Ocean Cay~ The Final Countdown

[LadyVol1]

To me it’s COLD on OC so my husband and I are sitting in the YC bar building. The 75 YC restaurant seats are all outside so we’re sitting in the one sofa INSIDE. Here’s the YC menu. There are NO straws on OC (and never will be) so bring your own if you don’t want to wear a pina colada!  They don’t have the souvenir glasses yet nor hot chocolate that is listed on the menu. I feel sorry for the YC butlers and bartenders that are working here without training. They’re doing a good job given the circumstances!!

 

[LadyVol1]

By the way, the Wi-Fi on Ocean Cay is fast. The Wi-Fi on Divina has not been working well for me. I can’t use it in the cabin at all and sometimes it does not even work in Topsail Lounge. However, on the island it is smoking fast (everything’s relative 😉). I did not pay extra for Wi-Fi on the island. I’m just using my normal MSC Wi-Fi package. My Sprint iPhone also gets cellular service with “aliv”.

[jdvmd]

Awesome pictures! So glad you are there!

[psmarkle]

Sooo excited for y'all  Thanks for posting the pics and menus and letting us follow along on the exploration!

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, LadyVol1 said:

By the way, the Wi-Fi on Ocean Cay is fast. The Wi-Fi on Divina has not been working well for me. I can’t use it in the cabin at all and sometimes it does not even work in Topsail Lounge. However, on the island it is smoking fast (everything’s relative 😉). I did not pay extra for Wi-Fi on the island. I’m just using my normal MSC Wi-Fi package. My Sprint iPhone also gets cellular service with “aliv”.

 

LadyVol1: Great to know about internet. Since you said the internet is great, can you please snap a photo or two of the YC beach vs the regular beach? I can't tell where the photos appearing online are being taken. thank you in advance 🙂

[reedprincess]

2 hours ago, LadyVol1 said:

To me it’s COLD on OC so my husband and I are sitting in the YC bar building. The 75 YC restaurant seats are all outside so we’re sitting in the one sofa INSIDE. Here’s the YC menu. There are NO straws on OC (and never will be) so bring your own if you don’t want to wear a pina colada!  They don’t have the souvenir glasses yet nor hot chocolate that is listed on the menu. I feel sorry for the YC butlers and bartenders that are working here without training. They’re doing a good job given the circumstances!!

 

Thanks so much.  Do you mind if i shsre these in a YC group I'm in?   

Thanks again, excited -  we're there in just a few weeks...

 

Also, as you note that all the seating for the YC Restaurant is outdoors - is it at lwas under cover/shade?? 

Edited December 5, 2019 by reedprincess

[sidari]

BB ... On the map of O.C there is a bridge that seperates the YC area from the main island.

[BermudaBound2014]

15 minutes ago, sidari said:

BB ... On the map of O.C there is a bridge that seperates the YC area from the main island.

Yes, I'm aware of the bridge, but people are posting photos of the beach and I can't tell if it's the YC beach or regular beach.

[js]

I would love to see some pictures.
I really have only seen these and nothing on FB.

I would love to see the YC cabanas, beach, restaurant, etc., anything really LOL
 

 

[runner15km]

Looks pretty barren from the recent pics, lets hope they add some local fauna to the island.   I'll take some pics in in 9 days. 

[sfaaa]

No more guessing. MSC finally delivered. All good.

[sofiefleurie]

I am really interested in hearing from NON YACHT CLUB passengers as to their experience on Ocean Cay.  Photos helpful.  Thank you.  Enjoy your cruise!😀

[eroller]

1 hour ago, runner15km said:

Looks pretty barren from the recent pics, lets hope they add some local fauna to the island.   I'll take some pics in in 9 days. 

 

 

More than 75,000 plants and shrubs were planted, and over 7500 tons of scrap metal removed.  I think it looks pretty good considering it used to be an industrial waste dump.  The rest will come in time.  

[runner15km]

12 minutes ago, eroller said:

 

 

More than 75,000 plants and shrubs were planted, and over 7500 tons of scrap metal removed.  I think it looks pretty good considering it used to be an industrial waste dump.  The rest will come in time.  

Yes it will take time, just spoiled I guess with NCL's private islands of Harvest Caye and Great Stirrup Caye. See ya on the Mega at Sunday's Sail Away !

[eroller]

1 minute ago, runner15km said:

Yes it will take time, just spoiled I guess with NCL's private islands of Harvest Caye and Great Stirrup Caye. See ya on the Mega at Sunday's Sail Away !

 

 

Yup those are nice and far more established, especially GSC.  Personally Disney's Castaway Cay is my fave of all the private beach islands (and I'm lucky enough to have been to them all), followed by Labadee.  I really like HAL's Half Moon Cay as well and they are building a pier there.  Funny enough that used to be NCL's island back when NORWAY was introduced in 1980.  They deemed it too windy and looked elsewhere.  

 

MSC probably took on more than they realized, considering the massive clean up job that was required before development could even begin.  They have a great advantage though of being so close to Miami.  Ships can stay there until midnight and still be in Miami at 6am for turnaround day.   Virgin Voyages will have this advantage as well when they develop their Beach Party on Bimini.  

[LadyVol1]

Feel free to use my photos anywhere. I didn’t take any other photos and didn’t look for the beach or cabanas. I went there for YC lunch and at noon we were told it would be at least 45 more minutes before they would take orders. My husband and I left and came back to the ship since it was so chilly. (I heard lunch was served three hours late.)

The Ocean Cay YC restaurant seating was totally undercover but was outside and therefore windy/chilly (to me). 

 

Also, there are biodegradable straws on the island, they just weren’t at the Yacht Club area yet.

[gpw45]

2 hours ago, runner15km said:

Looks pretty barren from the recent pics, lets hope they add some local fauna to the island.   I'll take some pics in in 9 days. 

Not quite what they show in the brochures or videos.  🙂

 

Gordon

[reedprincess]

2 hours ago, LadyVol1 said:

Feel free to use my photos anywhere. I didn’t take any other photos and didn’t look for the beach or cabanas. I went there for YC lunch and at noon we were told it would be at least 45 more minutes before they would take orders. My husband and I left and came back to the ship since it was so chilly. (I heard lunch was served three hours late.)

The Ocean Cay YC restaurant seating was totally undercover but was outside and therefore windy/chilly (to me). 

 

Also, there are biodegradable straws on the island, they just weren’t at the Yacht Club area yet.

Awesome. Thanks for the permission, and for the further details . It's got to be rough for the YC butlers trying to sort out what's what on a brand new venue, etc.  I'm sure things will smooth out with time. Fingers crossed..

And FWIW - the temps you're quoting would be way too chilly for us too..lol. anything under 78F is "cold" weather for us!! 

Thanks again, enjoy the rest of your sailing.  

[eroller]

Looks like the lighthouse puts on an evening light and music show.  Kind of cool.  
 

 

[dexddd]

All looks great including YC area.

[lifeasme123]

On 12/4/2019 at 12:04 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

my best guess is that MSC will revise this policy (like they revised offering a free buffet at OC). 🙂

No buffet on OC now?  We are departing for our cruise next week...so excited OC is open now.  

[BermudaBound2014]

3 minutes ago, lifeasme123 said:

No buffet on OC now?  We are departing for our cruise next week...so excited OC is open now.  

 

There is a complimentary buffet on OC.

 

Originally the buffet was not going to be included on OC (extra charge). The policy that was revised was that it is now 'free'.

 

Have a fabulous trip and please share some photos! 

[BermudaBound2014]

This is a great perspective shot. Taken yesterday. I believe the YC area is the area in the bottom right of the screen (with the bridge). The island is small, but it does look like there is quite a bit of beach frontage. And considering the whole thing is one big beach.....

 

[BermudaBound2014]

Drone shot from yesterday. Lots and lots of sand :).

 

[Cruising89143]

7 hours ago, eroller said:

Looks like the lighthouse puts on an evening light and music show.  Kind of cool.  
 

 

I saw Ken’s video on FB. Love it. He’s one happy guy that his company has finally delivered the goods. The island looks great. Once the island has time to allow the fauna to reach its potential, it will really be nice. It’s actually nice to see a private island not turned into an amusement park.