seaweeyin

We spent the next day at beautiful Dickenson Bay in Antigua. Back on the ship, we had pre dinner hot chocolates, thick and creamy Venchi style, and drinks. Here's the Gold Rush, an easy drinking bourbon cocktail, served in the Haven Lounge. During the day, the Haven Lounge was empty. It opens early evening for drinks, dance lessons, music, games, and sometimes bingo. The band Caribbean Fusion plays here and generally was great to listen to. Once they played a song they obviously didn't really know, but they gave it good energy. The theme night parties are also held either here, or at the pool on deck 16. The dance floor usually filled up after the first song or two and it was great fun. I love dancing.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Question about the Fantastica drink coupons- do the kids get "kids" tickets? Or can I use my child's ticket to purchase an alcoholic beverage for myself. (That sounds terrible- but I'm just thinking cost-wise, it's much cheaper to buy him a pop than me a martini!!)

 

ETA: thank you, btw! Outstanding review!!!

 

Thank you so much for reading!

 

Unfortunately, I don't know the answers to the questions about the drink coupons. Since we had the deluxe drink packages, we didn't use/have the coupons. I'm sorry I don't know more!

Here's the menu for my absolute favorite bar on the ship, the Wine and Cocktails bar, aka The Welcome Bar. This is my favorite for two reasons.

 

First, the bar is set up to feel like a reception area for the specialty restaurants, rather than a full bar. The seating is limited and the entrances to the specialties are to the left and right of the bar itself. On one side are Roy's restaurants, on the other is butcher's cut and ocean cay. There is no entertainment here, so not a whole lot of reason to linger. Also, unless you're specifically looking for this bar or doing specialty dining, you won't stumble across this space. It's only accessible from forward stairs or elevators, and there's no way to move through to aft, where the Biscayne bay buffet is. That does mean that we always had to walk aft on floor 15 or 18 to get to the upper buffet or pool areas, since our cabins were forward. For all these reasons, this bar never got busy. It was virtually empty the first week, though it picked up the second week, especially on the night outdoor activities were cancelled due to high winds.

 

The other reason this bar is my favorite is because of the interesting and extensive cocktail list. Most bars on the ship are dominated by rum cocktails. Given we were in the Caribbean, that makes sense. And I certainly enjoyed my fair share of those offerings! However, rum is actually my least favorite spirit, so I loved finding a menu with lots of alternatives. I enjoy having a drink plan less for the quantity that can be consumed, but for the variety. I can order anything that sounds remotely interesting and if I don't like it, I don't feel like I have to finish it. I tried a number of drinks off this menu and found some keepers. However, as with much of the ship, drinks tended to the overly sweet. A bees knees should have a kiss of honey, not taste of pure honey syrup, for example. For other drinks, the bar staff simply didn't know how to make them. I don't say that as a craft cocktail snob, but as simple fact; I watched a bar tender grab a menu and look up the ingredients to a drink I'd ordered more than a few times. That works if the measure of each ingredient is the same, but it's not, always. I respect a bar that keeps a book of recipes close at hand so at least I know I'm getting what I ordered and there's some consistency.

 

Pictured here is the Old Smokey, which started out with an intriguing, aromatic smoke, but the cocktail was too sweet. The Silk Road, the Rickshaw, the Cucumber Ginger Gimlet, the Shanghai Margarita, My Darling, Far East Collins, and the Raspberry Mojito were my favorites. The Chili Passion Caipirinha was fun if you like a spicy kick.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Here's the menu for the seaview lounge, my favorite place to get an espresso or cappuccino (tied with Venchi, really). The lounge has a wide selection of newspapers from across the globe, plus shelves filled with books for all ages. We spent many a moment curled up with Toddler as I or daddy or grandma read one of those books.

 

In the evenings, this is where to find jazz music.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Here's the dinner menu for the second sea day, which happened to be Christmas night. I would say this was the weakest menu of the trip. The Classic Favorites were also available this night. Pictured is the portabella that was unfortunately plated...poorly-- let's just stick with that... The turkey waldorf that contained one sad little chunk of turkey at the bottom, and the rum cake, the ice cream forgotten. When we pointed out the missing ice cream, replacements were rushed out. I also ordered the mahi mahi for my main and found the fondue sauce rather goopy. My FIL had the chicken parm, which he enjoyed, and Mr. seaweeyin had the gnocchi, which he didn't love. On another occasion, he ordered the cocoa dusted pork and said it was excellent. I also had gnocchi in various incarnations on other evenings and in the buffet and thought the dishes were great. I really like those little tater dumplings.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

After a stop for more coffee specialities at Venchi (The Bicerin is pictured here), we went to find Santa. This event was very well attended and standing room only at the back. The children were split into age group seating and were supposed to go up, collect their gift, and get a photo with Santa in order from youngest to oldest but do you think it went that smoothly? Of course not. I'm the type to sit back since we're all going to get there in the end, but perhaps other parents had pressing phone calls with important world leaders on their Christmas agendas because the aisle crowding, complaining, pushing obviously not infant kids forward before their turn was a touch silly. Ah well. As the wonderful counselors repeated over and over again, there are enough presents for all the kids. The youngest received a boat bath toy, toddlers got a teddy bear, and older kids up to age 11 received Lego sets.

 

That afternoon was the cruise critic meet and greet. They passed around finger foods and drinks (red and white wine, champagne, amaretto sours, and one other cocktail that I can't recall), and had two lovely sheet cakes. Captain Scala spoke for a minute or two, then there were two group photos taken, later to be delivered to our cabin. When we did our Norwegian meet and greet, we were explicitly asked for feedback and they really seemed to mean it. That didn't happen at this event.

 

We spent the rest of the day exploring the glass walkway bridges, hanging out with family, and working our way through every flavor of gelato. Btw, despite having fruit smoothies on several menus, my kids greatly preferred getting fruit milkshakes because they weren't as sweet as the smoothies and had brighter fruit flavor. Honestly, all the gelato and sorbets were fantastic.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

We decided to try table service breakfast on Christmas morning before going to the Santa event. Our matching Christmas pajamas were Nordic moose themed this year and I was delighted to see we weren't the only family doing breakfast in our pajamas. Now, I'm generally good about dress codes, but there's got to be a little leeway on Christmas. If you ever need an instant connection with another family, wear your matching Christmas jammies. We all pointed and cheered (respectfully) to one another as we walked to our table, and the staff seemed to get a kick out of it.

 

For the most part, you could get the same things at the buffet as at sit down. Eggs Benedict is an exception, and possibly the smoked salmon. I've mentioned in another thread that there is smoked salmon mousse in the buffet, but the salmon in the dining might be lox style. I'm not sure because we never ordered it. The kid's menu features a couple non buffet items, most notably the strawberry pancakes and the nutella French toast.

 

I thought breakfast was fine, if a bit chaotic. My FIL wasn't brought his meal until the rest of us were nearly finished. The manager actually went after his himself, only to find our server (finally) beat him to the punch. So my FIL ended up with two eggs Benedict, which he did proclaim to be very good.

 

By the way, the very official looking man that I assume to be the restaurant manager was always roaming the floor, his Bluetooth in ear, ready to make something right. I saw him at every meal, morning to night.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

As for general cabin location, I really like being on the 11th floor. It felt a good halfway point between the action on levels 5-8 and 16-19. We were mid-forward, with a bonus benefit that when we stepped out on our balcony, we could look down and see into the section of the gym that has the treadmills.

 

Mr. seaweeyin and I are newish, but enthusiastic, runners. I run every other day at home, and always outside. I've never run on a treadmill and had some trepidation about it. We peeked in at the gym the first day and officially used it the second. There's a row of treadmills and ellipticals along the windows (and the roof in that section is also glass, which is why we could peek down into the gym from our balcony), a few rowing machines, some weight machines, a good selection of free weights, and other standard gym equipment. Everything was keep in pristine condition. There are drinking water fountains in the gym, but bring your bottle of water if you need more than that. There are clean towels upon entry. You are asked to sign a waiver your first time. I didn't manage to get a schedule of gym classes, and I only once saw a spinning class in action. I don't know why gyms scare me a little, lol. I think because I just never use them at home, despite playing lots of sports and running, so they're unfamiliar territory. The gym was rather busy the first week, but not as much the second week. So much for New Year's resolutions! There are lots of different programs on the treadmills, but they are set to put you into cool down mode after 25 minutes, regardless the program. If the gym was busy, I'd hand over the treadmill, but if there were a few empty machines, I'd restart and keep running. Lots of folks used the treadmills for walking, too.

 

My only complaint about the gym was that oh my, did it get hot and humid in there from the combo of sun blasting through the windows + sweaty bodies. I would have like more air circulation. During the second week, we had a few overcast days and the air was so much nicer. This is, of course, coming from someone who runs in Seattle, so overcast is comfortable to me.

 

The theatre on decks 6 and 7 is small, but comfortable. The size means there are no bad sight lines. MSC continued to push the idea that everyone should reserve their shows, but when I checked my MSCforMe app, there were always at least a couple hundred spots showing available, even when the theatre was full. I think this is still an idea catching on. The shows were staged two to three times a night, depending on the show, and ran approximately 40 minutes long.

 

We saw three shows: the Welcome Show, Timeless, and My Life in Music. The Welcome Show was a mish mash of what was to come in the week--there was a Michael Jackson lip sync section that was very good. They also sang the Star Spangled Banner as a symbol of MSC building a bond with the U.S. or something like that. Timeless was well-done. My Life in Music was good, but as a blend of Italian classics and songs from Phantom of the Opera and also some songs I didn't recognize, I think people will have very mixed feelings about it. Mr. seaweeyin and I had opera season tickets for years and so like Italianate styles of music. Others won't be interested. The male voices were excellent across the board. I thought the soprano had good range, but a thin voice, while the mezzo was also excellent. The dancing and costuming was wonderful eye-candy, and the staging pretty good, I thought, espeically for a cruise ship. We never made it to Peter Punk or the show based on Madame Butterfly, despite wanting to. We just got too busy. We also never made it to Beer Improv, but I heard it was well done from those who did go.

Hi LadySpoilt,

 

Yes, we did have interconnecting interior rooms, so no need to worry there. :) Regarding the green outline: when we were assigned our cabin numbers and I crosschecked them with the plans on the website, our cabins were not circled in green to indicate SuperFamily Plus. That had me concerned, but when we got to our cabins, they were just as promised with the connecting doors and balconies, extra sleeping arrangements, and bathtub. I don't know why these particular rooms weren't circled on the plans on the website.

Excellent review, keep it coming! A few follow-up questions:

 

-- Were the "Classic Favorites" on the menu available each night at dinner? If not, how many nights were they available?

 

-- Was the wait staff amenable to minor changes/additions? For example, if I wanted a baked potato with my dinner instead of the starch, would that be possible?

 

-- Was there any charge for any of the waterslides?

 

-- We get a free massage with our Aurea package. Having never gotten a massage before, it's all new to me. Is it customary to offer a gratuity afterward?

 

Hi, iambumbo!

 

The Classic Favorites were not on the menu during elegant nights or Italian night. I don't know if you could have requested from the classic menu on those night because no one at our table did.

 

Similarly, the biggest "change" we ever asked for was to have a main as a starter, and that was no problem. We didn't ask for other substitutions.

 

On our sailing, there were no charges for any of the waterslides or the zip line.

 

I always give a gratuity after a massage. For 30 minutes, I feel something in the $10 range is good, but I'm sure others go lower, while others go higher. I know tipping is a heated cultural topic, so others will have different thoughts--these are mine. :)

Thanks for such a detailed review so far! One question...did you notice people smoking all over the place or was it kept to designated areas?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I definitely did not notice it all over, and I'm very finicky about the smell. I tend to get headaches from it. The designated areas I noticed were: deck 8 outside the seaview lounge (which I really wish they'd change to the other side, outside the sports bar, because the seaview lounge was my favorite place for a morning espresso and I would have enjoyed sitting outside with my coffee more often -- I generally only did so if the space was empty), deck 7 near the south beach pool bar, and deck 19 at the Miramar bar. Indoors, I hear a section of the casino is smoking, and I got a faint whiff if I was walking through in the late evening, but otherwise didn't notice.

 

And thanks so much to those following along!!!

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

The scallops, the smoked duck, the filet and lobster, the halibut, the lime semifreddo cheesecake, and the panettone. The scallops were very nice and the desserts well made.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Here's the menu for Christmas eve dinner. It was also the first elegant night of the cruise. I don't know if this is representative of what non holiday cruises will have, since our second week also included a new year's eve menu along the same lines. I ordered the halibut, which I usually love, but it came out dry around the edges. I'm guessing that's a somewhat common thing when you don't order the lobster on lobster night. The center of the halibut was good. The filet and lobster was very good to excellent all around and after everyone had eaten, our server brought out two more plates of it because... why not, I guess? I don't know, but the filet on the last plate was upscale land steakhouse quality and cooked a perfect medium rare. Perhaps they were trying to make me forget about the halibut.

 

A quick note about our server: he was fantastic the whole cruise through. We could tell there were hiccups with the drinks ordering technology, but he moved us through our meals smoothly and with great professionalism.

 

And a quick note about wines: my in-laws tended to stick with the same rose and pinot noir, which they found very drinkable. I tasted my way through through most of the reds and settled on the Oberon and the malbec as my favorites. I generally like bold and juicy reds.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Does the Venchi chocolate place offer free samples?

 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

they did not on the first two cruises out of Miami

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

We spent a delightful afternoon making use of the drinks package and the pool areas. My kids (and mr. Seaweeyin) loved the waterslides and splash pad areas. The slide board slide was my favorite by far.

 

In the evening, mr. Seaweeyin and I popped by the champagne bar for predinner drinks while waiting for the rest of our party to finish getting ready. I didn't photograph the whole menu because it was very long, but here are the cocktails. Two asterisks means not covered by any package, one is covered by deluxe, and no asterisk is covered by classic.

 

The drink photo is the blueberry lavender sparkler, which I found too sweet--something I found to be a common theme with drinks on the ship.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

On Christmas Eve, sea day one, mr. Seaweeyin and I checked out the spa while the kids made new friends in the clubs. I really liked the spa. It's peaceful with just a touch of novelty. The low lighting, soothing music, and sounds of water relaxed me. When we first checked in, we tried to book our massages but were given dinner hour times or 8 a.m. Nope, sorry, not on holiday. So we decided to book them for the next week.

 

We got our cruise pass set up: it's just a card you show when you arrive at the spa. Then they take your room key and exchange it for a snap bracelet that has a "suggested itinerary " for the different spa rooms (which we ignored in favor of doing whatever we wanted), and a key/locker card. My locker card actually worked about half the time. The rest were duds. You use the key card to open the door to the spa area and walk down a short hallway. To the left are the entrances for the locker rooms -- one for women, one for men -- and to the right the entrance to the spa experiences. In theory, you should be able to stash your stuff in a locker, then use the key card to lock it. Bring flip flops/spa shoes, btw, especially if you want to do the snow room. And you should do the snow room. I thought it was beautiful. We cycled through a few different showers, saunas, steam rooms, etc. Each with a different sensory experience -- a dark steam room vs a bright one, for example, or softly raining shower vs stormy one. The spa also gives you exclusive access to an outdoor area with loungers and a hot tub. Simply exit through one of the deck access doors in the spa. It won't lock behind you, promise.

 

We used the spa four days in the first week. We then came across what seemed to be a problem. When I mentioned that I would book our massages in the second week of our cruise, the spa staff looked confused. The manager was brought over and we explained we were on a 14 day. She said no problem, come see her when we got back to Miami and she'll open the reservations for the next week. I made some comment on passing about using the spa pass the next week, as well, and she started shaking her head, repeating that it's only for the duration of the cruise and there is a different price for another week. I replied that we'd booked a 14 day cruise -- not a back to back -- but she just stood there, shaking her head.

 

Honestly, after all the steam I'd had, I didn't have it in me to argue so just left. I simply didn't return the cardboard spa pass card we'd been given and planned to use it the next week. In the end, we did get our massages booked and performed in the second week, but we never used the spa pass again because we were too busy. This was not the only time the 14 day cruise confused staff, but I'll get to that later.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Looking forward to your review. Also you made me laugh. On RCI Oasis I had a woman come up to me in the ladies room and ask me how to ...use a particular lady hygiene item...I tried as politely as I could to explain in ungrafic terms. After which my two teen daughters emerged from the stalls crimson red after over hearing us.

 

Sent from my SM-J700T1 using Forums mobile app

You are a blessing to share your knowledge! And a good role model for your teens, even if they were embarrassed at the time.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Here is the marrachino special and the espresso with three pralines. I may have ordered these both a sinful number of times on this cruise.

 

I regret nothing.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

gelato for days. 14 days, to be exact.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

The "Gelato Special Cups" are the sundaes that are not included in any package. You are allowed, though, to get a couple flavors of gelato and add your own toppings to make a sundae.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

The chocolate bar on 6

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

And more

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

more

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

Here are some photo heavy posts of the Venchi bar menus. First will be the one on deck 7 aft at the south beach pool. With the deluxe package, we had to scramble around to figure out what was included. Thanks again to those on this board who helped answer that question. A couple more details: the crepes and waffle things (cialdone) are NOT included in any package. Also, the sundaes are NOT included. Everything else is.

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

The desserts that didn't load in the last post:

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app