First time in YC, on Divina, Jan. of '22. I know drink package is changing from pre-COVID. What else are you hearing?

[no1talks]

Hello everyone!

This will be our 2nd MSC cruise. We had a 7-day Caribbean on Seaside, just before COVID broke wide open. Back then, YC was very intriguing but not an option for us. Happily, that's not the case this time. More than anything, I'm looking forward to soaking up as much specialty pampering as possible.

So, is anyone hearing about YC changes from pre-COVID? I've other questions as well...

* Are YC staff particularly hesitant in accepting tips for extra effort?

* I'm pretty sure available mini-bar liquors are just the three provided. But one could order shots of other liquor via room service and it would come covered in plastic wrap, suitable to setting aside for later use from the mini-bar, yes?
* The pre-COVID mini-bar snacks seem ideal for taking along on a port day. Have any of you requested other treats for your mini-bar?

* If I want to make an early request for a chef's choice, multicourse tasting-menu dinner, with matching wines from the inclusive list, should I go to the YC concierge or straight to the staff at Le Muse? 
* How is the afternoon tea? Close to traditional standards? (I'm not fussy, really; just curious how solid their "tea game" is.)
* Have any of you arranged "tailor-made" shopping or excursions with the concierge, as mentioned on the website? How did it go?

Lastly, how have you utilized your butlers? I found the following list on a post several years old. My remarks are in parentheses.
 

1- they deliver room service & pizza.

2- unpack & pack for you. (Is this commonly used? I'm on the fence about it.)

3- have a shirt quick ironed from packing wrinkles. (Wouldn't this fall under laundering service/charges? Anyone get their clothes freshened upon arrival?)

4- change out your pillow. (What have been your experiences with the pillow choices?)

5- teach you to use the Wii in your room. (If video console games are still a thing, wouldn't MSC have replaced Wii?)

6- stock your minibar with your faves. (Any good mini-bar anecdotes out there?)

7- escort you to excursions.

8- escort you on and off the ship.

9- escort you to dinner or theater if first timer. (As an aside, I'm looking forward to the trek to Le Muse. I'll get to show off my tux more.)

10- polish shoes. (I'm a shoe nut, so I'm very keen on this service. Anyone have experience with it? How about fabric shoes, dusty from a day in port?)

11- carry your parcels when they see you doing it.

12- set up private cocktail party in your room (If you did this, feel free to share your outcome, but our suite will be too small to have a proper soirée.)

13- Ice bucket is always filled.

14- keep your room set up how you like it.

15- handle laundry service or dry cleaning for you.

I thank you all, in advance, for your input.

Edited July 15, 2021 by no1talks
Extra parenthetical remark.

[kernow]

We were on Virtuosa last month, 3rd time on MSC but 1st time in YC. 

I don't know if all ships will be exactly the same as this going forward. The mini bar was filled with soft drinks and beer which was refilled as used. At the start of the cruise we had the letter posted. We could choose one bottle of spirits (or wine) for the whole cruise. The snacks were pringles, nuts, Toblerone, the first lot free payable after that(although our butler did hint that she would give us more, we never asked).

 

I'm not sure about asking for shots from room service but maybe. Our butler quickly realised we love to try different cocktails and started to leave us a tray in the room each night with different drinks and snacks (this was without asking).

 

We did try the afternoon tea and it was the one thing in YC that disappointed us especially as this was a ship full of Brits who love afternoon tea! The tea itself was a wide choice and properly served but the scones and cakes were dry and sandwiches very poor. Other passengers also told us the same so I don't think it was just our opinion.

 

We didn't really ask anything special from Mary our butler, we're not people who like a fuss, but we did think she was amazing, she did escort us around the ship sometimes at her insistence😀. I know we were not the only people who tried to escape out the YC doors without her spotting us.

 

We never tip throughout the cruise but we did discreetly hand out envelopes on the last night which were graciously received.

Overall we loved YC.

[KennyFla]

If I read your post correctly, any snacks or small cocktails other than the initial stocking of the minibar are charged to your cabin?

[kernow]

6 minutes ago, KennyFla said:

If I read your post correctly, any snacks or small cocktails other than the initial stocking of the minibar are charged to your cabin?

Yes for the snacks. Not too sure what you mean by small cocktails but if you mean the miniature bottles of spirits there weren't any. We got our choice of one 1 litre bottle from the list (we actually took it home as we got any drinks we wanted from the YC bar by the glass). The fridge just had beer, water and soft drinks.

[dexddd]

1 minute ago, kernow said:

Yes for the snacks. Not too sure what you mean by small cocktails but if you mean the miniature bottles of spirits there weren't any. We got our choice of one 1 litre bottle from the list (we actually took it home as we got any drinks we wanted from the YC bar by the glass). The fridge just had beer, water and soft drinks.

That must be new.  They used to do a gin, a scotch, a vodka mini.  Would be refreshed once a day. Deviating from that seemed forbidden.  Example, want just vodka, this throws system into chaos.

 

There had been talks in the months leading to shutdown about moving to one large bottle for whole trip which I'd prefer and would be more efficient.  Also talk about only one can of things like pringles but that didn't appear to happen.

 

The other possible change based on the pictures is Europe had Pepsi products but US had coke.  Wonder if Europe will now be coke.

[kernow]

Yes it was all Coke products onboard, didn't see any Pepsi.

[no1talks]

5 hours ago, kernow said:

We were on Virtuosa last month, 3rd time on MSC but 1st time in YC. 

I don't know if all ships will be exactly the same as this going forward. The mini bar was filled with soft drinks and beer which was refilled as used. At the start of the cruise we had the letter posted. We could choose one bottle of spirits (or wine) for the whole cruise. The snacks were pringles, nuts, Toblerone, the first lot free payable after that(although our butler did hint that she would give us more, we never asked).

 

I'm not sure about asking for shots from room service but maybe. Our butler quickly realised we love to try different cocktails and started to leave us a tray in the room each night with different drinks and snacks (this was without asking).

 

We did try the afternoon tea and it was the one thing in YC that disappointed us especially as this was a ship full of Brits who love afternoon tea! The tea itself was a wide choice and properly served but the scones and cakes were dry and sandwiches very poor. Other passengers also told us the same so I don't think it was just our opinion.

 

We didn't really ask anything special from Mary our butler, we're not people who like a fuss, but we did think she was amazing, she did escort us around the ship sometimes at her insistence😀. I know we were not the only people who tried to escape out the YC doors without her spotting us.

 

We never tip throughout the cruise but we did discreetly hand out envelopes on the last night which were graciously received.

Overall we loved YC.

Thank you so much!

 

Your reply is so informative and the pictures are very helpful as well.

 

Much appreciated.

[alyssamma]

I don't think you can say exactly what will happen - even once they start cruising again. MSC is notorious for different policies across different ships. And indeed, even the same ship will vary from sailing to sailing and sometimes day to day.

 

That being said, I've sailed YC in Divina and Seaside.  To answer your questions...

 

1) Never before and I don't see that happening post COVID.

 

2) I've been able to get whatever I want in the minibar. In fact, sometimes things I was known to like were just given to me in topsail when my butler saw me (this was only food, tho...but the minibar drinks were stocked with whatever I wanted)

 

3) I have not personally, but I'm sure the butlers will get you whatever you want. I sailed with a couple who requested chicken wings and got them

 

4) Don't know about Le Muse and the tasting, but I will say the food there is amazing.

 

5) We found the tea service on Divina to be vastly superior to Seaside. In fact, we told the concierge this and the next day there were changes (still not as good as Divina)

 

6) We live by the mantra never get off the boat (old movie quote...sorry, have never done this)

 

10 hours ago, no1talks said:

* Are YC staff particularly hesitant in accepting tips for extra effort?

* I'm pretty sure available mini-bar liquors are just the three provided. But one could order shots of other liquor via room service and it would come covered in plastic wrap, suitable to setting aside for later use from the mini-bar, yes?
* The pre-COVID mini-bar snacks seem ideal for taking along on a port day. Have any of you requested other treats for your mini-bar?

* If I want to make an early request for a chef's choice, multicourse tasting-menu dinner, with matching wines from the inclusive list, should I go to the YC concierge or straight to the staff at Le Muse? 
* How is the afternoon tea? Close to traditional standards? (I'm not fussy, really; just curious how solid their "tea game" is.)
* Have any of you arranged "tailor-made" shopping or excursions with the concierge, as mentioned on the website? How did it go?

 

[no1talks]

1 hour ago, alyssamma said:

I don't think you can say exactly what will happen - even once they start cruising again. MSC is notorious for different policies across different ships. And indeed, even the same ship will vary from sailing to sailing and sometimes day to day.

 

That being said, I've sailed YC in Divina and Seaside.  To answer your questions...

 

1) Never before and I don't see that happening post COVID.

 

2) I've been able to get whatever I want in the minibar. In fact, sometimes things I was known to like were just given to me in topsail when my butler saw me (this was only food, tho...but the minibar drinks were stocked with whatever I wanted)

 

3) I have not personally, but I'm sure the butlers will get you whatever you want. I sailed with a couple who requested chicken wings and got them

 

4) Don't know about Le Muse and the tasting, but I will say the food there is amazing.

 

5) We found the tea service on Divina to be vastly superior to Seaside. In fact, we told the concierge this and the next day there were changes (still not as good as Divina)

 

6) We live by the mantra never get off the boat (old movie quote...sorry, have never done this)

 

 

Thank you for your comments, especially regarding the superiority of Divina tea service. Good to know.

 

Old movie quote? From Apocalypse Now, perchance?

[alyssamma]

1 minute ago, no1talks said:

Old movie quote? From Apocalypse Now, perchance?

Bingo 🙂

[JohnJayJotaJames]

15 hours ago, no1talks said:

* How is the afternoon tea? Close to traditional standards? (I'm not fussy, really; just curious how solid their "tea game" is.)

Rather unpredictable. We asked on the Presioza and the Butler asked "Do you (sigh and eye roll) want the gloves and table cloth?". Afternoon tea is something we love so we said yes!
On the Seaview the Butlers had decided to cancel all afternoon teas without telling the YC director! Cold tea and baby stones (I joke not) were almost thrown on our table when we said we had come for afternoon tea. We left and had a chat with YC Director who promptly reinstated the daily afternoon tea. Our Butler was then given the task of overseeing afternoon tea for the rest of our cruise including a almost daily review of their scones by the YC Director.
We still love MSC and YC but afternoon tea is not their forte! Fingers are crossed for our Christmas cruise on the Seaside.

 

 

 

[alyssamma]

4 minutes ago, JohnJayJotaJames said:

Rather unpredictable. We asked on the Presioza and the Butler asked "Do you (sigh and eye roll) want the gloves and table cloth?". Afternoon tea is something we love so we said yes!
On the Seaview the Butlers had decided to cancel all afternoon teas without telling the YC director! Cold tea and baby stones (I joke not) were almost thrown on our table when we said we had come for afternoon tea. We left and had a chat with YC Director who promptly reinstated the daily afternoon tea. Our Butler was then given the task of overseeing afternoon tea for the rest of our cruise including a almost daily review of their scones by the YC Director.
We still love MSC and YC but afternoon tea is not their forte! Fingers are crossed for our Christmas cruise on the Seaside.

 

 

 

I suspect this might be US vs. non-US. I've sailed Seaside 2x and Divina 1x and tea service was prompt and good on both (although as mentioned above, noticeably better on Divina).

[hamrag]

13 hours ago, kernow said:

.....We did try the afternoon tea and it was the one thing in YC that disappointed us especially as this was a ship full of Brits who love afternoon tea! The tea itself was a wide choice and properly served but the scones and cakes were dry and sandwiches very poor. Other passengers also told us the same so I don't think it was just our opinion....

 

Agree absolutely, we tried afternoon tea on each of our three YC cruises and will not repeat the experience going forward!

[no1talks]

4 hours ago, JohnJayJotaJames said:

Rather unpredictable. We asked on the Presioza and the Butler asked "Do you (sigh and eye roll) want the gloves and table cloth?". Afternoon tea is something we love so we said yes!
On the Seaview the Butlers had decided to cancel all afternoon teas without telling the YC director! Cold tea and baby stones (I joke not) were almost thrown on our table when we said we had come for afternoon tea. We left and had a chat with YC Director who promptly reinstated the daily afternoon tea. Our Butler was then given the task of overseeing afternoon tea for the rest of our cruise including a almost daily review of their scones by the YC Director.
We still love MSC and YC but afternoon tea is not their forte! Fingers are crossed for our Christmas cruise on the Seaside.

 

 

 

Thank you for your tea story. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the director "had words" with the tea-reluctant butlers. 

[JohnJayJotaJames]

3 hours ago, hamrag said:

Agree absolutely, we tried afternoon tea on each of our three YC cruises and will not repeat the experience going forward!

hamrag, I can see why you won't repeat the experience. After our first MSC cruise I would have done the same but discovered that by politely bringing our disappointment to their attention something gets done about it. It'll never be like afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason, Savoy, Ritz or wherever  but they do try their best. Most Butlers have never experienced afternoon tea in another place and so are doing their best given the training they have been given. 

[JohnJayJotaJames]

 

Fortunately the afternoon tea scones got bigger and better! I should add that I don't have huge hands! 

[no1talks]

35 minutes ago, JohnJayJotaJames said:

 

Fortunately the afternoon tea scones got bigger and better! I should add that I don't have huge hands! 

Those are excellent points.

The butlers are likely (if not certain) to have zero experience in tea service, outside the sphere of MSC. Any tea training can become a matter of going through the motions, without occasionally revisiting what the service objective is and how to avoid complacency.

Edited July 16, 2021 by no1talks
Spelling.

[kernow]

For us the service was absolutely fine, it was the food that was really disappointing. In the UK afternoon tea is a really big thing, most nice restaurants serve it and it's really fancy. 

Below is a pic from an afternoon tea we had at a boutique hotel close to our home a couple of weeks before the cruise. Because YC had been so good I was expecting something more like this😀

[sidari]

The sailings between the UK, Europe and USA bear no comparison because each ship is allowed to do it's own thing in may areas. What may happen on Virtuosa in the UK may well not happen in Europe or the US and vice versa. 

[hamrag]

9 hours ago, JohnJayJotaJames said:

hamrag, I can see why you won't repeat the experience. After our first MSC cruise I would have done the same but discovered that by politely bringing our disappointment to their attention something gets done about it. It'll never be like afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason, Savoy, Ritz or wherever  but they do try their best. Most Butlers have never experienced afternoon tea in another place and so are doing their best given the training they have been given. 

I guess the problem for us is that we have sailed Cunard a few times, and they do it superbly well and is our cruising benchmark for afternoon tea! To be fair, when we sailed on Crystal Serenity which is a luxury line it was awful there too.

 

Looking at Kernows photo, that is exactly what a quality afternoon tea should look like. The best we've had locally is at the Turnberry Hotel in Ayrshire, there it is superb and a beautiful dining room overlooking the golf courses and sea etc....fabulous!

[alyssamma]

5 hours ago, kernow said:

For us the service was absolutely fine, it was the food that was really disappointing. In the UK afternoon tea is a really big thing, most nice restaurants serve it and it's really fancy. 

Below is a pic from an afternoon tea we had at a boutique hotel close to our home a couple of weeks before the cruise. Because YC had been so good I was expecting something more like this😀

 

This is pretty similar to what it looked like for us. I couldn't find any pics I personally took but below is a pic from MSC. This is exactly what we got on the Divina.

 

 

[no1talks]

7 hours ago, sidari said:

The sailings between the UK, Europe and USA bear no comparison because each ship is allowed to do it's own thing in may areas. What may happen on Virtuosa in the UK may well not happen in Europe or the US and vice versa. 

The possibility of different modes of operation between regions is what keeps my hope alive regarding the new mini-bar rules. I had hoped for the continued restocking of comped snack cans, to take on port days. First-stocking-only comp snacks will be a disappointment.

[CruisingFox27]

On 7/15/2021 at 4:17 AM, no1talks said:

Hello everyone!

This will be our 2nd MSC cruise. We had a 7-day Caribbean on Seaside, just before COVID broke wide open. Back then, YC was very intriguing but not an option for us. Happily, that's not the case this time. More than anything, I'm looking forward to soaking up as much specialty pampering as possible.

So, is anyone hearing about YC changes from pre-COVID? I've other questions as well...

* Are YC staff particularly hesitant in accepting tips for extra effort?

* I'm pretty sure available mini-bar liquors are just the three provided. But one could order shots of other liquor via room service and it would come covered in plastic wrap, suitable to setting aside for later use from the mini-bar, yes?
* The pre-COVID mini-bar snacks seem ideal for taking along on a port day. Have any of you requested other treats for your mini-bar?

* If I want to make an early request for a chef's choice, multicourse tasting-menu dinner, with matching wines from the inclusive list, should I go to the YC concierge or straight to the staff at Le Muse? 
* How is the afternoon tea? Close to traditional standards? (I'm not fussy, really; just curious how solid their "tea game" is.)
* Have any of you arranged "tailor-made" shopping or excursions with the concierge, as mentioned on the website? How did it go?

Lastly, how have you utilized your butlers? I found the following list on a post several years old. My remarks are in parentheses.
 

1- they deliver room service & pizza. They do, yes. 

2- unpack & pack for you. (Is this commonly used? I'm on the fence about it.) Unpacking has been offered, we've never untilised. Packing hasn't ever been mentioned though. 

3- have a shirt quick ironed from packing wrinkles. (Wouldn't this fall under laundering service/charges? Anyone get their clothes freshened upon arrival?) Ironing can be requested, will be part of laundry services, chargeable and returned the next day. 

4- change out your pillow. (What have been your experiences with the pillow choices?) Never had an issue requesting alternative pillows.

5- teach you to use the Wii in your room. (If video console games are still a thing, wouldn't MSC have replaced Wii?)

6- stock your minibar with your faves. (Any good mini-bar anecdotes out there?)

7- escort you to excursions. Yes. 

8- escort you on and off the ship. Yes. 

9- escort you to dinner or theater if first timer. (As an aside, I'm looking forward to the trek to Le Muse. I'll get to show off my tux more.) Yes. 

10- polish shoes. (I'm a shoe nut, so I'm very keen on this service. Anyone have experience with it? How about fabric shoes, dusty from a day in port?) IIRC we've had shoes polished.

11- carry your parcels when they see you doing it.

12- set up private cocktail party in your room (If you did this, feel free to share your outcome, but our suite will be too small to have a proper soirée.)

13- Ice bucket is always filled. Yes. 

14- keep your room set up how you like it.

15- handle laundry service or dry cleaning for you. There are laundry bags in the cabin. 

I thank you all, in advance, for your input.

 

Comments in quote, sorry I can't amend the text to stand out for you. 

Edited July 17, 2021 by CruisingFox27

[jules815]

On 7/15/2021 at 5:45 AM, kernow said:

Yes for the snacks. Not too sure what you mean by small cocktails but if you mean the miniature bottles of spirits there weren't any. We got our choice of one 1 litre bottle from the list (we actually took it home as we got any drinks we wanted from the YC bar by the glass). The fridge just had beer, water and soft drinks.

What about snacks? Do you mean they'll be charging for those little cans of peanuts now?

[EMc&DrS]

On 7/14/2021 at 11:17 PM, no1talks said:

Hello everyone!

This will be our 2nd MSC cruise. We had a 7-day Caribbean on Seaside, just before COVID broke wide open. Back then, YC was very intriguing but not an option for us. Happily, that's not the case this time. More than anything, I'm looking forward to soaking up as much specialty pampering as possible.

So, is anyone hearing about YC changes from pre-COVID? I've other questions as well...

* Are YC staff particularly hesitant in accepting tips for extra effort? WE'VE GIVEN REASONABLE TIPS AT THE END OF THE CRUISE, AND THEY"VE ALWAYS BEEN ACCEPTED GRACIOUSLY.

* I'm pretty sure available mini-bar liquors are just the three provided. But one could order shots of other liquor via room service and it would come covered in plastic wrap, suitable to setting aside for later use from the mini-bar, yes? ONE BUTLER KNEW I LIKED JACK DANIELS. HE BROUGHT A SMALL PITCHER OF IT TO OUR ROOM COVERED IN PLASTIC WRAP.  AS SOON AS I WOULD USE SOME, I WOULD FIND IT REFILLED THE NEXT TIME I RETURNED TO THE ROOM.
* The pre-COVID mini-bar snacks seem ideal for taking along on a port day. Have any of you requested other treats for your mini-bar? NO, BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS SNACKS TO GRAB IN THE TOP SAIL. WE HAVE TAKEN THE MIM-BAR SNACKS ASHORE FOR A SNACK AT THE BEACH.

* If I want to make an early request for a chef's choice, multicourse tasting-menu dinner, with matching wines from the inclusive list, should I go to the YC concierge or straight to the staff at Le Muse? HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANYONE DOING THIS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. 
* How is the afternoon tea? Close to traditional standards? (I'm not fussy, really; just curious how solid their "tea game" is.) WE HAD IT ON DIVINA YEARS AGO AND IT WAS FINE.
* Have any of you arranged "tailor-made" shopping or excursions with the concierge, as mentioned on the website? How did it go? NO EXPERIENCE HERE.

Lastly, how have you utilized your butlers? I found the following list on a post several years old. My remarks are in parentheses.
 

1- they deliver room service & pizza. YES.  ON DIVINA THEY HAVE A PIZZA RESTAURANT THAT HAS A FEE IF YOU DINE THERE.  IF YOU ASK YOUR BUTLER, HOWEVER, HE CAN GET YOU PIZZAS FROM THERE FOR FREE AND DELIVER THEM TO YOUR STATEROOM.  THEY HANDLE ALL ROOM SERVICE ORDERS AS WELL.

2- unpack & pack for you. (Is this commonly used? I'm on the fence about it.) WE DID A B2B ON DIVINA THAT REQUIRED US TO MOVE ROOMS.  OUR BUTLER AND HIS ASSISTANT INSISTED ON MOVING ALL OF OUR STUFF FOR US.

3- have a shirt quick ironed from packing wrinkles. (Wouldn't this fall under laundering service/charges? Anyone get their clothes freshened upon arrival?)NO EXPERIENCE

4- change out your pillow. (What have been your experiences with the pillow choices?)YES, THERE IS A "PILLOW MENU" AND THEY ARE HAPPY TO MAKE CHANGES.

5- teach you to use the Wii in your room. (If video console games are still a thing, wouldn't MSC have replaced Wii?) WE WENT TO THE YC CONCIERGE FOR THIS.

6- stock your minibar with your faves. (Any good mini-bar anecdotes out there?) THEY DO NOTICE YOUR PREFERENCES AND STOCK ACCORDINGLY.

7- escort you to excursions.ABSOLUTELY! YOU NEVER HAVE TO MEET IN THE THEATRE FOR YOUR EXCURSION.  YOU MEET IN THE TOP SAIL AND THEY ESCORT YOU OFF THE SHIP WHERE YOU MEET UP WITH THE REST OF THE GROUP.  

8- escort you on and off the ship. THERE IS ALWAYS A BUTLER WAITING IN THE TOP SAIL READY TO ESCORT YOU OFF THE SHIP WHEN YOU WANT TO GO OUT ON YOUR OWN. SOMETIMES THEY TAKE YOU THROUGH CREW AREAS AND YOU POP OUT RIGHT AT THE EXIT. IN PLACES LIKE GRAND CAYMAN WHERE YOU HAVE TO TENDER, THEY ARE WAITING ON THE PIER TO ESCORT YOU TO THE FIRST WAITING TENDER NO MATTER HOW LONG THE LINE. WE HAD GONE OUT ON OUR OWN THERE, BUT THAT DIDN'T MATTER. AS SOON AS WE GOT OUT OF OUR CAB WE SAW A BUTLER WITH THE YC SIGN.  HE ESCORTED US RIGHT TO THE TENDER. IN PORTS WITH A PIER THEY ARE ALSO WAITING FOR YOU, AND IF THERE IS A LINE TO GET BACK ONBOARD, THEY TAKE YOU AROUND IT AND PUT YOU RIGHT ONBOARD.

9- escort you to dinner or theater if first timer. (As an aside, I'm looking forward to the trek to Le Muse. I'll get to show off my tux more.) YES. THEY ESPECIALLY WANT TO DO THIS ON DIVINA SINCE THE RESTAURANT IS NOT WITHIN YC.  THEY GREET YOU AT SECURITY WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON THE FIRST DAY AND ESCORT YOU DIRECTLY TO TOP SAIL, AND THEY WALK YOU TO THE GANGWAY ON YOUR LAST MORNING.  OF COURSE, THEY INSIST ON HANDLING YOUR LUGGAGE.

10- polish shoes. (I'm a shoe nut, so I'm very keen on this service. Anyone have experience with it? How about fabric shoes, dusty from a day in port?) NO EXPERIENCE.

11- carry your parcels when they see you doing it.YES!

12- set up private cocktail party in your room (If you did this, feel free to share your outcome, but our suite will be too small to have a proper soirée.)YES! WHEN WE HAD THE ROYAL SUITE ON SEASIDE, WE ASKED OUR BUTLER IF WE COULD HAVE A SAILAWAY PARTY IN OUR ROOM FOR THE REST OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE STAYING IN TWO OTHER YC ROOMS.  HE ARRANGED PLATTERS OF DRINKS AND SNACKS AND SET IT ALL UP IN OUR SUITE.  AS A SURPRISE, HE DID THE SAME THING FOR US FOR OUR FINAL SAILAWAY OF THE CRUISE FROM NASSAU.

13- Ice bucket is always filled.YES!

14- keep your room set up how you like it.YES! ONE BUTLER SURPRISED US BY DECORATING OUR ROOM WITH TOWEL SWANS, ROSE PETALS ON THE BED AND FLOOR, AND A SPARKLING LIGHT SHOW FROM A LIGHT MACHINE WHEN HE FOUND OUT IT WAS OUR ANNIVERSARY THAT NIGHT.

15- handle laundry service or dry cleaning for you. YES

I thank you all, in advance, for your input.

We sailed YC 5x out of MIA.  Our first MSC sailing was not in YC, and it was fine, but like you we felt like we had possibly missed out on something by not trying YC. I've answered in all caps after each of your questions.