Nov 20th Seashore Live(ish) review - Retreater goes Yacht Clubbing for 1st time

[morpheusofthesea]

14 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

We too are currently in the YC and receiving exceptional service with no advance tipping. We've not yet encountered a situation where we felt an advance tip would be needed to have proper service, though we are always keeping in mind that the day might come when it would be necessary.

For us it boils down to .... Do we have the time (left in our lives) to gamble on a good time or a really good time ? 'Throwing caution to the wind' and spending $500, $1000, $1500 per person per day we are ensuring with a few added $tips in advance (and after as well) we will not look back on the situation and say "we should have...." 

  This last Yacht Club Thanksgiving cruise was perhaps the best cruise we have ever had on a ship. Yet on this forum and other forums one will read 'Never again, MSC' and give it one star reviews for the same cruise.

[morpheusofthesea]

DW reported to me that there are disconcerting reports on social media that those booking Residences with butler service on the new Explora Journeys are not getting the same quality of service from their Explora butlers as they received from their MSC Yacht Club butlers. What most YCers pay $350 per person per day one must pay upwards of $1289 pppd to get this reduced service. Not even an escort when asked? Not really looking forward to this Explora cruise.

[Best Cat Mom]

Just now, morpheusofthesea said:

For us it boils down to .... Do we have the time (left in our lives) to gamble on a good time or a really good time ?

We are so with you on this way of thinking. If things were to permanently degrade in YC, we'd not be on another.

[Best Cat Mom]

Just now, morpheusofthesea said:

DW reported to me that there are disconcerting reports on social media that those booking Residences with butler service on the new Explora Journeys are not getting the same quality of service from their Explora butlers as they received from their MSC Yacht Club butlers.

Wow! I had thought that EJ was going to be an elevated YC from the initial descriptions. But when people have discussed what they've actually experienced, the price point just does not justify it for us. Pity, because I really was looking forward to trying EJ. 😞

[morpheusofthesea]

Just now, Best Cat Mom said:

Wow! I had thought that EJ was going to be an elevated YC from the initial descriptions. But when people have discussed what they've actually experienced, the price point just does not justify it for us. Pity, because I really was looking forward to trying EJ. 😞

DW also read that Explora is discounting this Christmas cruise in the OT category for a price LESS than a Yacht Club balcony cabin.....

[Best Cat Mom]

Just now, morpheusofthesea said:

DW also read that Explora is discounting this Christmas cruise in the OT category for a price LESS than a Yacht Club balcony cabin

Christmas sounds like too many kids for us. 😞 But thanks for the info!

[morpheusofthesea]

5 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

We are so with you on this way of thinking. If things were to permanently degrade in YC, we'd not be on another.

We found no degrading (for us) this Thanksgiving cruise. 

[go.without.you]

4 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

We found no degrading (for us) this Thanksgiving cruise. 

Live reports from Seashore YC are still reporting bad service 2 weeks later.

 

I cancelled my other 2 MSC cruises for next year and I booked RCCL in a regular balcony cabin and I will probably still have better service than my 1 YC trip.

[morpheusofthesea]

12 minutes ago, go.without.you said:

Live reports from Seashore YC are still reporting bad service 2 weeks later.

 

I cancelled my other 2 MSC cruises for next year and I booked RCCL in a regular balcony cabin and I will probably still have better service than my 1 YC trip.

Yes, besides being on the Seascape for Thanksgiving we thought we would not have as good a time as we had.

[Cruise a holic]

My DH and I are considering an MSC cruise- in the Yacht club.  Celebrity and Royal pricing for suites is getting off the charts.  However, after your issues, I am not sure I would sail on them.  Perhaps we will no longer sail in suites.

Edited December 26, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[bucfan2]

2 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

My DH and I are considering an MSC cruise- in the Yacht club.  Celebrity and Royal pricing for suites is getting off the charts.  However, after your issues, I am not sure I would sail on them.  Perhaps we will no longer sail in suites.

We're trying our first MSC cruise (YC). Trying to distinguish between whiners and complainers and those w/ legitimate concerns is difficult.  We also realize most reviews are from those who have negative things to report, so we'll just give it a try and find out for ourselves. We're pretty low maintenance and are easy to please, so don't think our review will fit in here if we enjoy ourselves lol. 

[morpheusofthesea]

2 minutes ago, bucfan2 said:

We're pretty low maintenance and are easy to please,

The three quarters of us that work for a living (and have no inheritances) are low maintenance and if we haven't been spoiled, are pretty easy to please. Having been 'spoiled' now so late in life by Yacht Club we can not cruise any other way.

"One can keep the necessities in life, just give me the luxuries" Oscar Wilde

[KennyFla]

On 12/5/2023 at 1:30 PM, go.without.you said:

Live reports from Seashore YC are still reporting bad service 2 weeks later.

 

I cancelled my other 2 MSC cruises for next year and I booked RCCL in a regular balcony cabin and I will probably still have better service than my 1 YC trip.

Something happened to us this last weekend that put things in perspective for me.  My MIL always wanted to go to South Beach for Christmas.  We finally did it. 
 

Christmas Day we ate at the Hotel.  Four people.  We each had a cocktail.  We shared an appetizer.  We had a bottle of wine.  My wife and her Mom split an entree.  Service was slow, it was very crowded being a holiday.  The food was good, certainly not bad, certainly not knock your socks off.  We all shared 1 dessert. 
 

The bill before tip was $500+.     For one pretty good meal in a high quality vacation area.  My wife and I are doing  a 3 night cruise in January on Seashore for $499pp. 
in yacht club.  
 

To me, the value you get in Yacht Club is hard to match.  No it won’t be perfect.  Maybe our butler won’t come by the second we are seated in the lounge.  But if you look at what is going on in other destinations it is a great deal. 

 

[go.without.you]

1 hour ago, KennyFla said:

To me, the value you get in Yacht Club is hard to match.  No it won’t be perfect.  Maybe our butler won’t come by the second we are seated in the lounge.  But if you look at what is going on in other destinations it is a great deal. 

 

South Beach is overrated and overpriced. 

 

If I'm spending $6k for 6 nights I expect decent food, great service and better than grocery store wines. Period.

[Two Wheels Only]

6 hours ago, bucfan2 said:

We're trying our first MSC cruise (YC). Trying to distinguish between whiners and complainers and those w/ legitimate concerns is difficult.  We also realize most reviews are from those who have negative things to report, so we'll just give it a try and find out for ourselves. We're pretty low maintenance and are easy to please, so don't think our review will fit in here if we enjoy ourselves lol. 

 

If it makes a difference, my reviews of the Yacht Club have all been positive but never perfect. My reviews of NCL Haven have also all been positive but never perfect. 

 

Some things, Yacht Club does better.

Some things, Haven does better. 

 

I realize that MSC is consistently inconsistent so an average, mediocre, lackluster cruise for one person could be a fantastic, amazing, outstanding cruise the following week on the same ship for someone else. It happens.

 

Being a Yacht Club "regular" is easier than being a Yacht Club novice. If something isn't right, an experienced YC cruiser will know how to get things corrected. If my daughter wants something for dinner that isn't on the menu, I know what to do and she will get what she wants. A YC novice would probably be unaware of how to best handle something like that. 

 

Sometimes, a YC guest won't be able to have problems corrected so I understand the frustration that a novice will experience. I never dismiss negative reviews because I have seen problems (none as bad as what the OP experienced) that many describe. 

 

I'm happy with MSC even with a few of the off-ship issues that I have had. Is MSC perfect? No. Will I continue to sail with MSC in the Yacht Club? Absolutely. I currently have 2 more cruises booked with MSC including World America which will probably have more issues than other MSC ships due to the massive number of guests and the increased number of Yacht Club guests. I'm confident that my cruises will be great but if they aren't, I'll post an honest review here on CC.

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Two Wheels Only

[bucfan2]

14 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Being a Yacht Club "regular" is easier than being a Yacht Club novice. If something isn't right, an experienced YC cruiser will know how to get things corrected. 

 

As much as we're looking forward to the suite experience on a new cruise line (for us), I will say going in, if there's some 'double secret handshake' that requires being a 'regular' in order to receive an expected return on our investment, we will be 'one and done'....and that goes for any service we pay for with any other business as well.

[momofmab]

21 hours ago, bucfan2 said:

We're trying our first MSC cruise (YC). Trying to distinguish between whiners and complainers and those w/ legitimate concerns is difficult.  We also realize most reviews are from those who have negative things to report, so we'll just give it a try and find out for ourselves. We're pretty low maintenance and are easy to please, so don't think our review will fit in here if we enjoy ourselves lol. 

 

I think you just have to decide what factors in the cruise experience are important to you.  I read every review I could find on YC before our first trip and 97% of the grievances weren't issues that would be on my radar.  I booked YC (and in the past, have booked suites) mostly for the room size, a dedicated restaurant and in the case of YC, a dedicated pool area.  I couldn't care less about being escorted around by a butler except during embark/debark, rarely use the concierge and don't need to deep dive on the resume of the sommelier.  

 

We had a great week with only rub being on the hit or miss food in the YC restaurant (loved the pool buffet for breakfast & lunch though).  Food is subjective, obviously, but I do think MSC needs to tweak the experience in their restaurant.

[momofmab]

8 minutes ago, bucfan2 said:

As much as we're looking forward to the suite experience on a new cruise line (for us), I will say going in, if there's some 'double secret handshake' that requires being a 'regular' in order to receive an expected return on our investment, we will be 'one and done'....and that goes for any service we pay for with any other business as well.

 

So, yes - I agree with you.  I commented on another thread that our YC was experience was nowhere near the level that some of the YC regulars review on here - and I did notice on our cruise that at least one group of YC regulars who we spoke to briefly on board, seemed to get the VIP treatment.  Maybe MSC monitors cruise review boards and has a list of those who submit regular positive reviews?

[KennyFla]

36 minutes ago, momofmab said:

 

So, yes - I agree with you.  I commented on another thread that our YC was experience was nowhere near the level that some of the YC regulars review on here - and I did notice on our cruise that at least one group of YC regulars who we spoke to briefly on board, seemed to get the VIP treatment.  Maybe MSC monitors cruise review boards and has a list of those who submit regular positive reviews?

I don’t have a lot of YC experience, but based on what I have and reading reviews on here, I have an opinion. 🙂

 

The best philosophy to employ in YC is if you want something, ask for it.  The staff wants to please you.  They seem to enjoy fulfilling requests.  Example, one night at dinner my wife didn’t like the menu, but there were multiple dishes the previous night she liked.  She mentioned that and the kitchen made her what she wanted. 
 

I think the default service in YC is European, which some would describe as slow, formal, and maybe inattentive.  
 

If you interact more, it’s a different deal.  I don’t think it’s a matter of some people getting special service, but maybe more of a cultural thing.  There are a lot of Europeans that cruise MSC. JMO

[jean87510]

1 hour ago, bucfan2 said:

As much as we're looking forward to the suite experience on a new cruise line (for us), I will say going in, if there's some 'double secret handshake' that requires being a 'regular' in order to receive an expected return on our investment, we will be 'one and done'....and that goes for any service we pay for with any other business as well.

Exactly.  We don't expect the staff to be waving palm branches at us and/or placing a red carpet wherever we walk but we would like what is in the YC description on the paperwork we have.  I do expect we will on the Divina tomorrow and we anticipate a great time.  

[jean87510]

57 minutes ago, momofmab said:

 

So, yes - I agree with you.  I commented on another thread that our YC was experience was nowhere near the level that some of the YC regulars review on here - and I did notice on our cruise that at least one group of YC regulars who we spoke to briefly on board, seemed to get the VIP treatment.  Maybe MSC monitors cruise review boards and has a list of those who submit regular positive reviews?

On one of my Royal cruises, we were in the concierge lounge and got very little attention to get a drink order and a restaurant adjustment while we were in there.  We ended up going outside to get our drinks and brought them back and called the restaurant later from our room.  The concierge was mingling with a pinnacle crowd and so was the waiter.  So yes, I do feel the more frequent traveler does get more attention because they cruise more and spend more.  We were fine serving ourselves as we don't have a concierge or waiter at home.  I do think MSC does monitor social media and recognizes those who post glowing reviews.  

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, bucfan2 said:

As much as we're looking forward to the suite experience on a new cruise line (for us), I will say going in, if there's some 'double secret handshake' that requires being a 'regular' in order to receive an expected return on our investment, we will be 'one and done'....and that goes for any service we pay for with any other business as well.

 

It isn't so much a "secret" as it is being experienced. I read many reviews from first-timers and often what they complain about could have easily been fixed at the time. Some people expect things to be done a certain way but since MSC doesn't really have a standard operating procedure, those expectations may not be met. However, simply stating what a guest  wants and expects will more often than not lead to success. The guest that only speaks up in a review after the cruise is over won't have the same success.

 

 

7 minutes ago, KennyFla said:

I don’t have a lot of YC experience, but based on what I have and reading reviews on here, I have an opinion. 🙂

 

The best philosophy to employ in YC is if you want something, ask for it.  The staff wants to please you.  They seem to enjoy fulfilling requests.  Example, one night at dinner my wife didn’t like the menu, but there were multiple dishes the previous night she liked.  She mentioned that and the kitchen made her what she wanted. 
 

I think the default service in YC is European, which some would describe as slow, formal, and maybe inattentive.  
 

If you interact more, it’s a different deal.  I don’t think it’s a matter of some people getting special service, but maybe more of a cultural thing.  There are a lot of Europeans that cruise MSC. JMO

 

I agree 100%. The "laid back" approach is different but some people prefer that. I've read reviews where someone complains that none of the servers on the sundeck offered to get a drink for them while others had drinks delivered all day. The person making the review just needed to raise their hand and the servers would have been there to serve. Some guests want to be left alone and the servers won't bother anyone who doesn't want to be bothered.

[morpheusofthesea]

I had preconceived notions about Explora1 reading all the different comments. I was banned twice from the forum asking concerned questions since we were in cancellation and worried we made a big mistake. One just has to see for themselves. Those of us fans of MSC Yacht Clubs are fans for a reason. We are repeaters for the same reasons. We have listed the reasons ad nauseum 

[momofmab]

1 hour ago, KennyFla said:

If you interact more, it’s a different deal.  I don’t think it’s a matter of some people getting special service, but maybe more of a cultural thing.  There are a lot of Europeans that cruise MSC. JMO

 

We interact on all our cruises.  We find some staff to be receptive to that and others not and we adjust accordingly.  From our observation on our YC cruise a few weeks ago, there were those who received extra special attention (and they weren't European - actually many of the Europeans on our cruise seemed to keep to themselves - again, just my observation).

 

The few things we asked for, we received, so that was not an issue.  Not hating on YC at all, we feel it was a good overall value for the price paid.  We just never received the extra special attention that some other reviewers rave about no matter what YC they are in.  Someone above mentioned it being a concern on an upcoming cruise, so I shared our experience.  It could have just been our luck of the draw with our butler - who knows?  

[psmarkle]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

I had preconceived notions about Explora1 reading all the different comments. I was banned twice from the forum asking concerned questions since we were in cancellation and worried we made a big mistake. One just has to see for themselves. Those of us fans of MSC Yacht Clubs are fans for a reason. We are repeaters for the same reasons. We have listed the reasons ad nauseum 

 

Agree 100%! Having gone YC on 4 previous cruises, I am definitely more experienced now on how to exact the experience from the YC that my family is looking for. I don't hesitate to ask for the pillow menu on Day 1 to get the extra pillows I need for my bad back. I also remove the items from our mini fridge that we don't use and ask for more of what we want (extra Coronas!). On night 1, we let the Maitre' D know what time we'd like to eat (usu 6pm for us) and the same table we'd like. I also know if there's not a main dish I like on the menu, I can always order the filet mignon which has not disappointed yet (I'm a carnivore, what can I say?). Also, we let our butler know our pre-dinnner cocktails we'd like in our room as we get ready since I learned from our first YC cruise that they get "hollered at" if their boss sees a YC customer carrying their own drinks from the bar vs them delivering them to us!

 

And similar to you, I pre-tip every day to the poolside waiters for prompt and great cocktail service. Not required, but I also never have an empty cocktail glass either LOL!

 

So all to say, I've learned a lot of tips and pointers along the way on our YC journey from our first Seaside cruise and now don't hesitate to ask up front for what we'd like. The people working the YC aspire to provide an exceptional experience and have done us right our last 4 cruises with our 5th coming up in March.

Edited December 27, 2023 by psmarkle