MSC Grandiosa Review in Europe + Cruise News | MSC Cruises
Cruise Radio: Weekly Cruise News & Travel Tips
Doug Parker
4.8 • 636 Ratings
🗓️ 7 May 2026
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of Cruise Radio, host Doug Parker and staff writer Richard Simms cover major cruise industry news, including Carnival's loyalty program overhaul, a passenger assault aboard the Carnival Sunrise, a hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, and Norwegian Cruise Line's gratuity increases. They also discuss Alaska's record cruise season and Holland America's ship refurbishment.
Guest Jen then shares her firsthand review of the MSC Grandiosa in the Mediterranean, covering embarkation, dining, entertainment, and ports including Tunisia, Sicily, and Marseille, offering practical tips for travelers considering a European cruise experience.
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About Cruise Radio: Cruise Radio has been delivering cruise news, ship reviews, and money-saving tips weekly since 2009.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Cruise Radio. |
| 0:02.3 | I cruise a lot and I always sail with travel insurance. |
| 0:05.3 | You should too. |
| 0:06.2 | Get a free quote today at Tripinsurance.com. |
| 0:09.3 | Here we go. |
| 0:11.2 | Broadcasting from the Tripinsurance.com studios in Jacksonville, Florida. |
| 0:15.5 | This is Cruise Radio. |
| 0:17.3 | Hey, how's it going? |
| 0:18.1 | My name is Doug Parker. |
| 0:19.0 | Thank you so much for checking out this episode of Cruise Radio. Very happy to have you here, my friend. A review of the MSC Grandiosa this week. And as |
| 0:26.3 | always, staff writer Richard Sims on deck with Cruise News. Hey, Richard. Hey, there, I really want to |
| 0:31.6 | be on a deck. I wish we both were. Yeah. Right? We start things off with a story that every |
| 0:37.3 | carnival passenger needs to hear. |
| 0:40.6 | You're right. They really, really, really do, Doug. As most people know, there's a big change coming where Carnival's loyalty program is concerned. The VIFP program is out out of here. And in September, they'll be rolling out Carnival rewards. That's not the news, though. It's something |
| 0:57.9 | that a lot of people are unhappy about, but it's not the news. What is the news is that in order for |
| 1:04.6 | your VIP status and points to be transferred over to the new program, you actually have to register |
| 1:10.6 | with the new program and accept |
| 1:13.2 | the terms and conditions. It's like, you know, all to do with privacy and privacy rights and |
| 1:18.3 | things like that. But it's so, so, so important because when the switch takes place on September |
| 1:23.4 | 1st, anyone who hasn't registered and accepted the terms of service will lose their status. |
| 1:30.0 | Now, if there's a plus side to this, it's that if you currently have the Carnival World MasterCard |
| 1:34.6 | and you've been accumulating fun points there, you don't have to do anything. They will |
... |
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