Best Cat Mom

6 minutes ago, Seadweller001 said:

I didnt imply that.  We are talking about inviting a fellow passenger to lunch or dinner in the YC and I think it could be allowed in her situation.  I will infact inquire when we are all together in Dec in the YC.  She is 90 years old and would NEVER have a guest in her room.

Good luck to her. It's become less and less likely to invite guests to YC, with a paynent or not. And so sorry to hear that she would not have a guest in her room. I hope that we all would have the potential for guests for our entire lives. 😉

I don't think she could add a passenger to her cabin after she paid and boarded.

If she met the other human in an airplane lounge, she could not bring them to the front of the plane (just saying what would happen in that scenario as a comparison)... 

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

I genuinely cannot understand how what other people are wearing can put people off their food. Why does it matter?

It only matters when we're trying to have a special occasion together. Kinda like expecting a heightened experience and winding up in an Italian cafeteria-type experience. The two are totally different scenarios and we're picking the one we want. Don't get me wrong, the Italian cafeteria choice has its place, but it's usually not YC.

45 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

There's no guarantee that you won't see people wearing shorts in the Yacht Club for dinner.

And I know -- but the cargo shorts with a wallet on a chain are at least less likely. And we've been lucky so far,  versus what we experienced on NCL

44 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

NCL's dress code allows shorts and t-shirts in most specialty restaurants.

I know 😞

8 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I walked out of the MDR behind a family of three. The dad was wearing cargo shorts, flip flops, and a polo shirt.

When we sailed our first time in 2006, this is exactly what turned us off cruising. We waited 10 years to try again on NCL in their Owner's Suites and still saw people in cargo shorts with wallets on chains in the specialty restaurants. Once we found MSC YC, we knew we were in a different place. Just like our land holidays in Italy, people in YC dress to "dine" and we love it! 🙂

I am extremely gluten sensitive and YC has always accommodated me very graciously. When they have an entrée that is not GF, they have adjusted it for me. The pistachio-crusted lamb chops were always an easy change. They would review the entire menu with me as to what they could adjust and what might be already prepped and not able to change. No more having to order the day before and off a separate menu. MSC is much better than NCL Haven in supplying GF meals.

2 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Might just be easier to walk down the hall to the Top Sail Lounge and get hot water from there.

Chances are that a butler will insist on bringing it your room. They like to service. 🙂

47 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

I like bar soap for the shower

I thought we were discussing it for the sink. I bring my own body wash for the shower. When it runs out after 10 or so days, I use the MSC YC stuff.

I guess it must depend on the YC Director then. I'm glad that we had Raffaello to make the extra effort. 

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

Really surprised to hear this.   I’ve never experienced a YC Captain’s ‘party’ where he didn’t visit every table. 

Maybe it has to do with the number of guests in YC who attend the cocktail party? During our Seaside cruise last month, there were not table visits either. 😞

3 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Our experience in YC has always been that the Captain, and his entourage, visited every table in TSL to exchange words.  It’s disappointing that it seems that sometimes they are only introduced by microphone.  Perhaps that’s a post-Covid thing.

Our 2 cruises before Covid -- Seaside in the Caribbean and Fantasia in the Mediterranean -- did not have a visit to every table, so I found it refreshing by Raffaello in the post-Covid YC. If it continues to occur, I will only be more pleased with MSC YC.

2 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

You should know the score by now

Hell yes! But Billy Joel said it best: "I'm in a New York State of... Mind" -- always. 🙂

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

We always ask for bar soap every cruise.

I'm curious as to why. A pump seems like it would be much easier for simply washing hands. And the tray for the bar is so far away from the sink, making a mess with the water trail to the sink.

2 minutes ago, bphman said:

My wife was born and raised in Brooklyn but I married her regardless.

Careful! I am also a Native NYer from Brooklyn (Bensonhurst), and I'm partial to anyone else who is the same. 🙂

Ask for everything you desire in YC and they'll always do their best for you. Enjoy your YC cruise and let them spoil you!

Heard from YC Director Raffaello Benfenati. He said that he is on holiday now but will be on World Europa beginning later this month.

Raffaello was our YC Director on Divina last October and this past January. He is relatively new to MSC but told us that he was striving to do some "innovative" types of things in MSC YC. He hosted some unique events, including a magician show and rum tasting in the Top Sail Lounge. He also held a few parties on the YC One Pool Deck during sail away from some Caribbean ports. One of the things we really liked about Raffaello was that he brought the captain and officers around to each table during the YC cocktail party so everyone could have a few words with them, instead of just introducing them via microphone to the entire lounge.

1 hour ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Can you tell me what junior butler means? Is this your cabin butler?

Junior butler is a cabin steward in YC; they will have several cabins to service besides yours. Butler is a room butler in YC, who works with your Junior Butler for you and will also have several other cabins. Usually the Junior Butler and Butler have the same cabins together, but not always. Head butler is the person who oversees all the butlers in YC. The head butler is frequently found at or near the concierge desk. There also may be an Assistant Head Butler, depending on the size of your YC (there was one on Seaside last month).

6 hours ago, JAGR said:

My favorite specialty restaurant lounge is on Seaside.  Deck 16, right outside YC entrance!

Totally agree! And the bar there is really great. The bartender we had last month -- Frederick -- said that he was the only mixologist on board. He called all the other bartenders "plumbers," even the YC ones. We saw him in YC one afternoon and asked why we was there. He said he was teaching the plumbers -- and they laughed with him, so I guess that they all get along very well. 🙂

Heard that the wonderful butlers John Carlo Driz and Patricia Consumido-Driz are finishing up on Meraviglia this month. They were previously on Divina right after they were married. We joked with Patricia that we were envious of their extended "honeymoon cruise" when we met them on Divina last year. 🙂

6 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Does YC on MSC work the same way (i.e. can I ignore the time on the web site and show up when we are ready)? 

Yes. From our experience and everything mentioned on these boards, yes. But that is never a guarantee about the future. 😉

1 minute ago, DaKahuna said:

I love tomato's on sandwiches but not tomato juice or soup.

I'm with you on the soup. But I find I really enjoy a Bloody Mary made with gin, never vodka.

1 minute ago, DaKahuna said:

bartenders and waiters in bars/lounges we usually tip per service

We don't tip until the end and recognize the YC bartenders and YC butlers who were most attentive over the entire cruise in the Top Sail Lounge.

2 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Sounds delicious, until Bloody Mary was mentioned.

My spouse is the true Bloody Mary lover. I usually find them too spicy and simply order Clamato and Gin. He loves it as spicy as possible. Blech!

18 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

Is that all at the same time?

Yes, all in one tall glass. 🙂