MSC has announced a new Vice-President of Food & Beverages

[Beamafar]

Hopefully this will be a step in the right direction and we can look forward to a shake-up on the menus' front:

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20859-van-staden-joins-msc-as-vice-president-of-food-and-beverage.html

Edited May 15, 2019 by Beamafar

[Epos Man]

and a revision back to the great drinks packages we used to have( oops just woken from a lovely dream)

 

Oh and he is from Celebrity so expect prices to really rocket

Edited May 15, 2019 by Epos Man

[ready2cruzagain]

3 hours ago, Beamafar said:

Hopefully this will be a step in the right direction and we can look forward to a shake-up on the menus' front:

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20859-van-staden-joins-msc-as-vice-president-of-food-and-beverage.html

 

Everytime I have seen a shake up in the menu's on any cruise line, in the norm, it is far worse.  Be careful what you wish for!😱

Edited May 15, 2019 by ready2cruzagain

[dexddd]

So, is JVS Culinary group named after him?  It says he joined but it has his initials - coincidence?  

 

Of the concepts developed by them, I haven't heard of any of them but maybe I don't get out enough.

[Beamafar]

17 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

Everytime I have seen a shake up in the menu's on any cruise line, in the norm, it is far worse.  Be careful what you wish for!😱

 

You may be right - he may have been brought in to design more budget-friendly menus - getting more for less (for the company, that is - certainly not for the guests!)

[thecruisers6]

With a bit of luck MSC have looked into any criminal convictions this time. Unlike the last big announcement who had spent 5 months in prison 🙄

[rkacruiser]

Ah, I am not so impressed with this news.  HAL recently hired a new V-P for Food and Beverage.  My experience with "food and beverage" on Nieuw Statendam in January was disappointing.  Odd MDR dinner menu selections, favorite wines long offered--gone, and the new wines of the same type available--more expensive.

 

HAL has in recent years been trying to "fix things that were not broken".  Has the "disease" now spread to MSC?  

[ready2cruzagain]

25 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Ah, I am not so impressed with this news.  HAL recently hired a new V-P for Food and Beverage.  My experience with "food and beverage" on Nieuw Statendam in January was disappointing.  Odd MDR dinner menu selections, favorite wines long offered--gone, and the new wines of the same type available--more expensive.

 

HAL has in recent years been trying to "fix things that were not broken".  Has the "disease" now spread to MSC?  

 

Uhoh, and we are looking at Holland in 2020 Would love to do MSC but drink pkg not included yet and I am ready to book.

[rkacruiser]

9 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

Uhoh, and we are looking at Holland in 2020 Would love to do MSC but drink pkg not included yet and I am ready to book.

 

My experience:  when one books a cruise that includes a drink package--at least on HAL-- the price has always been higher than when booked the same cruise, the same stateroom category, without the beverage package.  My opinion:  to gain the full benefit of a beverage package on HAL, your on-board address would be at the Ocean Bar, etc.  (Note:  others will disagree with me.)

 

I simply have no experience with MSC to offer any suggestions.  I still don't totally understand their different "experience" categories when one books.  My interest was in Yacht Club based upon what I have learned and have not delved into the details of the other "experiences".

 

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by rkacruiser

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Hi Bea,

 

I believe this is a great move in the right direction.  You and I both know the kitchens (galleys) on MSC have been erratic although I have noticed a distinct improvement over two years ago.  The menus are getting more impressive recently.  Some of the recent menus on the new ships have impressed me (having worked professionally in some great kitchens over my lifetime).  

[Beamafar]

4 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Hi Bea,

 

I believe this is a great move in the right direction.  You and I both know the kitchens (galleys) on MSC have been erratic although I have noticed a distinct improvement over two years ago.  The menus are getting more impressive recently.  Some of the recent menus on the new ships have impressed me (having worked professionally in some great kitchens over my lifetime).  

 

Hi CGT

 

I truly hope so.  I agree that the menus have improved over the years, generally speaking.  We certainly enjoyed most of our meals on Armonia recently and the food on Meraviglia (YC) was so good, I was tempted to order seconds on many occasions (that's a rarity, and, unfortunately I couldn't - I can't eat a lot in one sitting).

[dexddd]

16 hours ago, thecruisers6 said:

With a bit of luck MSC have looked into any criminal convictions this time. Unlike the last big announcement who had spent 5 months in prison 🙄

Martha Stewart or someone else?  Oh wait, some took offense to the truth.

[Capricruiser]

I'm afraid it's another step in the de-italianization of MSC. 

[emmas gran]

Hi

we just did Splendida Dubai to Tokyo in March/April as Beamafar did last year. When we arrived in Hong Kong a gentleman joined the cruise wearing a MSC pin in his lapel.

 

Later that day he  came into Top Sail Lounge and me being me went over and introduced myself and asked who he was, it turned out he was a VP of Hotel Operations.

My husband and I chatted with him for a while and he had come onboard to oversee the Japanese transition later in the cruise.

A lot of guests chatted with him regarding food quality in YC and saying it really wasn’t up to standard, he took all comments and said things were going to change and watch for announcement so I assume that this is it. We can expect a total overhaul of the menus and lots of improvements.

 

The guy we spoke to is ex Celebrity and having done 20+ cruises with them we knew a few of his friends from those days a couple of them have moved to MSC

 

Liz

[GOLDENBONNY]

I hope they not gonna turn MSC to another "american" line. I loved food on MSC if I want Carnival,I book Carnival. They need new IT crew not food crew. 

[emmas gran]

On both MSC cruises in YC we have cruised this year the food has been the big letdown. However food is subjective and they had 3 goes at serving me mussels au gratin that I could eat without the aid of a hammer to get through the topping, in the end I gave up. I am one of those people that likes hot food served on hot plates and this was a rare occurrence.

[sidari]

8 hours ago, Beamafar said:

 

Hi CGT

 

I truly hope so.  I agree that the menus have improved over the years, generally speaking.  We certainly enjoyed most of our meals on Armonia recently and the food on Meraviglia (YC) was so good, I was tempted to order seconds on many occasions (that's a rarity, and, unfortunately I couldn't - I can't eat a lot in one sitting).

The food on the second week of our Divina cruise over Xmas and New year was pitiful, no idea if they changed chefs after Xmas but there was a marked difference between the two weeks. Pastry Chefs is where they need to start, having the same things as in 2012 is not good.

[Beamafar]

1 minute ago, sidari said:

The food on the second week of our Divina cruise over Xmas and New year was pitiful, no idea if they changed chefs after Xmas but there was a marked difference between the two weeks. Pastry Chefs is where they need to start, having the same things as in 2012 is not good.

 

The food on Orchestra in Dec 2017 was dreadful, too, despite the menus containing the same items that we're used to.

[sfaaa]

5 hours ago, Capricruiser said:

I'm afraid it's another step in the de-italianization of MSC. 

How so? Celebrity has good Italian food. 

[vtgumby]

YAY is what I say, I'm sad to say our food on Preziosa YC was pretty poor and again, we didn't starve but it was completely without taste on the majority of items hence the overuse of salt and any sauce I could find to jazz it up.

Celebrity has had great food in our experience albeit mostly BLU, the aqua suite restaurant bu including their buffet and this was one place MSC must improve...when they asked us and we honestly answered on quality of food the response was 'we serve an international crowd' and that was just so crazy, my reply was 'so do all the other cruise lines' and they manage it and honestly, on our 21 day cruise it was the 'international' crowd that was complaining, we were minority Americans who said nothing until asked and then after asked pretty much rejected with the answer.

🙂

YAY again, something has to change foodwise and not 'we serve an international crowd' to explain tasteless food, my best food experiences have been international including India and Asia, try some of that international spice!