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

[Beamafar]

Hello Bea,

Me and my wife were on same cruise, but we disembarked at Singapore. I guess we left ship at right time and place since everything went well for us.

I must say that most of time weather was a little too hot and moist for us, but we are from Finland :)

 

Jarmo

 

Hi Jarmo. :)Yes ... I agree, it was extremely hot most of the time (we're from Ireland, so not used to it, either) - especially Thailand, where the temperatures reached over 37 degrees! However, there was a real sea-change after Singapore and temperatures dropped quite a bit from there on, though we did have some nice days in between, too.

 

Did you get hear of many people complaining throughout your time onboard - especially about food or service? I got the impression that some people were very unhappy onboard, from comments I'd hear on the excursion buses (though we didn't actually speak with anybody directly).

[sagajam]

Hello,

we didn't hear any complaints from other guests. We had excellent cabin service by Putu from Indonesia (we stayed in balcony cabin (non-yacht club). We only ate at buffet so no opinion on main restaurant service or food.

Overall we had good service.

 

Jarmo

[Darcy15]

Hi Bea :)

 

Thank you so much for spending time reviewing the cruise, the information has been invaluable :cool:

 

Earlier you mentioned some issues in the YC.......I wonder if you feel able to elaborate on this?

[blordos]

We were on this cruise and had a table assigned in Villa Verde, the green MDR in the back. Because we have been on this ship before on our Iceland cruise two years ago and also in the same MDR, I asked the Maitre d'Hotel ( the large bold man ) to change the table to the yellow MDR, La Reggia. That was not a problem. After a few strokes on the computer he said it was done. The food was excellent with choices of fish, meat and chicken on the main dish. I heard the food is the same in both MDR but we wanted to change the decor in the restaurant.

We ate some streetfood in Phuket. That was a welcome change of meal. Also we dined outside the ship in Singapore, Da Nang and Hong Kong. I have friends and families in those cities. It was our first trip in these seas. We usually cruise in Europe.

 

 

By the end of the cruise we received a letter of promotion on our next cruise. Because of the bad weather after Singapore and not leaving the ship in Shanghai the promotion is 50% discount on the price of our next cruise. We planned to use it on the 15 days cruise on the MSC Seaview in the Caribbean.

[Beamafar]

Hi Bea :)

 

Thank you so much for spending time reviewing the cruise, the information has been invaluable :cool:

 

Earlier you mentioned some issues in the YC.......I wonder if you feel able to elaborate on this?

 

Gee, Darcy, you're really making me work on this one! :D (Just kidding!)

 

Yeah ... I intend to share a couple of anecdotes at a later stage. At the moment I'm making the most of the glorious weather and have just come in to prepare the pork skewers for the BBQ. :p

[Darcy15]

Last question, I promise :cool:

 

Enjoy your barbecue :D

[Beamafar]

Darcy ... I haven't forgotten you! I've been caught up lately.

 

I've been mulling over the question of the issues I had - it's funny how they fade into insignificance in the overall memory of the cruise. That's a sure sign that they didn't have much of an impact on the general enjoyment of the cruise.

 

The main issue certainly was the lack of friendliness among the YC passengers. Even the butler who worked in the TSL discussed it with us as he was at the receiving end of it! (He also happened to be the very best butler onboard!)

 

There was also a specific situation in relation to a particular couple who were a pair of weirdos and I'm still at a loss as to whether they were a pair of wind-up merchants or that their behaviour was 'normal'. All I'll say is that I got to a point where I tried to avoid them as much as possible, which wasn't easy in YC! This would have certainly influenced my postings at the time as it was having a negative impact then. However, there were a (small) number of guests who were very friendly, but the language barrier impeded more interaction with them. There were no English in YC and only a couple of Australians, with one particular couple being very friendly and another not! I was very surprised at how few Asians were onboard; there was one Japanese man with his Chinese wife; she was very quiet - and so lady-like. He turned out to be a lovely man (though he seemed the type to be avoided at first; he couldn't hold his liquor and got drunk very easily which made him very giddy. But he was an absolute gent with it and we enjoyed his company in the smoking area by the end of the cruise. In fact, he bought us a gift in Yokohama of pickled eel, which he raved about. We never did try it as we were packing that last day and overlooked it. I don't know if it needed to be refrigerated so we didn't risk eating it).

 

One thing that was very striking was the sense, in the last few days onboard, that the crew were gearing up for their season in China and - especially on the last day - that we might as well not have been on the ship! Others that we spoke with felt this, too. It's not easy to put into words, but it was like their attention was elsewhere. Certainly, when we arrived in Yokohama, the ship was full of 'visitors' and 'dignitaries' being shown around. When we went for dinner that night, we were practically ignored, as all the senior crew lined up at the door, welcoming these 'special people' into the YC restaurant and giving them the best of attention for the evening.

 

Another issue we encountered in the last week was, despite requesting that our food be served hot when ordering, we had to return it every evening. On the third occasion, Vincenzo brought out our hot dishes; I tried to explain the situation to him as I hadn't brought it to his attention before then. He kept saying "It's not a problem". I don't know if he meant that returning meals wasn't "a problem" but, for us, it was, so we decided to have a word with the head butler when we returned to YC that night. After that, our dishes came out so hot that they scorched the tablecloths!

 

I don't know if I've covered everything you wanted to know, Darcy. Please don't hesitate to ask anything else. I have photos of menus and food that we had; if you want I can post some random photos.

[Darcy15]

Thank you for taking the time to respond Bea, I appreciate it. Your comments on this cruise have been invaluable in helping me plan my own trip :)

 

That must have been a difficult experience in the YC. I experienced something similar on Preziosa last year....but this was only a 7 day cruise, so I can imagine that this being for so much longer emphasised the issue.

 

I keep myself to myself, so other passengers rarely impact on me......but this occasion was different! A male passenger, travelling with his mother, was a real ‘Walter Mitty’ type .......now, his tales might have been funny but they became ever more inventive and some themes were offensive to me. He was also very loud, so hard to miss......he would capture any unsuspecting passenger, but I think my body language gave him the message to leave me alone :rolleyes:

 

By about day 3 I wanted to lob him overboard......and though the butlers were incredibly professional I suspect they felt the same......he was running them ragged with endless demands and moans. Throughout the trip I never heard his poor mother speak, don’t think she had an opportunity bless her. If this had been for 28 days, I would have been driven crazy!!

[Beamafar]

It's quite difficult to avoid people when they won't let you - which was the case with one of the couple I mentioned (they are gay so I can't say the male or the female in this instance as they were both male). Despite my efforts to ignore him, he would make comments like "Oh, I see Bea is busy" as I'd bury my head in my phone when I'd see him coming. Often times it seemed that some of his remarks were sneering.

 

I drank a lot of milk on this cruise due to stomach problems; he was incredulous at that late one night when we were sitting in the smoking area in TSL and I told him it was milk when he asked what I was drinking. A few nights later, DH and I headed into the area with drinks in hand; unfortunately he and his partner were already there (you can't see into the area until you get to the 'entrance'), luckily, sitting at the far end, so we sat in the near seats, me with my back to them, when he commented "Oh, not drinking milk tonight, Bea". I felt like telling him to mind his own business and that my back was to him for a reason. There were many other instances, which I won't go into, but I think you get the drift.

 

Anyway, hopefully you won't experience any unpleasantness on your trip, Darcy. I'm glad that I helped in some way and, if there's anything else, just ask. Thanks for being patient with me, bytheway. :)

[emmas gran]

Hi Bea & Darcy

Thx for the posts Bea, we have met people like you mention wanting to be the centre of attention!!

Darcy we are in YC so at least there will be someone to talk to in English. Did you get you flights sorted?

Liz

[Darcy15]

Hi Bea & Darcy

Thx for the posts Bea, we have met people like you mention wanting to be the centre of attention!!

Darcy we are in YC so at least there will be someone to talk to in English. Did you get you flights sorted?

Liz[/

 

 

Nice to hear you’ll be in YC :)

 

Not sorted my flight yet.....will fly Emirates, but can’t decide between the 20:00 Narita or the later one from Haneda :confused:

 

What flight have you gone for?

[emmas gran]

We are on Narita flight on April 29th as we have 2 nights in Tokyo T/agent has done Mt Fuji tour on 28th. We didn’t fancy the later flight.

Liz

[HappyInVan]

On 5/23/2018 at 6:38 AM, Beamafar said:

He eventually got back onto the bus and sat down. In the meantime, it transpired that the luggage compartment wouldn't accommodate all the luggage so the seating immediately behind the driver became a luggage compartment! I imagined Mr Swiss blowing a gasket at the sight of this! It turned out that there was a jump-seat across the steps down from the front seats, which the tour guide used, so the Swiss couple could very well have taken the seats behind the driver. Later, we found out that it was himself and the wife who had the early flight! :eek:

 

Thanks.

 

Does not inspire confidence in the MSC shore excursion team, or in multinational cruises.

[CruisingFox27]

Storage space for luggage is a regular issue for lots of transfers, we recently had a similar experience with hotel shuttles. The volume of passenger luggage is the issue rather than the operating company or the passenger nationality. 

[nanwel]

I have just finished reading your review on MSC Splendida.

I am on her from Shanghai to Dubai in Feb 2020.

Single lady from Canada - not in YC - that may be a problem? Too late to upgrade now - they charge me for 2 - so makes it too much.

Have been to many of the ports in past, but loved most of them and look forward to seeing them again. Last trip was on Seabourn, so a much smaller ship..haha.

Thank you for your article - gave me some insight on what to expect - Have been on many cruises, not usually keen on huge ships, but the price was good for this cruise.

Have not booked any out trips yet.... will see.

Thanks! 

[CruisingFox27]

On 1/5/2020 at 4:22 PM, nanwel said:

I have just finished reading your review on MSC Splendida.

I am on her from Shanghai to Dubai in Feb 2020.

Single lady from Canada - not in YC - that may be a problem? Too late to upgrade now - they charge me for 2 - so makes it too much.

Have been to many of the ports in past, but loved most of them and look forward to seeing them again. Last trip was on Seabourn, so a much smaller ship..haha.

Thank you for your article - gave me some insight on what to expect - Have been on many cruises, not usually keen on huge ships, but the price was good for this cruise.

Have not booked any out trips yet.... will see.

Thanks! 

 

It isn't an issue if you're not in YC. We've sailed YC and non YC, although YC is a fabulous experience, we've had excellent cruises without being in YC. Our last sailing on Splendida was not in YC and we had a great trip.

We're also on the Shanghai to Dubai cruise and very much looking forward to it.

[nanwel]

Too bad our cruise critic get together is so late into the cruise - would be nice to meet everyone sooner.

Wonder if they would consider moving it up a bit? Day 9 our cruise is 1/3 over.

Am I the only one thinking that is not a good day?? What about the Tues 18th? 

[CruisingFox27]

On 1/13/2020 at 2:46 PM, nanwel said:

Too bad our cruise critic get together is so late into the cruise - would be nice to meet everyone sooner.

Wonder if they would consider moving it up a bit? Day 9 our cruise is 1/3 over.

Am I the only one thinking that is not a good day?? What about the Tues 18th? 

 

I haven't seen any details regarding a CC M&M on our sailing. Is this an official M&M?