OBSERVATIONS FROM THE POOP DECK SEASCAPE JULY

[morpheusofthesea]

8 hours ago, no1talks said:

Be that as it may, my dear Morpheus, Explora does not meet my minimum esthetic dining requirements.

I commend you for your adherence to high standards. You are a paragon of refinement, an icon of fashion, an idol of etiquette, and the uncompromising quintessence of the ideal. I only wish I could find that photo you once posted of you and your DW at tea time in the Yacht Club to back up my accolade.

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

I commend you for your adherence to high standards. You are a paragon of refinement, an icon of fashion, an idol of etiquette, and the uncompromising quintessence of the ideal. I only wish I could find that photo you once posted of you and your DW at tea time in the Yacht Club to back up my accolade.

I found it. I had it in a folder marked "Most Distinguished".

[morpheusofthesea]

6 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

I found it. I had it in a folder marked "Most Distinguished".

This is much more 'charming' than funny.

  I'll give you all funny.... This next photo of a banana peel discarded on a table in the Jungle Pool with trash receptacles within walking distance in the background and another poster saying I staged the shot.

[no1talks]

14 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"...and another poster saying I staged the shot."

 

You would not attract accusations of fakery, Morpheus, if hadn't let slip about your involvement with that so-called moon landing.

 

That is you in the grey suit, is it not??

 

[morpheusofthesea]

32 minutes ago, no1talks said:

 

You would not attract accusations of fakery, Morpheus, if hadn't let slip about your involvement with that so-called moon landing.

 

That is you in the grey suit, is it not??

 

No. In 1969 I was 17 and into Nehru Jackets and  

"It Was A Very Good Year"
When I was seventeen it was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls and soft summer nights
We'd hide from the lights on the village green
When I was seventeen." Ervin Drake

[morpheusofthesea]

The question is “ is paying $1200 per person per day  for a suite worth it ?”  The answer is “ No.”

Tried 2 luxury brands this past year both new ships. The MSC Explora 1 in a Cove residence for $1285 per person per day and Regent Seven Seas Grandeur in a Grand Suite for $1400 pppd. On both the butler is practically useless. On Regent , perhaps due to the older demographic that sails this cruise line, the Captain finds it necessary to close the promenade decks outside whenever the wind speed is around 12 knots, and we were not allowed to enjoy our veranda as the cushions and furniture were strapped as if preparing for a storm. According to Google AI Overview: “Wind speeds of 12 knots, or 12 nautical miles per hour, are considered light winds and are suitable for most boating activities and sailing.” I posted photo of our stateroom TV showing the wind speed at the time. I suppose we are of the age now where it is for our own good. Explora has a much younger crowd and we didn’t feel as coddled, we were treated more like adults.

  I have more……which I will tie into why we prefer MSC Yacht Clubs for $350 pppd to $750 pppd for a YC Deluxe and Royal Suite respectively.

Edited July 31 by morpheusofthesea

[RichYak]

5 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

According to Google AI Overview: “Wind speeds of 12 knots, or 12 nautical miles per hour, are considered light winds and are suitable for most boating activities and sailing.” I posted photo of our stateroom TV showing the wind speed at the time.

I'm not nautical expert (I'm sure one will jump in), but that photo of your stateroom TV also shows the ship traveling at nearly 18 knots almost directly into that 12 knot wind. Wouldn't that result in a total of 30 knots or near gale force winds?

[chrisgp999]

5 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

The question is “ is paying $1200 per person per day  for a suite worth it ?”  The answer is “ No.”

Tried 2 luxury brands this past year both new ships. The MSC Explora 1 in a Cove residence for $1285 per person per day and Regent Seven Seas Grandeur in a Grand Suite for $1400 pppd. On both the butler is practically useless. On Regent , perhaps due to the older demographic that sails this cruise line, the Captain finds it necessary to close the promenade decks outside whenever the wind speed is around 12 knots, and we were not allowed to enjoy our veranda as the cushions and furniture were strapped as if preparing for a storm. According to Google AI Overview: “Wind speeds of 12 knots, or 12 nautical miles per hour, are considered light winds and are suitable for most boating activities and sailing.” I posted photo of our stateroom TV showing the wind speed at the time. I suppose we are of the age now where it is for our own good. Explora has a much younger crowd and we didn’t feel as coddled, we were treated more like adults.

  I have more……which I will tie into why we prefer MSC Yacht Clubs for $350 pppd to $750 pppd for a YC Deluxe and Royal Suite respectively.

 

Your comments above are why I won't even consider anything but the MSC Yacht Club.  The only entity that will ever drive me away from MSC will be MSC.

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

I'm not nautical expert (I'm sure one will jump in), but that photo of your stateroom TV also shows the ship traveling at nearly 18 knots almost directly into that 12 knot wind. Wouldn't that result in a total of 30 knots or near gale force winds?

I opened the veranda door and walked out to take the photos. Did not find any big wind problem. That is why I then went back in to turn on the TV to see what the wind speed was for that photo. I was looking for answers, as this never happened to us before on a cruise. Yes, we have been in typhoons and being in steerage for those 50 years the steward would come into the cabin and latch the port hole, but mostly we had insides for those.

Edited July 31 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

I'm not nautical expert (I'm sure one will jump in), but that photo of your stateroom TV also shows the ship traveling at nearly 18 knots almost directly into that 12 knot wind. Wouldn't that result in a total of 30 knots or near gale force winds?

Also notice in photo no white caps just a ship's wake. Felt like it was beautiful overcast day to enjoy the veranda and the outdoors as the rest of the outdoors was off limits.

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, chrisgp999 said:

Your comments above are why I won't even consider anything but the MSC Yacht Club.

Exactly what my DW keeps telling me. On this cruise we bumped into a lovely couple we met briefly on Explora 1 this past Christmas/New Years. He is a retired British ex-patriot now living in South Florida and could not recommend their recent Cunard cruise. Having just experienced a poor Holland America cruise in a Pinnacle suite and followed by our Regent Grandeur Grand Suite DW did not what another fiasco. So while still on board the Seascape we emailed our travel agent and canceled the Grand Suite on Cunard for $1495 per person per day and took advantage of being on board Seascape and booking on board another Yacht Club suite.

[DaKahuna]

 

43 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Also notice in photo no white caps just a ship's wake. Felt like it was beautiful overcast day to enjoy the veranda and the outdoors as the rest of the outdoors was off limits.

From the looks of it you were on the starboard side and  the wind was quartering off the port bow so you would not have felt any of that wind.  Now if your cabin had been on the port side, I beliee it would have been a different story. 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

From the looks of it you were on the starboard side and  the wind was quartering off the port bow so you would not have felt any of that wind.  Now if your cabin had been on the port side, I beliee it would have been a different story. 

 

#784 is on the port side. Sorry, I just checked.

[At Sea At Peace]

@morpheusofthesea agreed " I have more……which I will tie into why we prefer MSC Yacht Clubs for $350 pppd to $750 pppd for a YC Deluxe and Royal Suite respectively"

 

We would add 'which is why we prefer a B2B MSC Yacht Club Royal Suite for $+-7oo PP PD than a one week 'alternative other.'

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is more. In order to get to the buffet on Regent Grandeur, passengers must use this access door. One must actually touch the green button to open this door. Now there is a sink at the entrance to wash one’s hands, but we immediately noticed that it used more to discard one’s soiled glasses than actually use to rinse off the germs from the access door (see photo). The next video is the buffet before it is used. Please notice the tongs and spoons are placed in or on top of the food and not on separate dishes in front of each dish. This is typical of many cruise lines until there is a noro or covid outbreak on board. It gets worse when some guest tries a cookie and puts it back on the cookie tray or in some other nook and cranny (see photos). We did not see the same behavior on MSC Explora Journeys cruise.  On Explora there is no self service at the Emporium Buffet which cuts down on poor hygienic behavior. There is more that fosters our impression that Regent Seven Seas is not a 5 or 6 star cruise line. It caters to a mostly geriatric crowd of steerage passengers and everyone is treated as steerage by the staff and crew.

   How anyone can possibly spout off about their treatment in the MSC Yacht Clubs not being 5 and even 6 star service when compared to Regent, hasn't really spent the money to compare the two. Factor out the "FREE" excursions which are rolled into the cruise fare of Regent and are subject to many complaints anyway. We like the lower price of MSC, knowing we are not subsidizing these FREE excursions in our cruise fare.

[chrisgp999]

5 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Here is more. In order to get to the buffet on Regent Grandeur, passengers must use this access door. One must actually touch the green button to open this door. Now there is a sink at the entrance to wash one’s hands, but we immediately noticed that it used more to discard one’s soiled glasses than actually use to rinse off the germs from the access door (see photo). The next video is the buffet before it is used. Please notice the tongs and spoons are placed in or on top of the food and not on separate dishes in front of each dish. This is typical of many cruise lines until there is a noro or covid outbreak on board. It gets worse when some guest tries a cookie and puts it back on the cookie tray or in some other nook and cranny (see photos). We did not see the same behavior on MSC Explora Journeys cruise.  On Explora there is no self service at the Emporium Buffet which cuts down on poor hygienic behavior. There is more that fosters our impression that Regent Seven Seas is not a 5 or 6 star cruise line. It caters to a mostly geriatric crowd of steerage passengers and everyone is treated as steerage by the staff and crew.

   How anyone can possibly spout off about their treatment in the MSC Yacht Clubs not being 5 and even 6 star service when compared to Regent, hasn't really spent the money to compare the two. Factor out the "FREE" excursions which are rolled into the cruise fare of Regent and are subject to many complaints anyway. We like the lower price of MSC, knowing we are not subsidizing these FREE excursions in our cruise fare.

CDC requires that handles of self-service tongs not be allowed to come in contact with food.

[morpheusofthesea]

13 minutes ago, chrisgp999 said:

CDC requires that handles of self-service tongs not be allowed to come in contact with food.

Unfortunately there is no enforcement.

[chrisgp999]

2 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Unfortunately there is no enforcement.

Agree.  This is one of the myriad of items that the Seaside got cited for in the very poor CDC inspection from April 2023.

[DaKahuna]

19 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

#784 is on the port side. Sorry, I just checked.

 

Ah, I missed that you were sailing on Regent vice MSC and that the picture was toward the bow and not toward the stern as "wake" was mentioned in the text.   Thanks for correcting me. 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

28 minutes ago, chrisgp999 said:

Agree.  This is one of the myriad of items that the Seaside got cited for in the very poor CDC inspection from April 2023.

Yet with a failing score of 67 no reported outbreaks of noro or covid. While my DW being a germaphobe and washing her hands to excess came down with both covid and noro viruses on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam with a CDC sanitary rating of 98. The following week 270 were reported sick on the NA to the CDC.

[morpheusofthesea]

41 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Ah, I missed that you were sailing on Regent vice MSC and that the picture was toward the bow and not toward the stern as "wake" was mentioned in the text.   Thanks for correcting me. 

 

I had to look this up as well. 

"AI Overview

A ship's wake is the trail of disturbed water left behind by a moving ship or boat as it pushes water aside with its hull. The wake can be seen from a distance and can even be an indication of the ship's course. The wake can be complex, especially around and directly behind the ship, and can include bow and stern waves, eddies, currents, and foam."   Photo showed white bow waves but no indication of rough seas created by wind (white caps). It was rather pleasant out on the veranda and with all the chair hogs around the sheltered pool deck, we felt we were being treated like children not being able to use our highly priced balcony as our only retreat.

  Thanks for being so civil as I grumble, moan and whine about my time on board the Regent Grandeur. I could over look a sewage smell emanating from the head (ship's bathroom, had a team of 5 officers with 2 gallons of liquid commandeer the head for 15 minutes)), and having salt in every meal requesting no salt every time. But I was comparing our treatment with that of the Yacht Club and Regent came nowhere close and I love to give examples and back them up with photos.

[frank808]

On 7/22/2024 at 9:44 AM, Pizaz said:

As a person who dresses like a homeless person and only sails YC, usurpers are most easily identifiable because they act odd.  I run by the mantra of "treat people as people and you will generally have a good time".  Staff always get along with me and my DW and go out of their way to assist us because we are just two people enjoying a getaway and don't have any pompous attitude.  An example is day three or so of a cruise and they are walking around just in awe staring around at things.  The most hilarious I've seen is a couple and their child in the YC One Pool Deck using their Orange towels... 😄 

We share the same philosophy and dress the same! Hope our paths cross one day on MSC. It would be a very enjoyable cruise for like minded folks.

 

I have seen the people with orange towels and sometimes it takes quiet a while for them to be gently asked by staff that this is YC area only. In my observation, the cruises out of Europe, seems the staff is more vigilant about making sure YC guests belong in YC. Seems to me in our cruises out of Miami (which has been 90% of our MSC cruises) there is a bigger problem with non YC guests in YC.

[Av8tor]

On 7/31/2024 at 1:20 PM, RichYak said:

I'm not nautical expert (I'm sure one will jump in), but that photo of your stateroom TV also shows the ship traveling at nearly 18 knots almost directly into that 12 knot wind. Wouldn't that result in a total of 30 knots or near gale force winds?

Doesn't the photo state that the APPARENT wind is 12 knots, not the ACTUAL wind speed.  That equates to about 14 mph which is considered a moderate breeze (13-18 mph) and that would move small branches or raise dust and loose paper from the ground and move them along.  Hardly a reason to limit access to outside areas of the ship IMHO...

[no1talks]

11 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

How anyone can possibly spout off about their treatment in the MSC Yacht Clubs not being 5 and even 6 star service when compared to Regent, hasn't really spent the money to compare the two.

The same way someone can "spout off" about Neiman Marcus vs. JCPenney without having shopped in both stores. The research tells all.

As nice as the JCPenney staff may be, even if they unfailingly remember my birthday every year, I cannot buy my wife a pair of Prada espadrilles at JCPenney. However, I can get those at Neiman Marcus. I can know this without ever having walked into a Neiman Marcus location simply by performing due diligence.

Oh, sure, the staff with whom I happen to interact at NM may be surly due to any number of perfectly human reasons. NM may not know I'm absolutely the cat's pajamas at my local JCP, where they save the last pair of holiday-themed mittens for my because I buy a new pair every year. I may have walked into a brand new NM location and things are still at sixes and sevens. So much so, they may have to detach a handrail from a stairway for varnishing.

I think you know where I'm going with this, my dear Mssr. Morpheus.

An experience on another cruise ship that compares favorably with YC is simply never going to happen for you and there is nothing unreasonable about that. You have a very significant and literal amount of buy-in with YC and a reputation that precedes you. Understandably, a sort of cruising confirmation bias exists and that will prevent another cruise line from being adequate to the task. There's nothing wrong with any of that.

MSC is unlikely to make laundry service or garment pressing an included amenity.
They are unlikely to have a Caribbean itinerary that calls upon ports other than the same-ol'-same-ol'.
They are unlikely to ever allow passengers to have a fine dining meal in their own cabin.
I could go on and on about the things that cannot be gotten on an MSC cruise, Yacht Club or not, but if passengers on MSC have no interest in such, it doesn't matter. No harm; no foul.

There are, however, a good many cruisers who very much want that which MSC cannot offer and they think nothing of the price, or an occasional discombobulated staff member, or an errant cookie.

My advise is to let go of other ships' experiences and take a page from Dorothy Gale:
"If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!

Leave the other ships to those cruisers with different benchmarks and aspirations.

[morpheusofthesea]

8 hours ago, no1talks said:

The research tells all.

My Learned Friend,

   This is the whole point of my diatribe on social media. The research is bogus. In your analogy I am shopping for items that are "rated" 5-6 stars and in actuality these items are found only in 'Dollar Stores", being passed off and relabeled as "fine wines". One must not buy into the research. One can only find this out by actually paying the price and experiencing the product for oneself. I have neither the time nor the resources to try all these expensive suites, so I rely on like minded fellow cruisers we bump into from time to time on our travels to fill us in on whether we are making an expensive mistake on a future cruise.. As steerage passengers it did not matter as much, tipping helped a lot getting better service (it still does)on many cruise lines, but tipping does not help on Regent Seven Seas. Many of the posters here would love Regent, beautiful ship, the Grandeur. The staff just do not keep up cleaning up after their clientele. ( I will post more with photos).

   MSC is poised to take over the world market in both the steerage and luxury cruises. Yes there are some problems in both categories, but I attribute these problems to the low class segments of our societies cruising in all categories. As much as I love Yacht Clubs, there are no "interlopers" on MSC Explora Journeys and tipping works there as well.