Current black card specialty dinner on seaside?

[LMaxwell]

Back to original question:  What restaurants are included on Seaside for the black card dinner, and is it anything on menu or a set "black card" menu? 

[Até]

You can choose from all the specialties except Tepannyaki. You can choose from the same set menu as the dining packages.  On my last sailing they let me order from the a la cart menu for 50% off, just like with the dining package.

[Selion]

16 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Back to original question:  What restaurants are included on Seaside for the black card dinner, and is it anything on menu or a set "black card" menu? 

All except for teppanyaki and chef's table.

 

The comp dinner you can select one item each for appetizers, entrees, and dessert.  There are items that are not included, and those can be ordered for 50% off the menu price.

[Até]

Yes, I forgot about Chef's Table, I didn't even see where that was held. Was it in Butcher's Cut?  It's not really a separate specialty restaurant, more of an experience.

Edited December 1, 2018 by Até

[js]

On 9/23/2018 at 7:40 PM, Aloha 1 said:

If both are Black status, a dinner each

 

Hi. We are sailing in YC in February and both Black status in same stateroom. Is it still that we both will get one dinner each not one per canin if both same Black status. 

 

Thank you.  

[Até]

Seaside is fairly rigid about one meal for two people per cabin, even if both in cabin are Black status.

[diesel1973]

Be very careful when booking your "free" Black Card meal. When we booked ours we were told it was 1 meal for 2 for each person in cabin so we booked 2 meals. First meal,no problem. Second meal,before ordering I explained to waiter we were using our second free meal. Waiter said he must check with supervisor,came back and said no problem.After dinner got check with charge for dinner.Asked for supervisor and his answer was "there must have been a misunderstanding". Went to GS and disputed charge and same old answer"there must have been a misunderstanding" and refused to remove charge! There was no misunderstanding. I understood that I was just had!!! Beware of their tricks! Happy cruising.

[sidari]

There was no trick, you are entitled to one meal each per cabin regardless of whether both of you had a Black card each, it has been that was now for over a year now.

[diesel1973]

20 minutes ago, sidari said:

There was no trick, you are entitled to one meal each per cabin regardless of whether both of you had a Black card each, it has been that was now for over a year now.

When I booked the cruise originally their policy stated a dinner for 2 for each Black Card member. They evidently changed the rules with no notification. The person booking the rest. stated it was dinner for 2 for each of us,the waiter checked with supervisor and he said "no problem" and you are telling me I was not tricked??? Get real!!!!!!

[sidari]

I only deal in real, for over 12 months there have been posts on these boards about the changes which came into effect in September 2017 the fact that you chose to ignore them is your fault alone. MSC did advise people via their websites about the change. You cannot now blame MSC staff for your failure.

[frank808]

On our b2b in july, it was explained clearly to us by concierge and specialty restaurant manager that we would ge one specialty meal per stateroom.  This is with all 3 of us being black card members.  Went to the steakhouse both sailings and enjoyed the fine meal. It was in better than our experience at chops on two different royal ships a few months prior.

 

Will definitely be sailing seaside again as we booked 4 cruises on board.  Best spa that I have used on a ship.  If the entertainment and yc rooms were better, I would say that it was in all respects, superior to sailing royal.  Rooms were smaller than the crown lofts that we like to sail in on ships that have them.  But the price is much cheaper than royal, so we trade price for space.  The yc experience has me hooked.

[Até]

Many people were caught up in the quiet removal of the second black card meal in late 2017.  Sidari, you sailed Seaside in December and got caught off guard also.  In the early weeks of confusion some people were able to get it and some were not.

[diesel1973]

40 minutes ago, Até said:

Many people were caught up in the quiet removal of the second black card meal in late 2017.  Sidari, you sailed Seaside in December and got caught off guard also.  In the early weeks of confusion some people were able to get it and some were not.

Thank you for explaining this to the self-appointed spokesman for MSC because evidently I was getting no-where with him.If I was told different on the ship by numerous people then that is what I should have received! MSC is so inconsistent with their policies one wonders what they will get.Never went thru this trouble on 30+ cruises and don't plan on again.Some people just don't get it!!!

[Beamafar]

Problem is that they're not consistent in enforcing the policy.  We received 2 vouchers in our cabin on our Poesia sailing last September.  As I've said before, I believe they're doing this on ships where the speciality restaurants aren't popular (or, perhaps when there are very few Black Card holders onboard, which was also the case on that cruise).  I reckon there are just too many Black Card holders sailing on Seaside (with very many of them being status-matchers) hence the enforcement of the policy on that ship.

[sidari]

Ate ... As I have said We were lucky getting two vouchers as you will have read elsewhere on other posts. Having sailed on previous cruises with the same VC rep may have had a bearing on it but I have no idea 

We are expecting to receive one voucher for two meals on Divina over Xmas and are not expecting anything more.

As Bea says the meal for two per black card holder was reduced after the inception of status match.

Diesel ... As for being the self appointed MSC Spokesman as you claim, it is no one else's fault that you ignored what many people had posted!

Edited December 11, 2018 by sidari

[Até]

I was somewhat caught by the change also, Sidari's posts from late December/early January clued me in.  I know Diesel1973 sailed Seaside in early January so probably did not see it come up here.  I'm not trying to explain anything to anyone, just saying we all found out in different ways and it was not in advance from MSC.  And yes some people still get a second meal, sometimes because the people they know and sometimes because the ship's venue is limited.  Seaside specialty restaurants sell well enough that MSC is currently not commonly offering it there.  I'm going to try on Divina, but I already booked specialty packages for Meraviglia.

[sidari]

It will be interesting to see what happens on Divina because on our previous sailing Eataly and the Italian restaurant was empty virtually every night.

[diesel1973]

I did not ignore anything!!! At the time of the cruise in Jan. there was some confusion as to what the policy was. This is why I checked the policy before booking the rest. and again at the rest. before dining. Was told by a supervisor that we would get the dinner free before eating and then presented with a bill!!! What don't you get??? I propose you need to think before you start shaking those MSC pom-poms. If bait and switch is what you think is right and enjoy,knock yourself out!!

[Até]

32 minutes ago, sidari said:

It will be interesting to see what happens on Divina because on our previous sailing Eataly and the Italian restaurant was empty virtually every night.

Again you will be sailing a bit before me, so I look forward to hearing what they offer.

[Beamafar]

I'm just hoping we get at least one complimentary meal for 2 in the newly introduced speciality restaurant on Armonia in January!  🤗  The food offerings are right up my street!  😄

[stoneman56]

There is no confusion. We are on Seaside now and both Blacks. It’s one meal per cabin. What I am pleased about is that because we are on a 2 week cruise we get it twice, as well as all the other Black goodies. 

[Beamafar]

There absolutely is confusion when people have different experiences, depending on which ship they're sailing.  Several people (including myself) have had 2 complimentary meals for 2 since the reduction - out of 3 cruises we've done since the introduction of the new policy, we have been offered 2 vouchers twice and 1 voucher once - on Orchestra & Poesia for the former and on Splendida for the latter.

 

ETA - I was being tongue-in-cheek about getting the Black Card benefit meal for 2 on Armonia - it's the first time a speciality restaurant has been on a Lirica-class ship so no-one would have any experience of it as yet (well, up 'til yesterday, that is, when she first sailed with an SR onboard).

Edited December 11, 2018 by Beamafar

[sidari]

Diesel ... Did you sign the bill you say you were given ? If not then you can not have it charged to your bill!

Did you get your pom poms for being a status match black card holder ? I want some.

[frank808]

1 hour ago, Até said:

I was somewhat caught by the change also, Sidari's posts from late December/early January clued me in.  I know Diesel1973 sailed Seaside in early January so probably did not see it come up here.  I'm not trying to explain anything to anyone, just saying we all found out in different ways and it was not in advance from MSC.  And yes some people still get a second meal, sometimes because the people they know and sometimes because the ship's venue is limited.  Seaside specialty restaurants sell well enough that MSC is currently not commonly offering it there.  I'm going to try on Divina, but I already booked specialty packages for Meraviglia.

We were on Seaside June 30 to July 14 and butchers cut was pretty empty the two times we ate there.  Just looking in from the elevator bank it was not busy most of the time.  Now the roy yamauchi teppanyaki was pretty crowded whenever I looked.  

[Joken35]

Butcher Cut was empty when we were on th Seaside in October as well.