MaisonRose

I’m trying to figure out if it is worth booking a HAVE IT ALL fare but can’t find a way to compare the inclusive vs the component prices:

it seems that I need a booking to access the various costs on the HAL site.

. What I need is, for example

1. Daily cost of lower level wi fi and is it per device or per cabin?

2. Drink cost such as club soda, cappuccino, glass of wine at dinner. Predictable bottle of wine in MDR

    Signature per day rate.

3. Pinnacle meal pp.

4. Any way to predict ship excursion prices (there are only two stops on the NY-Rotterdam crossing).

The upcharge on this 13 day cruise is about $1000 pp for Have it All.

Thanks:

Susan

I could use help with this problem (related). We were booted off the Emerald after a positive CoVid Test, missing the final nine days of the extension called British Isles. That was May 1.

We returned from Europe on Dec 6 and a check for $510 was awaiting us here. This was an allotment for our Southampton hotel during quarantine.

i haven’t been able to get instructions for options that reimburse the missed nine days of cruising May 1-9. It seems impossible to reach a source of information with Princess.Only one sheet of instructions was issued to us just after the positive test result and further contact with Guest Services was unavailable at the time. ( You won’t be surprised to hear that the whole experience was traumatic despite never having any illness symptoms).

I’m curious who to contact and will Princess have a record of this incident?.

I’m going to write a review soon but here are some observations:

Our deluxe balcony cabin does not have Kleenex.

contrary to earlier messages,  there are wash cloths.

The cast show called PREMIERE is most excellent: be sure to sign up.

The Marketplace buffet is a zoo at lunch time and the alternative Green Wave restaurant has short hours and on sea days is overwhelmed.  There is one soup choice per day and only Lentil was GF.

Tea is off brand but very good and the water is extra hot!

Gluten Free is basically in the Green Wave Restaurant and breads GF are plastic packages that are thawed in a microwave.

There have been no obvious signs that the Seascape is on it’s first sailing. EXCEPT the inevitable odors of « new » fibers. This ship is gorgeous and the staff delightful.

Watching the World Cup matches in the Sports Bar is the most popular activity.

Drinks are expensive.

The ship is very very noisy except in the cabins.

On 11/16/2022 at 5:33 PM, Fla Mike said:

 

 Actually, we liked the Divina more than The Edge.

Don't get me wrong Edge was beautiful, and the food and service were above average, but I'm getting the feeling X is trying to be something it is not.

They seem to be trying to appeal to a "youngerish" crowd. Well heeled "DINKS", but the on our Edge sailing, ( 4 nighter) was average age, I'm guessing mid 60's. Which is where I am.

 

I'm also afraid that MSC may pick up some stragglers from Carnival since Carnival has changed their booze policy again, making it harder still to skirt their drink limit. Our last Carnival cruise in May was the last, bargain basement prices bring bargain basement crowds.

 

 

Very true...

This would be a 4 night cruise on either ship:

MSC Aurea aft wrap suite is $400.00 pp less than a Concierge level Sunset (aft) Verandah on X.

MSC Standard Mid Level  Fantastica balcony is $350.00 pp less than Standard Verandah on X.

 

 

That is what I need help with, as I mentioned up front, service on our Meraviglia cruise was confrontational at the very least.

We were in Concierge on X one time and got very little for the « extra » charge..early boarding, for example.

On 11/15/2022 at 9:53 PM, Fla Mike said:

Lovely and I just got off a fantastic cruise on Celebrity Edge and are thinking about next November 2023 already, as we have two RCCL cruises booked for Feb and May 2022.

 

We did both a Divina and an Meraviglia cruise within the last year, and, well the Divina cruise was one of the best cruises we ever had, but, the Meraviglia was  the exact opposite.

Service was so bad in the MDR with a server actually yelling at us, we vowed never, ever to cruise MSC again. (in fairness the Maître d', did try very had to correct the problem) 

 

Never say never...right?

I can do a aft facing Aurea Suite on the Seashore for less than a Sunset Veranda on Celebrity Silhouette. All in on both.

 

The Seashore looks drop dead gorgeous, just thinking I'll be sorry in the end.

 

I also know first hand the problems with MSC shoreside Customer Service.

 

I booked those Royal cruises as the prices were right and it has been a few years since we have been on Royal, but I'm also thinking after those two I'll have had my fill of kids for a while.

 

So, tell me I'm not crazy if I book this again???

You are crazy.

I’m on the Seascape and being nickeled and dimed to death.

example: in Valencia we are docked in an industrial section. Ticket for the half hour shuttle is $13pp RT.  Walking is not a choice.

in Barcelona the shuttle was $9 pp so 2 people should grab a taxi.

Market food is pretty bad. Butchers Cut meal is $110 pp: outrageous.

THÉ SEASCAPE LACKS MOVIES, LIBRARY, CULTURAL EVENTS BUT THE SHOWS ARE VERY GOOD INDEED. But overall Celebrity Daily activités are more up my alley. Trivia is better on Celebrity.

Good thing if you drink tea: although generic, they pour very hot water OVER THE TEABAG! I’ve never been disappointed in a cup of tea.

The Vendi gelato/MSC, is worth the extra charge, it is mythically fantastic.

i think this MSC crew on the Seascape is more friendly & helpful than the Celebrity staff.  The passengers on MSC are a bigger cultural mix.

OKAy, that’s just IMHO.

chocolate bar SEASCAPE 11/19/22

Would welcome comments on Ocean Cay: is is a good choice? What is their Tasting Menu? 

Im on Seascape and scanned in the menu, but « Tasting Menu » isn’t mentioned.

My contribution to the discussion: on this » Maiden Voyage » only Butchers Cut and Ocean Cay are offered as Diamond Perks.

I noticed that there is no GF category. Maybe they’ll add that in the future. First time on MSC but other cruise experience with GF eating has been quite awkward.

It might be that chefs think gluten free passengers have Celiacs Disease, which is, of course, serious. But often GF diners are just wheat sensitive so a menu notation like « contains wheat » would be useful.👍

Saw the Seascape this morning. At least I exist and it seems that other experiences aren’t there yet.

Hmmm. On QM2 last Dec all pax were tested in the Terminal. Two days later our waitress camedown with CoVid, making me suspect that crew are far more exposed than passengers.

My doctors and their staff are still masking and require that I do so.

So I’m  Ambivalent but I look forward to the day when we can stop worrying about this: aren’t you?

On 9/21/2022 at 1:42 PM, Alakegirl said:

Civitavvecchhia isn’t the OP’s final EU port so the lack of a VAT refund office there doesn’t matter.

 

Ponta Delgada, Azores, is where the VAT refund would need to be processed.

That is upstairs in the Funchal terminal. Don’t go during lunchtime!

Check pharmacies in Termini Station. The are three and  at least one does testing. Sorry I didn’t get the name but it’s onTermini’s web site. €15. Of course I wouldn’t make a special trip but if you are using Termini it’s available there.

On 10/14/2022 at 7:45 PM, lisiamc said:

I’m going to be that lone dissenting voice, because someone has to be.😁 We’ve been to Rome, many times. Rome has a lot to offer, but if I want to go to Rome, I go to Rome. If I want somewhere to put my head down for one night pre-cruise, I go to Civitavecchia. Two different goals, in my view. There is very nice food and wine (to drink there, or to take on board) to be had in Civitavecchia, and even a few interesting things to see, right in the town.

I agree. For sheer relaxation and a pleasant time, Civitavecchia steps up. There is a wonderful, fascinating market in the center of town which I experienced on a Saturday but according to the town website it is daily (not Sunday, probably).

Another plus is that accommodations are much less expensive. It depends on how much “real” time you have in Rome.  In Nov our train to Rome... Civitavecchia,  gets us in at 7pm hence dinner and bedtime will be our evening.

But if that first day is one of three days that you will ever have in Rome: GO FOR IT. For sure.

As an aside about these Name issues, how a woman is listed in Europe is different.

For example when I replaced my driver permit here in France, I got immersed in a name kerfluffle, it turning out that I am Susan maiden name and using my married name didn’t ring with French bureaucracy. After 22 years!

Who da thunk it?

Susan

Thank you for your suggestion. Here’s what happened.

i asked my agent to resend my official confirmation. On it there are two links, one to the excursions/spa page, the other link to the drinks and special events page.

clicking on either took me to the MSC site. On one link I had to fill in my bkg # name etc and it worked. The other link took me directly to the page for choosing.

Yea! I say this however: the package I chose and booked with my CC did wheelies and after an hour I closed the site and went to bed.🤪

Susan

One time, two days after booking, I actually got on the website and got some basic information onto the booking form. Since then it has always rejected my name/and our booking number...which I put in as (for example) 12345678. eight digits no spaces. Repeatedly I get an error message (something like We do not recognize this information.)

i want to say that I am in France and have booked my res with VTG but using my USA address. I’ve tried to sign in with both my French location/ web ID and by using a VPN that locates me in the USA, actually a place near my home.

As our Nov 19 sailing nears I’m getting more anxious about my booking, especially since I have never gotten any emailed communications from MSC (like a Confirmation).  My VTG agent that I used for all of my sailings says that he can pull up the res (sometimes). An MSC customer service agent verbally confirmed the booking but....I can’t order any extras, etc. Or print out my Cabin # etc. 

Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m at my wit’s end.

Thank you community.

Susan

Just now, MaisonRose said:

I’ll put my 2CV in: NYC to MIAMI would be a perfect press preview and travel agent initiation. Have any agents out there seen announcements to that effect?

Spell check error: please note “put my two cents in”

I'm amused by the error because in my garage is a Citroen CV2, from 1976!

In some mysterious way I wonder if my spell check actually knows this.

17 hours ago, mowogo said:

Considering the media event, they likely will do it in NYC so they can have guests tour the ship.  

I’ll put my 2CV in: NYC to MIAMI would be a perfect press preview and travel agent initiation. Have any agents out there seen announcements to that effect?

4 minutes ago, MaisonRose said:

 

I wonder if this has anything to do with 3 MSC ships serving as hotels during the upcoming WORLD CUP?

  https://maritime-executive.com/article/qatar-s-world-cup-brings-in-three-cruise-ships-for-hotel-space

On 7/12/2022 at 6:45 PM, Toffeeboy said:

I will explain more about this change it is not Covid related purely operational reasons they changed the departure date from the 21st November to the 27th November and with a completely different Itinerary the original cruise was 11 nights now 7 and a totally different final port for the trolls on here who say life sucks after you have booked all your flights I hope it happens to you all !!!!!🐷

On 7/13/2022 at 4:05 PM, GonzoWCS said:

Thanks for the specifics and sorry this happened to you and yours.

 

Cheers

I wonder if this has anything to do with 3 MSC ships serving as hotels during the upcoming WORLD CUP?

susan

6 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

Not the best place for these questions, however - GF should be noted pre-boarding using the special dietary request form.  Tea bags vary by country of origin of sailing as well as venue (YC has different teas - loose leaf and bagged than the main dining room and buffet) Yes, there is sweet & low and Equal, but no stevia. There are no tea kettles in balcony cabins.  The YC will have nespresso machines.

Thank you for your reply, it is very helpful. The reason I asked about GF is that imho I’ve never had a smooth GF experience, especially in the buffets. For example I’ve been holding cooked eggs on a plate and discovered that the GF toast is on the opposite side of the ship. Each ship has such different procedures that it takes a few days to navigate the procedures. I’ve already noted it in my booking and now it’s just “cross fingers”.

As our voyage approaches I join everyone in hopeful anticipation of another happy Crossing!

Bises,

Susan

Hi

MSC SEASCAPE NOV 19 but my questions probably are universal to the fleet.

Have you run into, or dined with, anyone who has a gluten-free regimen?

Can you tell me the brand of tea bags in the buffet and also the availability of substitute sweeteners like Sweet n Low, Stevia, Equal (or whatever).

Do the cabins have tea kettles and supplies? (We’re in deluxe balcony but not Aurea.)

This is my first MSC experience and appreciate your efforts at providing answers to these special requests.

Also WHAT MAKES MSC SPECIAL TO YOU?

XXX

SusanM.

On 8/12/2022 at 2:56 AM, styles27 said:

Unfortunately they can change your stateroom and they explain that right in the booking confirmation email you received when you booked the cruise. I don’t believe the agent you spoke to gave you the correct reason. I agree with you. 
We just booked Divina for December and this was in the confirmation email. See where it says “stateroom number” in the pic below. 

 

Coincidentally on our first ever MSC cruise we booked an aft balcony and we were upgraded to the YC for free 2 days before the cruise. I wasn’t happy because I really wanted the larger aft balcony but boy am I glad they couldn’t switch us back because it was an incredible experience. 
In your case though I wouldn’t be pleased to go from a 2 room suite to 1 room. But I think you will enjoy the YC and all of its perks. Unfortunately if they’re telling you the original room isn’t available I think you’re out of luck unless you can get them to give you adjoining rooms in the YC. 

There is an online agency site that has live availability. For EXample you can see if any other suites are free.

21 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

A cabin upgrade is not an element of Princess Plus booking option.  You may have booked under the recent Best.Sale.Ever promotion.  One of its features is a cabin category upgrade and you get that whether booking the Plus option or the Saver option. 

 

To continue, you don't get a cabin upgrade beyond what you booked.  When you did book, categories F thru B were all priced the same, so you could have booked an Inside IB or Balcony BB, for example, and you would have paid the going rate for the IF or BF.  That's all - unless your booking is marked for accepting upgrades and you receive a visit from the upgrade fairy.

 

Thank you for explaining the Princess Plus Booking procédure.

My agent booked me in E701 and two days later I added PP and he charged me extra for a higher category which he said was required to add PP. And then we paid also to have PP added. That is what puzzles me.

So, I await the upgrade fairy.

i did an amazingly stupid thing in booking PP: assuming that premium coffee, etc., was part of the drinks package. I don’t drink alcohol and so on a 23 day cruise I still have to pay for a cappuccino. That hurts.

Susan

On 2/13/2022 at 12:32 PM, Hlitner said:

For some weird reason we have not been able to get into our online Account (it shows as logged in but simply hangs up and does not load any pages).  I sent a message to our very capable cruise agent and ask her to look into the matter since they talk to Princess multiple times an hour.  The response from Princess was not very helpful with their suggestion being that I call Princess (and sit on hold for who knows how long) and they would work with me on the phone to fix the issue (which is at their end).

 

I guess one solution with constant Princess software issues is to simply cancel our future bookings and sail on lines that seem to have their act together.  

 

Hank

Hi Hank from New Cumberland (Susan an ex Harrisburger): I see you frequently on the boards and am impressed with your experience and depth of knowledge. I just want to confirm that the Customer Service Line at Princess answered my call last night after a 70 minute hold. I was shocked when a fellow from Georgia responded and to my first question (can I ask for a tea kettle setup in my cabin...on the Apr 16 b2b including 9 days in the UK), he informed me that he never heard of in room kettles but would ask). He put me on hold and 80 minutes later I hung up. This was the second call: a week ago the call was never answered. This is only my second Princess sail, but I’m not impressed.

I’m supposed to get an upgrade due to a Princess Plus package (which kicked in as a package requirement) but I’m still assigned the original cabin:

that was question 2.

My point: your solution of quitting an unresponsive cruise line sounds solid advice to me.🤓

Cheers & Happy Sailing,

Susan M.