mnpurple

I booked a Hyatt Ziva at Playa Del Carmen for November that is AI. It was opened within the last year and most reviews/videos I've seen look really great. They had a separate building opened even more recently with a higher level of VIP service and Butlers, better restaurants and amenities. That might be something you could look into, especially if you have loyalty with Hyatt and points. I'm not in the VIP building, but booked a full week with points before they recently increased the daily rate. The rates are definitely higher than it is to sail in YC though if you pay $$.

I would have suggested booking an interior, but see there are none available (at least I think that to be the case). If money is not an issue, go for the larger space. It you would like to save, I would just book one room, but try to find one that might be near the concierge area where there is a public bathroom if someone needs one quick while yours is occupied. I'd also utilize the thermal spa for your kids (or you) if they wanted to shower or have more space to get ready depending on their routines. I was on the Seaview, so I assume the rooms on Seashore might be similar size and I felt they were quite spacious. we also loved the spa! You are also able to go to the lounge or pool deck in a matter of minutes, so use that space to spread out more. If you were looking at a ship like Divina, I definitely would not recommend sharing because that room was far smaller and the bathroom was quite small too.

Depending on the ship, if you enjoy the spa, it is also included with YC. The drink package includes bottled water, coffees and juices. There is also a mini fridge that is fully stocked with whatever you like that is included.

@taylortime05 2024 that is. We have a wait! We were on two other ships in YC and loved it!

@taylortime05 Dang, that's less than I spent for Euribia YC Inside at the end of March! Enjoy!

Our family enjoyed the YC more than Haven. We were on NCL Pearl and Getaway. The Pearl isn't the full Haven experience, but we enjoyed what was offered and liked the 2-BR family suite. There was really no bar service in the pool and sundeck areas, which was a bummer. Getaway was more crowded and although they did have some beverage service in the deck area, it was pretty slow and quicker to grab your own. We were on Seaview and Divina YC. It just felt so much more spacious and staff way more attentive. Meals change daily in the restaurant, so no repeating. They will also bring drinks to your room and you have a fully stocked mini bar, neither of which is offered in Haven. There are better snack options in the YC and not just the cookies and candies offered in Haven. Just a few of the comparisons off the top of my mind.

I'd also check the itinerary for the sailing prior to yours. We were on Divina and went to Columbia, etc. and going through customs when we returned was an ordeal and held up the passengers boarding for the next cruise as well.

Hey! I taped my YC card to my forehead when walking around! Of course I made sure to have on my Tiara too - LOL

So we did the second itinerary you listed and boarded in Naples. We flew into Naples (from Madrid) and spent the night at a hostel close to port. Anthony Bourdain referred to Naples as gritty and that was very true! I liked it and we had some amazing food and also pastries. Like I mentioned in a different post, the boarding was different than we expected. Don't show up early thinking you'll be able to board because the ship didn't even arrive in port until around 1:00 I think. They aren't in a rush. Once checked in, we didn't wait in the lounge very long before being brought on board. If Rome is important, I would actually plan to spend time there before or after your cruise if you can. All of the other ports were amazing in different ways. In Messina we jumped on a train to Taormina, which is where they filmed the second White Lotus if you've seen that. Beautiful little town and we had some super yummy granita and gelato. They will probably offer this as an excursion through the ship and a bus ride. It was very doable on our own and I got great information on the port of call board. Malta is incredible. We hired a cab right outside port and they have a person who helps you set it up and make payment and you are on your way. We basically toured the island and went to the Blue Grotto on a boat that brought us into some of the caves. So cool! We only saw Valetta briefly because we stopped for lunch. It was all great though! Barcelona we hired a private 4 hr tour that is also in the port of call board and had another great day with tons of information from our guide. We saw Guell park and walked around for a bit and La Sagrada Familia, with a walk around and we didn't go in. Genoa, we did the hop on hop off, but that really wasn't necessary because everything is within walking distance. Many people will go to Portofino, but we just enjoyed Genoa and tried incredible focaccia and pesto. Can't speak to Marseille because we were tired. There was a festival in town and we weren't feeling like being around a lot of crowds (still end of Covid) and tried to go to a restaurant. We took a cab and got dropped off, but found out the restaurant was either shut down or just not open and we were kind of in the middle of nowhere with no people around. Fortunately, they have Uber and we just went back to ship! Sorry that got long. With any of these ports, there is so much to see and to take in, you can't barely scratch the surface when stopping as part of a cruise. I could do the same itinerary again and be very satisfied. I am in process of planning a six week European trip now (starting with our cruise out of Southampton) and it is very hard to limit where we go so we can give everything enough time!

@NCteacherlovescruising No, we did have priority, there was just no tent and I had to keep asking about where people in YC were supposed to go. Once they let us into the building to check in we had a separate line, but they took quite awhile to even come in there before we could check in. I think it was a Naples thing, or could be an Italian thing, who knows! I also never really noticed people embarking/disembarking at each port. It was very easy leaving the ship and returning after a day of exploring.

We cruised Seaview in the Med last year and Divina in the Caribbean this year. We were in YC for both. Regarding our YC experience, I would definitely give the edge to Seaview. They are two very different YC's and we really enjoyed the Seaview layout better. The thermal spa was also way better. The staff was great on both, but they seemed more attentive on the Seaview. I would say our Butler's were equal. We boarded Seaview in Naples and it was a very different experience than I expected from most of what I read here. Much more laid back (i.e. slower than I expected and no white tent), but still not bad. The biggest difference was having priority boarding at various ports. They were very good about it in the Med and in the Caribbean, they didn't really give us any preference. The waits weren't terrible, but it was slightly annoying because that is part of the experience. The Med cruise was very port heavy and we wanted to experience everything, so we felt like we didn't enjoy the ship as much. We also didn't leave YC much, so I can't speak to that a whole lot. Our kids did and they are young adults and REALLY enjoyed their time and having fun with travelers who were European. We will be doing Northern Europe in March on Euribia, so enjoyed everything enough to try a third MSC cruise.

@insidecabin We booked it on our last cruise in January. I think they are definitely becoming more popular and will require booking much further out. Thanks for the continued tips. The Southampton prices for hotels aren't too bad and I'm going to try to use points for our two nights in London.

If anyone uses Viator to book tours, it also has 10% back

Thanks for the review. Just a tip, it won't help completely, but ask your Butler to put another pad on the bed and that will help a little with the space between the two beds. It made it better for us, but like I said, it was still a little noticeable. Enjoy your trip!

@insidecabin That is the same itinerary as we have, March 15th on Euribia. We are planning for the weather to still be on the cool side. We're in YC inside, so will be nice if we can use the outdoor area, but again won't expect it. It's good to know about the ports also. Maybe we'll try to join a ship excursion in Hamburg. I didn't book in Southampton yet, but based on the recommendations, the pricing is around $63-100/night. @amygutman You'll have to share your trip after you go, or if you're finding out anything good while planning!

Thanks @johnnylincoln and @showingdiva I will make sure we plan to stay in Southampton. That will save us a few bucks from London prices another night I would imagine, which is helpful because our one week cruise trip has now become six weeks in Europe! Thanks for the hotels too!

We'll be on Euribia out of Southampton in March. Can anyone let me know if I should stay over night in Southampton or is it just fine to take the train from London the day of? I'd rather have a full day in London ahead and just take the train early in the morning. I did search the port of call board, but didn't really find what I was looking for.

You always do such nice reviews! I try not to be envious of those who get to enjoy Ocean Cay since we just couldn't dock, but these beautiful shots really make me envious. I'm questioning my decision to book our next cruise in Northern Europe toward the end of March. Not sure what kind of weather to expect, but no beaches!

I remember the excitement! We were on a Med cruise last year departing from Napoli on the Seaview. I would say some of the answers would depend on your ship and cabin type. 1. We were in Yacht Club and I didn't notice problems with people embarking and disembarking. We didn't do any excursions through the ship though. 2. None of our ports involved tenders (only similar ones we had are Genoa, Marseille, so not sure about the others) 3. I guess since we didn't have excursions through the ship, I didn't pay super close attention if we arrived late, just went with the flow. However, we did have a private tour in Barcelona, which may also be part of the one that you booked through. They were pretty clear that they would meet after docking, so it wasn't dependent on a specific time. I would just make sure to keep your lines of communication open with them and they will know to adjust to your schedule and work with you. 4. I don't think Seaview had the Carousel shows, although I could be wrong because we didn't go to any shows. I have seen people say those in the Caribbean are less than $20. I would recommend that you pay close attention to the daily planners and the boarding times at ports listed on those and allow yourself plenty of time (I do an hour) to get back on board. Don't rely on the app. The only reason I say this is I saw a recent Vlog where a couple almost missed the ship because the app listed the wrong time and they cut it way to close. Last tip - get the Focaccia in Genoa!! Best ever!!

I guess it could be like anything MSC, but we were required to make reservations on our last two cruises. On the Divina we needed to provide our key card as well to get a locker key. Maybe things have changed since February (Divina) and when we were on Seaview there were still Covid protocols. Like I said on another post, things could be different for each ship, or different days. We were able to order pizza on Divina through room service, which someone mentioned they weren't able to.

@NCteacherlovescruising Yes, you do need reservations. It wasn't too difficult on Seaview and we could get in with pretty short notice. Not sure if the ship was full at that time though.

I agree with @phissy on keeping expectations realistic. We were on Seaview in 2022 and Divina in 2023. Both were wonderful and we enjoyed YC more than NCL Haven. We did prefer Seaview because of the newer ship. The rooms were far better than the Divina and they had cushions on the loungers on the pool deck, Divina doesn't for some reason. Seaview had a far better spa experience. Service was excellent on both, maybe more attentive on Seaview. I think we didn't take full advantage of some things on Seaview because it was a very port heavy cruise. It is good to research and have some general ideas about what to expect, but keep it reasonable and don't let it ruin your experience if you don't have the same experience that some others have mentioned either. I think biggest key is to relax and go with the flow and enjoy a little pampering!

I know it's been mentioned before, and hopefully it won't happen for your cruise, but keep a realistic expectation about the possibility of not being able to dock there. We weren't able to on our cruise at the beginning of Feb. I was disappointed, but very aware it could happen, so probably not as let down as many others on our sailing. Most of our 11 day sailing was very windy, so I expected it by the time we went there.

My favorite is the MSC Special (I think), prosciutto and arugula. It's so good. The second time we ordered pizza they even let us get it 1/2 and 1/2 because DH and I like different kinds and a whole pizza is too much unless we share. I have to wait until next March for our MSC pizza 😞 I'd say we enjoyed MSC food more than NCL (Haven vs YC). Probably more for the variety due to changing menus. I like good food, but if I chose a cruise, it is more about where I'm headed and the travel experiences. I am so surprised by the number of people disappointed that they can't get soft serve ice cream on demand or whatever else. I can't imagine how you find joy in traveling if you are so set in your ways you don't want to explore and try new things. Since my kids have left the nest, I am taking full advantage of traveling and part of the joy is experiencing foods and beverages that are new to me and more local to the areas we visit. Another good thing about MSC is portion size and if I try something I'm not particularly fond of, I don't feel so bad if I don't finish it. Not an easy thing being raised as part of the "clean plate club."

Love this! We enjoyed Seaview in the Med when they played it, but noticed it missing on Divina in the Caribbean, so we played it ourselves when enjoying an amazing sunset. Great memories!