no1talks

12 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

You should consider auditioning for Dos Equis's "Most Interesting Man in the World" (younger version of course).

Narrator: "On a cruise, he brings more tuxedos than other men bring collared shirts. The minibar in any cabin he occupies suddenly contains chocolate covered peanuts. Ships' captains hope for an invitation to his table. He is the most interesting man on Ocean Cay."

Me: "I don't always drink champagne. But when I do, I prefer Nicolas Feuillatte...   because it's included."

"Stay in Yacht Club, my friends."

4 hours ago, JAGR said:

"Buttergate"

Buttergate!?

Well, as they say down South, "Butter my butt and call me a biscuit!" I'm sorry to have not been around for that. I imargarine tempers were whipped up and it was hard to stick to polite conversation.
😉 

54 minutes ago, westcoasttech said:

are there possibilities for shade in the area without having to stretch to a cabana?

Free shade in YC area was available during a cruise with YC half-ish full. (Note the cabana in the background.) Butlers will rearrange things as shade changes, if you like.

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

Some YC guests enjoy an evening or more in one of the specialty restaurants.  Why?

If I may add to the esteemed RKA's comments, YCers can ask ahead of time for the preparation of pretty much any meal for which the ingredients are on board. We had a lovely paella which was not on the menu that cruise, but does appear on the menu from time to time.

I'd bet that much of what is available at the specialty restaurants can be replicated pretty closely in YC. Obviously, there's no Teppanyaki cooking station in YC, but if you see something on a specialty menu you'd like to try, ask the YC maître d' a day or two in advance if their kitchen can cover it.

3 hours ago, jcathers1 said:

Any tips/hints? We've sailed with MSC a few times, but never since OC was opened. 

Here's a tip for those who like atypical cocktails while on the lash in the OC.

Ask before Ocean Cay day if the ingredients for your favorite beach libation can be ported to the YC watering hole.

Let us suppose, against all probability, you like to drink Hanky Pankys on the beach. Well, they'll certainly have several gins to choose from and I'd be surprised if the requisite sweet vermouth isn't brought to OC. However, I'll bet all the marbles that Fernet-Branca is left on the ship. Without that stuff, there will be no hanky panky. (At least not the cocktail kind.)

So, check the afternoon before OC on odd cocktail ingredient availability. This also goes for a preferred brand of liquor in a regular cocktail. Do you like sea breezes made with Chopin vodka? Ask to make sure they bring it along.
 

1 hour ago, jcathers1 said:

 ...or general to inside cabins.

Any small cruise cabin is helped by bringing strong magnetic hooks.

Hang stuff from the metal walls to save on the limited "closet space." and flat surface area.

38 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Sorry. I didn't look up who was posting. Do you really wear a tux or suit every night?

If you do, you deserve a drink. Next time I see you onboard, I will ensure that I buy you one.

Stay Safe and Happy Cruising! 

No worries about the ID.

I do indeed tux-up every evening, 6 PM sharp. I get spiffy for the sea days, too, Generally wearing a navy blazer with white or khaki dress pants. I'll change things up with a waistcoat instead of a blazer.

I do not, however, begrudge others their casual attire. I don't dress up to be snooty about it.

My outlook is: If I've gone to the trouble of going out to the middle of the ocean, I might as well dress better than an evening at Olive Garden.

If you are going to be on Seascape in March of next year, there may be an opportunity for that drink.

Cheers!

24 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Tux or gown every evening? 

Black tux...

...or off-white dinner jacket.

I leave my gowns at home. The salt air wrinkles the chiffon.😜

22 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Not required BUT "Why you should always dress when you go out to eat. Yes, it still matters. By Sam Dangremond, Town & Country. John Winterman, who used to work for Daniel Boulud as maître d' at Daniel, and for Charlie Trotter before that, and asked if he thinks dressing up for dinner still matters."

"Absolutely," said Winterman, who's now managing partner at Batârd in New York City. "I break it down into self-respect and respect for others." Would someone's appearance affect the table they were assigned at, say, Daniel?

"On the record, yes," he said. "If someone comes in making an effort and looking fabulous and glamorous and they know they're in for a premium experience at a premium price, you give them a fabulous table in the middle of the room. And people react to that, when they see a crowd that's well-dressed and beautiful and sparkling."

P.S. Why many dress for a cruise like they are going on a camping trip ? 

I think there is validity to this view. But, I'm hardly unbiased on the question, since I'm in formal wear every evening of a cruise.

6 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Never seen a more 'classy' couple !

Thanks, Morpheus!

9 hours ago, MAMA "B" said:

Who do you normally tip in the Yacht club?

Holy cow! Who didn't I tip???

As mentioned by others, your mileage will vary. However, we had multiple special requests for the staff, all of which were carried out with near-flawlessness. From Maître d', Sommelier, and Concierge, down through servers, bar staff, and butlers, we must have handed out about a dozen envelopes during the penultimate day of the cruise.

Some of our requests...

We asked that all our dinners begin with an amuse bouche & apéritif and conclude with a post-dessert mignardise & digestif. Rudy, our somm, was especially skilled in selecting the before- and after-dinner beverages, as well as our wines by the glass.

As suggested on this message board, we asked for a special entry a day early and it was delicious.
 

Even though afternoon tea service by butler was advertised for only one at-sea day, we let the Top Sail staff know we would like to take tea every afternoon. We planned our days to allow for time to return to the ship and freshen up for 4 o'clock tea. Jay took such good care of us, tea-wise. Two of the tea services, she prepared blended tea for us as she herself takes it, when she goes back home. It was steeped in hot milk instead of water and I'd never had tea in this manner. Very tasty!

Since we had no intention of getting through a full 750 ml bottle of booze (minis are cancelled from the minibar. Pick one bottle of liquor, wine, or bubbly for the cruise) we asked our butler, Alexis, to choose a suitable bottle for use as a souvenir, to collect signatures from all the people who made the cruise great. He picked a lovely bottle of Bombay Sapphire, which made a great keepsake. (Jay signed, "Tea makes life better.") 

Next March, in case the YC service on Seascape is equal or better to what we enjoyed on Mera, we'll be ready to take our envelope game to the next level.

Uh-oh...

After our delightful Meraviglia cruise in March, we reserved a YC spot on Seascape for next March with a 5%+15% discount.

I wonder if the baleful "Eye of MSC" will find our discounted reservation and mess with it.

I hope you get some replies from those who have cruised in both accommodations. Given my affinity towards "tuxing up" for dinner, I'd like to try Cunard some day and I'll be watching this thread for passengers' opinions.

3 hours ago, Morgsmom said:

Yes, we were in YC.  There were many venues (including Ocean Cay, Skylight Bar, Edge Bar, etc) that offered menus but then when we asked for something they were "out" or it was "allocated for Yacht Club." This was ok as we were in YC, but sometimes it's nice to get out of the bubble and move around.  

 

I will say that our Butler was non-existent for the week.  While our Jr Butler was excellent this other gent told us straight away that his contract ended on the day we were leaving and that he wasn't being renewed, ergo... no service from him.  The rest of the staff made up for it but it was kind of a bummer.

 

We had A-MAZ-ING service from Alexis & Herber, just a few weeks ago.

1st day, we let them know exactly what we wanted for the week and they exceeded our expectations.

Okay, I'm a relative noob with only two cruises, but I'm more than half-way to Black. (Thank you, double-points!)

I hope that by the time I'm well into Black, MSC will develop a transitional tier that feeds into the new Explora cruises.

In a "smart ship" YC, it would be a simple business for management to be alerted upon the presence of a non-YC passenger's bracelet, by way of tracking technology.

But, if this aspect of coding had to come from MSC IT, the simple business would become a Herculean feat.

Hey everybody!

The ironing is done.
The shoe trees are in place.
The garment bags are hanging in the horseless carriage.

Tomorrow, it's nasal swabs and croissants. Then, the open road to Port Canaveral and a week on Mera in YC.

For those of you who will also be on Mera during the 20th-27th, feel free to introduce yourselves. You'll know me a mile away. I'll be the 6' 5" guy who is dressed up all the time, except for gym/spa. (I wasn't kidding about the ironing, shoe trees and garment bags.) Just say, "Judging by that ensemble, you must be Robert from CruiseCritic."

For now, though, please share your hints and hacks for a first-rate first time in YC. C'mon and spill those beans!

Thank you all in advance.

5 hours ago, Seadweller001 said:

Just off Meraviglia.  Deleted service charge that does not go directly to the crew who serves you.

 

butler.  $85

 

asst butler $75

 

waiter $125

 

asst waiter $115

concierge $75

 

sommelier $40

 

hostess $45

 

maitre d. $75

 

if you return and they are there the next time, it is 100x the experience.

 

everyone on board working for 4-8 months away from home is there for only one reason, $$$$$$$$$s.

 

Positive comments are nice but the money is paramount.

 

the experience is sublime when they see generosity.

 

everyone gets great service, tipping extra or not but try tipping generously and you will an experience something quite amazing the next time.

 

caveat:  we only cruise in YC, not sure how the buffets or dining rooms work.  I d probably tip alot to the dining room supervisors.

 Regarding those amounts...

Did you request special tasks? Get your shoes shined overnight? Did you make special arrangements for things on the first day? Or, is that just your play for solid, typical YC service? What, if I may ask, did you require from the concierge? I'll be in YC next week and I cannot think what I might need from the concierge.

Also, since you just came from Mera, what are the shows and times? As I understand it, there is (at least) a rock band on the stage formerly dedicated to Cirque that begins after 10 PM.

I'm looking to up my game for best results during what will be our first time in YC. Any guidance is very much appreciated.

21 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"I've lived a life that's full I traveled each and every highway And more, much more than this, I did it my way Regrets, I've had a few But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption I planned each charted course Each careful step along the byway And more, much more than this, I did it my way....." Paul Anka

Always better with a gif...

We were informed, more than two weeks before departure, our upgrade bid from YC inside to YC balcony would be acceptable. We did not bid the absolute minimum, but we still saved a few hundred on what it would have cost to book it in the first place.

We were surprised to find out with that much advance notice.

We're on Mera for seven days, starting the 20th. (Barring unforseen debacle, of course.)

25 minutes ago, jansarts said:

"The booking agent at MSC said yes  They're still on the ship, however I can't find any info about the shows or tickets." 

2017 called. They want their booking agent back.

6 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

"Yes, like that.  Dark suits, white shirts."

Well, now we know why the IT at MSC sucks. It's been Agent Smith all along!

I'm sure YC veterans will chime in. However, if you love showing off your fancy outfits as you stroll around, go with Divina's YC.

The Le Muse dining room is at the ship's stern.

2 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

"Lots of Men in Suits on the pier.  Something going on?"

That depends whether one has taken the red pill or the blue...

6 hours ago, JAGR said:

"Keep in mind that the papers are not complete editions, but printed versions of electronic editions.  For example, the USA Today paper was 4 pages on Seaside, albeit large size ledger paper."

Well, fry me in butter and call me a catfish!

I had expected these to be full-size newspapers, printed with a plotter from a transmitted PDF file. I further expected my YC butler, Wellington, would iron the paper before bringing it (and my morning eye-opener) to our room.

What is this world coming to?!?