At Sea At Peace

We agree. We also note, from our recent B2B, that the proportion of those that are making their unauthorized and unpaid for entry into the Yacht Club usually enjoy the One Pool and the Lounge with someone who is actually in the Yacht Club. We would hold both parties equally responsible and off load them all at the next port. We won't list the methods that are employed, but it is intentional and, with some parties, voluminous and frequent.

Although such is actually a possibility, the level of likelihood of such would seem to be assessed quite low. Again, not a zero though. We just completed a B2B on Seascape 3/30 forward. We don't consider ourselves spending our vacation spying or eves-dropping on other people. However, when you "don't want to even hear the outrageous, loud and inconsiderate conversations of others;" including from several cabanas away to a toddler back home who was warned he'd be 'spanked over and over, or in the Dining room on a 'speaker FaceTime business call,' and others beyond chemically 'enhanced,' then we believe those are "fair to note." At the time, we did. I simply don't believe this is relevant regarding the 'money' or the 'manners.'

Yep. The Chef also makes his way out 'to the people' also. He appears to have been given some 'margin' on the menu. We understand that the changes to the Minestrone Soup and the Beef Barley Soup, in which it appears (per DW) he semi-pureed half of the vegetables to make a 'thicker, more satiating' offering, was his idea. It surprised us and was excellent. I actually cancelled my 'entree and substituted the Beef Carpaccio starter for a light finish for the night after that Minestrone! Mustafa, YCD, is the most awesome, in all regards, we've experienced in dozens of weeks in the YC across a blend of ships.

Great. Thanks so much. We brought out or got a smile out of him several times a night, as well as the waiter 'Killa' and the head waiter ('dicshey, left after 9 months back to Mauritius at end of our B2B) who was 'the gold standard' for us in the YC. On our last night all three came up to us as we stood to leave to give big hugs!

Awesome! This seems 'up your alley' to not just interact but to educate in your own special way. For example, we read the daily menus and the special breads and the noted healthy specials. So, 'we asked him about them' and he was, well, not prepared (the first couple of times; thereafter, he read them ahead of time). Then we chided. The bread special (we don't do bread*) one day was with cranberries. That was wrong - the 's' being specific. We took one to inspect with him. There was -1- piece of diced cranberry on the outside of the bread. That was it. He laughed. The next day it was 6 grain seed special, we asked was it just the -6- seeds or were there more. He now knew our game and said he talked to the chef and they were all in the bread. It was quite fun. * sans sourdough, a resistant starch, which we explained the purported digestive system difference to (bewildered). The same with the daily health specials. Lastly, when an 'upscale customer' was personally seated by the MD and overly pampered 😉 we heard him state to them "tonight we have a good menu." So, we told Tristan and asked if we could know the nights remaining that had the 'bad menus.' Again, big smile. Have fun, enjoy, we're reading along.

Oh, I'm quite sure they will remember. They were 'the most enjoyable part of our entire B2B @ dinner each evening.' We had a very interactive time with them, especially funny with assistant Tristan, who I made so nervous pouring the wine he would get it all over the place and I threatened to buy a $2.99 rain poncho for dinner the next night. 😉 Another hint is we were known as the 'strawberry people' that put such in our champagne or prosecco, and after Tristan 'got it' we got the following at each seating on the table before we arrived. We also shared, and others thought it was a nice touch. Thanks if you can. Enjoying the follow.

The YC Director, Mustafa, was awesome. The best, most visible, most responsive that we've seen alone in on B2B compared to the many B2B YC's we've done pre-pandemic 'combined.' But, he can't be everywhere. The MD in the dining room was, compared to the same other other B2B YC, useless, as well as the host, the entire B2B. The servers, a quite exceptional group, were all 'waiting' for someone to do something as they said they were not allowed to. So I approached the MD and host. They, although totally aware of the boisterous bloat even from 50' away, unbelievably, said they couldn't interrupt the man during his call - - but I could. Not happening. We, as well as others, all moved! Didn't bother the oaf or his wife at all, as one would expect of such classless characters. If Mustafa had been nearby this would not have been handled this way. He handled every single issue with tact, immediacy and resolution for the entire B2B. I guess we can't post signs for everything, but extended cell phone calls and FT in the dining room should be a 'known no-no.' But, this is 2024; we don't want to offend 'one' offender despite the impact on hundreds of others. The MD should have a small pre-printed card that states such and politely asks the rude passenger to end the conversation or take it to the lounge or stateroom.

The particular subjects were (1) a 50-YO couple from FL (heard of supervised room suspension, 'here-say' from crew), (2) a 50+-YO 'exec' who decided to do an end of week FT call with his business in the dining room with full 'speaker mode' plus his massive vocals for 37 minutes and (3) a 65 YO H with W and 2 IL's who FT'd loudly to a toddler at home about his deserving spanking he'll get when they get home every day. No spring breaker issues at all. No issue with kids at all.

MOTS - Though lengthy 😉, enjoy following (most of the time). 🤔 Will follow. Enjoy your cruise. If you find the time and recall, please give our best to the YC waiter 'killa' and especially assistant 'tristan' and tell them 'table 31 - no bread, protein only' says hello (they were GREAT for 2-weeks on our recent B2B).

Just completed a B2B on Seascape starting 3/30 with week 1 Easter week with almost 100 kids and week 2 with 1/3 less total capacity in Yacht Club and only 20 plus something kids. The first week was the best. 🤔 The # of adults behaving like children the second week was above normal. 🙄

MSC is the largest cruise line in Europe. I would imagine that there is a difference between Europe, again where they are the largest, and the Caribbean, where they are new since the mid-2000-teens, and adding new classes of ships rapidly. I don't know the significance, but when we planned our 26N to the Med in late April, early May 2025, anything YC on MSC was way beyond what we were willing to spend (supply and demand) and we alternately selected Celebrity Ascent (non Retreat, simply absurd pricing beyond MSC by a wide spread). We cruise MSC, Celebrity, Royal and NCL, for different reasons and different experiences, and, despite having a few bumps here and there, really enjoy them all.

We're following and aboard as well. The cabanas were all toweled up by 8am this morning with just YC towels and personal clips. Very little personal items. Pretty much empty through almost noon. Same for loungers in the shade. We leave early @ 3pm so should start to get active. The attendants aren't sparse, with so few people on the pool deck, some were reassigned. this morning. The servers are great, as well as the bar and grill crew. We were told very heavy European demographic and just under 100 kids (90+- last week). No problem at all on the pool deck, they're off outside on the slides. All well behaved (parented) at dinner last night. A lot of people really eat late. We're early, as we rise early, and early dining is definitely the choice for service, ambiance and food quality. Re: the chair towels, they obviously are not authorized to pull them. Will chime in later. Our first post pandemic B2B in YC after 70N pre-pandemic 2017-2019. Lots of thoughts (for later).

Again, there is nothing that I believe the member posted that suggested such from the ship-bridge collision and collapse, rather, onlookers regarding our capabilities.

I think the member was trying to express what the potential appearance of our actions (reopening navigation and restoring the port commercial activities is paramount, economically, then the task of rebuilding for transportation) and time of the response might mean to those who have ill intentions regarding our infrastructure. IMO. I don't believe the intent was to imply that national security is at risk in regard to the above actions.

Yep, that is why I plan to ask for it 2-3 per week on our B2B starting tomorrow. It's my favorite at sea and, after reading your earlier comments about the YC restaurant, was really glad to see this note. 👍 Now you're on top of things! Congratulations.

Yep. If you want to follow along and see the ships (and barge cranes and other vessels, one is shown below but I don't know its capabilities, there are others like the Chesapeake 1000 in the news) entering the area use this link (you'll have to reset and zoom into the location). https://www.marinevesseltraffic.com/CHESAPEAKE-BAY/ship-traffic-tracker

It's almost a 'never seen this before' given the size and length of the bridge spans, the cargo ship (and certain cargo) sort of holding captive other efforts and recovery efforts of other potential deceased. I'm not an expert at all, however, given the importance of the 'commercial side' of the Baltimore harbor, it would seem reasonable for them to concentrate on securing a clean and debris free navigation lane. Then, since it will take considerable time to do the same laterally or up and down tide, and again considering the massive economic impact on Baltimore 'commercially,' it would not be a surprise to see the construction of protections to a navigation lane (to keep or minimize the risk of debris movement into) to keep the port open economically, before we see any work on the to-date unknown future bridge. As an aside, if 'we can't' mobilize a massive effort to reopen a safe navigation to a strategic port, we should be embarrassed and such sends a very bad signal to . . .

I'd like to concur and agree with you but I'd be just hoping. It appears from the reporting that handling the ship and its cargo (some with issues) is next up as others keep attempting to reach what is believed to be vehicles and/or missing persons. I just can't see being optimistic about navigation until we start to see reports of some massive 'lift and dredge' capable land and sea apparatus start to show up. Despite the fact that the bridge was steel and heavy, the tides will move pieces around and it will required perpetual monitoring (sonar, diver, mini-subs, etc.) until all such is cleared. I can't see opening a navigation channel only without safety setbacks and moving debris tracking and removal. Tough, tough blow to Baltimore.

Agree with both. Having sailed the MSC YC 70N pre-pandemic from 2017-2019, both posts represent our typical 'plan' outside of nights outside.

I'm wondering if passengers without cars or the need to go to Baltimore on the buses and simply rebook flights from Norfolk with a 20 minute taxi or uber or shuttle bus?

Thanks. It looks like the construction (that someone posted in the main thread hadn't appeared to really be in force yet) and that only Carnival would be shut out (other ships through June using port) helped make Norfolk doable. If so, hope they make a return early enough for Legend passengers to account for the extra disembarkation time, logistics and transportation to the Baltimore Port (or direct to airports, etc.). Still love to hear from anyone onboard as all of this evolves and how it is handled and works out. Thanks.

Looks like Legend is right on course for Bimini. Hope to hear from CC members on board with any information as they get it. Thanks.

Official White Statement ~ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/03/26/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-collapse-of-the-francis-scott-key-bridge/ MARCH 26, 2024 Remarks by President Biden on the Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge 12:46 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Hello, folks. Sorry to keep you waiting. I was waiting to talk to the last member of the delegation in the region. Good afternoon. Before I leave for North Carolina, which I’m going to do in a few minutes, I want to speak briefly about the terrible incident and accident that happened in Baltimore this morning. At about 1:30, a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which I’ve been over many, many times commuting from the state of Delaware either on a train or by car. I’ve been to Baltimore Harbor many times. And the bridge collapsed, sending several people and vehicles into the water — into the river. And multiple U.S. Coast Guard units, which are stationed very nearby, thank God, were immediately deployed, along with local emergency personnel. And the Coast Guard is leading the response at the port, where representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, the FBI, the Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as Maryland officials and Baltimore Police and Fire — they’re all working together to coordinate an emergency response. Officials at the scene estimate eight people were unaccounted for still — not still, were unaccounted for. That number might change. Two have been rescued — one without injury, one in critical condition. And the search-and-rescue operation is continuing for all those remaining as we speak. I spoke with Governor Moore this morning as well as the Mayor of Baltimore, the County Executive, United two — both United States senators and the congressman. And my Secretary of Transportation is on the scene. I told them we’re going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency, and I mean all the federal resources. And we’re going to rebuild that port together. Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time, we have no other indication — no other reason to believe there was any intentional act here. Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel, as you all know and have reported. As a result, local authorities were able to close the bridge to traffic before the bridge was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives. And our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families, especially those waiting for the news of their loved one right now. I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime. You just don’t know. It’s just terrible. We’re incredibly grateful for the brave rescuers who immediately rushed to the scene. And to the people of Baltimore, I want to say: We’re with you. We’re going to stay with you as long as takes. And like the governor said, you’re Maryland tough, you’re Baltimore strong, and we’re going to get through this together. And I promise: We’re not leaving. Here’s what’s happening now. The search-and-rescue operation is our top priority. Ship traffic in the Port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice. And we’ll need to clear that channel before the ship traffic can resume. The Army Corps of Engineers is on the spot and is going to help lead this effort to clear the channel. The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs. And I’ve been there a number of times as a senator and as a vice president. It handled a record amount of cargo last year. It’s also the top port in America for both imports and exports of automobiles and light trucks. Around 850,000 vehicles go through that port every single year, and we’re going to get it up and running again as soon as possible. Fifteen thousand jobs depend on that port. And we’re going to do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers. The bridge is also critical to — for travel, not just for Baltimore but for the Northeast Corridor. Over 30,000 vehicles cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge on a daily basis. It’s virtually th- — well, it’s one of the most important elements for the economy in the Northeast and the quality of life. My Transportation Secretary is there now. As I told Governor Moore, I’ve directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as hu- — humanly possible. And we’re going to work hand in hand with the support of Maryland — to support Maryland, whatever they ask for. And we’re going to work with our partners in Congress to make sure the state gets the support it needs. It’s my intention that federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect to — the Congress to support my effort. This is going to take some time. And the people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt. You know, we’re not leaving until this job gets done — not leaving until then. So, I just want to say God bless everybody who — everyone harmed this morning and their families. And may God bless the first responders, who — many of whom risking their lives. And I’m going to — the reason I’m not going to take a lot of questions — there’s remaining issues that are open that we got to determine what’s going to happen in terms of — of the rescue mission and the like. But I’ll — I’m —

Also, agree on the 2025 versus the 2024. So, we remembered what the Celebrity agent said about 2024, that they 'clear the 2024 deck' over Memoria Day weekend and the first of June. First time we've ever heard of such, but we'll check our B2B in December on Ascent again then.

Thanks, I forgot the Brooklyn Terminal. From what I just quickly read, it has ONE berth? And that is what Carnival uses?