1st Time MSC Cruiser Reviews Seascape YC

[bundtkate]

1 minute ago, Av8tor said:

Looking at the diagram I'd be very suspicious of that one...

Yea, I have my concerns. Ultimately, I can't do anything about it. My TA grabbed that one for me, I waffled, then all the rest of the YINs on my sailing sold out, but I guess I could get in some extra sob story practice if it seems I need to. Maybe if I really nail it the crew will take pity on me. 😂

[Av8tor]

Ill try to continue the review for a bit while my DW gets ready for dinner.  We just sailed away from Grand Cayman heading to Ocho Rios tomorrow.  Cozumel was yesterday.  I haven't been taking notes so this rambling will be from memory and any random thoughts that pop into my thick skull...

 

Our butler team did not get the pre-selection info we submitted on line but our choices for newspaper, pillows, distilled water & in room liquor bottle were quickly accommodated.  

 

We really enjoyed our Monday at Ocean Cay.  Don't know why they set up the YC area where and how they did since it could've been so much better.  That being said, it is what it is and while not perfect, it is a very nice experience.  Weather was very nice and winds weren't strong.

 

Meals have been good - not a big choice of entree selections in YC's top sail dining room but the food is good and portion size, while smaller than I remember from Princess, is adequate for most folks.  While dinner menus change daily for lunch & dinner, the dessert choices seem to stay the same day after day except for one item and maybe the ice-cream flavors available.  YC One Pool breakfast buffet is pretty much the same each day but the lunch one does change.  I hear that the seafood extravaganza will be on the 2nd (last) seaday.  On the 1st seaday, I did go to the all-you-can-eat sushi special and was quite happy.  All sorts of nigiri, makai, sashimi and other temptations circled around on the belt and empty spaces were quickly filled.  One of the servers restocking the belt noticed I liked salmon so plenty of that was provided with numerous plates of salmon nigiri and sashimi handed directly to me bypassing the belt.  I ate a ton of "bait"  that afternoon and the $33 price was well worth it.  A few Kirin and Asahi beers washed it all down and were no charge due to the YC drink package.

 

Shows at the theater have been OK (other that the first night) but not on par with Princess's productions.  These are somewhat short and not quite as intricate (costumes, vocals, coreography), but to be fair, this is our first cruise since the pandemic.  The show we went to last night at Le Cabaret Rouge lounge was odd and not very entertaining to us - YMMV..  The Ken Boyd comedy show at the theater was funny and he's doing another one (adults blue humor) late tonight.  We'll certainly be staying up for that! One thing I do find odd is that while we can bring drinks into the theater, there is no bar service in the theater.  In fact, our butler told us that on other MSC ships they don't allow drinks in the theater at all!

 

Our butler said that since they couldn't get me my first choice for in-room liquor that he'd just see to it that I had a large glass of Crown Royal in the cabin for me to mix my own cocktails if I didn't want to walk "all the way" down the hall to the Top Sail lounge for a drink (a whole 7 cabins).  Now that's an example of what a butler can do for you...

 

Anyway, time for dinner.  More to come later...

 

 

 

 

[sabres431]

58 minutes ago, Av8tor said:

On the 1st seaday, I did go to the all-you-can-eat sushi special and was quite happy.  All sorts of nigiri, makai, sashimi and other temptations circled around on the belt and empty spaces were quickly filled.  One of the servers restocking the belt noticed I liked salmon so plenty of that was provided with numerous plates of salmon nigiri and sashimi handed directly to me bypassing the belt.  I ate a ton of "bait"  that afternoon and the $33 price was well worth it.  A few Kirin and Asahi beers washed it all down and were no charge due to the YC drink package.

I'm really excited to do this.  Was there a lot of people?  Do you need a reservation?  I'll be doing this alone since my wife won't eat sushi

[Av8tor]

21 hours ago, sabres431 said:

I'm really excited to do this.  Was there a lot of people?  Do you need a reservation?  I'll be doing this alone since my wife won't eat sushi

Yes you do need a reservation.  It will be listed in the daily planner (a small item) but I'd check with concierge/guest services ASAP on board to find out when it'll e offered and get your reservation.  I went at 1:30pm and I think there are a total of 24-30 seats along the sushi belt and about 20 people were there.

[Av8tor]

According to a form a got from the YC concierge there are only 2 laundry packages available on board.  Package L2 is for 20 items @$45 and L4 is for 40 items @$64.  These prices are higher than if you purchased pre-cruise (I forget the specific prices).  Also, there is no 10 item package once onboard like there is for pre-cruise.  The form says the item allowance must be used all together in a single delivery.  48 hour turnaround.  It  also said "washed and folded (dry cleaning and ironing not included)".

 

The regular laundry slip in the cabin has options for dry clean + iron / wash + iron / iron only.  The per item prices are listed and depending on the clothing type mix would normally be more expensive than the package(s).  The per item costs are subject to Voyagers Club discounts.  Black/Diamond gets 15% off - lower levels get smaller discounts but I don't know those specifics...

[Bgwest]

11 minutes ago, Av8tor said:

The regular laundry slip in the cabin has options for dry clean + iron / wash + iron / iron only.  The per item prices are listed and depending on the clothing type mix would normally be more expensive than the package(s).  The per item costs are subject to Voyagers Club discounts.  Black/Diamond gets 15% off - lower levels get smaller discounts but I don't know those specifics...

Very helpful and useful information. Are you able to shed any light on the 15% discount? Others have reported here that they didn't get the discount. Others have reported that they got it only after pushing the issue with management. 

 

Pre-Cruise Pricing

20 pcs for $38

40 pcs for $49

 

On Board Pricing (including a 15% discount)

20 pcs for 38.25

40 pcs for $54.40

 

If my math is correct, it still makes sense to buy pre-cruise. 

[Av8tor]

On 2/3/2023 at 4:06 PM, Bgwest said:

Very helpful and useful information. Are you able to shed any light on the 15% discount? Others have reported here that they didn't get the discount. Others have reported that they got it only after pushing the issue with management. 

 

Pre-Cruise Pricing

20 pcs for $38

40 pcs for $49

 

On Board Pricing (including a 15% discount)

20 pcs for 38.25

40 pcs for $54.40

 

If my math is correct, it still makes sense to buy pre-cruise. 

From what I gathered from the YC concierge, the packages purchased pre-cruise are already discounted and won't get an additional VC discount.  Once on board, the VC discount varies based on the VC level and only applies to the "normal" per-item costs, not 20 or 40 item packages.

[Av8tor]

Cruise Review Update:

 

Sitting here in the Top Sail lounge having an after dinner drink recalling how it is I'm still here AFTER our scheduled disembarkation today...

 

Yesterday was sea day cruising back to Miami and from my lounger on the One Pool deck I looked at my DW and said since this was our first MSC cruise and we've been busy exploring the ship & its offerings, we haven't been able to relax as much as we'd hoped, how about staying on for another week? She did a quick calendar check and said yes and after I confirmed airline seats were available a week later, down to the YC concierge I went.  They said there were still open cabins and confirmed we could even keep the same butler team.  Unfortunately, we did have to change cabins, but it was only to the cabin right next to our first one.  They sent the future cruise rep up to met me in the TS lounge and with only 24 hours before (continuing) sailing we had a paid & confirmed booking for tomorrow (today).  Then I got to spend 1:20 on the phone with the airline changing or return flight to a week later.  Same flight #s but BIG $s more since the change was so close to travelling.  Thank goodness the wi-fi call using the ship's internet did not drop during that extended time on hold and dealing with a credit card processing snafu.

 

The B2B this morning did NOT go smoothly.  We waited in TS lounge until 11:15 before they called the B2Bs for processing.  After leaving the ship we were held in the upper terminal for a while before moving to the lower level where we waited even more...  The problem was not MSC's fault, but caused by a combination of stragglers delaying zeroing out the ship and CBP/terminal operations mis-management.  After finally getting through the 2-second clearance process, we were delayed again getting back on board and somehow ended up behind new cruisers that were mistakenly allowed to start boarding before the B2bs were through the process.  Add clouds and rain showers to that mess and you can imagine how good that Ahhhhhh moment felt once we were back onboard and having lunch & drinks.

 

More thoughts to follow after tomorrow's (hopefully) visit to Ocean Cay...

[EMc&DrS]

How awesome that you could stay for another week! We'll be in YC on Seascape in 2 weeks sailing the same itinerary you have this week, so we're looking forward to reading more updates along the way. We've cruised over 20 times, but our friends going with us have never cruised, so we went them to have a great experience. Despite all of those cruises, we've never had a 7-day itinerary that started with two ports before the first sea day. I'm curious when the "elegant nights" are going to be held. Will they have a "seafood extravaganza" at the YC pool, and if so, which day? Any insight you can provide will be appreciated. Enjoy your bonus week! 

[sabres431]

8 hours ago, Av8tor said:

Cruise Review Update:

 

Sitting here in the Top Sail lounge having an after dinner drink recalling how it is I'm still here AFTER our scheduled disembarkation today...

 

Yesterday was sea day cruising back to Miami and from my lounger on the One Pool deck I looked at my DW and said since this was our first MSC cruise and we've been busy exploring the ship & its offerings, we haven't been able to relax as much as we'd hoped, how about staying on for another week? She did a quick calendar check and said yes and after I confirmed airline seats were available a week later, down to the YC concierge I went.  They said there were still open cabins and confirmed we could even keep the same butler team.  Unfortunately, we did have to change cabins, but it was only to the cabin right next to our first one.  They sent the future cruise rep up to met me in the TS lounge and with only 24 hours before (continuing) sailing we had a paid & confirmed booking for tomorrow (today).  Then I got to spend 1:20 on the phone with the airline changing or return flight to a week later.  Same flight #s but BIG $s more since the change was so close to travelling.  Thank goodness the wi-fi call using the ship's internet did not drop during that extended time on hold and dealing with a credit card processing snafu.

 

The B2B this morning did NOT go smoothly.  We waited in TS lounge until 11:15 before they called the B2Bs for processing.  After leaving the ship we were held in the upper terminal for a while before moving to the lower level where we waited even more...  The problem was not MSC's fault, but caused by a combination of stragglers delaying zeroing out the ship and CBP/terminal operations mis-management.  After finally getting through the 2-second clearance process, we were delayed again getting back on board and somehow ended up behind new cruisers that were mistakenly allowed to start boarding before the B2bs were through the process.  Add clouds and rain showers to that mess and you can imagine how good that Ahhhhhh moment felt once we were back onboard and having lunch & drinks.

 

More thoughts to follow after tomorrow's (hopefully) visit to Ocean Cay...

The ability to have this flexibility must be so awesome!!  Really enjoying the updates!

[no1talks]

9 hours ago, Av8tor said:

"They sent the future cruise rep up to met me in the TS lounge and with only 24 hours before (continuing) sailing we had a paid & confirmed booking for tomorrow (today)."

 

It is perfectly understandable if you prefer to keep this information to yourself.

 

However, I am curious as to whether your "11th hour" booking was at a savings, compared to what you paid for the first part of the cruise.

 

If so, how much did you save?

[styles27]

10 hours ago, Av8tor said:

Cruise Review Update:

 

Sitting here in the Top Sail lounge having an after dinner drink recalling how it is I'm still here AFTER our scheduled disembarkation today...

 

Yesterday was sea day cruising back to Miami and from my lounger on the One Pool deck I looked at my DW and said since this was our first MSC cruise and we've been busy exploring the ship & its offerings, we haven't been able to relax as much as we'd hoped, how about staying on for another week? She did a quick calendar check and said yes and after I confirmed airline seats were available a week later, down to the YC concierge I went.  They said there were still open cabins and confirmed we could even keep the same butler team. 

You are my kind of guy!! Cannot wait til next year when my husband will be fully retired and we will have the freedom to do this!!

I know you’re in the YC but how crowded does the rest of the ship seem when you’re out and about? 
 

My brother and his wife and adult daughter will be on 02/19th and they’ve only taken one cruise on Disney 20 yrs ago. It’s school vacation week but she’s a teacher and can only go during that time. 

They’re not travelers at all but their daughter just finished her Masters and she got them to book this as a graduation gift just to get them to go somewhere. 

I’m a little nervous they’ll be overwhelmed on such a huge ship. 

[jules815]

11 hours ago, Av8tor said:

Cruise Review Update:

 

Sitting here in the Top Sail lounge having an after dinner drink recalling how it is I'm still here AFTER our scheduled disembarkation today...

 

Yesterday was sea day cruising back to Miami and from my lounger on the One Pool deck I looked at my DW and said since this was our first MSC cruise and we've been busy exploring the ship & its offerings, we haven't been able to relax as much as we'd hoped, how about staying on for another week? She did a quick calendar check and said yes and after I confirmed airline seats were available a week later, down to the YC concierge I went.  They said there were still open cabins and confirmed we could even keep the same butler team.  Unfortunately, we did have to change cabins, but it was only to the cabin right next to our first one.  They sent the future cruise rep up to met me in the TS lounge and with only 24 hours before (continuing) sailing we had a paid & confirmed booking for tomorrow (today).  Then I got to spend 1:20 on the phone with the airline changing or return flight to a week later.  Same flight #s but BIG $s more since the change was so close to travelling.  Thank goodness the wi-fi call using the ship's internet did not drop during that extended time on hold and dealing with a credit card processing snafu.

 

The B2B this morning did NOT go smoothly.  We waited in TS lounge until 11:15 before they called the B2Bs for processing.  After leaving the ship we were held in the upper terminal for a while before moving to the lower level where we waited even more...  The problem was not MSC's fault, but caused by a combination of stragglers delaying zeroing out the ship and CBP/terminal operations mis-management.  After finally getting through the 2-second clearance process, we were delayed again getting back on board and somehow ended up behind new cruisers that were mistakenly allowed to start boarding before the B2bs were through the process.  Add clouds and rain showers to that mess and you can imagine how good that Ahhhhhh moment felt once we were back onboard and having lunch & drinks.

 

More thoughts to follow after tomorrow's (hopefully) visit to Ocean Cay...

This is fantastic!  I know that feeling. Takes me until about Tuesday to be fully relaxed and before you know it you come back from dinner and the disembarkation memo and luggage tags are left in your stateroom.

We'll be on Seascape in September and decided to add a second week as well. The only thing making us hesitate was our dog, but our daughters have stepped up to the plate and encouraged us to extend our trip. (They're both adults and out of the nest and will be sharing the pet sitting.)

 

Enjoy your second week!

[jules815]

4 hours ago, EMc&DrS said:

How awesome that you could stay for another week! We'll be in YC on Seascape in 2 weeks sailing the same itinerary you have this week, so we're looking forward to reading more updates along the way. We've cruised over 20 times, but our friends going with us have never cruised, so we went them to have a great experience. Despite all of those cruises, we've never had a 7-day itinerary that started with two ports before the first sea day. I'm curious when the "elegant nights" are going to be held. Will they have a "seafood extravaganza" at the YC pool, and if so, which day? Any insight you can provide will be appreciated. Enjoy your bonus week! 

Please give us an update after your cruise in 2 weeks. Hope you all have a great time!

 

[Bobbiegentry]

14 hours ago, Av8tor said:

Cruise Review Update:

 

Sitting here in the Top Sail lounge having an after dinner drink recalling how it is I'm still here AFTER our scheduled disembarkation today...

 

Yesterday was sea day cruising back to Miami and from my lounger on the One Pool deck I looked at my DW and said since this was our first MSC cruise and we've been busy exploring the ship & its offerings, we haven't been able to relax as much as we'd hoped, how about staying on for another week? She did a quick calendar check and said yes and after I confirmed airline seats were available a week later, down to the YC concierge I went.  They said there were still open cabins and confirmed we could even keep the same butler team.  Unfortunately, we did have to change cabins, but it was only to the cabin right next to our first one.  They sent the future cruise rep up to met me in the TS lounge and with only 24 hours before (continuing) sailing we had a paid & confirmed booking for tomorrow (today).  Then I got to spend 1:20 on the phone with the airline changing or return flight to a week later.  Same flight #s but BIG $s more since the change was so close to travelling.  Thank goodness the wi-fi call using the ship's internet did not drop during that extended time on hold and dealing with a credit card processing snafu.

 

The B2B this morning did NOT go smoothly.  We waited in TS lounge until 11:15 before they called the B2Bs for processing.  After leaving the ship we were held in the upper terminal for a while before moving to the lower level where we waited even more...  The problem was not MSC's fault, but caused by a combination of stragglers delaying zeroing out the ship and CBP/terminal operations mis-management.  After finally getting through the 2-second clearance process, we were delayed again getting back on board and somehow ended up behind new cruisers that were mistakenly allowed to start boarding before the B2bs were through the process.  Add clouds and rain showers to that mess and you can imagine how good that Ahhhhhh moment felt once we were back onboard and having lunch & drinks.

 

More thoughts to follow after tomorrow's (hopefully) visit to Ocean Cay...

Nicely done!!!😃

[Av8tor]

On 2/6/2023 at 3:54 AM, EMc&DrS said:

How awesome that you could stay for another week! We'll be in YC on Seascape in 2 weeks sailing the same itinerary you have this week, so we're looking forward to reading more updates along the way. We've cruised over 20 times, but our friends going with us have never cruised, so we went them to have a great experience. Despite all of those cruises, we've never had a 7-day itinerary that started with two ports before the first sea day. I'm curious when the "elegant nights" are going to be held. Will they have a "seafood extravaganza" at the YC pool, and if so, which day? Any insight you can provide will be appreciated. Enjoy your bonus week! 

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I was serious about totally relaxing and enjoying YC for the 2nd week.  I didn't post updates during that time and have been busy "catching up" since returning home.  You're probably already on your cruise so I don't know if this will help you - but it may help others...

 

The Gala night was Tuesday after leaving Nassau (3rd night onboard).  I was surprised it wasn't on the next day which was a seaday.

 

The seafood extravaganza was held at the YC One Pool deck both weeks on a sea day.  For second week (your itinerary) it was the last day (Saturday) sailing between Puerto Plata and Miami.

[Av8tor]

On 2/6/2023 at 5:01 AM, no1talks said:

 

It is perfectly understandable if you prefer to keep this information to yourself.

 

However, I am curious as to whether your "11th hour" booking was at a savings, compared to what you paid for the first part of the cruise.

 

If so, how much did you save?

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I was serious about totally relaxing and enjoying YC for the 2nd week.  I didn't post updates during that time and have been busy "catching up" since returning home.

 

There was no savings for the 2nd week.  In fact it cost a bit more and had less OBC since there was no TA involved.  I'm kicking myself for not even asking if I could get a lower price, but at the time I was with the sales rep, I just wanted to stay onboard and get back to enjoying my YC experience.

[Av8tor]

On 2/6/2023 at 6:20 AM, styles27 said:

You are my kind of guy!! Cannot wait til next year when my husband will be fully retired and we will have the freedom to do this!!

I know you’re in the YC but how crowded does the rest of the ship seem when you’re out and about? 
 

My brother and his wife and adult daughter will be on 02/19th and they’ve only taken one cruise on Disney 20 yrs ago. It’s school vacation week but she’s a teacher and can only go during that time. 

They’re not travelers at all but their daughter just finished her Masters and she got them to book this as a graduation gift just to get them to go somewhere. 

I’m a little nervous they’ll be overwhelmed on such a huge ship. 

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I was serious about totally relaxing and enjoying YC for the 2nd week.  I didn't post updates during that time and have been busy "catching up" since returning home.

 

I hope your relatives are presently enjoying their cruise, but to answer your question, when outside the YC, I didn't think the ship felt crowded when compared to other non-MSC cruises we've been on.

[Av8tor]

On 2/6/2023 at 7:04 AM, jules815 said:

This is fantastic!  I know that feeling. Takes me until about Tuesday to be fully relaxed and before you know it you come back from dinner and the disembarkation memo and luggage tags are left in your stateroom.

We'll be on Seascape in September and decided to add a second week as well. The only thing making us hesitate was our dog, but our daughters have stepped up to the plate and encouraged us to extend our trip. (They're both adults and out of the nest and will be sharing the pet sitting.)

 

Enjoy your second week!

Glad they stepped up.  Only problem is you'll really be missing your dog by the end of the 2nd week (and probably your daughters too) 😁

[Av8tor]

Well I'm back home again and somewhat caught up to "normal life."  We really enjoyed or 2nd week on the Seascape.  YC is thoroughly enjoyable, especially after not cruising at all for 4 years.  Liked it so much we didn't even get off the ship at the non-MSC ports.

 

2nd visit to Ocean Cay was as enjoyable as the first except for a bit more breeze and rougher waters at the YC and Bimini beaches.  After a week in the sun during the 1st week, I was less concerned with shade this time at Ocean Cay.  Did another counter-clockwise swim around the north island except didn't swim under the bridge this time due to currents and rough water on the east side.  Did get a bit hasseled by the safety patrol roving around on jet skis - seems they don't like you swimming anywhere else than right along the beaches' shore lines.

 

Even though it's listed in the "Welcome to  Ocean Cay" printed program, I found out that there is no Discover Scuba Diving Center on the island.  They only do snorkleing.

 

There was no light house light show the second week because we left the cay too early.  My wife got a video of the first week's performance and I'll see if I can post it later.  Also will post some photos of a channel marker on the south side of the ship's arrival/departure channel that appears to have been hit and damaged at some point in time.  Wonder what the story behind that is???

 

TBC...

 

 

[Av8tor]

On Tuesday, we awoke in Nassau and I headed up bright and early to grab a cabana on the One Pool deck.  I was able to get a cabana every morning for the rest of the cruise, but unlike some "hogs," we actually used ours for the entire day each time.  At least one of us was always there, so while it was unavailable to others,  I don't consider that hogging. That evening was Gala night and there were so few gowns & tuxes last week that we didn't bother to don our formal wear again this time and just went casual chic.

 

During our second week, we noticed that while the YC dinner menus did vary daily, they were pretty much the same "rotation" from week to week.  Portions weren't huge, but did satisfy. Seconds or extra items were always available.  Especiallly loved their scallops. prime rib and filet mignon dinners plus the chocolate ice cream for dessert was smooth & delicious.We took almost all lunches at the buffet up on the pool deck so can't comment on the YC restaurant lunch menu/service.  Only exception to that was the two lunches I had at Kato for Alll You Can Eat Sushi.  For $33 +15%, you get a loosely (or not at all) enforced 45 minutes to get what you want from the revolving belt system.  Nigiri, sashimi, rolls and handrolls were amply supplied. It was all quite good.  Only "problem" was that the YC Seafood Extravaganza was always held on an AYCE Sushi day.  Had to go for early sushi lunch and the hit the extravaganza just before they closed up by the pool.  Maybe next time it'll be better if I start with the extravaganza at lunch and save the sushi for dinner.  Can you tell that I love my seafood?  It's too bad my wife feels that she couldn't do an AYCE sushi deal the "justice" it deserves so I'll just have to continue going AYCE solo!

 

The theater production shows also repeated the second week, and since we didn't really enjoy them that much on the first week, we didn't go during the second week.  I did see the comedian's shows both weeks and even though they were similar, there were differences and I enjoyed them all.  DW didn't attend the 2nd week's late night "adults only" comedy show since it did tend towards the raunchy end of the spectrum.

 

In addition to the AYCE sushi lunches & dinners and their2 or 3 meal speciality packages, they also periodically offered 20-30% discounts for speciality restaurant dinners, $60 Surf & Turf at the Ocean Cay retaurant, $12 Butcher's Cut lunch,  and cocktail/drink specials.  Except for my AYCE sushi, we did not partake in any of those.  We didn't eben use or Voyagers Club speciality restaurant "tasting" benefits - we ate all dinners in the YC restaurant except for two nights of  room service.  I was surprised that the YC room service menu did not even include hamburgers or fries.  While MSC pizza was good, I don't think it is as good as Princess' pizza was (4 years ago).

 

TBC

 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2023 by Av8tor

[Av8tor]

Wednesday was an enjoyable seaday spent pool-side in the cabana.  

 

Thursday morning was very interesting as we approached the San Juan harbor.  It was quite windy and the waves were really crashing on both side of the channel.  I was on the pool deck as we approached, when the ship suddenly listed and began the tightest turn I've ever experienced on a cruise ship.  The harbor pilot must have not liked something and abandoned his approach to the harbor.  We circled back around and made it into the harbor on the second try.  No problems experienced for the actual docking or the departure later in the day.  I heard that later a NCL ship delayed their approach in and there was still a NCL ship sitting outside the harbor when we departed, so maybe that was true.

 

Friday saw a much calmer entry into the harbor at Puerto Plata.  It was the only port we haven't been to yet, but looked small and didn't really hold any interest for us, so we just stayed onboard again and enjoyed the pool & cabana.  I had to check out the water slides before ending our 2 weeks and since I'd yet to do that yet, today was the day.  I wanted to see how fast/scary they'd be for our granddaughter in case she accompanies us on a future cruise (at least that's my story and I'm sticking with it 😁).  The 3 slides (1 is a double side-by-side) certainly weren't tame (I saw one crying boy come out with his mom), but I think she'd do fine since roller coasters don't phase her anymore.  Late in the afternoon some sort of a marching type band concert was going on in the park at the mouth of the harbor.  It was nice listening to it from the pool deck and our balcony as we waited to depart and as we got underway.

 

Saturday was our last seaday and again we maximized use of the cabana.  I only left for an hour to get my AYCE sushi lunch and then rejoined my DW in time for the tail end of the YC seafood extravaganza even though I only had room for a few grilled scallops.

 

Early that evening I checked our folio charges and noticed something odd.  Our daily gratuity charges had been backed out and with only 12 hours remaining until disembarkation, we still had $200 of OBC.  I checked with the concierge and they said that for some reason either a VC or military discount that we were entitled to wasn't applied to our second week.  Their remedy was to remove the DSCs.  I'm not sure if they "made that amount up" to the crew tip pot, but I certainly wasn't going to turn the refund down.  With no real time left to spend it onboard, I simply went to the casino, gambled some, lost a bit of it, and cashed out the rest.  That was a pleasant surprise and made the end of the cruise a bit less bitter.  Also gave us more cash to hand to our fantastic butler team!

 

TBC

[Av8tor]

A few general YC restaurant observations that typify MSC's inconsistencies:

 

Tables set for guests would sometimes be missing napkins, wine or water glasses for some of the place settings.

 

Sometimes the table settings would include butter knives and sometimes they wouldn't.

 

Sometimes water bottles would be left at the tables for self-refills and other times you'd have to wait for the servers to come back by.

 

Empty cocktail glasses were never removed from the table (well except for after we left).

 

 

Granted, these are minor things and they certainly did not detract from our overall MSC YC experience, but I think it does indicate a lack of training, supervision and attention to detail.  While it could also be proof of the tremendous work load the crew is under, they rectify the situations quickly and recover rather efficiently.  It's just that I've never observed so many examples of such "lapses" on our other cruises.  It certainly wasn't enough for us to say we'd never cruise MSC again!

 

 

We had a late flight out of FLL on Sunday, so we stayed onboard in the Top Sail Lounge at Miami having breakfast and relaxing until they made us leave by escorting the last group of YCers to the ships exit and bidding us a fond farewell and safe travels home.  Ran into Gusti, our "own" butler, on the terminal's gangway and had one more chance to say goodbye and thank him for such great service.

 

They told us our luggage would be in a special area for YC with "96" signage.  We looked for it as we walked through the terminal but never say any "96" signs.  The YC luggage was finally found after all the other luggage number areas right near the exit.  Lines for CBP clearance weren't very very long and it didn't take a lot of time to clear with the facial scan.  We walked across to the street from the terminal to the drop-off/pick-up island and called for an Uber.  One of the porters was very vocal and determined to not let cars pick people up at the east end (beginning) of the island and would try to force them to go to the west end.  She only wanted drop-offs at her end probably because that's where she gets her tips.  I had already set my pick-up location as the east end so that's where we stayed.  There were no posted signs and she had no legal authority so I was prepared to "do battle" if she tried to block our Uber's arrival.  When the Uber finally arrived, that porter was down aways doing something else and by the time she came back we were already loading the bags into the back of the Tahoe.  Nothing was said and I declared that a small win.

 

I heard that cellphone coverage could be spotty or signal-jammed at the Port of Miami, but we didn't experience that.  I had good signal from the moment the ship arrived in port.  Just a heads-up, our Uber driver spoke almost no english at all so it's a good thing I had a translator app on my phone so we could understand each other's texts and comms.

 

The Uber dropped us at the FLL terminal 2 skycap area at about 11:40am where we curbside checked our luggagge for our 5pm flight.  On cruise turn around days, Delta at FLL usually won't let you check-in your bags at the normal counters until about 3? hours before your flight since they don't have room to hold them for all the later outbound flights.  This means that the pre-security area gets quite crowded as cruisers wait until they're allowed in. That restriction does not apply for First Class or Sky Priority and I'm not sure if it even applies to skycap service either.  Either way we were covered and checked ours in 5 hours early.

 

We took another Uber to from the airport to Southport Raw Bar, our favorite oyster/seafood place just north of FLL's Port Everglades.  We had a nice relaxing lunch and then Uber'd back to the airport with plenty of time for our flight.  Flights home went smoother than our outbound travels and I even got to watch the first half of the Superbowl live while in flight.  2nd half was available just about everywhere in the MSP terminal during our layover.  Didn't arrive home until after midnight PT so it was a very long 20 hour day.  It's nice to be home, but we miss YC!

[Av8tor]

On 2/3/2023 at 3:39 PM, Av8tor said:

According to a form a got from the YC concierge there are only 2 laundry packages available on board.  Package L2 is for 20 items @$45 and L4 is for 40 items @$64.  These prices are higher than if you purchased pre-cruise (I forget the specific prices).  Also, there is no 10 item package once onboard like there is for pre-cruise.  The form says the item allowance must be used all together in a single delivery.  48 hour turnaround.  It  also said "washed and folded (dry cleaning and ironing not included)".

 

The regular laundry slip in the cabin has options for dry clean + iron / wash + iron / iron only.  The per item prices are listed and depending on the clothing type mix would normally be more expensive than the package(s).  The per item costs are subject to Voyagers Club discounts.  Black/Diamond gets 15% off - lower levels get smaller discounts but I don't know those specifics...

Here's the in-cabin laundry slip and non-package prices as of Feb 2023:

 

 

Sorry, tried 3 times to get this posted right side up, but the image wouldn't cooperate...