Same Cruise, Different Embarkation Dates/Options/Ports

[CTOM]

So all my other cruises have had a single starting date and a single place where the cruise begins and ends. But in the fall, I'm on a Mediterranean cruise that has several places we can begin at. It goes from Genoa-Genoa, with stops in Marseilles, Barcelona, and others. I could buy the Genoa-Genoa cruise and have a stop in Barcelona two days later.. But we opted to begin our cruise at Barcelona.

My question is...since the cruise will have already started 2 days before Barcelona, I assume the ship and our room will be fully ready when we embark in Barcelona? Does that mean we can check-in embark any time, even early in the morning?

[AnnMR]

If they’re fully booked then your cabin won’t be empty between Genoa and Barcelona, it will have someone getting off in the morning you embark.

 

I’m on a cruise in July starting from Southampton, but people will have got on at Le Havre the day before.

 

Having multi embarkations should make it less hassle with not having to empty the whole ship and reload all in one day.

 

I’ve heard with the Southampton start that I should be able to get on from midday even though my boarding time is late afternoon on my etickets.

 

 

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[Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin]

I have the same confusion with a Genoa-Genoa Belissima sailing next May. We are in the Royal Suite, which is still showing as available on our sailing. However, two days prior, there is a Barcelona -Barcelona sailing on Belissima, where the Royal Suite is showing as sold out. This really confused me, since the Barcelona sailing coincides with our sailing except for the 2 days prior and we continue 2 days later. I asked my TA if the Barcelona sailing was showing sold out because we had the Royal suite starting in Genoa....and if so, I wanted to price getting on 2 days earlier in Barcelona. She reported back that the suite was booked. Huh? How can it be booked for a 7 day sailing, when I am supposed to be in it for 5 of those days? Seems like a nightmare for the cruise line to keep straight! And I am certainly hoping that I don't fly to Europe to find that my cabin is already occupied by someone else!

[CTOM]

I think I see what happens. There's a different GEN-GEN cruise a week or so BEFORE yours. Someone on that cruise has your room. One of the stops on their cruise is BCN. This is the stop two days ahead of you. You cannot get on at BCN because your room is still in use by the Gen-Gen people. 2 days later, they get off...staff cleans the room and it's yours.

 

Google Bellisma 2019 itinerary and you'll see how it is.

[perakcruiser]

My question is...since the cruise will have already started 2 days before Barcelona, I assume the ship and our room will be fully ready when we embark in Barcelona? Does that mean we can check-in embark any time, even early in the morning?

The embarking time has nothing to do with this. MSC will start embarking a couple of hours after their arrival time. And the cruise is not really starting two days before, think about an endless circle (for a couple of months) where the cruise starts and ends every day. Don´t worry, they are used to this and able to keep it totally straight.

[Luvsparties]

So all my other cruises have had a single starting date and a single place where the cruise begins and ends. But in the fall, I'm on a Mediterranean cruise that has several places we can begin at. It goes from Genoa-Genoa, with stops in Marseilles, Barcelona, and others. I could buy the Genoa-Genoa cruise and have a stop in Barcelona two days later.. But we opted to begin our cruise at Barcelona.

My question is...since the cruise will have already started 2 days before Barcelona, I assume the ship and our room will be fully ready when we embark in Barcelona? Does that mean we can check-in embark any time, even early in the morning?

 

We are also on a Med cruise in the fall that begins in Lisbon but we are embarking in Barcelona. I didn't pay much attention and just assumed it was a Barcelona-Barcelona. When I went to make flight reservations for the next leg of our trip and saw the ship didn't dock until noon, I realized that we weren't getting on at the "origination" port. I actually think it's kind of neat that you can get on at different ports so you can come in a few days before to explore the port that interests you.

[cruiseintoheaven]

This whole concept is new to us as well. So in theory, can you hop on and hop off based on preference - making it a 5 day cruise vs. 7? Our vacation time is limited and want to spend a few days pre-cruise....

 

 

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[SirWolf]

So in theory, can you hop on and hop off based on preference - making it a 5 day cruise vs. 7?

That is not how it works on a “loop” cruise. The length of the cruise is always the same.

Example:

MSC Seaview Sept. 2018

loop Western Med

- Genoa, Naples, Messina, Valletta,

Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa

- 5 cruises can be booked

embarking in Genoa, Naples, Messina,

Barcelona, Marseille

- all 5 cruises are 7 nights, embarking and disembarking in the same city/port.

Edited June 30, 2018 by SirWolf

[cruiseintoheaven]

That is not how it works on a “loop” cruise. The length of the cruise is always the same.

Example:

MSC Seaview Sept. 2018

loop Western Med

- Genoa, Naples, Messina, Valletta,

Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa

- 5 cruises can be booked

embarking in Genoa, Naples, Messina,

Barcelona, Marseille

- all 5 cruises are 7 nights, embarking and disembarking in the same city/port.

 

 

 

Ahhh, yes that makes sense now that I see it in writing - thank you!

 

 

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[pukekolive]

We are on Preziosa in August and her loop is 14 days Baltics for 7 days and Norway for 7 days out of and returning to Kiel each 7 days. Some passengers are doing the Baltics first, others Norway first.

 

We are doing the 14 day advertised cruise Baltics then Norway Copenhagen to Copenhagen (the port after Kiel). Then we do 9 days of an advertised 11 day cruise Copenhagen to Genoa when she repositions to the Med, we disembark at Barcelona.

 

So we have 23 days on board but revisiting Kiel twice and Copenhagen 3 times! Both our cruises embark at Copenhagen and we also visit after the first 7 days to pick up and drop off 7 day cruisers.

 

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[kodesthemoose]

I am curious for those who have done a cruise like this (I think I saw someone refer to it as a 'bus stop' cruise) - are there any disadvantages? I assume you only have to do muster drill once when you embark even though there must be several muster drills. We were booked on the Epic before I switched to the Seaview - Epic does a split itinerary too but with only two ports for embark/disembark.

[glittergal1]

That is not how it works on a “loop” cruise. The length of the cruise is always the same.

Example:

MSC Seaview Sept. 2018

loop Western Med

- Genoa, Naples, Messina, Valletta,

Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa

- 5 cruises can be booked

embarking in Genoa, Naples, Messina,

Barcelona, Marseille

- all 5 cruises are 7 nights, embarking and disembarking in the same city/port.

 

this is not true on a Loop cruise there are various length cruises from port to port we are on Seaview in November however we get on in Naples and off in Genoa so 6 nights not 7

[SirWolf]

this is not true on a Loop cruise there are various length cruises from port to port we are on Seaview in November however we get on in Naples and off in Genoa so 6 nights not 7

Your cruise is not listed on the MSC US website, only one cruise on Nov 5th Naples to Naples 7-nights . Maybe MSC offers different itineraries in Europe ?

[citizenfrank]

I am curious for those who have done a cruise like this (I think I saw someone refer to it as a 'bus stop' cruise) - are there any disadvantages? I assume you only have to do muster drill once when you embark even though there must be several muster drills. We were booked on the Epic before I switched to the Seaview - Epic does a split itinerary too but with only two ports for embark/disembark.

 

We have boarded the Epic in Marseille when the 'main' 7-day schedule was meant to be Barcelona to Barcelona, there was also boarding in Rome. The muster drill was 80 of us in the Cavern Club, so very quick & simple. Boarding was equally a stress free experience.

[Skier52]

This whole concept is new to us as well. So in theory, can you hop on and hop off based on preference - making it a 5 day cruise vs. 7? Our vacation time is limited and want to spend a few days pre-cruise.... Yes you can. I have done it myself getting on at Genoa and getting off at Salerno

turning a 7 night cruise into a 6 night cruise

 

 

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I am curious for those who have done a cruise like this (I think I saw someone refer to it as a 'bus stop' cruise) - are there any disadvantages? I assume you only have to do muster drill once when you embark even though there must be several muster drills. We were booked on the Epic before I switched to the Seaview - Epic does a split itinerary too but with only two ports for embark/disembark.

You only have to attend the safety drill the day you embark

 

 

Pete

[GOLDENBONNY]

I am curious for those who have done a cruise like this (I think I saw someone refer to it as a 'bus stop' cruise) - are there any disadvantages? I assume you only have to do muster drill once when you embark even though there must be several muster drills. We were booked on the Epic before I switched to the Seaview - Epic does a split itinerary too but with only two ports for embark/disembark.

 

 

The only disadvantage is to see luggage in hallways every day, and people not dressed up too much sometimes because its thee first or last day of cruise.

[glittergal1]

Your cruise is not listed on the MSC US website, only one cruise on Nov 5th Naples to Naples 7-nights . Maybe MSC offers different itineraries in Europe ?

 

MSC dont always advertise in each country the same , our cruise when we booked was on the UK website then a while after it was no longer available , then it was available again recently I dont know the rationale behind what cruises they advertise. A short 3 day cruise we had booked for May with MSC we saw advertised on a pop up from a weather website it wasnt actually advertised on MSC when you searched !!!!!!

[sidari]

We did a Preziosa cruise last September which was similar, the Formal nights can be odd where only some are dressed up while others are on their last night of their cruise, the Black card event for our cruise from Southampton was on our last night and the dress was Formal, the Formal night having been the night before! So it can become confusing.

[pukekolive]

When we embark at Copenhagen others have started at Kiel so CPN is their first port day. It will be odd for us as the day after we get on us a sea day!

 

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[sidari]

Different people every couple of days ... :D

[Cullyman15]

When we embark at Copenhagen others have started at Kiel so CPN is their first port day. It will be odd for us as the day after we get on us a sea day!

 

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Well when we booked we booked an 11 day from Warnemunde to Genoa, we didn't even know it sailed from Kiel? depends where you loo to find these cruises.

[Hey Tina]

The only disadvantage is to see luggage in hallways every day, and people not dressed up too much sometimes because its thee first or last day of cruise.

 

Maybe seeing luggage in the hall every day will make the last night less depressing :(

[Cullyman15]

Maybe seeing luggage in the hall every day will make the last night less depressing :(

 

What makes the last night less depressing is when you book a few nights in Venice and Paris after the cruise.:cool: