How to get the most out of your Yacht Club experience

[SirWolf]

Mango Cheesecake

[SirWolf]

Creme Caramel

[mushroom]

Wow. Thanks for this info.  We're really excited about trying this out...but have to wait until May 2022 to do it.  Until then, we will start dieting!

 

[capriccio]

We were in the YC on the Meraviglia in early January 2020.  My only complaint with the island was that the YC restaurant is too small to handle the full complement of YC passengers during the lunch hours so the line was long to get seated thru the entire period (even when we showed up towards the end of lunch). It is such an inviting venue many people didn't leave after they finished eating and the staff was too polite to request that they do so.  I envy those on cruises now sailing without a full complement of passengers. 

[alyssamma]

31 minutes ago, capriccio said:

We were in the YC on the Meraviglia in early January 2020.  My only complaint with the island was that the YC restaurant is too small to handle the full complement of YC passengers during the lunch hours so the line was long to get seated thru the entire period (even when we showed up towards the end of lunch). It is such an inviting venue many people didn't leave after they finished eating and the staff was too polite to request that they do so.  I envy those on cruises now sailing without a full complement of passengers. 

This is an excellent point about the size of the YC restaurant...it has always bugged me too.

[hamrag]

3 hours ago, ddlb said:

....I want to tip correctly and for good service so do we do this at the end of the cruise?  For example if we get room service breakfast every morning do we wait to the end of cruise to hand out tips?...

'Correctly' doesn't really exist in YC. Certainly when we have room service, usually on port days, we tip at delivery point! That isn't necessarily 'correct', rather it's what we do!

 

Incidentally, YC room service breakfast is superb.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, capriccio said:

We were in the YC on the Meraviglia in early January 2020.  My only complaint with the island was that the YC restaurant is too small to handle the full complement of YC passengers during the lunch hours so the line was long to get seated thru the entire period (even when we showed up towards the end of lunch). It is such an inviting venue many people didn't leave after they finished eating and the staff was too polite to request that they do so.  I envy those on cruises now sailing without a full complement of passengers. 

 

2 hours ago, alyssamma said:

This is an excellent point about the size of the YC restaurant

 

I arrived at the YC Ocean Cay facility well after "prime lunch time" and agree with the experiences of both of the above posters.  Many who had finished lunch and were simply enjoying the ambiance of the facility.  And, why should they not be able to do so?  MSC needs to make an investment in building a more accommodating building for their YC guests, particularly as the number of MSC guests increase on their even larger vessels than Meraviglia.  

 

 

Edited October 27, 2021 by rkacruiser

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

I am from New England, so I have high standards for Lobster Rolls.  This wasn't anything like I'd get at home, but I still liked it - especially for the Caribbean.

 

The Lobster Roll that I ate was better than any such item I could eat in Dayton, Ohio if I could find such an item!  One restaurant chain does have them at times, but.......  

[capriccio]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

  MSC needs to make an investment in building a more accommodating building for their YC guests, particularly as the number of MSC guests increase on their even larger vessels than Meraviglia. 

I wholeheartedly agree but in the meantime they need to do a more efficient job and make sure all their YC passengers have the opportunity to have lunch in the restaurant.  That doesn't mean rushing passengers thru their meals but if there is a line waiting for seating once a meal is finished it is time to politely ask the diners to move on.  Given the location of the entrance door, I'm sure some diners (especially those on the veranda) have no idea people are waiting to be seated.

[KennyFla]

13 hours ago, capriccio said:

We were in the YC on the Meraviglia in early January 2020.  My only complaint with the island was that the YC restaurant is too small to handle the full complement of YC passengers during the lunch hours so the line was long to get seated thru the entire period (even when we showed up towards the end of lunch). It is such an inviting venue many people didn't leave after they finished eating and the staff was too polite to request that they do so.  I envy those on cruises now sailing without a full complement of passengers. 

I agree with this.  Coupled with the fact that lunch is only served from 12 - 2, could be better thought out.  We only had 60+ in the YC on our cruise, and lunch was still pretty crowded.

[KennyFla]

14 hours ago, MonsterJoe said:

Not trying to speak for KFla, This is what we had at Ocean House.

It was all very good, though I wouldn't put it above YC Dining Room, which was all very good also.

Worth noting - I am from New England, so I have high standards for Lobster Rolls.  This wasn't anything like I'd get at home, but I still liked it - especially for the Caribbean.

Not pictured is the Crab Ceviche.  It's not pictured because it may have been the most disappointing thing I ate all week - including from the Main Buffet.

The crab was that fine shredded canned stuff.  Still tasted fine - just not elevated enough for the YC menu, IMO.

 

Not downplaying the dining room, it was excellent.  This was our favorite lunch.  Probably had something to do with where it was.  Nobody has mentioned the octopus, it was good as well.

 

And if you have not tried the ice cream on the ship, it tastes exactly like the homemade one you make in the little machine with the rock salt.

Edited October 28, 2021 by KennyFla

[rkacruiser]

12 hours ago, KennyFla said:

Coupled with the fact that lunch is only served from 12 - 2, could be better thought out.  We only had 60+ in the YC on our cruise, and lunch was still pretty crowded.

 

The lunch hours need to be expanded at Ocean Cay and as well as in the YC Restaurant by an additional 30 minutes.  2:30 P. M. is a better hour for those of us who are late risers and diners.  

[hamrag]

7 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The lunch hours need to be expanded at Ocean Cay and as well as in the YC Restaurant by an additional 30 minutes.  2:30 P. M. is a better hour for those of us who are late risers and diners.  

I agree, we tend to be late diners, but where does that end....someone else pitches along and says 3pm is a better hour for those who are even later risers and diners.....etc.

[rkacruiser]

14 hours ago, hamrag said:

I agree, we tend to be late diners, but where does that end....someone else pitches along and says 3pm is a better hour for those who are even later risers and diners.....etc.

 

You make an excellent point.  When I have sailed on HAL, on every end of the cruise survey that I have completed, I have mentioned the "too early end of MDR service" for breakfast.  I don't doubt that there are "behind the scenes" issues of which we, the guests, are ignorant that probably influence the times the dining venues are serving.  

[kelleherdl]

On 10/28/2021 at 7:07 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

The lunch hours need to be expanded at Ocean Cay and as well as in the YC Restaurant by an additional 30 minutes.  2:30 P. M. is a better hour for those of us who are late risers and diners.  

We must remember that the Ocean House staff are our ‘normal’ YC restaurant staff.  After lunch they must clean up the Ocean House, get back to the ship to clean up, get redressed, and back to work at 5PM for their ‘regular’ job.  Let’s consider that their day begins when they go ashore at 10 AM and are not done from dinner until after 10PM.  

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, kelleherdl said:

We must remember that the Ocean House staff are our ‘normal’ YC restaurant staff.  After lunch they must clean up the Ocean House, get back to the ship to clean up, get redressed, and back to work at 5PM for their ‘regular’ job.  Let’s consider that their day begins when they go ashore at 10 AM and are not done from dinner until after 10PM.  

 

Thanks.  You are confirming my thinking when I wrote the last sentence of my prior post.