My husband and I are 30+ year Princess customers and by recommendation of a friend decided to sail MSC Seascape. We booked Yacht Club, deluxe suite and it was as advertised. Exceptional service and food and truly a ship within a ship experience. A+ for everything in the Yacht Club. And, we would be repeat customers except for how the onboard situation on 6/25 was managed when the Port of Miami was closed due to a boating accident.
The accident was no fault at all of any cruise line. Up until noon, the captain of the Seascape made timely announcements (although lacking in any real detail) as to what was going on and then it was radio silence from the bridge. We got our updates from friends who were on the Carnival cruise and the local marine radio broadcasts.
The leadership of CCL trumped that of anyone aboard the MSC Seascape. The CCL leadership recognized that they had 4K + passengers waiting in the terminal yet also recognized they still had 4K+ guests onboard their ship and CCL saw the opportunity to (1) either create future raving fans(which they did) from guests both waiting in the terminal and those still at sea all who were weary, had travel plans disrupted and frustrated or, (2) CCL could have ignored their future and current guests which is the low road the MSC Seascape took.
CCL allowed passengers to stay in their cabins and we witnessed MSC YC staff get surly with many passengers, especially those with kids and refused them access back to their cabins. My DH and I stayed on our balcony as the cabin steward readied the cabin for the new passengers. We touched nothing and used the restroom up at the restaurant. CCL put the needs / comfort of their guests first while MSC put maintaining their schedule first and current passenger comfort last. One only had to watch as the CCL sailed in with passengers on their balconies cheering and waving to know their experience was completely opposite those on MSC Seascape. Our CCL friends shared that CCL approached the situation as a "bonus" sea day and it was business as usual on board.
There was zero presence of any MSC officers or leadership during the disembarkation fiasco. The fact that the ship staff "abandoned" any protocols to manage a calm, safe and orderly disembarkation and had zero presence about the ship is the reason I will never sail with MSC again.
If this "non- emergency" overwhelmed them then what would they do in a true maritime, ship involved event where life boats had to be deployed? MSC could learn many lessons from this and one important t lesson being that you are still responsible for those on your ship and we are all still guests until that cruise card is scanned at disembarkation.
On another note... YC interlopers. We were new to MSC and didn't know such a behavior existed but soon learned that YC guests brought other family members who were not staying in the YC into the YC especially on port days. Other seasoned YC guests (who told us about the practice) brought this to the crew's attention but nothing was done. It was pointed out that one YC couple brought in 6 other people ( 3 adult couples) to the pool area on port days and to the seafood lunch. Per our seasoned YC traveler intel, passengers outside the YC are often overlooked by crew because they tip well. Seems the YC could issue a colored bracelet to be worn specially for the seafood luncheon and on port days in the pool area to cut down on the hijinks.
Overall, the YC experience is top notch and definitely a must if one sails MSC. However, consider sailing another MSC ship as the competency and the confidence of this captain and his leadership gets a failing grade.
