jules815

What everyone here has said. If you can cancel, do so, then go on your own.

Cozumel is such an easy port to grab a taxi at. Once you walk thru the little shopping area, there will be lines of them waiting, and signs with prices to all the different beaches.

17 hours ago, sabres431 said:

I'm not  fan of his anymore.  He really lost me during covid.  He also interviewed the couple that had nothing good to say about Yacht Club on his first sailing with Seascape.  I mean, honestly, he's getting his opinions on Yacht Club from people who went to the buffet because it was "better".

Exactly!  

When is the new terminal for Seascape expected to be operational? Any chance we'll be sailing from the new one in early September?

23 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

Be aware that any outlet in the bathroom will not be live until you turn on the light switch.  Which defeats the purpose of a plug in nightlight.  EM

Good to know. Thanks. I'll be packing my battery operated tea lights again. 🙂

37 minutes ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

We use Tripinsurancestore.com. Very helpful if you have questions, Steve is great in helping understand the policies. . 

I will definitely check this out. Going to do something by tomorrow. Meanwhile, went onto the USAA website (we have all of our insurance thru them) and was re-routed to a third party provider that has 3 plans available, one of them being a Travel Medical Protector, "A plan focused on medical protection outside of the U.S." Covers up to a million for medical and even non-medical emergency evacuations. Basically, everything I'm worried about. 

4 minutes ago, JT1962 said:

I purchased an annual medical travel policy with GeoBlue this year. It covers up to $ 500,000 In medical / medical evacuation coverage while traveling. It was $ 151 for me for the year based on my age. My main concern is a medical event / accident, possibly requiring a medical evacuation, where the cost could be $ 100,000+. Losing a cruise or flights that cost a few thousand dollars isn’t fun, but a $ 150,000 uncovered medical expense could be life changing. 
 

 

Interesting about the annual policy. And yes, the possibility of a medical evacuation is what worries me. 

Do the bathrooms on Seascape have nightlights? 

On 2/9/2023 at 6:22 PM, Fla Mike said:

Gotta admit, I was thinking what we were all thinking...

 

Perhaps "POS" refers to "rePOSitioning" cruise?

 

 

 

Point of sale??  😂

We have always purchased travel insurance thru the cruise line whenever we travel. Our next cruise is in September, a B2B on Seascape. We'll fly into Miami 2 days prior to sailing, so there are flights and hotel. 

For some reason when I booked this cruise, travel insurance wasn't added. I know I can add it at a later date.  Meanwhile I went in Insure My Trip dot com and got quotes. Seemed high. Logged on to the Chase website and looked at the travel benefits associated with our Visa and they pretty much match most of the benefits found with travel insurance companies.

Have you ever risked not taking out travel insurance? 

15 hours ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

We first sailed YC in Oct 2019 when we heard about it and its cost compared to the Haven and just absolutely loved it. 
Having been NCL Haven guests for many cruises, the NCL experience turned out to be no where near the new MSC’s YC experience.  So now we only book MSC YC and have 7 upcoming cruises booked. NCL out priced their loyal guests, too bad for them. IMO. 

We found out about MSC YC while doing research on NCL Haven. We had sailed in suites on RC and X and were curious about the ship within a ship concept. Sailed YC on Seaside in early 2019 and loved everything about it. Since then we've also sailed on Meraviglia and loved that cruise as well. Just booked a B2B on Seascape for September. We'll be celebrating my husband finally reaching full retirement age. 

We still haven't sailed on the smaller prestigious lines, although I do have my eye on a 10-day on Azamara in December. We still enjoy exploring the big ships though. Lots to see, great people watching. The YC though, when the ship is your destination, really can't be beat. 

I could be mistaken, but aren't the grand suites on Seascape only on deck 19?

We'll also be in 19003 later in the year. The closest thing I could compare deck 19 to would be our cruise on Seaside a few years ago when we were on the deck directly under the One Pool area, I think that was deck 18. Some mornings, not all, we would hear what sounded like moving of deck chairs. It didn't go on for very long and it really wasn't a big deal. Most mornings we probably slept right through it. 

4 hours ago, EMc&DrS said:

How awesome that you could stay for another week! We'll be in YC on Seascape in 2 weeks sailing the same itinerary you have this week, so we're looking forward to reading more updates along the way. We've cruised over 20 times, but our friends going with us have never cruised, so we went them to have a great experience. Despite all of those cruises, we've never had a 7-day itinerary that started with two ports before the first sea day. I'm curious when the "elegant nights" are going to be held. Will they have a "seafood extravaganza" at the YC pool, and if so, which day? Any insight you can provide will be appreciated. Enjoy your bonus week! 

Please give us an update after your cruise in 2 weeks. Hope you all have a great time!

11 hours ago, Av8tor said:

Cruise Review Update:

 

Sitting here in the Top Sail lounge having an after dinner drink recalling how it is I'm still here AFTER our scheduled disembarkation today...

 

Yesterday was sea day cruising back to Miami and from my lounger on the One Pool deck I looked at my DW and said since this was our first MSC cruise and we've been busy exploring the ship & its offerings, we haven't been able to relax as much as we'd hoped, how about staying on for another week? She did a quick calendar check and said yes and after I confirmed airline seats were available a week later, down to the YC concierge I went.  They said there were still open cabins and confirmed we could even keep the same butler team.  Unfortunately, we did have to change cabins, but it was only to the cabin right next to our first one.  They sent the future cruise rep up to met me in the TS lounge and with only 24 hours before (continuing) sailing we had a paid & confirmed booking for tomorrow (today).  Then I got to spend 1:20 on the phone with the airline changing or return flight to a week later.  Same flight #s but BIG $s more since the change was so close to travelling.  Thank goodness the wi-fi call using the ship's internet did not drop during that extended time on hold and dealing with a credit card processing snafu.

 

The B2B this morning did NOT go smoothly.  We waited in TS lounge until 11:15 before they called the B2Bs for processing.  After leaving the ship we were held in the upper terminal for a while before moving to the lower level where we waited even more...  The problem was not MSC's fault, but caused by a combination of stragglers delaying zeroing out the ship and CBP/terminal operations mis-management.  After finally getting through the 2-second clearance process, we were delayed again getting back on board and somehow ended up behind new cruisers that were mistakenly allowed to start boarding before the B2bs were through the process.  Add clouds and rain showers to that mess and you can imagine how good that Ahhhhhh moment felt once we were back onboard and having lunch & drinks.

 

More thoughts to follow after tomorrow's (hopefully) visit to Ocean Cay...

This is fantastic!  I know that feeling. Takes me until about Tuesday to be fully relaxed and before you know it you come back from dinner and the disembarkation memo and luggage tags are left in your stateroom.

We'll be on Seascape in September and decided to add a second week as well. The only thing making us hesitate was our dog, but our daughters have stepped up to the plate and encouraged us to extend our trip. (They're both adults and out of the nest and will be sharing the pet sitting.)

Enjoy your second week!

5 hours ago, xcell said:

Maybe convince your friend to follow your lead and book a YC cabin --- if he's been on that many cruises, he will enjoy the YC and its perks.  If not, tell him to bid to see if he can be upgrade for a lower cost.

 

I love the YC area at Ocean Cay (just not the rocky beach -- water shoes), so I am looking forward to that again on my next cruise...don't miss out on that.

From what I remember, the YC staff knows everyone staying in the YC by name. When the cart pulled up to the front of Ocean Cay YC area, everyone was greeted by name as we entered. 

7 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Yes..fresh omelets at breakfast…fresh hot dogs and burgers at lunch…along with a big hunk of some type of roast beast for carving 

Yes. My husband and I would split a burger at lunch time, in addition to the other things on the buffet. they were really good!  One day they had coconut shrimp on the buffet at lunch and they noticed my husband was enjoying them. They brought another large plate with a mound of shrimp to our table. This is how the service was on both our YC cruises on Seaside and Meraviglia. They couldn't do enough for us.

I watched more of the second video last night. The one thing I will agree with them on is I found Seaside to be more difficult to navigate than Meraviglia. We haven't been on Seascape yet, but layout looks very similar to Seaside. That said, what they failed to mention were the beautiful ocean views on both sides of the atrium spanning multiple decks. Meraviglia had that promenade area (on RC I think they call it the promenade and they kept comparing Seascape to the new RC ship with Central Park, etc.) and we've sailed on many RC ships and those ships, to me anyway, seem easier to navigate and they usually have all the specialty restaurants and shops there as well, just like Mira does. 

They really complained about the 24 hour concierge in the Yacht Club. I think they called it a joke. After the first 3 dinners in the YC dining room with such poor food and service, they complained. Also complained about plastic chairs in the YC restaurant at Ocean Cay, although the chairs they were sitting in didn't look plastic at all? They were comparing Ocean Cay to CoCo Cay. "There are no water slides or pools" That's actually what most of us prefer about Ocean Cay. Maybe if we were still sailing with children that would be an issue, but we really like what they've done (of haven't done) with Ocean Cay.

12 minutes ago, L1211 said:

Question on the poolside offering in YC- is there a grill along with a buffet? Does the grill do made to order at breakfast and lunch? I’ve only watched YouTube videos of the experience- won’t actually experience it myself till mid-March! 

Yes, there's definitely a grill.  In the morning they'll do made to order omelets, etc. In the afternoon, they'll grill burgers and some other things, in addition to the many offerings on the buffet. 

If you're still around the pool later in the afternoon, they'll come around with treats. Bowls of strawberries, cookies, etc.  

14 minutes ago, L1211 said:

I’m in 16004 in March, one cabin away from the lounge.  Was worried about late night sounds but have been assured by others that doesn’t seem to  be a problem. I only asked because it was the only cabin on 16 available when I booked. That got me wondering!  Would you book that close to the lounge again? 

We absolutely would! We were on the end of the hall right next to the lounge and never heard any noise.

40 minutes ago, doones2 said:

 

I just started watching their other video and he's speaking very favorably of the non-YC dining room. Complaining about the breakfast offerings in the main buffet though. 

58 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

We're gonna be in 16010 (inside) in April.  Only booked YC because "DH WAS having mobility issues".  He's up and running now (ok...he's 88 so not running that fast) but after telling him all the great things that are included, he's really looking forward to it.

Keep the good reviews coming......

 

If anyone has a link to "the complainer" on youtube, please share.

Here's the first. There are a couple more that were done by the same person that I haven't had a chance to watch yet. If this isn't allowed can a mod delete? He's not a travel agent.

31 minutes ago, pcrum said:

I honestly do not understand the negative reviews of MSC.  We did a short 3-night cruise on Divina over Labor Day weekend last year.  It was a last minute booking and they were the only line available out of our home port of Port Canaveral.  After reading such horrible reviews, we went into the cruise saying, "it's for 3 nights, how bad can it be?"  Well, we loved the cruise, loved the staff, and loved the food.  We were not in the YC, but in a Fantastica balcony.  We loved it so much that we booked a longer 10-day cruise for this coming Sept. while on board.  The private island, Ocean Cay, is really beautiful.  YC has it's own area on the island, but we were fine with "the masses".  We upgraded our drinks package and I enjoyed Nicolas Feuillatte champagne throughout the cruise.  The drinks package even works on the private island.  

 

We also just took our first Celebrity cruise in December.  Loved Celebrity too, but I think the entertainment on MSC was a bit better.  

On our last cruise we were docked overnight at Ocean Cay. The first day we did the beach and the private YC restaurant, which was very nice. The second day we skipped the beach part and took the YC shuttle to their restaurant for lunch, then walked all around Ocean Cay, stopping for a few drinks at the Lighthouse Bar, which we really liked a lot. In fact, we thought that bar was nicer than anything RC has at either of their private islands, although in fairness, we haven't been to CoCo Cay since the refurb. 

1 hour ago, sabres431 said:

I will make sure to come back from our cruise on 3/26 will a glowing review of 19003 for you. 🙂  We cruised on Divina in 2018 in YC and loved it.  Everything is subjective, but if someone thinks buffet/MDR food is better than YC food, then there is probably something wrong with their taste buds.  Personally, any food that I don't have to cook is good food 😄

Thank you! I look forward to your review!

Just remembered another thing he said about YC which was not ever our experience on Seaside or Meraviglia. He was walking around the pool deck and pointed out the buffet. He said something like "they offer breakfast and lunch at the poolside buffet, but they choose not to eat there because they don't offer very much." That wasn't our experience on either ship we've sailed on. We had breakfast out there several mornings and I know I'm not imagining the made to order omelets we had, or all the other food on the buffet. We had lunch poolside on Mira and Seaside almost every day and there was so much food to choose from, including really good burgers with grilled onions. (My husband and I would split a burger every day in addition to all the other food. I know, bad, but we're on vacation.)

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

 

 

• •  

 

Just off Meraviglia this past Sunday..7 day cruise...Deck 16 in the YC....all I can say is wow.  

 

I have never had better service.  YC director said we had around 180 out of 230 or so guests.  Butler and Assistant Butler were very helpful.  

 

Service in the Top Sail lounge was great.  Same in the dining room.  Same on the topmost pool deck.  The breakfast and lunch buffet's there were very nice...

 

I have sailed MSC once before the shutdown on Seaside, non YC.  This experience was totally different.  

 

I thought the price was reasonable for the standard YC balcony.  

 

All in all, Wife and I had a great time. 

LOVED Meraviglia too! We had actually booked another cruise on Seaside, then covid happened and that cruise got canceled and rebooked a couple of times. Then they changed ships on us and I was worried I wouldn't like Mera as much as Seaside, but we absolutely loved it. We were also on deck 16, 16001, all the way at the front next to the lounge. 

My husband and I have sailed twice with MSC. 2019 on Seaside in the YC, and Meraviglia in 2021, also in the YC. Loved both of those cruises, loved the YC, yada yada. Two different ship styles, but enjoyed them both very much. I recently booked a week on Seascape for September and then a few days later saw our stateroom (19003) was available for the following week, so we booked a second week turning it into a B2B. 

Part of our evening tv routine lately has been watching cruise vloggers on YouTube. Last night we were so excited to see there was a new one, a tour of Seascape by a cruiser staying in the YC. "That's our ship...and he's in YC! Yay!" Well, as my daughters would say, this guy was "on one." He really didn't like MSC at all. He was touring the ship and complaining about everything. "The ceilings are too low...and I'm not even a tall man." "The food in the buffet is mediocre." "Why are we eating in the buffet when we're spending so much more to stay in the YC?" "The service and food quality in the YC is so bad, we're eating in the dining room and buffet."  Seriously. This guy was walking thru the ship and barely had a nice thing to say about any area at all. He even found fault with the Bridge of Sighs. Wasn't wide enough??  

I've read negative reviews of other ships here as well and still had a great time, but gotta admit, watching this YouTube video has me a wee bit worried. My husband on the other hand says we're going to have a great time, this guy's nuts.

21 minutes ago, sabres431 said:

 

There was nothing in particular.  We do like being near the front of the ship. Also, typically in Miami, the port side is facing the water, which in my opinion is a nicer view while you're waiting for sail away.

Agree about the port side having the better view while in Miami. Wish we didn't have to wait until September. 😭