lopar

13 hours ago, ConnieTact said:

That’s a great idea! We do them at home so are used to it. Was there a mirror though? I have only done it in front of a mirror! Will practice without…..prettty sure I know where my nose is!! 😅😂

I thought that too but since it’s only a nose swab and you don’t need to do your throat it’s fine, found my nose 😂

You can do the Covid swab test yourself if you want. At check in they offered so I did, and for the mid cruise swab yesterday I reached out for the stick and he was happy for me to do it. 

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

Check your boarding times, others have had them changed with a cabin change.

Thanks, good advice but luckily ours has stayed the same.

3 minutes ago, ConnieTact said:

Sounds great! So your leaving tomorrow and had a last minute upgrade?! That’s good news!

Fingers crossed the upgrade fairy doesn’t get too tired before our July cruise!! 😂

Enjoy your Aurea and don’t forget to let us know what it’s like! 

Fingers crossed the upgrade fairy pays you a visit too! I'm not sure it's going to be much of a difference from our original balcony but who knows.

Have had 2 more cabin change emails in the space of half an hour and am now on Deck 12 in an Aurea rather than Fantastica category. If they want to upgrade me to a Yacht Club balcony in the next hour that's fine by me!

I just got an email from MSC re-issuing my booking confirmation due to a cabin change, although the document just says "booked" rather than the new cabin.

The app still lists my previous cabin but by logging into the website I can see I've moved down from deck 11 to deck 10 in a similar spot. 

No idea why, maybe they're moving around which decks are staying empty or maybe there's a maintenance issue with that cabin.

Thought I'd post in case it helps anyone else find their new cabin. Very happy to have stayed in a similar position on the ship!

Denise 

23 minutes ago, kernow said:

We've just asked in Hola and it's open for lunch on boarding day 12 till 2.

 

We can recommend it, the food was great and our waiter Kadek was lovely.

 

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to ask. Fingers crossed for a speedy boarding! 

Thanks for all the updates, is making me even more excited for boarding on Saturday! From looking at your daily from Southampton it looks like the speciality restaurants are open for lunch on boarding? Did you happen to notice? Would love to get to Hola cantina if we’re on in time. 

Thanks, looks like we're all queueing up at the machines onboard then!

Has anyone managed to add their credit card details via the web page or app?

The app doesn't offer it to me as part of check in (unless it's somewhere else?) and on MSC's webpage I just get a box coming up saying

ERROR

Service Not Available Error

On 5/3/2021 at 11:09 AM, don't-use-real-name said:

As the vaccination herd immunity is increased substantially the head count can go upward.

Theoretically with everyone on board vaccinated a ship could sail at full capacity and

even perhaps be mask free - but then the distance spacing factor may still be in play on

safely spreading out all those guests. 

True, also I guess they may increase capacity at short notice if they think it's safe to do so.

On 5/3/2021 at 10:07 AM, ScratchTheRat said:

Hi Denise 🙂

 

The latest info was that they would start with 60% capacity then increase this by 20% every 30 days as long as things are safe enough to do so.

Thanks, that's really useful to know.

I’m trying to find if NCL have issued any guidance on initially sailing with reduced passenger numbers? I’d love to sail on one of their newer ships with less people aboard but can’t see any announcements. For example I’m booked to sail on an around the UK cruise next month with MSC on a ship that can carry 6000 passengers but will sail with only 1000. I thought this year might be a good opportunity to enjoy ships with fewer numbers. Thanks for the help.

Denise

I sent a screenshot of my Celebrity points account 2 weeks ago and got my card back in a couple of hours. Sent my husband's in the same way a couple of hours later and still haven't heard anything.

I've just booked one of the around the UK cruises on Virtuosa which comes with a premium drinks package and now says it DOES include speciality restuarants, despite the website still saying it doesn't. This is the text on my booking:  

ALL DRINKS PRICED UP TO 10/10£! GIVE YOURSELF AN ALMOST ENDLESS CHOICE OF WAYS TO REFRESH YOURSELF ANYTIME YOU WANT. THIS OFFER INCLUDES A WIDE RANGE OF COCKTAILS, SPIRITS, LIQUEURS, APERITIFS, WINES BY THE GLASS, DRAUGHT AND BOTTLED BEERS, SODAS, FRUIT JUICES, MINERAL WATER, ENERGY DRINKS, CLASSIC AND SPECIAL COFFEE DRINKS, HOT CHOCOLATE AND HOT TEA. THE OFFER IS VALID IN OUR BARS, AS WELL AS THE SELF-SERVICE BUFFET. MAIN RESTAURANT AND SPECIALITY RESTAURANTS, BUT DOES NOT COVER SIGNATURE VENUES (VENCHI 1878 ESTABLISHMENTS, LAVAZZA COFFEE SHOP AND JEAN PHILIPPE CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, CREPES & GELATO). TERMS & CONDITIONS: THIS PACKAGE IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY AND VALID FOR ONE BOOKING AT A TIME. THE ID CARD ISSUED WITH THE PACKAGE IS NON-TRANSFERRABLE. ABUSING THE TERMS OF THE PACKAGE MAY RESULT IN THE SERVICE BEING WITHDRAWN AND THE REMAINING DAYS NOT BEING REFUNDED. THE PRICE OF THE PACKAGE APPLIES TO EACH DAY OF THE CRUISE EXCEPT FOR THE DAY OF DISEMBARKATION; THE PACKAGE CANNOT BE PURCHASED ON A DAILY BASIS. ONCE ACTIVATED ON BOARD, THE PACKAGE CANNOT BE TERMINATED AND REFUNDED. THE PACKAGE MUST BE BOOKED BY ALL GUESTS OCCUPYING THE SAME CABIN, OR TRAVELLING TOGETHER AND WISHING TO EAT AT THE SAME TABLE, INCLUDING MINORS WHO MUST BOOK THE CHILD VERSION OF THE PACKAGE. THE PACKAGE IS NOT OBLIGATORY FOR INFANTS UNDER 3 YEARS OLD (I.E. WHO HAVE NOT YET REACHED THEIR 3RD BIRTHDAY). THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE: TOBACCO, SOUVENIR GLASSES, ICE CREAM MENU, RETAIL ITEMS, MINIBAR, ROOM SERVICE AND SIGNATURE VENUES (VENCHI 1878 ESTABLISHMENTS, LAVAZZA COFFEE SHOP AND JEAN PHILIPPE CHOCOLATE, COFFEE, CREPES & GELATO).

I've been looking at the UK based MCS page for the Premium drinks package for Summer 21 which says:

"Drinks an be consumed in all onboard bars as well as the self-service buffet, restaurant and Ocean Cay Island. excluding speciality restaurants. Ocean Cay Island offering may not include full onboard beverage selection. Cannot be consumed in speciality restaurants or other signature venues such as Venchi 1878 establishments, Lavazza Coffee Shop and Jean Philippe Chocolate, Coffee, Crepes & Gelato."

If you look at the US MSC page it says speciality restaurants are included. On the UK page you have to pick the Premium Plus to get speciality restaurants included. They're doing different things depending on where the cruise leaves from or one is wrong do you think?

Thanks, Denise

You've done better than me Rob! I've spoken to MSC a few times and tried emailing the voyagers club with seating requests but got nowhere. The lady on the phone last week got quite angry that BA had told me they could make requests and insisted MSC never did it. When I pointed out that it was MSC choosing not to make requests, rather than it not being possible she got even crosser and I was being very polite!

I've tried emailing the same request to the bookings email address and see where it gets me, as I'm also sailing with you on Sunday. I'm hoping BA are happy with my extra bag, as I've no way to request it in advance. BA have said it should be fine, but it depends on how busy the flight is...

Definitely can't do BA check in 24 hours ahead when it's a group booking. BA have confirmed you can't check in until the desk at the airport and even then it's not certain you'll be able to move away from the block booked seats.

I'm going to try an email to MSC offering to pay to choose my seat and see if it gets me anywhere.

I have the same problem on a different cruise and it means I won't be able to pick seats until check in. Although I have the booking reference British Airways won't allow any changes, since the reference covers everyone under that block booking.

BA have said I can make a request to MSC but they've already told me they won't request seats / additional luggage / upgrades and I'll have to wait until check in.

Hire a car to drop off at the airport and go on a tour of the island I'm sure that they have a shower at the airport

 

 

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Hiring a car or a driver for the day is definitely an idea. I suppose as long as we're not swimming we could not bother with the shower or go up to the Animal Flower Cave if that works.

One problem is you'd be overlapping two nights as far as check-in and check-out times are set up. If you prebooked they'll want to charge you for two nights in order to hold the room for an early morning check-in and late afternoon/evening checkout. You would be better off to wing it and just show up and negotiate a day room rate on the spot, if they have available rooms they'd be glad to fill one for the day at a lower rate.

 

I had a similar situation in Ethiopia, although I wasn't coming off a cruise but got extremely ill from altitude sickness the day I was to fly from Addis Ababa to Bangkok but flight wasn't until about 10 at night. Checked into a hotel to lay down, hoping to be well enough to fly, I felt horrible, could barely walk. They gave me a suite actually, for about $50, and brought me bottle water. I slept for about 4 hours, felt a little better but still pretty bad. I decided I had to make a go for it, Bangkok is at sea level and will resolve it, just had to make it through the 9 hour flight. Sure enough, after landing and no more than an hour later I felt great!

Hmm, good point though as long as they could store luggage from the morning we wouldn't want the room until normal afternoon check in.

Ugh, feeling ill on a flight is no fun!

My cruise is finishing in Barbados and includes transfers to the airport, but the flight isn't until early evening. The cruise line will just drop us straight to the airport early morning and there don't seem to be any tours including airport drop off later.

I wanted to book a hotel room close to the airport so we can leave our luggage there, go out for the day and then have somewhere to shower before a long flight home.

Any suggestions on a hotel? There doesn't seem to be anything at the airport and I want either a shuttle or easy taxi to the airport? A day room would be ideal but I may just need to book an overnight and not stay the night!

Thanks

I'm tempted to book a hotel room for the day, not too far from the airport, and just leave luggage there instead so we can go out for the day and get a shower before the flights home. I was hoping for one at the airport but there don't seem to be any, as we could then use the transfer to the airport first thing and go over to a hotel to drop luggage. Will keep looking!

I'm in the same situation but there are no excursions offered for Barbados, all the excursions listed are up to the day before. Do they typically offer excursions with a later airport drop off?

Denise

Hi Rob,

Definitely roll on November!

Yes, when I log into my booking I can see the various packages on offer and also the More for less escape vouchers which are cheaper to buy now rather than on board. However I'm mystified by the difference in asterisks on people's menu pictures!

The description on my booking for the vouchers says draft and bottled beers, but I realise that could easily be wrong. It's a shame if it is only draft Heineken as then the vouchers won't be worth having. Just have to buy more cocktail vouchers instead....

Denise