DisneyJen

Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite matched to MSC Silver

Took less than 24 hours.

On 10/23/2023 at 12:29 AM, sbcs5390 said:

...
 

I want to spend some more time with this thread as I have a lot of opinions about the Retreat vs. YC experience. YC was leaps and bounds better and a fraction of the cost. 

Looking forwards your thoughts on Retreat vs. YC, I can't believe how much X is charging for its suite.

Bon voyage tomorrow!

On 10/22/2023 at 6:18 PM, actuarian said:

On X, every room that is classified as a suite (including the junior suites that X calls Sky Suites) is part of the retreat. While the upper suites (Royal Suite and above) do come with a few extra perks, all of the suites on X share the same Retreat Sundeck, the same Retreat Lounge and the same Luminae restaurant. The result is that, on the newer ships on X (the Edge Class ships), 12.0% of the rooms are part of the Retreat. By contrast, on the newest MSC ships (the World Class ships), 5.8% of the rooms are part of the Yacht Club. This makes it almost impossible for X to provide the same level of service in the Retreat as MSC provides in the Yacht Club. That is mostly because there are no accommodations on X that are comparable to the MSC Aurea Experience suites. That means that all of the suite accommodations on X get clumped together. The result is that the MSC Yacht Club feels much more exclusive that the Celebrity Retreat.

Excellent points @actuarian!

Thanks so much for taking us along!

Love your writing style and photos.

I see burgers and onion rings for lunch in @DJ's DH future 😀

Current situation ... watching "Mighty Ships ... MSC Meraviglia" on Smithsonian Channel.

Thanks @jcpc and @CruisingFox27 🍾

@DJ's DHhas worked in Supply Chain all of his professional career.

When he "retired" he started teaching it at our alma mater ... Penn State😀

Thank you all for the terrific feedback!

Interesting on the sommelier on MSC YC.

@DJ's DH and I are relatively wine savvy but we do enjoy having the sommelier in Luminae pair wines for our meals. Over the years we have been introduced to some interesting wines and vintages.

Does anyone know what the house pour champagne is in MSC YC? Real champers not sparkling white or asti 🍾

It looks like gratuities aren't included on MSC YC.

When we have done suites (X, Seabourn, SeaDream) gratuities were included and we always add extra to those who have gone above beyond or to the crew welfare fund.

Thoughts?

12 minutes ago, bphman said:

Hey JAGR.  I certainly got your I-O quote.  G-O. B-U-C-K-S!  We will be sailing for the Penn State game.  Hoping to catch some of it on board.  I'll record it but seeing it live beats seeing a replay when you know the outcome.  Needles to say, we are concerned about Penn State and that school up North.

 

@JAGR and @bphman ... the best thing about the B1G Ten ( or whatever number it is this week🏈) is the cordiality of the fans ... except for those Rutgers fans. Seeing a game in East Rutherford was the scariest game of our lives and we've been to all the B1G stadiums for football except Ohio State.

Trying to keep us on topic 🍾

Wondering how the beverage package works in the YC,

When we sail on X in the Retreat we are used to having Grand Mimosas with our room service  breakfast.  Our butler usually delivers a chilled bottle of Champers (not sparkling white or prosecco), fresh OJ and Grand Marnier.

The recipe for a Grand Mimosa, first served at The Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1925:

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) Grand Marnier

1 bottle Champagne

1½ cups orange juice

6 orange slices, for garnish

Wondering of there would be a charge for any of the ingredients.

Will be interested in your experiences on MSC and X @DaKahuna.

Thanks for sharing your review and thoughts @jcpc!

Thanks @debb75!

I think we will be very happy in YC🍾

8 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

From our experience it tends to vary.  You can have anything - from wonderful classical music played on a piano, to a singer accompanied by a guitar, to a band - depending on your sailing and the ship you’re sailing on.

I read on here that someone had very lively music that they danced all night to.  Not something I could imagine in TSL - it’s usually a venue for chilling out in.  There are lounges around the rest of the ship if you want to dance the night away. 

We aren't dancers ... @DJ's DH idea of dancing is either the Worm from "Animal House" or moving in circles to "Stairway to Heaven."🎶

After 40 years of marriage, most of them happy, we are now to the point where the ship is the destination. When we travel with the kids and grands we do Disney and RCCL.

We love the idea of a ship within a ship.

Speaking of music ...

How is the music in TS? We love a good pianist who can play everything from classical to current music. Nothing better than a post or pre prandial cocktail with lovely piano music.

🎹 "Who needs a house out in Hackensack ... Is that all you get for your money" 🎹

52 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

I think you will enjoy it..I enjoy both…agree on the Martini Bar comment above.  Overall I prefer the entire ship on Celebrity, but the YC is a step above.

But the big question @PTC DAWG is can I get blue cheese stuffed olives in the YC?🍸 Could NEVER get them on X even though they promised "tomorrow" every time I asked.

40 minutes ago, bphman said:

We were Celebrity loyalists but the pricing for the suites and cutback is services had us looking to book elsewhere,  Even AQ is getting ridiculous.  We have our first YC cruise this Sunday and are looking forward to it.  We live about an hour from Brooklyn.  My wife was born and raised in Brooklyn but I married her regardless.  I am very pleased to hear that low salt is not an issue since I, too, develop cruise cankles.  Will report back upon return.

 

Agree 💯 @bphman on X and its crazy pricing and cutbacks. We started in AQ about 8 years ago and then moved to the Retreat. I can't justify spending what X is asking for ships that haven't been fully "Revolutionized." I suspect we, in our very early 60s. aren't their target demographic.

Can't wait to read your reviews! I am expecting a cankles report from you and a pizza report from you DW 😉  The only good pizza in State College is what I make 🍕

We haven't sailed out of Brooklyn but are very familiar with Cape Liberty. Any tips about driving and checking in will be appreciated.

23 minutes ago, jcpc said:

@Beamafar I have to disagree regarding food offerings.  Every single solitary time I have sailed on Celebrity I request no sodium, or at a minimum low sodium meals for health reasons.  By day 3 my feet, ankles and legs are extremely swollen due to the high salt/preservatives used in the food.  On MSC I spoke to the restaurant manager regarding my low sodium request and was told to not worry as the chef does not cook with excessive salt.  I thought to myself, “yeah, sure, I’ve heard that before” and mentally prepared myself to expect swollen feet, etc.  Well, this restaurant manager knew what he was talking about.  I did not have to pre-order meals in the restaurant but the Maitre’d reviewed my meal choices with me.  This is the first cruise in a very long time where I experienced no swollen ankles.  I thought the food tasted great (actually many offerings tasted better to me than anything I’ve recently eaten in Luminae).  And Luminae is, in my opinion, very “seafood heavy” whereas YC Restaurant was not.

I have some food allergies that I always let the cruise lines know at booking. I also confirm with the Concierge and the maitre'd. We also eat a low sodium diet.

In Luminae, @DJ's DH would often order off the MDR or Blu menus if he couldn't find something he liked as an entree. Looking at the YC menu their always available will work for him.

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

We had the cabin next to the Penthouse suite on Millennium, meaning we shared their butler.  It was a very disappointing experience. 

We had the same experience on Summit!

7 minutes ago, RichYak said:

 

I'm a Celebrity Retreat refugee sailing MSC YC for the first time in March. Thank you both for your comments.

Seems like there are quite a few of us @RichYak!

I hope you'll report back on your first YC experience.

Thanks @Beamafar!

We love Luminae for dinner but never seem to make it for breakfast or lunch.

Good to know there isn't suite class distinction in the YC. I hear you on butlers. When we were on X in a RS we had a less than stellar butler. The best butler we've had was on X in a CS.

Thanks @Brighton Line! @DJ's DH is a creature of habit. He loves his French Onion Soup and Caesar Salad😀

Thanks for the info and quick response @jcpc

Sounds like MSC YC is the way for us to go! Quite impressive your group with its loyalty status has jumped ship😀

6 minutes ago, JAGR said:

For breakfast, lox and bagels with cream cheese is on the menu in YC.  For the dinner, it would be wise to advise the staff on what you want.  The French Onion Soup, Caesar Salad are only one one day of the seven-day rotation  The Shrimp Cocktail has been on the the always available on our last cruise, but that may change.  Certainly, those three requested dishes would be easy for them to make up for you with a bit of notice.

 

Good luck against U Mass.  The next week may be a bit more difficult for you!  (I hope, at least! ☺️).  Go Bucks!

Good to know @JAGR!

Here's hoping for an exciting game next week!

14 hours ago, jcpc said:

I sailed last month in Yacht Club on Meraviglia.  Those items are readily available in Yacht Club dining room.  Just let them know in advance what you want and they will accommodate.  At dinner on the first night one member of our group requested shrimp cocktail every night and that was no problem whatsoever.  In YC, they aim to please.  
 

I,  too, always sailed in upper suites on Celebrity.  After 95+ Celebrity cruises I decided to try MSC.  I was blown away by the level of service we received in YC….it far surpassed anything I’ve recently experienced on Celebrity.  Enjoy!

Thanks @jcpc!

Good to hear about the comparisons about your X versus MSC experiences.

Do you know if there is much of a service difference in levels of suites on MSC like there is on X? I have researched quite here on CC and on the MSC site but can't find much difference balcony suites.

We Are ... @Essiesmom🐾

Homecoming is this weekend so you know it is crazy here 🏈

I am guessing if we let the YC staff know that we would like some of the Comfort Classics the day before we dine with us that they work with us.

Thanks so much!