Virtuosa maiden voyage

[kernow]

Just starting to think about packing for Saturday's cruise. Can anyone who has been tell me what the temperature has been like onboard in places like the theatre, lounges etc. Will I need a wrap/ cardi or are bare arms comfortable.

Thanks

[CaroleC]

1 hour ago, kernow said:

Just starting to think about packing for Saturday's cruise. Can anyone who has been tell me what the temperature has been like onboard in places like the theatre, lounges etc. Will I need a wrap/ cardi or are bare arms comfortable.

Thanks

We were on the May 24th sailing which had lovely weather the 2nd half of the cruise. I was comfortable with bare arms everywhere on board and didn’t notice the aircon had been turned up to accommodate the higher temps outside. We did the same as Couple-Somerset and had our cabin aircon on max as I did find it uncomfortably warm in there otherwise.

[kernow]

Thanks both.

We always have an argument over the cabin aircon, DH likes it freezing, I prefer it warmer 😄.

[CaroleC]

2 minutes ago, kernow said:

Thanks both.

We always have an argument over the cabin aircon, DH likes it freezing, I prefer it warmer 😄.

We’re the opposite, DH moans like anything that I always have it ‘freezing’ in the cabin 🙄😂

[hatcheth]

Hi,

 

Due to sail tomorrow (1st June).  We managed to get a duplex suite in the yacht club through an upgrade.

 

Has anyone had any lucky using the priority embarkation privilege in the yacht club to board earlier than their slot (we have 3pm).

 

cheers 

 

stephen 

[Atcodave]

Hi Hatcheth

 

i am in a similar situation , roughly how much did you bid for upgrade? Understand that you may not want to post exact details, but in terms of the scale where was it, thanks.

[hatcheth]

21 minutes ago, Atcodave said:

Hi Hatcheth

 

i am in a similar situation , roughly how much did you bid for upgrade? Understand that you may not want to post exact details, but in terms of the scale where was it, thanks.

Hi,

 

we were in a balcony cabin and just bid £5 over  the minimum amount (£ 630 pp).  Only got confirmed about 30 hours before sailing.

my logic was that the ship only has 1000 people on it, lots of spare suites available and negligible extra cost of upgrade.  The royal suite was a few hundred more.

 

we can’t wait..

 

Thanks couple-Somerset sounds like we should turn up early and hope for the best! 

[Notts1964]

Let’s hope the lovely warm weather remains for the next few weeks, it must be lovely on deck today.

[Atcodave]

2 hours ago, hatcheth said:

Hi,

 

we were in a balcony cabin and just bid £5 over  the minimum amount (£ 630 pp).  Only got confirmed about 30 hours before sailing.

my logic was that the ship only has 1000 people on it, lots of spare suites available and negligible extra cost of upgrade.  The royal suite was a few hundred more.

 

we can’t wait..

 

Thanks couple-Somerset sounds like we should turn up early and hope for the best! 

Thanks, I’m in a very similar situation to you , with a balcony offer to upgrade at a price very close to you. Would be grateful to see if it was good value after your trip. We sail on 24th July!

[dides]

On 5/30/2021 at 2:33 PM, BigRoger said:

(On 24th cruise) Initially on embarkation there was nothing for diamond members… eg no specific Black Sea pass card etc… nothing at all to distinguish…. We ‘had a quick word’ with guest services who reprinted cards and arranged the free bottle of Prosecco etc… their explanation was (true or otherwise) that the loyalty manager on board had walked off the ship after first maiden voyage cruise, never to return! Could be completely untrue but it came directly first hand from guest services!

 Well we had the same situation on the inaugural 20th May cruise - no recognition of Diamond status on embarkation or disembarkation (see review in sig).  Did we help drive the loyalty manager away lol.?

 

Sandra and Chris

[MISSGJ]

On 5/30/2021 at 1:32 PM, Couple-Somerset said:

Anyone on the current May 28th sailing? due to get off on Tuesday 1st

 

What are your thoughts?

 

From a Disney and Royal Caribbean frequent cruiser, MSC absolutely blew them out of the water (pun intended) on almost all fronts. 
 

Just disembarked and ready to book again immediately. Wish we’d done a back to back. 

[LifeonMars]

4 minutes ago, MISSGJ said:

From a Disney and Royal Caribbean frequent cruiser, MSC absolutely blew them out of the water (pun intended) on almost all fronts. 
 

Just disembarked and ready to book again immediately. Wish we’d done a back to back. 

Not too sure if they were permitting b2b, thought had to be 7days in between. Some one will possibly confirm or correct me .

[LifeonMars]

10 hours ago, dides said:

 Well we had the same situation on the inaugural 20th May cruise - no recognition of Diamond status on embarkation or disembarkation (see review in sig).  Did we help drive the loyalty manager away lol.?

 

Sandra and Chris

 

Like you I had no fruit/chocolate or fizz  , but did manage complimentary Butchers Cut and had  to go to Guest services to swap  my debark tags for 2 .  Good review.

Edited June 1, 2021 by LifeonMars

[8420PR]

16 hours ago, hatcheth said:

Hi,

 

we were in a balcony cabin and just bid £5 over  the minimum amount (£ 630 pp).  Only got confirmed about 30 hours before sailing.

my logic was that the ship only has 1000 people on it, lots of spare suites available and negligible extra cost of upgrade.  The royal suite was a few hundred more.

 

we can’t wait..

 

Thanks couple-Somerset sounds like we should turn up early and hope for the best! 

As a related point - on MSC Seaside at the beginning of May, even though the ship was only available to be booked to 50% capacity the YC was available to be booked to 100%.    MSC wasn't only offering 50% of each category - instead 50% of the total ship but with flexibility on the categories offered (I assume based on profitability).

[caffeine_demon]

2 hours ago, LifeonMars said:

Not too sure if they were permitting b2b, thought had to be 7days in between. Some one will possibly confirm or correct me .

On the 24th cruise, there was a note in the daily program for b2bers to register at guest services

[MISSGJ]

1 hour ago, caffeine_demon said:

On the 24th cruise, there was a note in the daily program for b2bers to register at guest services

The same sign was on the 28th cruise which is what made me think of it and wish we had. 

[CaroleC]

7 minutes ago, Couple-Somerset said:

 

There's a guy on FB who booked a B2B2B and has been on for 12 nights from May 20th.

 

For some reason, he thought the guest entertainers would be different.

 

Imagine his surprise when he was offered the chance to see Rikki Jay NINE TIMES (18 if you include the fact each show is done twice).

 

Same with Soul Sisters - NINE TIMES - I think they're now called Soul Destroying Sisters lol.

You do make me laugh 🤣🤣🤣

 

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by CaroleC

[hatcheth]

No problems whatsoever getting on early when in the yacht club.  Thanks for the advice 

[ziggyuk]

44 minutes ago, Couple-Somerset said:

 

There's a guy on FB who booked a B2B2B and has been on for 12 nights from May 20th.

 

For some reason, he thought the guest entertainers would be different for each cruise.

 

Imagine his surprise when he was offered the chance to see Rikki Jay NINE TIMES (18 if you include the fact each show is done twice).

 

Same with Soul Sisters - NINE TIMES - I think they're now called Soul Destroying Sisters lol.

 

--------------

 

We were booked again for June 12th but put it off to June 26th and got £480 OBC for the price difference - and it means its an extra 2 weeks since seeing the above 2 guest shows (really hope they change then but know it's not going to happen sadly)

 

.

 

 

Hope he improves with all the practice before we get on 😂

Do you know if the entertainment changes, I know John Bishop is the comedian on 5th June but assume this is a one off special cruise.
I was thinking there may be new entertainers after 5th or maybe Rikki Jay is having a week of to have his suits dry cleaned to remove the tomato splats.

[swimming with spaniels]

On 5/28/2021 at 3:15 PM, kernow said:

Glad you enjoyed the cruise and thanks for the update.

Are both decks 8 and 9 not being used? We're on 5th June and had a deck 8 cabin, today that has gone to guarantee and no cabin number. Wondering where we may end up.

 

our deck 8 cabin was moved to deck 11 a couple of days before sailing - i was happy as we had an unobstructed view 🙂

[kernow]

1 hour ago, swimming with spaniels said:

our deck 8 cabin was moved to deck 11 a couple of days before sailing - i was happy as we had an unobstructed view 🙂

Today we've also been allocated a deck 11 cabin. Happy that we didn't get deck 14 with the big overhang, hoping 11 will be low enough to get some sun (if the weather stays nice next week).

[the wandering two]

As a good few of you folks have already been onboard what's the live music like in any of the lounges? 

Frequency, duration etc. 

TIA 

[Enjoyacruise]

Hello All

 

I have booked the four day cruise Liverpool to Southampton on 13 July. Disembarking on 17th July.

 

I have never been with MSC and looking forward to a new cruise line and ship.

 

I appreciate that in these Covid times they are not doing self disembarkation. Can anyone who has got off the Virtuosa  in Southampton please give me an idea on timing (to book my return train!). The MSC help desk said it would probably be 9.30 but as the ship is due to dock 6.30 that seems later than I would expect.

 

thank you

 

[LifeonMars]

35 minutes ago, Enjoyacruise said:

Hello All

 

I have booked the four day cruise Liverpool to Southampton on 13 July. Disembarking on 17th July.

 

I have never been with MSC and looking forward to a new cruise line and ship.

 

I appreciate that in these Covid times they are not doing self disembarkation. Can anyone who has got off the Virtuosa  in Southampton please give me an idea on timing (to book my return train!). The MSC help desk said it would probably be 9.30 but as the ship is due to dock 6.30 that seems later than I would expect.

 

thank you

 

see post          #322   and the attachment showing debark times for the 1st cruise, however other cruises may have different times.

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by LifeonMars

[CaroleC]

45 minutes ago, Enjoyacruise said:

I appreciate that in these Covid times they are not doing self disembarkation. Can anyone who has got off the Virtuosa  in Southampton please give me an idea on timing (to book my return train!). The MSC help desk said it would probably be 9.30 but as the ship is due to dock 6.30 that seems later than I would expect.

We were on the 24th May sailing and they definitely did self disembarkation. We had a letter left in the cabin early on in the cruise (may have been the second day) advising we needed to let Guest Services know by, I believe, the following day if we wished to do this.