Nashna

On 2/4/2023 at 7:03 PM, Sibsie said:

Now that we’ve decided to switch allegiance to O can anyone tell me about the spa?  I do love a spa treatment and would love to know what they have. Just went in one on X today and the hard selling was awful.  I know what I like, I’m already a product junkie so don’t like being pushed. 

We just got off the Edge on Friday.  We had planned on booking another Celebrity cruise.  However, the food selection and quality on Edge was so poor, we booked the Vista instead.  I totally agree, the product pushing in the Spa was outrageous.  

21 hours ago, egurbi said:

I was on the 4 day portion of the OP's cruise. It was my first time trying MSC.  Realizing that a 4 day cruise is often not a good measure of what a line is really like, I am heartened to hear the OP's review.  TBH, I was planning to post a largely negative review of the 4 day cruise, because in all honesty, it was not good in many respects [and to be blunt, some of the reasons for this were outside the control of MSC].  But now I won't do that, and I will give the benefit of the doubt to MSC until I take a longer cruise with them. 

 

One thing I will note is about the buffet food, as the OP went into depth about it.  Compared to other lines, there is simply substantially less variety if the 4 day cruise was indicative of what they would do on a longer cruise.  That was true at lunch and at dinner, but particularly at dinner.  Most other lines often have a "theme" night at the buffet each night of the cruise, and you end up with the normal staples, including Indian, asian, grill, and salad stations, in addition to five to seven additional dishes centered around the theme of the night.  Not my experience on this 4 day cruise with MSC.  Substituting salmon or veal or roast turkey at the rotisserie section was about as varied as it got. 

I just got off Celebrity's Edge on an 11-night cruise.  The dinner buffet has been reduced to one section.  Celebrity claims that it is because most people were not using the dinner buffet and they were wasting too much food.  Food costs are such a big ticket item for cruise lines and they are affected by the same price increases that we all experience.  Reducing the buffet items and quality is one way to cut costs.

3 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Soda pop, milkshakes, smoothies, water (sparkling & still), traditional mocktails (e.g., virgin Pina Colada), coffee, tea, juice, etc. are FREE.

 

You can buy some specific non-alcoholic products.

 

AND you can bring your own on board. Either at embarkation or in port. (This includes actual alcohol, too. Beer, hard liquor and win. So that would include non-alcoholic wine and spirts.)

Thank you.  That is great information.   My husband can't drink alcohol...he does enjoy the many non-alcoholic wine and spirts that are now available.  We will check closer to our January. 2024 sailing to see what Oceania offers onboard.  If they don't offer these options, we will just make a stop at Total wine after we land the day prior to the cruise.

On the MSC website they state that the automatic tipping charge is $14.50 per person, per day.  Is there an additional charge for passengers sailing in the Yacht Club or is it just assumed we would voluntarily tip extra?

We sailed on the Apex the week prior to our Edge cruise.  We were on the 9th floor in a sunset veranda and had no problem with the soot issue.  We really liked that location.  You should be fine.  

      We sailed on Apex last January and fell in love with the Edge Class ships. We immediately booked this cruise and a previous cruise on the Apex the week prior. This cruise was fantastic... except for the food selection and quality. The difference in food quality in one year was disappointing. When speaking with other passengers, the food options and quality were the main topics that were discussed. Since higher-priced fish (tilapia was featured), filet mignon, and prime rib were not offered, we decided to spend the $65.00 per person to go to Fine Cut. While my husband's filet was very good, my prime rib was not. When the Maitre de asked why I ate so little, I told him the meat was very tough. I frequently prepare prime rib at home. It is virtually impossible to ruin the meat if you are cooking with prime or choice prime rib. This was not a fine cut.

      Despite the food, we had a very enjoyable cruise. Captain Tosas is the most entertaining and charming master of the ship. He also has a fantastic sense of humor, which was displayed at the Liars Club Night. The cruise director, Guiseppe, was full of fun and made a great duo with the captain. The entertainment was varied and kept us going to the shows. One comedian, Tommy Green, Jr., was very funny, and I was happy to see him perform several times. The singers and performers throughout the ship were excellent. I loved the varied entertainment options. We did think that the Edge theatre was not as well designed as was the Apex. I'm sure improvements were made from the original design. In fact, the Edge might benefit from some upgrades throughout the ship in the next few years to bring it up to speed with the others in it's class.

     Our stateroom was a Sunset Veranda on the 12th deck. I should have heeded the soot and noise reviews of this floor that I read on Cruise Critic. The scraping of chairs started around 600 am and continued until 9:00 pm. The aft location is directly under the outdoor seating area of the Oceanfront Cafe, so this notice is unavoidable. In addition, the ship seemed to be spewing a lot of soot. Our balcony was covered with it. In the middle of the cruise, the balcony was closed to us for a few hours for deep cleaning. It was spotless for a few hours; until the soot fell again. Our room steward, Devendra was first-rate. He anticipated our needs and was friendly and efficient. Our room was always cleaned when we returned from breakfast.

     We thought the service was excellent throughout the ship. We were greeted with friendly smiles by all. If it were not for the poor food selection and quality, we would have given the Edge a 5-star rating. 

We are in the process of reserving our first Oceania cruise.  Are non-alcoholic wine or spirits available onboard? 

2 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Were you in The Retreat and dine in Luminae on APEX and EDGE?

No, we were in a Sunset Balcony on both ships.  The decline in food was noticeable compared to our very good experience on Apex in January 2022. 

58 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

We are actually looking at MSC even though I didn't think I ever would based on past experience with their website in the past.  We did the reciprocal status lookup and are Gold there.  I priced a few sailings with the Yacht club on the Seascape and it was pretty good.  Much better than the Retreat.  I am looking at some sailings in 2024 and I may give MSC a shot.  But only in the Yacht club as this may be the only way I'll attempt it to get what I want on a vacation.  For instance, a 7 day is $3200 with a Yacht club inside which doesn't bother us as you still get all the perks compared to $10000 for the Retreat on a non Edge ship same time frame.  That's about 6-7000 dollar difference.  You have an inside but you are in the nice area.  

We have sailed on MSC in the Yacht Club and totally enjoyed the experience.  We are sailing from NYC on MSC in the Yacht Club on an 11-day New England/Canada sailing for just $8200.00 for two.  Be sure to get your Gold status confirmed, before you reserve your cruise to receive an additional 5% off the sailing.   

We are in the process of booking an Oceania cruise instead of Beyond for next January.  We can get a penthouse on Oceania for a lower price than the retreat on Beyond for a similar itinerary.  We have not sailed Oceania, but friends report that the food choice and quality is excellent.  Our recent dining experience on the Apex and Edge resulted in us looking for alternatives.  We absolutely enjoyed the crew, outstanding service, and the fabulous entertainment we experienced on our recent Celebrity sailings.   What a shame that food quality and selection make us reluctant to return.

We had lobster tails on the last formal night.  They were tiny.  I only eat Maine lobster, so I didn't try it.  The tail was one of the smallest I have seen served.   

Just came back on Friday from a 7-Day Apex, followed by an 11-day Edge sailing.  The meal quality and selections in the MDR for dinner were the same on both ships...dismal.  The NY Strip steak was so thin, the chefs had a difficult time cooking it as ordered.  Filet mignon or Prime Rib was not offered in the MDR.  My Prime Rib in First Cut was not a prime or choice piece of meat.  It was tough.  When the Maitre de said he would talk to the chef, I advised him that the meat was cooked perfectly, the fault was in the cut of meat he was given to cook.  I have never heard so many people complain about meal selection and quality.  It was a shame as other than the food; the cruise was outstanding in every way.  We sailed on Apex last January and were so pleased with our voyage that we immediately booked again.  We had intended to book a Beyond sailing for next year.  Now, I am inclined to wait to hear of meal quality and selection improvements before I book another Celebrity sailing.

I booked online via Whatsap.  I did have some questions for the resort and used this e-mail:  restaurants@avilabeachhotel.com.

I am happy to report that the Avila Beach Club (Pen Restaurant) is wonderful. It is a great bargain at just $10.00 per person.  We opted to walk to Avila which was a big mistake.  It took us 45 to 50 minutes. Once we got by the main tourist areas, the sidewalks were uneven and at times, we had to walk in the roads.  Save yourself the time and effort and take a taxi from the pier for just $10.00 per person.  When you need to return to the ship, just ask the desk clerk to call you a taxi.  The beach area is spotless.  It is not a surf beach.  The beach is protected by rocks.  There were plenty of chairs and umbrellas.  Bar service was available, and the staff was friendly.  Reservations are simple to make online.  Your confirmation comes from the Pen Restaurant...not Avila.  Do not come here without reservations.  As we were checking in, two different groups were turned away without reservations.   

So glad she made it!  You two must have been a wreck all day.  Sorry to hear that you were not happy with the Apex service.  We were on her last January and the service was excellent.  Of course, we dined in Blu and that might have made a difference.  We opted for a Sunset Veranda this time, so no Blu.  I'll report back!  

I get the system. I grew up with a loving dad who was an expert at the palm.   I checked out our sailing and the ONLY reservation currently available at Prime Cut or Eden available for the eleven days was 9:30pm... except for the first night 8:00pm available at Prime Cut.  Since I am not a fan of stress on a vacation, I have cancelled our 3-night Speiclaty dining package, confirmed the 8:00pm for just one night, and will be stress free walking onto the cruise.  We have access to fine dining in the Washington DC area.  I'd much rather focus on the cruise experience than worry about where we are dining or rushing to board to be first in line.      

12 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

For the 10th time ( maybe more ) this has been brought up-- Here's what to do:

Go straight to the Specialty restaurant of your choice-- don't stop , don't ask the person vacuuming the floors how many contract they've been on , don't ask an Officer what the strips on his/her jacket mean, don't , etc, etc ( lots of don'ts)--- 

When you get there , speak to the Manager (Maitre'd), and request the day and time--- 

When he/she/ tells you " Sorry , these times are all reserved, but we can take you at " whenever ", ---

Here's what to say :

Tell him/her " Theses times are not suitable. Here's my room number . Please call me if there is a cancellation (  smile indicating $$ )". 

You are bound to get a message on your phone --- " This is X from Specialty restaurant XX. We are pleased to inform you that there was a cancellation on XXX and we look forward to seeing you at that time ".

When you get there you will be greeted by " Guess who " --- 

Now, show him/her your appreciation ( $$ ) for contacting you.

He/she will thank you and tell you " any time I can help you, just let me know "

Everybody is happy---

That's how the " system " works.

 

 

 

 

Our sailing is almost sold out.  The Retreat has been totally booked for months.  I don't see this working under those circumstances.  We will try it, but I am not hopeful.

We have purchased the three-night Speiclaty dining Package.  Since we can't make reservations until we board, what is the best way to do so?  Should we go to the individual restaurants?  Is there a central location to make reservations?  We are only interested in dining at Prime Cut and Eden.    

I'll be sure to let you know.  I hope it is a great option as I now have about 14 people from my Edge cruise going to Avila when we dock.

Our Apex cruise on the 14th has a 10:00pm departure from San Juan.  We typically don't eat dinner in the OVC.  However, we planned to do so in San Juan as we would be coming back late from a tour.  It will be interesting to see if the offerings are as skimpy on a late port departure day, knowing how many people will not be dining in the MDR.    

I think X is probably happy not to have to do the Meet & Greets.  Several times I went to them and 40 people had signed up, but 12 actually showed up.  Many times, there were more officers there than CC members.  I think the M & G ship has sailed.   

This is showing on the app for our January 23 Edge Cruise. 

7 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

OK... I've tried on two different browsers (Chrome and Edge), and can't get some of the required fields to fill (can't type/drop down not active - specifically state and city). 

 

THIS is the correct page, correct?

 

Any other way to get this info to them?

 

We booked our first MSC cruise for April of this year. Will our matched status (Gold) be effective with our first sailing?

 

THANKS,

 

Tom

Yes...it is a great perk.  You should be able to get the 5% discount as well as the $50.00 shipboard credit.  Make sure they apply it.

We have been pleasantly surprised on recent cruises to find that the mainstream cruise lines are now offering non-alcoholic beverages, in particular, wine.  Does MSC offer this on their sailings.  We have the premium package.  

Also, on our last MSC cruise in January 2020, GF pizza was not offered.  At the time, the Hotel Director mentioned that it was being considered fleet-wide.  Does MSC offer this now?  

So nice to hear about Paul and the Halifax Titanic Tour.  I just booked him today for our port day on October 8, 2023.  My husband was thrilled to hear that Evans Seafood had GF Fish & Chips!