Essiesmom sails Seaside 8/13 and 8/17, hopefully live…

[pirate4me2]

So sorry for the troubles you have had! Sounds like MSC needs to work some on their organization. 

I'm still looking forward to my sailing next week. 🙂

[CruiseCruiseAndMoreCruise]

MSC calling it an "express breakfast" makes no sense (it was the same when I was on the Meragilia).  Nothing is included, you need to ask for everything you want!  I guess they're not familiar with menus in the US having different breakfast "packages".  

Edited August 17, 2023 by CruiseCruiseAndMoreCruise

[PTC DAWG]

17 hours ago, amygutman said:

Is this real? Is she OK?

LOL

[jcpc]

Thanks for your review and all your pictures.  From your review I take it that you may have a bit of a problem with overweight people -- referring to them as plus size female driver of scooter, fluffy lady in a beach wheelchair, and hefty middle-aged woman falling off a barstool.  I personally thought the adjectives of plus-size, fluffy, and hefty were not necessary and actually took away from the entire review.  But as they say - you do you, I'll do me!  Again, thanks for posting.

[Essiesmom]

40 minutes ago, jcpc said:

Thanks for your review and all your pictures.  From your review I take it that you may have a bit of a problem with overweight people -- referring to them as plus size female driver of scooter, fluffy lady in a beach wheelchair, and hefty middle-aged woman falling off a barstool.  I personally thought the adjectives of plus-size, fluffy, and hefty were not necessary and actually took away from the entire review.  But as they say - you do you, I'll do me!  Again, thanks for posting.

I don’t have a problem with them, but I was trying to indicate how difficult it might be to push a person on a wheelchair who is not fashionably thin. I’ve had some experience doing that.

[Essiesmom]

I packed up everything and got it moved to my new room. Then had to go exchange my card for a new one. Wait in the Haven Lounge until everyone else is off. There were 19 of us, but perhaps 10 guests and the rest I think were contract personnel.  Some were wearing tshirts for an engineering firm.  We walked down all the ramps to the luggage area to immigration . Then we had to stand there until some laggard guests came through.  Then it was fast, facial recognition. Just one person with birth certificate 

    I went around trying to find a place to fill my bottle with iced tea, but all were closed. So it was back to my cabin for a nap. Then I went down to marketplace buffet for late lunch… veggies, salad, and a kids hotdog. I forgot to bring my bottle, so back to the cabin for the bottle, and on my bed was the daily planner and a white envelope… which contained the papers I should have had last night.  Sigh. 

[Essiesmom]

And we’re off again.  Just checked menu and it is the same first day menu.  I had late lunch so might just have apps.  

[Essiesmom]

Better copies than previous

 

 

[cbfb]

25 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

Better copies than previous

 

 

Is everything on the menu included except the featured selection? 

[Essiesmom]

For the entrees you get one, extras are $5 each .  That includes the chef’s selection, the entrees, and on the comfort side from the Mac and cheese down. You can have all the apps and desserts you can hold. 
  Tonight I had double chicken croquette and peach sorbet. Not hungry. 
 I went late, for me, after 7pm. But service was quite fast after I ordered. 

[Essiesmom]

Sports bar, first drink of this cruise. Tennis and baseball. What more could one ask for, but maybe football…

 

Saw Peter Punk. Entertaining, but I missed the singing. 
There is a group of about 6-7 guys here, at least four with matching sport shirts. One is very loud with piercing voice. I think he has already had too much to drink. 

[amygutman]

On 8/16/2023 at 8:46 PM, Fla Mike said:

 No... it is a photo I found on Google...totally unrelated...sorry

@Fla Mike and @Essiesmom I should have realized based upon the lack of sparkles and mirrors 🤣

Warmest Amy

[Georgia_Peaches]

3 minutes ago, amygutman said:

@Fla Mike and @Essiesmom I should have realized based upon the lack of sparkles and mirrors 🤣

Warmest Amy

When I saw your concern for the pic of the lady at the bottom of the stairs my first thought was you can take the girl out of the ER (for a cruise) but you can’t take the ER out of the girl!  😊. If I ever had to go to one, I’d want you @amygutman!  

[Essiesmom]

We are here at Ocean Cay overnight so apparently no great rush to get off. It was after nine when I went to the main buffet and it was very busy. I had my cottage cheese with fruit, with sticky bun, but decided I wanted a slice of bacon. Ended up with a fried egg and grilled tomato to go along. Do you suppose that’s a healthy breakfast?  Too bad if it’s not. 

[amygutman]

9 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

When I saw your concern for the pic of the lady at the bottom of the stairs my first thought was you can take the girl out of the ER (for a cruise) but you can’t take the ER out of the girl!  😊. If I ever had to go to one, I’d want you @amygutman!  

@Georgia_Peaches That made my heart so happy!!!! And no - you can't take the gal out of the ED. The med kit my DH and I bring on cruises is better equipped than a few of the off the beaten paths I've worked in my life!

Warmest Amy 

[Essiesmom]

Yesterday was a tipsy terry ( don’t you just love auto corrupt? That was supposed to be topsy tervy day).  I don’t remember what I did after breakfast, but in the afternoon I braved my bathing suit and went ashore.  I intended just to wade in the surf to ‘test the waters’ but the sand was unstable and the tiny wallets (wavelets) strong and I went tumbling.  No harm done, but just got wetter than intended.  I sat about waist deep for a few minutes, they got up…but the waves got me again and back down I went.  So I finally crawled a few yards where the waves wouldn’t get me and got out.  This was at lighthouse beach, closest one to the ship.  From there I walked the side I didn’t walk on the previous cruise, but not quite to the spa area.  
   My complaints about the island are that there should be some benches along the walkways, maybe every 100 yards, just for folks to rest.  Also, there is a foot washing station just before you exit back to the ship, but I wish there were more, and some showers to rinse sand off the rest of you, maybe at the rest rooms.  My sister never wanted to go into the ocean because of the resulting sticky factor of salt water.  Showers would take care of some of that, but also reduce the amount of sand tracked back onto the ship.  
   Back on the ship, I spend considerable time in the bathroom getting rid of sand.  And some of that was sitting on the toilet trying to get out of the top of my bathing suit.  It is two pieces, purchased a couple of years ago from Lands End.  Apparently I had never worn it, because the top still had the tag…and it will never be worn again.  Because I spent so much time struggling to get out of the top…I was contemplating whether I would have to be buried in it…. Once finally out of it, I threw the shoes into the shower and got it.  I didn’t think I should have much sand on me, but it was there.  I tried rinsing the suit pieces in the sink, with mixed results.  Sand just kept sticking to them.  I finally just set them out on the balcony.  Unfortunately I was no longer on the sunny side.  I then sat undressed on the couch on a towel, drying off.  And idly wondering if I should do a Bare Necessities cruise.  Probably not.

   Not too long u til time to think about dinner.   No wait to be seated. I had a young couple next to me on their first cruise.  1.5 days in and they loved it.  He had traveled overseas a lot for business but now works for NASA, so they lived close by.  He said someone suggested they do a cruise, and 20 minutes later it was booked.

  No food porn tonight because I had the wedge salad and steak Diane again,  cheese plate for dessert..  however, I followed that up with my first cone from the Venchi place, stracchiatella.  My favorite.  Worth the $7.  There you can buy the chocolate ships they used to give Black card voyagers.  Not just in the dark, but milk and white chocolate too.  I did not purchase.

   I went up to Top 19 to view the light show.  Interesting that is was only half the length of Tuesday, and that one had the lighthouse lit up prior to the show, with what looked like rain/water streaming down the side.  And after the show they had the MSC logo going round and round the lighthouse.  Not this time.  I did think I saw a couple flashes of lightning toward the end…

   Went down to the sports bar and had my second Diet Coke on the rocks with a twist of lime, and watched the end of the Braves game.  But during this time…we had a tremendous thunderstorm.  Well, maybe the rain rinsed some more sand off my bathing suit on the balcony.  And the shoes.

   I left them out all night, and the suit was surprisingly mostly dry this morning.  I thought the humidity would keep in more moisture.  I brought them in, but left the shoes out.  It’s a bit cloudy, might be more rain today…we are here until 4pm.

  Needless to say, I think the beach party was rained out again, and I doubt they did the second showing of the light show at 10pm.  
   Ow it’s time to go find some breakfast.  Will post more pics of the island when I switch from this iPad to my phone.  EM

Edited August 19, 2023 by Essiesmom

[dns20]

I heard that the clientele on the 3-day cruises (especially the ones on the weekend) tend to be more rowdy that the longer cruises.  Do you notice any difference between this 3-day cruise vs. the 4-day one earlier this week?

BTW, thank you for this non-YC "live from" experience journal that us non-Yacht Clubbers can relate to.

[Essiesmom]

To be honest, I don’t notice much, if any difference.  I was hoping that short cruises from PC would draw in guests from Europe who have been in Florida/Orlando doing some theme parks.  I think that might be happening.  I can usually pick out the Romance languages, German, Slavic languages, Tagalog, Native American languages, but there are some on here that I can’t place.  
   The vast majority of people who sail on a cruise do not stay in a restricted area, nor are they in suites.  And they appear to have a good time.  I am one of those people.  I am budget conscious, though not so much as I used to be.  I booked an inside gty and got a balcony.  But I would have been content in the inside.  I’m not a mixer, but I like to be around people, to watch them.  To see what they are wearing…or almost wearing.  To be honest, even on this 3 day, all beach, I think the women are better dressed than on my Carnival cruises fromJAX.  

[JamieLogical]

As I recall from my trip to Ocean Cay back in April, all of the bathrooms had outdoor showers. Not sure why you were unable to find one.

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by JamieLogical

[Essiesmom]

38 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

As I recall from my trip to Ocean Cay back in April, all of the bathrooms had outdoor showers. Not sure why you were unable to find one.

 

Thank you.  Actually, I hadn’t t thought about it at the time

[Georgia_Peaches]

So EM, I have to ask...what do you think of the 4 night/3 night b2b?  Did it feel disjointed coming back to PC only to head out again for a few days more?  I ask because we are doing something similar in November on Celebrity's new Ascent.  It's a 4 night and then a 3...We aren't really doing it for the ports but for the pre maiden brand new ship instead... just wondered about your thoughts.

[Essiesmom]

It fits the bill if you want to sail longer than 3 or 4 days.  I did a 5/5/4 once on Millie, I turned Elite after the second leg.  I was told by the most traveled guest that I would notice a difference between the 4&5 night segments.  He was right, only on the 4 night did I see cargo shorts and a wife beater shirt on formal night.  
  I walked down the starboard corridor of my deck today, and counted three strollers and a scooter sitting out.  The strollers were obviously too wide, although could have been folded.  The scooter was a rental and could have fit in the cabin…if the bed was by the balcony.  I have also seen a side by side stroller onboard, but I think it was umbrella type and probably folds.  
  I was just out on my balcony and smelled cigarette smoke.  Not sure where it was coming from.  

[jcpc]

3 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

So EM, I have to ask...what do you think of the 4 night/3 night b2b?  Did it feel disjointed coming back to PC only to head out again for a few days more?  I ask because we are doing something similar in November on Celebrity's new Ascent.  It's a 4 night and then a 3...We aren't really doing it for the ports but for the pre maiden brand new ship instead... just wondered about your thoughts.

A few years back I did a 4 night followed by a 5 night on Constellation from Miami…in the Penthouse.  I looked at it as a 9-night cruise but I was sadly mistaken.  I found a totally different type of passenger sails on 4 and 5 night cruises.  Although I hate this term they were 2 “booze cruises”…….shorts, tanks tops and sneakers were the evening mode of dress for the majority of men.  We made the best of it but it truly was a Charlie Foxtrot (to steal one of your terms, which I will be using in the future by the way….LOL).  I’m thinking you will NOT be running into this on the Ascent pre-maiden voyages as I think most of those passengers will be seasoned Celebrity cruisers looking to experience the new ship).

Edited August 20, 2023 by jcpc

[Essiesmom]

Bag is just about ready to go out.  I carried on, but there is too much carpet to drag my case over.  
  I went to supper in my white, as it is again white/Italian night.  They seated me on the other side of the Seashore MDR.  I was carded three times.  For the first time my water glass was filled from a pitcher…that was sweating…instead of a room temp bottle of Acqua Panna.  So, it was cold.  I had the caprese salad again, but tried the meatloaf this time.  It was okay…meatloaf.  The onion rings were not crisp.  I did not order dessert as I planned to have another gelato cone from Venchi.  Which I did.  
   As I ate my gelato I sat along the walkway by the shops and people watched.  What a show.  One lady (?) was wearing something like a body suit bustier with a tulle over skirt, transparent.  Another had a short figure hugging ruched dress with huge net puffed detached sleeves.  And then there was a group of perhaps 8, all dressed in white, but not alike.  But each was wearing a pixie wig in a neon color, from silver to blue and all in between.  Free entertainment.

  The show tonight is Starwalker, the Michael Jackson tribute…which I have seen twice so took a pass.  Back to the cabin to change into what I am wearing tomorrow, and pack the rest.  EM

[PTC DAWG]

Safe travels, thanks for your thoughts.