psmarkle

I've only done YC Cabanas and on embarkation day, I go to the Concierge and request either #4 or #5. Have always been accommodated.  I'm guessing you can go to the Excursions desk and try the same, perhaps?? As for which one, just know the ones closest to the buffet are going to be the most crowded as that is the beach area most people pick to be near the food. That's just from my past observations, FWIW.

On 7/23/2024 at 9:11 AM, KKB said:

EXACTLY. Have gotten so use to traveling with little cash, 

Plus I get credit card points if I do put any on, so double bonus.

Yup! I charge my casino play to my card that gives 3X points (3%) for travel charges, then 1.5 points when you redeem for travel thru their travel portal = 4.5% returned back in travel points for gambling $$ charged for free! Better than bringing cash on MSC!!

FWIW, was down until the last night of the cruise when I went on a heater rolling the dice at the newly installed craps table (installed back in Dec 2023), rolling for an hour (I asked the dealer after I was done). Made up my losses, my DW's slot machine losses, and almost 4 digits to the good. So, I walked off the cruise with MSC's $ + all those "free" travel points...THANKS MSC 😁

On 7/17/2024 at 11:20 AM, no1talks said:

 

Understandable. Why would a crew member, whose job description doesn't specifically include passenger confrontation, place themselves in such precarity?

 

As legitimate YC numbers grow and resources fail to keep pace, "inside job" trespassers will have ever more ability to diminish the YC experience for paying guests.

 

That's another reason to cruise elsewhere. Why pay for the advertised experience in an already full-to-capacity area if it is going to be pushed beyond the tipping point by thieves who slide in with the aid and abettment of related YCers?

 

 

I recall reading on these boards that YC guests bringing in others on the Seafood Extravaganza buffet day at the One Pool was a contributing factor to its demise. Curiously, it was the only day there was ever a long line at the buffet.

Of course, my DD and I putting away 5 lobster tails each might also contributed...sorry about that!

On 7/13/2024 at 10:53 AM, MonsterJoe said:

We've been talking about taking a year or two off from cruising after next year...(in my mind) to do an AI resort.  How would you compare them?  I love cruisi g, but I also like the idea of flying to where we want to go and to not have to think about pre/post hotels and ubers

Each time I book an AI vacation for our group, I turn around within a couple of months a book a cruise because I just don't feel completely satisfied!

I have a decent time, I mean I'm on vacation, right?! My personal reasons where the AIs we've stayed at:

- weak drinks, so I'd have to order doubles

- if they had a casino, not very good and poor table games

- OK food in crowded restaurants, nothing bad, just don't expect high-end gourmet

- bugs...don't have many bugs on sea days LOL

Having said this, DW and I are going to Sonesta Ocean Point in St Marteen in Oct, but I also have a follow-up cruise ready for April! 🤪

In addition to what everyone has posted, I loved the promenade dance parties each night! I even made my sons get out there too. The dancers would spread out after the last show and would break a dance down into short moves, then add on another, etc like free dance lessons. We had so much fun!

Then our "kids" (26, 25, 18) would go off for the rest of the night and DW and I would head to the Casino till 2-3am each night/morning!

Sailing her again in April, same itinerary  that you are out of NYC. Looking fwd to seeing Ocean Cay post-renovation. We were the last ship before they shut it down for the reno.

In fact, back in April on the Divina, one night I cut my filet in half when it arrived...almost a steak tartar! The Maitre' D Mehmet saw me frowning at it and came over and asked me if I was not pleased. I explained that I like a good medium rare steak, but.... I didn't even get to finish my sentence and he whisked it away and said, "I'll be back in just a few minutes after I go talk to the chef!"

The Assistant Maitre' D refilled our wine glasses and then Mehmet reappears with another steak. He waits while I cut it in half right there to see a perfect medium rare, just how I like it! 

Ahhhh, Yacht Club!!

1 minute ago, Bgwest said:

Not our experience at all. Each filet I received in YC was superb. 

Same for us. I usually have the YC Filet 3 times per cruise and enjoy it each time. Guess it's personal experience and tastes.

Two wheels gives good info and details. You won't go wrong on any of them! 

Having said that, we have sailed the Seaside, Seashore, Meraviglia, and the Divina last month (still working on my cruise review). DW and I stay on the ship at most ports and hang out at the YC pool. She's a shade chaser, so based on that data point, The Mera wins hands down with the shaded glass canopy over the pool area.

Now, our least preferred...won't say least favorite because it's still the YC, after all, is the Divina. As Two Wheels points out, the YC restaurant is outside the YC area at the back of the ship, plus I felt it was small and very hot for me. I'm bald and my head would be "glistening" at dinner each night. DW and I describe it as "the entry level YC experience." The Topsail Lounge also feels more confines vs the 2-story ceilings on the other ships. Still great, but there is greater out there to be had.

Now, we also liked the promenade and LED ceiling on the Mera and would join in on the nightly dance parties before hitting the Casino for the rest of the night. We really enjoyed ourselves and have booked her for next April 2025 out of New York as it's a "stay on the ship" kind of itinerary for us. Heck yeah!

I do prefer the Seashore to the Seaside as MSC corrected some things like the specialty dining restaurants. On the Seaside, they're right outside the YC area, so you either have to go down to Deck 15 or up to Deck 18 if you wanted to go to the rest of the upper decks of the ship. On the Seashore, they moved them down to Deck 8?? with the shops and promenade.

So, based only on my experience:

1. Meraviglia

2. Seashore

3. Seaside

4. Divina, but I really would look at other ships first before going back on her

Just got off the Divina yesterday! Highly recommend Homer and Kaith (like Keith, but with an A) for your Waiter/Ass't Waiter team. Just ask Mehmet and he'll ensure you get them every day!

On 3/25/2024 at 9:33 AM, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

I have a live thread going where I've explained everything indepth... Give it a look!

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2999113-live-from-the-msc-seascape-a-familys-experience-in-the-yacht-club-–-7-night-western-caribbean-–-march-23-30-2024/

I saw your update on the MSC board about giving the YC Director a chance to correct things. Did it get posted here, by chance? I'm still reading through this thread, but I found really good info in your post about how to handle things in a tactful way!

For the  YC restaurant, we go on embarkation day and talk to the Maitre' d about getting a set dinner time and table with the same table staff. Has worked every time as we prefer a 6 or 6:30pm seating. Once you get past 7:30pm, they hesitate as that gets into peak dinner service time.

We've only had great service this way as our servers get to know us, have our preferred bottle of wine waiting at our table when we arrive, know that we like a family-style plate of risotto to share as a side, and learn which dishes to recommend to us based off previous orders/likes/dislikes, etc.

Log into your MSC account and see if it will let you make the payment there. I believe you can.

On 3/19/2024 at 4:21 PM, cellfree said:

@At Sea At Peacequick off-topic questions as you are Yacht Club cruisers, have sailed MSC 12 times but never Yacht Club, trying it in two weeks. About luggage - do you take it to Yacht Club white tent check-in location? Also, we have been given checkin window, is that strictly adhered to? TYIA

Oh you are in for a treat! We are setting off on the Divina in 2 weeks.

Don't bother with printing luggage tags as the porters at the white YC tent will just rip them off and replace them with those beautiful gold YC luggage tags!

And show up when you want...you're in the YC now! You even have a separate line for security and then up to the YC check-in lounge w/ Prosecco and snacks while you wait.

Is that THE Vishnu from Mauritius who's back as the Concierge now?! I plan on future booking the Mera for next April out of NYC when sailing the Divina in 2 weeks. I would love to have him working the YC again!!

On 3/13/2024 at 11:44 AM, JAGR said:

Unfortunately, yes and no!. Rooms on his floor and area were available. but they wanted $2300 to change to a balcony from an interior, and I wasn't willing to pay that much. Last year on Meravilgia, it cost $498 to upgrade total for two of us, and about the same seven months before that on Seashore. Since I was just traveling as a solo, I wasn't willing to pay that. My preferred butler still took care of me when out and about in the public areas, and my assigned butler was his friend and he took great care of me as my primary butler. All in all, it worked out great, and they were out able to help me with getting a ceremony together to put some of my wife's ashes to rest at sea.

JAGR: oh my goodness, I'm sorry to hear about your wife's passing. I did so enjoy reading all of your cruise adventures together here on CC. I think it's beautiful that you got to perform a ceremony to put her ashes to rest at sea. I've asked the same of my family when my time comes. May peace find your soul.

The Seashore is my favorite MSC ship so far! And the YC experience is amazing.

One drawback, at the One Pool, if you want shade, you have to move chairs by the "funnel" I guess you'd call it. It's a big a/c air intake, so that also makes for a nice breeze to keep you from getting too hot.

We have just booked one of their spa suite experiences for our upcoming cruise. It looks like total pampering! Pre-Covid, Mr Sanchos was our regular Cozumel stop as we always enjoy our visits there on the all-inclusive side. Now, I came across the 4 spa suites, so we're going to try that for once. $550.00 for the day that includes massages for 2 + butler service 🙂

1 hour ago, RC Dancers said:

Our butler on our last Yacht Club trip said that most of the people were in the Yacht Club on upgrades and did not book it originally. It could be that MSC is just trying to adjust the experience to what people paid for it.

I agree with what you are saying as about a month ago I dummy booked our cruise on the Divina and there were 15 YC cabins available! Now, just 3. I figured it's all about the upgrades.

For our upcoming Western Caribbean cruise, DW and I are only getting off the ship at Cozumel and Ocean Cay. We plan to enjoy the YC pool deck and thermal spa access to its fullest this cruise!

I do miss the seafood/lobster grille at the pool, I truly enjoyed that. But it's still the YC...unbeatable for price/service, IMO,O!

21 hours ago, Chris_2448 said:

Thanks for all this info. So in your best guess, if I want a Cabana in the YC area that has a short walking distance to a walk into the Ocean do I want a Beach front or ocean view? I know that sounds like a stupid question but all the pictures I see, the Beachfronts all have the rocks on the ocean.

If you're wanting a reprieve from the hot sun like my DW, a Cabana is worth it, for us anyways. Just our personal preference.

We have done Cabana #7 oceanview and found it was worth the extra $50 to move to oceanfront on our next cruise. Either Cabana #4 or #5 will have the best ocean access. Our last cruise, I forgot to stop by the YC Concierge and request Cabana #4 until the day before. He initially told me we were already assigned to #2, but when we arrived at Ocean House, the butler looked us up and said, "ah, yes, Cabana #4!"

I definitely recommend water shoes! Those pebbles hurt until you get out in the water.

For the snorkel gear, just go up to Ocean House to get it and tell them which Cabana you're staying in.

It's nice having the chilled Prosecco upon your arrival along with the iced down water bottles.

They scheduled our jet ski excursion (we're doing this excursion again in a few weeks because we enjoyed it so much!) during the YC lunch time. After being worried, our butler told us "no problem." He wrote down our lunch orders and they were waiting in our Cabana in "bento-style" boxes when we got back!

During our visit, the Cabanas had a separate butler tending to them from the YC "gen pop" 🤣 So the cocktail service was very prompt.

Same as Morpheus, I do it on every cruise. I usually book thru the casino dept then send in a transfer form and move it to my TA who's agency offers a 10% obc discount on top of everything else.

Have yet to get to Wyoming and Montana, but have hit the other 48 thanks to the Air Force...and also way past 50!

On 2/17/2024 at 9:20 AM, Mark_T said:

Got to love the consistent inconsistencies  🙂

I’ve had the filet twice in the YC and both were cooked (med rare) to perfection.

 

I thought the 2nd one was going to be a fail when I saw it, but it was just a plating error as I was served something ordered as ‘well done’. This was rapidly corrected. 
 

I have to wonder if at least some of the reported ‘misses’ were just the wrong steak…?

 

I’ve yet to have a poor med rare steak there…

 

I usually have the YC Filet at least 3x on a 1-week cruise and have only ever sent one back as it was more med than med-rare. I think on our last cruise, I even had it on embarkation day for lunch.

We usually use our free Diamond meal at the seafood restaurant as DW loves Chilean Sea Bass, but might have to go ahead and try the filet at Butcher's Cut so I can do my own comparison and report back.

Do a behind-the-scenes tour and learn how little the "below deck" crew make. Can you live off $900/mo which is what the galley food prep crew make and try to send home to their families? That's what these prepaid gratuities help cover for all the crew, not just the customer-front crew who make more.

Oh boy, did I just wade into shark-infested waters here...yikes!

I gladly pay the pre-paid gratuities and bring plenty of cash/small bills to tip throughout each day. It's the least I can do for how hard the crew works to make my valuable vacation time an experience!

I am now ready for my online pummeling...

On 2/20/2024 at 8:09 AM, Guest jbme203 said:

Thanks, I'm wondering if I should put in a bid for the cheapest interior yc but I'd give up a balcony so I'm not sure if it is worth it and the quieter pool area is a main draw.  

IT'S WORTH IT!! (all Caps intended)

Butler escort pass all the lines, premium drink package, your private pool deck area with no chair hogs, the YC poolside buffet, the Topsail Lounge with nightly entertainment, the YC only restaurant with higher-end meals (IMO) like the everyday steak is a filet mignon vs NY Strip in MDRs, the YC embarkation tent waiting for you curbside, the YC wrist bands so no need for your room card, the included mini-bar in your room...or just have the cocktails delivered to your room daily as you get ready for dinner, reserved seating for all the shows so no need to be in a rush.

If you can swing the YC Interior, it's the best "luxury" value at sea!

Yes! At Ocean House, I usually order 2 lobster rolls and the salad. Then, I scoop the lobster meat onto the salad and toss the rolls aside. Yum!

On our upcoming April cruise, in another thread, a poster recommended putting the lobster meat on the burger, so I'm going to try that out!