Seaside Yacht Club Dining Room was a HUGE let Down

[floridian1]

Early this month we sailed in the Yacht Club on the Seaside. I read the cruisecritic boards for about a year before our cruise and I found most other peoples experiences true for our cruise, except for one big thing: The Food in the Yacht club was not good - and the service in the restaurant was terribly slow. Also,  the matire d was absolutely horrible. Hands down the worst cruise food we have had in a dinning room on a cruise ship before (have sailed NCL, RCCL, Disney, Carnival, Princess)! We live in a major city and travel frequently, we are foodies who love good food whether that is at a mom and pop shop or an expensive restaurant. Yacht Club food was not good. We loved the rest of the YC experience though, even more so than the Haven. However, Haven's restaurant is much better than Yacht Club.

 

I was expecting so much better, we were really let down:

Food was tasteless!

Food did not always match description in the menu.

Some dishes were prepared wrong.

Service was painfully slow - even after bringing it to the servers attention many times.

We had to practically beg for refills of our drinks - reminding our serving team over and over.

The servers were nice however you can tell they are understaffed and overworked.

The maitre d only checked in and visited with select tables - not everyone!

 

Speaking of the maitre d - the one currently on the Seaside has a very unfortunate attitude. We were a table of 9. On the first afternoon when we boarded we were asked our preferred dining time for our group of 9 and we agreed on 730pm. We showed up at 7 and checked in to let them know that we would be in the lounge and to let us know when the table was ready. 7:30 came and went, 7:45 came and went, at 8 I went up to see how much longer. I was told maybe in another 10 minutes. Now it's 8:30pm. I go back upstairs and was told sorry, our group would have to eat at separate tables, that they could not accommodate our large group. WHAT!? After an hour of waiting past the time we were told? At this point we are starving and we have a show we need to catch in an hour so we sit down at two separate tables and were pretty shocked. After a few minutes  I notice a row of four 2 tops no one is sitting at. I point this out to the maitre d and ask if he could move those together to accommodate our group, and that we are likely now going to be late for the show. His response to me with a very annoyed attitude was "No that won't work, we would have to move those tables together, that would not work. We will try to accommodate your group tomorrow. It is not my fault that another large party that got here at 5:45 is taking so long" at this point I am flabbergasted at his response. I am unsure if he is just having a bad night or if he just should not be employed in the hospitality industry, but I was upset.Not the way I envisioned my first dinner in the YC. That is not the way to be treating guests. I sit down and tell my husband I'm going to concierge to ask for the Yahct Club Manager. As soon as I finished my sentence the Maitre D shows back up and says. "we will move those tables together if that's what you want" I said absolutely that's what I want - thank you! As we stand up to move the couple dining at the table next to us tell me "good for you!". After dinner he asked us how our dinner was, and we said good thank you as we raced to meet a butler to take us to the show. That was it - he never approached our table the rest of the cruise. Unacceptable!!

 

We opted to eat at the Teppenyaki and Butchers Cut that week - received excellent service at both and the food was in a whole different level than the Yacht Club Food.

 

The buffet on the pool deck was nice, but also nothing special. We checked out the main buffet towards the end of the cruise and we thought the food tasted pretty good there! Infact we all felt the pastries in the regular buffet was alot fresher than what they were serving in the Yacht Club!

 

To end on a positive note: The server we had  for lunch the first day(I wish I kept his name!) asked us how dinner was going, and said he wished he was our server. We said we were pretty unimpressed to say the least. He asked if we liked Indian food? We said yes. He told us to come to the restaurant the last night of the cruise and that he was going to have the chef prepare something special for us. The last night, true to his word, they brought out several indian dishes as appetizers. This was the best tasting food we had in the YC dining room the entire week!

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by floridian1
spelling errors

[Até]

I see many valid points that I've also experienced.  Sure YC is like the MyChoice dining but they really try to steer people to an early and late seating.  So in addition to the large group I think 7:30 was a tough time because they won't ask early dining tables to vacate.  Even at the late 8:30 "seating" we've had trouble with people thinking they can just linger at the tables indefinitely.  While it really shouldn't happen there is significant variation in the skill level of the YC waiters and the senior staff often know frequent passengers and those tables often get more attention.  Do you know the maitre d's name?  My experience has been the quality is about the same as Haven on NCL, but I've not sailed under the new YC menus.  I wouldn't say they prepared dishes wrong, just different than what I was expecting.  The totally inaccurate descriptions were annoying.  There's definitely room for some improvement in both the YC & MDR  dining experience but it won't stop me from sailing MSC.

[rkacruiser]

A rather discouraging review for a booked guest on MSC Meraviglia's YC in January.  But, if there is anything that I have learned from my decades of cruising, its the management and Executive Chef of the dining facility in which I am patronizing that will have a major influence on my dining experiences.  Some are great; some are OK; some should have sailed on the Titanic.

[floridian1]

I don't have the maitre d name. After that first night he never came near our table again. If someone was on the June 8 sailing please chime in. He was in maybe late 50s, bald or very little hair. 

[floridian1]

23 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

A rather discouraging review for a booked guest on MSC Meraviglia's YC in January.  But, if there is anything that I have learned from my decades of cruising, its the management and Executive Chef of the dining facility in which I am patronizing that will have a major influence on my dining experiences.  Some are great; some are OK; some should have sailed on the Titanic.

Despite this poor review on the dining room we would sail msc yc again...our expectations of the food in the YC would just have to be significantly lower going into it than what it was going into this cruise.  The rest of the experience was very good.  

Edited July 1, 2019 by floridian1

[rkacruiser]

29 minutes ago, floridian1 said:

Despite this poor review on the dining room we would sail msc yc again...our expectations of the food in the YC would just have to be significantly lower going into it than what it was going into this cruise.  The rest of the experience was very good.  

 

Thanks for your comment.  I will sail Meraviglia with an open mind.  I am well aware of the variations in shipboard experiences that guests experience depending upon the itinerary and the "big-wigs" on the ship.  I expect an excellent experience.  If that is what happens, I will surely post it.  If it is not, I will also surely post it as well.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I agree, the dining room is not Yacht Club's shining star.  The rest of the experience is excellent.  The dining room service and food are ordinary.

[mnocket]

Thanks for the review.  After reading several dining reviews similar to yours, I've adjusted my expectations for my first YC cruise this Sept.  While there is some variation in quality and service among the mainstream lines, I've pretty much come to accept that unless you sail a true luxury line you shouldn't expect a fine dining experience.   I'm happy to hear that the rest of the YC experience lived up to expectations.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Floridian’s dining experience perfectly illustrates how much rides on the Chef and the Maitre D’.  As MSC expands so do the demands in the catering department.  Floridian experienced that gap between well trained personnel and a work in progress.  Hopefully the new Food and Beverage Manager will remedy the situation. Floridian’s situation sounds to me that the problem was mostly in the galley (kitchen) with the competency of the kitchen crew.  Most of the Maitre D’s On MSC are very good.  The Maitre D’ that Floridian describes certainly needs to be replaced.  A good Maitre D’ is worth his weight in gold as he or she is in command of the waiters.  The Maitre D’ is responsible for assembling the wait team that will be the most effective in the dining room...in one word...leadership.

[Hobby3333]

We sailed on the Seaside last July in YC and leaving again in YC on the Seaside Saturday.   We can disagree on tastes of the food and likes or dislikes of the menu.  That is ok and healthy.   But, I will expect very good service in the YC dining room.  Last years service was very good and if not this sailing I will speak to the Maitre D.   I am not a demanding person but will insist on quality service.  

[Selion]

Wow.  That was.... horrible.  Also highlights how crew members can make or break a cruise.  We were lucky to have a wonderful Maitre D and two great servers on Seaside last November.  They were so good that I consider Seaside YC dining experience the best we've had to now.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Perhaps we lucked out. We had great service every meal and we ate almost all of them in the YC except for breakfast twice when we had room service and one night in Butchers Cut. The servers and the Maitre D were all so very nice. We also ordered meals to split and for me extra desserts (my cruise temptation every time). The four of us had a really nice time on the ship and especially the YC. In comparison to the Haven my DH and I both felt we enjoyed the different meal each day aspect and did feel the YC staff was more welcoming to us than the Haven. I am not knocking the Haven but we loved YC more. 

 

 

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

5 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Floridian’s dining experience perfectly illustrates how much rides on the Chef and the Maitre D’.  As MSC expands so do the demands in the catering department.  Floridian experienced that gap between well trained personnel and a work in progress.  Hopefully the new Food and Beverage Manager will remedy the situation. Floridian’s situation sounds to me that the problem was mostly in the galley (kitchen) with the competency of the kitchen crew.  Most of the Maitre D’s On MSC are very good.  The Maitre D’ that Floridian describes certainly needs to be replaced.  A good Maitre D’ is worth his weight in gold as he or she is in command of the waiters.  The Maitre D’ is responsible for assembling the wait team that will be the most effective in the dining room...in one word...leadership.

 

I agree, the maitre d' and the servers can make or break the experience.  Just didn't have top quality with either one on my cruise last fall.  Was rather disappointing given the quality of the rest of the experience.  Going again in November.  Same ship (Seaside).  Will see how it goes.

[jcathers1]

We were on the same cruise, and I can't say I agree with all of this. We thought the food quality and preparation was fine. Some of it was quite good, others was just ok. None of it was bad. We would put the YC restaurant on par with the Haven restaurant, which we liked. Again, taste in food is subjective. 

 

I agree that the service could have been speedier. Everyone had a good attitude; just seemed like there weren't quite enough folks to staff it adequately. It did seem slower than it did last June.

 

Regarding not being able to accommodate a larger party, I would have been upset about that, too. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

I suspect that the large party size was a factor in the poor service.  OP did all that they should have done, setting up a reservation and checking on it – but carving out the space for a large table impacts the dining room all night long.  A well run restaurant rolls with this, but it seems that this Maitre d' wasn't up to the job (in that or several other areas mentioned).

[Two Wheels Only]

My Seaside experience was very different from the OP's

 

Our embarkation lunch server wasn't great (or even good) but the one that we had for dinner was great. We requested him for the remainder of the cruise. We got to know him, the drink server, the bread person, etc. The maitre d' was very good as well but I know that the OP and I had a different one. The one that I had is currently on another ship. We were a party of 4 which may have made it easier but the staff knew where we like to be seated for breakfast and lunch (by the windows) and where we liked to be seated for dinner (overlooking the lounge and by the piano). We had our servers no matter where we were seated and they quickly learned our preferences. 

 

HOWEVER, we did see that the restaurant wasn't prepared for the large group that was on our sailing. The adults (roughly a dozen) sat at one table while their children (about 6 or 7) were seated nearby. The staff would assemble/disassemble tables when needed and it was a bit disorganized. IMO, the restaurant should have tables for large groups in a section of the restaurant. You can always put a small group at a large table if the large groups are gone. 

[Fredric22]

I have several friends who just got off of the same sailing.  They have cruised in the YC several times before.  They said the food in the YC restaurant was the best they have had to date.  The mentioned numerous menu improvements including better quality ingredients.  They also mentioned there was plenty of lobster, shrimp, and other premium items at the YC grill.   As always, food is subjective.  However, I think it is important to note that not everyone feels the same way about the YC restaurant and the new (more like modified) menus.

[dexddd]

We just got off Seaside Saturday and were also on in March.  The first day we noticed the menu had changed and the menus the trip slanted towards seafood.  When I saw the menu and didn't see any type of everyday items with beef the first day, I was like uh oh, this is going to be a problem.

 

However, they did have an insert a couple nights with beef, chicken, etc., but it wasn't every night.  They did have one lobster night.  Food is subjective and while IMO not as good as the prior menu, we were able to find pretty decent things each night.  One night the maitre D was also making pasta which appeared to be delivered to all the tables.  

 

As far as service, it was hit or miss and I don't blame this on the direct wait staff.  I saw it as a combination of a couple things from what I could gather. 

 

There were just plain more people eating at the time we were compared to March.  The wait staff clearly had more work to do than they could handle so with a full restaurant it will be a challenge for them.  I also suspect something with location or serving of dishes in those areas we can't see - i.e. ship design or process related.  If something wasn't done right, they typically noticed it and apologized.  Drink service at dinner used to be a fairly common complaint on the boards but it was very prompt and better than March.

 

The pool food we thought was overall better than March and the dinner party there was VERY good IMO.  I wished I had just skipped the regular dinner and just eaten there.

 

I'm sure a few more thoughts will come to mind but that is most of it.

[mafig]

I thought the food in the YC was OK.  

I do recall two big misses.  On Divina my dh had raw lobster.  Not once, not twice.....it took them three times to get it cooked.  I on the other hand enjoyed mine, and I have to say the tails were a large size, larger than anything I've had on other lines.  What was strange was the next day our waiter was a bit standoffish.....like he was annoyed that dh kept sending his raw lobster back.

On Seaside the Prime Rib was terrible.  Tough and they put gravy over it.  Our waiter told us that they partially cook it in advance then put it on a grill to finish it then pour sauce over it.  It was not good.

 

Our other meals were pretty good.  Not outstanding.  Except for a couple of really good selections in the YC grille. 

 

Still LOVE the YC and want to go back ..... after the island is finally finished.

[rkacruiser]

13 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Floridian’s dining experience perfectly illustrates how much rides on the Chef and the Maitre D’.  

 

I wonder how many times I have posted such comments on CC that states CGTNORMANDIE's same comments.

 

What has become the most irritating of the cruise experience for me?  It's the inconsistency of the experience in all Departments  of the ship.  This comment applies to all of the cruise lines on which I have sailed.

 

Why am I most likely to book a hotel room at a property connected with Marriott International?  There is a standard of consistency of experience that I experience that is at the "price point" for that Brand that I expect.  A Courtyard by Marriott experience has sometimes even been exceeded by a following Fairfield Inn stay. 

 

There is a consistent "QUALITY" factor that all of the cruise lines seem to have lost sight of, probably on a Corporate level,  as the Companies have increased the size of their fleets.   

[floridian1]

Sure taste is subjective but quality food and quality service is not. I wish our experience would have been different. We were really looking forward to the YC dining room and expected better. Like I mentioned we received great service and food at the speciality restaurant and the restaurant manager there was friendly and visited everyone from what i saw so MSC has what it takes to excel. 

 

Adding to my dissapointment was how our big group was treated. We usually cruise as a group of 8 or 9 and it has NOT been an issue on any other cruise line. I really think this is because YC is understaffed, which is unfortunate for both the cruiser and the staff. Everyone in the YC including our servers were very nice (except maitre d - does someone have his name?) I really think this is a leadership issue 100%.

 

The purpose of the post was just to make people aware that it is possible that they may not get "spectacular" experience in the YC restaurant and I hope MSC improves, Im rooting for them! I don't doubt those of you that had a great experience....I hope it becomes consistently good for EVERY passenger in the YC. The dining room needs to be consistently good like the rest of the YC experience which we can all agree is fantastic! MSC needs to strive for consistency and better leadership in all areas.

 

We had a fantastic cruise otherwise. We really liked the ship and the rest of the YC experience was great. We will sail YC again soon. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Thank you RKA.  I agree; consistency is the ultimate goal.  I believe the root of the problem is rapid growth.  The labor demands are mind boggling.  Just the four ships in the Fantasia Class and the four ships in Meraviglia Class require more than 15,000 crew members.  Almost 10,000 serving onboard with about 5,000 resting onshore.  They need to be trained and given the experience that will make them into a coherent and high functioning crew.  It will take time to achieve this.

 

Well stated Floridian.  Hopefully your next MSC experience will be better than ever.

[dexddd]

The other thing that came to mind is some of the service issues is due to us customizing or mixing things up.  For example, we saw a girl get steak and fries plus a plate of fries and none of that was on the menu for dinner.  On lobster night several in our group got lobster plus steak, all on menu but not as a combo.  We saw one guy who routinely got three entrees in succession.  

 

That can't be easy for galley but nice that it is allowed.  The other thing is someone mentioned MSC bringing ex NCL employees into the leadership of restaurants.  That will not be a good thing.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

18 minutes ago, dexddd said:

The other thing that came to mind is some of the service issues is due to us customizing or mixing things up.  For example, we saw a girl get steak and fries plus a plate of fries and none of that was on the menu for dinner.  On lobster night several in our group got lobster plus steak, all on menu but not as a combo.  We saw one guy who routinely got three entrees in succession.  

 

That can't be easy for galley but nice that it is allowed.  The other thing is someone mentioned MSC bringing ex NCL employees into the leadership of restaurants.  That will not be a good thing.

 

Mixed orders are no problem for a competent kitchen crew.

 

Many of the former NCL employees were handcuffed by NCL management.  I believe the issue is with restrictive penny pinching management.  Most cutbacks onboard ship originate with pencil pushing former airline accountants at corporate headquarters in Florida.  

[parallax]

I just got off the Seaside and I thought the YC dining experience was better than prior cruises.  I thought the wait staff was very efficient and friendly.  I also thought the menu was more diverse than from prior sailings.  I also like the changes they made to the grill.  Having the buffet and music at the pool deck the evening in San Juan was a very nice change of pace.   

 

I never have super high expectations with cruise food.  Unless I'm going on Crystal or another luxury cruise line,  I'm not expecting high end dining.  Instead, I'm looking for food that I will enjoy.  The Seaside hit that standard last week.