Mikesa1721
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Posts posted by Mikesa1721
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:) Lets hope so Mike. If I enjoy the 7 day 2 port visit in the Yacht Club next April, and the price stays steady, I might just book another one and another and another......:D
I am trying to find a home that meets my desires, schedule, and ports.
Was just telling my wife that "when" I win the lotto, I want a place in the Caribbean...then thought, why not just cruise and cruise and cruise back there without the added 1 location home expense....she is game..:cool:
Fire,,,be sure to join MSC's rewards program to start earning points towards discounts on cruise fare as well as other perks. A Black level rewards member receives a 20% discount on their cruise fare which will come in handy once Seaside arrives with her redesigned Yacht Club. You have to sail quite a few times to get there,,or spend a lot of money onboard,,,but you have 33 months!!!:D
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Now that they got their chops wet in the Caribbean and Miami, I am sure their trial cabin fees, especially their Yacht Club rates, will rise to match other cruise lines...which will probably keep me out of the Yacht Club......:(
I'm not to sure about that Fire. I'm still struggling with MSC's marketing approach here in the states. Social media and TA's seem to be their main marketing strategy. MSC still needs to attract new cruisers and I don't think building a new ship and a new commitment to the Port Of Miami, they can afford to price themselves out of the market.
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I called MSC as soon as I saw the news today and asked when they were going to start booking...the reservation agent had just heard the news herself and said they knew very little at this point. I told her I MUST be in the YC for the inaugural cruise! LOL She said she'd call me back tomorrow with more info so we'll see...CAN NOT WAIT!!! I'll post on here if I find anything out...
My TA told me MSC will usually release their dates 10-12 months in advance and since the build out of this ship is 21 months away,,,hopefully we may be able to start booking the inaugural sailing in another 3 to 6 months.
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Thanks Mike for posting the news, Capt. Scala hinted about it on our Feb 27 cruise. It looks fabulous and I know you will be on there in the YC. It is supposed to have 2 theatres.
I'll definitely be there for the christening,,,love to see the Fiat jet ski's again!!! I think the days of YC3 staterooms may be over for me on this ship,,,but I'll definitely look to sail in a YC1 Riclop.:D
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MSC Seaside to be home ported and christened in Miami!!
http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/MSC/MSC-Cruises-Seaside.aspx?ref=consumer
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We are on the 4/22 Divina 4 night sailing. I'm confused with the drink package options. Is the premium Allegrisimo drink package available on all cruises? Do the bartenders make good drinks? What is a good bar for martinis? Can you upgrade your wine choices like on Celebrity by paying a supplement? Do they serve drinks in the theatre?
We're on this sailing as well Miami and yes,,,the Allegrissimo all inclusive is available for this sailing at a price of $244.00 if you reserve it on-line. Speaking from our prior experiences,,all of the bartenders we have encountered free pour our drinks,,so yes,,,the drinks are very good!!!! We're not big martini drinkers,,,but Divina does offer a good variety of martini's. http://www.cruisewithgambee.com/msc-cruises-divina-drink-lists/
Scroll to the bottom for the martini menu's. No drinks are served in the theatre,,,but the rule of no drinks in the theatre is a little relaxed if you happen to wonder in with a cocktail in hand.
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Hello Mikesa 1721 😉 I have a cruise coming up on April 11 going to Bermuda from Miami,I have never gone on the MSC cruise line before when I heard it was going to Bermuda I definitely booked my trip!I normally travel with Holland America and last year two times NLC which I enjoyed emensly 😀 I have a very bad back and so I enjoy using the spa area with a Jacuzzi send some of the ships have the thermal spa or therapy pool with a high Jets but I don't think Divina has that! I've actually read so many bad post about this ship that now I'm pretty uncomfortable not knowing if I'm going to enjoy it?since I've gotten on these posts I have a little better feeling about it, is there a place that shows the different Desks, and whats on the decks. I've seen the names but not the description of what's on them.i'm 71 and I have to use my little electric wheelchair that I bring with me,so I can get around good. I'm actually called the Road Runner 😇 it helps me if I can map out for myself where all the things are and which deck so that I can get to them easy.is one of the pools mainly for adults so it won't be so busy and noisy? In the spa area are there nice lounging area's to rest and read and enjoy the quietness?I usually read maybe 2 to 3 books while I'm on the cruise but my favorite thing is to meet new people and share our likes and things that we do in life,I always come back home with wonderful stories of who I've met and what I've done.🙋 What is the earliest that I can get on the ship with my wheelchair I try to get as early as I can so I don't disrupt anybody else😊 thank you I had of time for reading this and helping me out,who knows I might have other questionsHave a wonderful day😍
I wouldn't worry yourself over the bad reviews,,,everyone's needs and expectations are different. There are those who complain about slow service in the dining rooms, or unhappy or rude crew members,,,the list goes on and on. We have never experienced any of these on either of our sailings. If you treat the crew with respect,,you will receive the same in return,,,sometimes a smile and a nice hello can go a long way.
Divina can be a little tricky to navigate so I would suggest utilizing deck 7 (Apollo) to get from the front of the ship to the back. There are no obstructions such as atriums,,restaurants,,,etc. in the way and this would make getting around for you much easier. You will receive a deck plan in your stateroom upon embarkation so I would take it with you when you venture out and spend a couple of hours on embarkation day getting to know the ship's layout.
I would suggest either the Solarium pool on deck 14 (Afrodite),,or the Garden Pool(Infinity pool) on deck 15 (Mercurio) aft. The main pool (Aqua Park) is mid-ship on deck 14 as well,,but this is usually one of the busiest pools during the day,,but if you want to still be around the main pool area but distance yourself from the crowd,,deck 15 mid-ship offers many loungers where you can still be close to the action,,but away from the crowd.
I would suggest getting to the port around 11:00am to avoid the heavy crowds in the afternoon. Depending on what time the port authority clears the ship will determine what time Divina will start boarding. Under normal circumstances,,expect boarding to begin around noon,,,or shortly there after.
My recommendation,,,sail with an open mind,,,,avoid the complainers,,,and enjoy yourself and your ship-mates,,,you will meet some fantastic and interesting people from all around the world and with any luck,,,you will make friendships and memories to last a lifetime!!!:)
Here is a link to a 3 dimensional virtual tour of Divina which will give you a great idea of her public areas,,restaurants,,etc.
http://mscpodcast.msccruises.com/Podcast/VirtualTourFantasia/us_en/index.html
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Well, per MSC web site:
EMBARKATION
Embarkation begins at the time indicated on your cruise ticket. Check-in closes 90 minutes before the ship is due to depart.
I suggested 2 hours to be safe according to what shows on the web site.
Not ever sailed MSC, I do not know when the drill happens.....
http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/Already-Booked/Before-The-Cruise.aspx
I agree with you FireEater. According to the Dailies back when we sailed in August,,,the Muster Drill was at 5:00pm.
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Isn't the muster drill around 5:00pm??? Divina usually leaves port around 7:00pm,,so 2 hours ahead to be safe??
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Bayside is a bit further than 1.2 miles from the Miami Hilton AIRPORT where they are staying. It is close to 8 miles and will take about 20 minutes by taxi. We have found that there is not that much out by the airport, so we always stay at a hotel like the Hilton, Sheraton or Marriott that has a full service restaurant on the premises.
Overlooked the airport part I guess,,,thought they were staying at the Hilton downtown:(
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You're best bet is Bayside. They have a lot of shops and restaurants there. It's 1.2 miles from your hotel,,
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Actually, I did ask the concierge on the Splendida and they told me that they do not offer it on the yacht club excursion pamphlet because it includes a tour of the yacht club and they felt it would be redundant. And I have yet to see it listed in the excursion pamphlet for the yacht club on the Divina either.
The picture of the excursion I posted previously in this thread is the pamphlet which was in our Yacht Club stateroom back in August 2014. :)
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I wish they would do a version of this tour for Yacht Clubbers. They don't offer it on our excursion list since a good part of the tour is visiting the yacht club. But I think they should come up with a behind the scenes tour for yacht club people to go elsewhere and see how things run behind the scenes. It's always fascinating to see things behind the scenes.
The tour is definitely offered for those of us who stay in the Yacht Club mrstrod. We have stayed in The Yacht Club twice so far, and both times the "behind the scenes tour" pamphlet was in our stateroom. If you did not receive one,,,you could always ask the Yacht Club concierge for one.:)
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See you in Genova in 2017 Mike :D
I'm not sure about the Inaugural sailing though. I'd kind of like to wait for MSC to work the bugs out first.:D
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I would think the Lego playroom for kids and the Chicco's Baby Club will be added since these are part of the new additions aboard MSC Armonia. Divina does need a spray park for the kids but I'm not sure where the space for it will come from.
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Second that...What is it??? Care to share. :)
It's an MSC Apron along with a 15% discount coupon for any of the a la carte restaurants
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Thanks Mike , they look fabulous, I hope 1 of them will be in the Caribbean.
The first Vista ship will be home ported in Genoa,,,hopefully the first Seaside ship will be in Miami!!!;)
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Thanks for the information.
This is NOT the way MSC UK handled TA bookings and the change does not make any sense. I know MSC are not logical.
If I was to sail with MSC again, I will book direct.
I did wonder if they were trying to eliminate TAs from the booking process until I heard GH has another ex-Carnival UK employee joining his team as UK Trade Sales Manager.
Most odd.
Annie
I probably should have specified the MSC cruises US website. It seems as though not all MSC websites in different countries are created equally.
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I am also unable to attach my booking to the dashboard I booked through a TA. I guess i am on msc usa site (i am Canadian). I just received an email this is what it says.
"I just wanted to reach out to you about your email about not being able to add your booking to the dashboard. You would have had to make the booking on our website directly to see your booking but being that you booked through a travel agency you will not be able to add or see your booking on the dashboard. I am sorry for the inconvenience for this but that is how the system is set up and you can always ask your travel agent for copy of the invoice and that can be sent to you."
how are we able to pre-book anything? this is our first cruise with msc so this is odd. We won't be waiting to book our excursion on board we will book with private tours then...so odd.
Unless you booked your sailing directly on the MSC website,,you will not be able to see your booking via the dashboard. If you have a booking number,,you can log in using your information and reserve shore excursions,,,drink packages,,,spa services,,etc.
https://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/Reservations-On-Board/login.aspx
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Thats fantastic, thank you :)
Did you do the tour? And would you recommend it if you did ;)
We have not, but are thinking about it during our April 11th sailing. We sail in the Yacht Club and have seen the tour pass through a couple of times. After talking with a couple of folks who have done the tour,,they said the galley area and behind the scenes in the Pantheon Theatre were there favorite parts of the tour.
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Yes they do. The tour is approximately 2.5 hours long and the price is $45.90 and is open to pax 16 years of age or older.
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Quick question do they have toiletries such as shampoo and soap in the shower on the MSC Divina ?
I heard some people say they had none ?
Sea ya
Eric
You will find shampoo and shower gel dispensers in the shower as well as bar soap.
If you are staying in the Yacht Club,,the dispensers are replaced by individual bottles of shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and bar soap
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Thanks!! I was trying to find the old post on this. Appreciate the help!
No problem!!! Here is a link to the pricing for individual pieces as well:
MSC Seaside News
in MSC Cruises
Posted
Looks like one of the new builds,,,possibly one of the Vista ships will be heading to China:
MSC Cruises will make the Chinese market even more competitive when it introduces one of its new ships there, which could happen as soon as 2017. The MSC Seaside has already been announced as coming to Miami, but MSC also takes delivery of a second ship from STX France in early 2017, and five more ships are to follow through 2022.
Talking to Cruise Industry News aboard the MSC Orhcestra in Asia recently, CEO Gianni Onorato said: “Entering the Chinese market takes much care and consideration,” adding that a key factor is tonnage in the form of a new ship.
Will one of their ships being built from 2017 onward be for China? “Yes,” replied Onorato.
MSC’s inaugural Grand Voyage this year from Dubai to Asia and Australia signaled its entry into the booming Asian cruise market.
The Orchestra left Dubai on February 20, with an event held onboard in Singapore in early March for VIPs, press and other invited guests.
“We are in Singapore to show how firmly we believe in the Asian market’s potential, which is only going to grow further in the foreseeable future,” said Onorato. “All 13 ports of call on MSC Orchestra’s pioneering Grand Voyage are firsts for MSC Cruises.”
What about their plans for Asia? “We have always believed in growing organically, and we have a strong sales and marketing presence in Japan, China and Australia.” he said.
More interesting is MSC’s joint venture travel agency with China’s largest port operator, Shanghai International Port Group.
The Shanghai entity was the first joint venture travel agency to enter Shanghai’s pilot free trade zone last year.
In a released statement to Cruise Industry News, a spokesperson for MSC said:
“We’re very pleased and proud to have been granted a license (via the free trade zone) to sell outbound travel packages. Only four non-Chinese companies in China have been granted such a license, which creates opportunities to develop and diversify our business in China. We aim to customize our cruise product for clients with requests that cannot be met through the standard trade or tourism market. In the future, we might also use it for other projects, such as themed activities, inbound cruises, charters and more. ”
http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/12340-msc-heading-for-china-with-new-ship.html