Capricruiser

On 3/18/2024 at 10:11 PM, Stockjock said:

I think you've got us beat.

Well the Monterey cruise was in 1994, then it was 10 years before we started cruising again.  We try to do at least two a year preferring the long itineraries and repositioning cruises.

Monterey x1

Armonia x1

Opera x2

Splendida x4

Melody x2

Fantasia x6

Magnifica x3

Divina x5

Preziosa x1

Musica x1

Seaview x1

Seaside x1

Virtuosa x2

Seascape x1

Euribia x1

We usally cruise MSC's European or Middle East itineraries where interlopers are rarely seen.  However on Caribbean cruises out of Miami it appears to be a frequent problem.  

The head (or chief) butler supervises all the butlers and junior butlers in the YC.  He or she can generally be found in the concierge area or the admin office behind it.

The grill is open for breakfast and lunch on all the MSC ships with Yacht Club.  They usually shut it down in the late afternoon.

YC absolutely.

Thankfully the art galleries on all msc ships have been closed for many years.

We just disembarked from the Fantasia two weeks ago.  First of all, the Fantasia class ships (Splendida, Divina, Preziosa, and Fantasia) have always been our favorites.  All four are exactly the same, traditional and intimate.

The current YC director and chief butler are great as is the YC restaurant manager.  You'll have a wonderful cruise.  The internal lift in the YC goes from deck 14 (spa), the two cabin decks 15 and 16, and up to the lido deck 18.

We were on Magnifica last month for the cruise around Ireland and Scotland.  The ship was packed primarily with Germans.  No Yacht Club of course, but we had an Aurea suite with the My Choice dining.  The restaurant food and service was not great, but the self-service buffet for breakfast and lunch was excellent.  The captain was Giacomo Romano and the Hotel Director Tiziana Sorrentino.

On the Fantasia class  ships (like Divina) we always book a suite on deck 15.  Easy access to the concierge area and the Top Sail Lounge.  No noise from the pool deck like on 16.

The YC butlers work for the Chief Butler who assigns them to work a block of cabins or to serve in the Top Sail Lounge or pool deck.  If your butler does not satisfy you, talk to the Chief Butler who then answers to the YC Director.

We only book an Aurea suite if the ship for the itinerary we want does not have YC.  If you're accustomed to YC there is no comparison.  The My Choice dining is only for the evening meal.  For the others you're stuck with the self-service buffet.  You'll receive no coddling, no butlers, and above all, no Top Sail Lounge.  The drinks you received free in YC you pay for with Aurea.  The Top-16 or 18 sun deck is no great thing.

I don't know who has the highest number of points.  I got my Black card back in 2011 and now have about 85,000 points.  For these I get a 5% cruise discount and a chocolate ship.  Wow!

We always book our cruises in Yacht Club, with a preference for the Fantasia class ships.  Only when the itinerary we want does not have a YC ship, then and only then do we book an Aurea suite. We did this a few days ago on the Magnifica and were very desolutioned.  While the cabin was fine with loads of storage space, the restaurant service and food were terrible.  After several years of cruising only in YC, we rediscovered the lunchtime self service buffet which was excellent.  I suppose the thing we missed most was the lack of the intimate Top Sail Lounge, and the service of those wonderful butlers. 

Until the Italian Government relaxes its cruise ban all MSC ships will remain in port.  It's not looking good for springtime cruises.

We had originally planned on booking this cruise from Cape Town to Venice BUT with the Covid19 pandemic seeming like it's not going away anytime soon, we decided to put off cruising until maybe late 2021.  When cruises become again the cruises we always took and loved, without all the necessary restrictions, we'll start again.  Then, who knows if this cruise will actually go?

The Fantasia and Splendida are identical ships with only the names of their decks, bars, restaurants, etc. being different.  Naturally the ports and on-board entertainment will depend on the cruise itinerary. 

MSC Italy is no better at resolving this issue.  My Voyagers profile has a Seaview cruise completely missing and show zero on-board expenses for two Divina cruises.  A message I received before Christmas said all would be corrected but, of course, nothing was corrected.

When you make this type of complaint it's best to scan your cruise card for that cruise along with a copy of your final voucher as proof of all your expenses.

I find it interesting than many of MSC's European cruisers don't like their experience when cruising the Caribbean out of Miami.  MSC in recent years has so Americanized its Caribbean cruises with different rules, products, food, and passenger treatment, that Europeans prefer to cruise the other side of the pond where the experience is Italian style.  Unfortunately few of them post on Cruise Critic or submit reviews of their cruise.

p.s. I'm an American ex-pat and understand both sides.

We are MSC cruisers for many years.  We normally go in Yacht Club but it the itinerary we want has only one of the smaller MSC ships, we book an Aurea suite which is OK but it's not Yacht Club!  I agree with every point you made about the YC enclave but having sailed transatlantic twice on the Divina, I think the food selection in Le Muse was very good.  Naturally, the cruise area and itinerary will determine the menu quite a bit. 

For US and UE passport holders there is no visa requirement for Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE.

I visited Salalah ten years ago and found it to be a delightful town (by middle east standards).  Took the ship's tour which hit all the major sites.  I mention this because we have another port call at Salalah next month and am looking forward to seeing the changes.

We're flying Emirates Rome-Dubai-Singapore next week in business class.  My tickets for each person allow for two carry-ons not to exceed 7 kg each, and two checked bags with a combined weight of 40 kg, neither of which can weigh more than 32 kg.  Thus our checked baggage could be one suitcase weighing 30 kg and the other no more than 10 kg = 40 kg total.

There will be a meeting point announced in the daily bulletin, usually the Theatre.  From there one group at a time will be escorted off ship and to the coaches.  If you're in Yacht Club your butler will hand-carry you ahead of the crowds direcly to the coach with reserved seats in front. 

We nearly always use the MSC excursions because we like having a licensed guide to explain what we're seeing.

If you're in a Yacht Club suite, spa access is free (except massages).  Plus there's a direct elevator from YC decks 15 and 16 down to the spa on 14 (on Splendida and all the Fantasia class ships).  To get back up you just slip your YC cruise card into the reader.