During Your Cruise - Useful Information

Dining reservations at speciality and à la carte restaurants (where available) may be made with the Maitre d’Hotel or your Dining Room Waiter.

• Authentic “wild west” cooking and atmosphere is provided at the Tex-Mex restaurants El Sombrero (MSC Fantasia) and Santa Fe (MSC Splendida).

 • For an authentic oriental evening, the Asian Fusion restaurants Shanghai (MSC Orchestra), and Oriental Plaza (MSC Magnifica) offer a variety of Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Indian and Thai dishes, while the Galaxy à la carte restaurant (MSC Divina) provides delicious fusion cuisine and the Kaito Sushi Bar (MSC Poesia and MSC Musica) serves Japanese specialities.

• An elegant atmosphere and style are the essence of our à la carte restaurants, the 4 Seasons (MSC Orchestra), Il Giardino (MSC Musica), L’Obelisco (MSC Poesia) and L’Oasi (MSC Magnifica).

All MSC Yacht Club guests (on board MSC Divina, MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia) can enjoy a round-the-clock room service menu. Throughout the day, they will be offered a vast choice of snacks served by butlers in the Top Sail Lounge and The One Pool. A fully dedicated restaurant is also available with free choice of dining times. In addition and exclusively for MSC Yacht Club guests, traditional English Tea will be served daily in the Top Sail Lounge from 4.30pm

Casual wear is advised for life on board ship and for the excursions. For informal evenings, we recommend summery dresses for women and a lightweight jacket for men. For the Gala evenings and Parties you may wish to dress more formally, we suggest a dark suit for gentlemen and an evening dress for ladies. For those few formal evenings (one on 4- to 6-night cruises, two on 7- to 11-night cruises, and four on cruises 15 nights or longer) cocktail dresses for the ladies and a lightweight suit, or even dinner jacket for men. It is advisable to have a sweater or shawl handy to be prepared for the changes in temperature between the air-conditioned interior of the ship and the deck areas. For excursions including visits to religious sites we advise appropriate clothing (covered knees and shoulders, no low-cut tops).

After 6:00pm, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and bare feet are not permitted in the ships' public areas.

bridge, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and shuffleboard* tournaments, pool games, song festivals, treasure hunts, quizzes, fancy dress parades, beauty contests and many more activities. Spectacular international shows will take place in the theatre and professional musicians will entertain you in all the lounges of the ship. (By prior arrangement with the Cruise Director, some onboard musicians may be hired for private functions.)

 Our onboard casino features the most popular attractions found in casinos all over the world, with games for players of all abilities. Try your luck at the slot machines or on the blackjack, roulette and poker tables. Feel the rush of adrenalin as you wait to see if lady luck is on your side.

 * except onboard MSC Magnifica

A full program of Shore Excursions is available to purchase on board. The excursions offered during the cruise are optional and provided by independent third party contractors. A charge is applicable. Excursions are charged directly to your onboard account and final payment can be made in cash, by credit card or by traveller’s cheque.

Please note that:

- Excursions cannot be cancelled once reserved. In case of illness, a medical certificate issued by the doctor on board is required to qualify for a refund. The certificate is valid for one person only.

- Excursion itineraries and prices may be subject to change due to cost variations and contingencies without prior notification by MSC Cruises.

 - An excursion takes place if the minimum number of participants is reached. In the event that the minimum number of participants is not reached, the excursion may be cancelled and money refunded. Some excursions have a limited number of participants. If by any chance, only the minimum number of passengers is booked for an excursion, groups of passengers of different nationalities and/or languages may be required to travel together in the same coach.

- The price includes transport, visits to sites and/or museums, meals and drinks as detailed in the description of each excursion.

 - MSC Cruises is not responsible for any changes to the program resulting from local holidays, days that sites are closed and/or any other local events that completely or partially preclude the original itinerary. The excursion programme and timings (departure/return) will be confirmed on board during the cruise.

 - Unless otherwise indicated, onshore excursions will be conducted by coach. - Passengers are requested to wear appropriate clothing for visits to religious sites (covered knees and shoulders, no low-cut tops).

 - Excursions including visits to archaeological sites, long sections on foot or hiking may not be suitable for passengers with disabilities or walking difficulties. Passengers may request private tour arrangements where available. It is advisable to check the feasibility of excursions before booking.

- For Beach Tours, swimming towels and bathing suits are advised.

 - Some archaeological sites, museums and places of interest charge supplements for the use of videos and cameras. These extras are not included in the price of the excursion; further details will be given on board. All guests of the MSC Yacht Club (on board MSC Divina, MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia) can, by simply contacting their Concierge, enjoy personalized land excursions via chauffeur-driven limousine, hire car or mini bus (reservations, availability and prices on request).

Hotel Service Charge

During your cruise, you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. They are supported by just as many staff and crew who work hard behind the scenes to ensure you enjoy every moment on board.
For your convenience MSC Cruises will automatically add a daily Hotel Service Charge to your shipboard account, based on your chosen itinerary and the number of days for which the services are actually provided. The Hotel Service charge serves to ensure we maintain the highest quality standards of service to our guests. The daily amounts below have been calculated with this in mind and cannot be modified. However, should you wish to remove any of the daily Hotel Service Charge in the unlikely event that you do not receive satisfactory service, you may do so by contacting the Guest Relations Manager on board.

Mediterranean,  Northern Europe and Abu Dhabi & the Emirates Cruises:

Cruises of 9 days / 8 nights or less
Adults (Over 18): 7 Euro per day
Child (Between 14 and 17): 3.5 Euro per day
Child (Under 14): No Service charge applied

Cruises of 10 days / 9 nights or more 
Adults (Over 18): 6 Euro per day
Child (Between 14 and 17): 3 Euro per day
Child (Under 14): No Service charge applied

Grand Cruises to/from Abu Dhabi & the Emirates
Adults (Over 18): 6 Euro per day
Child (Between 14 and 17): 3 Euro per day
Child (Under 14): No Service charge applied

South Africa cruises:

South Africa Cruises
Adults (Over 18): $ 6 US Dollars per day
Child (Under 18): $ 3 US Dollars per day

Grand Cruises from South Africa (Northbound)
Adults (Over 18): $ 6 US Dollars per day
Child (Under 18): $ 3 US Dollars per day

Grand Cruises to South Africa (Southbound)
Adults (Over 18): 6 Euro per day
Child (Between 14 and 17): 3 Euro per day
Child (Under 14): No Service charge applied

South America cruises:

South America Cruises
Adults (Over 18): $ 9 US Dollars per day
Child (Under 18): $ 4.5 US Dollars per day

Grand Cruises from South America (Eastbound)
Adults (Over 18): $ 9 US Dollars per day
Child (Under 18): $ 4.5 US Dollars per day

Grand Cruises to South America (Westbound)
Adults (Over 18): 6 Euro per day
Child (Between 14 and 17): 3 Euro per day
Child (Under 14): No Service charge applied 
 

Caribbean and North America cruises:

Caribbean and North America cruises:
Adults (Over 18): $ 12 US Dollars per day
Child (Under 18): $ 6 US Dollars per day

Grand Cruises from Caribbean and/or North America (Eastbound)
Adults (Over 18): $ 12 US Dollars per day
Child (Under 18): $ 6 US Dollars per day

Grand Cruises to Caribbean and/or North America (Westbound)
Adults (Over 18): 6 Euro per day
Child (Between 14 and 17): 3 Euro per day
Child (Under 14): No Service charge applied 

Infants aged 3 and under are exempt from all Hotel Service Charges
MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual members of staff.

Bar Service Charge

A 15% Bar Service Charge is automatically added to all purchases.

The following services are charged as extras: photographer, casino, video games, 4D cinema (MSC Splendida, MSC Fantasia and MSC Magnifica) and F1 simulator (only on MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia), golf simulator (only on MSC Sinfonia), bowling (only on MSC Splendida and MSC Magnifica), internet stations, hairdresser, barber, beauty salon, Turkish bath, sauna and massages, laundry and ironing.

The golf practice facility on MSC Musica, MSC Orchestra and MSC Poesia is available free of charge.
Post office: mail can be taken to the on board Information Office who will provide the necessary postage (which will be charged to the passenger) and pass it to our local representatives for mailing.

Telephone, fax and e-mail services are available at the rates displayed onboard.

If you are an avid Internet user, you can continue surfing the web during your cruise by connecting to the Internet with your laptop or PDA. Just connect to the ship’s network, available via a wireless connection in all common areas of the ship, or in your cabin, using the cable available from the Information Desk, and follow the instructions provided on the home page to register. To access the hot spot service, just select the amount of credit you require and it will be charged directly to your on-board account. It is also possible to rent a laptop from the Information Desk. Details and offers available will be posted on the Daily Program. 

If you are an avid Internet user, you can continue surfing the web during your cruise by connecting to the Internet with your laptop or PDA. All you need to do is purchase a prepaid card at the Information Desk. The price of the card varies according to the amount of connection time you require. A wireless connection is available in the public areas (except for the pool by the stern on MSC Melody).

Internet services are just a click away. In the Cyberlibrary, you can use the browser just as you would at home. Just follow the instructions found on the home page to register and select the amount of credit you require. The amount selected will be charged directly to your on-board account.

This service is available on MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia.

Your Cruise Card will also allow you to access the Internet. At the Internet Café you can stay connected with the world by using the Internet browser, just like you would at home. The service is subject to the rates displayed on board.

This service is available on MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra, MSC Musica, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Melody.