Despite both groups being on the same booking and with cabins right next to each other, we were given different boarding times, ours was from 10:00 until 11:00 while the others were from 11:00 until 12:00. Instructions informed us not to arrive more than 30 minutes prior these slots so we all arrived at 10:30 and amazingly were all onboard by 11:20. I had feared the worst but in the end, it was quite a simple and efficient embarkation.
We then had plenty of time to explore the ship as access to the cabin was delayed until 3:00pm.
It’s a very compact cabin but plenty good enough for the 3 nights. Ideal for just two people but maybe not so for four, we will find out how our neighbours get on over the next few days.
The muster involved watching a safety video on your cabin TV and then confirming that you had watched it by a quick call on the phone to verify the viewing. One final part was to visit the muster station to have the bar code on your sea pass read.
With all that now taken care of, the boys were keen to visit the Savannah Aquapark and have a paddle so that is where we were for sail away.
Cruising with two youngsters means many priorities and timings change, the need to eat is one of them. At 6:00 we found ourselves in the buffet for just that reason. I think that on this short cruise, this is potentially where we will eat most of our meals, we just need to ensure we get our timings right to miss the busy times. We are on first sitting in the MDR but at 7:30 it could be too late for our young companions. We will have to see how it goes tomorrow and then make a decision. The time change might work in our favour but much depends on how the boys fare in Rotterdam. We have been told from a couple of different sources that the ship is full and there are in excess of 1200 children onboard but to date, it really hasn’t been too much of a problem although the amount of youngsters is very obvious. On return to the cabin we found a letter from Guest Services confirming they were aware of our special dietary requirements, Nicole is vegan while one of the boys is dairy intolerant and they have said we will have a dedicated waiter who will be aware of our special needs. The restaurant we have been assigned to is the Minuetto Restaurant for both breakfast and dinner. We can but give it a go in the hope they can deliver.
1200 kids? I love my grandkids but I might draw the line there 😜. Does it feel that crowded? When we took ours on RCL, it was so packed you had wait 20+ minutes for an elevator. For the kids to do bumper cars was half an hour wait for a three minute ride.
There were plenty of queues but mainly for drinks at the bars. It has been an age old problem for us with MSC and one that we had hoped was a thing of the past. Did it feel crowded? Only at certain times of the day so if you manage your timings it worked out okay.
Interested to hear how it goes with the boys. We have taken grandchildren on RCI but not MSC. First sitting seems late, perhaps because Italian.