2cruiseluvrs

Wow, so much empty

You can access and update the list of cruise ship steam rooms and saunas at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ROCmeNSYj_VwCYs3IUjWbrcEomFeqOrvIDUnXG6GLTg/edit

Welcome to the roll call for the May 31st 2024 sailing of the MSC World Europa! We look forward to meeting you and enjoying this beautiful ship and the ports she visits!

Interesting! Because of the timing of your cruise, I am wondering if some of your experience is specifically because of covid restrictions, that are hopefully long gone.

I found this on their website on 2023 April 11.

Some people prefer same-gender saunas and steam rooms. Others prefer coed. What is your preference, and if you care to share, why do you lean that way?

Have you stayed in the MSC Yacht Club lately? Our last YC experience was Seaside in the summer of 2019. Now we're gearing up for Meraviglia this May. I am wondering what amenities or benefits have been LOST during the last four years. Or what has been added? Thank you for any insight! What I have read, and I cannot confirm is true, is that: Butlers will no longer put away and hang your clothing when you first board Butlers no longer provide additional nuts and snacks in the minibar (other than what might first be there when you board) Butlers no longer provide additional small liquor bottles, but instead provide you with one large bottle of your choice.... ? Butlers can no longer take you to the front row at the evening show Gelato is no longer a "free" benefit You cannot get coffee drinks at Jean Philippe... ?

All seems to appear just fine on the spreadsheet at at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ROCmeNSYj_VwCYs3IUjWbrcEomFeqOrvIDUnXG6GLTg/edit?usp=sharing -- there are 184 ships listed, representing all the major cruise lines.

As a reminder, the full editable spreadsheet is at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ROCmeNSYj_VwCYs3IUjWbrcEomFeqOrvIDUnXG6GLTg/edit?usp=sharing

From the videos I've seen it looks wonderful and if it's half as nice as Seaside, I'm thrilled. Already booked for Meraviglia for May and extremely excited about the Thermal Area!

BklynBorn47 — Having a balcony room is wonderful. You certainly cannot get a balcony in Yacht Club for as reasonable of a price! And since you didn't buy a drink package or Thermal Suite access, it would really be hard to justify the added expense of Yacht Club. Unless of course you have money to burn, in which case, I'd be happy to be your guest next time!!! 🙂 Have a wonderful trip on Meraviglia!

What happens if you put your feet into the sea grass?

I am excited to visit OC sometime in the future, but I find your statement a little surprising. I don't doubt that it is a good location, but I don't understand why going to a larger port isn't more interesting. I am not questioning your judgment, but I am curious why you say this is your all- time favorite destination? What makes it the best of the best? 🙂

The Google spreadsheet is open to the public and available to you to edit respectfully. In other words, you can add a new row where you see it necessary. Recommendation is to simply right click on a record number and then choose to add a row above or below. Then just fill it in!

MARGSIPIE - Congratulations to you and your family on your newborn, and for bringing him along on such a fancy trip. I think you will have a great time, and I am sure you know how to "read the room" when there is too much fuss. People should not be so uptight about babies! Agree with MSCDIVINA2016 that the butlers are not sleeping with one eye open just waiting for your call. There are midnight staff (or a different butler) to handle your mid-night requests. The response time will vary depending the time of day and the number of requests at that moment. But you should not hesitate to make a request. If it were really a problem, they would not offer the service, or if a problem at night, they would not accept calls after 11PM until 5AM. If all you want is a cocktail or coffee or a cup of ice, it would no doubt be FASTER to go to the Top Sail Lounge yourself. One minute to walk. One minute to get it. One minute to walk back. As for what your butler can do to help you, I think the baby food preparation is a great idea, though you may already have food plans covered. Perhaps you can talk with the butler or concierge and ask them, "What have other parents requested in the past to help with a very young man like mine?" They may have some good experiences to share with you. I envision you spending a lot of time on the top deck, enjoying the sunshine and shade and fresh open air, as well as snacks and drinks. I think your son will enjoy that, too, and I am jealous! Enjoy!!!!

EHG - Woo hoo! Which ship did you choose?

Pretty sad they don't still provide all the chocolate raisins you want. 😞

I cannot say for sure, because I have not yet been on the Mera, but really, I assume with 95% confidence they will provide an evening turn down. Hopefully someone else will confirm or correct me.

Where I live in the states, for all intents and purposes the pandemic is over, though the county likes to send reminder text messages every day that make it sound like the world is imploding. I was at Costco today and 98% of people are maskless. People shop and dine and go about without a mask for the most part. I don't know anybody that is currently sick beyond one person with a stuffy nose. None of this is to lighten the mood for those who have truly suffered. For them I am deeply sorry. My family cruised in June to Alaska and we had to get negative covid tests two days in advance. We were negative. We sailed. My teen got sick while on the cruise. We all came home. Wife and me got sick and were fine by the weekend. All three of us were covid positive. I told my friend, "If I have to get mildly sick twice a year for the rest of my life just to live normally, I am fine with that." That's what is happening in my neck of the woods!!!!

JOYOUS - that is a great question and I imagine all the pools (no matter where on the ship) close at the same time for general safety measures, or in rough seas. But as my wife would tell you, I am probably wrong. I found these pictures of the Seashore Yacht Club pool deck at https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/shiptour.php?r=11872 and I am 100000% jealous of you. Better yet, I would encourage you to find out what time it all OPENS in the morning. That's when you want to be there.... wake up, shower, head to the yacht club pool, find yourself all alone, and relax buddy, you deserve it.

GINGERSVP - I am excited for you and your trip that's just two short months away!!! Woo hoo! Add to that a big room with a nice balcony, and you will be loving every bit of your trip! Sorry to hear that your job is so stressful, and hopefully your vacation will be just the ticket to help you unwind and re-focus. I want to paint a picture about what a butler does and does not do. I would not say that a butler waits on a client "hand and foot." In my mind, waiting hand and foot means that they are standing there just waiting for you to move or speak, and then they try to anticipate your every thought. This is not what happens in the YC at MSC. However, in my experience, if you see them, or call them, or speak to them, they are very good about remember what you have asked, or what your wishes might be. I am going to make up a few examples of totally realistic situations, purely for your enjoyment: (My butler's name was Vishnu - the same awesome guy two cruises in a row, so I will use the name Vishnu.) Excuse me, Vishnu, would it be possible for me to have a cappuccino in my room tomorrow at 6:30 a.m.? And could you please bring an extra packet of sugar? Thank you, Vishnu. [And he says, "My pleasure."] Hi Vishnu, my wife would like to go to the comedy show tonight at 7 p.m. Would you be able to escort us to the comedy club at that time? Dear Vishnu, I really love the chocolate covered raisins in the room. Would you be able to bring seven more canisters of them to our room? Vishnu, tonight at dinner, would you please make sure the waiter has a glass of chardonnay for me and a mojito for my wife as soon as possible when we are seated? Excuse me, Vishnu, this afternoon I was frantically looking for my watch and I made a mess of our room, would you be able to have it re-made, and could I please have an additional soft pillow? Vishnu, when we arrive at Ocean Cay, we would love to ride the jet skis. Could you book that for us please? Hi Vishnu, I changed my mind and do not want to see the New York Times anymore, so could you please bring the St. Louis Tribune to me each morning? Hey there Vishnu, I know it is late and I know I have been drinking, but I need one more cosmopolitan in my room ASAP! I could go on and on.... But the point is they are not sitting there in your face waiting on you. However, they are a phone call away, and can pretty much do anything for you that is not illegal or immoral! They may also surprise you with occasional treats to make your trip even better than expected. On a side note, I have to say that the most memorable gesture from the butler that I can remember is that we were about to go ashore on some island (I forget which). It was rainy, and the forecast was for more rain. AND it was hot out! Well, we walked to the Top Sail Lounge to meet out butler before heading out for the day... and he was waiting there for us with ICE COLD WATER and ... ready for this.... PONCHOS!!!!! He says, "It looks like there might be rain today, so I got these ponchos for you just in case. And here's some water for your journey." That right there sealed the deal. That was amazing butler service! Ginger, I would encourage you to ask for as much and what whatever you need... up until the point that you personally feel uncomfortable or that you are asking for too much. If your conscience is telling you to "zip it," then maybe you have enjoyed the butler a little too much. Have fun in October!!!!!!

EHG - Stop thinking and just book it 🙂 Sorry, that's just me trying to live vicariously through you! I cannot answer how the cruise lines match one another, but here is a PDF all about the MSC program https://www.msccruisesgetforms.com/cms/Flyers/2020/20-076-StatusMatch9-3-20.pdf Also, I don't think it's too much to ask for authentic Champagne. I am not able to answer whether they serve it on MSC, but my goodness, I can only assume so. That seems like it would be such a common request and easy to accommodate. But someone else can answer for me more accurately. I am glad you found this thread to be useful. I wish I had known these things long ago before we booked the first MSC cruise in 2016. We would have sailed YC instead of Aurea. So I am happy to share what I know and feel, and I am thrilled others have chimed in to fix my errors! Cheers!

MSCDIVINA - I was wondering if you would help me negotiate my cable TV bill... ? Just asking 🙂

NFERR - I think you are a lot like my father, which is totally fine. The YC is not his speed either, and he likes to be out and about, especially to people-watch. So it's all good. It's nice that a cruise ship has so much to offer for different folks with a wide variety of interests. If I ever meet you on a boat, NFERR, I will be happy to sit and chat with you one afternoon.