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

[LorraineP]

7 minutes ago, Stem to Stern said:

If it is the drink package you are referring to, then yes drinks can be ordered at any bar outside the Yacht Club and on Ocean Cay.

Drink package that comes with YC - Premium Extra Drink Package is what I was referring to. 

[mnocket]

4 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

 I don't think one could tell a quality difference comparing a MDR selection with one from the Luminae menu.

Wasn't expecting that!  I imagine to some those are fighting words😀

[DaKahuna]

14 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

I am not sure what quantity of any wine is allowed to be carried on board an MSC ship.

 

@George C  MSC's policy, unlike Celebrity, does not permit any alcoholic beverages to be brought onboard.  

[lola2013]

5 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Tomorrow's weather forecast here in SWFL is calling for cloudy conditions and a high temperature of 65 degrees, so my plans to catch up on my yard chores that I have been ignoring all this month will likely be preempted once my nose gets to cold.  Therefore, I might get to some catch up posts and finally a wrap up summary and comparison of the two experiences.

65?  Horrors!  Sounds like December in the Midwest is a distant memory 😵‍💫.  I just got a text from my relatives who are spending the weekend on Marco Island…there are coats involved!!!

Edited December 29, 2023 by lola2013

[Stem to Stern]

Two videos shot from Summit Sky Suite 6120 on Saturday, December 16th during sailaway.

 

 

First one sailing beside MSC Seascape.

 

 

Second one sailing by the new MSC Terminal currently under construction.

[Stem to Stern]

Seascape Side Note:  Before disembarking Seascape on the morning of December 16th, we returned to our suite 18029 to retrieve our bags and our butler Renuka for our escort.  The door to Handicapped MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite 18035 was propped open.  Renuka said I could have a look.  The suite was very spacious.  It featured a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table indoors.  The gorgeous curved, forward-facing balcony housed two padded loungers like the ones on the YC Sundeck.  All of the Yacht Club suite doors were adorned with identical holiday wreaths.

 

 

 

[Stem to Stern]

I had the opportunity to browse through my camera roll, chat with DH, and reflect on our twelve nights side-by-side on two different vessels.  MSC Seascape’s Yacht Club and Celebrity Summit’s The Retreat are two very different experiences.  MSC excelled at creating a Yacht Club on board its Sea ships that is a true ship-within-a-ship experience.  We enjoyed a spacious, fully-encapsulated, indoor/outdoor resort enclave.  

Our major beef (pun intended) in YC was the Yacht Club Restaurant falling short of our culinary expectations.  Personally I found it easier to overlook the food having been a pushover for the new experience; the fantastic, almost all-inclusive cruise fare; the YC pampering; and all of the MSC Voyagers Club swag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DH, on the other hand, is the cook in our household.  This Irish bloke conjures up a mean bolognese and a to-die-for tiramisu.  So, it is safe to say he had high hopes for this Italian cruise line’s dining experiences.

DH’s tiramisu.
 

MSC has a very hard-working crew.  However some bar and wait servers we encountered lacked confidence, experience, professionalism, and showmanship.  There were a few shining stars in the YC including our butler Renuka, our stateroom attendant Ainul, TSL waitperson Kimberly, and grill waiter Chandan.

 

I was really starting to get settled into the day-to-day life of MSC Yacht Club by the time Day 7 rolled around despite the three or four shortfalls mentioned throughout this thread.  MSC designed the YC on Seascape in such a way that I did not feel like I ever had to leave.  The expansive One Pool sundeck and plush Top Sail Lounge provided the necessary living spaces to either mingle and socialize or nest alone.  MSC Grill and Bar was adjacent to the One Pool and provided an adequate Al fresco spread during breakfast, lunch, and tea hours.

 

DH was not nearly as enamored with the YC experience as I was.  He was fairly impressed by the initial impressions with the white welcome tent with the rolled-out YC blue carpet, the wristbands, the butlers, and the splashy ship decor.  But uninspired food and a few poorly crafted cocktails slightly soured his glee.  So, time will tell whether I will convince him to return to MSC Yacht Club.

 

MSC Yacht Club’s deficiencies were emphasized even more so when we moved over to The Retreat where we were blown away by nearly everything we tasted and most of the crew.

 

From the moment we stepped into the suites waiting room of the Celebrity terminal prior to embarking Summit and saw the fabulous spread of eats and drinks, we knew we just arrived home.  By the way there was no spread to speak of in the MSC terminal that I am aware of.  Although it was nice to experience a new line and a new suite experience, returning to The Retreat did not disappoint.👍👍
 

The whole change in Celebrity's butler situation did not have a tremendous negative effect on us.  We are the type that enjoy the walk to the cafe every morning to fetch our own coffees.  We have never dined in suite unless we were quarantined.  And I would never allow someone else to unpack my belongings or worse yet draw my bath.  Good grief.😫
 

But it was nice to be looked after by our own personal butler in the Yacht Club.  YC set a tone of pampering with the butler, the stateroom attendant, the daily in-suite treats and surprises, and the concierge desk.  If they could now just seek to impress in the Yacht Club Restaurant.  The tone in the restaurant remains more main dining room and less specialty restaurant. On board Summit Luminae’s food, staff, and atmosphere read specialty restaurant full stop.  

Did we feel pampered in The Retreat?  Well, I would prefer to call it “low-key attentiveness.”  I am not even sure who The Retreat manager was.  I think we may have met him in passing, but I am not positive.  If that was him, he seemed a bit shy and failed to introduce himself.  The Retreat Concierges were available if needed, but not overflowing with congeniality.  Personally I found the true faces and shining stars of The Retreat to be Luminae Maitre D Serdar, Luminae waitpersons Andy and Anna, and The Retreat Lounge bartender Karla.

 

The Retreat spaces are beautiful, but on Millennium-class ships they are retrofitted from existing Pre-Retreat spaces scattered throughout the ship.  I will clarify that The Retreat Lounge is not nearly as beautiful as Luminae and lacks functional, adult-sized furniture.  This is not breaking news.😂
 

Walking from The Retreat Lounge to Luminae involves a walk through the casino, Martini Bar, and Rendezvous Lounge.  This was not an issue for us because we enjoy the walk and the lively atmosphere of these spaces.  In contrast YC Restaurant was directly upstairs from Top Sail Lounge.  Although we witnessed several fellow Yacht Clubbers requiring assistance up the stairs by crew.  The elevator (and the nearest rest room) was an inconvenient long walk down the hall from TSL and then a long walk back to YCR.

 

I have not discussed The Retreat Sundeck at great length since we spent barely a few minutes enjoying it.  The gale force winds were just too much for us.  The space is pretty simple in design.  I found the bottles of sunscreen to be a nice touch.  I only took a few pics.😢

 

Comparing the deck plans of the two ships reveals The One Pool sundeck trumps The Retreat Sundeck multi-fold.  Although with almost triple the residents it should be larger.

 

 

Pics of The One Pool sundeck on Deck 20.

 

Liquor secured after hours.

Larger forward YC jacuzzi with plastic fish sculpture.  

Other similar plastic sculptures were found throughout YC.🤪

The other YC jacuzzi.  Food porn alert.😉

 

Pics of breakfast buffet at MSC Yacht Club Grill and Bar.😋

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by Stem to Stern

[RichYak]

9 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

If they could now just seek to impress in the Yacht Club Restaurant.  The tone in the restaurant remains more main dining room and less specialty restaurant. On board Summit Luminae’s food, staff, and atmosphere read specialty restaurant full stop.  

IMO, you can replace the words "Yacht Club Restaurant" with "E-Class Luminae" in this sentence and it would still be accurate. In that sense, I don't really view this as a Retreat vs YC comparison. It's more a size of venue issue. For me, Luminae on E-class and Luminae on M-class were completely different experiences, one far better than the other.

[Stem to Stern]

25 minutes ago, RichYak said:

IMO, you can replace the words "Yacht Club Restaurant" with "E-Class Luminae" in this sentence and it would still be accurate. In that sense, I don't really view this as a Retreat vs YC comparison. It's more a size of venue issue. For me, Luminae on E-class and Luminae on M-class were completely different experiences, one far better than the other.

Excellent point and I am in total agreement with you.  Not having been in The Retreat on board an E-class ship I can only go by the many unfavorable reviews of the larger, impersonal, more bustling, culinarily deficient E-class Luminae.  These adjectives also accurately describe Yacht Club Restaurant.  
 

Luminae on Summit was never crowded and usually quiet and peaceful depending on who was in there.  Yacht Club Restaurant at dinner was much the opposite.  Lunch wasn’t as bad.  We are eager to try E-class next year and again in 2025, but we won’t be in Luminae unless we submit a successful Move up bid.  We can’t justify the current high prices and reduced perks in The Retreat.

 

Thanks for reading.  

[Ellesor826]

18 minutes ago, Stem to Stern said:

 Not having been in The Retreat on board an E-class ship

YET.....oh, the places we will go!
Plus - I want more of these pix.
xx oo R

[RichYak]

19 minutes ago, Stem to Stern said:

Thanks for reading.  

Thanks to you for posting such a thoughtful and comprehensive review/comparison of the products.

[billc23]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

IMO, you can replace the words "Yacht Club Restaurant" with "E-Class Luminae" in this sentence and it would still be accurate. In that sense, I don't really view this as a Retreat vs YC comparison. It's more a size of venue issue. For me, Luminae on E-class and Luminae on M-class were completely different experiences, one far better than the other.

Definitely true. Many have stated that if you want the true Retreat experience you need to go on an E class ship. I totally disagree. To me, while the sundeck is present and nicer on E class, the rest of the experience cannot compare to the more personalized treatment in the Retreat on an M or S class ships. I feel that E class gives an elevated experience when not in the Retreat unless a forward view and real balcony are more important than the variety of spaces and dining venues on E class.

[Stem to Stern]

2 hours ago, billc23 said:

I feel that E class gives an elevated experience when not in the Retreat unless a forward view and real balcony are more important than the variety of spaces and dining venues on E class.

This is what we are hoping for.  We are booked in Sunset Verandahs for our first two E-class bookings coming up in 2024 and 2025.  It took us long enough.  We are looking forward to trying out the various public spaces and the four main dining rooms.  We most likely will not invest in any specialty dining other than one meal in Eden.

Edited December 31, 2023 by Stem to Stern

[HopefulCruiser123]

22 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

I had the opportunity to browse through my camera roll, chat with DH, and reflect on our twelve nights side-by-side on two different vessels.  MSC Seascape’s Yacht Club and Celebrity Summit’s The Retreat are two very different experiences.  MSC excelled at creating a Yacht Club on board its Sea ships that is a true ship-within-a-ship experience.  We enjoyed a spacious, fully-encapsulated, indoor/outdoor resort enclave.  

Our major beef (pun intended) in YC was the Yacht Club Restaurant falling short of our culinary expectations.  Personally I found it easier to overlook the food having been a pushover for the new experience; the fantastic, almost all-inclusive cruise fare; the YC pampering; and all of the MSC Voyagers Club swag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DH, on the other hand, is the cook in our household.  This Irish bloke conjures up a mean bolognese and a to-die-for tiramisu.  So, it is safe to say he had high hopes for this Italian cruise line’s dining experiences.

DH’s tiramisu.
 

THIS!  This is what we cruise for. The execution of perfection in a beloved dessert like Tiramisu!  I am not trying to be sarcastic at all.  THIS is sublime! This is why we cruise!  And my compliments to your DH on that “perfection”.

 

 

Edited January 1 by HopefulCruiser123

[Stem to Stern]

7 minutes ago, HopefulCruiser123 said:

THIS!  This is what we cruise for. The execution of perfection in a beloved dessert like Tiramisu!  I am not trying to be sarcastic at all.  THIS is sublime! This is why we cruise!  And my compliments to you DH on that “perfection”.

Thank you!  I will pass your very kind words along to the chef in the morning.  He did not make it to midnight.  This was our dessert on Christmas Day.  His 88 year old mother made the request and he was happy to oblige.

Happy New Year!!! 
 

[billc23]

17 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

This is what we are hoping for.  We are booked in Sunset Verandahs for our first two E-class bookings coming up in 2024 and 2025.  It took us long enough.  We are looking forward to trying out the various public spaces and the four main dining rooms.  We most likely will not invest in any specialty dining other than one meal in Eden.

The Sunset Verandah looks like the Sweet Spot on E class to me! In the past 10 years I have only sailed in suites on Celebrity but I am considering booking a SV on Xcel. Having zenith status, the benefits are mostly moot when booking the Retreat. Staying in a non Retreat cabin the Zenith benefits have considerable value - makes sense to me. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to write your excellent review. I had 2 weeks booked in the YC in 2025 and after reading your review I booked an additional 3 weeks in 2024. You are quite the influencer! Thank you for posting the review on the Celebrity board.

 

Tiramisu looks amazing with such a creative touch!

[Stem to Stern]

On 12/31/2023 at 12:14 PM, Ellesor826 said:

Plus - I want more of these pix.

Yes!!  And while we are at it, let’s make sure we ask about a tour of the bridge.😜

[George C]

Read MSc is building a pier in Galveston which is great news for us and other Texans . 

[hcat]

2 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Yes!!  And while we are at it, let’s make sure we ask about a tour of the bridge.😜

i suggest the on board  excursion that tours the entire ship..All Access ..small group, headphones..time on the Bridge. Lengthy but comprehensive..

 

Another great tour..if you enjoy the art on board. is the Art and Design tour.

 

both worth every penny!

[Ellesor826]

2 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

let’s make sure we ask about a tour of the bridge

We will work our magic!

[Dolebludger]

S to S, you cruised the YC on a HUGE ship, and that (IMHO) degrades the YC experience in all ways, including the YC restaurant. We cruised the YC on a smaller MSC ship (Divinia) and found the restaurant experience very similar to the Luminae on the Eclipse and Equinox. Like you, we will not be cruising in the retreat unless and until Celebrity brings fares down, and perks up to competitive levels. But I do think you would enjoy the YC more in a smaller ship (and perhaps in a better cabin or suite).

[hcat]

On 12/29/2023 at 2:19 PM, lola2013 said:

65?  Horrors!  Sounds like December in the Midwest is a distant memory 😵‍💫.  I just got a text from my relatives who are spending the weekend on Marco Island…there are coats involved!!!

It has been quite chilly in SW Fla this season..It  was sunny today but so far not a great winter escape!  looking forward to our cruise..hope for better weather at sea!

[hcat]

On 12/31/2023 at 3:38 PM, Stem to Stern said:

This is what we are hoping for.  We are booked in Sunset Verandahs for our first two E-class bookings coming up in 2024 and 2025.  It took us long enough.  We are looking forward to trying out the various public spaces and the four main dining rooms.  We most likely will not invest in any specialty dining other than one meal in Eden.

Sounds like a good plan.. we enjoyed our SV with the 4 mdrs.. Have one booked again on APEX.

[Stem to Stern]

7 hours ago, billc23 said:

I am considering booking a SV on Xcel. Having zenith status, the benefits are mostly moot when booking the Retreat. Staying in a non Retreat cabin the Zenith benefits have considerable value - makes sense to me. 

We are booked cruise only.  Had to in order to stay on budget.  This will be our first booking without a bev pkg since our first cruise together on 2014.  We will carry my wine on board, take full advantage of Elite happy hour, and pay for DH’s martinis.  We shall see if the reduction in alcohol consumption results in less weight gain.  Of course, I have 699 days to cave and add the bev pkg on a flash sale.😉

[81Zoomie]

We did great with our first cruise only using the Elite Happy Hour.  The bartenders were usually very accommodating.  The one caveat is the wine.  There is no way to improve on the current included Happy Hour/classic wines.  This is especially true since Celebrity recently promoted the traditional classic wines into the “premium” pricing structure.