OBSERVATIONS FROM THE POOP DECK SEASCAPE

[cruisebeachgirl703]

12 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

At sea or in port?

 

10 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Today at sea. But why would that make a difference?

Really just simply wondered. Haven't heard/seen this before. lol.

[morpheusofthesea]

30 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Haven't heard/seen this before

I haven't dared check this out either.

[no1talks]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"You are a wealth of information."

 

Thanks to inflation, a wealth of anything isn't what it used to be.

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, no1talks said:

 

Thanks to inflation, a wealth of anything isn't what it used to be.

Priceless.

[morpheusofthesea]

 

There is a palpable sense of apprehension coming from both MSC fans and staff about World America. I am trying to ‘ferret’ out what these things are, but am having difficulty understanding the staff point of view. Pretty easy to see passenger apprehension just by looking at the specifications comparing the Seascape side by side the World Europa.  Maybe the staff feel the same way and the apprehension is really on how we are going to take receiving less.

131 suites with butler service on Seascape, 152 suites with butler service.

128 seat TSL  with 588 sq meters Seascape, 146 seats with 547 sq meters (422 sq feet LESS)

180 seat Restaurant 330 sq meter Seascape, 208 seats 375 sq meters

2,024 sq meter One Pool deck Seascape, 1,793 sq meter Sun deck( is 2500 sq ft LESS)

[morpheusofthesea]

This is also new to us. Captain Tuvo has become more involved with the goings on aboard the ship. He still comes 'some' mornings to the YC restaurant to say 'good morning' personally, table to table. He has an evening set aside for pictures. Than another with pictures of himself with the children individually. He is MC at the FCC raffle for additional OBC. Heard last night that he started "Dance with the Captain and Officers Night" . One will see more of this Captain than they will of the Cruise Director Ted. Bye-Bye.....

Edited April 26 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

Rumor mill on board is that the best Yacht Club is found right here on the Seascape just beating out the Seashore. Where this is coming from is also rumored to be from those survey emails we fill out the week we get back from our trips.

[At Sea At Peace]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Rumor mill on board is that the best Yacht Club is found right here on the Seascape just beating out the Seashore. Where this is coming from is also rumored to be from those survey emails we fill out the week we get back from our trips.

 

Well, we were apprehensive about Seascape after CC comments and our prior MSC YC B2B's since 2017 where we found, starting with Divina, that each successive MSC YC was still "fantastic, the best at sea for us and an incredible value," each seemed to have a little bit less than before - that we noticed, and such was influenced by the oh-so-slight "less than before" YC staff overall and individually. 

 

Our recent Seascape B2B was the first change in that subtle declination, it was fantastic; and the YC staff was the reason.  We can run of names that many long-timers of the YC can recall from our over-the-top YC experiences before the 'word got out.'  For a while, we didn't see emerging replacements of comparison.  This recent experience - we did!

[morpheusofthesea]

Just a couple of details as I remember them and then forget by the time I get back to this computer. Bring a sweater or sweatshirt, shawl or jacket as the interior of the ship is cold. We 'jacked up' the thermostats in our cabin to the highest it would go, 5 red lights which only raised the cabin temperature to 74 degrees. ( I bring a thermometer).

  Here is a tip for anyone boarding tomorrow. There is ONE ROYAL SUITE available. So someone in the YC goes to the concierge desk immediately upon boarding and asks how much to get into this RS, please post back what your good fortune cost you.

   

[phred119s]

7 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

This is also new to us. Captain Tuvo has become more involved with the goings on aboard the ship. He still comes 'some' mornings to the YC restaurant to say 'good morning' personally, table to table. He has an evening set aside for pictures. Than another with pictures of himself with the children individually. He is MC at the FCC raffle for additional OBC. Heard last night that he started "Dance with the Captain and Officers Night" . One will see more of this Captain than they will of the Cruise Director Ted. Bye-Bye.....

He’s always been like this, at least in our experience. 

[no1talks]

48 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"So someone in the YC goes to the concierge desk immediately upon boarding and asks how much to get into this RS, please post back what your good fortune cost you."

Just hope The Mighty Favog isn't working the concierge desk.
(Tip o' the cap, if you know this one without Google-fu.)

 

[morpheusofthesea]

7 hours ago, no1talks said:

Just hope The Mighty Favog isn't working the concierge desk.
(Tip o' the cap, if you know this one without Google-fu.)

Have heard of the RS going for $5000total for 2. 

Edited April 27 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

Was another great cruise. Missed one of my favorites, Indian Butter Chicken. They put it under the ‘Healthy Choices’ on the menu which I rarely pay attention to healthy options when I am on a cruise vacation.

Hope to be back in same cabin in 6 weeks. 

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Was another great cruise. Missed one of my favorites, Indian Butter Chicken. They put it under the ‘Healthy Choices’ on the menu which I rarely pay attention to healthy options when I am on a cruise vacation.

 

 Butter chicken healthy - what ever were they thinking.   🤣

[no1talks]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"Have heard of the RS going for $5000 total for 2."

 

That's very competitive with Favog's poultry quote. (Most people do not know how expensive swans are.)

Edited April 27 by no1talks

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, no1talks said:

 

That's very competitive with Favog's poultry quote. (Most people do not know how expensive swans are.)

They must be the golden egg bearing kind.

P.S. Upon leaving this morning our butler, knowing how inquisitive I am, was told at 6 am that guest services took it upon themselves to upgrade some lucky YC deluxe guest to the Royal Suite. MSC wants to run every cruise with the YC full? I guess this might be the case. So most everyone that bids anything has a shot at being upgraded to the Yacht Club.

Edited April 27 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

I posted this elsewhere. But I love it so much I am posting it here again.

We didn't know how good was MSC Yacht Club until we tried some other cruise lines. Reminds me of a quote. "We traveled among unknown men, in (ships) beyond the sea; nor (MSC )! did we know til now what love we bore to thee." Wordsworth

Its like Churchill's description of democracy, " the others are so much worse."

[morpheusofthesea]

 MSC is charging $398 deposit to move a booking back two weeks, leaving on a cruise two weeks earlier. MSC agent says one free move can only be forward, not backward.  Please be  aware of this perk is only for going forward not backward. One will forfeit the original $398 and put a new deposit of $398 onto the new cruise date two weeks earlier. Both cruises are in month of September 2024 not yet balance due.

[morpheusofthesea]

Witnessed Yacht Club Director Mustafa 'front and center' this entire cruise. Some YC directors are not so 'visible'.  Always shaking hands, asking guests if they need anything. As guests were congregating and forming a line attempting to be waited on at the concierge desk by the 3 available concierges on duty final day, he was out in front of the desk doing concierge duties by helping guest number 4 in line. Finishing with 4 he jumped to #5. He finished #5 capping his pen or marker and looks at me witnessing his 'rapid fire' solving of problems and guests walking away with smiles. He asks if I had a problem that needs solving with his big grin." No, no problem at all" was my reply, I was just standing observing in awe how quickly the area went from crowded to no one in line.

[Two Wheels Only]

12 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

 MSC is charging $398 deposit to move a booking back two weeks, leaving on a cruise two weeks earlier. MSC agent says one free move can only be forward, not backward.  Please be  aware of this perk is only for going forward not backward. One will forfeit the original $398 and put a new deposit of $398 onto the new cruise date two weeks earlier. Both cruises are in month of September 2024 not yet balance due.

 

This has happened to a couple of people on the forum but thanks for the reminder.👍

[morpheusofthesea]

We are so apprehensive before every cruise. Will there be any problems getting to the port on time? Will DW not pass out while waiting in the hot South Florida sun for the air conditioned terminal to open? Will we find a good parking space in the parking garage (another reason to get to port early)? Will we get sick on board from the other passengers?.... This is every cruise. Thank goodness we had another great cruise for a week, happy to be home again actually looking forward to DW's cooking (couldn't wait to get away from it a week ago). Both reflecting on how the Yacht Club could not be better than it is right now. If only all our future cruises in the YC will be as good we will be very happy campers seldom swaying away from MSC YC.

  "The past is always attractive because it is drained of fear." Thomas Carlyle. 

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

This has happened to a couple of people on the forum but thanks for the reminder.👍

Thanks for the confirmation. I guess it happens even to the best of us.

P.S. "Here's to us. And who's better than us ? Damn few and they're all dead!"  Robert Burns

Edited April 27 by morpheusofthesea
P.S.

[phred119s]

@morpheusofthesea do you happen to know how much longer he will be YC director? Our trip is in a month. 

[morpheusofthesea]

1 minute ago, phred119s said:

@morpheusofthesea do you happen to know how much longer he will be YC director? Our trip is in a month. 

I think he told us he will be there until August.

[phred119s]

Just now, morpheusofthesea said:

I think he told us he will be there until August.

Thank you!