psmarkle

I am a gym enthusiast on our cruises as well. One unique feature of MSC gyms is having a barbell rack, so I can actually keep up with some olympic weightlifting. Although, the guys wanting to use the bench press look at me sideways when they see I swiped their 45lb plates for some heavy squats!

On 12/22/2023 at 9:11 AM, Lanierain said:

can anybody following my post remind me on how to get more cash from the casino? I never bring enough cash even when I take more it’s still not enough 🥹 or if there is another way, please inform me. 

You can just charge it to your room. The cashier's cage or a pit boss can help you out.

On 12/19/2023 at 12:03 PM, DaKahuna said:

 

 I look forward to your review of your MSC Divina YC experience.  We are booked on her for February. 

+1!  We are booked on her at the end of March in YC. Looking forward to hearing your review/thoughts!

On 12/17/2023 at 10:29 AM, rollie said:

We were on the Seashore out of Port Canaveral for a 3 day cruise.  The cruise was full with about 4000 guests.  We've only been in Sky Suites on Celebrity, and we had a Deluxe Suite on the Seashore, a comparable cabin.  Storage and balcony were superior on MCS, but cabin outlets were much better on Celebrity.  The bathroom was better on Celebrity.  The sundeck on MSC was by far the most enjoyable part of the cruise.

 

Rollie

From our waiters on our past YC cruises, they explained they get frustrated on the 3- and 4-day cruises because they don't get a chance to really know their guests and provide the true YC experience. as on a 7-day. For example, after the second day, there was a bottle of the Robert Mondavi Chardonnay waiting at our table when we arrived. In addition, they knew we liked the assorted cheese platter as an appetizer vs as a dessert and automatically brought it with the bread/rolls without us having to ask after the first couple of nights. Even out on the pool deck, the butlers learned I like my Grey Goose Cosmos and would bring me one as soon as they saw me come up to the pool deck and settle into my chair.

So I'd recommend trying the YC again on a 7-day cruise, if you get a chance, and see if you experience an elevated level of service!

On 12/5/2023 at 10:52 AM, ellem84 said:

I googled this very same thing and this is where it lead me.

 

All I can say is, I am terrified that trying a different cruise line other than Royal Carribean has me so stressed out.  Ya'll!  Are we going to be completely disappointed because we spent thousands of dollars for vacation only to have a horrendous experience?

Hearing how people are rude on the ship (other passengers and crew), long wait times for everything, "sold out" shows, disembarkation being a nightmare and feeling like cattle being prodded out of the gates, to long tender times to get on shore!  Does anyone have any words of encouragement with MSC?

We have been on 50+ cruises, so what you've described can be found on all the major lines. For me, personally, we are done with Carnival, but that's just our experience. We enjoy a good Royal experience, but the prices have gone crazy. NCL had been our go-to line for a very long time until we found MSC, now we're hooked!  You don't see a whole lot of cruise passenger fight videos on youtube occurring on MSC ships, but you do find them on other ships. Go ahead a do a search, they're out there!

Your cruise is going to be what you make of it. If you're expecting high-end gourmet on a main-line cruise ship, you might be disappointed. For me, decent food at a casual restaurant level quality, where I'm not doing the cooking nor the dishes? Count me in! Midnight pizza delivery? Yessir!! Eggs benedict for breakfast...now I know I'm on vacation!

Chair hogs by the pool? No worries, I usually try to find chairs on the upper decks away from the crowds anyways (disclaimer: this is in reference to our earlier cruise days since we only sail YC on MSC where there are no chair hogs in the YC pool deck as there are more chairs than YC passengers).

Lines at the buffet? Usually not if you go to the one at the back which most people forget about! Sold out shows? Did you not get your act together before the cruise and have your days planned out?! What kind of vacay planner r u? LOL!

MSC is in the same arena as the Royal and NCL. It's a main line cruise experience for a fair price. If you want higher end, go into the YC like we do (LUV IT!), go to a luxury cruise line, or temper your expectations that no matter what, it still beats being at work on a good day at the office!!

On 11/30/2023 at 8:54 AM, mvh said:

Can anyone who has recently tendered to Grand Cayman on the escape give me an update on how long it took without being in the Yacht club or a MSC booked excursion? We anchor at 8:00 and we have a 10:00am excursion booked. Will I make it? Also, has anyone recently been able to book an excursion to GC? I am now less than 50 days out and it still shows nothing. Thx

You should be fine with those times. We always book our own GC excursions, sometimes spur of the moment at the pier, and have never had a problem making it. I will say, stingray city on your own excursion vs through the ship is the way to go!

On 11/17/2023 at 9:47 PM, jjjct said:

Looking forward to your experiance on Seashore. We are on our 1st MSC in March 2024. We are NCL loyalist, so trying something new. We will be in the Yacht Club. Looking forward to your live report.

 

We are NCL Platinum from back before they divided the levels up. Always booked NCL Haven through the Casinos At Sea until we discovered MSC Yacht Ckub at literally 1/2 the price for a far superior experience!

Now MSC Diamond and have only sailed MSC YC and not looking back. Seriously, why would I, for the higher level of service and the value for our $$, MSC has earned our loyalty! Thier casino rewards are also very generous with their 30% off your next cruise. Although I understand they have changed the amount of play required, I'm sure I won't have any problem meeting the requirement 😊

Once you go YC, you never want to go back! 🤩

On 11/30/2023 at 5:30 PM, joeyancho said:

This is too late for the OP but,  we leave Seascape YC,   Miami,    Dec 2nd.    Just received a text saying our boarding time is 3 pm.  

You're in the YC...you can check in when you want. We have also had an "assigned 3pm" check-in time...1030 it was for us! No problems!

Welcome to the YC! 😁

9 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Seeing is believing.....sometimes.

Looks to be a 12' table, not bad. 5/4/3 odds are decent. To me, it shows more commitment by MSC to the American market. I know we always book through the casino dept (and then transfer to our travel agent for another 10% obc), and this development would earn even more of my loyalty as a craps enthusiast. Currently, I play 3-card poker up until I hit enough points for the 30% my next cruise, then I stop playing...usu about the 3d or 4th night in.  With this, I would enjoy myself more for the whole cruise!

Thank you so much for bringing us along! 👋

Wow, that towel in the pic looks just like some of the towels in my linen closet! (I'm such a bad person!)😁

As a "gaming enthusiast," I appreciate how I can use my TA's OBC towards Casino play for free on MSC (no 3% surcharge), unlike my personal experience on NCL where I would be charged 3% for charging casino credit to my room account. So, between paying for my DSC's for the cabin and my DW's penny slots time, we NEVER have unused OBC! 🤣 More like "subsidized entertainment."

Hanging on every vacation word...!!!

I'm 1 1/2 years out from full retirement and the cruise life, so this  message board is my therapy.

Yesss! Another Poop Deck review! Just poured a glass of Pinot Grigio and kicked my feet up...

I think you can find some youtube videos to get a good idea of the casinos. I do enjoy the generous casino comps on MSC, though. I always get enough points playing the tables to earn a 30% off my next cruise which makes sailing in the Yacht Club very affordable. You do have to use it within 9 months, though. My wife plays penny slots and usually earns one as well.

Suicide, back in Feb. OMG. So tragic. This hurts on so many levels...

22 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Wait, what?  How did I miss Gene's passing?  So sad.  Such a vibrant person.

Same here...what happened to Gene? Had several lengthy chats with him on a couple of cruises.

On 8/24/2023 at 2:05 PM, GA Dave said:

That is going to be one long walk from the garage to the far end (ocean end) of the terminal if there are three ships in there at once. Hope they put in moving walkways like the airports!!

What I did see is the parking deck is on the same side as the terminal, so no playing Frogger crossing the street with your luggage like the current parking deck!

Yacht Club is a ship within a ship design. You must book either an interior or a balcony or a royal suite within the YC to experience all it has to offer. The Haven on NCL does have cabins outside the Haven which include access to the Haven areas. To my knowledge, the cabins on MSC ships with YC are all inside the YC area...can someone more knowledgeable confirm that?

We used to sail NCL Haven, but got priced out of it...value for the cost-wise. MSC YC is our go-to now!

Last time in PR, we did a Segway tour...I thought my sister-in-law would shoot lasers from her eyes straight through me while we were in the training area trying to learn how to ride them. Then, off we went and what fun it was!! Got to cover so much more area that way.

50+ cruises, never had a tour return us late. We make sure the operator knows what time we have to be back on board prior to departure, fwiw.

When is your cruise? If it's around next April/May, I wonder if the lack of posted excursions is tied into the closure of Ocean Caye for renovations perhaps??

I'm surprised about MSC (non-YC) not having 1 dining room open for embarkation lunch. My comment about doing the dining room on embarkation day to avoid the buffet crowds comes from our many cruises on NCL and Royal which do have 1 dining room open for that purpose. We usually had to ask a staff member to direct us to the right dining room as it was not readily advertised. Again, have only sailed YC on MSC (and luv EVERY spoiled minute of it!), so I made an assumption. Interesting.

For my crew, this is usually the one day we go to the dining room for lunch so we avoid the lines at the buffet while everyone is waiting for the all clear that rooms are ready. Much more relaxed this way. (Disclaimer: on MSC, we've only sailed YC, so there are no crowds, but when we sail Royal, this is what we do).

Found our shade pic from April last year on the Seashore YC pool deck by the air intake:

Well, if you mean Ocean Cay, that is the price for 2 people on 1 wave runner for a full hour. You get the option to switch halfway in some shallow water, if you choose. When you compare the price to a rental at a Cozumel beach club, it's comparable.

We did it last year and already have it booked again for next year! One thing we learned is you don't know your time slot until the day before arrival at Ocean Cay, so be flexible with any other plans (like lunchtime for us).