gimletgal

On 4/8/2024 at 1:09 PM, PTC DAWG said:

Be very clear with any towel etc request..numbers etc..I always find out the comply easily..

If there are two people in a stateroom, shouldn't there be at least two of everything???? Should be automatic without having to request.

29 minutes ago, xcell said:

If it was the last few days of the cruise -- it's like that...

Well I've been on 8 YC cruises and I've never seen it that crowded. Guess I was just lucky!

On 3/29/2024 at 3:10 PM, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

The Pools of the MSC Seascape

 

We usually don't spend any time in the pools when we cruise because we have a pool at home and my wife runs a swim school in the summers, but we decided this cruise we would at least experience each pool onboard once.

 

We enjoyed this more than I thought we would as it was a challenge and the kids had fun with it.

 

Our review of each follows:

 

---

 

YC Pool

 

This is the pool where we spent the most time - both because it was less crowded (though still crowded as you can see in the picture), but also because my kids said the water was the least salty and the warmest.

 

Unfortunately (as I just mentioned in my previous post), a kid threw up in the pool today so it's currently closed, but that's not on MSC (fortunately it wasn't my kid, but it could have been any of ours).

 

None of the pools on the Seascape are very large, but this one seems the most adequate given the number of people onboard.

 

WOW! That is the most crowded I have ever seen a YC pool area! Maybe because YC was full and spring break? Usually, there are maybe 5 or 6 people in the pool or sitting on the edge.

Best bets for breakfast and lunch in YC are up at the One Pool. Good variety, excellent service and no waiting like in the YC restaurant. Butcher's Cut is also excellent for dinner - at least one night! Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

On 2/22/2024 at 4:09 PM, Fogfog said:

The same ones who bragged about stuffing their luggage with the mini bottles of liquor from the mini bar in the room and the cans of chocolate peanuts and chips...

hence many policies changed 

Yup! Ruined it for everyone else!

On 9/11/2023 at 3:50 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

They are not included as a general booking but one may find a special that includes gratuities.  I believe the daily grat for YC is $16 pp/pd.

 

We have only sailed MSC from US ports and the entertainment is very USA centric.  Having said that, we enjoyed a mini-opera on Seashore on a sea day afternoon.  The female lead had a beautiful voice but the male was lip synced.  

Daily gratuity on MSC (all cabins, including YC) is $14.50/day for persons over 12 yrs - children $7.25/day - under 2 yrs. old - no charge.

21 hours ago, KKB said:

I was just on cruise plum (deal lister, not a TA) & it is showing almost FIVE THOUSAND offerings  on MSC between now & Oct. 2024, with solo supplements seeming to average 15-18%. 

Other lines have offerings but I was astounded how many MSC is offering--looks like basically every sailing! 

AND they have a great deal right now with balcony for same price as interior with up to $500 OBC (seems to be $200 for 7 day...$500 for 14+ days) that is also applicable to solo bookings.

Yes, great deal!  Make a new booking between June 10, 2022, and May 31, 2023, and sail before May 31, 2023 to be eligible

Not sure where you got the date of Oct. 2024!

On 7/14/2022 at 6:45 PM, Arizona Wildcat said:

There are kettles on cruises from Southampton.   Supposedly otherwise not allowed according to the list of items not allowed.  They certainly are not allowed in a Veranda cabin.  Your butler might have quietly gotten you one being in a suite 

I was on the Eclipse in the Caribbean a few years ago - in a lowly 1A veranda cabin - and my room steward gladly accommodated my request for an electric kettle so I could boil water for my morning coffee. 

Hi Barb! I am enjoying your posts and must say I am astonished at the size/look/feel of your SS! Looks to be very uncomfortable, to say the least. It sounds like your aft CC will be much more comfortable. Hope you are all enjoying your b2b cruises (in spite of the accommodations). 

2 hours ago, deliver42 said:

These are high end cabins. The companies don't want them tied up just to see if you're going to cruise. There's too much money involved for them. With the non refundable, it lessens the chance of a cancellation. To be fair, a $198.00 pp deposit for a YC cabin shouldn't be a deal breaker even if it's non refundable. Other lines charge a lot more for a deposit.

Totally agree! $198 deposit for YC is really low! I have booked when it has been as low as $99!

Feb. 5th sailing was like a ghost ship. Less than 20% full. 1,500 crew and less than 1,000 passengers. 154 in YC. Was told as I disembarked yesterday that there will be 192 in YC on the 2/12 sailing.

Lots of crew members finally getting to go home. They have been on board since the TA which brought the ship to the US last summer.

On 2/12/2022 at 8:19 AM, alyssamma said:

Obviously the other major cruise lines disagree. They do see a reason to do it. MSC is the only one doing this.

 

As mentioned above, lots of other ways to achieve the same thing. Raise the window to 120 or more days, make the deposit much higher, etc. 

Check out Celebrity's "non-refundable" vs "refundable" cruise fares! HUGE difference. They definitely encourage people to book "non-refundable".

9 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Do not see how any of the butlers can do any unpacking touted by these cruise lines. Predeep had to run back all afternoon to escort other YC passengers on board. Luggage arrives after lunch. Muster drill, step #1 is a video on the TV . What one is not told is that after viewing video, one must dial 881 on the cabin phone to be 'activated', which is step  #2. The official announcement of the step # 2 comes at 4 pm over the public address system, to dial 881. Then step # 3, everyone is 'required' to leave their cabin and make their way to their muster station displayed on both their key card or back of cabin door. Now the 'rub'. Everyone is requested not to take the elevators to get to their muster station. We were fortunate to run into Predeep in the hallway at 3:30 and asked him how to get to our muster station. He said did we know to dial 881 ?  It was not in the video. We said no. He entered our cabin and dialed 881 for us. Then he directed us to the theatre on deck 7 (from our deck 19). We took the elevator down. We waited around til 4:00 for a muster station attendee to arrive in a pink ball cap with his register device to scan our key cards. As we left the theatre the announcement on the PA advising passengers to view the video and dial 881. One could then take the elevators after the muster check in, if one could find one available.

I was on this same cruise. If you watched the video at the "beginning of muster drill" time, the extension to dial was displayed at the end. If you watched it beforehand, it was not. Dial extension (it changes every week), go to station, get checked in. Easy peasy! Took all of 5 minutes. I love, love their elevator system.

13 hours ago, Shippy said:

I think you have to pay for it now.

Daily paper is still free for the asking. (Late December/Seashore)

Horizon bar is open from 9AM to 11PM.  I am not aware of where the smoking areas are in this vicinity.

11 hours ago, blueslily said:

For folks in the current sailing, which terminal did Seashore leave from in Miami? I'm boarding on Saturday Jan 29 and cant find info about which terminal to park at. Thanks (I will look check again tomorrow once I arrive in Florida. Woohoo, getting close.) 

Page 14 of your cruise documents will show the terminal you depart from. Currently, Seashore sails from Terminal F and the closest parking garage is "G". Hope this helps.

Will be sailing on the Seashore again on February 5th. I will report back on the passenger load for that cruise.

On 1/22/2022 at 11:19 PM, blueslily said:

Wondering how any people are on the current Seashore sailing as well. 

We had 3,200 on the December 18th sailing. Ship not crowded at all!

On 1/14/2022 at 5:35 PM, phissy said:

US residents do not need insurance.  

Correct! Insurance not required! (Just cruised late December - nothing has changed regarding insurance.)

MSC does NOT respond to any emails. After you get the canned response that they will get back to you, there is absolutely nothing! I emailed them before my December cruise and have still not heard back from them. All previous emails during the past several years have also gone unanswered.

Thank you for contacting The MSC Voyagers Club Department.

We have received your email and will respond as soon as possible.

That was the response I received on December 4th! It is now January 15th. Not sure who is running the show in Miami, but whoever it is needs to be fired.

Can only speak for YC experience on Seashore the week prior to Christmas. I would say 95% were English speaking. Cannot verify whether or not they were U.S. citizens/Canadian/British, but heard very few non-English conversations. It's all good!

It's actually 2 days. Just get tested any time on Friday and you will be fine. Just make sure you have enough time for the lab results to be returned if it's not a "rapid test". I was tested at 11 AM on a Thursday for my Saturday cruise and the results came back on Friday evening.

Yes. There is a smoking area in the Aurea sun deck area. You can smoke both cigarettes and cigars in any of the smoking areas on the ship. The only restriction was no smoking in the casino where there used to be a small area. Enjoy!!

8 hours ago, Couple-Somerset said:

https://crew-center.com/child-falls-deck-16-msc-seashore

 

Sadly a 15 year old child has died.

 

I was on this cruise. The deceased was a 17 year old male who jumped off his balcony on Deck 16. 

Sad - tragic. The FBI, CDC and the police were boarding this AM to investigate. I am sure the incident will affect boarding today. Please be patient folks! They (the staff) are very heavy hearted at the moment.

Can't speak to the Aurea sun deck but I'm sure there is one there. There are smoking areas provided all over the ships on MSC. (Europeans are notorious smokers! 😄)I will be boarding tomorrow, 12/18 and will check it out.