Deckside Digest - YC Edition: Volume 24 Episode 1 (MSC Seascape 8/17-8/24)

[lahlah57]

4 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

You can have my mint jelly .. never touch the stuff.  Cranberry sauce either.  

 

Next thing you'll be saying is you don't have horseradish sauce on your prime rib!

[MonsterJoe]

25 minutes ago, lahlah57 said:

Where did she get her sophisticated and developed palate from ?

From us of course! 🙂 we enjoy fine dining at home and travel for good meals/service.  I am also a passionate home cook.  I cook all of our families at home and I do it with love.  I don't update it often but I have an Instagram @dereksdailydish

 

One of my favorite things about msc is I love the food and I never have to cook it. Everyone loves some time off...even from their passions.

 

 

22 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

@MonsterJoe  Is water available in plastic bottles in the Lounge?  I am debating on whether to bring packets of flavoring (e.g. Ice Tea, Lemonade, etc..) 

 

Yes they have the big glass ones and also plastic ones. We brought Gatorade packets and mios also.

[MonsterJoe]

Yesterday was pretty laid-back, so not much to write about. Started the day the same way, with some time in Top Sail in the morning. When I got back to the room, everyone got ready, and we headed up to the One Pool Deck for breakfast. I have to say, their egg game is really good up there.

 

After, DS and DW tried Robotron while DD2 and I watched.

 

I finished getting all the names of the crew members who made the biggest impact on our cruise enjoyment. I’ll post their first names later, along with where they worked, so you can try to find them on your own cruise.

 

For lunch, I had the made-to-order snapper from the pool deck. It was well-seasoned, cooked perfectly, and not a shy portion either—about 6 to 8 ounces.

 

We decided to get off the ship in Nassau, mostly just to stretch our legs. It was madness, with five ships in port. The hustle was hardcore there; I probably won’t get off the ship at that port again.

 

Dinner was very good again. At this point, we’re just ordering anything that looks interesting and sharing it around the table. Beef and Barley Soup, mixed Chinese Dumplings, Potato Flan (it seemed more like a soufflé, but it was delicious nonetheless), Pappardelle with Duck Ragout, Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Lamb, Shrimp Risotto, and Butter Chicken all made it to our table. The lamb, risotto, and butter chicken were definite standouts.

 

I skipped dessert, but DD2 has been enjoying the sorbets all week—last night’s banana sorbet was really good!

 

The chef in YC is Sean from India, and props to him—the food has been consistently well-done all week. He’s also very visible, always walking up and down the halls, checking on things.

 

After dinner, we tried to walk around the ship, but we just weren’t feeling it. The lounges were all packed and there wasn't any where for us to sit comfortably with the space we like. So, we headed back to Top Sail for a couple of drinks before returning to our room and settling into our balcony routine.

 

[DaKahuna]

11 hours ago, lahlah57 said:

Next thing you'll be saying is you don't have horseradish sauce on your prime rib!

 

Actually I prefer horseradish over horseradish sauce.  The sauce is a little too weak for me. 

 

[DaKahuna]

10 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

Yes they have the big glass ones and also plastic ones. We brought Gatorade packets and mios also.

 

 Thank you for checking.  I knew about the glass bottles, but I prefer the plastic when using the tea / hydration packets. 

 

 

1 hour ago, MonsterJoe said:

I finished getting all the names of the crew members who made the biggest impact on our cruise enjoyment. I’ll post their first names later, along with where they worked, so you can try to find them on your own cruise.

 

Outstanding.  Thank you.  That will be most helpful. 

 

 

1 hour ago, MonsterJoe said:

So, we headed back to Top Sail for a couple of drinks before returning to our room and settling into our balcony routine.

 

 

 That sounds so wonderful.   

 The one thing I did like about Divina having the YC restaurant all the way aft was that it gave us the opportunity to wonder through the ship on the way back after dinner.  We got to see a lot of the lounges, shops, and open general areas that way, not to mention a chance to stop in the casino.  

  We did not use our balcony very much at night, preferring to stay in the lounge and listen to the entertainment.  Having small children that you prefer not to leave unattended makes the balconies excellent places to wind down and relax when at sea.  I have a feeling we would do the same.  

 

[Mommapadraig]

22 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

Lamb*

Bless her heart. We never ate lamb as a kid so I’m now 72 and still avoid it. I adore her little sweater! What a cutie!thanks for sharing. 

[MonsterJoe]

Last day today - Ocean Cay.  Unfortunately, this is the worst weather of the whole week.  Not bad enough that we can't get off the ship, but bad enough that they are not opening Ocean House.

The YC restaurant was serving the Ocean House menu, but we missed it because it was only 12-1:30 - and we had returned to the ship right around 1:30.

The pool deck had a really great spread today, though. Braised Pork Stew, Curried Chicken Thighs and Ravioli in Lobster Sauce...They had the lobster rolls also.

Things are winding down - we are starting to (think about) packing. I am drinking less, having a long travel day tomorrow. Tonight's dinner menu looks good - I'll keep live blogging for the rest of the day since I wont have time to do a proper right up in the morning.

[lahlah57]

6 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Actually I prefer horseradish over horseradish sauce.  The sauce is a little too weak for me. 

 

Man after my own heart! 

[MonsterJoe]

Ok - here's my crew hit-list. Feel free to give our regards from "Brooklyn's Family"  (DD2) - or the baby in the moana dress.  She was very popular.

This is just in the order I collected them in, nothing beyond that as they were all instrumental in making sure we had an amazing week.

Jaymala - Top Sail Server - afternoon/night
Meilia - Top Sail Server - afternoon/night
Marelin - Top Sail Server - mornings

Vijesh - One Pool Grill/Assistant YC server
Nelly - YC Restaurant Hostess
Jenn - YC Head Server/One Pool Grill
Nithin - Top Sail Bartender - Evenings
Jomark - YC Restaurant Assistant Server/One Pool Server

Kevin - One Pool Server
Angel - One Pool Bartender
 

[MonsterJoe]

Felipe Araujo is the Flamenco guitarist. Great guy - good conversationalist. 

Edited August 24 by MonsterJoe

[MonsterJoe]

Butler - Jeeto
Emilson - Jr. Butler

Both very niice - ended up interacting with Emilson more just because we were constantly in and out of the room with DD2.  Both will serve you well if you get them.

[MonsterJoe]

Jeeto brought us a pile of chocolate to end our cruise - probably 20-25 dollars at Venchi - we'll add it to the other 30 dollars worth that we have been collecting all week at turn down.  It's also all venchi chocolate in top sail from dinner on...so keep that in mind if that's your thing.

another picture of another fun animal thing the servers brought DD2 at dinner.

DS found another duck this evening - it had a proper note this time.

Final night chocolates - in a nice box with a nice message

some ocean cay photos.

I have kept all the hard copy notes, price lists, etc...I will scan and post them at some point when I get home.






 

[MonsterJoe]

Lighthouse Beach and Bar is closed for the foreseeable future as they say they are "working on it"  You can see in that last picture a bit going on - but also the net is not in place either so I don't know.

[MonsterJoe]

To wrap up the night...since my last update - we did a lot of packing before dinner. I did some laundry in the sink (brought detergent) as I have done all week. We'll do it again when we get home, but no need to travel with stinky salty clothes!

We went to dinner and followed our routine if you've been following along - I caught up with all our vacation friends and made our final gratuities...in addressed envelopes this time because why not.

After dinner we grabbed a couple of glasses of packing wine - shook a lot of hands, bumped a lot of fists, thanked a lot of people for giving us such a wonderful vacation.  Changed into comfortable clothes and watched the lighthouse show.

While on tha balcony with my family - I saw something dark fall from above and hit DW on the head.  i looked up, and in the deck above us, some #$()*# was smoking - flicked his cigarette and hit her in the head with it.  I yelled up, "YO!" Nothing...."HEY!" nothing.  I went inside and called the concierge and told them...they said they'd send the Butler...but their tone of voice sounded routine.  When I went back out, I heard someone else yelling at them "Hey! There's no smoking! You're getting ashes on us!" He was just a couple rooms down on the same deck, so I told him I called...he seemed pleased, yelled a few more obscenities and let it go.

DW continued packing while I went to 4D theater with DS - he had cashed in his fun pass ticket winnings for two free tickets to it.  It was pretty fun -- we did neon ninjas....i beat the pants off of him.

By the time we got back - packing was done - so I put the bags outside and made a final pizza run.

[morpheusofthesea]

8 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

While on tha balcony with my family - I saw something dark fall from above and hit DW on the head.  i looked up, and in the deck above us, some #$()*# was smoking - flicked his cigarette and hit her in the head with it.  I yelled up, "YO!" Nothing...."HEY!" nothing.  I went inside and called the concierge and told them...they said they'd send the Butler...but their tone of voice sounded routine.  When I went back out, I heard someone else yelling at them "Hey! There's no smoking! You're getting ashes on us!" He was just a couple rooms down on the same deck, so I told him I called...he seemed pleased, yelled a few more obscenities and let it go.

It nothing until it happens to you. This is Yacht Clubs. "Money makes you more of what you already are." 

[cellfree]

11 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

Lighthouse Beach and Bar is closed for the foreseeable future as they say they are "working on it"  You can see in that last picture a bit going on - but also the net is not in place either so I don't know.

One of our favorite things to do when docked at Ocean Cay is to walk to the Lighthouse Bar and relax enjoying a beverage or two.

[George C]

20 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

Last day today - Ocean Cay.  Unfortunately, this is the worst weather of the whole week.  Not bad enough that we can't get off the ship, but bad enough that they are not opening Ocean House.

The YC restaurant was serving the Ocean House menu, but we missed it because it was only 12-1:30 - and we had returned to the ship right around 1:30.

The pool deck had a really great spread today, though. Braised Pork Stew, Curried Chicken Thighs and Ravioli in Lobster Sauce...They had the lobster rolls also.

Things are winding down - we are starting to (think about) packing. I am drinking less, having a long travel day tomorrow. Tonight's dinner menu looks good - I'll keep live blogging for the rest of the day since I wont have time to do a proper right up in the morning.

Does Ocean House menu still have lobster roll ? We sail on seaside in 99 days, really looking forward to returning to seaside and YC .

[lahlah57]

My husband would be beyond happy with all those chocolates!

 

[MonsterJoe]

1 hour ago, cellfree said:

One of our favorite things to do when docked at Ocean Cay is to walk to the Lighthouse Bar and relax enjoying a beverage or two.

Ours too - it forced us to explore more of the island, though, so there's that.

 

56 minutes ago, George C said:

Does Ocean House menu still have lobster roll ? We sail on seaside in 99 days, really looking forward to returning to seaside and YC .

I assume so, since I was able to get one at the pool deck when Ocean House was closed for the day. If that happens to you - they don't announce it...you have to ask.  I just happened to be sitting at one of the tables right in front of the grill and heard someone ask for one.

[MonsterJoe]

I woke up at 5:30 this morning and saw out the balcony that we were in port - I forced myself back to sleep and I made it to 7...  I went up to the pool deck - had a double shot of espresso and brought a cappuccino back for my wife. We were out of the room by 8.  We opted against breakfast, instead we just hung out in TS for an hour or so.  There is no rush to get off the ship in YC....when we decided to rip the bandaid off, we had our butler escort us off the ship. Said our goodbye and on our way.

We grabbed a porter right away - it is essentially your last taste of YC, but off the ship and available to everybody...as you are escorted past lines and with priority.  He walked our luggage all the way to the third level of garage C.  Super nice guy.

From there we left the garage - $154 for the week. and drove to our simple and comfortable hotel that we rented for the day in Miami.  Our flight isn't until 8pm, so we figured we'd take it easy. We had originally planned on spending the morning at the Bayside Marketplace, but meh...the weather isn't cooperating and we are tired. we will let the littles rest and get some land grub.

I got lost in Miami for awhile when I went out to get food...No GPS you see...my phone has been broken since Thursday, as I forgot to take it out of my bathing suit when I went on the water slide with DS. That's partly why I haven't shared as many photos as I had planned on.

I eventually found my way back though and here I am - powering down for a couple hours before dealing with the airport.

I noticed in the bathroom here, I already have my sea legs.

Edited August 24 by MonsterJoe

[George C]

Ocean house was brand new on our first YC cruise we were first ones to eat there , also no bar in lighthouse back then . 
 

love this review Monster Joe great info and pictures. Had a YC cruise cancelled because of Covid , now that they will sail from Galveston,I will be sailing them often.

[MonsterJoe]

36 minutes ago, George C said:

Ocean house was brand new on our first YC cruise we were first ones to eat there , also no bar in lighthouse back then . 
 

love this review Monster Joe great info and pictures. Had a YC cruise cancelled because of Covid , now that they will sail from Galveston,I will be sailing them often.

Thank you. I wasn't sure how it would go for me, committing to a semi-live-like review. I'm glad I made good on it and it's been received well, but I do see areas to improve on next time (April 2020, 4 day on Seashore NOT in YC)

What a bummer about missing that cruise - I get lots of anxiety about that as the date approaches...Happy for you about Galveston - I'm sure we will book one from there at some point as we have family somewhat close.

[MonsterJoe]

When I got lost in Miami looking for food, I ended up seeing a market/grocery store called "Sedano's" - I thought, "great - I can get us some real food and also ask for directions"

Well - I got us some real food...some salad and sandwich fixings and some soup to heat up in the microwave at our Holiday Inn Express...but it's a straight-up Cuban market. Nobody spoke English. My spanish is limited to "Hola"  "Gracias", No hablo espagnole", "perdon" and "Como estas"

i.e. No directions.

On the upside we've all been napping for a couple hours and that should really help with the rest of the trip home - we land at 11:30pm in Boston and have an hour drive home after that.  My father in law will be driving our car to us from home (the inlaws live next door) and I will drive us all home.

He's happy to do it because I drive him and my MIL a few times a year to take flights to see their son and family in Austin.

Edited August 24 by MonsterJoe

[Fissues]

Thanks for the review! Now back to the land of real lobster rolls. 

[Best Cat Mom]

@MonsterJoe -- Thanks so much for taking the time to post your live thread! We're on Seascape for the first time in 3 weeks (but who's counting -- right @DaKahuna?) and this was a great grounding of the who, what, where, etc. I've done 2 live threads so far and I know that they are quite a time investment and how hard it can be to remember to jot down notes for whenever you are ready to post. If your phone was not available since Thursday, I'm especially impressed with you being able to recollect so much.

 

Thanks again and hope your travels home are uneventful!