**LIVE** from MSC Seascape YC (Yacht Club) - Caribbean & Bahamas from Miami 14 September to 28 September 2024

[chrisgp999]

21 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

@Best Cat Mom your stateroom 

 looks lovely. I hesitate to ask but how’s the a/c in the room?  Our room on Seashore was HOT and regardless of my pestering, it never seemed to get corrected. 

If your room is constantly hot, have your butler check if one the occupants of nearby cabins have a penchant for leaving their balcony doors open.  AC serves several cabins and will turn off if the sliding balcony doors are open.  Had this problem with our very first MSC cruise.

[chrisgp999]

6 hours ago, mnpurple said:

It all looks so wonderful! Our first experience was Seaview (assuming a sister ship) and that room was very nice and spacious, which was maybe why when we went to Divina I was a little let down. Although then after being on Euribia, I realized the size of the actual lounge and dining room made that part feel more cozy. 

 

@Georgia_Peaches FYI, the AC in the inside YC room on Euribia was terrible and never something that was resolved. The only saving grace was in Northern Europe, the weather was still pretty cool. If we had been in the Caribbean, I probably would have been adamant about a room-change.

Seaview is a sister to Seaside.  Seashore is sister to Seascape.

[Best Cat Mom]

Here are some of the documents from embarkation day...

 

Welcome Aboard, which was given to us in Miami when we received our cruise cards and wrist bands:

 

 

 

 

QR code for Daily Programs:

 

Mini Bar menu:

 

Welcome Letter from Head Concierge Vishnu:

 

 

Butler info:

 

Voyagers Club party:

 

YC party:

 

Day 2 begins next...

 

Edited Tuesday at 11:13 PM by Best Cat Mom

[Georgia_Peaches]

32 minutes ago, chrisgp999 said:

If your room is constantly hot, have your butler check if one the occupants of nearby cabins have a penchant for leaving their balcony doors open.  AC serves several cabins and will turn off if the sliding balcony doors are open.  Had this problem with our very first MSC cruise.

Yes, we were aware that our neighbor was, in fact sleeping with their balcony door open.  I was frustrated enough to peek around the divider...and low and behold...an open door!  I reported this to guest services (the concierge and our Butler) but the open door continued but for one night.  I'm sure it puts the staff between a rock and a hard place as they strive to make all the guests happy.   I suggested that a notice on the door with the A/C info would be helpful as many people are not aware of how the a/c units work. 

From that point forward, we only booked inside cabins in the YC because I figured that nobody on either side of me would have a balcony door to keep open.  Rooms were so much cooler! 

But for our 20th anniversary cruise this November, DH wants to step out on the balcony and have a dance with me under the moonlight...so romantic.  But this Peach isn't going to be happy if we have a repeat of our previous a/c capers!

Edited Tuesday at 11:09 PM by Georgia_Peaches

[Best Cat Mom]

2 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Yes, we were aware that our neighbor was, in fact sleeping with their balcony door open.

I recall when you wrote about this in your CC thread. We've been... No jinxing so... Not been a problem for us. And we know better than to do that to our neighbors. Hope to always have neighbors like you and us!

[Best Cat Mom]

Day 2 Daily Program...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 11:24 PM by Best Cat Mom

[Georgia_Peaches]

I noticed the evening dress is "elegant"  is that the same as "gala" just a different word?  Or is that just another way to say dressy but not formal?  I don't remember seeing that before.

[Best Cat Mom]

1 minute ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I noticed the evening dress is "elegant"  is that the same as "gala" just a different word?

It is the same. They call the recommended attire "elegant" and the menu "gala."

[Best Cat Mom]

Day 2 - Sea Day…

 

Coffee and Baileys arrived to the cabin to help us greet the day as scheduled, delivered by a butler as yet unknown to us. We know from past cruises that sometimes the night butler will deliver these orders or other butlers/assistant butlers will cover if our team are otherwise occupied.

 

We made our way to TS restaurant at 9am and ordered two mimosas and two cappuccini and tried to decide what to have for our first breakfast on board.

 

 

 

 

BCD ordered eggs Benedict with a side of crispy bacon while I opted for 2 soft-boiled 6-minute eggs and some mixed berries:

 

We had nothing planned for today other than BCD building some cars and me relating our activities here so we dallied over breakfast for awhile.

 

Day 2 continues…

[rrraydon]

23 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Day 1 - Embarkation Day in Miami continues…

 

Our room was ready just about 11:30am. We chose to finish our drinks and then went to our stateroom at 12:11pm. We met our Butler Jeetoo and Assistant Butler Yogesh right away as they were hovering in the corridor awaiting guests to arrive.

 

We reviewed our pillow choices (2 Oxygen), our newspaper (Wall Street Journal) and liquor choice (Bombay Sapphire). Then we asked for a standing order of coffee and Baileys for 8:30am every morning, some extra bath towels daily, and Heineken and Coke Zero in the fridge.

 

We thanked him and told him we were expecting 4 suitcases and would soon be going up to the restaurant for lunch.

 

We took a few minutes to explore our cabin. It was a bit different than the one on the Seascape's sister ship Seaside, though it still had the 2 cabinets for clothes storage vs. the walk-in closet we love on Divina. This cabin is wider than either of those though and wide enough for a little bench at the foot of the bed and an extra chair across from the love seat. The width of the room extends to the balcony. I think two loungers could easily fit out there, if one desired to have them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about our first day coming up…

I'm new to MSC so still learning the ropes. I have two sailings booked YC, one on Seaside and one on World. You mentioned a choice of a bottle of liquor, does this amenity come with booking YC or is this amenity as a result of a loyalty status (Diamond)?

 

[MonsterJoe]

6 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

We finished dinner at nearly 11pm and he had just ended his set. We did really enjoy listening to him from upstairs. We have Bernard again tonight, as we did the day before yesterday. We're hoping that Felipe repeats tomorrow so we can enjoy him from not-so-far-away.

I didn't end up interacting with Bernard, but his voice was fantastic. Smooth like silk.

 

On our sailing, Felipe was there most nights...Bernard just a couple

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 02:36 AM by MonsterJoe

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, rrraydon said:

You mentioned a choice of a bottle of liquor, does this amenity come with booking YC or is this amenity as a result of a loyalty status

 

The one bottle of liquor is a YC amenity for each YC suite except the Royal and Owners suites.  If you are sailing in a Royal or Owners Suite in the YC I believe you receive six bottles of alcohol with those rooms. 

 

 If you look at the list of Spirits in the mini-bar menu photo above, I believe you get your choice of one of those six selections.  You just tell your Butler which one you would like. 

 

 

[DaKahuna]

@Best Cat Mom  Fair warning -- I just finished packing my clothes in my suitcase.  

 

[no1talks]

8 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

I would likely not be "glutened."

Who ya gonna call?

[morpheusofthesea]

18 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

and Holly, the host

She told us her name was Nelly last cruise. 

[Best Cat Mom]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

She told us her name was Nelly last cruise.

Okay, maybe we did not see her name tag clearly. Just found out last night that the sommelier is Rodin, not Robbie John. I wish they used a bigger point size. Same thing I always say to the Delta flight attendants. It's so hard to give them the good feedback they deserve when you can't see their names!

[mnpurple]

Yes, it is always a bit awkward when I stare at their chest to try to read the name tag or pull out my glasses and it's even more obvious. Even if I ask, I need to process by reading too. DH and I are both terrible with names.

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

I wish they used a bigger point size. Same thing I always say to the Delta flight attendants. I

 

 i still laugh about half the YC staff on the Divina posing for me to take pictures of their name tags when I told them "I just want to make sure I spell it correctly."   I think we were half way through the cruise and I still had two or three of them whose tag I could never read.  

 

[DaKahuna]

@Best Cat Mom I hate to be a bother but I don't think I have seen your report on your day ashore at Puerto Plata.  Did I miss something other than a quick mention?  

 

[Best Cat Mom]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

I don't think I have seen your report on your day ashore at Puerto Plata.

You have not missed a thing. I am horribly behind in our posts. I have only gotten to Day 2 breakfast so far. Hope to cover Day 3 soon... Mi dispiace!!

[Best Cat Mom]

Day 2 continues…

 

Before going to breakfast, I was looking for my cell phone in the cabin to make sure that I had plugged it in the previous night. We couldn't find it and it was getting late, so we said we'd worry about it after breakfast.

 

During breakfast, we were trying to recall the last time I had my cell phone. We started to realize that we last remembered having it in the afternoon while having cocktails in TSL. While we were waiting for our coffee and mimosas, BCD went down to the TSL to ask at the bar if anyone had found a phone. They sent him to the concierge desk and -- low and behold -- there was my phone. The concierge joked with him about how can someone go without a phone for over 12 hours? I guess I just like the ship more than my phone this week. LOL

 

After we finished breakfast, we hung out in TSL for a few rounds of Holiday Coffee, which is a drink we invented at home. BCD was only too happy to teach Kassandra how to make it. It is one shot of espresso, one shot of Baileys, one shot of Kahlua, and one shot of coconut rum, shaken and poured over ice in a high ball glass.

 

Day 2 lunch is next…

[Best Cat Mom]

Day 2 Lunch menu...

 

 

[DaKahuna]

40 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

You have not missed a thing. I am horribly behind in our posts. I have only gotten to Day 2 breakfast so far. Hope to cover Day 3 soon... Mi dispiace!!

 

 No problems. I have been noodling in my head how I am going to handle such a port intensive schedule and then I remembered we don't plan to spend more than an hour or two off the ship. 

 

[DaKahuna]

38 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Holiday Coffee, which is a drink we invented at home. BCD was only too happy to teach Kassandra how to make it.

 

 I am going to have to try one of those.  I hope you don't mind if I ask her to make me one.  

 

 Am also going to see how well she can make a tequila old fashioned.  

 

[DaKahuna]

You did not happen to try the Udon Noodles did you?  What they served for Udon on Divina was definitely not udon noodles and I know my DW will be upset if she orders it and get a form of spaghetti noodles again.