Tom-n-Cheryl

We dropped off our luggage with the porters but not at the tent. Once we figured things out and found the tent our luggage was already there!

This is our first cruise with MSC. We status matched at diamond, and boarded promptly today at 11:00 a.m. We are not able to book specialty restaurants ahead of time either by design, or website issues. It was not offered. First thing after getting on the ship was to go to the Yacht Club concierge to request butchers cut and Ocean Cay restaurant reservations for tonight and Saturday. It looks like we're going to be out of luck, unless follow-up calls by the concierge later prove fruitful. Apparently others were able to book ahead of time... that would be a group cruise through Expedia who booked all specialty reservations for all nights. Amazing! We waited until a little after 12:00 in the Top Sail lounge and then proceeded up to the restaurant. It's schedule shows it as opening at noon. However, when we arrived we were told they were not going to be opening until 12:30. More to come ...

Which 3 Excel ships are those? 😁

Wowza

No matter what is offered, it's probably "single digit" bottle stuff! Tom

I try to steer away from most two tops, as they're typically in such close proximity to each other that you might as well be sitting at the same table as the people next to you. Table location can set the tone for the meal - for better or worse. I've had a couple where I felt I needed to duck/dodge every time a server would come by with a tray. Or tables that were windblown when the door to the outside opened up. My favorite is a back corner - with nothing behind me. That, however, only happens once in a blue moon ! Tom

Since it can't be done ahead of time, at least on our sailing (not sure about others), how will the specialty reservation process work once we board the ship? Also, any issues booking for more than just the two of us (at a single table)? Tom

We'll probably go the specialty route one or two evenings - for this coming Thursday's 3 night sailing. We'll likely have dinner at least 1 night in the YC. Having said that, is there a preferred evening to dine in there? We're overnighting in Ocean Cay on Friday night, if that makes any difference. I was just looking at the menu for their seafood restaurant (Ocean Cay) and didn't see a whole lot on there that caught my eye. Perhaps the crab cake and then either the tuna or sea bass. We'll apparently have the Easy Plus drink package, and usually enjoy a cabernet with dinner (yes, even for seafood). From what I could see on their wine list, they don't offer even one to choose from. Can it be ordered anyway - and obtained from elsewhere? Please don't tell me I'd be waiting 20-30 minutes extra for that if so ! The Butcher's Cut menu appears to have many more things which are appealing. I assume that cabernets are indeed an option there, though I can't put my hands on their wine list (anyone have a copy)? Wondering if there's anything decent by the glass (be it at/below "easy plus" prices - or even more than that -- where I'd just pay the difference?), or if we'd need to purchase a bottle at 3-4x the going land price of the wine. I can say that because we're spoiled, having enjoyed many dozen bottles of premium wines on Carnival at 50% off the menu prices in their steakhouse --- thanks to their ongoing promo on the first two evenings. Caymus Special Selection for under $100 at sea? I'll take it !! I status matched to Diamond (for some reason, Cheryl matched to Gold... go figure!!), so I'm not sure if that plays a role or not. I've read a couple references to some type of complimentary meal. How is that established/reserved, what restaurants does it apply at and, for that matter, is it honored on 3-night sailings? Reservations - we'll probably arrive at the port about 10-10:30 in hopes of getting on early ("white tent" approach I'm told - even though our boarding documents indicate a noon arrival window). Once onboard, the first thing we'd like to do is make reservations for both of us, as well as a third person (boarding a little later than we anticipate getting on). Is that a straightforward process - since he's not in our cabin, and likely not even onboard yet? I hesitated briefly when I asked if it was straightforward - if only because most things I've been reading about MSC indicate that just because something seems reasonable or logical does not mean it will go down that way ! THANKS ! Tom

That's the same sailing we're on 🙂 Tom

Yeppers ... and so many more sailings to choose from. Everything else being equal, I'd prefer to be on a sailing without a group of diehard players ! ! Tom

I'd be a little ticked too - though I've never relied on "wake up calls". Well, I did early on, but they were not 100% (not that anything is). At this point, your MSC radar should be operating at maximum efficiency. Tom

If nibbles include good cookies, I might have to get there extra early... LOL Tom

Thanks all 🙂

Heck - I've made it to 60 without getting too much sun (over) exposure. I might as well go ahead and start getting more sun so I can turn my skin into leather. 😄 Tom

$24k playing BJ for a week. I had another which was a good bit more, but the cruise was 3 days too long... 😞 Not to worry - I offset my wins with losses For a person who's not a fan of roller coasters, I seemed to play that way in the past. Tom

For the ship, shoreside, and the website to all work well together. This would help to minimize onboard surprises. Most onboard surprises are not of a positive nature. We have the occasional issue on other lines (where one hand does not know what the other is doing), but it seems to be more common with MSC - just from what I've read on here. Looking forward to seeing for myself on 4/27 ! Tom

I was under the impression that pre-cruise contact was not possible. Do you happen to know their email address? Tom

For a company supposedly interested in becoming a dominant player in the cruise industry - they seem to suck at a lot of things! Tom

Please refresh my memory, I'm sure it's been covered - but, since the cruise is now just 10 days away, I wanted to make sure. This will be our first MSC sailing. We're in a YC balcony, and presently on their website it indicates I have an embarkation time of 2:30. A couple of months ago, it showed 9:30 for a few weeks. Do I actually need to wait until 2;30? Does the "white tent" I've heard people referring to adhere to those automatically generated (moving target!) arrival times? Also, thanks to status match, I'm Diamond - I didn't know if that factored into any of this at all either. THANKS, Tom

Spoke to him regarding (how they're supposed to take care of you)? I thought what was done was done - unless they've promised something in return, and I can't say from what I'm learning about MSC customer service/care that I'd be holding my breath... Tom

Only one specialty dining venue apparently. I see nothing about refitting the (old/tired) cabins. We prefer larger ships, but did have a few nice cruises on Spirit class ships. Tom

Glad I made other plans for November ! No return to the Pride for us. Tom

Oysters, there and in the Steakhouse, would be on my list the first 2-3 nights. Beyond that, there's plenty of other things to choose from ! Tom

As @ryanpatricksmom said - it's worth the $ (to us) just to have an upgraded experience (from the MDR, Buffet, etc). Tom

I tried that for the first time this last trip - almost a meal in itself ! Tom