young folks. Good luck

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We're looking to book for November. We've docked next to Oasis before, and that ship is just way way to big for us. I'm not wanting to have to book in advance to go watch a show. And all those people.... OMG, gives me a headache just thinking about it. lol

My wife and I really like Holland America, but based on your preferences from your post, I don't think you'd be happy. I haven't found HAL ships to be "dark," but they're definitely not bright, sparkly, and glitzy like your other choices. If you want to stay out late, eat late, and scoop your own food at the buffet, you'll be disappointed.

Do these ships have mini bars in the room? If so, my husband can just get a beer from the mini bar, and we can always sit out on our balcony, or take a stroll along the promenade deck. I mean, it's not like they make you go to your room at a certain time, right?

We're looking to relax on this vacation. And as far as the buffet, I can always say "I want some of that please." lol I want to visit the islands of Half Moon Cay, and Amber Cove, and I don't want to have to cruise on a Carnival ship to do that. Been on 3 of those, and 1 was bad, and 1 was absolutely horrible. And yes, there is such a thing as a bad cruise when you end up with NoroVirus with the remainder of the people that were on your same floor.

I think we're going to give HAL a try.

My husband and I have been on at least 15 cruises, and we really enjoy going on different ships with different itineraries. We've been on Royal Caribbean, NCL, Carnival, MSC, and Princess. We already have our 2018 and 2019 cruises planned on MSC, however, for 2017, we were thinking of trying Holland America for the first time. At first we thought about going on the N. Amsterdam, or Oosterdam.

I enjoy reading reviews on the different ships, and the different itineraries, and I also watch Youtube videos before we book a cruise, just to get a brief idea of what we're getting ready to leap into. I'm finding reviews of cruisers indicating that these ships are dark, the entertainment is bad, or non-existent, there is no bars open after 11:00pm, there is nothing to eat after 10:30pm, you can't dish yourself up at the buffet because you hand your plate over and say what you want put on it. (half the time, I can't even pronounce what the food is) We do not do the MDR. We are 100% buffet people.

So, now I'm wondering if this is the cruise line for us. (we're in our 50s, but to me that is just a number). We usually go to bed early (around 11:00pm), but sometimes we do like a late meal, or maybe a late drink within the week we're on vacation. I'm open to doing something different, and trying out Holland America. We really like their itineraries.

Now for the itinerary. We were thinking of going on a cruise that takes us to Half Moon Cay, and Amber Cove. I was watching youtube videos the other night and found some, that indicated that these islands are boring, unless you want to snorkel. I'm not into snorkeling, but I'm a fanatic when it comes to taking lots and lots of photos, so I thought these islands would be the perfect place to relax and take pictures.

Would I be possibly be making a mistake, choosing either one of these ships with the islands for itineraries for our 2017 vacation? Now I'm finding myself looking at Rhapsody of the Seas out of Tampa (but no Half Moon Cay or Amber Cove) :( Or I find myself looking at Norwegian Escape, thinking that Harvest Cay sounds nice. I'm all over the place and don't know what to do at this point.

We're looking to book for November 2017, but I usually wait before booking, in hopes to get a lower rate. As long as I get a balcony, I don't care where it's located. lol I just have to figure out what ship to go on and what itinerary I want to do. Any advice would be so greatly appreciated.

I think they're waiting for the Caribbean cruises after October 2018, to see for sure if the private island will be available, because they're saying that it should be available in November 2018.

It has already been slipped 10 months.

Exactly. We're in fear of booking for November of 2018, thinking that they might slip the date even further.

You are sooooo right, Princess is much higher.

You can say that again. Where in the world did they find a Princess balcony for $259.00? What was it? A 2 day cruise? We've been on Princess many times. Matter of fact, we got one of our Princess cruises for free, because they overbooked our cruise, and asked us if we would switch from a 5 day cruise to a 4 day, and if we agreed, they'd give us the cruise for free. So, we did. But to compare that price to another cruise line would be totally ridiculous. I've yet to see any MSC 7 day cruise price, be more than a 7 day Princess when comparing balcony prices.

Thanks, but actually, the pricing on Princess is much better.

MSC wants $939 for a balcony, I've paid $539 for a balcony on the Regal.

I've also paid as little as $259 for a balcony on Princess.

Are you comparing a 7 day Princess to a 7 day MSC? That would be the only fair way to compare. I just looked and the cheapest Princess 7 day is about $1100 per person for a balcony (that's not including any tips, taxes, port fees, etc.) And I can guarantee you that you didn't pay $259 for a 7 day for a balcony on Princess.

We've been on several Princess cruises, and just went on our first MSC cruise on Divina a few months ago. We really like Princess and they have beautiful ships, and good food, but nothing we've ever been on, compares to the beautiful MSC Divina. When it comes to comparing, MSC Divina had better desserts, better entertainment, and better itinerary than any of the Princess cruises had. Our next cruise will be with MSC.

I'm amazed at all the people that are willing to pay such expensive prices to go to Cuba.

I'm thinking that many of these people were already booked, before the changes were made, because the prices increased once they announced that Empress was going to Cuba.

It's like a grand per person for a 5 day cruise to Cuba, and this is for an inside cabin. That does not include any port fees, taxes, or tips, and let's not forget about the $75 visa, the health insurance that is required, the shore excursion you need to pay for, and the fact that it's Royal's smallest ship in the fleet. Is it really worth all that extra money to go to a place for like 8 hours? It's not like you can get off the ship and go where you want, right?

I'm just curious as to what it is about Cuba that will have people paying outrageous prices to go there.

 

It should also be notted that this was tried on a Carnival ship back in the early 90s, i think the ships name was paridise or something, it floped and was lifted after 5 years, however that was a diffrent time (smoking was way more popular then) and also a diffrent cruise line, I think everyone can agree that Royal has a higher class passanger group then Canarvial.

It almost seems like you're making a statement that a non-smoker is considered to be a high-class passenger, and a smoker is a lower-class passenger. Yes, It was Carnival Paradise that they tried to make a non-smoking ship from 1998 through 2003. Due to poor revenue, they changed it to allow smoking.

I recently went on a cruise ship, where there is no smoking allowed in the casino. During our 7 day cruise, I could count on my fingers, how many people were in the casino at any given time when we strolled through. Apparently non-smokers didn't gamble on this particular ship. Also, there was no smoking allowed on either side of the pool deck.

Smoking was allowed in 1 cigar bar, one side of the back of the ship at an outside bar, and outside on the promenade deck on the starboard side. That was it.

Yes, I am a smoker (I know, it's bad, and I've tried to quit several times), however, I hate the smell of casinos on ships where people were allowed to smoke, and how the smell from the casino wandered down the halls and into the elevators. But at the same time, if cruise lines ban smoking completely, I think they're going to notice a large drop in revenue. No smoker is going to go on a cruise that has 1 or 2 sea days back to back, and not be able to smoke at all. People that travel, are going to start booking all-inclusive vacations to the islands instead.

If smoking becomes banned on cruise lines, they're going to have to start lowering their prices, in order to fill the ships up.

Wow. What a horrible experience! I am so glad he is doing better.

 

We had smokers below us when we cruised on the Navigator. We did not suffer any serious effects, and didn't complain. We still used the balcony, and just put up with it when it happened. I imagine that happens a lot.

 

On an unrelated but related note, we avoid the casino because of the smoke. I wonder how much more gambling would take place on the ship if it were a smoke-free environment?

I recently went on a cruise line where there was no smoking allowed in the Casino. Every time we walked through the casino, during our 7 day cruise, it was always rather empty. Maybe just 3 or 4 people were in there.

Also, for the original poster.... where is there a non-smoking cruise line?