no1talks

Maybe less, Morpheus. I don't think the list of amenities associated with a "big suite" in YC officially includes such largess. Unless an amenities change is being rolled out, you were lavished with extra alcohol.

If only there had been a courtroom artist on hand, to sketch the miscreants. 👨‍🎨

In your experience, which sale during the year is usually O's best sale? We are thinking about giving O a whirl in '24 and knowing the best time to buy would be very helpful. Thank you very much, indeed.

For the sake of the ladies, I most sincerely hope nobody's cookie was crumbling. 👨‍⚕️

In fairness, a not-insignificant portion of their tips may be coming from American tourists in Venice.

Oh, my! I do believe my shoe is untied. I must pause and re-tie it. Thoroughly. Slowly.

All cruise lines are hungry for cash, especially ones wallowing in debt or in the middle of a growth spurt. In these times, management is unlikely to stop anything that doesn't rise to a situation of cruise line liability or damage to property. The family is favored, because they spend money on tchotchkes, snacks, and amusements. That's revenue YC adults traveling without kids usually don't generate. The kids-cruise-free scheme is a reliable business model. The price of YC accommodations probably dissuades most young families from taking the hit, and instead sticking with Bella. However, from time to time, there will be instances of what Morphesus describes, even in YC. Other than adults-only cruises, one can only minimize the chances of such an occurrence by carefully selecting the time of year and the cruise line.

🎵Face to face and back to back...🎵 If only they had those passes, long ago, at the Billy Idol concert . . .

Umm . . . dress codes??

I completely agree on these points. If school's out, we're on land. Currently, MSC's Yacht Club works well for us. We don't plan on looking for another line in the near term. Also, I think the cruise corps with piles of debt will make many changes within a few years and we are disinclined to become enamored with other lines until the dust settles. Cheers!

If I may ask, what other lines have you cruised and which boxes were lacking? 🤔

Morpheus, it is unfortunate MSC does not outfit their ships with collegiate-level diving platforms. You could post video of your Triple Lindy technique. We are familiar with Thornton's.

Is not Yacht Club still in the practice of providing overnight butler coverage? It is my understanding the butlers take turns covering that shift. Assuming the practice is still extant, why would the overnight butler not be checking the hallways periodically? If I see something like this during our March cruise, management will be called out on it. It's Yacht Club, not a floating Best Western.

Is it because of the 70's/80's TV show, The Love Boat? I admit, part of the reason I dress up on a cruise is because I watched TLB as a kid. All those tuxedos stuck with me. 🤵

Clearly, the Patagonia brand is, by design, the best stuff to wear to Antarctica. Otherwise, they would have called themselves "Kamchatka." 😉

Winnah! Winnah! Chicken dinnah! 🥳

Agree. Aren't cruise ship smoothie bars usually placed in the gym/spa areas?

I was posting on this topic last night. I think the limited itineraries are ultimately a bigger problem than the website and call center. I'm not a fan of having to take a flight from Florida out to an island embarkation for an MSC cruise. I hope they make a change and cover the Windward & Leeward Islands from Florida embarkations.

I wear Chaps. My wife is a fan.

Mum's the word. My mother snuck into Yacht Club once. Once! (Tip o' the cap to you, if you recognize the movie.)

Egads, that's a lot of humanity. I very much enjoy the Mera-class ships' ceiling animations, though. Packed holiday cruises dissuade me from a mass-market itinerary for NYE. I would consider a ship with a better passenger-to-space ratio, but that would still leave me with the other problem... I have zero interest in being on a ship for Christmas. As far as I know, a cruise that includes NYE often includes Christmas. (Yours is an exception, of course.)

If were to find myself in MSC's C-suite, I'd call for undercutting just enough on Florida departures to offset the downside of limited Florida itineraries, which I think is a bigger weakness than the website/call center. If one wants to get to the Windward and Leeward Islands on MSC, one has to fly out for an island embarkation. Other cruise lines go there from Florida.

Earlier today, we secured our Miami pre-cruise lodgings for our March '23 sailing on Seascape. We're rooming a bit more distant from Port Miami than the Hampton Inn, though. Your topic is very timely, as I'm on the lookout for Divina commentary, even if it isn't Yacht Club related. Our current plan is to book a 2024 cruise on Divina (Pictured) while we are on Seascape. Hopefully, Seascape YC is not so changed from this year's February wonderful experience on Mera. If we find YC to be heading in a direction we feel doesn't support the price, we'll be doing nearly the same itinerary on HAL instead.