MSC Yacht Club

[WorldTraveler151208]

24 minutes ago, mnocket said:

@Norwegian Cruiser 73 Off topic, but I think you may have some good advice.

I am writing this from the Seaside Yacht  Club. I booked this cruise because I wanted to try MSC and the Yacht Club before deciding on a cruise line for a Norwegian fjords cruise in 2021.  My thinking was that the Top Sail Lounge would provide a perfect, less crowded viewing area for this scenic cruise.  As a trial run, this cruise has sold me on the Yacht  Club for warm weather itineraries (I love the pool area and service). I'm not so sure I would like the Yacht Club as much on a colder itinerary as I find the experience elsewhere on the ship to be too crowded.  What would be your recommendation of cruise lines for sailing the fjords?  Yacht Club would be perfect if the rest of the ship wasn't so darn crowded.

The Norwegian Fjords are actually dominated by MSC and German lines (eg Aida). I understand your concerns about overcrowding, which is really a problem. Still, I don't see another interesting alternative. In my opinion, being in the Yacht Club, you can spend a wonderful cruise despite the crowds in the rest of the ship. MSC offers two classes of vessels with a YC zone that sail in northern Europe, namely Fantasia and Meraviglia Class. Of these two, I definitely recommend the older, but much better Fantasia Class.  As far as I know, cruises for the summer of 2021 are not published yet, but I suspect that Fantasia, Spledida, or possibly Preziosa will be located in northern Europe, as usual. Personally, I made the North European cruise with MSC 3 times, on the Fantasia, Preziosa and Meraviglia and on the first 2 of them I was very satisfied.  Unfortunately, you have to reckon with the fact that on days at sea it is better not to leave the private YC zone, but as I have already mentioned in this destination it will be difficult to find a good alternative. If you like luxurious cruises, you can also check the Cunard Line's offer. Sometimes they also have nice cruises in the north.

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, WorldTraveler151208 said:

The Norwegian Fjords are actually dominated by MSC and German lines (eg Aida). I understand your concerns about overcrowding, which is really a problem. Still, I don't see another interesting alternative. In my opinion, being in the Yacht Club, you can spend a wonderful cruise despite the crowds in the rest of the ship. MSC offers two classes of vessels with a YC zone that sail in northern Europe, namely Fantasia and Meraviglia Class. Of these two, I definitely recommend the older, but much better Fantasia Class.  As far as I know, cruises for the summer of 2021 are not published yet, but I suspect that Fantasia, Spledida, or possibly Preziosa will be located in northern Europe, as usual. Personally, I made the North European cruise with MSC 3 times, on the Fantasia, Preziosa and Meraviglia and on the first 2 of them I was very satisfied.  Unfortunately, you have to reckon with the fact that on days at sea it is better not to leave the private YC zone, but as I have already mentioned in this destination it will be difficult to find a good alternative. If you like luxurious cruises, you can also check the Cunard Line's offer. Sometimes they also have nice cruises in the north.

I hope you don’t mind me barging in on this thread, but my wife and I are booked on the Preziosa next May for a trip to Northern Europe and I would love to get your perspective about that ship and the Yacht Club in particular. Thanks! 

[mnocket]

6 hours ago, WorldTraveler151208 said:

The Norwegian Fjords are actually dominated by MSC and German lines (eg Aida). I understand your concerns about overcrowding, which is really a problem. Still, I don't see another interesting alternative. In my opinion, being in the Yacht Club, you can spend a wonderful cruise despite the crowds in the rest of the ship. MSC offers two classes of vessels with a YC zone that sail in northern Europe, namely Fantasia and Meraviglia Class. Of these two, I definitely recommend the older, but much better Fantasia Class.  As far as I know, cruises for the summer of 2021 are not published yet, but I suspect that Fantasia, Spledida, or possibly Preziosa will be located in northern Europe, as usual. Personally, I made the North European cruise with MSC 3 times, on the Fantasia, Preziosa and Meraviglia and on the first 2 of them I was very satisfied.  Unfortunately, you have to reckon with the fact that on days at sea it is better not to leave the private YC zone, but as I have already mentioned in this destination it will be difficult to find a good alternative. If you like luxurious cruises, you can also check the Cunard Line's offer. Sometimes they also have nice cruises in the north.

Thanks for your response.  In 2020 the Preziosa sails the route I'm interested in.  I'm hoping the same itinerary is available in 2021.

[SeaSunset22]

On 9/19/2019 at 9:50 AM, Beamafar said:

We were in YC on Seaview a couple of weeks ago ... for us, MSC is going in the wrong direction when it comes to YC.  We did not like YC on Seaview and can't wait to get back onboard in Meraviglia's YC, which we loved.

I was waiting in anticipation to read your views on YC on the Seaview. Interested as you have had a lot more experience of sailing MSC and YC than I have.

I was on Seaview in YC at approximately the same time as you (we overlapped by one day). It was our second time with MSC (sailed previously a number of times with a variety of cruise lines) and both in YC on Seaview.

I was so disappointed this time as last year (2018.. 6 weeks after launch) we had an excellent time and really thought we had found the cruise line that suited us best. We loved the YC experience and it gave us everything we looked for (I know all people differ in what is important to them on a cruise).

This year however the experience was disappointing from embarkation to disembarking. The embarkation was disorganised and no priority for YC. We waited in a queue for 30 mins (in full sun) to leave our luggage. Once at the front of the queue the staff taking the luggage were unsure if they could take ours as we were YC. Following this a further 20 mins with everyone else for Passport control. Then directed down a slope to another tent where a further queue of 10 mins (with everyone else). On reaching second in this queue a butler recognised the YC tickets and pushed the two women at the front of the queue out the way to allow us through. Very embarrassing and in particular as once through we had to sit on wooden benches with a cup of cold water (no Prosecco/soft drinks here....just a plastic cup of water) opposite the two women that had been pushed out of the way !! This was a tender port so I had not been expecting the same as we had previously experienced but did at least expect someone from YC to meet us port side. Once on board we were taken directly to our cabins by the butler that had been on the tender boat. No welcome drink or introductions in TSL. On asking why the change I was told "there were only 5 (people) of you embarking so it wasn't worth doing". This made you feel really special!! So not a good start.

Previously on the welcome drink we had been asked what time approximately we would like dinner . This year I'm not sure if anyone was asked.  I was really looking forward to the launching of this ship (coin laying ceremony was held today)....but after our previous sailing on Seaview I'm hesitating on booking.
Last year we sailed on Seaview and it was excellent and therefore booked again for this year (different itinerary). Both bookings were in the YC and this is what I intended to book on Seashore. I am however no longer sure.
This year the YC in Seaview was disappointing compared to the previous year. The embarkation was awful....queuing for 30 mins with everybody else, then a further 20 mins for passport control with everyone else. Then queued for another 15 mins with everyone else for checking of tickets, once through there sat with a cup of water with everybody else. No welcome in the YC but just taken directly to the cabin and told that as there were only 5 embarking for YC it wasn't worth putting on a welcome in TSL !! There appeared to be less staff, service was nowhere near as good, the restaurant was a chaotic mess with most evenings waiting a minimum of 40 minutes for a table and one evening 55 minutes. The food we felt was better this year than the previous and enjoyed the menus and all the dishes we had. The pool deck was open for less hours and was often a shambles (tables not cleared, towels left discarded everywhere, ashtrays not emptied). The choice at the grill on the pool deck was far less than the previous year. The staff on the pool deck were not proactive and were a lot less attentive. There were some outstanding staff which included Alessandro the Yacht Club Director (so personable and visible), Rajiv the Head of Butlers, Randolpho our waiter in the MDR and a very good female waitress in the TSL but in general the staff were lacking.
How all this relates to the original post re Seashore is I'm concerned if booking that there are a lot more YC cabins on the Seashore but the outside spaces are almost the same size. If the ratio of staff is similar to Seaview for the increased cabins the service will suffer further. The restaurant could not cope this year with the number of people and if the same size will struggle even more. The pool deck if a similar size will not be a luxury experience but a crowded mayhem.
The positive to booking a new ship will be that MSC appear to put their best staff on for the inaugural season (the same as we had on Seaview 2018) .....so I'm torn on booking.

[Beamafar]

SS22 ... our Norwegian companions had been on Seaview the previous year, too, and enjoyed it more then as well.  I asked what was different, and they highlighted the very same reasons as you have just done.

 

They have just asked me if I would be interested in sailing Seashore so I went to have a look at pricings.  MSC Ireland website's "system busy" (which is becoming a regular feature lately), so I went to the UK site as their prices are generally similar when you do the currency conversion.  Anyway, it's practically €2000 pp for a YC inside!!!!!  (YC balcony cabins aren't "available" at the moment).  No way would I pay that for an inside cabin on a 7 night West Med (boring!!!) itinerary.  An online German TA is pricing it at €1749 - it's not too long ago that you'd get a YC1 for that price!

[Norwegian Cruiser 73]

15 hours ago, mnocket said:

@Norwegian Cruiser 73 Off topic, but I think you may have some good advice.

I am writing this from the Seaside Yacht  Club. I booked this cruise because I wanted to try MSC and the Yacht Club before deciding on a cruise line for a Norwegian fjords cruise in 2021.  My thinking was that the Top Sail Lounge would provide a perfect, less crowded viewing area for this scenic cruise.  As a trial run, this cruise has sold me on the Yacht  Club for warm weather itineraries (I love the pool area and service). I'm not so sure I would like the Yacht Club as much on a colder itinerary as I find the experience elsewhere on the ship to be too crowded.  What would be your recommendation of cruise lines for sailing the fjords?  Yacht Club would be perfect if the rest of the ship wasn't so darn crowded.

 

MSC would be the number one choice to the Norwegian Fjords simply because their Yacht Club is superior to other lines sailing over here. In the summer the weather is normally quite warm as well, especially in July and August. The Fantasia Class and Meraviglia Class is well suited for sailing in colder climate. I wouldn't hesitate to book the Yacht Club for a cruise to the Fjords. Welcome to Norway 👍

[SeaSunset22]

15 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

SS22 ... our Norwegian companions had been on Seaview the previous year, too, and enjoyed it more then as well.  I asked what was different, and they highlighted the very same reasons as you have just done.

 

They have just asked me if I would be interested in sailing Seashore so I went to have a look at pricings.  MSC Ireland website's "system busy" (which is becoming a regular feature lately), so I went to the UK site as their prices are generally similar when you do the currency conversion.  Anyway, it's practically €2000 pp for a YC inside!!!!!  (YC balcony cabins aren't "available" at the moment).  No way would I pay that for an inside cabin on a 7 night West Med (boring!!!) itinerary.  An online German TA is pricing it at €1749 - it's not too long ago that you'd get a YC1 for that price!

I'm feeling really embarrassed re my above post as I posted before ready and by accident (cat jumped on the keyboard !!). I tried to edit and correct but was notified it was too late. Half of it was copied and posted from something I had put on another forum (and then removed).I hope you got the gist. 

We enjoyed our cruise as some of the ports we had not been to before and some were  a revelation to me (preconceived ideas that were wrong). We met some lovely people and enjoyed some very good evenings with them. 

I wonder if it is a mistake (and usually I don't) to go back to something that was so good the first time but that said the standard should not differ so dramatically. It is still advertised as a luxury experience and you certainly don't pay less. It probably sounds a 'first world problem' but even down to such things as no cushions on the wicker chairs on the pool deck (leaving you with lovely imprints when you stand), newspaper not being delivered, fruit bowl not being replenished.....it sounds petty but they advertise a luxury experience and you pay extra for it but this year it is not what was delivered. This year they even tried to restrict the wines offered at dinner. On asking for different wines it was initially met with a "no" but on insistence it was eventually offered but as if they were doing us a favour !

The cruise and experience was still better than some I have experienced on other lines.

I have looked at the prices on Seashore. I looked the first day they opened to the voyager club only members. The prices were less then than they are now. We have to go in school holidays as one of us is a teacher. Initially the price was approx the same as we paid this year (YC Deluxe on both) but it is now more expensive. I would pay the price if I felt assured of getting the experience they advertise for YC but not for a sub standard service in crowded disorganised areas.

Am I right in suspecting the best staff are put on the inaugural season of a ship ? It appears that MSC build up the ships reputation during this period and then lives off it after that.

I was pleased to hear (obviously not for their experience) that your Norwegian companions felt similar. You do begin to wonder if it is just you. I tried to analyse if I had not been the year before would I still have been disappointed. I do believe I would have been as I read/research extensively before booking and would know the standard/service to expect.

[Beamafar]

Personally, I couldn't warm to the ship and can't quite put my finger on what it is about it that I didn't take to.  But you've reminded me that the newspapers were very late every day.  I've never experienced that before.  They were often too late to be bothered with.  Our fruit bowl was replenished regularly (even though we didn't touch the fruit - we eventually asked them to remove it as we were in an inside cabin and space was tight).  We had the worst butler we've ever had - and not because he was MIA ... I intend to spell out exactly how bad our experiences were with him on my thread (which I hope to get around to adding to this weekend).

[Captain-John]

37 minutes ago, SeaSunset22 said:

his year they even tried to restrict the wines offered at dinner. On asking for different wines it was initially met with a "no" but on insistence it was eventually offered but as if they were doing us a favour !

 

OK this wine issue is really coming to a head for me now and I'm getting more and more annoyed the more I read about it and think back to my own experience. I had the exact same attitude at dinner on Meraviglia back in May. I asked for the Bordeaux, and would be given something else, sometimes with a 'try this' and sometimes with no explanation at all. I've commented on this on a few threads lately, and I'm seeing more people have had this experience - I will not be tolerating it on my forthcoming cruise.

 

Never had an issue getting the Bordeaux in the TSL or anywhere else for that matter! What is so hard about complying with a simple request? If they have an agenda to push, they need to explain it better. If they came away with some fluff like 'The sommelier thinks this will go better with your meal' then fine. But they don't. Very irritating and definitely not 'premium' or 'luxury.'☹️

33 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

I intend to spell out exactly how bad our experiences were with him on my thread (which I hope to get around to adding to this weekend).

 

Looking forward to it Bea. 😄

[Beamafar]

36 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

 

OK this wine issue is really coming to a head for me now and I'm getting more and more annoyed the more I read about it and think back to my own experience. I had the exact same attitude at dinner on Meraviglia back in May. I asked for the Bordeaux, and would be given something else, sometimes with a 'try this' and sometimes with no explanation at all. I've commented on this on a few threads lately, and I'm seeing more people have had this experience - I will not be tolerating it on my forthcoming cruise.

 

Never had an issue getting the Bordeaux in the TSL or anywhere else for that matter! What is so hard about complying with a simple request? If they have an agenda to push, they need to explain it better. If they came away with some fluff like 'The sommelier thinks this will go better with your meal' then fine. But they don't. Very irritating and definitely not 'premium' or 'luxury.'☹️

 

 

 

They do!  They don't want to have every wine on the menu opened, is what they're about!  With them selecting 2 reds and 2 whites, they control what's being used.  Unfortunately there are many who don't know that they're entitled to ask for whatever's included, and not what's opened on the night, which is how they're getting away with it.  There was a time when I was green, too - not anymore!

[Captain-John]

11 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

 They don't want to have every wine on the menu opened, is what they're about!

 

Perhaps there are more people out there who only have one glass out of a bottle than I thought!

 

I'm what we could term an 'enthusiastic' wine drinker - I'd be more than happy for them to open a bottle for me at lunch, I'd have the same bottle at dinner and in the unlikely circumstance there was any left, I'd have it at lunch the next day! I'll give them one service to give me an idea of how they're going to play it on Preziosa - but after that - no mercy.

[WorldTraveler151208]

15 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

I hope you don’t mind me barging in on this thread, but my wife and I are booked on the Preziosa next May for a trip to Northern Europe and I would love to get your perspective about that ship and the Yacht Club in particular. Thanks! 

I don't know if this is your first Yacht Cubie cruise and what exactly you would like to know. As I have already mentioned Fantasia Class, to which Preziosa belongs, are in my opinion the best ships in the MSC fleet. Therefore I think it was a good choice and you'll definitely be satisfied. The Yacht Club on Preziosa has only 71 cabins, so there is a very nice and family atmosphere. Each cabin has a butler assigned to it, which takes care of the guests' needs, for example, he can escort you without queuing to the theater, etc. Butlers and cocierge often even know guests by name. Guests of the Yacht Club have access to a private panoramic lounge, sun deck with small pool and a restaurant. In May, in northern Europe will be still rather cold, so I would not count on sunbathing or swimming, but you will definitely be able to use a hot whirlpool. The best place on the ship in cooler climates is the Top Sail Lounge, where during the long, bright evenings you can admire the sea. Service in the YC is usually very good, incomparably better than the rest of the ship, the same with food. You probably know that in the YC the room service and almost all drinks (excluding only the most expensive wines and champagnes) are already included in price. If you haven't found it yet, I recommend the virtual tour to get a good impression of the ship. You can find it here: http://virtual-tours.msccruises.com/MSC-Preziosa/en-gl/index.html

In general, I am sure that if this is your first time at the Yacht Club, you will love it.
I wish you a wonderful cruise.

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, WorldTraveler151208 said:

I don't know if this is your first Yacht Cubie cruise and what exactly you would like to know. As I have already mentioned Fantasia Class, to which Preziosa belongs, are in my opinion the best ships in the MSC fleet. Therefore I think it was a good choice and you'll definitely be satisfied. The Yacht Club on Preziosa has only 71 cabins, so there is a very nice and family atmosphere. Each cabin has a butler assigned to it, which takes care of the guests' needs, for example, he can escort you without queuing to the theater, etc. Butlers and cocierge often even know guests by name. Guests of the Yacht Club have access to a private panoramic lounge, sun deck with small pool and a restaurant. In May, in northern Europe will be still rather cold, so I would not count on sunbathing or swimming, but you will definitely be able to use a hot whirlpool. The best place on the ship in cooler climates is the Top Sail Lounge, where during the long, bright evenings you can admire the sea. Service in the YC is usually very good, incomparably better than the rest of the ship, the same with food. You probably know that in the YC the room service and almost all drinks (excluding only the most expensive wines and champagnes) are already included in price. If you haven't found it yet, I recommend the virtual tour to get a good impression of the ship. You can find it here: http://virtual-tours.msccruises.com/MSC-Preziosa/en-gl/index.html

In general, I am sure that if this is your first time at the Yacht Club, you will love it.
I wish you a wonderful cruise.

Thank you kindly for your response. We have not been in the YC yet (we're booked in it for our upcoming Caribbean cruise on the Meraviglia, however). But based on everything we've read, I suspect we'll thoroughly enjoy the YC experience. Our Preziosa sailing goes from Le Havre, France to Hamburg, with stops in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. We're sailing on May 19 so it won't be too early. The last time we sailed Europe it was in February and our balcony went virtually unused. May 19-25 might still be a bit chilly out there, but as you say, there's always the hot tub.☺️ I guess I was mainly wondering what your impressions were of the Preziosa in terms of service and food quality (which I know is subjective). Did you find the bar service adequate and the food service reasonable in terms of speed, attention, etc.? 

[goodoldan]

I can't help but wonder if the "ship within a ship" concept (Yacht Club, Haven, etc) won't eventually reach a price point (and maybe already has?) where lines like Regent, Azamara (and maybe Virgin?) draw those customers away with a better experience and level of service.  It seems as though these premium classes on large ships eventually devolve into the same service and product quality level as the rest of the rest of the ship... with the drawbacks of a large ship (crowds, lower classes poaching on upper class perks, etc).

Edited September 20, 2019 by goodoldan

[Linda the Book Lover]

18 hours ago, Formula280SS said:

 

Always follow your comments.

 

We've cruised YC B2B's Divina and Seaside and really enjoyed the YC.  We see some comments re: Meraviglia's YC that are not so uplifting and we are booked for 2 B2B's (December and March).

 

In short, could you do a 'punch list of what to expect that is different on Meraviglia that you liked?

 

Thank you.

This year was the first time my DH and myself sailed on MSC and in the YC. We loved it and decided to sail on MSC again.  I am going back and forth trying to decide which YC would be a good option for my 2021 birthday. I was all set with a Divina 11-day and then rumors suggested a large maybe for Alaska in 2021. I noticed you enjoyed the Divina and wondered which cabin you selected. Anyone is welcome to chime in on this one.

[Linda the Book Lover]

17 minutes ago, goodoldan said:

I can't help but wonder if the "ship within a ship" concept (Yacht Club, Haven, etc) won't eventually reach a price point (and maybe already has?) where lines like Regent, Azamara (and maybe Virgin?) draw those customers away with a better experience and level of service.  It seems as though these premium classes on large ships eventually devolve into the same service and product quality level as the rest of the rest of the ship... with the drawbacks of a large ship (crowds, lower classes poaching on upper class perks, etc).

What you wrote may become true, but each person's experience differs. We loved NCL's Suite class and when they switched to the Haven class we switched as well. What drew us to MSC was the price point and to be honest as we age we really enjoy the ship within a ship experience. Sailing with my adult DD we prefer spa and aft cabins. We sailed in a suite on Carnival together and decided there was not even a close comparison to NCL. We are sailing in a suite in 2020 on Carnival again but it is the new Panorama and will compare the differences. 🙂 The Haven is now priced too high in my opinion and I am not as inclined to book especially after our very enjoyable YC.

[Formula280SS]

1 hour ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

This year was the first time my DH and myself sailed on MSC and in the YC. We loved it and decided to sail on MSC again.  I am going back and forth trying to decide which YC would be a good option for my 2021 birthday. I was all set with a Divina 11-day and then rumors suggested a large maybe for Alaska in 2021. I noticed you enjoyed the Divina and wondered which cabin you selected. Anyone is welcome to chime in on this one.

 

Had to look back at the doc's; it was YC 16009 for the B2B.

 

We did post about our cruise quite favorably as it was our first MSC and YC.  We thought the YC experience, venues, service was awesome.  If you look at our posting history in 2017 you'll see all of the review aspects.

 

The 'only issue we had was with our Stateroom shower; it was pure scalding water or pure cold.  The couldn't fix it, didn't have the right mixer valve, had nowhere else to put us, so we just endured.  I showered up on the one pool deck after the area cleared out for dinner.  

 

Everything else was fantastic, led us to two Seaside YC B2B's since then and two upcoming Meravgilia YC B2B's.

 

[cruisebeachgirl703]

4 hours ago, Captain-John said:

 

OK this wine issue is really coming to a head for me now and I'm getting more and more annoyed the more I read about it and think back to my own experience. I had the exact same attitude at dinner on Meraviglia back in May. I asked for the Bordeaux, and would be given something else, sometimes with a 'try this' and sometimes with no explanation at all. I've commented on this on a few threads lately, and I'm seeing more people have had this experience - I will not be tolerating it on my forthcoming cruise.

 

Never had an issue getting the Bordeaux in the TSL or anywhere else for that matter! What is so hard about complying with a simple request? If they have an agenda to push, they need to explain it better. If they came away with some fluff like 'The sommelier thinks this will go better with your meal' then fine. But they don't. Very irritating and definitely not 'premium' or 'luxury.'☹️

 

Looking forward to it Bea. 😄

On the seaside YC 8/31. Absolutely met resistance on wine requests. Asked for a glass of the livio pinot grigio at lunch Sunday 9/1. The waiter tried to pour me the open bottle of dansante pinot grigio, I passed and said I would go without. A short while later the maitre'd showed up with the bottle of livio and poured for our table and next table. It is on the YC wine menu. At the Top sail lounge later that day I, met same resistance. Bartender looked at me like he had never hear the name before, even though it is on the menu. Offered me the open bottle of pinot grigio and I passed. He said don't look at the label and poured me a taste of a white. Took a sip and I didn't like, so I walked away without any wine. Didn't like the dasante, he would not get me the livio and poured me a taste of chardonnay not to my liking. For me pinot grigio and chardonnay at not really interchangeable. At dinner same night I was poured a glass of mirassou pinot noir, not to my liking. Asked for a glass of the Louis Jadot, on the YC menu. The waiter did bring and said would have available each night. There is no consistency between the Dining Room and the Top Sail Lounge, connected by a set of stairs. Upon commenting the next day to the bartender I didn't like the taste of the chardonnay he had poured me yesterday, ( Clos du bois) his response, it is one of our best sellers. As to say, your palate is wrong. Eventually, by midweek, the restaurant had both the livio available at lunch and the louis jadot available dinner. The TSL not so much. Each time I would make the request for the livio pinot grigio or the louis jadot pinot noir, he would look at what was already open, look at me, look at the menu and act confused. It was tiresome. The restaurant seemed to figure it out, not the TSL. Good luck to all.

[Captain-John]

19 minutes ago, Formula280SS said:

The 'only issue we had was with our Stateroom shower; it was pure scalding water or pure cold.  The couldn't fix it, didn't have the right mixer valve, had nowhere else to put us, so we just endured.

 

That reminds me - on Mera, our first night's shower ended up having two fire marshalls come to the cabin as when we opened the bathroom door, it set off the very sensitive smoke detector. The water was scalding hot, hotter than I've ever experienced water in a hotel/on a ship. I thought for liability reasons they weren't allowed to make it that hot! Anyway it was 10 minutes of this alarm going off - and we are dressed in towels and robes as these fire marshalls are sniggering away (after they realised it wasn't a fire!). They had to radio the bridge to shut the alarm off.......

[Captain-John]

11 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Offered me the open bottle of pinot grigio and I passed. He said don't look at the label and poured me a taste of a white.

 

Wow. This is the absolute worst iteration of the situation I've read so far. It reminds me of what you would say to a child to get them to try something for the first time - 'don't look at it', 'pretend it's this' - as fully grown adults I think we can decide if we want to experiment with a different wine or not!

 

11 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

he would not get me the livio

 

Unacceptable. Short of them not physically having any on the ship, I would be extremely pissed off with a refusal to provide me the drink I asked for.

 

12 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

There is no consistency between the Dining Room and the Top Sail Lounge,

 

Yes, that's my experience too. For me it was never an issue to get the Bordeaux in the TSL but always in the restaurant.

 

12 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

he would look at what was already open, look at me, look at the menu and act confused. It was tiresome.

 

A trained bar tender who looks 'confused' is just taking the piss. They know fine well what they're doing (or rather, what they've been asked to do). I am so mad just reading about your experiences..... that I'm reaching for a rather nice Côtes Du Rhône to calm down!!

 

 

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

 

Wow. This is the absolute worst iteration of the situation I've read so far. It reminds me of what you would say to a child to get them to try something for the first time - 'don't look at it', 'pretend it's this' - as fully grown adults I think we can decide if we want to experiment with a different wine or not!

 

 

Unacceptable. Short of them not physically having any on the ship, I would be extremely pissed off with a refusal to provide me the drink I asked for.

 

 

Yes, that's my experience too. For me it was never an issue to get the Bordeaux in the TSL but always in the restaurant.

 

 

A trained bar tender who looks 'confused' is just taking the piss. They know fine well what they're doing (or rather, what they've been asked to do). I am so mad just reading about your experiences..... that I'm reaching for a rather nice Côtes Du Rhône to calm down!!

 

 

Loved your last phrase. 😁 I don't know if cruisebeachgirl did this, but I would absolutely have a) asked to speak with the manager; b) asked for the name of the bar manager/maître d'hôtel; c) written about this in detail on the post-cruise survey. I'm not super-picky about which pinot grigios, chardonnays and pinot noirs I like, however I have a BIG problem with staff members who act as though they can't be bothered or who out-and-out lie about what they have and don't have. Now pardon me as I go fetch a martini. 🍸

[Captain-John]

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

I don't know if cruisebeachgirl did this, but I would absolutely have a) asked to speak with the manager; b) asked for the name of the bar manager/maître d'hôtel; c) written about this in detail on the post-cruise survey.

 

Agreed - the experience as relayed definitely calls for escalation. Appreciate a lot of people don't like 'conflict' or complaining but they will continue to get away with this practice if it's not addressed.

 

2 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I'm not super-picky about which pinot grigios, chardonnays and pinot noirs I like,

 

Likewise, but if I find something I like, and I ask for it, and it's available, I expect to get it! I'll do a wine tasting event if I want to 'broaden my horizons.' 

 

3 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Now pardon me as I go fetch a martini. 🍸

 

Cheers! 🍷🍸🥂

[cruisebeachgirl703]

Just now, Captain-John said:

 

Agreed - the experience as relayed definitely calls for escalation. Appreciate a lot of people don't like 'conflict' or complaining but they will continue to get away with this practice if it's not addressed.

 

 

Likewise, but if I find something I like, and I ask for it, and it's available, I expect to get it! I'll do a wine tasting event if I want to 'broaden my horizons.' 

 

 

Cheers! 🍷🍸🥂

Hubby and I are working on review under his cruise critic account, should be posted this weekend. Like I said, tiresome. We are on vacation and do not appreciate being exhausted with resistance and conflict. I did not go to a manager. Later in the week I avoided the TSL bar completely, would have a seat by the window and wait for hubby to bring us our drinks. Additionally, keep an eye on cleanliness of wine glasses, no elaboration needed.

[SeaSunset22]

32 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Loved your last phrase. 😁 I don't know if cruisebeachgirl did this, but I would absolutely have a) asked to speak with the manager; b) asked for the name of the bar manager/maître d'hôtel; c) written about this in detail on the post-cruise survey. I'm not super-picky about which pinot grigios, chardonnays and pinot noirs I like, however I have a BIG problem with staff members who act as though they can't be bothered or who out-and-out lie about what they have and don't have. Now pardon me as I go fetch a martini. 🍸

With reference to (c) the post cruise survey.....I received one last year but not this year. How long is it before they send it through for completion or is it no longer automatic ?

I did speak to the Yacht Club director about some of our problems (and they were acted upon with some improvement) and the Maitre D' re the wine situation but in the end when it continues it wears you down and you just feel like you are continually moaning and in danger of ruining your own holiday !

At one stage with the wine I had a sarcastic comment from a waiter of "oh do we have some sort of wine expert here !? " to which I replied "no, I just know what I like and what I don't without having to taste a little bit !!" 

[WorldTraveler151208]

5 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Thank you kindly for your response. We have not been in the YC yet (we're booked in it for our upcoming Caribbean cruise on the Meraviglia, however). But based on everything we've read, I suspect we'll thoroughly enjoy the YC experience. Our Preziosa sailing goes from Le Havre, France to Hamburg, with stops in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. We're sailing on May 19 so it won't be too early. The last time we sailed Europe it was in February and our balcony went virtually unused. May 19-25 might still be a bit chilly out there, but as you say, there's always the hot tub.☺️ I guess I was mainly wondering what your impressions were of the Preziosa in terms of service and food quality (which I know is subjective). Did you find the bar service adequate and the food service reasonable in terms of speed, attention, etc.? 

The quality at YC Restaurant is very high. Italian flavors dominate, so if you like Italian cuisine you'll probably be delighted. Service in both the YC lounge and restaurant is of a high standard and they are usually fast enough. Also drinks are high quality unlike many all inclusive hotels.  I love tea, which is why I value daily High Tea Service in the Top Sail Lounge, which is an elegant tea at five o’clock served by a butler in white gloves (in the English style). Personally, I think the crew in the Yacht Club really always does their best and the service is usually great. It looks differently in other bars and restaurants, outside the YC area. Unfortunately, it is usually crowded there and you have to wait a bit for the waiter. That's why I recommend enjoying the personalized, 5-star Yacht Club service inside the private area, especially during days at sea, when the ship is full.