gingersvp

I wonder if the OP really understands how small of a space the Sun Deck is within the context of the greater Haven area. I travel Haven with kids. We do not go to the Sun Deck. I wholly agree that adult areas should be adult areas only. I've actually never ventured on to the Sun Deck, my kids and I hangout in the courtyard pool area.

Yes, you're not wrong. And it's why I'm not super interested in giving them another go. I do stick with suites on the bigger liners, because we travel with our 7 year old and the larger ships just have more that interests her. But I've now sailed the suite experience on multiple mass market lines and this was, by leaps and bounds, the absolute worst. I really, really wanted to like this line. It just apparently isn't going to be for us.

This is good information to have, but I really do have to say that when I'm reduced to tears because I can't get a basic meal, for vacation that I paid prime dollars for suite service....I'm just not sure I will give them another go. But I won't say never again. The context does help.

Ha! Gotta earn enough money to be able to continue sailing suites in retirement first 🙂

I have done 3 and 4 night cruises before without issue. I think where I'm stuck, is that MSC knew it was a full sailing and did not adequately staff up. That's a management decision and it just had multiple cascading effects to the negative. We deal with work and school schedules, and a desire to cruise often - so it has left us with several shorter sailings. I've never sailed more than a week, and I seriously look forward to the time in my life where I can spend longer stretches at sea. I've got the Panama Canal and a TA on my bucket list, but struggle with the timing of these cruises and not wanting to leave my school aged child behind. (My older 2 are 20 and 16 and can stay home without us, have been invited and are just bah-humbugs these days.)

We were in the YC on the 3 day sailing right before yours. It was awful. We did not get welcome drinks, our room wasn't ready. We waited over an hour to board (apparently some non-YC folks waited 3-4 hours), waited an hour in the lounge and eventually went to lunch. After lunch the room still wasn't ready. The phone didn't work, the hot tub didn't work and the concierge was not nice. Eventually both were fixed, but not once in all of my multiple calls did anyone ever answer. I've never felt so unwelcomed or experienced such an uncaring crew. I wound up in tears at the beach club when we had trouble even getting lunch. It was a sailing for my daughter's birthday and I just desperately wanted to put my feet up and relax. We had just been through Hurricane Ian and to be honest, this cruise stressed me out so much. I've had better service in an interior cabin in Carnival. For a 3 day cruise I could not believe how many things they ran out of! It was my first MSC cruise, but not my first suite experience so I understand what I should be receiving. We did not get newspapers, and none of our preferences were communicated to the YC staff. It wasn't all bad, I did enjoy our server in the restaurant, and the YC lounge bartender was great. I will say, they had HUGE delays with disembarkation. We were off the ship by 8:30 but apparently they had to halt disembarkation and some people waited multiple hours in line just to get off the ship. I won't say "never again" with MSC, but I'm not going to seek them out. Came home, told my husband I needed a recovery cruise and immediately booked NCL Haven - which wound up being less per person/per night than this awful YC cruise. I also will not do another 3 day cruise I think. About halfway through the final full day things started to turn around (you know, after I broke down in tears) - but by then the crew had very little time to show me anything different. I really wanted & hoped this would be better than it was. Took me 18 cruises, but I finally had a bad one.

I think it's wonderful you're bringing along your toddler! We have sailed suites with a toddler and I will tell you that the staff will DOTE on you baby. So many of them are missing their own children. They practically fall over themselves to help small children. I would ask for fresh fruits, yogurt and other snack things that your baby prefers. At 13 months I know my kids have been more on table foods by that point, but they had specific preferences. I had my butler (on NCL) keep milk, yogurt and fruits stocked in the room so that we could easily snack without going on a quest. I also found, on multiple cruise lines, that the wait staff in restaurants would do things like cut my kids food so that I could eat. Or, we used quite a bit more room service if we felt she wouldn't sit. My daughter was a champion stroller sleeper and we'd walk her around for a nap/bedtime and then park her next to us while we enjoyed a meal or a show. She also loved dancing to live music. She'll be 7 on her next cruise and she's a total champ.

Thank you! We have had a butler on NCL and a Genie on Royal twice and I do think there's something of a learning curve for folks on how to make the best use. I tend to be the person that makes all the dining reservations and maps everything out ahead of time. It was maybe my 3rd suite sailing before I learned to let go and just trust the butler/concierge/genie to work things out for me, that I don't *have* to plan everything out. That's the real value to me. I was more commenting on the other poster's "wait on you hand and foot". It really isn't that - it's the ability to let go and just trust the staff to make things happen for you. For my job - I'm sort of that person within my field (technical professional services) - it's my responsibility to think of all the little things, plan and anticipate. It's just so nice to have it done for me once in a while!

We have our first YC booked for this coming October. We've sailed NCL Have, Royal Star Class and Virgin rockstar suites (mega upcoming) - so we'll have a broad comparison. We're embarking at Port Canaveral and it seems that's the port that had the bubbles before embarking - woohoo! It's not that I want to be waited on hand and foot - it's that my work is very stressful and I really just want to have the option to not think or plan. And I'm a planner. So knowing there's a butler to handle the small details and do all the little things I tend to handle for my family - now that's what I call a real vacation. Not to mention, I love having more space and a good balcony.

We recently sailed in the Ultimate Panoramic suite on RC Oasis - it has no balcony but 270 degrees of wall to floor glass. I was worried I'd miss the balcony but it was instead one of the most breath taking cabins I've stayed in to date. It also had a second bathroom! 10/10 would sail again. But it's only on the Oasis and the ship will no longer be in Florida by her birthday. We're just trying for a quick getaway. I'm pretty thrilled about the 2nd bathroom. We have an upcoming cruise on the Scarlet Lady that includes a 2nd bathroom as well. People underestimate how nice that can be. And yeah, we bounce around cruise lines. I like to try all the different things! I will say, the teens did NOT turn down New Year's in Iceland so they're not completely ditching us yet.

This is all helpful! We have sailed in the 2 bedroom Haven suite, but on a smaller ship without a Haven restaurant. We just booked the Duplex suite on Meraviglia, as we're only bringing one of our 3 kids with us. Our teens no longer want to cruise with us! It's good to hear the YC restaurant is so good, because I was just starting to review specialty dining. I'm over tepan style cooking on a ship and don't eat red meat - so some of it was already off my list. My daughter is incredibly picky but will be happy all day long on fresh fruit, pizza and plain pasta - all I'm sure readily available. From what I gather the chocolate shop and gelato are extra - are there any other extra charges beyond specialty dining, excursions, spa (ie the expected extras)?

Can you illustrated what was better in Haven and what was better in Yacht Club? I'm eyeballing a Duplex suite on Meraviglia for my daughter's 7th birthday.

Following! I've sailed NCL Haven and Royal Star Class - am about to book Yacht Club and looking for information on what's similar/different!

I've sailed both and I'd say you have a pretty accurate and thorough review. I find that you have to be organized and scheduled on the Oasis and I loved that there was a lot more of a "go with the flow" atmosphere on Virgin. The entertainment is more spontaneous and you sort of have to just be out and about and willing to pivot. Since I don't really love being scheduled, this works for me. I do love that Oasis has some interesting neighborhoods but my biggest complaint about the ship is that everything opens inwards. Unless you have a balcony, the there are very few ocean views on the ship. Scarlet Lady has a lot more ocean view spaces. Like you, I'll sail them both! I have kids so it's Royal when we travel as a family and Virgin when my husband and I get to escape.