Yacht Club - Where are your favorite MSC personnel?

[Best Cat Mom]

On our recent Seaside cruise, the very first MSC person who greeted us in the YC check-in area knew us from one of our previous cruises. What a great way to start a cruise! A familiar and friendly face to welcome us on board set the tone for the next 12 days perfectly.

 

If you would like to share who is on your cruise, it will help us all keep track of our favorites and know who to expect on upcoming cruises.

 

I'll begin...

 

We disembarked from our Seaside 11-night Caribbean cruise on 14 September. We had a fantastic time thanks to the great MSC YC staff, with special mention to:

 

YC Director Maria Luca
YC Concierge Raj
YC Concierge Carolin
YC Concierge Ravi
YC Head Butler Luciano
YC Assistant Head Butler Rizwan
YC Butler Arnold
YC Junior Butler Kadek
YC Butler Agus
YC Junior Butler Marinette
YC Butler Vijay
YC Lounge Butler Thomas
YC Lounge Butler Ariann
YC Lounge Butler Sylvia
YC Bartender Adnya
YC Restaurant Manager Ercan
YC Restaurant Sommelier Felix
YC Restaurant Hostess Fabiana
YC Restaurant Server Sukron
YC Restaurant Server Manuel
YC Restaurant Server Katna
YC Restaurant Server Justine

 

And a special mention to one non-YC person:
"Mixologist" Frederick, bartender at the Wine and Cocktails Bar, by the specialty restaurants just outside the YC on Deck 16

[Best Cat Mom]

Also heard an update on two folks we knew from Divina:

 

Mauricio (YC Restaurant Manager) is on his holiday now; no word on his next ship yet.

Onel (YC Restaurant Server) is on Euribia.

[Best Cat Mom]

I was quite surprised to find that we had the famous -- or it is infamous -- Arnold as our butler on Seaside. He said that he had just moved from Seascape to Seaside and would be remaining on Seaside when it changed home ports from Florida to the French Caribbean. FYI for anyone looking for him. 🙂

[Best Cat Mom]

Hotel Director Yannis has moved from Seascape to Seashore this month.

 

In the next several months, YC Director Iancu Ravdan and YC Restaurant Manager Arthur will also move from Seascape to Seashore.

 

Sometime around January 2024, the new Seascape YC Restaurant Manager will be Mauricio, returning from his vacation after previously being in the same role on Divina.

 

Thanks to @morpheusofthesea for these updates! 🙂

Edited September 27, 2023 by Best Cat Mom

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Sometime around January 2024, the new Seascape YC Restaurant Manager will be Mauricio,

Sorry for the confusion. Arthur is leaving his role as Maitre 'D of the YC restaurant in a couple of weeks this month, October and his place will be taken by Mauricio. Sometime in January, Arthur will return as Maitre 'D but on the Seashore with Yannis and YC Director Iancu. YC Director Taylan will be back from his vacation reprising his role on Seascape.

[dexddd]

The folks at curbside were regular staff?  Normally third party, non ship staff. 

[KennyFla]

16 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

 

 

Restaurant Manager Arthur will also move from Seascape to Seashore.

 

 

 

! 🙂

Yes!

[morpheusofthesea]

This is the feeling we are getting that the Seascape is becoming a stepchild with Yannis cherry picking  the best MSC has for the Seashore. 

[Best Cat Mom]

I hope not -- we booked a 14-night B2B on Seascape in August 2024 just last week.

[dexddd]

Since the restart Arthur has been on at least three ships, maybe more. Luckily we saw him again two years ago.  Le Muse guy in charge.

[JAGR]

On 9/28/2023 at 12:11 PM, morpheusofthesea said:

This is the feeling we are getting that the Seascape is becoming a stepchild with Yannis cherry picking  the best MSC has for the Seashore. 

Just hoping that good fortune is still on Seashore in March.  Looks like that may be a chance for us to meet up again with Arthur.

 

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, JAGR said:

Just hoping that good fortune is still on Seashore in March.  Looks like that may be a chance for us to meet up again with Arthur.

 

You lucky duck !

[Best Cat Mom]

Heard that the wonderful butlers John Carlo Driz and Patricia Consumido-Driz are finishing up on Meraviglia this month. They were previously on Divina right after they were married. We joked with Patricia that we were envious of their extended "honeymoon cruise" when we met them on Divina last year. 🙂

[sbcs5390]

6 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Heard that the wonderful butlers John Carlo Driz and Patricia Consumido-Driz are finishing up on Meraviglia this month. They were previously on Divina right after they were married. We joked with Patricia that we were envious of their extended "honeymoon cruise" when we met them on Divina last year. 🙂

Do you know when they head home? We board 10/25 and imagine they probably will have gone already. 

[dexddd]

Never met them buy maybe next week.

[oceans.calling]

On board now and they still are here. I will ask her and let you know. 

[oceans.calling]

Patricia said 10/25 to new ship but off 10/15  

Edited October 7, 2023 by oceans.calling

[sbcs5390]

4 hours ago, oceans.calling said:

Patricia said 10/25 to new ship but off 10/15  

Thanks so much! I was on the 4/22 from Brooklyn and they were so amazing. Was hoping they were getting a well-deserved break but sounds like they’re off to another ship?

[Best Cat Mom]

Heard from YC Director Raffaello Benfenati. He said that he is on holiday now but will be on World Europa beginning later this month.

 

Raffaello was our YC Director on Divina last October and this past January. He is relatively new to MSC but told us that he was striving to do some "innovative" types of things in MSC YC. He hosted some unique events, including a magician show and rum tasting in the Top Sail Lounge. He also held a few parties on the YC One Pool Deck during sail away from some Caribbean ports. One of the things we really liked about Raffaello was that he brought the captain and officers around to each table during the YC cocktail party so everyone could have a few words with them, instead of just introducing them via microphone to the entire lounge.

[Beamafar]

1 hour ago, Best Cat Mom said:

 One of the things we really liked about Raffaello was that he brought the captain and officers around to each table during the YC cocktail party so everyone could have a few words with them, instead of just introducing them via microphone to the entire lounge.

Our experience in YC has always been that the Captain, and his entourage, visited every table in TSL to exchange words.  It’s disappointing that it seems that sometimes they are only introduced by microphone.  Perhaps that’s a post-Covid thing. 🤔

 

On topic, it’s so uplifting to see crew again who you’ve connected with on previous cruises.  We’ve had so many amazing times as a result.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Beamafar

[sbcs5390]

3 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Our experience in YC has always been that the Captain, and his entourage, visited every table in TSL to exchange words.  It’s disappointing that it seems that sometimes they are only introduced by microphone.  Perhaps that’s a post-Covid thing. 🤔

The Captain on Meraviglia in April 2023 came to every table. I agree, it is a nice touch. 

[Best Cat Mom]

3 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Our experience in YC has always been that the Captain, and his entourage, visited every table in TSL to exchange words.  It’s disappointing that it seems that sometimes they are only introduced by microphone.  Perhaps that’s a post-Covid thing.

Our 2 cruises before Covid -- Seaside in the Caribbean and Fantasia in the Mediterranean -- did not have a visit to every table, so I found it refreshing by Raffaello in the post-Covid YC. If it continues to occur, I will only be more pleased with MSC YC.

[Beamafar]

1 minute ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Our 2 cruises before Covid -- Seaside in the Caribbean and Fantasia in the Mediterranean -- did not have a visit to every table, so I found it refreshing by Raffaello in the post-Covid YC. If it continues to occur, I will only be more pleased with MSC YC.

Really surprised to hear this.   I’ve never experienced a YC Captain’s ‘party’ where he didn’t visit every table. 

[Best Cat Mom]

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

Really surprised to hear this.   I’ve never experienced a YC Captain’s ‘party’ where he didn’t visit every table. 

Maybe it has to do with the number of guests in YC who attend the cocktail party? During our Seaside cruise last month, there were not table visits either. 😞

[Beamafar]

40 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Maybe it has to do with the number of guests in YC who attend the cocktail party? During our Seaside cruise last month, there were not table visits either. 😞

Every event we’ve ever been to in TSL, the venue was packed out.