OBSERVATIONS FROM THE POOP DECK SEASCAPE

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, Mommapadraig said:

We have been in the NCL Haven in the past and from all I’ve read this will be much better. 

It is much better than the Haven. The monotonous Haven menu that took 2 hours to get a plain grilled chicken breast with one baked potato when ordered in advance every night for the week. No wonder they gave us 3 complimentary specialty dining options, the venue could not handle the numbers in the Haven Restaurant. On the Breakaway there were only 3 coveted window seats in the Haven restaurant. This I remember without referencing my diary.

  Found out today at lunch that the YC Chef is new to MSC and guess where he is coming from...NCL, just like Chef Lisa. The best of the best from the cruising industry is being scooped up from the other cruise lines. MSC is cherry picking at this very moment. Our maitre d' and YC director come from RCCL.

  

[morpheusofthesea]

The refreshment cart is back on the One Pool Deck going around the deck serving drinks this afternoon. Not very crowded on this seaday as one might expect. Plenty of available lounges all over the ship.

[Bgwest]

Any interloper sightings to share on your present sailing?

[cruisebeachgirl703]

19 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

The refreshment cart is back on the One Pool Deck going around the deck serving drinks this afternoon. Not very crowded on this seaday as one might expect. Plenty of available lounges all over the ship.

Nice!

[At Sea At Peace]

50 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Found out today at lunch that the YC Chef is new to MSC and guess where he is coming from...NCL, just like Chef Lisa. The best of the best from the cruising industry is being scooped up from the other cruise lines. MSC is cherry picking at this very moment. Our maitre d' and YC director come from RCCL.

  

 

Yep.  The Chef also makes his way out 'to the people' also.  He appears to have been given some 'margin' on the menu.  We understand that the changes to the Minestrone Soup and the Beef Barley Soup, in which it appears (per DW) he semi-pureed half of the vegetables to make a 'thicker, more satiating' offering, was his idea.  It surprised us and was excellent.  I actually cancelled my 'entree and substituted the Beef Carpaccio starter for a light finish for the night after that Minestrone!

 

Mustafa, YCD, is the most awesome, in all regards, we've experienced in dozens of weeks in the YC across a blend of ships.

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Bgwest said:

Any interloper sightings to share on your present sailing?

The week is still young and have not witnessed anyone asked to leave. Will report. Usually DW tips me off and wakes me up as I slumber between postings and she scouts the One Pool Deck during her walking jaunts. Like this afternoon, she woke me to see Groucho's "Lydia".

[travelwide]

On 4/20/2024 at 3:34 PM, morpheusofthesea said:

Well, we are finally on the ship and unpacked. Some observations of note. We were escorted onto the ship by our butler in small groups of 8-10 in the Yacht Club to fit easily in the elevator. I quickly noticed that our butler's card had the elevator over ride function. I have since tried ours and it does not work on the elevators. Our cards were scanned in the terminal and not when we boarded the ship which was also a first. Our butler stop our elevator on deck 7 casino to see if we could check-in at our muster station before getting to our cabin to drop off our carry on luggage. No the pink ball cap muster station scanners do not come on duty til 11:30am. We first went to the cabin and discussed what we would like with our butler. Went to lunch in the YC Restaurant and was happy to see Ercan as maitre d'. He looks like Nicholas Cage, the actor with dyed black hair.His assistant hostess is Anna from Nicaragua and sommelier is Christian.

   We have two Yacht Club Directors this cruise again.  Larysa from Ukraine who has been a favorite head butler is now acting assistant YC director with Moustafa. Larysa will be leaving the end of this week to take over as YC Director on Fantasia. Taking her place as new head butler in the YC is long time favorite head concierge Eva. (Last time we heard Eva was leaving to get married, building a house and starting a new business.) Things are fluid at MSC. 

  Went to muster station after lunch and it was a breeze and everyone can use the elevators. Best muster of any cruise line.

 

 Taking her place as new head butler in the YC is long time favorite head concierge Eva. (Last time we heard Eva was leaving to get married, building a house and starting a new business.) Things are fluid at MSC.

 

What a surprise. We always had a great experience dealing with her at the front desk. Maybe you can do some sleuthing and see if she ever got married. Last time we spoke to her she was throwing in the MSC towel. One never knows who will show up where on the ships and in what position.

[Best Cat Mom]

12 minutes ago, travelwide said:

Taking her place as new head butler in the YC is long time favorite head concierge Eva.

We had the pleasure of her excellent service as well. Our gain is hopefully not at a cost to her.

[morpheusofthesea]

22 minutes ago, travelwide said:

 

 Taking her place as new head butler in the YC is long time favorite head concierge Eva. (Last time we heard Eva was leaving to get married, building a house and starting a new business.) Things are fluid at MSC.

 

What a surprise. We always had a great experience dealing with her at the front desk. Maybe you can do some sleuthing and see if she ever got married. Last time we spoke to her she was throwing in the MSC towel. One never knows who will show up where on the ships and in what position.

Yes. She is indeed married. We got the exact same impression "she was throwing in the MSC towel". Appears that the building of her house in Honduras is the same the world over, painstaking. It was putting great strain on the newlyweds that they decided it would be a good idea that he stay home and deal with the house and she take on a 6 month contract starting this cruise as head butler, (an offer from MSC that was made in heaven is my way of looking at things)..

[morpheusofthesea]

Have to upgrade to streaming in order to view any Youtube, like "Tiptoe through the Tulips." posted here. The cost to those residing in the YC is an additional $10 per day per person for 2 devices. So for us we started on the second day of this cruise for $60 each added to our shipboard accounts. The show last night was "Premier" all about different movies highlighting famous tunes with singing, dancing and acrobatics. Second seating standing room only. CD Ted is short and sweet at the beginning introduction, about a 60 second 'howdy do' and on with the show. Went to Le Cabaret Rouge as well, it was really well attended this second night. First night there were only 6 of us in attendance. Unfortunate for many as the performance of Sara, a lead singer from the Chora Theatre performances, only does the one show on the first night. This second show night we are introduced to some new acts. It is important to get to the LCR early to get good seats from the second night on as there are 450 seats and only 150 are good viewing and the few on the top level appear like good seats, but one will find the whole ship standing behind your chairs, coughing all over you waiting for someone to leave, which will be you if you have any sense. It was us last night being coughed all over in both venues, the LCR and in the Chora Theatre. Our only consolation is that we will be back. Soon.

[travelwide]

4 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Have to upgrade to streaming in order to view any Youtube, like "Tiptoe through the Tulips." posted here. The cost to those residing in the YC is an additional $10 per day per person for 2 devices. So for us we started on the second day of this cruise for $60 each added to our shipboard accounts. The show last night was "Premier" all about different movies highlighting famous tunes with singing, dancing and acrobatics. Second seating standing room only. CD Ted is short and sweet at the beginning introduction, about a 60 second 'howdy do' and on with the show. Went to Le Cabaret Rouge as well, it was really well attended this second night. First night there were only 6 of us in attendance. Unfortunate for many as the performance of Sara, a lead singer from the Chora Theatre performances, only does the one show on the first night. This second show night we are introduced to some new acts. It is important to get to the LCR early to get good seats from the second night on as there are 450 seats and only 150 are good viewing and the few on the top level appear like good seats, but one will find the whole ship standing behind your chairs, coughing all over you waiting for someone to leave, which will be you if you have any sense. It was us last night being coughed all over in both venues, the LCR and in the Chora Theatre. Our only consolation is that we will be back. Soon.

 

You are a smart man.......run from them. Our experience has been the coughing starts in the middle of the cruise. Back to Top Sail Lounge for safety.

[morpheusofthesea]

7 minutes ago, travelwide said:

 

You are a smart man.......run from them. Our experience has been the coughing starts in the middle of the cruise. Back to Top Sail Lounge for safety.

Many attribute our standoffishness as elitist (could be very true) or even boorish, loutish, uncouth, discourteous and ungracious....so call me these names (and more). We are just too tired of getting ill for the sake of be being sociable.

[morpheusofthesea]

Today is Falmouth. Beautiful day (in the shade), light breeze. Staying on the ship. Love the fact that the YC restaurant is open port days as well as the OnePool Deck Bar & Grill serving a buffet. Another favorite for me is Fish & Chips and apple pie for dessert today. Moustafa YC Director instituted a new treat for those willing to participate at the YC cocktail party at 11 am yesterday morning. Personal photos with the Captain in the TSL, no charge. We no longer really want to view our own images any more getting more decrepit every cruise we take, but for normal folk it is a nice momento.

[morpheusofthesea]

Noticed walking through the Market Place buffet (just for educational purposes) that this morning at 6 am the buffet was offering "make your own Bloody Mary" and this afternoon  "make your own Sangria cocktail". Also the new offering of art work on board is taking your eye Iris picture and creating a piece of art out of it. The pool attendant is coming around the One Pool deck with a special bottle of lens cleaner and microfiber towel asking if he can clean ones sunglasses. I guess the newly elevated are trying their best to come up with new ideas and see if anything 'sticks'.

[cruisebeachgirl703]

On 4/21/2024 at 3:20 PM, morpheusofthesea said:

The refreshment cart is back on the One Pool Deck going around the deck serving drinks this afternoon. Not very crowded on this seaday as one might expect. Plenty of available lounges all over the ship.

Can you post a pic of the refreshment cart? What was available?

[cruisebeachgirl703]

5 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Today is Falmouth. Beautiful day (in the shade), light breeze. Staying on the ship. Love the fact that the YC restaurant is open port days as well as the OnePool Deck Bar & Grill serving a buffet. Another favorite for me is Fish & Chips and apple pie for dessert today. Moustafa YC Director instituted a new treat for those willing to participate at the YC cocktail party at 11 am yesterday morning. Personal photos with the Captain in the TSL, no charge. We no longer really want to view our own images any more getting more decrepit every cruise we take, but for normal folk it is a nice momento.

Did you take a pic of the personnel at the gathering?

[morpheusofthesea]

4 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Can you post a pic of the refreshment cart? What was available?

I did. Will post when I get home. The only picture I could post was already on this computer of the 2 past YC directors.

 

6 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Did you take a pic of the personnel at the gathering?

Did not attend. Too many people in too close proximity coughing. Friends went and had their pictures delivered that evening. They are younger and still good-looking.

[Best Cat Mom]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

The pool attendant is coming around the One Pool deck with a special bottle of lens cleaner and microfiber towel asking if he can clean ones sunglasses.

We saw this on Seaside last year, along with a "sunglass cleaning station" near the door to the elevator for when they were not circulating to provide the service:

[morpheusofthesea]

This is really a delightful way to spend ones vacation. Going from meal to meal. Tonight we have our agenda mapped out. We will be skipping Le Cabaret Rouge as the two posted acts of violinist and juggler/dance in the daily program we saw last night. Instead we will start out with Saxophonist Silas in the Loft Cafe, followed by the Star Band in the Uptown Lounge, over to the Chora Theatre for the second show of the comedian which we will not have to leave early to catch an elevator because appearing in the Loft Cafe is a new Jazz quartet called Good Weather. Will let you know.

 

[kelleherdl]

6 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Many attribute our standoffishness as elitist (could be very true) or even boorish, loutish, uncouth, discourteous and ungracious....so call me these names (and more). We are just too tired of getting ill for the sake of be being sociable.

That’s okay. We get enough of you on this board. 😀

[no1talks]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"...offering 'make your own Bloody Mary' and this afternoon  'make your own Sangria cocktail'."

I assume those without a drink package could seamlessly make a purchase. MSC needs those impulse buys to offset the low-cost fares.

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, kelleherdl said:

That’s okay. We get enough of you on this board. 😀

I thought the same thing.

[morpheusofthesea]

"“For what it's worth” is an idiom that means someone is unsure if what they are about to say will be helpful or valued." Which can be said for everything I post. Tonights performances were a mixed bag. The saxophonist, Silas, was pretty good, even better than I remembered. He had a new instrument besides the sax which we did not stay to listen as to get to the Uptown Lounge to hear the Star Band and get good seats. Only heard a few chords which were intriguing and worth coming back to hear much more in the Loft Cafe. The Star Band was good and guests were dancing on the dance floor to the female vocalist accompanying the band. When they finished there was a 'Guess that Abba tune'. We headed over to get our seats for the comedian in the Chora Theatre, we walked out after about 10 minutes and went back to the Loft Cafe and were happy to get a couple of front row seats to watch the new Jazz Quartet that had just begun its set. They have a lovely young lady vocalist and thought they were very good. So three out of four is not bad at all. At the very least this ship has entertainment going on nonstop every evening. On Regent we had 3 evenings of only a movie, which was also playing on ones cabin TV. We had nothing else to do and there were only 6 of us that attended the theatre movie and the one woman in front of us got up 6 times to go to the bathroom.

Edited April 23 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

Waiting for the comedian show to begin we chit-chatted with our butler who was manning the YC section in the Chora Theatre last evening. He said he was on the World Europa and this next tidbit can only be confirmed by a relatively small group of Yacht Clubbers that have been on board. And only important to those it would concern. That the World America will have reserved pergolas for its RS and OS suites on the One Pool Deck.

[morpheusofthesea]

15 hours ago, no1talks said:

I assume those without a drink package could seamlessly make a purchase. MSC needs those impulse buys to offset the low-cost fares.

I just double checked and you are correct in your assumption. A special bartender is present to 'help' "make your own" drink after checking ones drink package.

Edited April 23 by morpheusofthesea