ocdb8r

On 4/25/2024 at 3:31 AM, laurieal said:

 

A little girl approached me and asked what was wrong with me. I told her I was struggling with being confronted with my parents’ mortality and that I fear it will be just me caring for them eventually. She seemed confused. 

I had a really good laugh when I read this (thinking about the poor puzzled girl, knowing this was just what you were thinking and not what you actually said).

....then I read it again and had an anxiety attack thinking about my recently retired parents and my useless brother.  😱  There is now a good chance I will have a panic attack every time I see a cruise ship mini golf course. 🤣

Thanks all for the replies.  Sounds like for the most part things have continued smoothly and some of the upgraded items have remained.

Any reports on how busy (or not busy) the Hideaway (adults only area) is?  Looks like the sort of place we'd like to hang, but concerned it's fairly small for such a big ship.  What about the Overlook (up front on deck 14).  This is another area that looks like a nice place to relax.

Finally, any more reports on Pearl Cafe?  Some of the food/snack offerings there looked so good on the inaugural cruise (and the cynic in me keeps thinking they're going to cut these or start charging).

Has anyone seen any post inaugural update YouTube's or in-depth reports since the Icon inaugural?  I've skimmed through the threads here and there are some post-inaugural posts on very specific topics, but I haven't seen many general reviews or YouTube videos posted (even some of the more recently posted YouTube content seems to actually be from the inaugural).  Very curious how things are going....it seemed many reported the first few weeks of cruising offered lots of "special" offerings (like lobster in the buffet) and capacity was capped.  Curious now that Icon is (I would guess) on a "normal" schedule and full capacity how things are going.

Also, I asked before and had a few responses, but any changes to the UDP offerings on Icon?  There were some venues where it was a bit unclear what UDP offered that I am wondering if any changes have been made.

We cruise Royal without kids and have found it to be very enjoyable; we do generally avoid the school holidays.

As mentioned, the outdoor adults only pool is unique to Icon at this stage (and in fact, was a last minute switch if I understand correctly). We are looking forward to experiencing it in May.  As also mentioned, that leaves you with Icon or the soon to launch Star on the assumption this holds true on all Icon class ships.

For the Oasis class ships, as also mentioned, that leaves you with only the Solarium for adults only pool areas.  I will say we generally do not like "indoor" pools either, but while the Solarium is "mostly" closed but it's not entirely closed such that it provides sufficient airflow and openings not to feel claustrophobic like other closed pool areas.

You could also take a look at the Voyager or Freedom class ships which have an open air solarium.

On 3/17/2024 at 8:47 AM, Preziosa said:

Have you seen a headwaiter from Ukraine called Vitali in Yacht Club restaurant.

Is the buffet outdoor Open for breakfast and lunch in the Yacht Club area.

Have a fantastic stay in Hamburg.

Vitali is amazing.  We had him on his last cruise on the World Europa (the Dubai to Europe leg).  He got off in Genoa and had a short break before heading to the Euribia.  Definitely top notch service!

On 3/16/2024 at 12:13 AM, Best Cat Mom said:

We always bring up our choices when we meet our butler for the first time. No need to wait for them to ask you -- tell them what pillow you desire and which bottle(s) you'd prefer. Usually we are asked at boarding about the newspaper. If not, stop by the concierge desk or ask the butler. (The concierge desk is where the paper originates each day so it's easier to go right to them vs. having the butler be your go between.)

One of the best suggestions I ever read on this Board was to print a small note with all your preferences before you leave (including all the items known/mentioned here as well as anything else critical for your cruise enjoyment - such as being clear if you want ice refreshed twice a day or need an extra blanket...etc).  We then give this to our butler on day one when we meet....we have never been disappointed.  I think the butlers are all very eager to please, but they all have different styles (some don't think to ask some of these questions), they support a variety of cabins (not always easy to remember if you've already asked these questions with all the boarding madness going on) and they rely to varying degrees on the assistant butler (hint, we print TWO of these notes and give one to each of our butler and assistance butler).  Making your (reasonable) expectations clear up front is a recipe for success.

Some questions from me:

Would love a general review of the concierge services.  Were they able to get you any reservations (show or restaurants) that you wanted on the days/times you wanted?

How are the reserved areas for the shows?  How far in advance did you feel you needed to arrive to still get a good seat?

Review of dining in the signature restaurant and post any menus.

3 minutes ago, CruisematicVA said:

With that said, I agree... For a ship this big, I'm very surprised there aren't more specialty dining options. I know it's a game of tradeoffs for RCCL when deciding what to do with the space onboard, but there aren't as many options as you would expect given the size.

For us, the loss of Central Park 150 is a big negative as this has been our favorite UDP location and we almost always spent two nights there.  Our Chops experiences have never been as good as Central Park 150.  Effectively you've lost Central Park 150 and Wonderland (plus the Mason Jar on Wonder) with the only (dinner) additions on Icon being either FREE or not covered by the UDP.

A few observations from me:

1) as to the original question, when we buy the UDP we do not visit the MDR at all.  Has nothing to do with food quality or comparing the two; simply, we cruise RCCL enough that when we have the UDP we want to make the most of the UDP options.  The RCCL MDR menus are fairly static across the fleet, so we know we'll get to enjoy the MDR food on a cruise when we don't buy the UDP.  We used to look at the MDR menu's for the week and were occasionally tempted to skip a UDPrestaurant when there was a menu we particularly liked (but in the end, always concluded we'd get whatever it was on our next cruise). Now there is virtually no rotation in menu for the MDR, so even less incentive to skip a UDP option (in our minds);

2) agee with the assessment that UDP on the Icon doesn't make as much sense as the Oasis class ships where there are BOTH more UDP options and fewer interesting alternatives.  For a first time Icon cruise, I'd feel like I was missing out if we dedicated ourselves to the UDP given all the new and interesting non-UDP options.  It's a strange dynamic and we're watching UDP adjustments for the Icon closely as I suspect RCCL will have to tweak things here or they're going to see much lower UDP yields on this ship.

3) as to your idea to make individual reservations ahead of time and cancel on-board, this is a long standing strategy many Cruise Critic folks have employed.  As mentioned above, effectively when you cancel on-board, it get's credited to your on-board account and can be refunded at the end of the cruise if you still have a balance.  HOWEVER, I will note that there have been several reports lately of a) people being hassled about cancelling their reservations on-board and b) a refusal to let them keep their reservation times for use with the UDP.  This is a mess of RCCL's creation and they had committed to permitting pre-cruise reservations with the UDP, but it's yet to be seen.  We have never had trouble getting some sort of reservations, but have faced some complexity trying to weave it in with entertainment bookings.

In May, my sailing is showing it at 212.99 regular price, offered at 169.99 with 20% discount (but showing sold out - no idea why they list it with a discount when it's sold out). 

We were considering getting it for the following:

1) It gives us internet, so we're only looking at the incremental cost over a 2 device internet package;

2) We thought early boarding would be nice on such a big ship - is that not the case?

3) We also thought that it would be nice to have a reserved seating area for the shows - not necessary?

4) We'd likely book a couple of specialty restaurants to use the 10% off to further defray the costs. 

However, if 2 and 3 not particularly valuable on the Icon, we may drop it (we weren't particularly focused on the special lunch).....thoughts? 

Any updates on where the UDP credit is valid?

On 2/3/2024 at 10:48 PM, Pinballs83 said:

Deck 14.  I think port and starboard have a similar setup.  Below me looks like a big suite, so I don't think they have that hallway, but I can check later on.

Speaking of signage.  There is an error on the stateroom safe overlay.  They reversed the text for enter and cancel... whoops.  When you push cancel, it is enter.
 

 

Thanks so much for the video.  We have this exact room in May...can't wait.  Any noise from the deck above?  This was the only potential concern we had....but we absolutely love an "aft" balcony view...and these balconies looks like a great size!

19 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

The ala carte places included are Izumi Sushi (not Izumi in the Park), Basecamp upcharges and Pier 7. Giovannis Wine Bar snacks and Trellis Bar snacks are not included.

How is a la carte working now with the UDP.  Is it $20/day total or just per venue?

I have been watching the reports from the first cruises and am I missing something or is there little value in the UDP for this ship?  It looks like unless you want to repeat the few specialties included multiple nights (only Chops, Izumi Sushi, Giovanni's and Hooked appear to be included) that you will struggle to get value.  There is a discount for the Supper Club and Izumi Hibachi, but by the time you add the up charges, I'm struggling to see the value vs the Quantum class ships. No Central Park, no Wonderland and no Mason Jar (I know that's only on Wonder).  Combine that with all the extra free options added to this ship (which you'd have to skip in favor of repeating the above) and it seems like a big miss to me.

Am I missing something?  Have they perhaps added more a la carte credits (beyond Playmakers) for Icon?

16 hours ago, GPPhilly said:

 My response was that the OP should not ask as the answer would be no and that would put the staff and the OP in an uncomfortable position. 

Interesting topic.  We sailed the World Europa Repositioning cruise from Dubai to Genoa this year in the YC.  About a month before sailing we realized a colleague would also be on board but not in YC.  We met them several times for drinks in the main portion of the ship.  Come to find out they are very regular MSC cruisers but had never sailed in the YC, not knowing if it was really worth the extra cost.  We asked our Butler if they could join us for dinner in the YC restaurant one night.  The butler informed us this was possible, subject to the YC Hotel Director confirming it would not be too busy on the night we selected and that there would be a EUR 70 fee (if I remember correctly).  She then suggested that it would also be possible to invite them for a drink in the YC lounge if we paid for their drinks.  Finally, she said in any case she could arrange a "tour" of the YC spaces for them.  We opted to have them into the lounge for a couple of drinks, after which we went down to the speakeasy.

I add to this conversation as our Butler seemed to treat this as a quite appropriate request which had been thought about and a contemplated response.  

1 hour ago, Stockjock said:

Any more info to share on the Speakeasy?  I'll be on the ship later this year and would be interested in checking it out, but I understand it's invitation only, correct?  How were you invited?

As mentioned, your butler can get you tokens.  Alternatively (and if not in YC) rumor was being friendly to the officers was another way to get tokens.

1 hour ago, Nikita4 said:

@ocdb8r
On your sailing the YC wasn't full, so when the YC is full the restaurant and the galley are to small for the amount of guests.  Yes there was not enough personal on the cruise, but its the problem of MSC, we have paid for the cruise and the service, so they have to solve such problems and not the pax have to suffer.

And yeas speakeasy was the best Bar I ever was on a cruise ship! That was a great experience!

Yes, the Yacht Club was full.  There was only a single cabin available in the whole YC.  We had no issues with the kitchen nor seating.  It did occasionally get busy (about 7:30/8pm) and they did run low on some items toward the end of the cruise (before we hit Naples).  But otherwise, no issues.

we were on the repositioning sailing from Dubai to Italy in the Yacht Club.  While I concur that this is my least favorite Yacht Club on the newer MSC Ships (Meraviglia or Seaside classes), despite being completely booked in the Yacht Club we had no issues with service or wait times for the dining room.  I understand from speaking with the staff that they were very understaffed during many of their ME cruises, due to both general staffing shortages and more issues than anticipated with the required visas for staff to join in Dubai.  We had a lovely cruise and didn't regret the trip.

That said, my general concerns for the Yacht Club on "World Class" ships:

• I fear the YC Grill will be unusable much of the year - any day it was over 27 C (85 F), it was impossibly uncomfortable to eat in what is in effect a greenhouse.  This means peak summer in the Med will be difficult and given the plans to sail the World American in the Caribbean year-round, I hope they find a way to make adjustments;
• The pool deck is much too small and uninviting compared to Seaside (my favorite YC pool deck) and Meraviglia classes.  The YC Lanai was pleasant and a great alternative, but doesn't make up for the poor pool deck.  Personally I would suggest they repurpose the Top 20 deck (just under the YC Lanai) for the YC (we actually used it more than the YC pool area);
• Not specific to the YC, but while the World Europa was beautiful, we failed to see what being on a much larger ship added compared to the Meraviglia or Seaside classes; there wasn't substantially more entertainment and the new/added spaces and features failed to impress.  We often sail Quantum Class ships on RCCL (which is the basis of the World Class ships as well) and feel these ships actually ADD a lot of additional venues/entertainment to balance cruising with so many more people.

Now, a few plusses for the World Europa:

• I don't think we've been on a ship with more jacuzzi space.  I hesitate to say "the most jacuzzi's" as /I may not technically be correct, but with sized factored in, I am sure the World Europa wins compared to any ship we have been on.  If in the UC you have access to one on the YC Pool deck and (our favorite) two on the Top 20 deck (which you share with Aurea class, but they were never terribly busy);
• The Panorama Lounge was the one new venue that we were impressed by.  We thought it was underutilized and could really stand out with some entertainment designed specifically for the space...I hope MSC capitalizes on this venue in the future;
• There are a decent amount of quite spaces to be found on the ship, in particular deck spaces at the back (which the Quantum Class ships lack) where you can relax and enjoy the ocean, read a book or just nap;
• Finally, the speakeasy was the single best bar/lounge experience we have had on any ship we've sailed.  Excellent (intimate) entertainment, very good cocktails and great service.  Of course, it comes at an extra cost (no drink packages cover anything here) but we felt it was well worth it and went three times on our 17 day cruise.

I wouldn't think twice....there were people in shorts and polos on Gala night on our World Europa cruise (and yes, I know shorts are technically not permitted).  Yes, also people in full evening gowns and tuxedo's.  If it doesn't bother you, MSC doesn't care.

Thanks for the excellent post.  Answered two questions I had in my mind:  do we get 2 devices per person in YC or per cabin....so glad it's per PERSON; also had previously heard about using a VPN for streaming rather than upgrading - thanks for confirming.

No more reserved seating for the shows?!?!  I hope this is due to lower than normal capacity.  This is one of our favorite perks (aside from being able to just show up shortly before, also being sure we also get good seats).

Any issues with capacity at the YC dining room or on the YC pool/sun deck?  Some early reports implied the additional capacity of the World Europa had some teething pains for these areas.

Glad to hear about the now "upcharge" if you go over 13 Euro - bit disappointed to hear Patron triggered this (I would have expected a shot of any of the main Patron variants to be under 13 Euro!).

MSC World Europa from Dubai to Genoa has the same change.

I would assume it refers to a "POSitioning" cruise...no idea why in cruise parlance we've fixated on "REpositioning".  😄 

Thanks for the reports and candid thoughts.  I think everything you noted was fair.  A few questions if you are still monitoring the thread:

1) Did you happen to visit the thermal area of the spa (which YC guests are supposed to have access to)?  Curious for your assesment.

2) You mentioned many hot tubs on the ship - how busy were they?  How was the pool and hot tub selection for YC?  Was it very busy?

3) Any thoughts on YC drink selection and/or availability (both inside or outside the enclave)?

Anyone have a list of the papers they currently offer?  I like the idea of printing a small list of standing preferences and including our paper preference.

As to the bottle of alcohol, since we get get most drinks delivered (and in fact prefer to go sit in top sail lounge) so we always request a bottle and pack it to take home.

I know you're now off the ship, but a few follow up questions if you remember:

1) Did you need a COVID test upon embarkation in Dubai (if vaccinated)?  MSC website implies yes...but haven't seen anyone mention this.

2) Were there any laundry "packages" offered to you? 

3) Were there any dining packages offered?