GenerationX

Respectfully I think the choice may be more about individual vacation budgets and style taste, which can very greatly from person to person. I think many who are following this review are others like me who are new to MSC but have been Celebrity Cruises regulars and I don’t think there is much question that the non-YC experience on MSC is very different from Celebrity, even in Celebrity’s lower priced cabin classes (which I’ve also sailed extensively). Not to say there’s anything wrong with those differences, they just may not be everyone’s cup of tea. For example, I don’t particularly enjoy clapping and sing at dinner every night, I’d rather not do the Macarena at the start of the evening show (though I did to be a good sport) and I prefer not to have to wait 15 minutes for an elevator or be crammed shoulder to shoulder with no open seats in sight when trying to watch the live music in many venues. But there are many who aren’t bothered by and/or enjoy those things and yes, I agree, MSC’s non-YC product may be a great fit for those cruisers. It’s just that those things aren’t part of the experience at any stateroom class on certain other cruise lines (e.g. Celebrity, or as I understand it, HAL and Princess) so my intent has only been to make clear for those accustomed to and who enjoy the atmosphere on those lines, MSC outside of YC may not be the best fit. Or to use your air travel analogy, there’s significant differences between economy class on American Airlines and economy class on Southwest Airlines even though both can get you from St Louis to Miami safely, and there are travelers who avoid one or the other due to their particular tastes. Just because the report on said economy differences happens to be given by a passenger flying in first class, doesn’t necessarily mean that those differences in the economy experience don’t exist. In the same vein I probably wouldn’t recommend Yacht Club to someone who’s go to vacation is sailing on Silversea or Ritz-Carlton or chartering a private yacht. Just because YC is probably not going to be an enjoyable trip for those travelers (because they have very different preferences and expectations), doesn’t mean YC isn’t a great product. It’s an interesting point you make though about the financial success of the line and what volume of that is attributable to premium vs. non-premium cabins. I’ve actually always been curious to see how those numbers actually shake out in terms of stateroom class and revenue/profit generation per cruise for the various ships/lines and if you have more info on it I’d be really interested to read about it! I’ve kind of figured that these premium cabins must be a real golden goose in a way that the lower end cabins aren’t, because it seems like as all the mass lines are rolling out new ships, they’re adding more and more of the premium cabins and expanding and heavily marketing their “ship within a ship” concepts. But sorry I’m starting to carry on. I just wanted to clarify that I certainly don’t mean to suggest that NO ONE should sail MSC outside of YC. Just that it may not be to the taste of everyone.

Good morning from Ocean Cay! I can’t believe it’s already our last full day of the cruise. 😭 But it’s far too early for end of cruise depression. Let’s talk some about the rest of our day yesterday. Yesterday afternoon Gen Z and I tried out more of the “kid” offerings on Seascape. With a good number of people in port for the day, it was a perfect opportunity to do so without worrying about any lines or waits. First Gen Z tried the Robotron ride. This is an additional cost activity (I believe each ride is $10) but the fun pass funds can be used for it. She tried to convince me to get on with her, but I wanted to keep my delicious pancakes in my stomach where they were happily sat. The ride has 3 different operating speeds that riders can choose from (slow, medium or fast). Gen Z decided to go straight to the head and picked fast The ride operator scanned our card, gave me a release to sign, let Gen Z on the ride (there was no line and she was the only rider) and secured her harness. He went back to the computer to check the ride was green light to launch while I stepped over to take a photo of the ride operating hours for future reference. When I turned back around I saw that Gen Z was on the ride in full operation, spinning and dangling upside down, etc. while shrieking with delight, but the attendant had just pushed the start button and walked away and had his back completely to the ride. He then proceeded to spend a few minutes at the side of the ship taking himself some nice pics of the scenic sail into Nassau with his personal cell phone! I have never on any cruise on any line seen a crew member on their personal phone while on duty and I presumed it was a big no no. I also know these rides are designed to be pretty fail proof, but the lawyer in me thinks “they’re fail proof till they aren’t and that’s how the personal injury attorneys pay for their Gulfstreams”. If something had started to go wrong or my child had panicked or gotten sick, the mama bear in me was fully prepared to shove Mr. Instagram Content out of my way (right over the rail he was leaning over to get his perfect Bahamas shot if necessary) and push the emergency stop button on that ride myself. I’m debating whether this incident is one worthy of reporting to someone. I don’t want to be a complainer but it just struck me as at worst unsafe and at best very unprofessional. Gen Z came off perfectly fine though and asked when she could go on it again. (I resisted the urge to say “never”.) After Robotron we did a different game in the virtual reality theater (there are 4 different ones to choose from) then changed into swimsuits and hit the one pool for a little bit and had a light snack from the lunch buffet (we didn’t want to ruin appetites for our early dinner) before heading to check out the water slides. On Seascape, there is really no good place near the the water slides/park to keep personal items, so I dropped everything but our YC smart wristbands (which are waterproof and could open the YC access and cabin doors for us) in our room before we went to the slides. Before you can use the slides you have to sign a release and get a wristband (at a station on deck 18 by the Pirate Cove water play area where the inner tube slide lets out). This is also where you get your tubes for said inner tube slide. I did go down all 3 water slides (starboard, port and the one inside the Pirate Cove play area) solely for the sake of this review, of course. My personal favorite was the tube slide, which featured lights and music inside and a solid shriek inducing final drop. When I took Gen Z up to one of the slides for the first time, while we were waiting for the last rider to clear the slide so that Gen Z was safe to launch, I smiled at the attendant and asked how he was doing today. His face lit up and he said “oh! You are so kind! Nobody ever asks me this!” I felt so bad for the guy. I know tipping above the included gratuities can be a contentious topic, but it costs nothing to make a point to smile and be caring and gracious with one’s words and it seems like it’s greatly appreciated by the crew. As Gen Z was riding her slides, I looked out past them at the Nassau bay and saw a gorgeous mega yacht cruising by. I couldn’t help but think of how THOSE passengers were spending their afternoon. Likely sipping Perrier Jouet and snacking on caviar while lounging peacefully in the sun. Meanwhile there I was looking like an over fed and drowned rat standing around holding flip flops and a Finding Nemo sunguard shirt onboard Six Flags of the Seas…I briefly regretted not following in the footsteps of some of my sorority sisters and skipping law school to marry for second, trophy wife money. After Gen Z slid herself silly, it was time to shower and dress for dinner at Butcher’s Cut with our Austrian friends. Charles was assigned to helping YC guests back onboard at our reservation time, so he arranged for another butler to escort us all down to the restaurant. I think in terms of food quality, it may have been our best meal of the cruise. The restaurant is a la carte and the steaks are a bit pricey, but our total check was about what I pay for cover charge for Gen Z and I for the Tuscan Grille steak specialty restaurant on Celebrity. They also have a very reasonably priced kids menu. Gen Z had an entree from said kids menu and also split my ribeye with me (no way could I take down 20 ounces of steak solo). The steak came with one side and I ordered the smoked mashed potatoes that turned out to be heavenly. We also started with a ceaesar salad and shrimp cocktail. It was hard paying $30 for starters I can get everyday for free on Celebrity but they were very good. For dessert we both had an incredible warm, rich chocolate lava cake. The star of the meal though was that ribeye. It put every steak I’ve ever eaten on Celebrity, and some I’ve had at steakhouses on land to shame. Dry aged. Impeccable sear, cooked to medium rare perfection. Melted in the mouth. Our server Marvin was quick and attentive and never let our wine glasses get to empty. After dinner the kids went to watch a movie in kids club and the adults went to check out some entertainment in the main ship. We started with champagne cocktails and live sax in the atrium and then headed back to le cabaret rouge. The venue is NOT cover charge on this ship, but the Austrian parents told me that they have been on other MSC ships where there was a fee to enter but it came with a free cocktail of some type. The first act was a great band with a lead vocalist from Australia with a beautiful voice. They did a great mix of classic rock and soul. This was also the first time I experienced some of the more outrageous behavior by other passengers that I’ve occasionally read about in MSC reviews. It was about 9:45 at night, and a family including parents, teenagers and small children had decided to use an entire side of this lounge venue (which again was open, occupied and in the middle of a very nice live music performance) to play a running and screaming intensive game of tag and hide and seek. To our shock, the adults were as actively engaged in running and screaming as the kids! It got to the point where it was distracting the band and the lead singer commented on how many “lively kids we seem to have in the audience tonight.” I totally get the need for exertion and play for young kids, but there’s a time and place for everything and that was neither the time nor the place. The band set was followed by a one-man juggling act that just didn’t seem big enough for the room, and lost our interest pretty quickly, so between that and being in the middle of that family’s self designated playground, we went back to the atrium for the jazz duo performance. After the jazz performance ended we picked up the kids and made a stop by the Latin dance party until the humidity got us then headed back towards yacht club. Who was standing at the door waiting to greet me? You guessed it, Charles. I’m beginning to think that YC wristlet has some kind of technology that tells Charles where I am and my blood alcohol level at all times. When I came through the door he tisked disapprovingly at my nearly empty champagne flute and insisted that Austrian mom and I each take his arm at each side so he could escort us to Top Sail for one last refill to take to bed. We’ve just finished having some fruit and yogurt for breakfast and are about to head in to our cabana on Ocean Cay. More to come later this afternoon as I slam aperol spritzes and take breaks from packing.

Thank you! I would be very interested in seeing and participating in this discussion! I agree there are probably quite a few relatively easy/lower costs improvements Celebrity could make to stay more competitive. The in-room espresso machines and an full espresso service at the Retreat lounge and pool come to mind. I will keep an eye out for this thread on the Celebrity board.

Good morning from our sail into Nassau! While Gen Z slept off the pajama party in the kids club I took in the sea breeze on our veranda. Another perk of YC: the espresso machine! On Celebrity, I’ve only had access to self help caffeine sailing in Celebrity Suites or higher. Last night we had an early Italian Night dinner in YC with our Austrian friends. Gen Z went with her favorite again and had grilled salmon from the adult menu and chicken nuggets and fries from the kids menu. I started with the mixed fried seafood (which was much better than it was on Divina) then had the lamb chops and the asparagus risotto. The lamb chops were more done than I like but tender and the red wine sauce on them was very good. The risotto was a little under seasoned but nothing a little salt and pepper and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan couldn’t fix. Our server, Benedict was great with the kids and made them some origami animals to entertain them between courses. For dessert Gen Z had ice cream and I had the lemon cake with limoncello cream…with ice cream on the side. The adults finished up the meal with a round of limoncello…ok fine, TWO rounds of limoncello. Then we took the kids to the PJ party and came back to the Top Sail to listen to some music and have more, you guessed it, limoncello. (Hey, it was Italian night. When in Roma…) We’ve had live music in Top Sail every night from around 5:30 till 11pm. It’s been the same gentleman who plays guitar and piano and sings, but he’s very talented and has done great diverse sets. Because the restaurant balcony overlooks the lounge you can hear him playing at dinner when the restaurant isn’t crowded which adds to the ambience for me. When Gen Z and I got back to the room, she was halfway into fresh pajamas when she told me her stomach was growling (after all that dinner, growth spurt strikes again) and asked about getting pizza from the buffet. As I walked back past the concierge desk to go fulfill this request, the concierge asked if Gen Z forgot something at kids club. When I told her where I was going she said “oh no madam, please let me call and have them make one fresh for you and we’ll bring it to your room right away.” 15 minutes later it was fresh hot brick oven pizza in pajamas in bed…this child is being spoiled beyond belief. Gen Z and I are taking Nassau as a bonus sea day and won’t be going into port. We’re just finishing a late breakfast at the one pool bar (the pool does breakfast till 10am thankfully, and the made to order pancakes are perfection) then she wants to try out the Robotron ride and look in the Lego shop onboard. After lunch, we plan to meet up with a couple of other YC families to take the kids to try and check out the water park and water slides while people are in port and it may be less crowded (and we’ll hopefully get less hissing from the villagers at our yacht club wristbands and towels). Then Gen Z is going to the afternoon kids club session while I enjoy the pool. Then we’re having an early dinner in Butcher’s Cut specialty with our Austrian friends. Happy Friday!

I completely agree with this observation. As it currently stands, even if/when YC and Retreat are evenly priced, Retreat is becoming a tougher sell for me because I feel like I’m getting less amenities for the same money. It’s even tougher to convince myself to pay 50-100% more to get less, even though I do enjoy the other non suite areas of the ship on Celebrity.much more. I know Celebrity is dealing with financial recovery challenges that MSC isn’t, so it may not be feasible financially, but just expanding options to open Luminae for lunch on port days and offer some time of breakfast on the retreat pool deck would make a big difference. I think Celebrity’s original thinking was that demand for those types of options wouldn’t be high enough to justify cost, but especially on E class and the revolutionized ships where the number of suites has been increased (and are regularly being sold out do to move ups), it may be time to reassess that thinking. I am proceeding with caution though as my MSC TA has cautioned that MSC may be proceeding down a similar path regarding volume of space/amenities for YC guests vs. number of guests. She is hearing that on the new World class ships being built, the number of YC cabins is being increased significantly, but the square footage of the lounge, restaurant and pool deck is staying fairly consistent with Seascape. I’m currently booked on one of the first Caribbean sailings for the World America in April 2025 (oops! Spoiler!) so will get to see first hand how it’s working out. My agent got me a good price (several thousand dollars less than the current pricing for Retreat on Ascent for the same week), so even if it turns out to be less of an experience than what I’m starting to come to expect from YC I don’t think I’ll be too put out.

Thank you! Yes I think if Celebrity is your preferred “vibe” for cruising, you would definitely want to be in YC on MSC. Based on my conversations with MSC regulars , the Aurea “spa class” on MSC doesn’t come close to Aqua on Celebrity. Everyone I’ve spoken to in the club on this cruise has agreed on how very different the experience and service level is between YC and the rest of the ship. I haven’t experienced it personally, but a few people have even shared accounts of non YC crew being apathetic, dismissive and/or downright rude. One man from the UK who said he’s done a number of cruises but was on his first MSC said to me “when we’re in Yacht Club I feel like I’m on Celebrity, then we go out the club doors and it’s like we just switched ships to Costa or Carnival.” I’ve never sailed on either of those lines so can’t comment on the accuracy of the statement, but I agree it really is different.

Quick Update from Seafood Extravaganza lunch buffet on Seascape: This is one of those places where, sorry Celebrity, there is no comparison. I believe there is a passenger who sailed in YC on Seascape about a month ago who is being very vocal right now on social media about there being a serious issue with non-YC guests crashing in the YC on Seascape and staff being unable/willing to address the problem. I certainly can’t speak to what went on on other sailings. However, when we got to the deck for lunch (after Gen Z got her junior environmental ambassador award in kids club, which was personally signed by the captain, and had a Virtual Reality theater play date) I noticed a stronger presence of butlers and officers on the pool deck and I didn’t see many people who I don’t recognize from the past few days. There have been no lines or waits to get through the buffet, plenty of everything stocked and loungers and tables were plentiful. Honestly the only thing I saw that may not belong was some guest’s Bluetooth boom box parked and cranking out tunes next to the pool. I don’t know the rule on MSC but that’s definitely a no no on Celebrity. Perhaps the crashing issue had been seen and MSC is now actively working to address it. The deck was busier than it’s been at lunch on other days, but no busier than I’d expect when over 300 people are all offered free lobster and a pool with no port in sight. BTW, I was happy with all the seafood. I don’t know how you make lobster tails in bulk like that without over or under cooking it, but they pulled it off somehow. However, the suckling pig and roasted chicken were also right on par with it and shouldn’t be ignored. Just as we were thinking we couldn’t eat anymore, who appeared with the tray of afternoon gelato service, but our own Charles! The pool, buffet and bar staff are all working their afts off today and somehow managing to do so in amazing spirits. Now I’m going to do my best to ignore the teatime snacks that just replaced all the shellfish.

I did book it through MSC. I did notice that closer to my sail date, a few more excursion options popped up in the cruise planner, so if you’re sailing in September maybe check again at the end of this month? Here’s the title and code for our excursion if it helps. Overall though, I think for me MSC doesn’t have the same volume/variety of excursion options that Celebrity offers. But MSC’s non-sale excursion pricing is a little better.

I saw that FB post too. My personal experience is that I haven’t had an issue finding pool or lounge space or had long waits for anything in YC and I’m seeing mostly familiar faces. Today is the seafood lunch and I’ve noticed a lot more butler, officer and security presence on the pool deck even this morning, I suspect it’s to address this very issue. I will say that on the first sea day while I was laying on a lounger I saw an unfamiliar couple walk onto the pool deck via a side staircase near me through a gate that didn’t have a lock. A pool attendant almost immediately approached them and asked very respectfully if they were YC. When they were confirmed not to be, they were immediately and politely asked to leave. What really triggered me was that as they were walking away I heard them accuse the poor pool attendant of only questioning whether they belonged in YC because of their race. As a member of the same minority group as the crashing couple who hasn’t had a single issue with such questioning, and neither have any of the other diverse YC guests that I’ve met so far (because it seems the staff seems learns incredibly quickly who belongs and who’s a random new face), I felt so bad for the crew member and went over to thank him for doing his job and added him to my end of cruise tip envelope list. Having experienced my fair share of true racism and prejudice (thus far never on an MSC or Celebrity ship), it’s an issue I take very seriously and it’s sadly still a very real issue in the world, and it really makes me mad when people like that throw such a serious allegation around when they know they’re in the wrong to begin with.

Good morning from our second sea day! Gen Z is at morning kids club session (she said something about a junior environmental ambassadors training, I’m all for it) so I’m starting my day poolside the rum punch way. Much like the Retreat deck on Celebrity, while there are plenty of loungers, shade is in limited supply at the One Pool. Why do these ship designers think the suite demographic wants to bake ourselves to oblivion??? Today the YC staff have put a bandaid on the situation by putting pop up tents around some of the sitting areas for more shade. I’m currently stationed in one said canopy area. Last night was Notte Bianca (aka “white night”). For my fellow MSC newbies, this white dress night is a staple part of the agenda on MSC cruises (and unlike Celebrity’s white night attempts, is heavily observed). I only knew about it before my Divina cruise thanks to Dream Cruises episodes (still salty that was pulled from my DirectTV subscription), so I’m passing along the heads up so that folks can pack accordingly. When I started to study Italian recently, I learned that Notte Bianca is not only a literal translation to “white night” but also a saying in Italy for a night that never ends and a party that goes till the next day. For those that followed my Divina review, you may remember that this party to end all parties took me almost 36 hours to fully recover from. When I found out that on Seascape, there’s also a separate, private white night party for Yacht Club, I was super excited to see what the VIP version would be like. For some reason I envisioned ice sculptures, go go dancers from the entertainment team on mini stages around the one pool, champagne fountains, Belvedere martinis towers, white confetti cannons, etc. with Seascape’s “wealthy elite” reveling gratuitously in their luxury few can afford. You know, something reminiscent of the “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” scene from the Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby (look it up on YouTube if you haven’t seen it). Instead, after dinner when we got to the one pool deck, we were greeted with a single white pop up tent with a DJ under it, minimal decor, a couple of disco lights, a small buffet of sweets, and most of the population of the YC snuggled comfortably in poolside chairs with not a thought of dancing to the (pretty good) music. All of the butlers were out and about and between drink service several joined the handful of kids in YC in dancing to a couple of songs, but I think I was one of maybe 3 guests over the age of 14 who ever hit the dance floor. Gen Z did seem to have a blast with her little friends and it was fun to cut loose a little with the YC staff. Still, when the YC party started to wrap up at like 10pm (what???) I couldn’t help but look at my Mini Me and channel my best Jack Dawson and smirk and said: “so, you wanna go to a REAL party?” After a quick gelato stop, we headed to deck 6 and the atrium where the main ship white night party was moved (from the main pool) due to approaching weather. It was 5 decks of white clad partiers of all ages and all of the best dance music from at least 3 continents. There were even dancers and jugglers on little stages I never noticed before in front of the video screens. THIS was the white night from Divina. Times Two. Gen Z and I danced it up until she said she had to go to bed because her feet were killing her (welcome to a woman’s world baby girl) then left a still roaring party a little before midnight. Before we partied, we fueled up with dinner at the Keito tepanyaki specialty restaurant. The food was on par with the hibachi restaurants we have in St. Louis and our total tab for the night ($86) was a little less than what we’d typically spend in STL. We had a wonderful server who went next door to butcher’s cut to get a bottle of champagne to serve me by the glass that was included in the yacht club package (the Keito wine list only showed a Prosecco by the glass). Gen Z loved the show aspect of the dinner, which really is what we mostly do hibachis for. It’s not the place to expect authentic top notch Japanese cuisine. For the sensory/autism spectrum folks following, if your kids have never done this type of dining before, I’d suggest taking them down to the restaurant first around 7:30/8pm and letting them see and hear it in full effect before you book just to make sure it will be a good fit. The walls are glass so you can see inside from the hallway and it’s loud enough you’ll get a good sense of the noise level without even going in. There’s A LOT of stimuli coming from all directions. Lots of clanging of metal on metal and unexpected random cheers and singing popping up from other tables. We brought Gen Z’s headphones along in case she needed them, but she ended up being fine. As you can see from the pics, she was also very happy with her kids steak dinner and sushi. Now that my sunscreen has set, I’m going to finish this rum punch and hop in the pool for a bit. Then I’ll be spending a little time on the MSC and Celebrity websites doing some price comparisons and emailing with my TA’s. I use separate TA’s for booking with Celebrity vs. MSC vs. land trips. It’s been my experience that TA’s are a lot like lawyers in that over time they become specialists in certain lines/experiences. I could probably draft you a passable will if I had to, but an estate specialist will be the lawyer who can really give you added value.) It’s about time for me to start planing my usual January/February solo cruise for 2024, and I must admit I’m more torn than ever. Will be interesting to see how the Aqua class vs. Retreat vs. YC numbers are shaking out.

I spent tea time today in Top Sail sat next to a completely abandoned apple juice on the rocks belonging to my cruising companion, who was approached by a new friend and fellow Fortnite enthusiast from Austria and invited to go the arcade, and promptly took the better date deal. Oh well, at least I had her company for the afternoon in Puerto Rico, report to come. While I only had myself for company, a wrote up little info about dinner last night. Gen Z’s tea time play date yesterday ran a little long, so by the time we showered, dressed and got to the restaurant it was almost 7:30. Charles once again appeared as we were on our way out of the room popping his white gloves on and asked if he could escort Gen Z up (while patiently listening to her go on and on about her new Lego rabbit). We’ve been eating more like 6pm when the restaurant is pretty quiet. At 7:30 it was very busy and we got one of the last couple of open tables. Service earlier has also been excellent, but this time the service had a few hiccups. Gen Z’s drink order never arrived despite asking a couple of times and I ordered both the prime rib and the lobster pasta for my main, but the pasta never came. The prime rib turned out to be plenty of (just as good as it was on Divina) food, so missing the pasta wasn’t a big deal. Gen Z had the filet mignon from the adult menu and was sopping up the sauce with her dinner roll after she finished the steak. My crab cake appetizer was also great and not skimpy on the king crab. I think going forward we’ll make a point of getting to an earlier dinner time in YC when the servers aren’t pulled in as many directions. After dinner, we went to check out the nightly “family friendly” main pool deck disco party before Gen Z went to kids club. I was half expecting Baby Shark and Cocomelon caliber entertainment (and was tempted to have an extra glass of wine at dinner to steel my nerves for the experience). It actually turned out to be a better dance party than some of the grown up night clubs I’ve been to. The moms on this ship got serious moves. That’s all I’m gonna say. Jumping back to present day…After I finished my solo tea this afternoon, I switched out with our Austrian friend’s mom on supervising the kids in the arcade. Both kids have the fun pass but Gen Z’s was getting low of funds. I offered to go reload it for her (we still have about $300 of OBC so I was happy to drop another $70 for my child’s happiness) but her friend said “oh no miss she was sharing her card with me before you came, I’ll share mine with her now.” When the kids went to cash in their tickets, a little Italian boy about 5 years old was near tears standing at the ticket counting machine with his big broth because the machine had just eaten some of his tickets without putting them on his voucher. Gen Z and her friend pulled an arm length of tickets off of the string they’d just won together and gave it to the upset little boy. The little boy’s teenage brother thanked the kids and a little later, when he won some tickets, gave them to Gen Z and her friend to thank them for being nice to his little brother…I’m beginning to think we should just go ahead and let these kids start running the world right now. My hope for the future is restored! Meanwhile, in the world of adult passenger behavior, while we were in the arcade, the captain came on the PA about 45 minutes after all aboard to say that we were still missing passengers. He said the ship had been in contact with them but they were still waiting to return a rental car and he said “I cannot make 5,000 people wait for 1 or 2 who are so late.” and that we’d be pulling our lines and leaving without them. Key takeaway: if you decide to venture out on your own in port, probably a good plan to schedule your day to be back at the ship AT LEAST an hour before all aboard (personally I try to plan for 2 hours before when going independent) to give yourself some wiggle room in case things take longer than expected. Unless you’re on a ship’s excursion that got delayed, the ship probably isn’t waiting for you. Gen Z and her friends are having their usual Lego hour in the lounge, then shortly we’ll go get dressed for our specialty dinner at the teppanyaki restaurant tonight.

I believe I did see some tables and chairs on one side of the deck with ash trays, but if I recall correctly they aren’t very near the pool and I haven’t noticed the smell of smoke thus far. I’ll be sure to take a closer look next time we’re up there.

Good Morning from Puerto Rico! It’s 10am and someone is already counting this as a best life day. We’ve figured out that the best time to hit the kids casino-oops I mean arcade-is first thing after breakfast on port days. There’s almost no one else there and no loud music playing. Much more sensory friendly. This morning, after breakfast in the YC restaurant, Gen Z hit a jackpot on one of the games that paid out over 500 tickets, which she cashed in for a Minecraft toy she’s had her eye on in the prize machine since we boarded. I haven’t seen her this happy since I woke her up on Saturday morning to fly out for the cruise. Our excursion today isn’t until the afternoon so after she claimed her prize, Gen Z asked to go to kids club for the morning PS5 gaming session. I’m having a little me time in the A/C with a mimosa in Top Sail enjoying the views of El Morro and trying to ignore the breakfast snacks display. Yesterday in the one pool I heard a guy complaining that this is his first MSC cruise and he “can never find any food on this ship”. I had to resist the urge to ask this gentleman if he had vision challenges. I think if you wanted, you could literally spend your entire yacht club day stuffing food in your mouth. I think the YC staff would also enthusiastically assist you in this effort with smiles on their faces and songs in their hearts. While I’m relaxing, a report on the rest of our day yesterday: Our DR excursion ticket packet (which Charles left on the bed at turndown the night before) said we were to assemble in Top Sail at 9:20am, so we ordered room service breakfast on the hang tag the night before and it arrived right on time. I didn’t eat much of mine because I was suffering from some heartburn due to excessive indulgence in richly sauced lobster, pasta and champagne the night before (life struggles of the yacht club bourgeoisie). After breakfast we packed our bag and headed to the lounge around 9am where Charles and the other butlers with guests on MSC excursions were waiting. Charles greeted us and found us a seat and got me a latte to sip till it was time for us to go down. He also gave us a few bottled waters to take in with us. I saw the butlers with guests doing beach excursions also giving their guests towels and bags for holding wet/sandy apparel on return. When it was time to head down, butlers escorted us in groups of about 10 at a time on locked out elevators and led the charge in taking us past lines of non-YC guests waiting to disembark. I’d read to be prepared for occasional comments from said guests on seeing themselves be bypassed by a guy in a tux leading a bunch of YC residents and it was sound advice. At one point poor Gen Z said “mommy I think that man back there is mad at us.” I responded “He’s not mad at us, honey. He’s mad at the system.” I thought the YC service would end once we scanned our cards to get off the ship, but nope! A butler walked us all the way down the pier to the port area where somehow, out of a sea of sun and humanity, who pops up at my shoulder but Charles! He told Gen Z and I to stand off to the side in the shade and feel free to use the facilities if we needed them (Gen Z did) and he’d go find the rendezvous point for our excursion and then escort us there. Once we were deposited with our excursion group (with a few looks from the other passengers wondering what was up with our tuxed escort), we had to wait about 10 minutes for other excursion guests then we were lead off to our bus. I did a land vacation to the beach in Punta Cana DR just a couple of weeks ago so I decided with this stop it would be good to see more of the interior of the island. Our excursion was a tour of Isabel de Torres mountain and downtown Punta Cana. The bus was an open air jeep (no A/C) and it was a very hot day. I was glad I’d packed a couple of small $4 battery operated hand fans. Once the bus was moving the breezes kept us cool, especially as we got up the mountain, but while we were stopped it was pretty stifling. The views during the 45 minute drive up the mountain were breathtaking in many places. In others, it was a stark reminder of the differences in lifestyle between the haves and have nots in the DR. In between beautiful mountainside mansions were small farms with mud yards, no glass in the windows and rooftop rain collection barrels for water supply. I always struggle with the conflict between wanting to be respectful of avoiding being a poverty tourist but also wanting to raise Gen Z aware of the privileges and opportunities that she has been blessed with and that so many others don’t receive. Sorry, I digress. Anyway, at the top of the mountain our guide gave us a nice (but hot, bless those mini fans and Charles’s water bottles!) walking tour of the trails through the jungle pointing out different local plants and telling us how Dominicans use them for natural remedies. He also helped us with taking photos with the replica of Christ the Redeemer. He warned us not to take the offers from the other locals hanging around the statue to take pictures for us. He said they’ll take your phone, take several pictures of you and your companions but then refuse to give your phone back until you pay them, and some will demand as much as $50 US for their “photography services”! After the mountain, the bus took us down on a drive along the ocean and then to the main square in Puerto Plata where our guide showed us the city hall building and told us about the history of Hispaniola and the DR’s path to independence from Spain. Then he walked us around to see some of the sights, stopping for 10-15 minutes each in a couple of air conditioned “recommended” gift and coffee shops of course. I couldn’t resist the urge to grab a Dominican Water (aka the local Presidente beer) and Gen Z and I each got a $3 empanada snack. Personally I think the Dominican beef empanadas are the best kind. They simmer the meat with allspice, cumin, ground raisins and olives and it gives it this great sweet and salty flavor. When the bus dropped us back off at the port it was a much longer walk back (of course through a million shops trying to get us to come in, but we only had eyes for our air conditioned ship at that point) than it had been going out to the bus. Overall it was a pretty walking intensive tour and the climb in and out of the jeep was not accessible friendly, so I don’t know that I’d suggest it for anyone who has mobility challenges or for anyone who’s particularly sensitive to the heat. When we got down the pier to the ship I was glad to see the ice water and cold towel stand that I love so much on Celebrity. There was also a separate embarkation ramp at the front of the ship with the blue yacht club flags. As we came on up that ramp a butler locked out the elevator for us to go straight up to our deck so we could get cold showers and swimsuits ASAP. Wifi is being slow this morning so will post pics when it’s working better. I think I’ll have one more mimosa then grab Gen Z from kids club then we’ll have a quick bite up by the one pool before it’s time to assemble for today’s excursion. Cheers from Seascape!

Quick update from Seascape: I was unaware until just now that right after they finish tea service in Top Sail, they start setting out pre-dinner canapés…the flowing, forgiving dresses that you’ll be seeing for the remainder of the review are brought to you by smoked beef sausage and sweet pea cream crostinis and saffron ricotta beignets.

Hola from hot, sunny Puerto Plata! We got back from our excursion a couple of hours ago (report to come) and had a late lunch at the one pool (the carved to order leg of lamb is excellent BTW) and then cooled off sitting sipping an aperol spritz and watching Gen Z play in the pool with one of her new buddies. When we came back onboard, we went by the room to freshen up and put on swimsuits and as soon as we came out, Charles popped out of the crew passage to greet us and ask how our excursion was. He escorted us up to the pool and and got us our first round of drinks while we made our plates from the buffet. He also talked to one of the pool attendants and came back and let us know that there’d be a couple vacating a cabana shortly and he’d made arrangements for the pool attendant to set it up for us once it was free. Not a bad welcome back! Before I share about our day in the DR, a back in time report on our evening after dinner last night. It turned out to be one of those “best made plans of mice and moms” kind of nights. The original plan was for Gen Z to go to kids club for an hour and then we were going to go to the late show together. However when I went to pick her up, I discovered I had been trumped by a super hero party and she asked me to just pick her up when the club closed at 11pm instead. With 2 hours to myself to kill I decided to go check out more of the ship. Much of what I saw kind of reinforced for me that sailing MSC not in yacht club, especially on these big ships, may not be a fit for me as a smaller, laid back cruise ship person. There were sooo many people and kids everywhere and elevators took a long time. As in even with my YC VIP override, it would take 5-6 minutes for an elevator to come (which was still a vast improvement over the 10-15 minute waits for non-priority). I nearly slipped and fell a couple of times where people had spilled drinks on the marble floors. I passed one of the main dining rooms where I briefly glanced diners clapping in unison and waving their napkins while the waiters were singing and doing some kind of dance. Nothing wrong with that if folks enjoy it, but just not my personal cruising forte. Just when I was about to evacuate back to the peace of the Top Sail, I stumbled upon something I’d forgotten was a thing on MSC: the champagne bar. Those who know me already know where this story is headed… When I sat down I intended to order something nice just by the glass. But then the sommelier Dennis told me that with YC he could give me 20% off a bottle purchase and that they could pressure seal and cold store the bottle for me to finish the next night. Sold. I ended up having 2 glasses of my Moet rose and then the bartender, Angela, asked me if I’d like to try a champagne cocktail recipe she’s been working on, included in the YC drink package. Those who know me also know what my answer to that question was. It was loud from the band so tough to hear exactly what she said was in it but I think she said champagne, St. Germaine, and a little passion fruit and lemon juice. Angela just started her contract, so if you’re sailing Seascape in the next 9 months and you like a nice refreshing bubbly cocktail, go see her! I ended up spending my remaining free time until kids club pick up at said champagne bar with Dennis and Angela (aka my new best friends). On our walk back to our room for bed, Charles met us in the hallway and apologized for how late our room cleaning had been. He explained that he has a new assistant who just started his contact when we boarded on Sunday and is still getting up to speed. Perfectly understandable. I know zero people who are experts at their job in the first 48 hours. We’re currently sitting in the Top Sail while I enjoy tea service and Mini Me has a Lego play date with her royal suite friend. Shortly we’ll go get ready for dinner in the YC restaurant. Tonight’s show is a comedian and Gen Z has little interest, so she’ll probably go to kids club with her new friends and I’ll probably hit the champagne bar to see mine. More to come later tonight!

This was precisely our procedure as well. It was the everyone going to get their cards scanned at once that caused the crowding and traffic jams. I suppose it is more realistic of a scenario for an emergency than the “watch on an app and go get your card scanned at your leisure” celebrity approach. But at least on this ship it also really highlighted what a hot mess it would be if everyone really did need to get to their muster stations at the same time immediately without use of the elevators/lifts and with the extra spice of panic added in. I’m by no means an expert in such things but maybe they need to spread the muster stations out more or something to reduce the traffic. I will say, we hung out in the theatre for about 10 minutes after getting our cards scanned to help Gen Z decompress and by the time we headed back to our room they were letting us use the elevators/lifts to get back up. Perhaps your civil disobedience made a difference for those of us who came behind you!

It’s Gala (or in Celebrity terms “evening chic”) Night on Seascape! I’m a bad mom, work was too crazy last month to get us an appointment at my usual formal dress boutique for new matching evening gowns so I had to dry clean the ones from our spring break Solstice cruise. Gen Z’s just barely still fit and now it’s a little too short when she’s in small heels…are they supposed to grow up this fast? Celebrity really should start sourcing their lobster from wherever MSC is getting theirs. If MSC is playing the cutback game at all, they’re definitely not doing it here. This tail was massive (but also sweet, tender and juicy). The mushroom pasta was also good, but the lobster wins the meal for me! Gen Z was not left out of the extravaganza either. Our server told her the chef had something special for her and when entrees arrived she was presented with a big plate of salmon, steak medallions, chicken tenders AND fries. And the YC bartender even made her a fancy iced chocolate milk in a wine glass.

I got to see a little more of the ship this afternoon because pick up from morning kids club was held in the cabaret rouge at the far aft of the ship. I wasn’t planing to do any of the shows there because from what I’ve read/seen online it sounds a lot like the shows the production cast puts on in Eden and the Club on Celebrity for free, but cabaret rouge is an additional charge. I am considering it now though because the space looks so cool. I also have a mystery $60 credit that’s popped up on my account from excursions. I did prebook 2 excursions for Gen Z and I, but as far as I and the concierge can tell, neither has canceled, so I’m not sure what’s up. She’s going to look into it further and let me know, but I told her not to trouble herself to look too hard into a gift horse’s mouth. Gen Z wanted to swim so we had lunch back up at the one pool. That lunch buffet really is no joke. Gen Z found a salad, hot dog and French fries and I indulged in poolside lamb chops and seafood pasta. There was also a dessert display, but the only labels on the items was a sign that said “assorted desserts” so I couldn’t possibly tell what might have nuts in it. I was telling Gen Z she’d have to pass on it when an officer behind the bar saw Gen Z’s plight and said “no no ma’am I’ll find out for her right now” and got on his phone and called down to the chef to find out which desserts were ok for her to eat. In the meantime, a pool server came around and offered her some of the best vanilla ice cream I’ve had in a while. The end result was that my child had a 3 dessert lunch, but that’s what vacation is for. We headed back to the room about 3pm and were surprised to find that it still hadn’t been cleaned for the day. I just noticed this afternoon that there’s a button on the wall you can push in to request room cleaning service. Tomorrow when we head out for our morning excursion I may try pushing that before we leave to make sure we have a clean room to take an afternoon nap when we get back. Gen Z is working on one of her Lego sets she brought along from home while I have some champagne and tea sandwiches in the lounge then I think we’ll go check out the shops for a little bit and hopefully the room will be done in time for us to catch a quick rest before we have to get ready for formal night tonight.

Thank you! Yes, this was in Miami. I was a little surprised by embarkation too because like yours my embarkation on Divina in Miami January was so smooth and luxurious. I was boarding much earlier then (about 9:45 because I had just come off another ship at the time) and we were at a different terminal (I believe it was F that time), so I wonder if that may have played into it as well. Personally I’m not really bothered by the multiple languages because it’s actually helping me practice my Italian and Spanish for my Europe trip in fall. I think for Mini Me it’s a little rougher with her sensory condition just because she perceives the speaker volume louder than most would and something about the sound wave frequency of ship PA systems sometimes hurts her ears and the sound goes on for longer when the message is repeated multiple times. We travel with sensory earphones for her that she has with her today which I think is helping a lot with that.

I would say if you’re a big pre planner like me (I think from knowing you via CC, you are 😁) spending a little time in advance looking at deck plans wouldn’t hurt. I haven’t gotten around the whole ship yet, but thus far it reminds me a lot of a bigger version of the layout of E class on Celebrity where you have to figure out the handful of decks where it’s easiest to get from forward to aft and vice versa and plan your route accordingly. One nice thing about this ship is that there are these big interactive touch screens everywhere that allow you to find specific venues on a ship map and get directions from your current location. If you have the little wristband on, you can even tap it next to the screen and it will show you how to get to your specific cabin from where you are and you can even book reservations for specialty restaurants, etc. right there too. There’s also a decent ship map in the MSC app (but I don’t think it worked for me until I was onboard on ship wifi) that can help you in a pinch if you have your phone on you.

This is the best kind of Monday…a Monday at sea… This morning we slept in a bit and and then headed to the Al fresco breakfast at the YC pool which goes till 10:30. In addition to the buffet (that includes lots of hot options as well as a very nice cured fish and charcuterie spread) there are eggs, pancakes, French toast and waffles cooked to order. Gen Z found donuts, her favorite cereal and a raspberry yogurt that she had two cups of. As soon as we sat at a poolside table one the pool bartenders asked if he could offer me a mimosa or Bloody Mary and make me a coffee. Ah, now this is the yacht club that sold me on shopping my loyalty. If there were one thing I could add to Retreat on Celebrity it would be this ease of getting an excellent latte served in china poolside first thing in the morning. We were about through breakfast when one of Gen Z’s new girlfriends arrived on deck and joined us for a round of apple juice (the girls) and mimosas (the moms). I have to hand it to Gen Z, at least she knows how to make the right friends because this little girls parents apparently have one of the super fancy suites (which I was invited to bid on an upgrade to for the bargain minimum bid of $4K) that comes with a reserved cabana on the YC pool deck. She invited Gen Z to come hang out in the VIP until their date with their other new cruise gal pals in the kids club when it opened at 10am. Speaking of kids club, when I went to register Gen Z yesterday, I was a bit apprehensive. There are so many kids on this ship and the reservation event was extremely crowded and hectic. I was nervous this might be a complete zoo and that the staff might not be as capable with a special needs child as they are on the much lower volume kids club on Celebrity. Gen Z was sooo adamant about wanting to try though, I pulled one of the staff aside and explained about Gen Z’s needs and asked if there might be a club director I could talk to briefly. The club director came out in a flash and was very friendly and understanding about my concerns. She assured me that all staff do receive regular training in food allergy awareness and working with neurodiverse children. Without me even asking, she also volunteered that just like Celebrity, I would be issued a bat phone for when Gen Z is in club in case she has a sensory episode and the crew needs my help to manage it. She also invited us to come back to the club later that night around 9pm so that Gen Z and I could see the space for her age group without a million parents and kids who actually belonged in older/younger groups crowding it up. When we went, Gen Z got even more excited for today. She is a huge Lego fan and the 7-11 year old club on MSC is Lego themed. They have several building centers (including a track to build and race Lego cars). They also have Nintendo Switch, PS5 AND X-box, including Gen Z’s favorite: Minecraft. While Gen Z is having her fun, I’ve just taken a dip in the perfect temperature One Pool, and am soaking up some sun with a pirates of the Caribbean strength rum punch. After another round, I may see if I can tolerate the casino smoke enough to play some slots before it’s time to pick her up for lunch. No one in the Generation household is unhappy this morning. I guess except maybe Jeremy who I saw on the driveway security camera leaving for work a few hours ago.

Good evening friends. I’m writing to you from in bed with a massive glass of Cabernet that our butler, Charles, brought me while Gen Z is already snoring off her evening. Just as we were heading out the door to dinner, Charles stopped by to introduce himself. He asked about my newspaper preference and what complimentary bottle of alcohol I’d like for the room. Like Kevin before him, he let me know that there’s probably no need to open said bottle while still on the ship because he and the yacht club lounge will always be steps away and ready to meet my cocktail needs. He also let us know that even though it says in the app and daily that reservations are required for the main theater shows, YC doesn’t need them. He said he’d check in with us each day on whether we plan to go to the show and what time and he’d escort us down and into the reserved YC seating area. We decided to do the 7:30 show tonight so we went for an earlier dinner at 6. Our assistant server surprised Mini Me when we sat down with a little napkin friend. The restaurant wasn’t busy at all at that time and service was very quick. This was the same menu from my first night on Divina and I decided to order the same dishes that had been so good. The vegetable dumplings were just as delicious as I remembered. The veal was very different from the veal I had on Divina, but still good. The scallops though were a bit disappointing. Instead of the massive and super flavorful scallops I got on Divina, these were Celebrity post-COVID sized and kind of bland. They were trying so hard to be the Retreat chic night scallops but they didn’t make it by a mile. Gen Z had grilled salmon and cleaned her plate. If we hadn’t had a show to get to I think she would’ve ordered a second helping. After dinner we met Charles at the concierge desk (where I checked in briefly to put some cash on my onboard account) and he took us to the theater for the musical production show, which from a plot perspective seemed to be trying to come as close as possible to being The Little Mermaid without drawing a cease and desist from Disney. This was my first time seeing a show on MSC and I honestly don’t think it’s even fair for me to review it since it had to follow the 12 out of 10 points shows on Beyond (with the talent caliber that made me think Celebrity just hung out outside callbacks for whatever Lin Manuel-Miranda is working on right now and starting giving out contracts). Gen Z (who didn’t spend the first half of the year on a grand tour of E-class entertainment, again, don’t judge me) was very entertained though. I will also say that you could totally tell the performers were singing and dancing their hearts out for us and they even all came out after the show to meet the kids onboard and let them take photos. Besides, I kind of feel like sailing MSC for the shows is a bit like going to a top notch steakhouse and ordering the veggie lasagna. After the show, we went to the arcade for a bit, where Gen Z spent about $25 in game play to win enough tickets to redeem for a what can’t be more than a $3 My Little Pony key chain. I’m so glad I bought the Fun Pass pre-cruise ($70 for $140 in credits to use for the arcade, 4D movie theater and virtual reality simulators). At the end of the day though she was so proud of herself and had fun. It was pretty quiet in the arcade when we first arrived but around 9pm it started to fill with the roving bands of teens and quite a few over sugared and undersuprvised running, screaming younger kids, so we double timed it out with the rubber horse that was almost as bad an investment as owning a real one. We headed to the Marina Bar by the main pool to get some ice cream for Gen Z then brought it back to the Top Sail lounge so mommy could get her own late evening treat (aka a cosmopolitan). When we got our ice cream I heard a few teens in front of us saying there was a charge for the ice cream. When we got to the front and the attendant scooped some for Gen Z I started reaching around for my key card but he looked at my wristband and said “oh miss no charge for yacht club”. Just what I need: my kid knowing she can get free ice cream until 11pm at night. 😂 When we got to Top Sail we bumped into another little girl Gen Z met earlier listening to the live pianist with her family. A little later I went up to the bar to get a refill and by the time I made it back to my table there were 2 more little girls sitting there (one in MY seat) and Gen Z had an agenda and social calendar set for 70% of the day tomorrow. Who even raised this little social butterfly??? No clue where it comes from. I can feel my eyelids starting to get heavy so I think it’s time to join Mini Me in slumberland. Good night from Seascape!

I’m starting to think that booking this cruise may have been a terrible mistake…after lunch, we did some light exploring and while Gen Z is doing her sweet little best to play it cool, I’m already starting to get a little concerned that she may never want to settle for a Celebrity ship again. She was so excited to see the arcade, water slides and waterpark. When we got to our stateroom, she also had a personalized welcome treat of a plate of chocolate chip cookies with her name written on it in chocolate! That said, there have already been a couple of times when we were outside of YC where she’s shown signs of being slightly overwhelmed by the crowds, noise of other kids screaming and having meltdowns and the volume of announcements (being made in 3 languages on this ship rather than just English on Divina). Time will tell how it plays out over the week. We just finished doing the MSC muster drill the “old fashioned way”, which resulted in multiple shoulder to shoulder, dead stop traffic jams on the stairs down to our station and it didn’t exactly instill a ton of confidence in me that this massive ship could be evacuated quickly in the unlikely event of an emergency. As we were stuck in the gridlock Gen Z actually turned and said to me “this is WAY easier on Celebrity”. For lunch, Gen Z and I split the pakora main dish as an appetizer and then Gen Z had the burger off the adult menu and I had the pansoti pasta. One thing I learned from my Divina sailing is that the Indian food on MSC tends to be pretty good and the pakora kept that track record. My pasta was ok but it could’ve been really good if it was served hot. Instead it came to the table barely warm and the cream sauce had started to thicken and get a little grainy. On our way out of lunch we bumped into Z, my amazing server in the YC on Divina, who just joined the ship yesterday! Sharing some pics from our first few hours onboard. Well we’re all dressed and ready to head off to dinner and a show. More to come later tonight!

Hello from onboard Seascape! Right from the jump I completely understood what the MSC experts said about the Sea-class ship yacht club experience vs. Divina. When our Uber dropped us off just across from the white tent at about 11:15am, the tent was already surrounded 10 cases deep with yacht club luggage and only one poor porter trying to get it tagged and loaded on carts. There was no one sitting at the desk under the tent and I saw quite a few yacht club guests just give up waiting and go ahead through the general boarding entrance and security. After about 10 minutes standing around in the heat I wondered if maybe I missed something and went up to a general port worker and asked how yacht club embarkation was working today if we were supposed to wait at the white tent for an escort (like I got on Divina) or just go through with everyone else and and he seemed shocked no one was at the YC desk and got on a radio and seconds later someone came and escorted Gen Z and I through past the security line and to a room for YC checkin. Unlike Divina, this time the YC check in room was really small, like maybe meant to hold 15-20 people max and there were no snacks or drinks (probably because there wouldn’t have been room for them). There were also at least 30 passengers in said small room trying to check in. On the plus side, we were very quickly approached by a friendly, smiling butler who helped us put on our smart wristbands (not a thing on Divina) and told us it would be about 10 minutes before they were ready to board us. Once we started boarding, one of the butlers helped Gen Z with her luggage and walked us with about 10 other YC passengers past all the general boarding lines, which were stopped so we could go through and onto the ship. When we got on the ship, just to the left there was a mass of parent and child humanity mobbed around a small table. The butler found a place for the YC parents to stand out of the way but still in view and took Gen Z and two other YC kid passengers in our group to the front of the fray and got our kids registered and into their muster wristbands. Then he escorted us all through the ship (making sure to point out the extra charge, fancy chocolate shop to my kid, thanks dude 😂) and up to the Top Sail lounge. Overall not as relaxed and luxurious of an embarkation as on Divina, but still I think as efficiently run as you can get for a ship that has many more yacht club cabins doing boarding out of what seemed like a much smaller cruise terminal space. All told we went from curb to lounge in a little under a half hour, which is almost double the time it took to get on Beyond in April but looked like it was much expedited compared to the general boarding lines when we arrived. I suspect once MSC’s new terminal in Miami is finished, the process for these bigger ships will flow much more smoothly (and if it’s anything like what Celebrity did for T25 in Fort Lauderdale for retreat boarding, the Yacht Club experience will be much improved as well). This Top Sail lounge seems like it’s twice the size of the one on Divina, and a little bigger than the Retreat Lounge on Celebrity Beyond, and compared to both much more open and airy. I was also pleased to see that the schmaltzy decor has been WAY toned down from Divina. Definitely still much more “character” than the E-class stylings on Celebrity, and some interesting artwork choices, but this time I also don’t feel like I’m in Vegas 30 years ago. Gen Z is enthralled with the Swarovski stairs leading up from the lounge to the restaurant and managed to make a cute little friend while closely inspecting them and trying to count the crystals. Said friend’s parents were at the couch next to us in the lounge and seemed to mostly only speak French. It was a rough go taking myself back to high school classes but I managed to introduce myself and eek through some basic small talk. When it was time to head up to lunch and I collected Gen Z from chatting with her buddy, to my shock, my child who has only ever had Spanish classes said “goodbye! See you soon!” in French! As a woman clumsily stumbling through learning Italian for our October cruise far later in life than I learned Spanish and French, I am amazed and jealous at how quickly children pick up new languages. Speaking of lunch, a report on that and our stateroom to come after Gen Z and I do some ship exploring!