Hoofy7

49 minutes ago, rattanchair said:

TOUCHE !!   You hit both of us with that one !

I honestly wasn’t meaning to “scold” anyone, I just think sharing is a concept we teach our children repeatedly. If we don’t lead by example, well you see how so many of today’s youth are turning out. It’s scary. 

A little off topic of cruising, but we have been extremely privileged at one point in our lives and also the ones without the exclusive “member card”. Years ago my husband played in the NFL as well as his brother. Unfortunately, no we are not the Manning family! Hahaha We had the best of the best. Then my husband was injured so badly that he would never play again. He was dropped and not only from the roster, but by all the so called friends he acquired. I wish someone would have invited us into the “Yacht Club” after that happened. You learn who your true friends are rather quickly. Now because of that, our children have learned the value of a dollar and that they have to work hard for everything they have. It was a blessing in the long run. One of our daughters is attending Duke med school this fall and I certainly wasn’t able to pull an “Aunt Becky” and buy her way in. She earned  it herself and we are helping pay for it. Lol There is more to life than money and extravagance, and the #1 thing is making connections with other human beings. Treating others how you want to be treated and an act of kindness goes a long way. 

So please make someone’s day by sharing a bottle in YC, as someday it may be that person inviting you in to share a glass of Dom. 

23 hours ago, rattanchair said:

Dear Hoof,  Reading your post, you remind me of the gentleman portrayed by Jackie Gleason, "In Father's Delicate Condition";  a very capable human being catering to his family above all else, but still able to appreciate the finer things life has to offer.

I love reading your commentary and post. Though I’m more like Jackie Gleason’s wife! Hahaha Also I think it was gentlemanly that you invited a fellow CC member to YC for a drink with you. I think I shall throw in a quote as well, since all the cool kids are doing it! 😉

“A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both” ~ Dwight D Eisenhower 

30 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

I can't answer on the weather front.  Who knows what weather is going to be like at any given time.  We sailed from Miami last January and it was unseasonably cold due to that horrendous polar vortex.  It was 6 degrees (celsius) in the mornings in Miami and there was a cold breeze throughout the days - I had to buy a warm jumper to wear!  The seas were too rough for us to visit Jamaica;  the captain had to alter course significantly.

 

The ship will certainly be decorated for Christmas.  They began decorating a ship we were on from around the 4th of December.

Yes of course I didn’t mean predict the weather, I just wondered in general on averages if Caribbean temperatures and if seas are generally rougher in December than in spring. I’ve really never even noticed the ship move much on any of my sailings. I just didn’t know if it was a rainy season or usually more wind etc...I know there’s a nice lounge and covered pool so I’ll be good either way. 😉 

I hope it ready for my early December sailing and absolutely do not want Cozumel as a replacement. If it is I will stay on the ship. I will just keep my fingers crossed and worst case scenario I will stay in Yacht Club and swim with the kids and have drinks and pizza by the pool. Lol I can think of worse things that can happen for sure. I’ll eventually see Ocean Cay as since this cruise is free, I’ll be able to book again over the kids long breaks in February or April. 

Just now, Beamafar said:

Here's one on the subject of the YC cabanas:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2682139-ocean-caye-yacht-club-cabanas-pricing/?tab=comments#comment-57970442

 

This one is a long thread on the subject of the island, with a discussion included on what will be on offer, food wise:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2666555-hype-over-ocean-cay-fizzling-since-everything-a-la-carte/?tab=comments#comment-57565209

Thank you so much! I must say I really enjoy this thread and how active you all are, as far as participating in it. The tips I’m receiving are invaluable, so again thank you all! I hope sometime we share a bottle and meet in person!

Another question and I’m sorry I’m asking so many. What should I expect weather wise for my sailing 12/6-12/17? I always cruise in February or April and have never taken a December cruise before. Do you think the ship will be decorated for Christmas during my sailing or does MSC not do that because if the cultural diversity? I think it would be lovely if it was, as I’ve never sailed near the holidays. I’ll check those links out now! You all are the best! 

In all honesty, I tend to overlook the bad and focus on the positives. I’m spending time with my family, I’m disconnecting my kids from the constant social media trash they are exposed to ( except for very limited time on a shared WiFi package), I’m not in the cold of Upstate NY, I’m not cooking or cleaning, and I’m sailing on beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean. I’ve only ever had ONE bad cruise and it was a failure in every department, but I still had fun with my family despite it. I made the mistake of booking a cruise on Carnival and lesson learned, I won’t ever sail on that line again, despite the free cruise offers I get weekly. Lol 

MSC sent me this cruise I’m taking in December free as well. It was an offer from their casino department. I actually won the biggest jackpot of my cruise in February on the Seaside, and I think they want their money back! Hahaha But THAT SHIP HAS SAILED! ( Pun intended) Lol I used that almost $12,000 to put new flooring in my entire basement and have a closet built under the stairs to make use of the space. That money was gone a week after I returned! Also which CC thread do you recommend about Ocean Cay for me to update myself on the progress? Thanks in advance. A link would be perfect as I’m technologically challenged. 

2 hours ago, Beamafar said:

 

There are lots of threads with updated information about Ocean Cay; just use the search facility to get a list of them.  The YC area won't be ready before Feb next year (IIRC) so there'll be a dedicated area set aside for YC guests 'til then.  There's even talk that the island may not be ready in time for the first scheduled visit by Meraviglia in November (we're on that cruise).  MSC has changed its policy in regard to charging for food on the island;  the buffet will now be complimentary.  AFAIK, drinks will also be complimentary for YC guests.  I reckon there will also be other complimentary food offerings in the YC area.

Well I hope they get it done in time for your sailing. It will be a disappointment if it’s taken off our ports. Though it may save me money in booking an excursion. lol I tend to go overboard and book so many that we end up wasting one and deciding not to go last minute. I usually book every catamaran that includes snorkeling, a beach stop, and includes lunch and drinks. The kids really like these and we have fun meeting the differing personalities that man the vessels. There’s one in Antigua that is just perfection. The snorkeling was good, the beach was beautiful and hardly any people, and they cooked the most amazing grilled lobster on the beach for us, which we enjoyed on the catamaran on the sail back. We book it every time we have Antigua as a stop. 

Im surprised that MSC hasn’t gotten the island operational already as it’s been delayed before I believe? I’m sure it’s a cruise selling point for many. I’ll have to look at the threads. I didn’t even think to check on CC boards for it. Lol 

I bet you are right! Usually I am the “cabin steward”, wait staff, and butler in my everyday life for my very large family! How could I not enjoy a cruise with or without YC service! But with YC service, I’m sure I’ll find it incredible! Hahaha I am very accustomed to eating my dinners warm as someone always needs a drink or plate refill before I even sit down, so the complaints in reviews about food not being hot, will not be an issue with me either! 😉 

You all have me really excited for December 6th to get here! I think I’m going to like 11 nights of Yacht Club service! Lol I’m also excited to be one of the first people on MSC’s private island Ocean Cay. I read in an article that Yacht Club would have its own area on it, but can’t find confirmation of this. I want to book the cabana on the island for the day, but not if it’s not in the Yacht Club area ( if this even exist) and hate to spend the money if a cabana is already included on the island. I find it doubtful that it would be, as food and drink is for purchase, as far as I can tell. I do wish things were clarified better. I’ll look for reviews from the first cruisers to hit the island and book excursions from there. Now I’m hungry for pastries and gelato! Lol 

If there is a table out in the deck that I can smoke at I’m a happy camper. Lol My favorite thing to do is get up by 5am and get coffee and sit outside and smoke before the family wakes up for the day. I will probably buy the WiFi package, but I believe someone else other than you was saying in response to your post that they couldn’t find shade or WiFi? I’m fine with or without WiFi but usually buy it just to check on things at home. I love the sun and don’t mind sitting without shade either. I’m pretty easy to please. 😉 The thoughts on Divina were disheartening, but I read the same things about the Seaside and had an amazing cruise in February on her.  

Would love to meet you! Hopefully one day our trips will line up! When you think about how much these employees sacrifice to be there for our vacations, like being away from their families for months, tipping should be expected. It is not though. I can’t believe how cheap so many passengers are. The ones who even try and get their mandatory gratuities remover at the end of a cruise! That’s shameful in my opinion. When I am onboard, I am putting money into slot machines along with so many others. I tip the waiter $5 for each drink or a few $1’s if I don’t have a lot of change. Then notice the ladies beside me playing $25 a spin and not giving a penny to their waiter. I’ll never understand that. Now I always leave my cabin steward $200 at the end of our cruise, but I leave a daily tip when I have any request as well. I see so many complaints about service, but if these people had taken the initiative to tip initially, I guarantee they wouldn’t have had a complaint. If you can afford to cruise, you most certainly can afford to acknowledge those who serve you with a gratuity. I do the same thing in Las Vegas. I’m really looking forward to YC this December! 

On 4/9/2019 at 6:23 AM, hamrag said:

 

Based on the evidence provided I heartily second this opinion, on the basis that the YC package is somewhere between Premium and the low-end of Premium Plus. Therefore, given that even Premium Plus does not include Venchi, the YC package almost certainly will not!

I haven’t got through this thread completely yet, so I may be passing on already stated information. I cruised in the Seaside February 2019. I had the Premium Plus drink package ( I upgraded the package that came with my suite) and it included all the drinks at Venchi. I had chocolate champagne and others. Now whether or not those are included with YC benefits, I don’t know. I was in Aurea Whirlpool Suite as YC was sold out. I booked free cruise 12/19 in YC though, so I’ll be sure to clarify YC inclusions as far as complimentary cocktails outside of YC. 

1 hour ago, rattanchair said:

Dear Hoof,  Was on the Divina December 2018. I can only speak to one of your questions with the greatest authority. Dining was for us the most important aspect of the cruise experience. We were so impressed with our waiter in the YC Le Muse that we booked several more YC Seaside cruises. He told us he was stationed on the Seaside originally and preferred  the Seaside to the Divina for its American guests (Tips?).... He was a very genial and very attentive waiter , a little stocky, Honduran named Manuel. He made all the difference in the world. We were so impressed with his service that we tipped him $200. He would stand several tables away from us just watching attentively, rushing over to fill water or wine glasses. Best waiter we have ever had in over 100 cruises on any cruise line. He made us feel that we were part of the 'Leisure Class'.

Thank you! I will look for Manuel if he’s still there. I tipped well on the Seaside and even though I only had Aurea experience ( whirlpool suite) , I never had to wait for any service that mattered to me. The bar waiters remember who tips and my glass was never empty. I was actually surprised by how few people tipped. I left money daily for my cabin steward and my mini bar had the exact drinks each of us liked and snacks replenished twice a day and I had sometimes 10 clean beach towels at a time in my room! Lol Whenever I required a hand pay in the casino, I tipped $100 and the attendant was shocked. I tell everyone that is concerned about the service and short staffing complaints on MSC, that a tip, even a few dollars, goes a long way into making your experience exactly what you hoped it would be. 

Wow! What an informative and well thought out trip report. My first YC experience is coming in December 2019, but on the Divina. Any suggestions on preferred waiters or butlers? I loved my Aurea whirlpool suite on the Seaside in February. We only ate at specialty restaurants after one subpar main dining room experience. Hopefully the Divina YC restaurant will be more appealing? I am not a wine snob by any means and mainly drink frozen fruity drinks. Will the drink package that comes with YC suites be adequate or should I upgrade? Thanks in advance for any and all help. I am a smoker, but have never and would never smoke on my balcony. Is there a smoking area within YC part of the ship outside somewhere?