tiggerkaj

Thanks. I have seen pictures of Blue Hole and it does look like a lot of fun. Definitely something I will put on my list.

Has anyone done the zipline and tubing tour in Ocho Rios? This is something that is offered through MSC and I wanted to get opinions from anyone that has done it. We previously did Dunn River Falls so we are looking for an alternative this time around. TIA :D

Thanks for the detail you are providing in the review! We are in the YC in June and this is extremely helpful.

Enjoying your review!! We go in June and it can't come soon enough!

Thank you for sharing the great photos. We are sailing in the YC in June for our 30th. Originally had a balcony but decided to move up to YC for the special occasion, unfortunately going to an inside room. Hoping we didn't make a mistake! LOL

Thanks for a wonderful review and great pictures. Can't wait for the next one!

Thank you so much for all the photo's/information. This was exactly what I was looking for!! I just booked our first MSC cruise a few days ago, leave in about 25 days!

Thanks for your review Rat. Enjoyed it as usual.....

aka kimcruiser

Thank you all for the quick responses!!! This was exactly the detail that I was looking for. I think we will try the IConcierge, have to get the kids to download the app beforehand.

Unfortunately this was a last minute cruise and although online it showed we should get the UBP and dining pkg when I went to pay it froze up and wouldn't process. When I called and provided them pictures that it showed that included they wouldn't honor it because they said it was a glitch in their system. (Guess for the room, etc. it wasn't offered although their online reservation told me otherwise.) As far as the wine goes, I actually fell in love with a wine they have on board but it would be cheaper for me to bring some on board and pay the $15 fee than paying their prices so I am trying to decide if I would want to hassle with it. Knowing my luck, I'll get the lady that thinks I'm trying to sneak it in...lol.

Thanks again....

Hi all. Just trying to finalize some last minute things for our cruise on the Escape this Saturday and had a few questions. We previously have been on Getaway and had the unlimited beverage pkg so a couple of things we didn't have to worry about.

1) I read the policy re bringing wine onboard and understand there is a $15 & up charge. If anyone has done this recently, can you tell me the process for this and do they take the wine or can you take it to your room?

2) Any benefit to purchasing the soda package before the cruise?

3) Anyone use the Iconcierge app where you pay $10 to communicate with other people in your group and if so, pro's/con's? Previously it was just my husband and I so we had no use for it but this time our kids are joining so we were considering this and have read mixed reviews.

TIA for your help. :D

Hi Misty. We went to Tortola last year and booked an excursion with someone that was recommended on CC. Unfortunately right now I can't think of his name and I'm not sure I would recommend him to be honest. We thought it would be like other cruises where a group of people booked with the company since he was mentioned several times on here but we were the only one's. He was drumming up business the whole time while people were getting off the ship and then he "sold" it to another couple. We were a little nervous if we would make it in their boat & back to the ship but we did. Met some nice people from the cruise and enjoyed the ride over there. We really enjoyed the Baths. As Bluewater suggested, Youtube videos really convinced us to do this. I will say we went in June and it was VERY crowded. If you decide to go, hopefully it's slower in November. We mainly explored the boulders, etc. Some of that can be difficult even for adults. There was a couple of swimming areas (one where boats pull up to, etc.) and one near a little food hut. I believe we paid maybe $25/30 pp for boat ride, transportation to the baths, etc. and I forget what we paid to enter the Baths. Water shoes (no flip flops) are best in my opinion. We shared a hamburger and one or two drinks and I think that ran around $12 or so. I am going to be making a cruise binder where I keep all these tidbits of information so I can remember next time!! It was a great, exhausting day.

I actually just booked a cruise that leaves in 10 days that goes back to Tortola and trying to research other possibilities. Good luck with your research. If we find something else that is exciting that we enjoy this time around, I'll let you know!

Thanks for the review and enjoying your scopes. Love to see different ports. Glad the weather was looking better :)

We left the following week. That's an amazing story- can't believe that someone survives such a fall!

Here's a link, it was also posted by someone on cc. http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2015/06/articles/rescue-1/norwegian-getaway-passenger-overboard-rescued/

She jumped in where the life boats were so luckily she wasn't all the way at the top.

If the reports are valid, it's a shame this woman fell backwards and no one was there to help.

We were on Getaway as well in June- was it on the first night of the cruise before 11pm? if it's the same trip it turned out to be a cushion of some sort that was tossed by some drunk guy .Withing 5 minutes of the Oscar Oscar call I had a woman next to me sobbing that she had seen the lady jump. Security came and got her and it turned out that she really didn't see anything. I have to say I was blown away by the rapid response. I had been walking through the the Haven lounge, the call rang out and the staff flew in to action. It was pretty amazing. I was on deck 16 and it seemed as though the entire ship was silent.

 

It may well be a different trip but whatever mechanism Getaway has in place truly impressed us.

Must have been a different week, we left June 6th. This occurred around 7pm I think. We had just finished eating and abruptly the ship went sideways and we heard calls and knew something happened. They dropped a lifeboat and we saw them bring her back on board. She was held in the infirmary until our next stop and an ambulance took her away once the ship docked. I went to a Q&A where the Captain was asked tons of questions about it which was very informative. Like you, we were very impressed with how quick the staff reacted to the incident. I would say it only took about 30-45 minutes to retrieve her.

Still thinking of her and her family. I know this is extremely difficult.

Why don't all ships have this system? Seems like it would have been very beneficial here and in many other cases. Is it purely cost related?

 

And hopefully there will be a time when all ships are required to have it, regardless of age of the ship.

Last June we were on Norw Getaway and they have the system. A woman jumped overboard and the minute the system picked this up a large buoy was automatically put in the water and the ship very quickly turned around. They ended up rescuing her I believe because of this equipment. Getaway is a newer ship, would be great like you said if other ships were required to add it.

Thinking of her family. I know how devastating it is to have a missing loved one.

I was on Getaway in June and last month. When you embark they have changed the direction you go in (since June) when you first get on the ship. They take you through an employee only area straight into the casino which I found strange cause I could smell stale smoke. Not a good first impression if it's your first time on the ship. That being said, I have allergies and I'm pretty sensitive to smoke. I grew up with both parents smoking, loosing one parent WAY too soon due to it. I had an issue sometimes walking through the casino where the tables are and at times I literally had to speed walk, hold my breathe/cover my nose going through the casino however I never had an issue on different floors on either cruise I took on the Getaway. I always felt it depended upon how many people were at the tables playing & smoking since it wasn't always bad.

Thanks everyone. Excursions in Ocho Rios hasn't responded so I will check with Marva and Javia. Leave in 2 days so I need to get that planned and start packing!!

Ok, thanks for your help. Hopefully I'll hear back from them soon.

I had contacted the other company I mentioned but unfortunately they were only going to Blue Hole and we have our heart set on at least going to Dunn River Falls. My parents had gone there a long time ago (they actually got married in Kingston) and I'm wanting to recreate a picture they took there.

Thanks Jayarr. I have emailed them with a couple of questions. Can you tell me if there was a big group that went with you on the tour or was it just your family? I was looking at the Best of Ocho Rios tour and we would prefer to go with a group.

Thanks.

I am in research overload and needing some suggestions. I just booked a last minute cruise that leaves Sunday and one of our stops is Ocho Rios which we have never been to. We could go to Dunn River Falls for $45 through the cruise ship but typically I would book something outside the cruise line. My parents went to Dunn River Falls a long time ago so I know that is a stop I want to make. Tubing is another thing that interests me but not sure if this will allow us to see some of Jamaica if we did both. Looking through tours, there are so many options. Has anyone booked through Marks Tours and if so, can you provide me with details of what you did, costs, etc. If you had a good experience with someone else, I would love to hear that as well. TIA

Watch the dailies to see when Burn the Floor will be in the Tropicana, then get there early to get a good table to view this amazing group. (They also have a performance in the Theater that you can book prior to cruise)

Thanks. I have reserved the show for Burn the Floor...can't wait! I'll also check the dailies as suggested.

do they offer more than 1 comedy show???? or are they the same show throughout the cruise????

 

if different ones, how do you know what ones are different so as not to sign up for the same show???

 

 

Marsha

Looking at the daily's that someone posted from a review back in January, 6 of the 7 nights they have the comedy shows with some nights having 2 shows (one being family friendly, one adult only). Some are marked Levity Comedy with Landry and some are marked Levity Comedy with Andrew. I would hope that if there is 2 comedians onboard that they would have some different shows but maybe someone else can answer that who has been.

i would recommend reserving your shows when you get on the cruise. The comedy shows "sold out" quickly. So did the magic show. Go about 30 minutes early to the atrium if you want to sit in a chair for the more popular shows. (we laughed until we cried on the the dancing with the stars show and the Perfect couiple, Perfect couple was absolutely hysterical!!)

 

As stated the food is identical in all 3 DR. Tropacania is much much larger and I think that is why they can handle the sitting. We liked the smaller dining rooms better, they are much more quiet and we had good service. It was a pretty consistent 1 hour, 45 min for appetizers, dinner, dessert for a table of 5. We ate breakfast on the last day and we were done in about 45 minutes.

Thanks for mentioning the comedy shows. They are not listed under the shows section on their website so I thought those were first come first serve type shows since it's not showing I can reserve them beforehand. I'll definitely check that out.

tigger ~ ask at Guest Relations the day before you arrive in St. Thomas what deck and what part of the ship (forward/mid/aft) you will be disembarking from. Then I suggest waiting in the closest lounge area to that part of the ship so when they announce you can disembark you are close and ready to go.

 

ENJOY!

Thank you Anne. We leave in a couple of weeks and are excited to see St. John.

Thank you all so much for your quick replies! One less thing for me to worry about...lol.

I've reserved specialty and shows and I'm sure once we get our daily's we can somewhat determine when we will go to dinner each night. Looking forward to a different experience.

Thanks again!