amygutman

ABOUT US, THE "NOT GOING ON MSC AGAIN" CRUISERS T-Minus 21 hours 30 minutes to our 4 night, 5 day Seaside out of Port Canaveral. Have never tried a Live Review, so will aim for a Semi-Live with a nod of appreciation to @mica178 who is currently on the ship. I'm punch-drunk from night shift and staying awake to switch to "normal human schedule" so will ramble a bit about cruise prep et al. But first...coffee ☕ A little about us: I'm a often night-shift working menopausal mom of a 14 yo boy Ronan (in the eye-rolling stage of adolescence) and wife to a Celtic Viking of a husband, Mike. If you've cruised with us we are easily recognizable due to his beard and collection of "Sipowitz" shirts. Kiddo is awesome, loves cruising, hoping for other teens on this sailing. He's autistic but we have found that cruisers more than any other segment of society accept his eccentricities - unfortunately not in cruise teen clubs as of late. Took a bit of prodding to get him excited for today as our last foray into a teen club found this newly-minted 14 yo in a club with 16 and 17 yo girls with pierced belly-rings in full "girl-clique mode". Ladies...you know what I mean. Hell, I'm in my 50's and these roaming girl-packs STILL terrify me. Where was I? Oh...You'll find kiddo on his phone, in the pool, eating mac-and-cheese or any other carbohydrate. Don't judge. He also eats his weight in broccoli so I'll take what I can get. If he splashes in the pool he means no harm, just gets very happy when swimming. If you see him, ask him about animation - he will talk your ear off (and by "talk your ear off", I mean 2 sentences in a row. Small victories indeed). Any day on a ship is our happy place, preferring NCL's Haven > the Yacht Club. In fact we were of the avowed "nope...never going to cruise again on MSC". Too bougie, and I kept smashing my face into the darned mirrored hallways. Mirrors, and more mirrors interspersed with shiny crystals on mirrored staircases. I spent a lot of time on MSC ships walking in the center of the hallway and gripping staircase handrails for dear life. Butlers whom we have to dodge to avoid being escorted one flight up to the pool deck. Weird entertainment (the stage show with a man in a giant nose costume on the Meraviglia still gives me nightmares). The service is almost TOO much, if that makes sense. Did we love the Seashore and Meraviglia? Sure. Who doesn't love being spoiled? But we generally prefer the Haven. About 6 months ago my TA calls me to remind me I have MSC cruise refund money from Covid cancellations I need to use pronto or lose. Checked what was out of Canaveral and so - MSC we are back again. 4 Nights, 5 Days in a deluxe YC penthouse that with my cruise credit and perks from my TA's company cost only $50 over my credited funds for a total of a bit over 3K. Pricey, but it was last minute-ish. Haven't spent time with kiddo all summer a good excuse for family time before school starts in 2 weeks. CRUISE PREP Night shift dragged last night. Friday night ER complaints fall into six main categories: 1) "Hold My Beer And Watch This", 2) People Caught In The Path of the "Hold My Beer" Folks (drunk drivers should be castrated in my personal opinion, but I digress), 3) Gravity Is A ***** (AKA "Fell Out of Bed and Go Boom On Floor", 4) "My Kid Has a Fever But I Didn't Give Him Acetaminophen Because I Wanted You To See Him Have a Fever So Now He's Having A Seizure", 5) "I'm Having The Big One" (oy....yes you are - let's save a life!), and 6) "My 'Insert Vague Complaint' That I've Had For 2 Years But I Haven't Seen A Doctor For, But I Need You To Get Me A STAT MRI Because Google Says So And I Need A Work Note". Stayed late, did my paperwork, walked 5 miles to wake up, and now ready to relax! We have packing down to a science. Literally have packing lists for every occasion and will attach our "5 Night / 6 Day With Hotel And No Flight" checksheet to this post. Why "5 Nights"?. Because even though we live in Orlando, a 45 minute drive to Port Canaveral, we love to go a night before the cruise and hang out at Springhill Marriot for a pre-cruise stay-cation, go to Kennedy Space Center, see manatees, etc. The Marriot has a "Park-N-Cruise" special: hotel + breakfast buffet (which rocks, BTW - photos tomorrow) + cruise parking + shuttle. Different rates depending on the day of the week, but it's usually $300-$350ish. Considering that parking alone is $20-$40 / day depending on the lot, this is money well spent to us. TIPS, LETTERS, ETC We attached our Butler letter, adapted from the template from the wise @Sthrngary on the NCL Boards. Differences between NCL Haven and MSC Yacht Club - the concierge on the YC is stationed at a desk vs the Haven where they roam the ship and go to every room on embarkation (in our experience). Haven: we have a concierge letter as well as butler letter. Both in envelopes with a "pre-tip". MSC: only Butler letter as we only tip the concierge as we go - meaning, if we have to set up a tender, etc. There are many threads with the "pros-and-cons" of this practice, but we find that the letter + pre-tip (<5 day cruises = $50, >5 day cruises = $100) make for a nice sailing. We give the "tip handshake" to the stateroom attendant + assistant as they do most of the heavy lifting. We also pre-tip the restaurant hostess $20 - they really spoil kiddo. For MSC meals, we leave $2-5 / waiter / meal (all restaurants, not just the YC). Because we don't always sit at the same table in the YC (or specialty restaurants if we are repeat customers), this is most efficient. Same for the bar and the pool deck. I was a horrible waitress at Howard Johnson on overnights and LIVED on crappy tips (if you were Wilkes-Barre PA in the late '90s and left me change in your milkshake slurry debris for my tip, I hated you then, and still hate you now, just sayin'). Life has blessed us with good fortune backed by hard work so we like to spread that good karma. AND WITH THAT... Shower, shave my night-shift legs (TMI?), kiddo finishing animation class, (plug here: https://eliteanimationacademy.com/ These are the most amazing live and zoom classes for any one interested in drawing, character design and animation. Based in Orlando and have special education programs for children and adults on the Spectrum interested in animation careers. Highly recommend), and then off to the Marriot!!! Suns Out, Funs Out! Warmest, Amy Cruise Packing List 6 Day 5 Night Pre-Night Hotel No Flight.docx Gutman-Enright Butler Letter_General.docx

Out of curiosity, the trivia at the bar was it only for the yacht club members? Our 14 year old is our “ringer” as he knows everything about pop-culture that his old parents do not. However, I feel that we would absolutely secure a win if we had limited participants! We love trivia, and we’re sad as our last few MSC Cruises did not have any good quizzes. Sounds like you’re having a wonderful time. Enjoy the last day of your cruise and we will look forward to taking over your space come Sunday! Warmest, Amy

Darn it...But smoking weed in public and on the balconies is OK? I like to keep zen on a cruise but if I can smell it, I'm inhaling it and so is my kiddo. It's disappointing if security did not address it, but I'm not shy and I certainly will (politely of course). What you do on a private island is between you and the government, but once it enters my space it's definitely MY business. Appreciate the heads-up. Warmest, Amy

Very intrigued with Explora. As much as we love the "bells and whistles" for our kiddo, the smaller ship port options seem very interesting. We love suites, and although there are different "levels" of suites on the Explora, it seems that the lowest suite class gives you the equivalent Haven / YC experiences and treatment. Could be mistaken, and looking forward to gathering more information as Explora I and II have more sailings. Whilst we still will be primarily NCL and MSC cruises out of Florida (home state advantage there), haven't decided if the Caribbean ports on Explora are worth the significantly higher cost vs Haven and YC suites. Time will tell...However, we are looking at Africa in 2025 and debating land-based vs cruise-based. Leaning towards a cruise and Explora I African itineraries look amazing for 2024. Exciting times for sure! Warmest, Amy

@LadyBerard Had the same trouble in April. Try taking the photos using head / shoulders only, no glasses against a white background using a smartphone and saving as a .jpeg or .png file. Email the photos to yourself and only try checking-in using your desk-top or lap-top. Something in the algorithm got angry when I tried to use my phone to check-in and it took about 6 different photo configurations until I got it to "take". Then, of course be prepared to have 5-6 emails sent to you to view re: watching the safety videos. A small but frustrating price to pay! Hope that is helpful. Warmest, Amy

@CDR Benson Sir... you are correct. We are so excited to see this part of the world and even more excited to share the experience with two friends - one from London, and one from Jamaica. Neither have ever been on a cruise and we will ruin them for life as we booked the DOS. Pricey? Yup. Worth the OT? Also yes as even if every port is cancelled we will still have the scenery as our backdrop (and crossing our fingers for whales and northern lights). Living in Bermuda, one of my favorite things was being in a small boat and just seeing the expansiveness of the ocean. From both working on cruise ships and sailing as a passenger, that "O'Dark Thirty" time on the water with nothing but the stars, moon and the sound of the ocean...it really does make you appreciate how small you are in this amazing corner of the universe. Maybe that's the essence of booking early - making sure you have the best experience in a way that makes you happy. Room, itinerary, ship, location...figure it out, secure it, and then wait excitedly until it happens. We decided long ago to stop waiting for "the right time", and live in the moment which is why we now look to book "bucket list" trips every 6 months of so. It's more than check boxes - it's exploring the world in a way few are privileged to do. Would love to cross paths with you and your lovely wife and hear about your adventures. The world and cruise ships are full of cool stories and I love collecting them one-by-one... Warmest, Amy

@9tee2Sea and @ontheweb 57 days 22 hours 30 minutes until we board the Encore in Alaska. Started at over 500 days. At this point I'm both giddy AND exhausted from the excitement!!!!! Warmest, Amy

@Essiesmom Agree on time of year and pricing. Europe in Feb is definitely less appealing than the Caribbean. However, kiddo has a break and will be studying WWII in history class. I figure what better way to learn about history than to visit / touch / feel that history. Plus, we will already have our colder weather gear from Alaska (NCL Encore in 68 days 22 hours 30 minutes, not that i'm counting). Warmest (which, likely not in Europe in Feb 🥰), Amy

@mica178 WOW!!!! Talk about "sea-to-table". That looks amazing, and sounds like a great day for your entire family. Warmest, Amy

@AspiringCindy Personal opinion - any time on a ship and especially on a Med cruise (which sounds amazing and we are on a countdown to the Med as well) should be wonderful. Knowing nothing about Costa other than what Emma Cruises on YouTube says (great channel...may be helpful in your questioning), and nothing about you, our likes / dislikes, family with young kids vs none, older cruises, love to party vs love to sit on balcony, it's a difficult question to answer. Can you tell the forum a little about what you are looking for in a ship and maybe the itineraries? Lots of CCers have very firm opinions about ships, ports, itineraries, restaurants, etc and should be able to help you out a bit. Again...you will be on a cruise in the Med. Not a bad place to start! Warmest, Amy

@julig22 Horse-drawn tram WITH a beaver tail AND kahlua-infused coffee. Now THAT sounds like an amazing way to spend a few hours! Warmest, Amy

@tokidoki If you mean Victoria, our only plan is to get off, touch BC soil to check off kiddo's "Places I Have Visited" list, have at least one (ok, maybe two) beaver tails at BeaverTails (2.8 km, 10 min taxi ride), perhaps a local beer, take some photos, and hop back on the ship. Not a lot of time to do much else in what looks like a beautiful city, but it's a necessary port stop for a primarily US port-based cruise. How about you? Curious what others do with this very short stop. Warmest, Amy

I am so glad you enjoyed yourselves and it sounds like an amazing way to spend your anniversary. Viking is on our "when kiddo is older" list as it sounds like true pampering and very cool itineraries. Yes...we certainly got Rock Fever, but to put it into perspective - I moved to Bermuda literally 2 weeks before Covid for work. Husband and kiddo could not join me for 6 months due to the travel restrictions so that by the time they came, every day on Bermuda was special. We rented Boston whalers and catamarans as much as our budget would allow and loved seeing the island by water and fell more in love with our beloved humpbacks. Bermuda is magical and having two fabulous cruises from home is so special. Trust me.. we took great advantage of the "resident" specials every time we could. Our next trip to Bermuda will be plane as there are no long overnight stay cruises from Florida (which, is so crazy, right? NY, Boston and Florida would be perfect!). Thanks for making me smile! Amy

Booked the Euribia in early July for a 7 night February European in a YC Deluxe Suite. Priced 3K LESS than a 7 night Caribbean from Florida in both Seashore class and Meraviglia class ships. Out of curiosity, just looked today - the price is still lower, but only about 1.5K. Still a much better deal - and it is an apples to (nearly apples) comparison as using the same TA with his same booking discounts / perks but obviously Euribia is a newer ship. Granted, the YC is a very different experience than non-YC, but I think the overall value for the money is quite good. It's not quite at Haven prices yet which is our benchmark of "damn...that's pricey". Definitely more expensive than 2021. Reasonably, as many on CC have pointed out previously when you have a huge ship that has to be at / above capacity to make a profit, you can only add so many people to a sailings therefore the prices increase. Warmest, Amy

Actually, I agree with your daughter. Being spoiled all day every day is awesome! That being said, I would likely have a hefty BMI due to the amount of amazing food options. A week or two twice a year is manageable. Laughed so hard last cruise: I Googled "how many miles do I have to walk to burn calories eaten today" and it was something like 20. 😄 Glad you are having a great time, and so happy for your daughter being adopted by those grans. Warmest, Amy

@bluesea777 So jealous!!! I moved back to the US from Bermuda last year and was excited to see the Orion homeporting in Hamilton (we lived on Parliament Street). Looked into a cruise "stay-cation", but seemed incredibly silly to spend that much money as we 1) could not enjoy with our kiddo and 2) could spend less money being spoiled at the Princess. There were rumors that ships would home-port in Bermuda and go back and forth to NY / Boston, and a "partial" TA stopping at the Azores before heading to Southampton. That would have been wonderful. I literally put the webcam live on my computer when having trouble sleeping just to hear the frogs. Bermuda, despite it's challenges, remains heaven on earth to me and I miss my island home every day. https://www.portbermudawebcam.com/ Enjoy every moment and have a piece of cassava pie for me! Warmest, Amy

Well...considering the lack of "irresistible" Haven prices, I think you are wise looking for alternatives. Just in checking prices on some potential cruises, YC rooms are around the same as family villa balconies on NCL and way cheaper than NCL with more inclusions (like the thermal spa...amazing perk). Will you be happy on MSC? I think so - but as alluded to by more eloquent folks than myself on this thread, personal experiences are truly personal. I bet your girls will have a blast whatever you choose. I'd glad you explained "fashionable", as I was picturing more "bougie" than "sporty". The kids club on NCL is frankly much better than MSC but it depends on the other kids there. If your kids are friendly and sporty, it's likely they will love the experience of being "parent-free". MSC has more esoteric activities for teens- parties, pizza parties / late night gatherings, whereas NCL has a more laid back approach and more sports, computer-based activities, and movies. Kiddo is at the awkward age at 14 that he's too young to fit in well with the 16-17 yos, and being on the spectrum, he is not always socially comfortable. The counselors on NCL go out of their way to be a friend, but on MSC there is less individual attention from the counselors. @JamieLogical and @graphicguy have wonderful explanations on this thread but just a thought about crowding: ultimately if you book an MSC balcony room you will likely have a similar experience crowd-wise on MSC. Very busy, lots of families, and lots of people. LOTS of people. We love the YC as well as the Haven for the relaxation factor more than anything else - I HATE waiting in lines and it seems that anyone not in the site area spend quite a bit of time waiting in lines. The great thing about CC is the variety of opinions. Take it all in! Warmest, Amy

Really? I don't remember that policy. Is it new? That's a darned shame though having had many drinks spilled on me by over enthusiastic (or over-indulging) fellow theater-goes, I can understand why. Perhaps its a holdover from Covid. Thanks for the info. Very helpful. Warmest, Amy

Thank you @mica178 for taking the time to write this live review. We are getting on when you are getting off so am following along happily as you are helping get my "pre-cruise mojo" on! Wishing you smooth sailing for the rest of your vacation. Warmest, Amy

5-7 night itineraries out of Canaveral that go somewhere other than Nassau. Puerto Rico is amazing (hint, hint) and you could still hit their private island. That's a selfish wish though as Canaveral is only 45 mins from our house. Honestly, I love smaller ship cruising and love the posted Explora itineraries. Really awesome ports that only smaller ships can use. Definitely a magnitude more expensive than than the YC on MSC, but if Explora delivers a true "all-suite" experience at a price that currently is lower than Regent and Oceania, then that may be worth exploring if you can status match from MSC. Warmest, Amy

Ahem. 😄 Woke, Based, or otherwise (and I echo the "please no political discussions" on CC - this forum is occasionally prickly enough), upside down pineapples on your neighbors (or yours...judgement-free zone here) have certainly been spotted in the YC. Not my photo, not sure what ship, but definitely more adventurous than this old happily married woman! 😇 Warmest, Amy

Agree with @Cruising Lynne re: cross-posting on the MSC Boards and with @LadyZolt re: booking the Yacht Club. Honestly, am not sure what you mean by "fashionable" teens - if they like glitzy things then MSC may be for them. We have a 14 yo son who is the opposite of fashionable as he is in his broody teen angst stage of adolescence. I am sure you have already figured it out that each ship and experience are different. Have you been in regular rooms on NCL or in the Haven? There are many board threads re: the differences between these two class experiences. Maybe if you could provide more specifics, you can get some very good information and advice. Having been on smaller + larger NCL ships in the Haven and suites, and in the very large MSC ships in the YC I will keep an eye out for your response and see if I can help. Warmest, Amy

@CDR Benson A TA can make or break a cruise. Glad you found one to help out with your needs. Clearly, it seems like your early cruises were at the behest of the government and they really don't care if your accommodations are luxurious nor if you have the drinks package. As the daughter, grand-daughter and great-grand-daughter of veterans who is honored to take care of our service-members daily, thank you for your Service! Warmest, Amy

@Nunagoras Sex therapist? Huh. Would definitely be more exciting than bingo (or perhaps less exciting...depends on the lecturer I suppose). If you like vloggers, Ben and David have a whole series on Virgin Voyages, but on their first episode they opened their welcome package which contained a "Virgin Branded Vibrator" 🫢 Well then...talk about setting the tone for their cruise!!! Warmest, Amy

@TravelandLeisure85 Thank you so much for this wonderful review. I really appreciate your objectivity and honest opinion of all of the facets of the ship. It will be interesting to read you compare and contrast with your upcoming YC Seashore experience. Having been in the YC on the Seashore and Meraviglia it definitely was worth the money for us. It was our very first cruise after moving back to the US and post-pandemic and had a very good experience. Looking forward to trying out the Seaside YC July 30th. I'll post some pictures and reviews because like you, I very much rely on other cruisers experiences listed on cruise critic to help not only choose a cruise but choose experiences. Very excited specifically to hear that Star Walker was a good show. Kiddo loves Michael Jackson and it will be a big treat for him. Thank you again for your lovely review and I look forward to reading your compare and contrast comments. Warmest, Amy