Seashore - today - April 16

[perakcruiser]

On 4/19/2022 at 3:27 AM, Oxo said:

This is a first! I have been cruising since 1986 and on over 100+ cruises and never, even on MSC as Diamond, heard of paying for Ice Tea. 

I would be totally embarrassed if I was MSC!!

Which ship is this on where you have to pay for Ice Tea? I know the posting says Seashore. I just want to be correct when I reference this.

I am cruising with MSC since 15 years or so with all kinds of their ships and in all regions. Also with the Armonia in the Caribbean, but from Cuba not USA. The free drinks setup through all the years and over all the ships was exactly the same.

 

Never I saw free ice tea at the buffet. Certainly I believe that US sailings have this. Where to get? At the breakfast "juice" dispensers? 

 

Anyway, apart from that I don't drink it, why should especially ice tea be free? 

Edited April 20, 2022 by perakcruiser

[cellfree]

Just off ship and heading home. Despite slow start (two plus hours in embarkation lines) we had a wonderful time and did not have any problems. Head count was 2,600, 600 were kids. Happy to answer any questions. Disembarking no one wore masks!

[travelwide]

Do you know who the Hotel Director was? 2600 is a large number. I think the good old days with low numbers are gone.😥

[cellfree]

1 hour ago, travelwide said:

Do you know who the Hotel Director was? 2600 is a large number. I think the good old days with low numbers are gone.😥

I do not recall Hotel Managers name. I do know it was not Robert Moik. When we first sailed MSC, probably 6-7 years ago, the Officers were very visible throughout their ships and we really enjoyed that, not so much these days. 2,600 was a lot but ship could handle 5,500+, so numbers still on low side. The only venue that was ever (close to) full was the Auditorium. Otherwise lots of space. 

[Oxo]

On 4/20/2022 at 11:37 AM, perakcruiser said:

I am cruising with MSC since 15 years or so with all kinds of their ships and in all regions. Also with the Armonia in the Caribbean, but from Cuba not USA. The free drinks setup through all the years and over all the ships was exactly the same.

 

Never I saw free ice tea at the buffet. Certainly I believe that US sailings have this. Where to get? At the breakfast "juice" dispensers? 

 

Anyway, apart from that I don't drink it, why should especially ice tea be free? 

Why should ice tea be free? Why should  water be free? Why should coffee be free?

 

Since you have been cruising with MSC for 15 years, where/areas? Asia, Europe, Caribbean? I have been cruising since 1986 all over the world on many cruise lines, not only MSC. 

 

I have never paid for Ice Tea unless it was Long Island Ice Tea. But, I have cruised only over 100+ times. Maybe, you have paid. I would never pay for Ice Tea. JMHO!

[travelwide]

1 hour ago, cellfree said:

I do not recall Hotel Managers name. I do know it was not Robert Moik. When we first sailed MSC, probably 6-7 years ago, the Officers were very visible throughout their ships and we really enjoyed that, not so much these days. 2,600 was a lot but ship could handle 5,500+, so numbers still on low side. The only venue that was ever (close to) full was the Auditorium. Otherwise lots of space. 

Thank you for replying so fast. Since the restart we have been used to low numbers. The way you put it, I guess 2600 out of 55 is not that bad! Sorry to hear the officers are not visible. Don't know if they are trying to protect themselves or don't want to hear complaints! I guess only time will tell.

[kym05]

Hope you enjoyed your cruise! Any one know if MSC is still doing the pre boarding test at the Miami Port before cruising?

[cellfree]

19 minutes ago, kym05 said:

Hope you enjoyed your cruise! Any one know if MSC is still doing the pre boarding test at the Miami Port before cruising?

Thank you, had a wonderful cruise.
There was no pre boarding testing at Port of Miami when we boarded Saturday April 16. We did see kids being tested though, not sure of their age range or vaccination status. 

[sverigecruiser]

11 hours ago, Oxo said:

Why should ice tea be free? Why should  water be free? Why should coffee be free?

 

Since you have been cruising with MSC for 15 years, where/areas? Asia, Europe, Caribbean? I have been cruising since 1986 all over the world on many cruise lines, not only MSC. 

 

I have never paid for Ice Tea unless it was Long Island Ice Tea. But, I have cruised only over 100+ times. Maybe, you have paid. I would never pay for Ice Tea. JMHO!

 

Maybe the opinion about that differ depending on where in the world someone lives.

 

For me ice tea is closer to soft drinks than water and without a drinkpackage soft drinks cost extra on most cruiselines.

 

I don't drink ice tea so I shouldn't drink it, included or not, but if I ever should want it I shouldn't be surprised if I had to pay for it.

[Oxo]

8 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Maybe the opinion about that differ depending on where in the world someone lives.

 

For me ice tea is closer to soft drinks than water and without a drinkpackage soft drinks cost extra on most cruiselines.

 

I don't drink ice tea so I shouldn't drink it, included or not, but if I ever should want it I shouldn't be surprised if I had to pay for it.

Thank you for your opinion.

I did ask the individual where he cruised to/from.

'Since you have been cruising with MSC for 15 years, where/areas? Asia, Europe, Caribbean?'

 

All the ships I have been on have tea bags in a wooden box by the coffee in the buffet or snack area. In the MDR the waiter will bring you the box or ask your choice of tea, FREE.

 

MSC seems to operate very differently. When we were on the Sinfonia in the Med we ordered wine with dinner and were told we could not order wine by the glass or spirits in the MDR even though we had a Beverage Package. What?????

That got corrected immediately when I showed them the verbiage from their site that said the Beverage Package could be used in the MDR but not selected places.

 

So, we have a difference of opinion on what Ice Tea is and how it should be classified. That what makes the world go round.

Stay Safe and Happy Cruising!

[sverigecruiser]

40 minutes ago, Oxo said:

 

All the ships I have been on have tea bags in a wooden box by the coffee in the buffet or snack area. In the MDR the waiter will bring you the box or ask your choice of tea, FREE.

 

 

I didn't knew that that's what's used for ice tea. If I shall buy ice tea in a store here it's a completely different product than the teabags used for hot tea. 

 

Ice tea must defenitely be a different thing around the world. I agree with you that it should be included if it's made with the same teabags as hot tea.

[Oxo]

23 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I didn't knew that that's what's used for ice tea. If I shall buy ice tea in a store here it's a completely different product than the teabags used for hot tea. 

 

Ice tea must defenitely be a different thing around the world. I agree with you that it should be included if it's made with the same teabags as hot tea.

Here in the USA we make sun tea. Big jar fill with water throw in tea bags and set it out in the sun. 

In Sweden we call that Swedish Sun Tea.

[cellfree]

However did an experience about standing in the embarkation lines for two hours plus become a thread lamenting iced tea?!

[Oxo]

19 minutes ago, cellfree said:

However did an experience about standing in the embarkation lines for two hours plus become a thread lamenting iced tea?!

Got thirstyduring the wait.

[cellfree]

2 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Got thirstyduring the wait.

Clever response!