happy cruzin

10 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I want to start off this post talking about the crew.  We have met quite a few and they have all been charming, friendly, and seem to share decent morale.  Many of the crew seem to be on 5 month contracts and will get about 2 months off until their next contract.  The real shocker is we have been told (by several crew) that about 80% have never worked on a cruise ship untill their first contract with EJ.  This was deliberate and goes to the philosophy of creating a new brand with its own set of standards.  All the crew members we have met have a decent background in the luxury hotel/resort industry which makes sense.  We have not met a single crew member that previously worked on MSC, much less in the Yacht Club.  

 

This evening after some interesting conversations with some other passengers at the Lobby Bar (which is becoming on goto place for pre dinner cocktails) we finally got to Fil Rouge around 8pm.  We thought this venue was very attractive and there was a pretty decent dining crowd.  DW and I started off with their Escargot casserole which we thought was OK (not great).  I than tried their Soupe Poisson which is a Provencial soup that is a personal favorite and a must eat whenever we are in NIce.  The version in Fil Rouge was quite good and had the right flavor.  DW had the Dover Sole main, which she thought was good although not up to what we get in the Thomas Keller Grill (Seabourn) which is a very tough act to follow. 

 

I decided to get the simple sirloin steak with a truffle kind of sauce.  The steak was about 3/4 inch thick, perfectly prepared, and the truffle demi glaze sauce was OK.  To be honest, our dinners were excellent, but Sakura has spoiled us.  The Sommelier suggested a French Syrah, and I thought it was OK.  I should mention that the included wines have all been Ok, but far from outstanding.  It is what we expect from included wines on luxury lines. 

 

The star of the night was my dessert which was a mille feuille (with vanilla cream filling) which is the signature dessert in Fil Rouge.  The pastry was light, had perfect thin layers, and terrific flavor.  A relatively simple dessert, difficult to prepare, which is among the best pasties I have ever had on any ship.   Sometimes the simple things can be the best :).  Like all the dining venues, we look forward to returning and trying other items on the various menus.

 

I will also add, that in our chats with other passengers, we have not heard many complaints.  And the ship did actually get some Cranberry Juice in Boston, so DW's personal supply is now housed in our cabin fridge ...just in case!

 

I will toss out a reminder (from our pre-cruise analysis of the bar list) that we are not very happy with the included single malts, cognacs, and bourbons that are offered on EJ.  It is a sad list for what is supposed to be a luxury line.  In fact, it is not even close to what is offered in the MSC Yacht Club!  An easy thing for EJ to fix, and it should be fixed!  And there are some strange lapses in what is available.  One person told us today that they could not get a favorite drink because they have no Cassis at the bars.  This is not a money issue, but just poor planning.  When it comes to booze on a luxury line, stock a little of everything so you never have to say NO!   And I again repeat my shock that one cannot get San Pelligrino on a line owned by the Aponte family!  If you want sparkling water on EJ1, you can only get what they make below decks.

 

Hank

 

 

This is still concerning to me. We have certainly enjoyed the large selection in the YC.  That is where my husband was introduced to Zucapa!

Have you noticed what spiced rums are available? When a list was shared during the first sailing we did not see one listed.  DH can deal with a lot of of things....but 14 days with no spiced rum might be asking too much! 😉

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Attitude is everything. DW would probably 'feel' the same creepiness. But I know better.   This, what some call 'creepy', is what the super wealthy call 'pleasurable'. That is why they book private yachts. We that book the Yachts Clubs, Retreats, Havens, Coastal Kitchens are looking for this Yacht like attention and less people,  romantic tables for two more than 6 feet away from the nearest table. Reminds me of "Funny Girl" "Isn't this a bit of nonchalance....."

Oh.....I never said we did not enjoy it.  Honestly, it was one of the best cruises we have ever taken!

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Yep, just pulled into Black Falcon.  For us, we will probably just take a walk and stop at Yankee Lobster for great lobster rolls.  Many of the crew cannot go ashore because they are so new to ships that they do not have their necessary Seaman’s Books needed for shore time in the US.  
 

DW used the word “creepy” ti describe this cruise.  At times, there is not a passenger ti be seen.  I had cappuccino at Crema earlier and was the only customer other than a couple of Senior staff.  Having breakfast in the Emporium, and looking from my table can see 8 other passengers.  
 

EJ has tried to create an experience that is more akin to a resort, than a cruise.  I wonder if they have taken that too far.  I think of Seabourn and their “Caviar in the Surf,”. Block Party , etc.  This line lacks what I would call “cruise soul” which some will love and others will dislike.  This concept was best expressed by the “Experience Manager” who explains their is no Cruise Director because EJ does not “direct cruises.”

 

 

Hank

Sounds like our experience on the MSC Seashore when we returned to cruising in November 2021.There were less than 100 people in the Yacht Club and no more than 400 - 500 on the whole ship.  Weird to walk to a venue and see NO OTHER people.  Creepy is how I described it too!

17 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I am starting to think this line should attract those seeking culinary delights.  Today, at lunch we could choose from the Emporium, Sakura or the Med Yacht Club.  We decided to try Sakura where lunch is about sushi, sashimi, etc.  We are not big sushi eaters, but Sakura could make me a convert.  Everything we ate was fantastic.  The tuna was very high grade and melted in my mouth.  Our waiter was concerned we had not eaten enough and forced us to share a bento box that was superb. They had yellowfin that tasted like it just came out of the sea.

 

As we were returning to our loungers at the indoor pool, we had to pass through the Emporium where I spotted a large display of raw oysters on the half shell.  Got 4 of those and they were delicious.

 

Now we have another problem because our loungers are near the gelato place where they have 5 gelatos and 5 sorbets. OMG!  I will not even look at their crepe menu.
 

Hank

Sounds like a perfect day!!

27 minutes ago, kidless said:

Is that sailing booked at capacity? I've heard it's quite low.

I have no idea - and no way to find out!

26 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

please report back to us.

Absolutely!

6 minutes ago, kidless said:

Chefs kitchen I believe had an additional charge. Marble & Sakura require a reservation. Yes, now you can get in additional nights if you are flexible plus because the guest on-board numbers are so pitifully low. What happens when the ship is sailing closer to capacity? 

I think our 14-day Caribbean sailing on November 3rd might just be the test case for that concern!

Just now, kidless said:

Very true! Especially since when agents were first selling the product they made promises that EJ did not fulfill. For example, many were led to believe the experience would be like YC on steroids. For example, butlers yet only the residence staterooms have butlers. All dining venues are included yet two have a charge and two more require a reservation with only one reservation allowed. 

 Exactly....you have identified many of the things that we thought would be one way when we booked that now, of course, we know will be different!

2 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

While on MSC Seashore we had this new brochure heralding the new cruise line. I asked the butler if it was a gift. He said by all means take it. In discussing the possibility of booking on board with the future cruise desk, they stated no, it will be a separate entity. They intimated that it was more a rival for them and did not appreciate having the brochure in the suites. The following month all brochures were no where to be seen.

Yes - it will be interesting to see how this all plays out! 

10 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

This is a sea day, but there are very few “activities” on the ship.  This morning there is a lecture on travel photography.  There is supposed to be a 2 1/2 hour Chefs Kitchen class on making pasta.  That venue can only hold 12 passengers and the cost is 150 Euros.  Nothing in the daily schedule mentions the cost although an asterisk indicates there is a fee.  The chef cancelled the class because sea conditions are too rough to be work with knives and hot water.  
 

Something we are noticing is that quite a few things involve big fees, but finding out the cost is not always easy.  They have added some culinary tours (in the ports), and they sound amazing until one learns that the cost can be 600+ Euros per person.

We have been disappointed in the "experiences" (excursions) offered for our sailing in November.  Not very many are offered and most are very expensive. Add that to the pay now - can't apply OBC - it's another disappointment.

4 minutes ago, kidless said:

Indeed! I've seen no perks or status matches offered to MSC diamond members booked on Explora.  I personally feel EJ has made a mistake not offering fabulous deals to its MSC YC Diamond members.   I agree with Mr. Luxury on branding. Those who already love MSC, especially the yacht club product will make the leap to EJ. Those however that feel MSC is equivalent to Walmart of cruising will abstain at least for the time being.  

Yes - 100%, but many previous YC guests have balked at the EJ rates. And now are they hearing that the onboard experiences have been less than perfect for some.  That's a lot to overcome!

13 minutes ago, vistaman said:

Opel tried it as well with an Opel Diplomat ... years ago 

it seems initially they tried that : and then executives of MSC overruled  the people hired for Explora - I was told - with a lot of decisions 

also as bookings were far from good  : they started to send specials to MSC Diamond members

example : on my cancelled cruise for Caribbean I got a double upgrade as Diamond and 500 $ obc 

 

Yes - they have created a "tough" spot....expensive cruises come with great expectations.  It's been a very rough start. Lots of things went sideways and now they are scrambling, IMO.

If they do not find their footing in the market soon I am not sure they will!

13 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Branding is so important.

This reminds me of when the Chairman of VW decided that he wanted to build a car that was luxurious and better made than a BMW or a Mercedes.

They over engineered the car and it was a lovely car. The car was called the Phaeton.

It never sold because it had the usual VW badge on it.

Buyers of luxury cars didn't want to drive a VW badged car as it wasn't prestigious enough.

Explora should have its own identity and be apart from MSC as Lexus is apart from Toyota.

Agreed!

2 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

They need to detach from all of that

Detach....or embrace.  But - IMO - they can not have it both ways!

3 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Funny thing is that when we had drinks at the large Lobby Bar, the

cocktail napkins were printed with the MSC logo.

Sheez….they need to make up their mind! 

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We can all speculate, but I think they missed a huge marketing opportunity by not actively promoting EJ in all the Yacht Clubs.

 

So far, all the passengers we have met seem to be normal cruisers and paying passengers.

 

At the moment I am enjoying my cappuccino in Crema and just saw the NYC Sandy Hook Harboe pilot boat come aside and pick up our pilot.  Seas are about 2-3 meters and it is starting to feel like we are on a ship  😋

Yes - I do wonder how much EJ has hurt themselves by pushing the “we are a different cruise line” and not tapping more in to the existing YC market. Even just a match to current MSC status would have give a long way, IMO. 

1 hour ago, Critically Cruising said:

And the "Burger Station" turns out to be a ONE DAY experiment.

 

Can't run it two days in a row, it seems.

 

The fails continue.  And no matter how impressive one might find the ship, the other issues are death by a thousand cuts.  No one single problem is deal-breaking, but the cumulative effect is telling.

 

 

9 minutes ago, Wallys_World said:

Today is a Sea Day, right? Two of the pools/bars are closed - all day??? 

 

We’re in Canada today and due to local regulations only one bar per deck can be open while in port. 

Ahh….thanks!

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

They do this on MSC, but only on Ocean Cay day. Those bartenders are needed on the island. On sea days all 11 bars are open for business and even on port days all 11 are open.

On another page someone said there is construction happening on the Astern Pool deck and she hopes this means they are fixing to roof of the Conservatory pool too. 🤷🏻‍♀️

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

They needed someone to flip the newly opened burger option? All day means prep and cleanup?

Maybe! 

Today is a Sea Day, right? Two of the pools/bars are closed - all day??? 😬

Awesome!  Could you grab a snapshot of the menu? 

1 hour ago, Critically Cruising said:

 

There are 18 slot machines, one roulette table, one blackjack table and one mini-holdem table.

 

 

Thanks for confirming! 

5 minutes ago, kelleherdl said:

Apples and oranges from New York.  Explora I is being certified for US ports in New York, not Miami. CG and CDC/PHS will be in New York.

Yes I understand the NYC vs Miami certification/inspections. But, that’s not what I meant.
 

I mean just glitchy (not running smoothly/general confusion) because it will be the first time to flip over the ship in Miami. 

15 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Two points.  1.  That letter seems to confirm that EJ1 will definitely be docking at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal (12th Ave).  and 2.  Since this will be EJ1s initial visit to a US Port, they will likely be subject to a thorough USCG Inspection.   We are hoping that an inspection does not delay embarkation, but we have seen that happen in Florida ports.

 

Hank

Delayed embarkation is a valid concern!
 

I have the same thoughts about our embarkation in Miami November 3rd being glitchy, since it’s the first time for EJ to disembark and embark in Miami. 
 

Hope I am wrong….but we will see!