Just back from the 1/24-1/31 Orchestra Sailing...

[parisienneatheart]

va cruisers,

 

my twins are two years old....do you know if there will be any type of kids club for them? can we take them there to play if they are not able to participate without us?

 

thanks for the info....

[VA_CRUISERS]

I was wondering if you spent any time at the spa, and if so, were the treatments good (although I'm not sure there is any such thing as a bad massage) and what the prices were like?

 

Also, did you go to the casino? My DH and I are particularly interesed in craps and hold em. I'm hoping they were both available. Did you notice we are able to charge chips to our onboard account?

 

Lastly, did they offer any laundry specials on board. Initially, we heard that their werent' any but I'm hoping this may have changed. Packing for 14 days is not fun!!!

 

Thanks again.

 

Sorry, can't help out with the spa questions, as we did not use it. We did; however, get a tour on the first afternoon & it is very good sized and gorgeous.

 

Little help w/ the casino either. We limited our gambling to a bit of slot machines. I am relatively certain that you can charge chips to your account, but we exchanged cash for our slot tokens.

 

Yes, laundry services were offered w/ in-room pick up.

[ScttSki04]

Also, did you go to the casino? My DH and I are particularly interesed in craps and hold em. I'm hoping they were both available. Did you notice we are able to charge chips to our onboard account?

babygirl

I was also on this cruise (will post a review later) But as for these questions I can shed some light now. The craps table was very hit and miss, it was not open as consistently as it is on most ships, I would say closed more often than open. The same for roulette. The hold-em table usaually opened around 9:45 to 10:30 and they had $5/$10 blinds. They also hold a tournement both sea days. $100 buy in, 1,000 chips, blinds start at 25/50 and go up every 10 minutes. They have no sign up for the tourney, it's first come first serve for the 11 seats. The tables open at 4:20 on sea days and the tourney starts at 4:30. If you want a seat get there around 4 to 4:10. If you plan on using travelers checks, beware!!! The casino won't cash them, the only place is the accounting office which is not open too much (9AM - noon, and 4-7PM) and they charge you 3% fee!!!! I waited till Grand Cayman and the RBC charged me 89 cents, a far cry better than 3%. As for chips on your account I heard they did but I didn't attempt to so can't verify that part.

Scott

[VA_CRUISERS]

va cruisers,

 

my twins are two years old....do you know if there will be any type of kids club for them? can we take them there to play if they are not able to participate without us?

 

thanks for the info....

 

The mini club starts at age 3, so I don't believe there is a program associated with the kid's club for 2 year olds. There is a large indoor/outdoor playground in the kid's club area that you'll be able to use & I'm sure your twins will love it.

[VA_CRUISERS]

:) Glad to hear you had a nice time. Thanks for the information. Did you use the steam room? What is the price at the Shanghai restaurant? Thank you:D

 

I did not use the steam room; however, I saw it during the spa tour & it looked nice (& it was free).

 

The Shanghai restaurant had ala carte pricing. My soup was $5 and I believe my entree was around $9.

[VA_CRUISERS]

Great review and I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed yourself. We'll be doing a B2B next Saturday in an aft balcony cabin on deck 9. Ouch!! It appears, based on your review, that I should try and find an different cabin. I do believe that the 2/7 and 2/14 sailings are sold out so I may be out of luck.

 

 

Is the cabin comfortable enough for 4? We're traveling with our kids, ages 8 and 10, and I'm hoping there is enough drawer and closet space for us all.

 

I'd love to hear about the Kid's Club? Did your children enjoy it? What were the hours? Do they do anything special?

 

Thanks again for your review!

 

Our kid's are also 8 & 10 and there was ample room. The couch pulled out into a full size bed & our kid's slept on it comfortably (we always sleep great on ships - only exception on this trip were the early morning thrusters that I've already mentioned).

 

We had 4 large checked bags + several carry ons & all fit underneath the bed after we unpacked. The closet has a lot of room & included around a dozen hangers on top of the one's we brought w/ our hanging bag. Quite a bit of drawer space in the closet & some next to the bed.

 

The bathroom was typical cruise size, but did have a large storage area under the sink where we kept all of our toiletries.

[VA_CRUISERS]

How old are your children? Can you share anymore details about the kids club?

 

Thank you

 

My kid's are 8 & 10. I've included some posts in the thread below that pertain to the club. Some folks seemed to use the club like a babysitting service, but we didn't do that. Our kid's enjoyed the excursions with us & spent the days at sea with the friends that they met in club. They participated in the Kid's club formal activities at night only (they were there until 11pm almost every night & really seemed to enjoy themselves while Mom & Dad went and did 'our thing').

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=907920

[VA_CRUISERS]

One other item that my wife reminded me to add.

 

The Italian style pool chairs are awesome!! The shade that you can pull down to read &/or limit the sun on your face is great. She wants me to find some for home.

 

Anyone have any idea where to get them?

 

BTW, prime spots go early on 'at sea' days (as with any cruise). They begin setting up the chairs promptly at 7am & I was there with my morning coffee in hand ready to stake our family's spot.

[CherylsCaribbeanTravel]

Welcome Home!! So glad you and your family had a great time.

 

Thanks of the well balanced review. It is very valuable to those of us still deciding :)

 

Cheryl

[seabourndt]

many thanks after reading a few bad reviews wondered what i was lettting myself in for.

had a great deal in the uk a 3 nt cruise in may for £99!! sure i will have a great time in balcony on deck 12

dave

[argent]

Just got back off the orchestra and there is indeed a vibration at the rear when sailing. Even though i had a forward balcony my wife and i would sit in the shaker lounge at deck 7 and watch the wake out through the rear windows hence the name shaker lounge.

[babygirl722]

babygirl

I was also on this cruise (will post a review later) But as for these questions I can shed some light now. The craps table was very hit and miss, it was not open as consistently as it is on most ships, I would say closed more often than open. The same for roulette. The hold-em table usaually opened around 9:45 to 10:30 and they had $5/$10 blinds. They also hold a tournement both sea days. $100 buy in, 1,000 chips, blinds start at 25/50 and go up every 10 minutes. They have no sign up for the tourney, it's first come first serve for the 11 seats. The tables open at 4:20 on sea days and the tourney starts at 4:30. If you want a seat get there around 4 to 4:10. If you plan on using travelers checks, beware!!! The casino won't cash them, the only place is the accounting office which is not open too much (9AM - noon, and 4-7PM) and they charge you 3% fee!!!! I waited till Grand Cayman and the RBC charged me 89 cents, a far cry better than 3%. As for chips on your account I heard they did but I didn't attempt to so can't verify that part.

Scott

 

Thanks!!!

[Ramble]

We (late 50s couple) also just returned from this sailing and I concur with all of my shipmates so far. Some observations:

 

The Four Seasons specialty restaurant ($25) lists in the daily bulletins as "a la carte". Really it is "prix-fixe", that is, one flat fee. The Chinese restaurant charges per dish and so is the a la carte variety. We very much enjoyed our visit to the Four Seasons.

 

In the casino, tables never opened before 4:20 pm even on sea days. Slots opened earlier. There are four! roulette tables. I never saw more than two open, usually one. I asked the casino manager when craps ($5) would be open. He said "always at 10 pm because before that people are at the shows and other activities". The casino pretty much closed down by 12:30 am I believe, though I was never there at closing. Caribbean stud poker ($5) has no progressive at the table, but you can play the $1 side bet toward the bonuses (straight flush $1,000, nothing special for a royal). Slots did not seem tight to me. Bulgarian dealers for the most part, including two very pretty sisters. Damn, I love those Eastern European women. sorry.. um..

 

The Italian dishes (food.. well, some of the women, too) were great, and the buffet food was OK (though we did go to the "always availables"--steak, salmon, chicken a few times. I found desserts to be lacking throughout. There was a heavy reliance on cake and the filo dough desserts, croissants were usually overcooked and compressed--not flaky. The buffet area was crowded, but we always found a table. Aft sections are less crowded.

 

The entertainment was the overall best I've seen in my 20 cruises. I was blown away by the classical pianist and the classical quartet and I do not consider myself a real enthusiast of this music. I also generally do not love the Las Vegas Review type shows, but found the similar shows on Orchestra to be of superb quality and design. The theatre is the prettiest I've seen. By the way, there is no drink service in there (I believe they requested that you do not bring in drinks), no little tables, the chairs are arranged as in an auditorium.

 

My fellow passengers *sigh* included the usual malcontents complaining about the food, the drink, the service, other nationalities... well just about everything. Y'know what? It ain't gonna be perfect. We did experience one long wait in a warm hallway for tender boarding to Cayo Levantado. Waitstaff often reached across us to serve others at the table... we got one extra pillow instead of two because they ran low... stuff happens.

 

But this is a line that is clearly trying, clearly responsive, and yes, has a way to go. If you treat the staff well, they will be responsive and forthcoming. I hope the line prospers because they offer a bit different product. In particular it was great to not feel like they were trying to bleed every last dime from you with incessant bingo games, scratch tickets, horse betting, drink offers (you will not hear "bar service"--you need to keep an eye out for servers), etc, etc.

 

Will I cruise MSC again? Probably, but maybe not next time. If you have kids it is a great deal. Strangely the passengers were mostly older than 50; I expect that will change on vacation weeks and in the summer. It really was more like a Holland America cruise in that way last week.

[CeleBrat]

Hi VA Cruisers! Thanks for the awesome info, and detailed review. Glad you had a good time. And we are looking forward to our trip in April!!!!

 

CeleBrat

[VA_CRUISERS]

Thanks Scott & Ramble for the good additional info.

 

Ramble mentioned the line waiting for the tender at Cayo Levantado. It turns out that they load tenders from 2 places on the boat. We found the long line that Ramble mentioned at midship, but followed a couple of others to the other tender launch (towards the front of the ship) & we walked right not.

 

Just a little tidbit you might be able to take advantage of... :)

[Ramble]

Interesting. We initially approached the other tendering location but were sent away to the forward tenders. Timing is everything once again!

[ParkAvePrincess]

Hello Babygirl!

 

I can't believe your first sail date is almost here...lucky you...you must be soooooooo excited! I see that you will also be sailing on 2/14 with two children. If you don't mind me asking, which dinner seating did you request, the early or late? When we had booked the reservation, last year, MSC said that early seating was at 6:15, now it's at 5:15. That's a big difference. We originally requested early, but now I'm thinking about switching because I find 5:15 being too early. Any thoughts on this???

:confused:

[addie1864]

We just got back to NY from the MSC cruse too. The ship is fantastic and very clean. we even saw stewarts shampooing the rugs in the lounges during the day.

 

A few things we found different were that you had to ask for breakfast pasteries in the AM in the restaurants and water (at our table), and we sometimes found it hard to make ourselves understood when we ordered. The waiters are very good and with a little patience do get your orders right. The meals in the restaurant were good but not as good as Celebrity. Not the variety either. but you won't go hungry.

 

The spa areas are nice. we used the inside hot tubs and dressing area there and looked in on the sauna and steam room. I had a hot stone massage which was fantastic and relaxing. Again everything is clean and shiny.

 

The shows in the theatre were the best we have seen. Very professional and entertaining. The Excellent entertainment staff always involved the passengers in their many games and contests.

 

We were disappointed with the photo staff and we bought the video thinking there would be some of the things that went on around the ship on it but the one we got only gave us information on the ship the other ships in the line, the many palces the two ships go to, and pictures of when they launched the line. If there was another video we never got it and the the one we have was not worth $25.00 we spent on it.

 

I have one gripe and that is that we could never find a chair near the pool area. My husband said people were saving seats at 6:30 in the morning and no one would be there all day. Also there are no chairs on the promanade decks out of the wind and in a quiet place for those of us who like to read. the pool deck was very noisey and hard to concentrate.

 

All in all for the value it was great and we had a good time . The excursions we went on were good also and getting on and off the ship went smmothly.

 

Boarding the ship was a snap and getting off couldn't have been easier.

 

Have a great cruise. I hope you like it.

 

Karen

[br0kwrx]

One thing to be said about the staff was that I was actually amazed at how many english accents the staff actually understood. My first language is English, at at times, I even had a hard time with some of the American accents.

 

You could ask most of the staff questions in English, French, or Italian without a problem. Our cabin attendent even spoke French with us on occation. It was great to hear all the different languages

[addie1864]

One other thing. Not sure what the cost was but when I talked to one of the staff they did say there is a charge for kids when they get ice cream and pizza and some other things. You should ask when you get on board. Since we did not have any kids they probably would not have given us that information.

[VA_CRUISERS]

One other thing. Not sure what the cost was but when I talked to one of the staff they did say there is a charge for kids when they get ice cream and pizza and some other things. You should ask when you get on board. Since we did not have any kids they probably would not have given us that information.

 

We did pay for ice cream ($2), but not for Pizza. I believe they've changed the Pizza policy for the Carribean sailings.

[lovetexas]

OKAY!! Boy am I pumped now!! I am once again getting really happy.

 

$2 for ice cream seems like a deal... it is that at most places here, and I have heard it is better.

 

Thanks for all yalls honest reviews and help in questions.

 

VA Cruisers, I did ask on another post if your kids liked the food, and found enough to eat? Of course, with the ice cream we can just do that?

 

Also, how did yall think the rooms were? We have a sup balcony on level 12?

 

Last cruise we ate at the little burger and fries place at the back of the ship. It felt like out teeth were gonna fall out with all the vibration. My dd got a little worried we were having problems....

[badger71]

waiting for tammy's review:)

[VA_CRUISERS]

OKAY!! Boy am I pumped now!! I am once again getting really happy.

 

$2 for ice cream seems like a deal... it is that at most places here, and I have heard it is better.

 

Thanks for all yalls honest reviews and help in questions.

 

VA Cruisers, I did ask on another post if your kids liked the food, and found enough to eat? Of course, with the ice cream we can just do that?

 

Also, how did yall think the rooms were? We have a sup balcony on level 12?

 

Last cruise we ate at the little burger and fries place at the back of the ship. It felt like out teeth were gonna fall out with all the vibration. My dd got a little worried we were having problems....

 

 

Just gave you my response on the other thread :)

[AmoMondo]

Lovetexas - the ice cream is great and is free at lunch and dinner in the main dining rooms. they feature a different flavour of the day each day. make sure you try it its is great. I personally recommend - the hazlenut; rum and raisin and the coffe flavours - but they are all great