Now Boarding Reviews

[Jon Levatte]

Weare going on our first MSC and booked an Aurea balcony. Since we only booked this cruise today and it leaves next week our boarding time says 2:30. The Aurea benefits say priority boarding. Does that mean we can board whenever we arrive?

One thing I would add is that you may have to remind the port workers during check-in that you are in Aurea class so you can get to the proper priority line. They are contractors, and there have been reports of Aurea and Diamond guests being led to the normal check-in lines. Just simply ask if you are in the correct priority line.

I would take the 1700 with a pinch of salt. That will more than likely get change. The only time my check in time was actually checked was my first cruise after Covid which was the very early days when they started up again. Then after that no one has ever checked. I've turned up early and later than my check in times but they have all been before 12pm. Having done over 7 cruises out of the UK with msc, they like you on board asap so they can get the safety briefing out the way so people can get to dinner. The last couple of times it's been between 4 and 4.30ish.

Aurea along with Diamond will have its own priority check in lane in Southampton but after you been through security with everyone else. Only in Yacht club will you get to the front of the queue in security. Once you go upstairs then you get priority. Then you queue with everyone else on the gangway unless your in Yacht Club. So really it's just the checkin bit thats quicker.

You drop your luggage off first. The port staff all hover near the main zebra crossing which you can't really avoid and they ask to see your cabin number and then direct you to the correct drop off point.

To be fair I have never booked one of these restaurants packages but if I was booking the butchers cut (which I do on every cruise that has one because it is so good) it is one of the 1st things i do when I get on board.(only because its gets booked up really quick) You can either book it via your on board msc app, on your t.v in your cabin or pop down to the restaurant that you want to book in person.

After the security check there is a priority line for Aurea/Diamond members. They staff will try to heard everyone into the general line, so one has to make them aware of their need to access the priority line.

My Time Dining is the best!!! absolutely hands down it is great because you can choose when you want to eat, that flexibility was a value add for us, we were on vacation and so if we caught a show, we ate either very early or later depending on our mood.

Its a beautiful ship and the stroll on the main level, with LED display is awesome it can get loud if there are events going on in the same area, but that area and the champagne bar and below are some great places for hanging out/people watching.

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I spotted the round-trip fare from Los Angeles (LAX) to Bogot (BOG) with a stop in Panama City for $392 on Google Flights. Since I was able to match the flights I wanted in the Amex Travel portal, I charged the fare to my Platinum Card from American Express, which allowed me to earn 5x points or, in this case, 1,960 Membership Rewards points. Had I chosen not to pay cash, the same flight would have cost me 39,206 MR points. Alternatively, I could have paid with another travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which would have let me earn 3x or 2x Ultimate Rewards points for the travel purchase, respectively.

Boarding continued smoothly, with one agent processing all the passes and passports, and by 1:05am it was time for Group 4. There couldn't have been more than 15 people still waiting to board. When my boarding pass was scanned, the agent told me, "You need to go see her at counter." The counter agent asked me some security questions and less than a minute later, I was back in line and entering the aircraft by 1:14am, my roll-aboard bag fitting easily in the overhead bin. The door was locked at 1:31am, with wheels up by 1:49am.

While I didn't end up with the entire row to myself, I was still glad to have an empty center seat next to me so I could store my backpack there and cross my legs. I noticed the lifejacket was dangling from beneath the center seat and, despite my trying to point it out to the flight attendant, it stayed that way for the duration of the flight.

Other than that, everything was in good working condition and reasonably clean. The airline provided a fleecy blanket but no pillow, and flight attendants handed out headphones for the in-flight entertainment system.

20 minutes later, the flight attendant returned with an eye mask, which she offered on the condition that I keep it a secret because she didn't have enough for everyone. I travel with my own eye mask so I declined, but I did appreciate her sympathy for my situation.

Two hours after takeoff, I awoke to an announcement telling us to fasten our seat belts. Other than the special treatment my neighbor and I had received, I saw no evidence of a beverage service. It wasn't until another hour had passed that breakfast was served. I chose eggs over pancakes and was served the hot foil-wrapped dish on a tray with nonfat raspberry yogurt, a wrapped white roll with vegetable-oil spread, a fruit cup covered in plastic wrap and plastic utensils. Beverage service followed shortly after.

The packaged yogurt was watery and sickly sweet, and it was easy to see why: The second listed ingredient was sugar, the third water. The only tolerable part was the fruit cup, with small chunks of pineapple, melon and a grape that were all crisp and sweet. When the tray was collected 35 minutes later, most of the contents were still intact.

This flight obviously had some problems, but I appreciated that the three flight attendants in economy did what they could to tend to them. While the food was bad, the movies were dated, the seats were cramped and the lights didn't turn off, we did land early, the ride was smooth and the mileage posted to my MileagePlus account a few days later. I certainly would look at another airline the next time I'm traveling to South America, but I can't say I'd refuse to fly with Copa again based on this experience. And considering my flight home was delayed by more than six hours, I got off easy on this one.

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