New MSC Cruiser: Several questions

[hmwende]

Booked our first cruise on MSC Meraviglia out of Port Canaveral 3/6/22 (but experienced cruisers) in room 12191 balcony fantastical experience (hoping to get an opportunity to bid on YC). I’ve learned a lot from reading, but the answers to the following questions are eluding me. 

 

1. We enjoy old school cruising and being assigned to a large table at dinner so that we can meet other folks. Is this possible with MSC?
2. Does MSC refund cost paid for drink package if we get upgraded to YC?  If not, should we wait to purchase drink package?  Does the price go up the closet we get to the cruise?
3. Is there a cost to participate in the following:  gelato, fitness center, flight simulator, cirque de soliel?
4. Does anyone know the single day pass cost for the thermal suite?
5. Any theme parties we should be aware of?
6. Where are the more secluded private spots on the ship if you’re not in YC?  We love quiet relaxation. Also any secret tips about the ship to share?
7. Where are the best quiet secluded spots on the beach in Ocean Cay?
8. Can anyone confirm if the light show is on port or starboard side?  Our room is on port but afraid to request a change in response to terrible reviews of customer service and I don’t want my reservation screwed up. 
9. I thought I read somewhere that you can pay a day rate to use the Solarium pool - is that correct?  If so, what is the cost?

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Heather

[perakcruiser]

4 hours ago, hmwende said:

We enjoy old school cruising and being assigned to a large table at dinner so that we can meet other folks. Is this possible with MSC?

This is the norm. Note that you will be placed with passengers of your nationality. If your nationality and mother tongue are not matching, let MSC know before the cruise. Also note that if you are from the free water world you certainly will not be seated together with pay water world passengers. 

[perakcruiser]

4 hours ago, hmwende said:

Is there a cost to participate in the following:  gelato, fitness center, flight simulator, cirque de soliel?

Fitness Center is free for all, except special activities. All other have to pay. Gelato not sure if it is included in some packages, at least for us it was never free in 11 years cruising with MSC 😄 

[dexddd]

I've only seen the ships docked starboard and light show is on that side.

 

Sky Lounge was pretty quiet.

 

Solarium pool is free.

[shipgeeks]

For social distancing, most cruise lines seem to be avoiding seating strangers together in the MDR, at least for the time being.  That could change by the time you cruise, of course.

[styles27]

I would wait to book your drink package if you plan to bid on the YC because you won’t get refunded if you get the upgrade to YC 
To be sure you receive your offer to bid sign into your MSC account and go to account settings then privacy settings and click on the following option (this is what my account looks like)

[styles27]

Just an FYI we leave on the 14th on Divina.

I’ve received 2 emails to upgrade. The first in September and the second just a couple of days ago.
The minimum bid prices to upgrade have not changed since September and are pretty steep in my opinion.

I could have booked the YC originally for about $35 more pp (of the upgrade minimum bid) so not a great deal. 
 

This is the minimum bid for us to upgrade to YC 

We’re in an aft facing Fantastica balcony on deck 11 with all in easy plus drink package, browse WiFi, $200 onboard credit for a little over $650 pp including taxes and fees. Pretty hard to give that up. 

[karmamule]

I love YC and would normally encourage someone to make the leap if it can be safely affordable, but I also love aft-facing balconies and it does sound like you got a great deal. Either way you'll be in a great situation!

[Itchy&Scratchy]

12 hours ago, hmwende said:

Does MSC refund cost paid for drink package if we get upgraded to YC?  If not, should we wait to purchase drink package?  

you didn't choose to get the easy plus drink package and wifi included for about $90 pp?

[Morgsmom]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

you didn't choose to get the easy plus drink package and wifi included for about $90 pp?

not sure where you are seeing such a price?  I just did a mock booking and it was $600 MORE PP for the week to add drink/wifi

[styles27]

12 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

not sure where you are seeing such a price?  I just did a mock booking and it was $600 MORE PP for the week to add drink/wifi

On the 7 day it’s about $90 difference in price to add the all in promotion 

[deliver42]

On two cruises , one in the YC, I don't remember the Gelato being free. As to the Easy Plus and WIFI, I'm booked in Aurea on the Seashore, and it cost $154.00 for 2 going from the Easy pkg. to the Easy Plus.

[dexddd]

On 11/5/2021 at 7:30 AM, styles27 said:

Just an FYI we leave on the 14th on Divina.

I’ve received 2 emails to upgrade. The first in September and the second just a couple of days ago.
The minimum bid prices to upgrade have not changed since September and are pretty steep in my opinion.

I could have booked the YC originally for about $35 more pp (of the upgrade minimum bid) so not a great deal. 
 

This is the minimum bid for us to upgrade to YC 

We’re in an aft facing Fantastica balcony on deck 11 with all in easy plus drink package, browse WiFi, $200 onboard credit for a little over $650 pp including taxes and fees. Pretty hard to give that up. 

They did that for Divinia to us.  First email only a small savings then second email it doubled which was way more than buying direct.

 

Interesting it looks like they are calling the one a dupl(ex) suite but looks like Executive room unless they changed the name recently.  And same price as a deluxe probably due to no balcony.

[dexddd]

19 hours ago, deliver42 said:

On two cruises , one in the YC, I don't remember the Gelato being free. As to the Easy Plus and WIFI, I'm booked in Aurea on the Seashore, and it cost $154.00 for 2 going from the Easy pkg. to the Easy Plus.

YC pre covid out of US, Gelato free on Divinia and Seaside, charge on Mera.  Post, charge on Mera and didn't see any open on Divinia.

[hmwende]

On 11/5/2021 at 8:23 AM, styles27 said:

I would wait to book your drink package if you plan to bid on the YC because you won’t get refunded if you get the upgrade to YC 
To be sure you receive your offer to bid sign into your MSC account and go to account settings then privacy settings and click on the following option (this is what my account looks like)

 

Thanks so much!  Great info. And yes those bids are much higher than I expected   We are in a large fantastica balcony including taxes at $482 pp. haven’t gotten the drink package yet. But I’ll wait just in case. Do you know if the prices increase for drink package closer to the sailing?  We are not leaving until March. 

[hmwende]

On 11/5/2021 at 2:20 PM, Itchy&Scratchy said:

you didn't choose to get the easy plus drink package and wifi included for about $90 pp?

I didn’t see that option when we booked. The difference between fantastica and aurea experience including drink package and WiFi was a difference of $500 pp. I thought it would be cheaper to get the drink package at $343 pp and $119 for our son. Did I miss something?

[Markanddonna]

As far as seating, it just depends, mostly if you are on a Caribbean or European cruise. Pre-Covid, there were MANY Chinese tour groups in Europe- one third of our ship's passengers.

 

We were seated by ourselves next to the kitchen doors in a dining room filled only with the Chinese tour group. We addressed this problem with the dining room manager and he moved us to a table of Aussies at a different time and dining room. It was just great, but you must be proactive. Actually, we were originally placed at a table by the window, but the Chinese tour group's manager had us bounced to that table by the kitchen door so that his group could have our table. I sort of doubt a lot of Chinese are allowed to travel like they did pre-COVID.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Markanddonna

[styles27]

28 minutes ago, hmwende said:

Thanks so much!  Great info. And yes those bids are much higher than I expected   We are in a large fantastica balcony including taxes at $482 pp. haven’t gotten the drink package yet. But I’ll wait just in case. Do you know if the prices increase for drink package closer to the sailing?  We are not leaving until March. 

That’s a great price too!
 I haven’t noticed the drink package prices changing for our booking next Sunday so no they haven’t increased since we booked in July. 
 

When you do a mock booking for your sailing you can slide the “scroll for more offers” feature (In the photo of my above post you’ll see it) until you see the “all in”

option. Click on that and see how much more it will be.  It was only $90 more pp when I looked at it for your sailing. You don’t necessarily have to buy the package outright they give a big discount on that “all in” promotion 

[hmwende]

2 minutes ago, styles27 said:

That’s a great price too!
 I haven’t noticed the drink package prices changing for our booking next Sunday so no they haven’t increased since we booked in July. 
 

When you do a mock booking for your sailing you can slide the “scroll for more offers” feature (In the photo of my above post you’ll see it) until you see the “all in”

option. Click on that and see how much more it will be.  It was only $90 more pp when I looked at it for your sailing. You don’t necessarily have to buy the package outright they give a big discount on that “all in” promotion 

OH DAMN!  I just did a mock booking and see what I did. I selected balcony upgrade and didn’t even see I could scroll further to the right. The difference is $560 total with the fantastica experience for all three of us with the drink and WiFi package, which is quite a bit of savings if we purchased separately. The question is, with the horrors I hear about MSC customer service, I wonder if they will let me cancel my booking and start over. The balcony rooms available are still great. We are in 12191 - but there are other large balconies available. Do I dare call customer service?

[styles27]

20 minutes ago, hmwende said:

OH DAMN!  I just did a mock booking and see what I did. I selected balcony upgrade and didn’t even see I could scroll further to the right. The difference is $560 total with the fantastica experience for all three of us with the drink and WiFi package, which is quite a bit of savings if we purchased separately. The question is, with the horrors I hear about MSC customer service, I wonder if they will let me cancel my booking and start over. The balcony rooms available are still great. We are in 12191 - but there are other large balconies available. Do I dare call customer service?

Did you book direct or use a travel agent? 
I would call if you booked direct but wait til tomorrow.
I have noticed the reps on the weekends aren’t the greatest. 

 

[deliver42]

I called customer service on Friday due to a price drop on our May cruise. It was handled with no problem, and got an immediate new invoice sent to me while I was on the phone. The rep knew what to do, and I was very happy with the result. Mayve I was lucky, because not all of them are so accomodating.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, hmwende said:

OH DAMN!  I just did a mock booking and see what I did. I selected balcony upgrade and didn’t even see I could scroll further to the right. The difference is $560 total with the fantastica experience for all three of us with the drink and WiFi package, which is quite a bit of savings if we purchased separately. 

our difference was $90 pp for the all-in drinks and wifi, +$38 pp for fantastica experience for an inside cabin. And, it appears, they didn't charge $38 for the kiddo's fanstastica experience - only for 2 adults.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Homosassa]

On 11/5/2021 at 1:20 AM, hmwende said:

 

1. Can anyone confirm if the light show is on port or starboard side?  Our room is on port but afraid to request a change in response to terrible reviews of customer service and I don’t want my reservation screwed up. 
2.  

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Heather

The ships at Ocean Cay dock with the aft end in which always leaves the starboard side facing the island. 

 

You will not be able to see the light show from your cabin.

 

Try and find an open deck space (deck 7?) on the starboard side from which you can see the show.

 

The light show is not an extravaganza that you might have seen at other locations.  The lights are limited to what can be projected on the small lighthouse, and , IMO, somewhat boring.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Homosassa

[Homosassa]

A FYI for Ocean Cay: Bring water shoes to wear when walking on the sand or in the water.

 

What is now know as Ocean Cay was an island that was used to strip the natural sand for refurbishment of eroded beaches elsewhere.

 

When MSC bought the island, it was a ruin and, keeping the environmental ruin merry go round going, had to be rebuilt from sand dredged from elsewhere.

 

As a result, there are small bits of sharp coral in the sand.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

2 hours ago, Homosassa said:

A FYI for Ocean Cay: Bring water shoes to wear when walking on the sand or in the water.

thank you! Same with Princess Cay. Now that our then 4 yo sliced his foot open on a sharp rock on the first day of the cruise and then refused to get in any water (ocean, shower, pool), we always wear water shoes there. Now we'll wear them at Ocean Cay as well.