LIVE SIDE-BY-SIDE Celebrity Summit Retreat & Seascape Yacht Club 12/9-21/2023 ~ 1st MSC vs Farewell (?) X Suite Experience

[doghog]

Does YIN stand for Yacht Inside? 

[hcat]

1 hour ago, doghog said:

Unacceptable for us. We don't own or would bring a machine to mask noise. If we experienced what you posted concerning YIN noise issues, we wouldn't book a YIN again.  

Agree.. we had that whooshing noise on X once..seems it was a pump related to a pool ??? Not Pleasant and we never adjusted ...

 

What are the smoking rules...indoor and out?

 

 

Love the photos,,very colorful!

 

 

[doghog]

1 hour ago, doghog said:

Unacceptable for us. We don't own or would bring a machine to mask noise. If we experienced what you posted concerning YIN noise issues, we wouldn't book a YIN again.  

Should be ..."wouldn't bring a...".

[goofysmom99]

I don't own or bring a machine to mask noise.  But I do have a phone with the White Noise app on it.  I have a Bose Micro speaker I use for cabin music.  At night it plays the music of the white noise app = no "machine" needed.  It's especially useful for me in hotels to mask sounds of elevators and idiots in the hallways.  Necessary for most sky suites on S-class ships, too. 

[Tierun]

52 minutes ago, doghog said:

Does YIN stand for Yacht Inside? 

Yes.

[Stem to Stern]

57 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

Yes, that would be very bad for us too. S to S, do you know what is directly above your room?

I do not.  But I will make a point to ask the butler tonight what all the noises are because @doghog and you are absolutely right.  I should not write this issue off without proper acknowledgement.  These are not new noises as they have been previously reported.  
 

It was my bad assumption on the front end of booking that a whole deck between us and the pool would be a buffer, but my assumption now is that Deck 19 under the pool is full of pool equipment.

 

By the way the pool was chilly by Florida standards, but once I was in for a few minutes I found it refreshingly comfortable.  A few families with several toddlers were hanging out there, so I retreated back to our cabana in our quiet corner.
 

@Ex-Airbalancer Thank you for the reminder about the earplugs that were packed and have gone unused so far.  I will set them out on my bedside table when I return to my YIN.😴

Yes, YIN is MSC’s stateroom category acronym for Yacht Club Interior.🤓

[peanut head]

Hello and thank you for your wonderful review and pictures.  

 

I was wondering if you had the opportunity to try the Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar that was listed in the Daily Planner that you revealed on P. 5(?).  You had mentioned that you love dessert and was curious what it was about?

[Stem to Stern]

14 minutes ago, peanut head said:

Hello and thank you for your wonderful review and pictures.  

 

I was wondering if you had the opportunity to try the Venchi 1878 Chocolate Bar that was listed in the Daily Planner that you revealed on P. 5(?).  You had mentioned that you love dessert and was curious what it was about?

To be honest with you I am so loaded up on desserts in the yacht club and Venchi  turndown chocolates and other treats discovered daily in the suite, I have not tried anything there.  

It is a gorgeous space.  We watched chocolate being poured into the molds one evening.

Hoping to at least try the gelato soon.

Venchi holiday gift set display

[Ellesor826]

3 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

definitely book YIN

Count us in!
Quieter YIN though - now that you know they lay of the land!

Edited December 14, 2023 by Ellesor826

[Ellesor826]

19 minutes ago, Stem to Stern said:

Venchi

Is that a shop of chocolates??
And the chocolates int he showplace display - is there an "up charge" for those as well?
Drooling.

[Dolebludger]

Here’s some questions question for S to S. First off, we don’t like the lines and crowds that seem to be involved when cruising on some cruise lines. Are these pretty much absent in the YC? They were ten years ago when we were last in the YC, and it was good. And what was this situation in other parts of the ship outside the YC? 

[Stem to Stern]

1 hour ago, Ellesor826 said:

Is that a shop of chocolates??

The Venchi store is in the shops area of the Gen Pop and none of this is complimentary.  
The only free Venchi I know of is the nightly turndown chocolates in yacht club.
 

[doghog]

4 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

I will make a point to ask the butler tonight

YIN staterooms get a butler? 

[Dolebludger]

I’ll answer that, even though I am not S to S. Yes, they do. When MSC first established the YC on some of its ships, all rooms were balcony with a few suites. On the new ships, they have added interior and window suites to appeal to customers who like the service but don’t need the space, and of course they get a lower fare. But yes, all in the Yacht Club get a butler. 

[doghog]

6 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

I’ll answer that, even though I am not S to S. Yes, they do. When MSC first established the YC on some of its ships, all rooms were balcony with a few suites. On the new ships, they have added interior and window suites to appeal to customers who like the service but don’t need the space, and of course they get a lower fare. But yes, all in the Yacht Club get a butler. 

Thanks. Yea, he's probably having way too much fun to keep posting. 

[Dolebludger]

Probably so, but S to S is doing a great job of educating us all about the two cruises involved. And I’ll provide an answer to a question not asked. For all in the YC, the contents of the mini fridge are included, and refreshed regularly by the butler. Even for those in inside rooms. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, doghog said:

YIN staterooms get a butler? 

Yes!  YIN gets if all. Plus a cozy, dark space with amazing A/c. 

[Dolebludger]

Yeah, that is true. When we first started cruising over 30 years ago, we booked inside rooms a couple of times. Had a good time, but didn’t like the small lightness rooms. Then we started moving up to a window outside cabin. As we got older, we thought it was time to move up to a balcony — on an AI cruise. Now we are wanting suites. If we can’t afford that, we stay home (we do that a lot). But S to S point out that in the YC, there are uncrowded areas to hang out, and that is fine with them. Especially in light of the quality food and service they report. 

[Stem to Stern]

6 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Here’s some questions question for S to S. First off, we don’t like the lines and crowds that seem to be involved when cruising on some cruise lines. Are these pretty much absent in the YC? They were ten years ago when we were last in the YC, and it was good. And what was this situation in other parts of the ship outside the YC? 

We experienced both the bad and good of two entirely opposite disembarkation experiences:

San Juan:  Without a ship-sponsored excursion booked, we planned to disembark as early as possible from TSL down to the disembarkation deck.  We received a group escort from TSL via a butler (not ours) amid THRONGS of masses packed into the elevator and snaking through the innerds of the ship nearly beyond the butler’s control.  It was utter CHAOS.

Puerto Plata:  With our later MSC excursion time of 10:45 our butler Renuka summoned us at 10:30 for a private, uncrowded escort off the ship.  We walked the pier among the masses, but did not encounter the chaos of the previous day’s mob scene.

We have not experienced any other cues or long lines during our cruise.👍

[Dolebludger]

Thanks for the reply.

[Stem to Stern]

14 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Thanks for the reply.

I will add that the late arrival in San Juan may have added to the disembarkation hysteria on that day.

[Stem to Stern]

As the Seascape creeps toward Miami with stabilizers extended I am enjoying the piped-in jazz and a pot of Twinings Earl Grey tea.

This is as close as we came to Ocean Cay, so add that to the list of reasons to seriously consider a future second booking in MSC Yacht Club.  I was really looking forward to checking out MSC’s private island, but Mother Nature is not cooperating.

I am reflecting further on the comparison between this first-time MSC Yacht Club enclave experience, what we have become accustomed to in the S-class Retreat on two previous occasions, and what we might be in for starting tomorrow during our first M-class Retreat experience.

No has not been a very common answer to our requests including last night’s two glasses of Meiomi ordered in the Yacht Club Restaurant.  Apparently it is available for purchase here by the bottle, but not offered by the glass.  Although at Cocktail Bar on Deck 8 in Gen Pop, it is available by the glass and covered under our drink package.  Well that does not make a whole lot of sense, does it?  Needless to say we have not encountered any additional upcharges associated with wines that exceed the per glass package limit.  If ordering above the limit, only the difference is charged as on Celebrity.

This morning Renuka greeted me in the hallway and proceeded to provide me with an elevator escort from 18 to TSL on 20.  The YC has a single elevator within the enclave that only travels between 16, 18, 19, and 20.  Anyway I told her I was actually heading for Marketplace Buffet for coffee.  The look on her face seemed to ask why are you going where the commoners reside?  I chuckled to myself and told her it was convenient.  DH soon joined me in the adjacent Jungle Pool Lounge where he discovered cappuccinos and an orange juicer.  Food porn alert.🤣

We noshed for a bit while the suite was refreshed.  I finally tried the pizza.  Although it was Nutella, strawberry, and hazelnut.  It was okay.  I passed on the fried egg pizza.  I think MSC has the whole logo and self-promotion piece of cruise down pat.  See mug and melamine buffet plate.  The plates are huge and people pile them high.

We headed up to the YC pool deck to check the weather and found gale force winds and the breakfast crew clamoring for cover behind the bar.  I do not expect they were going to get too many diners.

The pool net is stowed in a lidded garbage can after it is removed each morning.  After the wet net is deposited in the can, it is dragged off to storage.  I found this process fascinating.

We returned to the suite and packed up most of our things before lunch.  Food porn alert.  I visited with new Florida friends in TSL.  They enjoyed hot chocolate while I opted for ginger-ale.  My favorite smiling face on the bar team, Kim delivered it in this heavy, comical crystal highball.  She said they just got them on board.  Small touches like the drink ware on board exude understated elegance to me.  I was reminded of our sole Crystal Cruises experience.🤩

Next it was time to spend the remainder of our OBC in the MSC logo shop and Venchi.

Venchi and the other shops were hopping.

I watched one of the chocolatiers at work through the fancy glass partition.

i stopped by The Hub to inquire about our complimentary Voyagers Club photo, but it was such a zoo there that the crew member that was assisting me suggested I come back later.😳

Then lunch.  

I opted for YCR which opened at noon.  DH ordered pepperoni pizza and ginger-ale through room service.

Seafood spaghetti had lots of seafood and was pretty good.

Last night was formal night.  Dress ran the whole gamut around the ship from sequins to sweatpants.  By the way no shorts are permitted in YCR on board Seascape.  Sadly, male passengers in YCR are not asked to remove their corny captain’s caps several of which have been spotted on a nightly basis.  They will let just about anyone in here.  Formal night dining rundown to come.

My panoramic lunch view from the rail.  I could get used to this no matter how inclement the weather.

Edited December 15, 2023 by Stem to Stern

[mafig]

4 minutes ago, Stem to Stern said:

As the Seascape creeps toward Miami with stabilizers extended I am enjoying the piped-in jazz and a pot of Twinings Earl Grey tea.

This is as close as we came to Ocean Cay, so add that to the list of reasons to seriously consider a future second booking in MSC Yacht Club.  I was really looking forward to checking out MSC’s private island, but Mother Nature is not cooperating.

I am reflecting further on the comparison between this first-time MSC Yacht Club enclave experience, what we have become accustomed to in the S-class Retreat on two previous occasions, and what we might be in for starting tomorrow during our first M-class Retreat experience.

No has not been a very common answer to our requests including last night’s two glasses of Meiomi ordered in the Yacht Club Restaurant.  Apparently it is available for purchase here by the bottle, but not offered by the glass.  Although at Cocktail Bar on Deck 8 in Gen Pop, it is available by the glass and covered under our drink package.  Well that does not make a whole lot of sense, does it?  Needless to say we have not encountered any additional upcharges associated with wines that exceed the per glass package limit.  If ordering above the limit, only the difference is charged as on Celebrity.

This morning Renuka greeted me in the hallway and proceeded to provide me with an elevator escort from 18 to TSL on 20.  The YC has a single elevator within the enclave that only travels between 16, 18, 19, and 20.  Anyway I told her I was actually heading for Marketplace Buffet for coffee.  The look on her face seemed to ask why are you going where the commoners reside?  I chuckled to myself and told her it was convenient.  DH soon joined me in the adjacent Jungle Pool Lounge where he discovered cappuccinos and an orange juicer.  Food porn alert.🤣

We noshed for a bit while the suite was refreshed.  I finally tried the pizza.  Although it was Nutella, strawberry, and hazelnut.  It was okay.  I passed on the fried egg pizza.  I think MSC has the whole logo and self-promotion piece of cruise down pat.  See mug and melamine buffet plate.  The plates are huge and people pile them high.

We headed up to the YC pool deck to check the weather and found gale force winds and the breakfast crew clamoring for cover behind the bar.  I do not expect they were going to get too many diners.

The pool net is stowed in a lidded garbage can after it is removed each morning.  After the wet net is deposited in the can, it is dragged off to storage.  I found this process fascinating.

We returned to the suite and packed up most of our things before lunch.  Food porn alert.  I visited with new Florida friends in TSL.  They enjoyed hot chocolate while I opted for ginger-ale.  My favorite smiling face on the bar team, Kim delivered it in this heavy, comical crystal highball.  She said they just got them on board.  Small touches like the drink ware on board exude understated elegance to me.  I was reminded of our sole Crystal Cruises experience.🤩

Next it was time to spend the remainder of our OBC in the MSC logo shop and Venchi.

Venchi and the other shops were hopping.

I watched one of the chocolatiers at work through the fancy glass partition.

i stopped by The Hub to inquire about our complimentary Voyagers Club photo, but it was such a zoo there that the crew member that was assisting me suggested I come back later.😳

Then lunch.  

I opted for YCR which opened at noon.  DH ordered pepperoni pizza and ginger-ale through room service.

Seafood spaghetti had lots of seafood and was pretty good.

  Sadly, male passengers are not asked to remove their corny captain’s caps several of which have been spotted on a nightly basis.  

 

 

I got dh one several years ago, and he never wore it.  I guess I know why now.

 

 

[Stem to Stern]

18 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

with amazing A/c. 

Contrary to conflicting reports on Cruise Critic we experienced zero issues with the temperature control in the suite.  However, the Yacht Club Restaurant and Top Sail Lounge had particular locations within the spaces that had cold air blowing directly on one or both of us.  

[Georgia_Peaches]

10 minutes ago, Stem to Stern said:

 However, the Yacht Club Restaurant and Top Sail Lounge had particular locations within the spaces that had cold air blowing directly on one or both of us.  

As I am in my hot stage of life, that would be just fine with me.  I dare say, DH sleeps with a stocking cap to avoid the cold of our room.  No exaggeration. I can't help it 💁‍♀️! 

Edited December 15, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches