JT1962

There are several similar threads on this board with lots of good information and opinions. People either love or hate MSC. There doesn’t seem to be many in between. I cruised MSC for the first time in January on the Meraviglia after 20 cruises on several other lines, primarily Royal Caribbean and Carnival. I loved it and was on Divina for 19 days in October and have 3 more MSC cruises booked in 2023. I found the food, entertainment and service equivalent to or better than other lines I have been on. The pre-cruise experience with the website and customer service can be horrible, but the onboard experience is very good. Ocean Cay, their private island, is the best I have been to. If you are looking for an amusement park onboard, need 24 hour entertainment, or are expecting a carbon copy of other mainstream cruise lines, then it may not be for you. If you want a more traditional cruise experience at a great price, then give MSC a try.

I noticed a similar option in excursions for my January Divina cruise. It’s likely a way to compete with Viator and other sites that offer a combination package for each of the ports on an itinerary. It looks like they pick one of the most popular excursions at each port. The price for the combination is about 15% / $ 32 cheaper than booking each excursion separately. That gives passengers an incentive to book and likely more revenue for MSC since many who may normally book independently will book the combination now through the ship.

But not as a home port, at least currently.

I agree that the Carnival owned / managed ports is a big factor in where they go. In addition to Amber Cove, Mahogany Bay, Grand Turk and private islands, they are spending millions on a new port at Freeport. I’m sure that will become a stop on many future itineraries since it is close to Florida ports and will save fuel. Time and distance are also a main factor. Most people want a cruise of 7 days (or less) that leaves on Saturday or Sunday. There are only so many ports you can sail to and return in a week or less.

I’ve been on 2 MSC cruises this year and have 3 more booked. No real booking issues and a great onboard experience. The key is to book what you really want and don’t make any changes. The ones that seem to have issues are the ones that contact customer service to make some type of inquiry or change.

I normally book independent excursions, but did book several excursions through MSC on my Divina cruise last month. They were ok to excellent. The River Tubing in Jamaica and Champagne Snorkeling in Aruba were excellent, with relatively small groups. The tours in Panama & Cost Rica were ok, mainly due to larger groups on full size buses rather than vans. Lots of waiting for others, as is typical for large groups. I have noticed that MSC excursions are cheaper than other cruise lines and equivalent to or cheaper than booking independently, especially if you book prior to sailing.

No catch. The lower fares are primarily due to supply / demand and MSC trying to compete with better known cruise lines. The lowest base fare will still include your cabin, food (dining room & buffet), shows in the theater & lounges, access to the pools, hot tubs, etc. Unless part of a “free” package, drinks, wifi, specialty restaurants, spa treatments, excursions and gratuities are extra (as on most mainstream cruise lines). The Bella fare does not allow you to choose your cabin, just the type - inside, Oceanview or balcony. All fares above that - Fantastica, Aurea and Yacht Club all let you choose a specific cabin.

Check Paradise Beach in Cozumel. Not sure I’ve seen jet ski rentals in Costa Maya or at Mahogany Bay. We love Maya Chan in Costa Maya, if you want all-inclusive. Otherwise, try Krazy Lobster. The free beach at the port in Mahogany Bay is excellent.

It can’t hurt to try. Just submit at this link: https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club/status-match If you haven’t gotten a reply in a week, resubmit it. They aren’t consistent on when they reply.

On MSC cruises in the Mediterranean (and maybe other area outside the US), it is common for passengers to board at many of the ports and get off when the ship returns to that same port. Everyone does not board at the same port and complete the itinerary together as US cruises do.

A US citizen should be able to board with a certified copy of a birth certificate (usually has a raised seal) and a valid photo ID (usually a Driver’s License). Since this is a closed-loop cruise, a Passport is not required for US Citizens. I was on the 12 day repositioning cruise from Port Canaveral to Miami on Divina last month with stops at those ports and others. Since it was a repositioning cruise, it was not considered a closed-loop (returning to the same departure port) and should have required a passport, however, I spoke to two people who were on the cruise and boarded with just a Birth Certificate and Driver’s License. I am not sure what happened when the got to immigration in Miami when getting off the ship, but they were able to board in Port Canaveral with no issues.

You should be fine with the activities you listed. I was on Divina last month for 19 days and never got bored. Trivia games offered multiple times a day, Name That Tune was in one of the lounges several times during the cruise at 8:30 PM between singers. Multiple lounges / locations with music. Interesting shows in the theater. I saw Video Poker machines, but not sure about poker tables.

I’m sure it’s due to the hurricane. Roatan a much better port. Check Daniel Johnson or Victor Bodden for tours to the monkey, sloth & iguana sanctuaries. You can add other options such as snorkeling. Zip lines, island tour, beach stop, etc.

How were the same ones getting back in line ahead of your husband or others and keeping them from riding? Were they cutting in line?

There was no sign in the video I saw, just a passing comment that they mentioned they weren’t sure if they were going to do it because it cost $19. My first thought was it was 15 pounds which might equal US$19, but that’s only the equivalent to around US$17 currently.

It has been asked for on my 2 MSC cruises this year. I already have my eTicket for my Jan 20 cruise with the barcode, health questionnaire and luggage tags. I just clicked Email me the tickets when completing online check-in several days ago and it was sent immediately.

I’m not sure the $ 19 price is official. If the video the OP saw was the same one I saw, it was 2 guys giving a live walk-through of the ship. They were on deck at night in the rain, pointed out the Bolt, said they rode it on the Mardi Gras and weren’t sure they would ride it on Celebration and mentioned it cost $ 19. Maybe that is correct or maybe they just mis-remembered the price they paid on Mardi Gras. They did not show any price list or sign with a price, that I saw. Whether $ 15 or $ 19, it’s not worth it to me for 2 trips around.

Did you check your final bill from the cruise? They usually credit it back to your Sail & Sign account.

They had a white night and “flower power” night with 60s / 70s theme & music in addition to two Elegant Nights, if I remember correctly. The Dora the Explorer tour was in Cartagena, Colombia. http://www.cartagenatour.com/

I did the 6.5 hour bus tour with Chilkoot Charters in May and did the bus / train combo with them in 2018 and highly recommend it. The scenery is amazing, smaller bus (12-14 people) that can stop for photos where larger buses can’t, good commentary about the area & history, etc. The stop for lunch was about an hour and included admission to the museum and time to play with the husky puppies. No worries in making it back to the ship on time since they have been doing this tour for years and depend on getting passengers back with time to spare.

Shhhh!! Don’t tell anyone about this place. I want to continue to go at a good price.

Both itineraries are good. I have been to all of the ports listed more than once and enjoyed them all. I would suggest doing some research on the excursions that are available through the cruise line and researching the ports on this & other cruise websites and TripAdvisor to see what excursions / sites may interest you most. You would probably be limited on some of the more popular excursions with a 4 year old due to age restrictions. You can always do a beach day in most of the ports.

Seascape does 7 days to San Juan, the Dominican Republic, Nassau & Ocean Cay (private island).

Check the Seascape itineraries. Alternates between Eastern & Western Caribbean. Divina does some 11-12 day itineraries that include Aruba, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, etc.

See if you can find out if the Princess tour leaves directly from the ship or you still have to take a tender to the dock and leave from there. SOMETIMES the snorkeling excursions leave directly from the ship, which is a big advantage from having to take the tender in, then transfer to another boat for the tour. You should be able to find YouTube videos or other reviews of the excursion that will let you know if it left directly from the ship.