OBSERVATIONS FROM THE POOP DECK SEASCAPE JUNE 2023

[lovemycruisetoo]

21 minutes ago, jules815 said:

Have heard so many wonderful things about maitre d' Arthur over the years. Would you be able to find out if he'll still be on board in September? We'll be on 9/10 - 24. Thanks!

 

 

 

Just recently off Meraviglia and Maitre’d Raphael who is leaving around 7/16 said Arthur is replacing him. I think it is the Arthur mentioned because of the way he said it. We haven't met him though but will July. 

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is some scuttlebutt. Just heard popular charismatic Captain De Palma will not be returning any time soon to any ship as he has been promoted to new position in London offices of MSC. 

[jules815]

6 minutes ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

Just recently off Meraviglia and Maitre’d Raphael who is leaving around 7/16 said Arthur is replacing him. I think it is the Arthur mentioned because of the way he said it. We haven't met him though but will July. 

Lucky you then. We always seem to miss him. 

[kelleherdl]

2 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Here is some scuttlebutt. Just heard popular charismatic Captain De Palma will not be returning any time soon to any ship as he has been promoted to new position in London offices of MSC. 

Wish it could have been Fort Lauderdale.  I think he told us over dinner one night he has a home in FLL.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

29 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Saw a family of 4 escorted out of the YC Restaurant last evening. How they snuck in and got past everyone as far as seating themselves at a table is beyond us.

 

Wow!  I thought you had to have keycard access to even enter the YC area, let alone get seated.  How embarrassing!  I would never!!

 

29 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

Your final point trumps all the others!

100%!

[morpheusofthesea]

3 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

Wow!  I thought you had to have keycard access to even enter the YC area,

Apparently people linger around waiting for YC guests to leave the enclave and rush the open door before it locks closed.

[20165]

we are also on this sailing, but not in YC.  Not a good boarding day.  We have 3 rooms and the person checking us in could not understand how to check us all in for some reason.  Had to get a supervisor multiple times.  Didnt get our luggage until 9pm even through we dropped it off at noon.  All minor issues so far, but we are only on day number 2 now so we shall see.  

[NCteacherlovescruising]

9 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Apparently people linger around waiting for YC guests to leave the enclave and rush the open door before it locks closed.

Tacky!  You would think they would be checking wristbands.

[20165]

1 minute ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Tacky!  You would think they would be checking wristbands.

Not a nice way of saying this but there is an interesting clientele on this ship...

[morpheusofthesea]

Now this is an interesting circumstance. Cruise lines are at the mercy of nations from which they have hiring pools of workers. All these workers that are finishing up contracts and returning home could easily get returning contracts with their cruise lines except they must go through visa process every time. Like all bureaucracies, even our passport agency here in the US, those that pay more get faster service. Spoke to one favorite lower level catering staff member and heard it took her 7 months to get her visa application approved so she could accept a position again on an MSC ship. While another (higher paid ) staff member told us that he pays for an agent to handle his visa application in his country which takes him one week for approval. 

Edited June 12, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

9 minutes ago, 20165 said:

Didnt get our luggage until 9pm even through we dropped it off at noon. 

YC has its advantages. Got ours at 2:30. All 12 suitcases.

[morpheusofthesea]

15 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Tacky!  You would think they would be checking wristbands.

Well, we do not use the wristbands and it really is not any guests' position to confront another guest, except perhaps with a greeting of hello or good day. Funny, just now our One Pool deck hand came by to say hello. He said he is just now making his rounds checking for interlopers.

[20165]

7 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

YC has its advantages. Got ours at 2:30. All 12 suitcases.

Agreed, but we have sailed on every other cruise line out there and non Haven, Retreat, etc and they managed to get our luggage to us before sailing...  

[morpheusofthesea]

2 minutes ago, 20165 said:

Agreed, but we have sailed on every other cruise line out there and non Haven, Retreat, etc and they managed to get our luggage to us before sailing...  

Unfortunately, the dichotomy on MSC is what makes the YC so appealing.

[kelleherdl]

1 minute ago, 20165 said:

Agreed, but we have sailed on every other cruise line out there and non Haven, Retreat, etc and they managed to get our luggage to us before sailing...  

sorry that was your experience.  It would have been extremely unusual. The Yacht Club porters at the white tent are very good about checking room number tags and retagging with YC specific luggage tags; and putting the bags directly on the Yacht Club luggage cages.  Did you check with your Butler or Junior Butler or Concierge Desk after about 4:00?

[morpheusofthesea]

54 minutes ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

Just recently off Meraviglia and Maitre’d Raphael who is leaving around 7/16 said Arthur is replacing him. I think it is the Arthur mentioned because of the way he said it. We haven't met him though but will July. 

Have found that all these employees on MSC are promised one thing and find out later something else. Many that we met on Seashore were told they would be given positions on this new Seascape, only to hear they are on some other cruise ship in the fleet.

[morpheusofthesea]

10 minutes ago, kelleherdl said:

sorry that was your experience.  It would have been extremely unusual. The Yacht Club porters at the white tent are very good about checking room number tags and retagging with YC specific luggage tags; and putting the bags directly on the Yacht Club luggage cages.  Did you check with your Butler or Junior Butler or Concierge Desk after about 4:00?

Please reread this gentleman's post. He was not in Haven, not in Retreat, not in YC.

[kelleherdl]

Yep.  Misread the context. Thank you. 

[Justpackingmybags]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Well this never ever happened on any cruise we have ever been on in 50 years of cruising. It even shocked the staff in the YC Restaurant. At around 7:45 am while waiting for our breakfast to be brought to our table, I feel the light touch of a hand on my shoulder of an officer welcoming us to the Seascape. My reaction was to get his name for tipping at the end of the cruise. He went to each and every table (10) that had guests this first morning. Come to find out the officer was our new Captain Michele Tuvo. He was accompanied by the staff captain in the background. Soon after the maitre d' Arthur Javier also made the rounds and said how astonished the staff was that the Captain made such a grand gesture toward the YC guests. Another first for MSC.

He is a sad loss from Princess. He truly makes sure his guests are looked after & entertained (often by him!) Another reason I’ve started investigating MSC!

[Bgwest]

39 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

All 12 suitcases.

😳

[NCteacherlovescruising]

39 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

YC has its advantages. Got ours at 2:30. All 12 suitcases.

 

My husband would forbit me from bringing that much luggage!  lol  He gets mad enough about having a suitcase solely for shoes.  I assume you did not fly.  

 

28 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Well, we do not use the wristbands and it really is not any guests' position to confront another guest, except perhaps with a greeting of hello or good day. Funny, just now our One Pool deck hand came by to say hello. He said he is just now making his rounds checking for interlopers.

 

I was referring to the staff checking them.  You don't wear your wristbands?

[kelleherdl]

9 minutes ago, Justpackingmybags said:

He is a sad loss from Princess. He truly makes sure his guests are looked after & entertained (often by him!) Another reason I’ve started investigating MSC!

I doubt we’ll ever see any of the Dutch captains from HAL moving over, but I wouldn’t be displeased there. I always found them so personable.

[morpheusofthesea]

5 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I assume you did not fly. 

If we did it would cheaper to charter a plane.

[morpheusofthesea]

8 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

My husband would forbid me from bringing that much luggage!

You must be newlyweds.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

You must be newlyweds.

Not hardly!  lol We've been married nearly 29 years.