Yacht Clubbing On the MSC Seaside, 3/30

[floridian1]

21 minutes ago, dexddd said:

I can only speak of the Delta terminal - when we arrived the place was a mob scene.  Not enough room for everyone.  On way back there was this huge line of people outside waiting to check bags.  Inside was packed too.  Then back to gate areas and packed, limited restaurant selection.  Gate agents thoroughly confused.

Sounds like you just experienced a bad day there. We fly fll and also mia often and while it's not the most up-to-date, 3rd world is an extreme exaggeration lol. 

Edited April 10, 2019 by floridian1

[dexddd]

1 minute ago, floridian1 said:

Sounds like you just experienced a bad day there. We fly fll and also mia often and while it's not the most up-to-date, 3rd world is an extreme exaggeration lol. 

Yeah, I'm joking, but when we pulled up to the place and saw the huge line outside, then the pushing and terminal clearly not designed for the number of people that were there, it reminded me of being in a Latin American country circa 1980s.  A pickpocket's dream.

[Aloha 1]

One quick comment on the NCAA games. I did come prepared based on other comments in this forum about "hacking" the suite TV. using my wife's makeup mirror, I found where the HDMI ports were on TV back and also the white telephone type jack that connected the TV to the ship's programming. With the TV off, I disconnected the white cord, plugged in my HDMI cable, and connected my iPhone to the other end. I then opened the NCAA March madness app on my phone and began streaming the game to the TV! Worked pretty good considering we were at sea and others had the same idea. We watched the entire Michigan State vs Duke game.

Old San Juan

 

 Captain De Palma made all deliberate speed toward Puerto Rico and we arrived about 4 PM, docking at 4:20 PM. After the ship quickly cleared customs we were escorted down to disembark from the YC. exiting the terminal we grabbed a cab to El Morro and arrived at 5 PM. We spent the hour until closing touring the fort while I gave a history lesson to my children and grandkids about it. From the fort we made our way to Barrachina for dinner. yes it's a tourist trap but with 11 people and picky grandkids the pricing was more in line with our group. The food was good and local. I would stay away from the Mofongo however. I expected a softer consistency since the description said "mashed plantains" but the dish served could stand in for an NHL hockey puck. Oh well, the Pina Coladas were delicious. After dinner we wandered through the shopping area and visited the shops that were still open then made our way back to the ship and the YC Lounge. There is a great husband and wife duo playing in the YC every night for the next 8 months. Enjoying the music we had after dinner drinks and chocolate truffles from Venchi put out` after 9 PM every night.

 

Sint Maarten

 Our plan here was to leave the ship about 9:15 AM, grab a cab and head to Maho ( Sunset) Beach to watch the planes fly in. If you've never done this it's a lot of fun. The beach is right at the edge of the runway and the planes look like they're landing right on top of you. There were a variety of small prop planes coming in between 9:30 AM and 11 AM. Our target was the Jet Blue Airbus due in at 10:48 AM. Fortunately we were at Maho by 9:50 Am because Jet Blue was Waay ahead of schedule, landing at 10:15 AM. Talk about loud.. The last event there was the take off of a Caribbean Air 737. My son was standing at the edge of the beach and road and when the jet took off the backwash blew his hat off his head and sailed 50 yards into the ocean!. Fortunately one of the kids in the water grabbed it.

 

We returned to port and wandered the shops a bit before returning to the ship for lunch. The ship promptly sailed a little after 2 PM. Some of our group went to the show that evening and some to the casino. The shows have been well covered elsewhere but the general comment that they tend to look the same is true. According to my children, the 10:45 PM Beerprov adult show was a hoot and worth going to.

[seapad]

Hey Aloha1, which internet package did you get? Is it the basic one, or the upgraded one? (I forgot what they are called). They all state that the service does not allow streaming, so I'm so glad to hear that we can actually stream from the phone..yay. 

 

[Aloha 1]

1 hour ago, seapad said:

Hey Aloha1, which internet package did you get? Is it the basic one, or the upgraded one? (I forgot what they are called). They all state that the service does not allow streaming, so I'm so glad to hear that we can actually stream from the phone..yay. 

 

It was the Premium 6 Gig, 4 devices package. Some of the fastest internet I've ever had at sea.

[FMZ]

Following along and enjoying your review!! 

[Aloha 1]

Just realized I skipped over St. Thomas, so:

 

St. Thomas

 

After San Juan we docked at St. Thomas, capital of the USVI. We chose the ship's excursion to St. John  and Trunk Bay since none of our grandkids had ever ben there, they used a fast cat ferry type boat there and back, and being a ship tour we had no worries of missing the boat. Ride over and back was very smooth. Docking at St. John, we boarded the safari taxis for the ride to Trunk bay. The entire island of St. John is a National Park even though there are privately owned condos and houses. At trunk bay we were given a brief safety lecture, issued snorkel gear and set out to find fish. Having been to Trunk bay before, I was saddened to see the devastation wrought by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Although the beach is still wide and beautiful, the coral has basically been decimated. There were very few fish present. Trunk would make for a nice short beach visit but it will be years before the coral recovers and you need coral to find fish. I did not have a chance to talk to anyone who might have snorkeled elsewhere so idea how widespread the damage in the USVI is.

 

Returning to the ship, we grabbed a quick bite at the YC Grill and headed off ship to Havensight Mall where we were docked. Years ago, before the shipside mall was built, you had to go into Charlotte Amalie to shop and it was a real treat with great bargains on jewelry and booze. Now, with Havensight, most of those stores have opened up shops there. On exception is Cardow which still only has it's shop on Front Street - and worth a cab ride.

When in St. Thomas, I always scout out single malt scotch and some Cruzan rum. Both are generally priced well below mainland pricing. This trip I scored a bottle of Talisker scotch for almost $25 less than I could buy at Total Wine. Also a liter of Courvoisier 

$40 less than mainland. You typically find some rums, etc. that you cannot find on the mainland. My shop of choice is Dynasty for two reasons. First, they have very good prices and second, the post their prices. wander through the other shops that sell booze and you will see no prices posted - rip off alert.

 

Booty in hand, I headed back to Seaside and security fully expecting my haul to be "confiscated". Surprise, went thru the process and emerged, booty in hand and returned to our cabin. YMMV.

[Aloha 1]

Sea Day #2 

 

Sea Day #2 went just like the first, ie; kick back and enjoy the day. The YC pool on Deck 19 has ample wind breaks and is a great venue for lounging. With the grill nearby and waiters never letting your glass get empty it was heaven. At lunch that day, lobster tails were being grilled! That afternoon, the adult Beerprov group put on a family friendly show with volunteers from the audience. My 12 year old budding actor/comedian grandson was selected for a pantomime  slow motion skit which was right up his alley. This is a kid who practices facial expressions in a mirror and loved this cruise because there were so many accents he could mimic. His mother was asked what one thing does he not do and she said "clean up his dishes". So the skit was called the "cleaning the Dishes Olympics" complete with play by play announcers. Let's just say, Nathan, nailed it. The audience and the beerprov group were rolling with laughter. If you are going with kids, don't miss this. Dinner that evening featured Prime Rib and Lobster. and Pistachio Crusted Rack Of Lamb. I found all to be prepared perfectly. An after dinner visit to the casino ended the day..and part of my bank roll. Oh, well, one more chance to back tomorrow.

 

Nassau

 

Until Ocean Cay opens this November, I think MSC is using Nassau as a placeholder. We've been here so many times over the years we don't even bother to get off the ship. Our kids did however. One son was on the hunt for Bahamian Conch Fritters and the others went on a glass bottom boat trip that they enjoyed. We had originally thought about the Atlantis Water Park  but with only 4 1/2 hours at a price of $155 per person, it just did not make sense. Plus there were 5 ships docked that day which meant crowds. I had also read that the upkeep of the water park had slipped. So, some early packing, one final pre dinner martini in the YC Lounge, and a last stand at the casino rounded out the day.

 

Disembarcation

 

Saturday morning came all too early. the ship docked about 6:30 AM but was not cleared until almost 7:30 AM. Two of my kids had flights out of Miami at 10:30 AM and here's where another YC perk came in very handy. With 5500 passengers all trying to get off at the same time, having a YC butler escort right to the front of the line was priceless. Kids made it to MIA with time to spare. The rest of us enjoyed a sit down breakfast in the YC restaurant and then left the ship at 8:15 AM. Customs at Port of Miami has changed since I was last through there. No more booths with passport control. Now, you get your picture taken which apparently is matched to your passport photo and off you go to collect your luggage and leave. No forms at all. Bags in hand, we headed for our cars and north to Orlando. 

[Aloha 1]

Final Thoughts And Comments

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on Seaside. The YC was definitely all it was advertised to be and made the cruise all the better. I don't think I'd ever book another MSC cruise without being in the YC. Speaking of which, my last stand in the casino got me a 30% discount certificate for a future cruise which we booked for December - in the Yacht Club! So, some general comments:

 

FOOD - I found the portions ample and the quality very good. Steaks cooked to order and seafood just right. The buffet on deck 8 is the larger of the two and had a quite good variety of dishes from salad to burgers and dogs to stir fries and pizza. And plenty of desserts. Heard from others that the MDR was also good.

 

ON BOARD SERVICES -  The YC Concierge handled all our inquiries and bookings with efficiency. Our stateroom was cleaned twice per day, once during breakfast and again during dinner. The YC butler service differs from other lines in that ALL the butler staff is at your service constantly. MSC uses technology throughout the ship. At Teppanyaki, our bill was on a hand held device and all we did was sign. No paper needed. We were only asked for our cruise card when we bought or ordered something outside the YC.

 

SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS -  The former French Bistro is vacant and the tables and chairs just provide some extra seating. It's apparent that this concept did not go over and MSC will be rethinking this space. As I commented earlier the Teppanyaki dining was terrific. We did not eat in the Pan Asian side but we are very familiar with Roy Yamaguchi's menu having lived on Maui. If the YC wasn't so good we would have spent an evening there. We had planned to eat at Butchers Cut but frankly the steaks had in YC were good enough that we skipped it.. Ocean Cay 's menu is apparently getting a revamp to add a few more items. I felt personally that the menus in both Butchers Cut and Ocean Cay were overpriced, but then I did not partake so hard to say if the pricing is justified by the quality.

 

SHIPS OFFICERS - From Captain De Palma on down we found the officers very approachable and friendly. 

 

KIDS ACTIVITIES -  My Grandkids all participated in their respective Kids Club groups and enjoyed it. The Jungle Pool area and Splash Pad were well tricked out and the water slides and zip line were also big hits. The South Beach Pool showed family friendly movies at night like Beauty And The Beast and Pirates of The Caribbean.

 

BARS - Plenty! And all of them also had an espresso machine. Drinks were far from stingy with ample pours. the drink men us were quite broad and if you wanted something not on the menu ( like a Mudslide) they could make it.

 

YC STATEROOMS - Plenty of space and storage. Larger than a standard balcony and much larger than a standard balcony on RCL, NCL, or Princess.

 

CONCLUSION - Would we sail MSC again? Absolutely, and we are. The YC is 4 star cruising at a price level equal to an RCL standard balcony.  So, bear with the work in  progress that is the MSC website and Miami based ground staff. They will get better. MSC is definitely in the North American market to challenge the established lines. With new ships on the horizon, I believe they will be a major player in the next few years and hopefully will cause the other lines to improve their service and lower prices.

 

Well, that's it. Hope you enjoyed the read and feel free to ask me any questions you might have.

Edited April 11, 2019 by Aloha 1

[seapad]

Such a wonderful review, thanks Aloha 1! 
By the way, who's your waitperson? Any recommendation? We will be on YC in a few weeks. yay! 

[Beachin2]

Thank you for a great review.  We're your cabins on deck 16 or 18?  Any areas you saw or heard of to avoid due to noise or whatever?

[JAGR]

4 hours ago, seapad said:

Such a wonderful review, thanks Aloha 1! 
By the way, who's your waitperson? Any recommendation? We will be on YC in a few weeks. yay! 

We were on last month and March the year before.  We had Alessandra both times.  She is Italian and a delight!  Efficient service and quick to make recommendations to you.  It was amazing to watch her flip effortlessly between Italian, English, French and Spanish, depending on the table guests she had!

Edited April 11, 2019 by JAGR

[Nashna]

Thank you for your review.  A 30 percent discount in the casino would make losing a bit easier to take.  We are sailing the Davina in January.  The Yacht Club experience, as you describe it, is exactly what we are looking forward to.  Thanks for sharing.   

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Great review...thanks so much.

[Aloha 1]

4 hours ago, seapad said:

Such a wonderful review, thanks Aloha 1! 
By the way, who's your waitperson? Any recommendation? We will be on YC in a few weeks. yay! 

Actually we had several being we were a large group. We had two tables of 6 and they rotated staff to us based on what time we showed up. YC was booked full for this cruise. All of our wait staff were good. No Arthur, King, or others mentioned on this board. All have transitioned to other ships.

[Aloha 1]

2 hours ago, Beachin2 said:

Thank you for a great review.  We're your cabins on deck 16 or 18?  Any areas you saw or heard of to avoid due to noise or whatever?

Deck 16 and no noise whatsoever. If it's noise you want, try the South Beach area after 9 PM!

[cathep]

Nathan absolutely nailed it!  He took out the competition with a bottle of Dawn.  🤣

[bluefish17]

We were on the same cruise and completely agree with Aloha. Food quality in YC was very good, really enjoyed the lounge musicians. We had Andrei and Brendo for our waiters. They were excellent.

[DMH15]

Aloha 1, thanks so much for a very readable review.  One can just get a feel whether the reviewer's impressions vibe with the reader's and I definately could relate to a lot of what uou mentioned.   

 

I will be embarking in exactly a month.  First MSC YC solo. YAY. 

[Aloha 1]

19 hours ago, DMH15 said:

Aloha 1, thanks so much for a very readable review.  One can just get a feel whether the reviewer's impressions vibe with the reader's and I definately could relate to a lot of what uou mentioned.   

 

I will be embarking in exactly a month.  First MSC YC solo. YAY. 

Thank you for your kind reply. Enjoy your cruise!

[Aloha 1]

I did want to add one comment about the Arcade card. Unless you and your family are going to do the zip line and F1 racer every day of your cruise, I wouldn't waste the money. The arcade consists of two machine, a motorcycle ride game and a car arcing game. Also a claw machine. That's it. Two bowling alleys are also available for a fee. We never saw them used.

[RAC630]

On 4/9/2019 at 2:20 PM, seapad said:

Yes, Beamafar...i totally agree with you. It's getting ridiculous....the infamous to include or not include. 🙂 

I booked mine in May 2018. I know it's been mentioned before, but forgot...does anyone recalls what is the date that they stop grandfather the Venchi (supposedly)?  

I'll be on Seaside in mid-May. I'll see if their onboard YC staff can help filter out the answer....take it with a grain of salt, right? 

Only time will tell. 

I literally just got off the phone with the YC reservation desk and asked specifically if they grandfathered perks according to booking date and was told yes. I booked 7/18 for a 6/19 cruise and he said the date is on your booking/ cruise card and you would receive the appropriate perks and amenities.

[Aloha 1]

I can add that Hendricks Gin was NOT allowed as free in the YC, despite it being on the list pre 11/18.

[JAGR]

3 minutes ago, Aloha 1 said:

I can add that Hendricks Gin was NOT allowed as free in the YC, despite it being on the list pre 11/18.

Odd.  That's the gin I had the week of March 2nd cruise.  Beverage Manager at the M&M party cleared it and never had a problem.  Love MSC "consistent" policies and procedures!

[Beamafar]

Strange one, John.  Hendrick's is now in the Connoisseurs' Selection list since the introduction of the new packages.  (I used to enjoy Hendricks in YC and/or when we had the Deluxe package.  We have Prem+ booked for our next 2 cruises so I won't have to concern myself about what's included and what isn't  😜).