Everything’s Going Splendidly on Splendida - Dubai-Yokohama 2018

[sverigecruiser]

Hi SC ... We hadn't been given a wine menu. When I asked for the red I wanted on the first night, the waiter went off, came back and informed me that the wines on offer would change each evening. I got the impression that this came from the sommelier and I was less than pleased to hear it. I explained that I usually get the premium package so I can have my favourite wines, but it didn't seem to matter so I made a point by bringing wine from the wine bar to drive home the message - which the sommelier picked up on!

 

You know, I haven't had a glass of champagne - yet! - but I will have one tonight in your honour and lament the fact that I will not be sharing a glass (or two!) with you next year on Divina. [emoji52]

 

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So do you think that it was a missunderstanding from the waiter?

 

I really think that wine that is available in other bars should be available in the YC, bar and restaurant, if they are included in the menu. (I understand if a winebar has a special menu, or a martinibar, or a Champagnebar but if it's in the menu it shall be available.)

[Capricruiser]

Thank you Bea regarding the Chief Butler's name. I've heard of him but never met.

Regarding the YC restaurant, in our six YC cruises we've learned that getting to know the asst maitre is super important. From that point on anything we want we get (if available of course). "Ask and you shall receive" and we've never had a maitre that wasn't exceptional. We haven't had Vincenzo yet but I'm sure he'll work miracles for you.

p.s. I like sticking with the same wines. DW drinks only prosecco so that's no problem. I always get Santa Margherita Pino Grigio when I want a white and Regale when I want a red. The waiter gets to know this and will always have it available for me. Obviously we use the same waiter every evening.

[Beamafar]

SC ... I think the sommelier was the one who advised the waiter initially. The waiter went away to ask for Cicogna for me and he came back from the area that the sommelier was in to say sorry, the sommelier chooses 2 reds and 2 whites every evening. There was no doubt in my mind that he spoke with the sommelier at the time.

... Something I've just remembered that the waiter said at the time, as well. He told me (something to the effect) that the sommelier had to ensure that there were enough wines for the crossing!

 

Charles - Vincenzo (asst m'D) is terrific and we have no complaints about ANYTHING! The service is sublime - everywhere - in YC! We don't have the same waiter as we don't sit at the same table every night. We don't have any preferences for any of the waiters.

 

 

 

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[Kelownabccan]

Thanks Bea....by the posts it looks like you booked in the YC class.......will look at cabins that are available in the web site......we usually just get a balcony cabin....on the Divina we had a gorgeous one in the aft looking over the wake of the ship......perfect....I wonder if they still give US/CAN people free bottled water at the dinner table????? and do they serve coffee at dinner yet or is that still one of the items you have make a big fuss for to drink with your dessert???....just one of those NA things...lol....Ken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

quote=Beamafar;55768757]Hi Ken,

 

It's a wonderful itinerary and the sea days are nicely spaced between the POCs. If there's anything in particular you want to know, just ask and I'll answer if I can.

 

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[Beamafar]

Ken ... yes, I'm in YC so everything's included and coffee is served after dinner in the restaurant. I don't know about the situation elsewhere regarding water or coffee. If I get a chance, I will ask, but I don't use the MDRs so I may not get an opportunity to.

 

SC ... just for you:

 

 

The trouble I've just had to get this glass of champagne! When I ordered it, I was told that it wasn't included. So a major discussion between 2 butlers and the barman ensued. I asked if it is still included in the deluxe package and was told Yes. So I asked did I have to outside of YC to get a glass and, again, was told Yes. However, there is an amazing butler who works in TSL and he said Don't worry, I will get it for you. In the meantime, the head butler was called and he instructed the barman that champagne can be served by the glass. So, while it took some time, I eventually managed to obtain it!

 

I have another situation to report this evening. We had gone to the buffet for dinner as the L'Olivo's menu didn't appeal. As a result, DH didn't change out of his shorts. We decided to have an after-dinner drink in TSL, but DH was prevented from entering; a butler requested he change - not a problem!

 

However, some time later, another (Japanese) man arrived in wearing shorts, t-shirt & flip-flops! I called the butler over and asked why he was allowed entry and he said it was difficult to get the message across to him and he was afraid the man would cause a scene so he would wait til a better time to speak to him. However, another butler came over to check if we needed anything; I gave him the nod about the situation. He spoke with the gentleman who apologised (though he didn't leave immediately). Apparently he's been spoken to before about it, but seems not to "understand".

 

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[CruiseIreland]

Bea, really enjoying your updates but now I'm confused! I was looking up the drinks packages and it seems champagne is not included in even the Deluxe package! I think you have worked your charm on the butlers!

[Norwegian Cruiser 73]

 

NC - Hi! You were right about there being an armchair in the cabin. I was going to ask the butler to remove it as it takes up a bit of space, but I’ve found it useful for sitting at the open balcony door and sunning my legs when I’ve had too much of the heat out on the balcony. Also, yes, Norwegian salmon is being served (and I'm doing my best to diminish the ship's stocks!) But I think it's always Norwegian on the ships- no?

 

Speaking of the cabin - we were very fortunate to get one of the square ones. The mirror has indeed been replaced with a large, oriental-inspired picture. This doesn’t have too much of an impact, but I imagine in the narrower*cabins, where, normally, the mirror effectively doubles the space at the end of the bed, it would.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ship is in lovely condition. It appears that carpets were replaced when last in dry-dock. The main “enhancements” seem to be the wine bar being set-up to transform into a Dim Sum bar when the ship begins her season*in China, as well as Tex-Mex being replaced with Butcher’s Cut and introduction of Sea Pavilion, the Oriental Hot Pot Speciality restaurant on deck 16 (Fair play, CF, for getting the photo of the menu. We went up to have a look on one of first days and I didn’t manage to spot it!)

 

The interactive screens are all in place for when the MSC for Me app is up and running. They’re being used at the moment to provide information but mainly advising drinks package prices.

 

Speaking of the restaurant, from 2 nights that I’ve seen the MDR menus, it appears that the menus in YC are exactly the same.

 

Thank you very much for the updates from the Splendia and thank's a lot for the photos from the cabin. The square cabins are great. Interesting to see that the mirror is gone and that the menus in the MDR and the YC restaurant are the same. Yes, I believe the Norwegian Salmon is fleetwide, I reckon I saw it in the YC menu onboard the Meraviglia. Have a great time in the YC :):cool:

[travelberlin]

Nice pictures Beamafar! I will ask for the Cicogna wine at the Preziosa. Maybe I am going to have the chance to try it. I am glad the standard internet works fine. We will also probably take it.

Ivi

[Nunagoras]

Many thanks to the nice review and the nice photos!... I hope someday, perhaps not so long from now I will have this privilege that is to go on the YC!... Perhaps I will give myself a present for my 45th birthday?... Who knows! Have a nice day and a nice sailing!...

 

Oh!... And I hope to have one day something like that champagne view for myself, except that once I am a non drinker for health reasons it will be with a fruit smoothie!... May the Lord or Mother Nature permits me some more cruises in the next years to come!... :)

[Kelownabccan]

Oh you British and your drinks....lol......we will be off to England, Ireland and Scotland in the next few weeks and staying a month....really looking forward to the visit, seeing the relatives, and the cruise around the isles.....some day will have to try out the YC.....and the black card service.....Ken

 

 

 

 

Ken ... yes, I'm in YC so everything's included and coffee is served after dinner in the restaurant. I don't know about the situation elsewhere regarding water or coffee. If I get a chance, I will ask, but I don't use the MDRs so I may not get an opportunity to.

 

SC ... just for you:

 

 

The trouble I've just had to get this glass of champagne! When I ordered it, I was told that it wasn't included. So a major discussion between 2 butlers and the barman ensued. I asked if it is still included in the deluxe package and was told Yes. So I asked did I have to outside of YC to get a glass and, again, was told Yes. However, there is an amazing butler who works in TSL and he said Don't worry, I will get it for you. In the meantime, the head butler was called and he instructed the barman that champagne can be served by the glass. So, while it took some time, I eventually managed to obtain it!

 

I have another situation to report this evening. We had gone to the buffet for dinner as the L'Olivo's menu didn't appeal. As a result, DH didn't change out of his shorts. We decided to have an after-dinner drink in TSL, but DH was prevented from entering; a butler requested he change - not a problem!

 

However, some time later, another (Japanese) man arrived in wearing shorts, t-shirt & flip-flops! I called the butler over and asked why he was allowed entry and he said it was difficult to get the message across to him and he was afraid the man would cause a scene so he would wait til a better time to speak to him. However, another butler came over to check if we needed anything; I gave him the nod about the situation. He spoke with the gentleman who apologised (though he didn't leave immediately). Apparently he's been spoken to before about it, but seems not to "understand".

 

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[sverigecruiser]

 

 

 

(y)

[sverigecruiser]

 

The trouble I've just had to get this glass of champagne! When I ordered it, I was told that it wasn't included. So a major discussion between 2 butlers and the barman ensued. I asked if it is still included in the deluxe package and was told Yes. So I asked did I have to outside of YC to get a glass and, again, was told Yes. However, there is an amazing butler who works in TSL and he said Don't worry, I will get it for you. In the meantime, the head butler was called and he instructed the barman that champagne can be served by the glass. So, while it took some time, I eventually managed to obtain it!

 

 

Interesting. I have recently seen a post, or maybe it was a review, where someone mentioned that Champagne wasn't available in the TSL.

 

Can it really be a problem to have the included Champagne available in the TSL? Not a big problem to go to another bar but very strange!

[Beamafar]

Oh you British and your drinks....lol......we will be off to England, Ireland and Scotland in the next few weeks and staying a month....really looking forward to the visit, seeing the relatives, and the cruise around the isles.....some day will have to try out the YC.....and the black card service.....Ken

 

Just for the record - I'm not British, I'm Irish ... and the photo was for a Swede with whom I'm having a running interaction over the course of the last year, with champagne being a large part of the narrative.

 

Hope you enjoy your trip to our shores and that the weather is kind to you. We've had a rotten Winter and Spring this year.

 

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[sidari]

Hi Ken and Judy ... Good to see you still posting, which part of England are you heading to apart from maybe London ?

[Kelownabccan]

Bea....sorry I thought you were British....my apology......just like people calling us American and really we are Canadian....big difference...lol......Ken

 

 

 

Just for the record - I'm not British, I'm Irish ... and the photo was for a Swede with whom I'm having a running interaction over the course of the last year, with champagne being a large part of the narrative.

 

Hope you enjoy your trip to our shores and that the weather is kind to you. We've had a rotten Winter and Spring this year.

 

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[Kelownabccan]

Hello again....Sidari........will have to get our cruise blog stuff out and look up names.....lol......anyways still have fond memories of the MSC Divina's first voyage to American and all the fuss, problems and fun we had with the staff and crew on the ship.....I see you are thinking of the Far East just like us....I am constantly looking at what one to do.....have one booked and holding it with a deposit....$25 each....a geat deal with drinks ....Celebrity Constellation in Jan....Sing to to Shanghai but may have to cancel and other things have come up for Jan/Feb 2019....that was why we were looking at the one Bea is one which is later on in the year.....On our visit....we are doing the May 1st Royal Princess around the British Isles....and visiting relatives of Judy......Brighton area, Ashford/Kent, and Grantham area and ending up in Edinburgh for 4 nights before we fly back to the West Coast.....let me know if you need any advice when you go on the Alaska cruise as I see that is listed as one you are doing???.....keep in touch.....Ken

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Ken and Judy ... Good to see you still posting, which part of England are you heading to apart from maybe London ?

[Beamafar]

Bea....sorry I thought you were British....my apology......just like people calling us American and really we are Canadian....big difference...lol......Ken

No problem - as a Canadian, you get it! [emoji16]

 

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[Beamafar]

Our POC yesterday was Colombo, Sri Lanka. I won't go into too much detail about it as it's not on next year's itinerary.

 

We booked the Tea Experience tour and were to meet at the Conciergie at 7.45am. We were at the restaurant at 7am and were still waiting for our breakfast at 7.40am so DH went over to Vincenzo to tell him that we had an excursion booked and really needed our breakfast urgently. The plates arrived out at that moment; I had ordered French toast and, because I had asked for it to be well-cooked, I assumed that was the reason for the delay. However, when I cut into it, it was mushy inside. Vincenzo, hovering at the table, saw this and whipped the plate away. He was furious with our server, who was saying something about there being a problem in the kitchen; Vincenzo told him he should let him know in time to remedy matters. Anyway, I ended up just getting a couple of pastries and running back to the cabin to gather our belongings for the tour. While there, I got a call from the concierge asking if we were on our way. Needless to say, when I went out to the reception desk, I let the head butler know, in no uncertain terms, that the delay was caused on their end - not on ours!

 

So, we followed the butler down to our (mini) bus where seats at the front had been reserved for those from YC (not a policy I support, but, hey, I'm not going to object as I don't when I'm not on the beneficial end of it!). There was a total of 9 of us and we waited almost half an hour for one other person. A couple in the seat behind us became very angsty about the wait and kept telling the tour guide to leave. They both stood up at the bus entrance opposite our seat and the man started tapping agitatedly on the back of DH's seat! They both then incited the rest of us on the bus to "Boo" the person when they eventually arrived - egged on by another couple from the same country (which I won't mention). As it turned out, the other person was a no-show, which I was quietly glad for.

 

It took us 2 hours to reach the tea plantation. On arrival, we were given garlands made from tea leaves. We then went up some steps to the second level of a warehouse building where the leaves are dried, then back out and on to another building where the leaves are processed. We got no sense of what exactly the different machines were for, there was no information, we just walked around trying to figure it out for ourselves. We didn't see any sign of packing the final product, whether there were different grades or blends, nor how the product was finally distributed. As we left, we had to hand back the garlands, which were then being handed out to the next tour group - how unhygienic is that?!

 

We were then bussed down the hill a little to the "Bungalow" where we were served tea and cake on the lawn. It was quite nice, but was is worth the 4 hour round-trip to visit? - I don't think so! However, we did get to see a lot of towns and countryside outside of Colombo on the way.

[Beamafar]

I haven't been checking the dinner menu from the MDR every night, but 2 nights ago I compared it with the one from YC and they were different - so, out of 3 checked, 2 were the same and 1 different.

 

Tonight is our second Gala night.

 

Last night, the menu was inspired by our Sri Lanka POC. It was really tasty and very enjoyable. I'd love if the salmon was always served infused with the flavours of last night.

 

 

 

I also had the beef Jalfrezi - similar to a mild curry

 

 

I had the petit fours for dessert and, as there are small meringue crisps included, I asked for a small dish of whipped cream to accompany them. I got a sundae dish filled with whipped cream! I had a nice glass of Sauterne to go with it:

 

 

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[Beamafar]

SC ... I spoke with the sommelier last night regarding the champagne situation. He said, of course the Nicholas Feuillatte is available. I told him about my experience in TSL the previous night. I also checked a couple of bar menus and it's still showing as available on the deluxe package (with one asterisk next to it).

 

Today, at lunch, Mauricio came over to our table with the following in hand for me

 

 

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[sidari]

Bea ... what a strange tour that must have been, you would have at least expected someone to have shown you around the place and explained some of what was actually going on there! I am guessing that the complimentary meal is just one per cruise and not one for all four weeks of the cruise ? Hope you are enjoying it so far.

 

Hi Ken ... tut tut fancy forgetting our names ... :D Dave and Kerry. We will be away ourselves when you sail the UK and Ireland, we get home on the 7th May when you will be in Glasgow, a shame the route is not reversed and calling at Liverpool as we may have been able to get there. I hope the weather will behave for you seeing as we have had more snow this year on and off than for quite some time.

On the Edinburgh stop try and go to Falkirk to see the Kelpies and the Falkirk wheel.

[pukekolive]

I haven't been checking the dinner menu from the MDR every night, but 2 nights ago I compared it with the one from YC and they were different - so, out of 3 checked, 2 were the same and 1 different.

 

Tonight is our second Gala night.

 

Last night, the menu was inspired by our Sri Lanka POC. It was really tasty and very enjoyable. I'd love if the salmon was always served infused with the flavours of last night.

 

 

 

I also had the beef Jalfrezi - similar to a mild curry

 

 

I had the petit fours for dessert and, as there are small meringue crisps included, I asked for a small dish of whipped cream to accompany them. I got a sundae dish filled with whipped cream! I had a nice glass of Sauterne to go with it:

 

 

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Was the cream fresh or the processed stuff out of a can?

 

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[sverigecruiser]

SC ... I spoke with the sommelier last night regarding the champagne situation. He said, of course the Nicholas Feuillatte is available. I told him about my experience in TSL the previous night. I also checked a couple of bar menus and it's still showing as available on the deluxe package (with one asterisk next to it).

 

Today, at lunch, Mauricio came over to our table with the following in hand for me

 

 

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But they don't have it in the TSL menu, right?

[Kelownabccan]

A big Hello!!!....Sidari....aka....Dave and Kerry....was waiting for Judy to get her notes out from the cruise.....hard to belive that was almost 5 years ago....no wonder my mind was going blank...lol......thanks for the tip....yep...too bad our paths do not cross.....are you still going to the west coast here???...or is that still up in the air.....I looked at the cruise Bea is on but.....that cruise is really getting booked.....hard to even get a balcony cabin that does not have the inter connecting doors....do not like those....a real noise factor for me.....anyways will be lurking on the blog so can ask any questions....who knows...I may have an answer...lol.......Bea....who wants to sit on a bus for 2 hrs for a cup of tea....ha ha.....and then 2 hrs back....I would have needed a flask of scotch on the bus for that trip.....Ken

 

 

 

 

 

quote=sidari;55787689]Bea ... what a strange tour that must have been, you would have at least expected someone to have shown you around the place and explained some of what was actually going on there! I am guessing that the complimentary meal is just one per cruise and not one for all four weeks of the cruise ? Hope you are enjoying it so far.

 

Hi Ken ... tut tut fancy forgetting our names ... :D Dave and Kerry. We will be away ourselves when you sail the UK and Ireland, we get home on the 7th May when you will be in Glasgow, a shame the route is not reversed and calling at Liverpool as we may have been able to get there. I hope the weather will behave for you seeing as we have had more snow this year on and off than for quite some time.

On the Edinburgh stop try and go to Falkirk to see the Kelpies and the Falkirk wheel.

[sidari]

Bea ... Sorry for hijacking the thread ... :D

 

Ken ... September next year Ruby Princess Seattle to Vancouver, this September Singapore F1 Grand Prix then a 4 night cruise to Kuala Lumpur and Phucket. Then Meraviglia Xmas 2019.