morpheusofthesea

You are a Godsend. Thank you. P.S. Don't be a stranger here.

This is the crutz, essence, core, heart, gist, root, point, kernel, nub, sum, and meat of the situation. True YCers are just too nice. They will hold open the door as a courtesy for any fellow passenger.

Thank you, thank you. I write about this happening all the time and people here do not believe me. On our cruise last week there was a group we saw only once in the YC restaurant. This is how it happens. They sneak in on decks 18 or 19 when someone is entering or exiting (most YCers are too nice and do not confront fellow passengers). If we see a group waiting we take the elevator and go up or down one flight to a vacant entrance. (DW is beginning to have a problem with stairs). Then just as the restaurant is opening, they get in line and when both the maitre d' and hostess are engaged seating others they zip right over to an empty table. We know because this happened to us when 2 YCers zipped by us and bee-lined to 'our' table. And this was on a very crowded YC sailing, 330 guests and the restaurant had an additional head waiter seating guests as well. P.S. You should post more often !

Here is the "Make your own " drink in the Market Place buffet. All he wanted from me, first thing, was my key card to see what drink package I had. I was just inquiring for all of you. I kept my key card in my pocket. P.S. I was once charged for a 'mudslide' just for asking for a bottle of water at the Haven Restaurant bar NCL Brteakaway.

Reading accounts of others that are complaining that the MDR or restaurants (other than Hola Taco) are closed making the Market Place buffet over crowded on embarkation or port days. NOT the Yacht Club on Seascape. One port stop DW and I were the only guests seated for lunch in the YC Restaurant at 12 noon. We did not sit there until 2 pm to know how many came back to the ship. Buffet was open too.

This is all that stands guard, stopping Interlopers.

Look into your eyes...You are getting sleepy...sleeeeepy

This was new as well in the Market Place buffet. Make your own. Not quite. The liquor was handled by a staff member. IMG_3889.HEIC IMG_3890.HEIC

The Europeans and South Americans still do. It's the North Americans that dress like Tarzan and Jane. P.S. Present company excepted.

More than half the art work for sale has been replaced by this attraction. Making art from one's iris. IMG_3887.HEIC IMG_3888.HEIC

Then what will I do ? Because "we love old travelers: we love to hear them prate, drivel and lie; we love them for their asinine vanity, their ability to bore, their luxuriant fertility of imagination, their startling, brilliant, overwhelming mendacity.""I like a good story well-told. That is the reason I am forced to tell them myself." "Nothing spoils a good story like the arrival of an eyewitness." Mark Twain. But I'll do my best to entertain.

Found this notice interesting wlking through the Market Place buffet. IMG_3898.HEIC

God willing June 15, 2024 in 7 weeks. I cannot anticipate a better cruise than we had on this one. I wish the Port Authority took into consideration old people standing outside the terminals in hot South Florida sun and not open the airconditioned terminals earlier. Standing in airconditioning is 10x better than standing in the hot sun even under a white YC tent. Thanks for inquiring and following. I look forward to seeing your posts.

On Seascape for April 20, 2024 sailing new procedure in place for muster drill. Ship cleared to board at 11 am. Butler escort to cabin stopped at our muster station to scan cards before going to cabin. Saw the no one was present yet to scan card so we proceeded to cabin to drop off carry on luggage. At 11:30 am pink ball cap scanner was at muster station to scan cards. We took the elevator down to muster station and scanned our cards and took elevators back to cabin. Then watched video to know number to call to confirm we watched video. Hang up. Done. Easiest muster drill in the cruise market today. MSC even allows for a muster check in the following day at 9:30 am in Chora theatre for those that miss embarkation day drill.

Next time say hello.

He was the Specialty Restaurant manager when we met him on the Seashore a couple years ago. He was innovative in that he instituted a Free Specialty Restaurant Tasting with complimentary bubbly as everyone was offered the opportunity to go from restaurant to restaurant sampling cuisine. Since it was all buffet style we just stood and watched the line serpentine with everyone smiling and enjoying the fare. Most people just like to stop and complain to those in charge. We stopped him to say how progressive an idea to entice passengers to sign up to the packages available. They sent him to open Europa and now here he is promoted to YC Director.

Ercan told us he will be on the Seascape until October.

Unfortunately the other pergolas are FCFS. The three pergolas next to mine were chair hogged very early in the mornings by the same group of slackers that just had access to the OnePoolDeck. They were not residing in the YC as they were never in the YC restaurant. This is terrible for those paying for YC and never being able to enjoy all it has to offer. Like non suite Pinnacles on RCCL taking up valuable space in suite venues and we in suites could not reserve even a table for dinner and had to wait because a Pinnacle slip in and took our table.

Je suis la, mon ami. Of course everything you said is true. We only use our travel agent to deal directly with MSC, to make sure we are getting our proper discounts and get up to 10% back in the form of refundable OBC (depending on cruise line commissions). Besides it was she that recommended Regent Seven Seas to us; a total bust, let down, disappointment, disenchanted, disillusioned and falling short of expectations for suite paying guests (besides a waste of money) when compared to MSC Yacht Club. So her "intelligence" is 'dated'. We are only 50 minutes from the port of Miami if traffic is light like it was on our way home from the port yesterday morning. But your suggestion is taken under consideration. The porters do take ones luggage right to the parking garage and load the suitcases. She fainted while standing under the white YC tent in the shade while I was retrieving a bottle of water. Now I carry one with me while in line. Our favorite porter was present and now provides a chair/stool at the white tent for YCers like DW. We were disheartened that he was switched to Carnival due to his cigar butt sucking. (Different clientele ?) We asked the present porter where he was and found all this out. Happens this porter is a cousin and he got on his phone and sent him our picture. He told his cousin to get out the chair and take good care of us. ($50 tip ). The best way to catch something is to be in close proximity (6 feet) of others. This is where the elevators are so important to have the over ride amenity. When it works we were able to call our own private elevator, empty with direct non stop to our desired deck. This is only a MSC Yacht Club feature worth booking the Yacht Club for this detail alone. You are correct about the elevators on Explora with only 650 guests on our sailing we would generally call an empty elevator and if not we would wait and call another which came in seconds not minutes. When it comes to the World America style Yacht Club TSL and One Pool deck having more cramped, constricted space, it will be even more advantageous to book a RS and OS suite to be guaranteed a reserved pergola like on the Seaships. One does not get this on either Regent or Explora. Don't know yet about Oceania or Queen Elizabeth. These are all important details for suite guests. P.S. We received our emailed survey card for our cruise at 4:13 am this morning, not 24 hours after the cruise.

I think he told us he will be there until August.

Thanks for the confirmation. I guess it happens even to the best of us. P.S. "Here's to us. And who's better than us ? Damn few and they're all dead!" Robert Burns

We are so apprehensive before every cruise. Will there be any problems getting to the port on time? Will DW not pass out while waiting in the hot South Florida sun for the air conditioned terminal to open? Will we find a good parking space in the parking garage (another reason to get to port early)? Will we get sick on board from the other passengers?.... This is every cruise. Thank goodness we had another great cruise for a week, happy to be home again actually looking forward to DW's cooking (couldn't wait to get away from it a week ago). Both reflecting on how the Yacht Club could not be better than it is right now. If only all our future cruises in the YC will be as good we will be very happy campers seldom swaying away from MSC YC. "The past is always attractive because it is drained of fear." Thomas Carlyle.

Witnessed Yacht Club Director Mustafa 'front and center' this entire cruise. Some YC directors are not so 'visible'. Always shaking hands, asking guests if they need anything. As guests were congregating and forming a line attempting to be waited on at the concierge desk by the 3 available concierges on duty final day, he was out in front of the desk doing concierge duties by helping guest number 4 in line. Finishing with 4 he jumped to #5. He finished #5 capping his pen or marker and looks at me witnessing his 'rapid fire' solving of problems and guests walking away with smiles. He asks if I had a problem that needs solving with his big grin." No, no problem at all" was my reply, I was just standing observing in awe how quickly the area went from crowded to no one in line.

MSC is charging $398 deposit to move a booking back two weeks, leaving on a cruise two weeks earlier. MSC agent says one free move can only be forward, not backward. Please be aware of this perk is only for going forward not backward. One will forfeit the original $398 and put a new deposit of $398 onto the new cruise date two weeks earlier. Both cruises are in month of September 2024 not yet balance due.

We asked the Future Cruise Consultant Sladana on the Seascape that exact question. Her answer is that she is waiting as well and it should be any day now.