BoundForSea

I’ve said all along, especially since my last sailing out of PC, that the front line supervisors and managers on these US ships are awful. Systemic problems like this come from lack of leadership and a culture that is lazy and has no accountability or controls from above. I also believe there is a massive staff shortage, I witnessed it first hand in Feb/Mar out of POC. if you have employees cutting corners and not doing the job properly then it’s either training or accountability or both. I believe it’s both. I can’t put my finger on it but my experience is that the 3/4 night cruises out of POC are always the worst. I think it’s a combination of a few things but I think the crew shortage combined with quick turn arounds is a recipe for failure. Well, yet again MSC despite their efforts to improve has proved to be their own worst enemy

Thanks all. Looks like Aurea will work. Plus you get the little secluded sun deck area. Which dining room on Mera does Aurea use?

Simply… NO

You just can’t make this stuff up on here. 🙄 😆 Sometimes I come here for the entertainment NGL. oh yeah, and while I’m here, do you think someone in here can give me a review out of NYC??

I was gonna make a really funny comment from that, but I can't .. I'm laughing inside though!!! All I can say, is those poor towel animals 😥 Limes thats it, man thats like amazing, it was "Sorry we are out of Vodka and Rum" but we have Heineken. I could have sold little red packets of Heinz and made a killing that week. -

The food hall concept on Prima and with VV is the future and if Done right like with NCL Prima it’s a great alternative.

We were on a 4/3 b2b out of PC on Mera last week of Feb into March. We were in YC and saw some things that are mostly just post covid cutbacks but only a few zonks which were quickly rectified by management. Oh and they need more staff. Who doesn’t. We spoke to 4 couples who were not in YC. All of them (new to MSC and veteran MSC) had stories of some really serious issues with lack of provisions in terms of alcohol and food on board. Like not small ones, ketsup was hard to come by. Drink lines were ridiculous and greater than 15 min throughout the ship and when you got there there was very very limited selections. On OC the same issues were prevalent. Food quality on board and on OC was an issue for all four couples as well. Cold, and just sub par. I’ve been reading very very closely the blogs and reports coming back from NY clients on here and there doesn’t seem to be any mention of these issues continuing which means they’ve gotten on the front side of them. I followed @JamieLogical and she was on for a b2b and never once that I recall had or observed and reported any of the serious issues we heard about on board and witnessed. There is a new VP of North American Ops. The previous is no longer with the company, and I think there are some pretty significant changes afoot. please keep reporting as you cruise. Specifics and details are great that way we all can monitor and track how the real time product is coming along. I think it’s moving in the right direction. FL ports and operations may have some delay and Ive said this before, you’re going to get a different product on a 3/4 ni out of FL that a 7ni. It’s just not going to be the same quality. That isn’t just true for this cruise line. It’s just a reality.

Hi gang, So as many times as we’ve been on MSC the DW and I have not sailed out of YC, so need some feedback from you all. I am planning a week out of NY this summer in 2 balconies w/ Single Supps as a long overdue belated Moms day week gift from her only son. Meraviglia specifically Im trying to choose between Bella, Fantastica, and Aurea. What’s most important tk me here is Dining arrangements and how it all works among the three. Can you guys please tell me realistically (recently over last year if possible) how the different levels affect what dining rooms you dine, dining times and flexibility, and most of all ability to just choose a table of 2 (without a waitlist) instead of group table style dining? I’ve read there are main dining rooms that the tables are literally 6” apart from one another. How does one avoid that (if at all) bc at that point we may as well all be at the same table! LOL (y’all will have to hear my mom and I do our Italian American lively banter and bickering. Haha). Thanks all!

Mscexistingreservations- Give it realistically one week maybe two, it’s about how long I’ve experienced with that department, I also never gotten a response a few times when I’ve had discount document verifications done for clients, they just do it and not respond.

If you book a cabin with a single supplement, if you add a drink package, do they charge you the single per person per day amount, or do they tack on the cost of a ‘second guest’ as a single supplement to the package per day? ex. Drink Package 79$per person per day Do you get charged 79/ni or 158/ni as a solo? Thanks.

Well I’ve been following daily. I’ve followed our pro cruise blogger for as long as she has been posting. I share a lot of her cruise vibes. Anyway I share that because I just have to say knowing what she and her husband are used to, and like, I was very concerned after myself being on MSC 7 times since 2018. I sadly have to say it’s been a downhill slide since Feb 2020 and Covid. Like not a shallow slide, an avalanche or rock slide. I was on a b2b from last week Feb from Canaveral. Total 7 ni. After what the experience was down there I had serious doubts this cruise line would just get destroyed by the NY market which is a well traveled tough market to make it in. Well I can’t believe my MSC friends based on Jamie, who I trust how they completely turned it around and pulled out all the stops to fix the product and most of the flaws. Wow. I mean like a Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide transformation 180degrees. So someone give those bar servers and waiters and cabin hosts and staff a big high five man. My last words to management before I stepped off, was advice that you all need to fix your sh*t or you’re gonna get destroyed by the passengers from home (I’m from NY Metro area) that don’t stand for bullsh*t and lousy service and on and on. Good on them. Now I feel safe to try and book on Mera again from here. I really also think that the 4ni and 3ni voyages from FL kick the staffs butts. It’s a different crowd and vibe than a 7+ ni. We combined 4+3 because we were locked into that week for work. anyway big 🙌👊 to the crew and you Jamie. Mad respect btw for your ability to max out the bev package. Always a little jelly!! Haha. I’ll be following and enjoying from home. Have a great rest of your cruise. For those reading my little book, trust me this is huge and it’s a big turn for MSC. Maybe they’re finally getting it.

I just found out (well more accurately was told by a reliable source) that there was a decision just very recently to drop groups at NCL. If this is in fact the case, that’s a huge deal. There’s a lot of speculative inventory sold at 2020 Covid pricing out there. (Like hedging gas prices) I just recently booked a client on a 7ni in Greece using group space, 3k$ lower than the prevailing rate! Almost 40% lower. I think the next couple years at NCL are going to be very interesting. I just don’t have a warm and fuzzy about it. I hope I’m wrong. If I find written Conf of the groups I’ll for sure share it. If anyone else has it please share. Groups is mostly an agent thing, many retail customers may not be aware of the huge benefits it pays out. Probably equates to too much lost revenue, however they will lose a lot of market share if it is in fact what they’re doing. Time will tell.

I really have come to a realization that the ‘Non YC’ experience is MUCH better when you get out of the MSC North American product. I really think the quality is 400% better. What I see on posts here consistently out of EU and GB is so much better than what FL passengers (and soon to be NY) have to endure. After my last YC experience out of FL I really think we need to do a Balcony over the pond. I think that’s the answer.

Well said sir! As I said in my post, Kevin was more of the people person, the guy that could see it from our perspective, he was the father of Freestyle Cruising and the BA class was truly a breakthrough in design in 2013. FDR was a money guy, he took free square footage and space like Spice H20, Free Ropes Courses, and alot of top side sun deck space and monetized it- A lot more Vibe space and less free deck space, VR, Race Cars, etc on Encore. The changes from Bliss to Encore were all him. The Haven was a great concept and an industry leading concept. While Sheehan made it profitable, FDR executed on its popularity and created ALOT of demand through quality and put his Oceania experience to work and bam- The price of Haven from 2015 to now has doubled and more. Like you said David, the client base really didn’t flinch. You still get outstanding food quality clean, modern, and well maintained ships and a great experience, that’s why nobody flinched. Good on him. I wish I can go back to 2015 on BA out of NY here, I can’t so I just have to embrace the “change”.

You all are going to miss FDR. I’ve been told by reputable people Somner is going to have everyone wishing he was back again. NCL still IMHO has maintained a consistent quality and product through the years. ALL of cruising has taken a down turn for the customer’s dollar. ALL. I believe that is a trend that will continue partly due to economics in the world and party due to some pretty drastic generational changes. that said NCL charges a bit more but when you walk off the ship you got a solid NCL experience. IMHO it exceeds RCI and many times Celebrity and Princess, and ALL the time by a landslide CCL and MSC (esp MSC lately- good lord!) There is a definite culture and distinct vibe to NCL. NCL has put safety first way way more than Carnival Corporation. They invest in safety. Their safety cultural is palpable. That is something you don’t see. Kevin Sheehan, while turning out to be an HR nightmare, was a CEO that realized that revenue will follow when you set up a great consistent product with a definable brand and culture to it. He designed Breakaway with those concepts in mind. He knew how to put himself in the passenger’s seat and see the experience from our perspective. He put Customer Service first and believed that the revenue would follow. It did. Much of FDR’s success for the years all the way to Encore was built by Sheehan and FDR capitalized on the profitability of the brand. FDR also made ALOT of money personally from this cruise line, more than any other CEO before, during, and after Covid. An obscene amount of money, but more power to him. His story as an Cuban immigrant is pretty amazing. FDR put a new approach in place post Encore. The Indulge Food Hall on Prima and Viva are great examples. Entertainment changes and Virtual Reality and Go Carts, all 100% FDR. The food hall is the future. The buffet will be a thing of the past and much sooner than later. I really hope they don’t lose their way and hope Somner doesn’t turn this into a plain lifeless money making widget.

Previously known as what you got normally with “Free at Sea” in 2017?

Well there’s where all the snacks are hiding!! I hope you guys grabbed a can for me!! 😂 We had none of those in Port Canaveral on boarding this month or on Ocean Cay in the cabanas (where they usually bring them). None in the room either. I did however manage to get my hands on a few cans that I have stashed away here at home! Enjoy this amazing ship and voyage guys!

I love your future plans in your signature. Well chosen! Especially that 42ni from Malta on Marina. That will be an amazing time.

Just got off of Mera from a 4 and 3 back to back. Never again. This was our 8th YC sailing. The service from butlers (room change) was non-existent. The Cabana on OC was no longer worth the money (compared to 2019, 2020, 2021). Service was horrible there as well. Might as well get a Cabana for half the money elsewhere on the island for just the cabana itself, or go with umbrellas again on YC Beach. The differences on a 7+ night and these 3/4 are like night and day. I agree, they need to dump the 3/4 day cruises. This was the last one we do. We fly from New England and add a Disney night to it but no more. The Restaurant experience was ok. Like a lot of the food some dishes like pastas and Italian classics are just great, then there are complete Epic fails. Service was what I’d consider a 5/10 for Yacht Club based on the bookends of a 10 and a 0 we’ve experienced in the past. The menu offerings were very weak. There is a serious staff shortage in the Top Sail and up on Deck 19 during Breakfast and Lunch. One server on 19 for a packed house for breakfast every day. She ran around and was completely overwhelmed. Same in Top Sail, one server/Butler when there used to be a few. Most people get their own drinks at the bar now. Bar stock was not horrible but certainty lacked some staples. The stories we heard from other guests not in YC were absolutely dreadful. 30 minute lines at bars and then there’s next to no liquor available, no Ketchup and other food staples available. The Jean Philippe was completely out of truffles and items to buy. The Pub had only one or two draft beers and very few non domestic bottles. Heineken was only available by last night. Concierge staff on there two weeks ago just absolutely incredible. Here is my take on Craig… I attempted to request discreetly from him a time to share my feedback as a repeat guest and Travel Partner (Travel Agent). He repeatedly told me he didn’t have time and by the end of the voyage, he never took the time to discuss with me some critical issues that will now result in me no longer recommending MSC to any clients or friends. I will now only sail on 7+ night sailings in YC, probably 9+ on Divina if Caribbean and 9+ nights in Europe in YC. I think that is the only way to experience a quality product we are used to from 2019-2020 and summer of ‘21 (granted there were only 400 of us on Divina total). This isn’t just MSC either. Celebrity and Princess are having struggles with the quality of their product as well. I think if you are a YC guest, and you truly appreciate that level of service we’ve come to know, you (and I) should look to Luxury small ship lines like Oceania, Seabourne, SilverSea, Regent, and some others. Listen gang, the product isn’t what it used to be. I think many of us veteran YC guests should look to what I mentioned here for that level of quality- 9+ nights in YC (Divina class) over here or just 9+ nights in YC in Europe (and other areas of the world). The other option is to just wait a year or two for what I think is a very unique and rough place for cruising. Then again MSC never fails to be their own worst enemy and tip over themselves and I think we see a lot of that now. The thing about MSC that’s frustrating is they have the cash to make the product as great as it can be. The don’t flinch at spending hundreds of millions on ships and the largest terminal in Port of Miami history- but then trying to get that financial support to the human capital and quality of service on the front lines just breaks down completely. They have the ability to be the best, they struggle to execute.

Vishnu is now a Concierge (in training). He was just outstanding and made our week just incredible despite the challenges. He will hopefully be mentoring and guiding the new Butlers. Please if you guys see him treat him well, he is one of the good ones for sure, a true diamond in the rough. A real gentleman.

The YC Director on a No America ship this week is more interested in ‘mingling’ with the single female guests than solving any problems. I plan on writing an entire thread, however my attempts to meet with him have been put off and it’s been excuse after excuse. So agreed with the member whom I quoted that’s exactly what’s going on, it’s a Shell game at the Director level, however the staff and crew are just beyond amazing and will go to the ends of the earth for us. Problems aren’t being solved by this young man, rather the deflection of your attention technique and all is well happy smiles takes the place of real action. I’ve seen this directly this week in a big way as well. This week the YC was packed. Well above and beyond that of YC capacity. There are clearly also those that come in unchallenged and the crew chooses not to engage them, in my opinion out of fear of being reprimanded, so they look the other way. Another epic failure of the Director level of leadership on board. I’m convinced this is the failure point for most of MSC’s issues with the on board product. That’s a cultural problem, and a serious organizational health issues, which is not at all easily or quickly corrected.

More true words were never spoken!

Thanks all. Very inconsistent. Not surprised. Well doesn’t hurt to ask. Worst they can say is no.

I think it’s more about the Nostalgia than the taste by far!

Ok if you’re an OG on this board and from YC you know the significance of my question! If not, just move on, probably not worth the read!! Haha. -Last September they had them at the YC lounge area in PCanav, so I smuggled a bunch back to the room fridge! I told the butler who has been around a while and he really laughed and said he wouldn’t touch them!! Have there been sightings?