happy cruzin

9 minutes ago, PrivateIdaho said:

Trying to get an idea of how this port will be handled for Explora. Am I correct, that cabanas in the YC area can only be rented by Residents Suite passengers? Will other passengers be allowed to dine at Ocean House and use Ocean House And Bimini Beaches?

 

It's my understanding that only Explora guests in the Residences will have access to any areas of the YC. 

1 minute ago, jsea said:

As an update:

 

• Helios pool is open and looks great. 
• Conservatory pool remains closed. 
• Atoll pool remains closed.

• Astern pool is partially filled and open.

 

That is good news....but any word on when all the pools will be operational?

3 hours ago, uktog said:

Dont start me on our "one and done for now" experience on MSC Yacht Club.  We quite liked going to "the dark side" to do the shows.  Unfortunately first night we were led to believe that without the butler escort we could not go (it was just post pandemic so we believed this line"  To our absolute embarrassment the escort involved the butler going ahead of us in the busy areas shouting "Make way please VIPs coming through"   For the rest of the cruise we would try and sneak to any show we went to without him though again he reminded us one day he had to take us...........

 

Good luck, like you I can go with someone getting me a coffee if I decide but thats about it.  Rearranging how I lay things out in the room (a la Azamara butlers) really winds me up!!

We have been quite successful when in the MSC YC to tell the butler that we will let them know if we need anything. Although they always ask, we rarely use the escort to dinner or the show and they seem to figure that out after the first day or so and stop asking!

13 minutes ago, jsea said:

Will they have the pools open by then? At 9:30am on our first sunny day in a while, all pools are empty or closed. This despite the daily schedule showing the Conservatory Pool open at 8:00am.

 

Wow!

1 minute ago, Hlitner said:

Thanks for posting.  There is no information provided onboard other than the standard “we don’t know” answer to most questions.  

Well, I guess it’s not very well attended then! 

17 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

You miss the point. Keller designed the menu for a ship and also maintains control over the dedicated onboard chefs.  Seabourn will gladly deal with dietary issues/requests in their other venues where they maintain complete control.  There is a similar situation here on EJ where we cannot even get a menu for Anthology since it is mostly controlled by the Guest Chef who is a Michelin 2• chef.  And unlike the TK grill which has no extra charge, it costs a couple $530 to go to Anthology with their mystery menu.

 

Hank

Hank - 

No idea how close this is to what is really happening. But, I assume you’ve seen the current Anthology menu that is listed on the EJ website??

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

While I am in a negative mood from lack of communication, I thought it might be fun to test my theory of inflexibility.  They make good pizza in the Emporium, but the toppings have stabilized to the same o same o.  Near the pizza station they have a sandwich station which has a bin of pepperoni.  So, DW dared to ask the excellent pizza chef if he would make us a margarita with pepperoni?  He looked shocked and said NO.  Apparently that is not authorized by Geneva or the executive chef.  A bit like programmed robots.  Again comparing to Seabourn, such a request would quickly get a yes response.  
 

Hank

Wow....that has to be frustrating!

3 minutes ago, Whipsnade said:

Since I am sober 35 years I do not have a dog in this hunt. And my wife is happy with the “free” wines. I am a lucky man. All around. 
Hard to believe that no corkage if you bring wine on board. All other ships I know of charge $15-$20. Some don’t allow it at all. 

Me too.... kind of surprised they are allowing any to be brought back on at all!

3 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I think this company has a degree of arrogance and naïveté when it comes to pricing.  We see it with the premium wines, up charges for not so top shelf booze, cooking lessons, many excursions, and Anthology.  It is almost like they think their customers are all fabulously wealthy and do not mind paying ridiculous mark-ups.

 

EJ forgets that many folks who have money are also wise enough to seek value.  Perhaps they can find a customer base happy to overpay, but we have our doubts.  Many who cruise on luxury lines are quite savvy and easily move between various lines based on pricing and itinerary.  
 

Hank

Yes…just because guest probably CAN pay those markups does not mean the WILL. 😉

9 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

What will you drink then?

 

I agree their markup is over the top - and hence we didn’t buy anything - so their loss as we explained to them 

 

Interestingly we bought a bottle ashore and asked as to the corkage charge - they went away and came back with “there will be no charge for corkage” - at this point anyway - we got the feeling that it was something they hadn’t really decided on just yet so it will be interesting to see how that develops for wine guests bring onboard 

 

Interesting idea…buying wine in port and bringing it back with you! 

@Hlitner - are the on-board accounts still the Euros or have they converted to USD?

5 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Not a problem.  Am sitting near the pool bar and the bar tender showed me a bottle of Kraken Spiced Rum.  I don’t drink the stuff, but the bar tender said it is good with Coke 🤭

Thank you!!

10 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I want to start off this post talking about the crew.  We have met quite a few and they have all been charming, friendly, and seem to share decent morale.  Many of the crew seem to be on 5 month contracts and will get about 2 months off until their next contract.  The real shocker is we have been told (by several crew) that about 80% have never worked on a cruise ship untill their first contract with EJ.  This was deliberate and goes to the philosophy of creating a new brand with its own set of standards.  All the crew members we have met have a decent background in the luxury hotel/resort industry which makes sense.  We have not met a single crew member that previously worked on MSC, much less in the Yacht Club.  

 

This evening after some interesting conversations with some other passengers at the Lobby Bar (which is becoming on goto place for pre dinner cocktails) we finally got to Fil Rouge around 8pm.  We thought this venue was very attractive and there was a pretty decent dining crowd.  DW and I started off with their Escargot casserole which we thought was OK (not great).  I than tried their Soupe Poisson which is a Provencial soup that is a personal favorite and a must eat whenever we are in NIce.  The version in Fil Rouge was quite good and had the right flavor.  DW had the Dover Sole main, which she thought was good although not up to what we get in the Thomas Keller Grill (Seabourn) which is a very tough act to follow. 

 

I decided to get the simple sirloin steak with a truffle kind of sauce.  The steak was about 3/4 inch thick, perfectly prepared, and the truffle demi glaze sauce was OK.  To be honest, our dinners were excellent, but Sakura has spoiled us.  The Sommelier suggested a French Syrah, and I thought it was OK.  I should mention that the included wines have all been Ok, but far from outstanding.  It is what we expect from included wines on luxury lines. 

 

The star of the night was my dessert which was a mille feuille (with vanilla cream filling) which is the signature dessert in Fil Rouge.  The pastry was light, had perfect thin layers, and terrific flavor.  A relatively simple dessert, difficult to prepare, which is among the best pasties I have ever had on any ship.   Sometimes the simple things can be the best :).  Like all the dining venues, we look forward to returning and trying other items on the various menus.

 

I will also add, that in our chats with other passengers, we have not heard many complaints.  And the ship did actually get some Cranberry Juice in Boston, so DW's personal supply is now housed in our cabin fridge ...just in case!

 

I will toss out a reminder (from our pre-cruise analysis of the bar list) that we are not very happy with the included single malts, cognacs, and bourbons that are offered on EJ.  It is a sad list for what is supposed to be a luxury line.  In fact, it is not even close to what is offered in the MSC Yacht Club!  An easy thing for EJ to fix, and it should be fixed!  And there are some strange lapses in what is available.  One person told us today that they could not get a favorite drink because they have no Cassis at the bars.  This is not a money issue, but just poor planning.  When it comes to booze on a luxury line, stock a little of everything so you never have to say NO!   And I again repeat my shock that one cannot get San Pelligrino on a line owned by the Aponte family!  If you want sparkling water on EJ1, you can only get what they make below decks.

 

Hank

 

 

This is still concerning to me. We have certainly enjoyed the large selection in the YC.  That is where my husband was introduced to Zucapa!

Have you noticed what spiced rums are available? When a list was shared during the first sailing we did not see one listed.  DH can deal with a lot of of things....but 14 days with no spiced rum might be asking too much! 😉

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Attitude is everything. DW would probably 'feel' the same creepiness. But I know better.   This, what some call 'creepy', is what the super wealthy call 'pleasurable'. That is why they book private yachts. We that book the Yachts Clubs, Retreats, Havens, Coastal Kitchens are looking for this Yacht like attention and less people,  romantic tables for two more than 6 feet away from the nearest table. Reminds me of "Funny Girl" "Isn't this a bit of nonchalance....."

Oh.....I never said we did not enjoy it.  Honestly, it was one of the best cruises we have ever taken!

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Yep, just pulled into Black Falcon.  For us, we will probably just take a walk and stop at Yankee Lobster for great lobster rolls.  Many of the crew cannot go ashore because they are so new to ships that they do not have their necessary Seaman’s Books needed for shore time in the US.  
 

DW used the word “creepy” ti describe this cruise.  At times, there is not a passenger ti be seen.  I had cappuccino at Crema earlier and was the only customer other than a couple of Senior staff.  Having breakfast in the Emporium, and looking from my table can see 8 other passengers.  
 

EJ has tried to create an experience that is more akin to a resort, than a cruise.  I wonder if they have taken that too far.  I think of Seabourn and their “Caviar in the Surf,”. Block Party , etc.  This line lacks what I would call “cruise soul” which some will love and others will dislike.  This concept was best expressed by the “Experience Manager” who explains their is no Cruise Director because EJ does not “direct cruises.”

 

 

Hank

Sounds like our experience on the MSC Seashore when we returned to cruising in November 2021.There were less than 100 people in the Yacht Club and no more than 400 - 500 on the whole ship.  Weird to walk to a venue and see NO OTHER people.  Creepy is how I described it too!

17 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I am starting to think this line should attract those seeking culinary delights.  Today, at lunch we could choose from the Emporium, Sakura or the Med Yacht Club.  We decided to try Sakura where lunch is about sushi, sashimi, etc.  We are not big sushi eaters, but Sakura could make me a convert.  Everything we ate was fantastic.  The tuna was very high grade and melted in my mouth.  Our waiter was concerned we had not eaten enough and forced us to share a bento box that was superb. They had yellowfin that tasted like it just came out of the sea.

 

As we were returning to our loungers at the indoor pool, we had to pass through the Emporium where I spotted a large display of raw oysters on the half shell.  Got 4 of those and they were delicious.

 

Now we have another problem because our loungers are near the gelato place where they have 5 gelatos and 5 sorbets. OMG!  I will not even look at their crepe menu.
 

Hank

Sounds like a perfect day!!

27 minutes ago, kidless said:

Is that sailing booked at capacity? I've heard it's quite low.

I have no idea - and no way to find out!

26 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

please report back to us.

Absolutely!

6 minutes ago, kidless said:

Chefs kitchen I believe had an additional charge. Marble & Sakura require a reservation. Yes, now you can get in additional nights if you are flexible plus because the guest on-board numbers are so pitifully low. What happens when the ship is sailing closer to capacity? 

I think our 14-day Caribbean sailing on November 3rd might just be the test case for that concern!

Just now, kidless said:

Very true! Especially since when agents were first selling the product they made promises that EJ did not fulfill. For example, many were led to believe the experience would be like YC on steroids. For example, butlers yet only the residence staterooms have butlers. All dining venues are included yet two have a charge and two more require a reservation with only one reservation allowed. 

 Exactly....you have identified many of the things that we thought would be one way when we booked that now, of course, we know will be different!

2 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

While on MSC Seashore we had this new brochure heralding the new cruise line. I asked the butler if it was a gift. He said by all means take it. In discussing the possibility of booking on board with the future cruise desk, they stated no, it will be a separate entity. They intimated that it was more a rival for them and did not appreciate having the brochure in the suites. The following month all brochures were no where to be seen.

Yes - it will be interesting to see how this all plays out! 

10 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

This is a sea day, but there are very few “activities” on the ship.  This morning there is a lecture on travel photography.  There is supposed to be a 2 1/2 hour Chefs Kitchen class on making pasta.  That venue can only hold 12 passengers and the cost is 150 Euros.  Nothing in the daily schedule mentions the cost although an asterisk indicates there is a fee.  The chef cancelled the class because sea conditions are too rough to be work with knives and hot water.  
 

Something we are noticing is that quite a few things involve big fees, but finding out the cost is not always easy.  They have added some culinary tours (in the ports), and they sound amazing until one learns that the cost can be 600+ Euros per person.

We have been disappointed in the "experiences" (excursions) offered for our sailing in November.  Not very many are offered and most are very expensive. Add that to the pay now - can't apply OBC - it's another disappointment.

4 minutes ago, kidless said:

Indeed! I've seen no perks or status matches offered to MSC diamond members booked on Explora.  I personally feel EJ has made a mistake not offering fabulous deals to its MSC YC Diamond members.   I agree with Mr. Luxury on branding. Those who already love MSC, especially the yacht club product will make the leap to EJ. Those however that feel MSC is equivalent to Walmart of cruising will abstain at least for the time being.  

Yes - 100%, but many previous YC guests have balked at the EJ rates. And now are they hearing that the onboard experiences have been less than perfect for some.  That's a lot to overcome!

13 minutes ago, vistaman said:

Opel tried it as well with an Opel Diplomat ... years ago 

it seems initially they tried that : and then executives of MSC overruled  the people hired for Explora - I was told - with a lot of decisions 

also as bookings were far from good  : they started to send specials to MSC Diamond members

example : on my cancelled cruise for Caribbean I got a double upgrade as Diamond and 500 $ obc 

 

Yes - they have created a "tough" spot....expensive cruises come with great expectations.  It's been a very rough start. Lots of things went sideways and now they are scrambling, IMO.

If they do not find their footing in the market soon I am not sure they will!

13 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Branding is so important.

This reminds me of when the Chairman of VW decided that he wanted to build a car that was luxurious and better made than a BMW or a Mercedes.

They over engineered the car and it was a lovely car. The car was called the Phaeton.

It never sold because it had the usual VW badge on it.

Buyers of luxury cars didn't want to drive a VW badged car as it wasn't prestigious enough.

Explora should have its own identity and be apart from MSC as Lexus is apart from Toyota.

Agreed!