DocLC

No, it's not a fair comparison, but it wasn't meant to be. We found the daytime activities lacking--and we only had one day onboard--and very minimal variety in terms of food except in the MDR for dinner. That's the primary reason we switched to HAL as we knew there'd be better food options (e.g., burgers, pizza, cafes) and much more live music. In addition, HAL does movies like Royal, which we enjoy. I truly loved the cruise and the ship. They borrowed a lot from Royal's latest builds, although I don't think they've done quite as good of a job as Royal has in overall design and feel. The point I was trying to make is that I couldn't imagine spending two weeks and 6 sea days on her. Part of the problem with the programming is that there's a large international contingent, so that limits some entertainment options. My wife also thought the food was boring and the specialty restaurants weren't nearly as good as Royal's and were much more expensive overall. @Sabrinaklai - The Yatch Club should almost be viewed as a separate cruise line within MSC. You likely won't experience any of the problems others have mentioned especially since you'll have your own restaurant.

I would argue that only the two lastest ships, MSC Seaside and MSC Meraviglia, are comparable to Royal Caribbean. The pros of MSC for us were the MDR when it came to allergies as they had a set allergen menu each night, so one didn't need to preorder the night before. In addition, their pricing is very competitive especially since kids under 12 often sail for free. The cons outnumbered the pros, but it was still a great cruise. The primary problem was with Guest Services, who were poorly trained an unable to address simple issues, and lack of staff. For example, one security officer managed both the x-ray and the metal detector, so it was very slow reboarding the ship at ports. And although the buffet was opened well into the night, there were limited other dining options and the buffet rarely changed their offerings. Daytime activities were also scarce. I truly enjoyed my cruise on the Meraviglia and would cruise her again for a port intensive itinerary. However, we were booked on her for this summer to the Arctic Circle for a two week cruise with 6 sea days and opted to cancel mainly because we didn't think there'd be enough to keep us occupied on those 6 sea days. We only had 1 sea day on the last cruise and that was enough for us onboard. We opted, instead, to switch to Holland America which is doing a similar itinerary. However, we could have a balcony on MSC for the price we're paying for an interior on Holland America.

I've never been asked for it, but I've read that it is something that is recommended. My son has been traveling internationally since just before his first birthday and the passport has been sufficient. With older kids, they just seem to accept their answers if asked who their parents are.

Keep in mind that the passports for kids are only good for 5 years and renewals must be done in person with both parents present every time. This, you may want to wait until you're closer to your next trip before getting one. My son's will expire when he's 15, so we'll have to go through the process again and get the short passport instead of the 10 year one. It's still recommended that you travel with your child's birth certificate even if he or she had a passport as it's the only document that establishes that you are in fact the parents.

According to the rules, the status of the children is based on their relationship with you, not the cabin they're booked in. Thus, theoretically, if they sailed with grandparents without you who had no status they should still have yours. This is easily corrected by either calling C&A or going to the Loyalty Ambassador onboard. This happened on my last cruise and they were able to resolve the issue within a few minutes and printed new cards.

I wouldn't book a flight that early. While you'll essentially be able to walk off the ship without any type of passport control or immigration, this will not be the case at the airport. Plus, you need to account for the extra security screenings required for flights headed to the United States. Also, depending on your airline, you may need to have luggage checked in an hour or more before your flight. And there could be additional crowds depending on how many ships are in port. We were on an off season cruise to the Med last month and even so there were for ships in port.

We went to Sabor for lunch and really enjoyed it. While it wasn't complimentary, it was relaxed and quiet and we were able to have a leisurely lunch until our cabin was available. Personally, I would avoid the Windjammer because of crowds and opt for the selections mentioned by the others above. My top choices would be the Solarium (small buffet), Park Cafe (mostly sandwiches), or the hot dogs on the Boardwalk. Sorrento's Pizza will be open, but I'd save that for late night when options are more limited.

Definitely a certified copy of the birth certificate as @tiny260 stated. You shouldn't need any type of picture ID prior to 12 years old, but if you plan on cruising in the future it's probably worth investing in a passport for your child.

After their first cruise, children are placed at the parent's level of membership, except Pinnacle, until 18. If they're both under 18, call C&A and get their status adjusted.

I've had others booked, but other opportunities always seemed to get in the way. I do have the Anthem GC booked, but we'll likely go to Europe instead. Fortunately, the Freedom is a sure thing and we'll be taking my nieces since we have one of the newer Promenade View Family Cabins. We may even stay on for another cruise if my son's school calendar doesn't change.

In all honesty. you're probably better off booking a hotel without a shuttle to the port, but with one that has an airport shuttle. Usually, you can end up with a hotel that's cheaper and the cost to get to the port is usually less than $20 for the taxi and you can go when you want rather than on the hotel shuttle's schedule. Cambria Suites, as mentioned by @Matt, has an airport shuttle and the cost from the hotel to the port shouldn't be more than $20. Another alternative is to look for a cheap one night rental through Alamo at the airport as they have a shuttle to the port, so you could take that upon returning the car if you have a need for a car. Plus, you'd have more options of places to stay with a car.

The same rules apply for water and soda. More information can be found in this thread: As @JLMoran said, carry it on and don't volunteer that you have it. If asked, then tell them it's water, but only if asked. For what it's worth, I haven't had any problems caring water or soda onboard.

Updated just in time! Enjoy your cruise. I loved the Liberty when I was on her just before drydock. Enjoy the Mediterranean. I did that itinerary last month and really enjoyed it. It would have been even better on an Oasis-class ship! Enjoy! You'll be sailing with @WAAAYTOOO My travel agent, too! Enjoy your cruise. Have a great trip. You've been added to the list. My guess is that there will be many people in costume and that there will be parties onboard for Halloween. Both have been added!

There are some itineraries that draw less kids in the summer. While Alaska is getting more popular with families, it still draws fewer children overall. The European itineraries also tend to draw fewer children because of the length of the cruise and the cost of airfare involved in getting an entire family there.

I really enjoyed the ruins outside of Costa Maya. This is also another place to do an all-inclusive beach resort or the Adventure Kingdom, which is a park close to the cruise terminal with water slides and zip lines.

@Sweety is there an Arctic ice wall? I know there's one in Antarctica. If there is an Arctic when, then I'm guessing we're not going to it. The MSC cruise we had booked went farther north, but we liked the HAL ship and rest of the itinerary better. @mom2mybugs You'll love Barcelona. If take an overall city tour to start. When we go back, we're going to do the gondola, Park Guell (Giadi), and spend more time at Las Ramblas and the market there. I also want to go to the old bull fighting ring that's been converted into a mall.

You'll need to check the deck plans as stated above. Some cabins have soda beds, some don't, some have Pullman beds that come out of the ceiling, etc. Each type is indicated on the deck plan by a square, a triangle, or some other symbol.

We picked the itinerary as it didn't repeat any of the Mediterranean ports that we hit last month except Rome, so that was the main selling point. In addition, it hits the ports where my son wants to go and only had a single sea day (important for my wife). Zadar is known for its Venetian Gates in the city walls and Roman and Venetian relics.

We wanted a cruise that started in Barcelona as we loved the port so much when we were there last month. My wife also wanted to go to Venice, while my son wanted to go to Pompeii and Pisa, so this itinerary for the bill:. BARCELONA, SPAIN PROVENCE (TOULON), FRANCE NICE (VILLEFRANCHE), FRANCE FLORENCE/PISA(LASPEZIA)ITALY ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY NAPLES, ITALY AT SEA KOTOR, MONTENEGRO ZADAR, CROATIA KOPER, SLOVENIA VENICE, ITALY We're totally sold on Europe and are headed back in July for a two week Noway/Arctic Circle cruise. In the winter, the plan is for a New Zealand cruise out of Sydney, but the airfare to Europe is much more reasonable.

I'm on her for the group cruise, so my guess is that she'll be going into drydock just after that; that's usually my luck as I ended up on the last sailing of the Liberty before her drydock. ;)

I paid $115 for the 5 night package on the Allure last year. It was worth every penny in my opinion and really enhanced the dining experience and an additional benefit for those with dietary restrictions as meals are made to order.

Yes. There's usually at least one or two shots sailing from roughly October (perhaps even September) to April/May. The Jewel and Adventurer used to do these sailings, but the actual ships get mixed up every so often.

I don't believe Royal has any ships sailing from San Juan in the summer. She's usually redeployed to Europe, but I have checked the latest itineraries to see if that's still the case.

The benefit of an aft balcony in Alaska is that you can essentially see both sides of the ship as you pass. However, the midship balcony will be much more convenient and I've experienced both an aft and a midship balcony cabin in Alaska. While a balcony is definitely beneficial in Alaska and convenient, I wouldn't spend the money on a balcony if it means you need to skimp on in port activities. We are facing a similar situation with a Norway cruise this summer which if similar in many ways to an Alaskan cruise in terms of scenery. However, the price difference between an inside and a standard balcony for the two week cruise is $3000 ($1000 pp), which covers our airfare. This, we'll be finding public space to view the fjords from.

One of the Radiance class ships usually does the Baltics itinerary. My favorite is usually offered in late July that leaves from Stockholm, Sweden and ends in Copenhagen, Denmark. The ship overnights at both ends of the cruise at the embarkation and disembarkation ports and spend three complete days in St. Petersburg, Russia. With only one sea day, you get a great itinerary over 13 nights.