Best Cat Mom

OP did not state where they were sailing. If not in the Caribbean, lobster will likely not be on board the ship at all.

So glad to see that you are enjoying yourself!

It is interesting to see the images of your food. I'm gluten free so none of the food I eat is usually right off the menu; it's all altered, usually with key components (like sauce) omitted. Have you tried any risotto yet? Risotto is GF and our favorite is the truffle preparation.

I see that you have Glenn taking care of you. Is Ryan still his assistant?

Please tell Hubert in TSL that Sir John and Miss Andrea send their very best regards and are looking forward to seeing him in April.

PS: I always told Hubert that the garnish for the sidecar looked like something dead floating in my drink. LOL

5 hours ago, NYHartChapp said:

Yes, Pepe is YC Director.  Mehmet is Maitre d’ in Le Muse.

They will both be on until at least 7 April when we sail Divina again. They told us this when we were on Divina in December. (Of course, plans could always change but we're hoping to enjoy their hospitality once again.)

1 hour ago, karmamule said:

that man works out!

He was always eager for lunch service to end so he could get to the gym. There was one mother and daughter who always came at 5 minutes to closing, even at dinner. He would glance at us and roll his eyes. LOL

3 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

While standing in the line for Clear we notice almost no one in TSA Pre so we went that route and it was quicker.

This was true for us in Miami when we returned from our last cruise. Dozens in the Clear line and only one person in front of us in Pre. Glad you were able to see your best way through.

Safe travels today!

From a post on 27 September in the YC personnel thread:

"Arthur is leaving his role as Maitre 'D of the YC restaurant in a couple of weeks this month, October and his place will be taken by Mauricio."

2 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

depends on when his current contract started

I think it was October-ish maybe?

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

I hope it’s him and that he still there in May.

That sounds just like him. Champagne served immediately when seated. I don't think we could read the menu without it now. 🙂

We're on Seascape in September. I don't think a "regular" contract would extend that long for us, but you probably have a good chance of seeing him. Isn't an officer contract around 6 months vs. 9 months for the other staff?

I believe Le Muse's maitre d' on Seascape right now is Mauricio. He was a sommelier in California earlier in his career and usually fills both positions, at least he did when we sailed with him on Divina twice last year. Strike up a conversation about wine with him and you're likely to get to get some really nice pours during your cruise. 😉

I have had both rocks and frozen preparations of a Blue Hawaiian. You're on a cruise! Do a comparison at each bar -- and every different bartender you meet at each bar. You might be surprised by the variations. And then you can tell us where the best one is. 🙂

Looking forward to reading your thoughts about MSC YC and the Divina. Buon viaggio!

2 hours ago, dexddd said:

Never had to ask for tomatoes to get sauce on pizza unless specific to that one type maybe.

Oops, my mistake. We always order the one where you choose all your own toppings, not the named ones that have a list of set ingredients. As I recall, those all come with tomato sauce. 🙂

Get the burger and put the lobster salad on top. Surf and turf and oh so good. 🙂 And maybe some champagne to wash it down!

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

Any recommendations as to waiters in Le Muse? 

Glenn and Ryan took great care of us during our transatlantic. They are still on Divina and I saw a few comments here and elsewhere that they are still one of the top teams in Le Muse. They told us they'd still be on board in April so you should see them next week.

PS: Remember that Ryan loves to have his picture taken. 🙂

46 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

Venice as I can't think of any other route where I've had quite so many delays, diversions and just plain interesting landings

Flying into Venice can be as "variable" as an MSC cruise! 🙂

Our favorite pizza is arugula and prosciutto. Keep in mind that you have to order tomatoes to get sauce on the pizza -- and don't forget to choose a cheese too.

We noticed that the pizzas were a bit smaller on Divina last November than they used to be so consider ordering 2 instead of one with two sets of toppings on the two halves. Of course, this might not be your experience since we're all used to MSC's variability (how's that for being kind? LOL).

One thing needed would be drinks -- since TSL is  usually closed by around 1am, depending on how long guests linger there.

6 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

We sail on our first MSC cruise one week from today

I hope you'll be able to share your thoughts about your first YC experience. Wishing you only the best!

Mehmet and Pepe told us that they would still be on Divina when we sail on 7 April.

I hope that you'll enjoy the Divina as much as we do. We were on a 17-day transatlantic last year and liked it so much that we booked the same crossing again for 2024. We also have a cruise on Divina coming up in April with a similar type of Western Caribbean itinerary as your current cruise. What was especially telling for us was how the crew continually commented to us that Divina is one of their favorite ships too. They say that the more intimate size allows them to get to know the guests better.

Fingers crossed that you have a great trip and love your time on the Divina. Buon viaggio!

Ocean Cay is scheduled for temporary closure beginning 7 April, the departure date of our next cruise. We did not stop there on our last cruise (a transatlantic) so we added a cruise in September when <fingers crossed> it will be open again and perhaps vastly improved.

We know there is a chance that the re-opening will be delayed whilst they perform their work on the dastardly combination of "Italian time" and "island time" but are hopeful that by September it will again be open. We are also hoping that the start of closure might possibly be delayed, but know that we are probably not going to be that lucky.

PS: I spent my entire management career quoting that "hope is not a strategy" but what else is there in this situation? LOL

@JAGR 😞

1 minute ago, DaKahuna said:

We sail on Super Bowl Sunday so will most likely be in the room to watch the game vs the Top Sail Lounge where there are no TV's that I have seen.

True that there are no permanent TVs in TSL. I have seen on this board where YC added a special celebration for the game. Not sure if boarding day is too soon to have developed a relationship with staff where they'd want to accommodate fans of American football in a special way. Also, that first day might be too hectic with all else going on. (This is when the European-style of boarding at multiple ports may have been an advantage.)

Just a thought -- if there are enough B2Bers interested, maybe it could have been pre-arranged? I don't know if YC Director Pepe is a football fan, but I do know that is very interested in keeping his YC guests happy. 🙂

39 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Since the bars are closed, I'll settle for an adult beverage on the balcony as soon as we finish the drill.  

TSL will be open and serving whenever you get back there.  🙂