JoLoca2208

This looks amazing! Thank you for posting! We are boarding the Bliss on 27th of Apr 😇

As a Yacht Club guest, you can embark anytime. Someone posted earlier that the best times are between 10:30 and 11:00am.

I see you have a similar issue. Did you receive a new booking confirmation letter or ticket? We did and it's also a mix. It appears we are keeping our original Fantastica experience plus Yacht Club benefits. I don't mind that as long as they recognise us as Yacht Club guests on Sunday. BTW our friend's documents and website info look correct, no mention of an old cabin or Fantastica. So odd

Your post actually made me worried. We are due to embark Seascape this Sunday; there are 4 of us in two cabins. We initially booked deluxe balcony cabins almost next to each other and then decided to bid on YC inside cabins. We placed exactly the same minimum bid on both cabins a couple of months ago, and since we haven't heard anything back till this week we assumed neither bid was accepted and we are staying where we booked originally. On Tue this week, so 5 days till embarkation, myself and my husband got an email that our offer was accepted, however as this was the last of the interior cabins in YC, our friends could not be upgraded. There was a bit of a scramble between the 4 of us on what to do next, eventually, our friends changed their bid to the YC balcony and were accepted pretty much instantly. We've received a new confirmation letter, which shows YC cabin, but the experience is a total mix i.e. it says Fantastica and right next to it, Yacht Club. The dining option shows nothing and should be Your time dining. When I check the app, it shows Yacht Club, but the old cabin number. Experience also shows as both, Fantastica and Yacht Club. Similar mess when I log in to their website. We rang MSC twice now to confirm the booking and each time they said we are 100% booked in Yacht Club now and they can't understand why there is such a mix of information in the documents, app and on the website. I just hope we will avoid similar issues to yours on Sunday

World America is in construction and will not be ready for another two years. The starting-off prices will always be lower, so I wouldn't compare that with other ships already sailing.

I've noticed that on the European market a couple of years back. When I started sailing with MSC in 2013, they were selling dirt-cheap cruises with equally cheap drink package (€20 per day). This was ongoing for a couple of years, but as they grew in the American market, they hiked up prices in Europe. At the moment they are not any cheaper than NCL or Royal.

Two devices per person.

My thoughts exactly

I think the only time you could sail without passport is if it's a cruise around UK and only with UK ports of call.

From what I saw on Bellissima, the Sportplex was often busy with teenagers, younger and older playing basketball or football, so I presume the balls were provided. As for bowling and F1 VR, these activities are paid for, so even though I've seen people using them from time to time, there were never any crowds or queues waiting.

I'm yet to sail on Seascape (April), but from my past experience on other MSC ships, the only place you can have lunch on embarkation day is a buffet. There will be a few bars open for drinks, usually in the atrium and by the pool, but for food it was always a buffet only.

This was not my experience. Prior to my cruise on Bellissima I've read a lot that in the Yacht Club you can get a drink priced above your drink package. So, I have asked for McCallan, which was only €1 more than the package limit and was told that I would have to pay the full price. So I think that depends on a bartender.

Can I ask where are you based? As some European MSC websites doesn't have the regular Log In options like for example American one. I can never log in to my profile unless I have a cruise booked. But that's because Irish MSC website is not upgraded to the same options as other countries have. I'm just wondering if that could be in your case.

I think with the gala night schedule they are working around MSC homeport Genoa. Same goes for Welcome Aboard and Farewell shows. We never board in Genoa, as travelling there doesn't suit us, so we are always out of sync with gala night and shows. But we don't mind.

Thanks! Fully expecting now it will not go without issues. We will be in Palma that day, so if things won’t work with ship’s wifi, I will be covered by unlimited data within EU on my phone. I wouldn’t expect having many zoom calls, but I can use my phone for that. Also, going offshore to use wifi is another option. Thankfully it’s only for one day!

I'm aware. I also know we are full day in the port that day, so unlikely that those 4499 people will be jamming internet all day.

We are booked on MSC Belissima for the Christmas cruise this year and we are in the Yacht Club. I know it includes premium internet package, which will be crucial for me, as I will have to work remotely for 1 day between Christmas and NY and I will need fast and reliable wifi. For those who has experience with premium internet package while using laptop, will I be ok connecting it and working away for a full day, while using email, google drive, zoom etc? Or will I be better connecting my phone and using hotspot for the laptop?

Thanks for clarifying re. Greece. When will MSC change their protocols, that's a good question. I was hoping it would be around now. I'm sailing next week Wednesday and still hoping the testing requirement will be removed.

From 5th of September, NCl, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises are removing pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests for Europe (except cruises stopping in Greece) and US (if no ports of call in Bermuda or Canada).

I'm waiting for testing requirement to be dropped in Europe as well. I'm sailing on 14th of Sep out of Barcelona and since I've heard of testing being dropped in the US, I've been postponing booking my pre-cruise test hoping that it will not be required. 🤔

If I remember correctly, MSC policy states that you are supposed to book as per your country of residence and they can deny you boarding if you book differently. But yes it's not fair that you will get different prices for the same cruise on different countries websites. Not to mention different specials like free wifi or drinks package etc. My problem is not even cheaper prices on other countries websites, it's the actual ability to book the cruise online! Irish MSC website is not supported in the same way as other countries due to small market, it's not being updated regularly with future cruises, prices or any changes to itineraries. And there is no option to book yourself online, you have to call them and do the whole booking over the phone. For that reason I tried to book on German, Spanish and Italian websites, prices are better, but it would only let me go as far as country of residence.