Observations From The Poop Deck : BEYOND NOV 20-27 2022

[ETHTrader]

16 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Got home and immediately received the satisfaction survey the same day.

 

How was disembarkation day? What time did they let passengers off the ship?

 

I remember your embarkation day was a mess because of the weather and delays

[kwokpot]

11 minutes ago, ETHTrader said:

 

How was disembarkation day? What time did they let passengers off the ship?

 

I remember your embarkation day was a mess because of the weather and delays

 

[mafig]

16 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

. We gave them 10-10-10. I think that says it all. Adieu.

 

I'm a little surprised considering the reported chair hogs and your not loving Luminae's menu.

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, ETHTrader said:

 

How was disembarkation day? What time did they let passengers off the ship?

 

I remember your embarkation day was a mess because of the weather and delays

Fast. Everyone is instructed to congregate in a venue. Retreat congregates in Fine Cut. Ship has two gangways. Ship cleared at 7:11am . Retreat director escorted everyone to gangway opposite Fine Cut. Off ship in minutes, no stopping except for facial recognition and out the terminal door.

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, mafig said:

 

I'm a little surprised considering the reported chair hogs and your not loving Luminae's menu.

We had no problem with "chair hogs" any more. We book a suite with a nice balcony for that reason. Everyone else expresses 'dismay' at not being able to use the 'prime' seats due to "chair hogs".

  As for the Luminae menu we are classic menu types. What we crave in Luminae is the service. 'Top notch'. Every dinner dish was HOT to the touch and we got our meals in time to get to every show. But the entertainment we were used to on the Equinox and Edge in 2021 July through January was fantastic. One could easily see them repeated. We went to both shows 7 and 9 they were that good. Most memorable was Charity Lockhart's interpretation of Aretha Franklin. She had one song that starts out with the stage blacked out and Aretha on the big screen singing a hit song and the stage is lite and everyone is astounded that the voice was of Charity all along. Another was of "Up Town". We confronted CD Luigi why no top guest performers like mentioned. All he could answer was that "Up Town" is booked for 2023 on Apex and Equinox, maybe later. Gives us the impression that the the older ships need the top entertainment draw, while the Beyond can slip by on being the new sensation.

[gmbhardy]

On 11/28/2022 at 5:55 PM, morpheusofthesea said:

Got home and immediately received the satisfaction survey the same day. (They don't waste any time) They are giving us til Dec 4 to reply, but I felt I might forget by then the wonderful times we had so I felt obliged to sit down and fill it out. One is hit with the 3 most important questions on the first page. Overall experience , Would recommend to friends, and how likely to cruise with Celebrity again. We gave them 10-10-10. I think that says it all. Adieu.

So how does it compare to the Yacht Club?

[morpheusofthesea]

58 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

So how does it compare to the Yacht Club?

It compares very favorably. It comes down to just what one is really looking for and which line provides it. 

   We enjoy a dedicated restaurant open for 3 meals per day, not one that closes for lunch port days.(MSC)

   We enjoy Cafe Al Bacio (Celebrity)

   I enjoy a cushioned cabin balcony deck chair lounger  (MSC)

   We enjoy reserved theater seating for every performance (MSC)

   We enjoy more evening entertainment venues rather than game shows (MSC)

   We enjoy a better Wifi that works(Celebrity)

   We enjoy a private 'out' island. (MSC)

   We love key card elevator over rides (MSC)

   We like a 'gated community' (MSC)

Edited November 30, 2022 by morpheusofthesea

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

In my view, Yacht Club's biggest problem is the food and service in the YC dining room.  Celebrity is a definite winner in that category.  And I wasn't particularly impressed with the reserved seating area in the theater.  Nor with the entertainment, for that matter.  That is not a high priority for me.

 

My deck furniture all had cushions in October in a RS on Celebrity.

 

[morpheusofthesea]

29 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

In my view, Yacht Club's biggest problem is the food and service in the YC dining room.  Celebrity is a definite winner in that category.  And I wasn't particularly impressed with the reserved seating area in the theater.  Nor with the entertainment, for that matter.  That is not a high priority for me.

 

My deck furniture all had cushions in October in a RS on Celebrity.

 

Yes. That is what is so great about different ships and what they offer. Yours is food and service. We receive great service on both lines in suite class. Food is idiosyncratic and we enjoy the food on both lines equally. Both provided us fast service to be able to get to the early shows. Butler escort to theater at 6:30 to get 'our' preferred seats was much appreciated in the reserved section. On MSC we enjoyed the shows so much we would return (on our own) and sit in our preferred seats again for the 9 pm show as well. 

 Please notice in photo below no cushions on lounger. And I asked specifically for cushions from my butler. He said no longer allowed.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Yes. That is what is so great about different ships and what they offer. Yours is food and service. We receive great service on both lines in suite class. Food is idiosyncratic and we enjoy the food on both lines equally. Both provided us fast service to be able to get to the early shows. Butler escort to theater at 6:30 to get 'our' preferred seats was much appreciated in the reserved section. On MSC we enjoyed the shows so much we would return (on our own) and sit in our preferred seats again for the 9 pm show as well. 

 Please notice in photo below no cushions on lounger. And I asked specifically for cushions from my butler. He said no longer allowed.

 

Yet there are cushions on your chairs.  I was on the Summit in a royal suite and had cushions on the couch and chairs.  And a much larger balcony.

[morpheusofthesea]

13 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Yet there are cushions on your chairs.  I was on the Summit in a royal suite and had cushions on the couch and chairs.  And a much larger balcony.

I suppose if I should decide if ever to book this RS cabin again I will have to pack a air mattress and pump to put on the lounger. This type of lounger is just too uncomfortable for the hours I spend on the balcony each day. Sort of glad we did not book a B2B on a ship we have never been on before. What you bring  my attention to is the difference between same category cabins on different ships in the fleet. We found the distance from Luminae to our cabin, 4 decks, manageable stairwise, but 11 decks on S class has us switched to E-class. There is always something to complain about. Boils down to what we won't tolerate as we grow older.

[Cap_D]

Thank you for all of the posts, everyone and the OP.

 

I may have missed this, any comparison to experiences with Haven? 

 

We enjoyed Edge retreat in April, despite some criticisms.  We have a 5 yr toddler (very well behaved and quiet when appropriate).  He loved it.  The ideal cruise would be the level and quality of Celebrity Retreat (when Luminae is working) with just a bit more to do for individual /family activities on the ship or private beach.  The two ping pong tables and bean bag toss were about it.  Yet, not being able to have anyone under 17 in the Haven sundeck area, so being confined to the courtyard or main decks for lounge time, has been a dealbreaker when Haven is compared against Retreat.  (Not sure difference between inten of Haven Sundeck and Vibe, except music and use of one day passes).  However being realistic, a dedicated kids splash pad areas and fun quotient OR quality beach may be needed in future years.  Don't necessarily need all the go-karts and other thrills, or ambiance, that Royal and Norwegian have at the expense of service, fresh ships, etc. 

 

Also, I have read the posts on the MSC board and many of the reviews.  I also have noticed some travel agents abhor MSC given how they treated customers during the pandemic and what they perceive to be quality issues across the board (customer service and shipboard).  Any reaction to those that have had absolutely abysmal experiences and poor customer service? Is it a function of you get what you pay for on MSC?  Is Yacht Club something that is at least minimally going to be okay? Or even is that sometimes just abysmal (regrettable time and expense).

 

Btw, agree a private Island would be a terrific addition to Celebrity.  It's an amenity/venue missing from the experience.  I don't believe it would even need to have a special Retreat section, as generally any private beach would be a standout compared to most of the itineraries in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Mexico. The possible exception would be Bimini, which seems to be very nice (have not been).  The Celebrity experience really seems to stop when one goes to many of the ports.

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Cap_D said:

 

I may have missed this, any comparison to experiences with Haven?

They are similar. Found service slow in Haven Restaurant (2hrs even when pre ordering a standing order of grilled chicken breast with baked potato for every night), compared to either Luminea or Yacht Club Restaurant.

 

1 hour ago, Cap_D said:

Also, I have read the posts on the MSC board and many of the reviews.  I also have noticed some travel agents abhor MSC given how they treated customers during the pandemic and what they perceive to be quality issues across the board (customer service and shipboard).

Our travel agent has repeatedly tried to dissuade us from booking MSC. Last month she even stated we are her only clients to book MSC. The world does not know what they are missing booking the MSC Yacht Club and we hope they do not find out. The prices will sky rocket. Never had a problem with service in the Yacht Club and never got a "no" answer from any staff 'inside' the YC.

[Cap_D]

Thank you, morpheusofthesea.  

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

5 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Our travel agent has repeatedly tried to dissuade us from booking MSC. Last month she even stated we are her only clients to book MSC. The world does not know what they are missing booking the MSC Yacht Club and we hope they do not find out. The prices will sky rocket. Never had a problem with service in the Yacht Club and never got a "no" answer from any staff 'inside' the YC.

 

In my view, Yacht Club prices have already skyrocketed.  And my TA almost fired me for booking with them--she had to deal with the idiots there.  She hated the whole experience.  Twice.  I would never try to deal with them directly.

[George C]

We are currently on beyond some of the food in luminae was terrible this week by far our worse experience and we have done luminaee at least once a year for past 6 years. 

[C-Dragons]

8 minutes ago, George C said:

We are currently on beyond some of the food in luminae was terrible this week by far our worse experience and we have done luminaee at least once a year for past 6 years. 

Could you elaborate more on your experience? What was the problem with the food?

[Cap_D]

7 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

Could you elaborate more on your experience? What was the problem with the food?

I would also be interested in this answer. Have been considering one of the last Sky Suites for over Christmas.  (I welcome holiday suggestions). The cost to experience ratio becomes very off-putting if the food is not edible or the service is intolerable.  Anyone could easily go out for multi-course meals with a driver each night and still not come close to what it would cost to dine in Luminae. 

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, George C said:

We are currently on beyond some of the food in luminae was terrible this week by far our worse experience and we have done luminaee at least once a year for past 6 years. 

You just gave me post cruise 'heartburn'.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

1 hour ago, George C said:

We are currently on beyond some of the food in luminae was terrible this week by far our worse experience and we have done luminaee at least once a year for past 6 years. 

I am dismayed when I read such reviews.

 

This is our first time trying a mid-market cruise line (it was hyped as a great luxury alternative, after all).

 

But so many down on the service levels, the food, the quality, even the chairs and (gulp) chair hogs.

 

I've got a bad feeling about our two forthcoming cruises to try out Celebrity (even though I like the blue color on their new ships).

 

I don't want to get off the cruises only to become a gripe'osaurus. I definitely don't want to become an Elite gripe'osaurus, or worse a Zenith gripe'osaurus. 🦖 

Edited December 2, 2022 by 4-2-N-8

[C-Dragons]

46 minutes ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

I am dismayed when I read such reviews.

 

This is our first time trying a mid-market cruise line (it was hyped as a great luxury alternative, after all).

 

But so many down on the service levels, the food, the quality, even the chairs and (gulp) chair hogs.

 

I've got a bad feeling about our two forthcoming cruises to try out Celebrity (even though I like the blue color on their new ships).

 

I don't want to get off the cruises only to become a gripe'osaurus. I definitely don't want to become an Elite gripe'osaurus, or worse a Zenith gripe'osaurus. 🦖 

My philosophy has always been to experience anything new myself and try not to be influenced by the “noise”. As they say, there are “different strokes for different folks”.

We got off the Apex Transatlantic on Nov. 12th. The cruise was great, the crew were wonderful, and the food was delicious. 

And there were no chair hogs to contend with. 😊

Edited December 2, 2022 by C-Dragons

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

13 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

My philosophy has always been to experience anything new myself and try not to be influenced by the “noise”. As they say, there are “different strokes for different folks”.

We got off the Apex Transatlantic on Nov. 12th. The cruise was great, the crew were wonderful, and the food was delicious. 

And there were no chair hogs to contend with. 😊

But if I find it all worthwhile and nothing to complain about, I'll never make (gripe'osaurus) Elite status! 😅

[morpheusofthesea]

On 11/29/2022 at 10:18 AM, ETHTrader said:

 

How was disembarkation day? What time did they let passengers off the ship?

 

I remember your embarkation day was a mess because of the weather and delays

I forgot to mention this about embarkation day vs debarkation day. Got to the port at 9:30 am and pulled up to the front door of the terminal where Retreat drop-off is allowed, in the rain. Unloaded with aid of porter DW's suitcases (12) and tipped porter $50 to make sure the suitcases are treated properly. Did not get our luggage as usual after lunch so contacted butler. I took photos of the bags prior to leaving the house and he took copies of my photos and went to look for them. Walked out onto balcony and looked down at pier and witnessed the loading of luggage from the terminal to the ship. No loading took place when it was raining. When rain subsided, two fork lifts cars would pick up ONE trolley filled with about 10 suitcases each and drive it to the ship. About 4 minutes back and forth to pick up another ONE trolley of 10 suitcases. Every 29 minutes there was a bathroom break for 5 minutes. The trolleys were covered on the top with blue tarps and I witnessed a trolley with our bags around 4:30 pm. The bags took another 30 minutes to arrive at our cabin ($20 tip). Ship was scheduled to leave at 3:30 pm we left at 10 pm waiting for all the luggage to be loaded.

  Upon return I noticed these SAME fork-lifts were being used to unload the same trolleys filled with luggage. Only this time each fork-lift was lifting THREE trolleys at one time.

   

Edited December 2, 2022 by morpheusofthesea

[Host Anne]

18 hours ago, George C said:

We are currently on beyond some of the food in luminae was terrible this week by far our worse experience and we have done luminaee at least once a year for past 6 years. 

 

George ~ we've had the exact same experience this week as you.  I'll write more when I'm home tomorrow.  

[Host Anne]

The upside of Beyond this week is that we have met MANY wonderful crew doing a fantastic job.  I'm sure that is the case on every cruise.