Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Just back from Seaside - 3/17 sailing in YC

Fredric22

By Fredric22,
in MSC Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

Fredric22

Fredric22

Posted
Posted

This was our 3rd MSC cruise and our first on the Seaside. We have cruised twice on the Divina and many, many times on other lines. Each time we have cruised with MSC, we have been lucky enough to snag the Royal Suite. This was an excellent cruise and I think the Seaside is really an amazing ship. The new YC areas were awesome, and there were some improvements over the design of the Divina.

 

Since I have just seen a few new reviews that covered most topics I would have spoken about, I'd be happy to instead take any questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
oursbrun

oursbrun

Posted
Posted
This was our 3rd MSC cruise and our first on the Seaside. We have cruised twice on the Divina and many, many times on other lines. Each time we have cruised with MSC, we have been lucky enough to snag the Royal Suite. This was an excellent cruise and I think the Seaside is really an amazing ship. The new YC areas were awesome, and there were some improvements over the design of the Divina.

 

Since I have just seen a few new reviews that covered most topics I would have spoken about, I'd be happy to instead take any questions.

Thank you for your kind offer on questions, which I am taking full advantage of.

We will be in Royal suite on May 5th so a few specific questions.

 

1. What did you think of the decor, on the videos I have seen it looks very dark brown, does it make the living room dark.

 

2. Is there a table on the balcony to eat at.

 

3. Is there a seat in the Jacuzzi on the balcony.

 

4. Who was your butler and how was their service. Which cabin number were you in as there are 2 accessible ones .

 

5. If you want a glass of wine or champagne in the cabin, who do you actually call, room service, your butler or the concierge.

 

6. I read somewhere that even if you had a credit card on file that you had to settle up before getting off the ship.

 

7. Also heard that SBC doesn't show up on the account and app until the last day. Can you confirm.

 

8. Any tips on recommendations to fully enjoy the suite or the rest of the YC or overall experience.

 

 

While we are very experienced cruisers we have never been on MSC so we are very excited.

 

Thank you

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-T813 using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fredric22

Fredric22

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Thank you for your kind offer on questions, which I am taking full advantage of.

We will be in Royal suite on May 5th so a few specific questions.

 

1. What did you think of the decor, on the videos I have seen it looks very dark brown, does it make the living room dark.

 

2. Is there a table on the balcony to eat at.

 

3. Is there a seat in the Jacuzzi on the balcony.

 

4. Who was your butler and how was their service. Which cabin number were you in as there are 2 accessible ones .

 

5. If you want a glass of wine or champagne in the cabin, who do you actually call, room service, your butler or the concierge.

 

6. I read somewhere that even if you had a credit card on file that you had to settle up before getting off the ship.

 

7. Also heard that SBC doesn't show up on the account and app until the last day. Can you confirm.

 

8. Any tips on recommendations to fully enjoy the suite or the rest of the YC or overall experience.

 

 

While we are very experienced cruisers we have never been on MSC so we are very excited.

 

Thank you

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-T813 using Forums mobile app

 

1. What did you think of the decor, on the videos I have seen it looks very dark brown, does it make the living room dark.

I thought the decor was actually very nice. The living room is a bit brown, but with the curtains open it is not dark. There is A LOT of storage space. There is more storage than you could ever use even if you were on the ship for a month! I think the room looked a bit bare because of all the empty shelves and counter space. But other than that, the decor was very nice. The living room was very large (too big honestly). The bedroom was very nice and had a good amount of space. The bathroom was quite nice as well. There is room for two sinks, so I'm not sure why they only put one in there but other than that it was great,.

 

2. Is there a table on the balcony to eat at.

No, there is no table on the balcony. We didn't ask for one since we really didn't eat in the cabin at all. The balcony is HUGE. There were 2 lounge chairs and 4 regular chairs out there.

 

3. Is there a seat in the Jacuzzi on the balcony.

Yes, there is a seat. It is a bit high off the water though, so when you are sitting in it you are only about half way submerged. I did enjoy it after getting a bit hot from being in the water for a while.

 

4. Who was your butler and how was their service. Which cabin number were you in as there are 2 accessible ones .

We were in 16037 and had Vishnu as our butler. He was OK. After cruises in the YC 3 times, I can say that for us the room butlers don't do all that much but also we don't really ask them to do anything. I'm sure if you ask them to do more they would be happy to. But for us, we really only care that our room is clean and the mini bar is stocked every day. I will say that we only received our newspaper one time the whole cruise. But, they have them out by the reception desk so there is no need to even have that service anyway. The butlers by the pool and in the yacht club lounge are the ones that really shined for us. Roy was excellent and provided us great service at the pool every day and in our cabana. If you see Roy, you should definitely become friendly with him and take advantage of his wonderful service.

 

5. If you want a glass of wine or champagne in the cabin, who do you actually call, room service, your butler or the concierge.

I believe the YC concierge can take care of that for you. We ordered pizza two times and we called the concierge and it was delivered within 15-20 minutes. Please do yourself a favor and order the MSC style pizza. The bar in the top sail lounge is so close that whenever we wanted a drink we would just go grab one.

 

6. I read somewhere that even if you had a credit card on file that you had to settle up before getting off the ship.

No need to settle anything up before leaving. There is a kiosk in the YC that you can use to setup your credit card on the first day.

 

7. Also heard that SBC doesn't show up on the account and app until the last day. Can you confirm.

I can't confirm this as we did not have any SBC.

 

8. Any tips on recommendations to fully enjoy the suite or the rest of the YC or overall experience.

Honestly 1 week is very hard to really enjoy all of the perks that the suite and the YC offers!! With your Royal Suite, you will have access to a cabana for the week. We didn't think we would use it as much as we did. It really was awesome having your own secluded space on the pool deck. Don't miss the wonderful lunches every day at the YC pool, especially the last day when we had grilled lobsters. If you are going to dine out of the YC on any evenings, I would suggest Mon or Tues as those nights had the weakest menus, in my opinion. Make sure you try ALL of the pasta offerings! The pastas really cannot be beat, especially when they are made fresh, poolside by an Italian chef! And lastly, don't miss a sunrise in your hot tub on the balcony. It was the best memory of my cruise.

 

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
oursbrun

oursbrun

Posted
Posted
1. What did you think of the decor, on the videos I have seen it looks very dark brown, does it make the living room dark.

I thought the decor was actually very nice. The living room is a bit brown, but with the curtains open it is not dark. There is A LOT of storage space. There is more storage than you could ever use even if you were on the ship for a month! I think the room looked a bit bare because of all the empty shelves and counter space. But other than that, the decor was very nice. The living room was very large (too big honestly). The bedroom was very nice and had a good amount of space. The bathroom was quite nice as well. There is room for two sinks, so I'm not sure why they only put one in there but other than that it was great,.

 

2. Is there a table on the balcony to eat at.

No, there is no table on the balcony. We didn't ask for one since we really didn't eat in the cabin at all. The balcony is HUGE. There were 2 lounge chairs and 4 regular chairs out there.

 

3. Is there a seat in the Jacuzzi on the balcony.

Yes, there is a seat. It is a bit high off the water though, so when you are sitting in it you are only about half way submerged. I did enjoy it after getting a bit hot from being in the water for a while.

 

4. Who was your butler and how was their service. Which cabin number were you in as there are 2 accessible ones .

We were in 16037 and had Vishnu as our butler. He was OK. After cruises in the YC 3 times, I can say that for us the room butlers don't do all that much but also we don't really ask them to do anything. I'm sure if you ask them to do more they would be happy to. But for us, we really only care that our room is clean and the mini bar is stocked every day. I will say that we only received our newspaper one time the whole cruise. But, they have them out by the reception desk so there is no need to even have that service anyway. The butlers by the pool and in the yacht club lounge are the ones that really shined for us. Roy was excellent and provided us great service at the pool every day and in our cabana. If you see Roy, you should definitely become friendly with him and take advantage of his wonderful service.

 

5. If you want a glass of wine or champagne in the cabin, who do you actually call, room service, your butler or the concierge.

I believe the YC concierge can take care of that for you. We ordered pizza two times and we called the concierge and it was delivered within 15-20 minutes. Please do yourself a favor and order the MSC style pizza. The bar in the top sail lounge is so close that whenever we wanted a drink we would just go grab one.

 

6. I read somewhere that even if you had a credit card on file that you had to settle up before getting off the ship.

No need to settle anything up before leaving. There is a kiosk in the YC that you can use to setup your credit card on the first day.

 

7. Also heard that SBC doesn't show up on the account and app until the last day. Can you confirm.

I can't confirm this as we did not have any SBC.

 

8. Any tips on recommendations to fully enjoy the suite or the rest of the YC or overall experience.

Honestly 1 week is very hard to really enjoy all of the perks that the suite and the YC offers!! With your Royal Suite, you will have access to a cabana for the week. We didn't think we would use it as much as we did. It really was awesome having your own secluded space on the pool deck. Don't miss the wonderful lunches every day at the YC pool, especially the last day when we had grilled lobsters. If you are going to dine out of the YC on any evenings, I would suggest Mon or Tues as those nights had the weakest menus, in my opinion. Make sure you try ALL of the pasta offerings! The pastas really cannot be beat, especially when they are made fresh, poolside by an Italian chef! And lastly, don't miss a sunrise in your hot tub on the balcony. It was the best memory of my cruise.

 

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask!

Thank you so much for your detailed and quick response. After your responses I'm even more excited and counting the days.

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-T813 using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fredric22

Fredric22

Posted
  • Author
Posted
On disembarkation day, is the bar in the YC open for a farewell cocktail with breakfast before getting off of the ship?

 

I am not 100% sure, but it did not look like any bar service was available in the top sail lounge or the restaurant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fredric22

Fredric22

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Which was your favorite specialty restaurant?

 

We only tried Ocean Cay and thought it was pretty good. I will say the service was a bit slow to start but once it got going it was fine. The crab leg trio was VERY good. I had the sea bass for dinner and it was good, but small (not that I was hungry at any point during the whole week). The creme brulee for dessert was amazing.

 

Next time, I would like to try the Asian restaurant. Butcher's cut looked good, but the filet mignon in the YC restaurant was very good quality, so there was really no need to dine elsewhere for steak.

 

Also, I should note that desserts throughout the ship were excellent, including the AMAZING gelato and gelato bars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TrinaLC

TrinaLC

Posted
Posted
I am not 100% sure, but it did not look like any bar service was available in the top sail lounge or the restaurant.

 

 

 

We did see people having champagne with OJ (mimosas?) as they waited to be kicked off the ship at 10:00 a.m. last day, so I suspect full bar was available until that time.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
js

js

Posted
Posted
On disembarkation day, is the bar in the YC open for a farewell cocktail with breakfast before getting off of the ship?

 

 

Hi. We got off the ship at 10:30 am on March 3 sinxe we were waiting for my dh to pick us up and there were quite a few people beginning early morning having bar service. Getting drinks with Alcohol was not a problem. Actually, I had two glasses of champagne waiting for my dh.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fredric22

Fredric22

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Did you notice the sewer/poop smell that people have been talking about in their reviews?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I did notice a familiar cruise ship scent (less than pleasant) a few times during the cruise in different areas outside of the yacht club. I can't say that it was any worse than any other ship I have been on. No one in my family ever mentioned any smells so I think I was the only one who noticed it, since I was looking for it. The MSC perfume scent is definitely the most noticeable scent all around the ship and it is really a nice touch. I took home all of the toiletries just so I could enjoy that scent for a few more weeks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Two Wheels Only

Two Wheels Only

Posted
Posted
Was there a cabana reserved for you (no charge) like there would be on Meraviglia?

Answered in another review...:D

 

Our Royal Suite came with use of a private Cabana and we were surprised at how much we used it! Our butler provided ice and drinks each morning and checked in on us throughout the day

Link to comment
Share on other sites
marcoigna

marcoigna

Posted
Posted
Was there a cabana reserved for you (no charge) like there would be on Meraviglia?

 

Not to put a notch in my belt, but it was I that was able to start the Royal Suite Cabana - i had some discussions with the President of MSC Cruises USA and explained that i think that they should streamline their ships more - (ie. the Meraviglia offers their Royal Suite guests a complimentary cabana so why not the Seaside) - he did look into it, and agreed with me and was then started on our sailing on the 24th of February. I am so happy to hear that it is continuing and not just a one off!!! -

Link to comment
Share on other sites
djvand

djvand

Posted
Posted
Not to put a notch in my belt, but it was I that was able to start the Royal Suite Cabana - i had some discussions with the President of MSC Cruises USA and explained that i think that they should streamline their ships more - (ie. the Meraviglia offers their Royal Suite guests a complimentary cabana so why not the Seaside) - he did look into it, and agreed with me and was then started on our sailing on the 24th of February. I am so happy to hear that it is continuing and not just a one off!!! -

 

Notch? You deserve a gold medal!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fredric22

Fredric22

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Not to put a notch in my belt, but it was I that was able to start the Royal Suite Cabana - i had some discussions with the President of MSC Cruises USA and explained that i think that they should streamline their ships more - (ie. the Meraviglia offers their Royal Suite guests a complimentary cabana so why not the Seaside) - he did look into it, and agreed with me and was then started on our sailing on the 24th of February. I am so happy to hear that it is continuing and not just a one off!!! -

 

You absolutely deserve credit for that! A big THANK YOU! I am glad they listened to reason on this one and did the right thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...