gmbhardy

It sucks.

On Joy right now. Officer confirmed gone, fleet wide.

So those of us who sailed in Sky Suites without butler service over the last little while were shafted. Par for the course in the cruise industry.

As an earlier poster explained, Posh is the Haven sun deck and at least during our sailing was seldom used. It does not have hot tubs, Vibe usually has two. Vibe usually has dedicated bartenders and servers who get to know you and your preferences. During our sailing in Posh, the bartenders were rotated daily, so there was little opportunity to build a rapport with them and no shot o’clock. Hard to explain it, but there’s no vibe in Posh (no pun intended, well maybe). If you’re staying in the Haven and using it as an included perk, it is what it is, but I would never pay extra for it in steerage.

Vibe is worth it, Posh isn’t.

How then do you know when the bars open😜

‘Luxury’ cruises for $200pp per day? That’s unbelievable, literally. Are they on the S.S. Minnow?

The price difference between a balcony cabin and club balcony cabin on the new ships is significantly more than on the breakaway class ships. Has anyone been successful getting a diamond perk upgrade on either the Prima or Viva.

No, and frankly I don’t care. I just posted, based on my own experience, to provide clarity on the issue.

Just got off the Beyond on Friday, staying in a Retreat Sky suite. I can confirm that there is no butler service for this room category, regardless how management spins it. Had a conversation with the head butler and he said if you want butler service you need to move up to a higher room category.

Congratulations, you’ve made my top ten list of the most condescending posts on CC.

We can barely finish three, but we manage to drink a bottle of champagne with it 😁

Sorry, my bad.

We’ve cruised on the Joy eight times. It’s our favourite ship. As Bird says, the ship will be refurbished over the winter so there will be some changes, good and bad. A new thermal spa should be a big plus, as will the expansion of Vibe and the addition of Starlink for internet access. A big negative will be the elimination of some space in the Observation Lounge to add more cabins.

Haven.

That was our experience too.

We are also on the April 7, 2024 cruise and are also staying on the ship for a seven day Alaska cruise. We have Vibe booked for the 21 day cruise but not Alaska (too cold). Looking forward to this endurance test, just hoping my liver can hold up for 28 days.

That is correct.

I’ll give you one specific example. I booked a cruise on board the ship, but realized when I returned home that week would not work for us. You’re allowed one booking change but when my agent attempted to change the booking to a week earlier, they would not allow it. They said the policy would allow a booking change forward but not back. Weird. Another example, my son transferred a booking he made on line to a travel agent. It was considered a rebook so he lost his OBC.

I suggest finding an agent that has a track record of working with MSC. Like others have said, they have a lot of weird business practices that make no sense from a practical perspective. We are sailing in the Retreat next month for the first time. We have eight YC and a dozen Haven cruises under our belt, but based on what I’ve been reading about the current watered down experience in the Retreat, I’m questioning my decision. By the way, we prefer the YC over the Haven.

Glad someone started this thread because I have a bone to pick with onboard booking and need an explanation as to what the perks really are. Price Match - not sure what that means, where are the terms and conditions. It does say at the bottom of the promo sheet that full details (related to the price match offer) are available at the future cruise consulting desk but why aren’t these derails disclosed on the promo sheet. Flexibility - again, what are the terms and conditions. I recently booked a B2B on the Seascape for next fall when I was onboard last month. When I returned home, I attempted to move my reservation back one week, wasn’t allowed. I would have lost my deposit and onboard credit. Three MSC agents told my TA that you could move it forward but not back - why. Double Points - I believe this is correct. Reduced Deposits - the deposit I paid on board is the exact amount I pay when I book online. The onboard sales agent also told me the fare included the daily service charge. I assumed it was a perk, but when I looked at my cruise confirmation the amount was added to the fare as an extra charge.

I find it hard to believe that guest services would tell you that you should always tip extra for every drink. I would demand an explanation from a senior officer.

I’m not answering the question, but I see they still have ice wine available - beauty eh.

Why would anyone think that.

Yes, you get unlimited use of the spa.