Advice needed!

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

They aren’t open for then yet.

Agreed.  But a mock booking for this year can give you some idea (ball park) for what to expect next year.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

18 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Agreed.  But a mock booking for this year can give you some idea (ball park) for what to expect next year.

That’s a valid point. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

On 6/14/2023 at 11:13 AM, stp_mmh5 said:

We have done three turns around the Med hitting almost all of the ports on those itineraries. It would be hard for us to recommend one over the other, as both have one of our favorite ports each (Palma and Malta).

 

If seeing Rome is a big must do, I would probably recommend Seaview starting there. Civitavecchia is about a 40 ish minute train ride away, followed by a short walk if the port shuttle isn't running. The boarding process there was exceptionally smooth too.

Plus Roma Termini is a major hub for the regional trains, the state owned highspeed trains, as well the private Italo trains. If you take the extra time, Naples would only be about an hour by highspeed rail, and Venice is about three. We personally prefer Italo over TrenItalia, but both are great to get around the country with quickly.

 

Genoa (Portofino) will the large turnaround day for both ships, as Genoa is the homeport for MSC. Genoa is also a roughly hour and half train from Milan proper, which is about 2 1/2 hours to Venice and 45 mins to Milano Malpensa, the major airport out there.

 

As far as ships, if you end up liking the Seaside, Seaview will feel like home as they're practically identical sisters. Seaview is now the only Seaside class ship we haven't sailed, so it's on our radar to close out the class.

 

World Europa being so new, I can't speak too much about it. From what I have seen though, it looks great and very Oasis like. 

 

Shows will mostly be visual spectacles, with very little spoken word due to the melting pot of languages onboard. Announcements, while generally few and far between compared to American/Caribbean cruises will seem longer due to the fact that they are repeated 6/7 times in different languages. Queuing is hit or miss for sure. Italians and some of the Eastern Europeans are awful at it and will fill in any gap they see, some Asian groups seem to bunch up in places and block pathways regularly and then the English speakers stand in lines like we do. 

 

Overall, if you just remember that you're on vacation and experiencing something far from your norm and just adapt to it, you'll have a great time. Don't try to do everything as you'll get overwhelmed real quick, just make a few highlights and build in enough time to relax as well.

You are saying that Genoa is a 45 minute train ride from Malpensa Airport?  We would be traveling with 3 suitcases and 2 carry-ons…would that be a problem on the train? 

[stp_mmh5]

1 minute ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

You are saying that Genoa is a 45 minute train ride from Malpensa Airport?  We would be traveling with 3 suitcases and 2 carry-ons…would that be a problem on the train? 

Sorry I should've have clarified the train connection. Malpensa is an additional 45 mins by train from Milano Centrale. So, I would factor in about 3 hours total travel time if your connection in Milan is short. Three suitcases and two carry ones might by tight in the airport express train versus the Frecciabianco from Genoa to Milano, but being first on always gives one the best choice of luggage space in the dedicated luggage racks.  I went looking for pictures of them, but sadly don't have any them anymore.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

9 minutes ago, stp_mmh5 said:

Sorry I should've have clarified the train connection. Malpensa is an additional 45 mins by train from Milano Centrale. So, I would factor in about 3 hours total travel time if your connection in Milan is short. Three suitcases and two carry ones might by tight in the airport express train versus the Frecciabianco from Genoa to Milano, but being first on always gives one the best choice of luggage space in the dedicated luggage racks.  I went looking for pictures of them, but sadly don't have any them anymore.

Thank you so much for you quick response.  Does the luggage space get better in Prima Class??  

[stp_mmh5]

56 minutes ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Thank you so much for you quick response.  Does the luggage space get better in Prima Class??  

Pretty sure it's the same across all classes. Usually near the boarding doors on one end of the car or in the center of the car there will be a designated rack. Some Frecciabianca cars may not have it, so people tend to just put their bags in whatever freespace was available near the doors or their seats as long as it doesn't block the aisles or doors. Also the overhead bins are usually just a long bar all the way down. It's always a fun adventure on the trains, and was our primary means of long travel when we lived there.

 

I just looked as I remembered that there was talk of expansion to Genoa. Look into Italo. We personally preferred the service on there and it was usually the same price as TrenItalia on the long runs, or cheaper if booked well enough in advance. Prima classe is worth the extra with roomier seats and included beverages.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

1 hour ago, stp_mmh5 said:

Pretty sure it's the same across all classes. Usually near the boarding doors on one end of the car or in the center of the car there will be a designated rack. Some Frecciabianca cars may not have it, so people tend to just put their bags in whatever freespace was available near the doors or their seats as long as it doesn't block the aisles or doors. Also the overhead bins are usually just a long bar all the way down. It's always a fun adventure on the trains, and was our primary means of long travel when we lived there.

 

I just looked as I remembered that there was talk of expansion to Genoa. Look into Italo. We personally preferred the service on there and it was usually the same price as TrenItalia on the long runs, or cheaper if booked well enough in advance. Prima classe is worth the extra with roomier seats and included beverages.

 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Just now, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 

 

1 hour ago, stp_mmh5 said:

Pretty sure it's the same across all classes. Usually near the boarding doors on one end of the car or in the center of the car there will be a designated rack. Some Frecciabianca cars may not have it, so people tend to just put their bags in whatever freespace was available near the doors or their seats as long as it doesn't block the aisles or doors. Also the overhead bins are usually just a long bar all the way down. It's always a fun adventure on the trains, and was our primary means of long travel when we lived there.

 

I just looked as I remembered that there was talk of expansion to Genoa. Look into Italo. We personally preferred the service on there and it was usually the same price as TrenItalia on the long runs, or cheaper if booked well enough in advance. Prima classe is worth the extra with roomier seats and included beverages.

Thank you MM…this is just what I thought.  We would definitely be thinking Prima Classe especially with beverages included!

[stp_mmh5]

1 hour ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 

Thank you MM…this is just what I thought.  We would definitely be thinking Prima Classe especially with beverages included!

You are most welcome. Remember it'll be an adventure and to just go with the flow of it all. Enjoy the countryside as it zips by. It's one of the things we miss most from living over there.

[Stockjock]

Celebrity and MSC are my 2 favorite cruise lines.  I've had a lot of problems with MSC customer service, but my onboard experience has been pretty good.  I haven't done a suite on Celebrity, nor have I done YC on MSC, although we do have an upcoming 1 bedroom Aurea suite booked on MSC.

Here's my take in general terms.  Remember, I'm not comparing suites or YC, just the base experience.

Food = Celebrity

Onboard Service = Celebrity

Value = MSC

Entertainment = Celebrity

Ships = Depends on which specific ship.  Celebrity has some beautiful ships, but MSC builds an elegant ship, especially at the price point.

Shore excursions = MSC offers a better value.

Shoreside Customer Service = Celebrity by a wide margin.

Problem Solving = Celebrity.

Maintenance of Ships = Tie.

Gelato = MSC by a wide margin.

Drinks = Better value on MSC.  Better quality on Celebrity.

Loyalty Program = Lower levels MSC.  Higher levels Celebrity.

In terms of your itinerary, both look good, but I really like Cinque Terre, so the overnight stay appeals to me.

There's one way to determine which cruise line you like the most.  Perhaps one day I'll try YC, but I still enjoy the basic experience and it's much cheaper, so that's what I book.  For the record, I can afford much more, but I am typically fine with the basic experience.

Edited June 19, 2023 by Stockjock