westcoasttech

Sorry ... between W-O-R-K, cruising over the Christmas period and the January blues, I never got back into CC to finish it off ... I'll try and "tie it up" at some point!😜

This comment must be from someone with 20:20 eyesight! Purse needed for reading glasses, reading sunglasses and regular sunglasses (for when outside just looking at whatever in sunny climates!). AND most ships now doing away with printed "daily" schedule in favour of the online app, so phone/device needed for access to that ... very rare that female clothing has decent pockets for today's sized phones! AND lucky pen needed for trivia sessions!

Part VI Port Report begins!: It’s been a while since I was on a Caribbean ports only sailing, but have at one time or another been to a lot of the islands, so the ports on this sailing were not a particular priority to me, I was really just sailing to be sailing! I had made an itinerary of the times we were supposed to be arriving or departing ports according to the information on the MSC website, however in reality the actual times in port seemed to not always be what was originally supplied. (Also, we rarely actually sailed at the “revised” scheduled time, there seemed to be frequent delays in getting everyone back onboard on time, and sailaways were late at pretty much every stop – not because of late arrivals, but because there would be lines of passengers still waiting to get back onboard when “all aboard” times rolled around!) Our first port was San Juan on Halloween evening. This was weird timing for a port visit – (original schedule: 5:00 pm to 1:00 am, actual timings: approximately 5:00 pm to midnight, with all aboard being 11:30 pm). I didn’t have any plans to go ashore, so I stayed onboard and got a few pictures of a generally quiet ship. People did tell me later that most shops were closed, with bars and restaurants being the main thing open. Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas (original schedule: 7:00 am to 2:00 pm, actual timing: 7:00 to 3:00 pm): I had wanted to book a private food tour for this stop, but with the 2:00 pm sailing meant this would not be possible. The day before the port stop, it was mentioned that the “actual” sailaway time was 3:00 pm, so I quickly got online and booked the food tour. I used Flavors Food Tour St Thomas https://flavorsofstthomas.com/tours/. It ended up being just one other couple (honeymooning on the island) and me and the tour guide. There were several stops with small-ish bites and I really enjoyed it, despite having to dodge the rain showers, and would highly recommend the tour if you can fit it into your time on the island! TIME-SAVING HINT: don’t try and use the “taxis” (open backed trucks with bench seating) at the port if you are in a rush, they will wait until they have a full truck before they leave! I, along with a bunch of others, got tired of waiting and starting walking along the road into town, a truck soon stopped to pick us all up and dropped us near the fort area (charged $6 one way into town, they would also take you to the beach, but that was a bit more $). MONEY-SAVING HINT: I later found out from my tour guide that you can pick up the regular “town buses” (they use the same open backed trucks), at the bus stop on the main road (the bus stop is anywhere there is a pull-in area on the road), and they charge $1 for any distance in the town area, $2 to go further inland. The tour guide helped me in flagging down one of these “regular” buses to get back to the port area, while it didn’t go quite to the port entrance (and I think I went 1 stop too far as it started to go up the hill “inland”!), it was just a short walk to the entrance. Puerto Plata, DR (original schedule: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and I think we pretty much did that): Ship Tour – Playa Dorada Beach Escape. In any port YC passengers can be escorted off the ship by a butler, to, in theory, avoid any line ups to exit the ship. YC passengers on ship tours are advised to meet in the lounge area 15 mins before the meeting time on their tickets. I duly went to the lounge and was escorted with a group of other passengers on various ship tours, and we did avoid a short line up at the security point – the butler just takes you past anyone else that is waiting to exit (which does feel a bit weird and embarrassing to this Brit well-trained in queuing!). The butler also escorted us up the pier area to an area where there were various groups were gathering for the various ship tours. It was very hot with very minimum shaded areas available! It was a bit chaotic and there was no indication of how long the wait would be, but after about 10 minutes, our fairly large group was directed by our 2 guides through the port shopping area to the car park and directed onto 2 large coaches. I think most people rushed to get on the 1st coach, but I went around that to the 2nd coach and ended up with a few less people on that one. It was about a 15 minute drive to the beach, during which time our bus guide came around applying wrist bands to all and explained that lunch and 1 non-alcoholic drink was included, but any other drinks (outside the welcome punch) would be extra. On arrival we were walked to the beach area and given a welcome drink of punch (with or without rum – your choice). I hustled to the far end of the beach and found a front row lounger and umbrella. There were various staff (I’m guessing employees of the beach from their attire) in the area, and they appeared to keep the beach pretty much free from any “wandering solicitors” of beach souvenirs and I guess my “invisibility cloak” must have deployed again, as I was not bothered by anyone for the day – but this included anyone offering extra beverages too … oh well, I guess I saved some money! In due course I wandered up to the restaurant for the included lunch – fried chicken or hot dogs, rice, beans, salad, and paid for a cerveza (which I was amused to find was brewed in Holland!). I did venture into the water at one point, but the water was quite rough, so not good for swimming, unless you fought your way past the breaking waves. I managed to get knocked over by the waves, and as I had injured my wrist a few week prior to the cruise I was struggling to get up and out of the waves and had to be assisted by one of the beach staff to get up and out of the water … I actually wasn’t the only one, I saw a couple of people needing assistance during the day… while they were not lifeguards, some of the staff obviously kept an eye on the water, which I’m thankful for! After about 5 hours in total on the beach all the passengers made their way back onto the buses and back to the port area. There is a fairly large “cruiseline” developed area at the port, with shopping and a smart looking party pool, complete with DJ and pounding music (from just walking by it, it was loud, and not somewhere I would have liked to spend any time, but that’s just me!). This area was still under development will presumably be growing now the ships are back on a schedule. Flavors of St Thomas Food Tour https://flavorsofstthomas.com/tours/ - Salt Fish Quiche and Hibiscus Tea from E's Garden Teahouse & Things Curry Chicken - very good [Sorry, should have turned the pic first!] St Thomas Alley Way Very good pulled pork tacos here along with a "build your own" Painkiller Pulled pork taco Build your own cocktail! Ship Excursion - Playa Dorada Beach Break The water looks pretty calm here, but it wasn't! Temperature was good with a nice breeze off the water. Tequila flavoured beer? (I didn't know it was that when I ordered it! It was good ... but brewed in the Netherlands ... ha, ha...

You used to be able to get a little "creative" with the spirits and soda combinations ... I would ask for a vodka with ginger beer and extra lime (in other words, a "deconstructed" Moscow Mule)! I haven't had to try that since the re-start, but will probably be trying it on my Apex sailing in a couple of weeks as I'm "cruise only" on that one. When RCCL had Happy Hour only Diamond drinks, I would ask for a "Diamond Chocolate Martini" - vodka, Baileys and chocolate syrup - once the bartenders got to know you (I used to do the longer repositioning trips), they were happy to oblige! I thought Baileys used to be on the Celebrity drink list too, but it doesn't seem to be there anymore?? [Am I the only one who sees the typo in the Rose wine listing ...😁???]

Part V [I might be a bit slow adding on to the review ... I'm still working and the J-O-B is needing my attention!] Is this one cruise or two?: MSC (at least for the North American ones I looked at this time around) has the option of booking cruises as 1 week or 2 week selections. The 2 week option is listed as 1 cruise – normally 14 days (my cruise was 15 days as they had added in an extra day to change the turnaround day in Miami for the last few weeks of their Seashore Miami season). One benefit of booking it this way, is, in theory, you can see what cabins are available for the whole 2 weeks. When I was browsing any options pre-cruise, it came up as 1 cruise of 15 days, nowhere is it listed as a B2B booking. When it comes to Voyager Club benefits, I believe it is “officially” counted as 1 cruise, not two. If you are collecting points, I believe, that you get the points for 1 cruise of 14/15 days length – being Diamond level already, I’m no longer “counting” points, I just needed to take “any” cruise to get my membership “refreshed” for the next 3 years. I was told I would only get 1 set of Diamond level benefits – only 1 Diamond level “gift” and only 1 Diamond level specialty dining benefit. Not a big deal for me – however I did end up with 2 chocolate ships, 2 deliveries of macarons (one of which disappeared from my cabin before I could find time to eat them – I was not happy about that, as I love macarons! I guess I needed to hide them from evening turndown room service's over enthusiastic tidying up of the cabin! [/s]), and multiple bottles of Proscecco, so I’m not sure if those were a YC or a Diamond level thing! However when I initially boarded I attempted to make some changes to my booked excursions for my 2nd week, to be told that those bookings were not accessible, and I could not change or make any new bookings for the 2nd week, as that was “next sailing”. In fact, once onboard, you could not make any bookings for the 2nd week until after that sailing started as it was not on their onboard system yet. Incidentally, I had both positive and negative interactions with the YC concierge desk (following the initial room issue). There was one excursion in Cozumel I had wanted to book pre-cruise, but I waited too long and it was listed as sold out (it was a VIP small group tour), so thought I would ask to be wait-listed once onboard. However, as Cozumel was the 2nd week, the concierge could not access the bookings on their system. Having explained the issue to a member of the concierge desk at the beginning of the 1st week, they did go above and beyond, to phone up head office and attempt to get me added or waitlisted to the tour. Unfortunately they were told that was not possible until the 2nd week sailing had started. However, late on embarkation day of the 2nd week, the concierge let me know he had again phoned up and managed to add me to the tour. (One of the rare benefits of solo travel, is that you can sometimes get added to “sold out” tours, as there may be room for one more, but not two!). I will give “brownie points” to the concierge for going out of their way to get me added to an excursion I really wanted to try. However, shortly after that I was also given incorrect information about cancelling tours by the YC concierge desk. Once the concierge could access the tours for the 2nd week, and I had been successful in being added to the Cozumel tour, I then decided to cancel the Jamaica excursion (booked pre-cruise), to save the $$ for the other tour I had really wanted, and even though Jamaica was still several days away, I was told by the YC concierge that was not possible – which just sounded weird to me. So the next morning, I went down to the main tour desk – just to check – and asked if it was still possible to cancel Jamaica tours. The response was “no problem” and my booking was promptly cancelled and the funds returned to my onboard account, which funds then went towards my other excursion booking – so that worked out! All the menus (both in YC and “downstairs”) were on a 7 day rotation and repeated the 2nd week. The entertainment was also on a 7 day rotation, and the shows just repeated the 2nd week – having attended the majority of them the 1st week, and with none of the shows requiring a 2nd viewing, I found I had minimal entertainment options for the 2nd week. I would suggest that if you are selling the cruise as a 14/15 day cruise option, it would be nice if you mixed in some alternatives, both for menus and entertainment options, for the 2nd week. I’ve done numerous longer repositioning cruises, and I don’t think any cruiseline has simply repeated menus for the 2nd half. There were quite a few cruisers that had booked the longer options, in some combination, so I’m sure I wasn’t the only one looking for a change in the 2nd week. [There are not really any pics to match the text, so I'll just add in some gratuitous food photos ... for some colour...] I was a bit on and off about taking menu pics, so don't always remember the "official" description. Asparagus starter - they really liked asparagus (luckily so do I!) and it was a frequent ingredient. Filet Mignon (I think!) - Filet steaks were always good and cooked to requested temperature. Chocolate soufflé - I was too eager and punched the hole for the custard (okay, creme anglais!) before taking a picture. Not sure which day this was... Lamb shank Must have been a sea day - Italian lunch on the pool deck Italian lunch on the pool deck, seafood selection Cooking demonstration on the pooldeck. Maitre'd of the YC restaurant acting as chef. Beef carpaccio starter ... I think this was Italian night in the YC dining room Lamb chops - entree A taster portion of the lasagna ... it was good, but a small portion was enough! A random breakfast picture ... french toast with a crispy bacon starter. I would request my bacon extra crispy and they always seemed to find me some nice crispy strips!

Thanks for the review and the details of the Mixology class. I'm on Apex later in December and just hopped onto the website to book the class - making a mental note to turn up early to ensure I get a seat! Honestly I prefer the more "fru-fru" drinks (the sweeter and creamier the better), but I do like these type of cocktail class type things, even if I end up just taking one sip of the creations. Just curious, did they provide a list of Captain's Club benefits up front to you? I took a "50% capacity" Alaska cruise earlier this year and there was little to no communication of the benefits (I happened to stumble on the Elite breakfast area, and the Welcome Back party, never saw if there was a "happy hour" location, as I didn't need any "free" drinks!), and as I booked as an "all-inclusive" deal in Aqua, many of the benefits/priorities were pretty much "void", but as it was a few years since my last Celebrity sailing I would have appreciated a clear list of what benefits should have been included.

these are the ones I have: Magnetic hooks they are heavy duty (and a bit heavy, but worth the luggage space) and will take quite heavy loads - add in a length of strong string/cord and a few clothes pegs, and you have a washing line as most balconies are metal too. [I am dating myself in admitting I know how to dry clothes without mechanical help!] I have a few light weight ones too for light weight use.

I didn't take any pics of the closet (translation: wardrobe), as there's usually enough space for me as a solo, even when I pack too much! From memory one third/half of the wardrobe is a mix of shelves and drawers (with the small safe taking up some of one shelf). Remainder is hanging space, not completely full height though - my longer dresses didn't hang freely but hit the bottom. Small shallow shelf at the top and small shelf at the bottom (presumably for shoes). There's a set of drawers in the desk area (shown on the photo of the room above). Small night stands on either side of the bed have very small open shelf type thing. Suitcases fitted easily under the bed (even my large one). I managed to fully unpack, a large suitcase, a medium suitcase and a rollaboard size case, into the drawers and closet ... if that helps! Electronics and general "at hand" stuff lived on the top of the desk. There's not a lot of storage in the bathroom ... see 2 small shelves shown in the photo above. The cupboard area under the sink, is taken up mostly by the garbage can, so hard to store things in there. I bring a whole bunch of pretty heavy duty magnetic hooks (from Amazon) which can attach to the walls or ceiling - I use these for hats, light coats, bags. When attached to the ceiling I use them to hang damp clothing to dry or air out clothes for re-wearing.

Part IV So much for a quiet room!: Unfortunately after all the room drama, my plans of a nice, quiet room, didn’t work out. It turns out there must be a crew hallway, just above and behind the location of my room – at least that’s what appeared to be the situation. I could hear trolleys being pushed back and forth into the small hours of the morning, and then they restarted again at a very early hour! I can only presume this was the pass from the restaurant to the kitchen area and it was plates/equipment/food being moved around. Due to the location, it was not just noise but vibration too. I am the first to admit that I am a very light sleeper and any “on again/off again” type of noise will wake me with a start, especially when I travel. This noise/vibration may not affect all, but it did affect me. I tried to “suck it up” for the first couple of nights – knowing that the ship was fully booked and the chance of moving cabins was unlikely, and that any room in the immediate area, probably had the same issue. Abhinav (Butler) had been very attentive since the issues on the first day – perhaps a bit too attentive for my comfort – he, like most of the butlers, was part ninja, and would just seem to appear from “nowhere” whenever I exited the room. I know this is part of their job, and some people/cultures like having a “shadow” to assist whenever they turn around, but it’s a bit much for me. I actually had a conversation with him on the 2nd day, and tried to explain that I really didn’t need someone to escort me the short walk to the restaurant, or escort me to the theatre, etc. I think he was a bit offended [/s]! This is nothing against Abhinav, he really is an excellent butler, but I just don’t need that much attention to make my cruise work! On the 3rd morning, on exiting my cabin, there he was again, and asked how I slept, I think I was feeling a bit sleep deprived by then, and answered him honestly, mentioning about the trolley noise keeping me awake. I made the comment that I appreciated that there was probably nothing they could do about it, but it would be great if they could put down some carpet [/s that definitely didn’t translate!] I was surprised when later in the day, Abhinav came to me and told me that he had arranged for me to move cabins, I just had to pack my “loose stuff” (ie., belongings not on hangers in the closet) and he would arrange to move me to up a deck to 18 (reminder: there is no deck 17 on MSC, as 17 is an unlucky number in Italian). So I semi-packed, was moved and was relocated to 18027. But, I hear you say that’s just above your previous location? Yes, but for whatever reason it was a lot quieter and didn’t get the vibration of the trolleys that the room on deck 16 did … go figure! I presumed I would be in that room for the remainder of the 15 day cruise, however, this wasn’t the last room I was to stay in during my cruise … more on that later. [No pics of the new room - 18027 was the same as 16025, but just a mirror image with the desk being on the other side of the room and the bathroom being in the other corner. Instead here's a few general photos taken around the ship...] Infinity bridge - midship on the deck 8 (?) outside promenade area ... walking on the glass always freaks me out! The "duelling piano" entertainers played most nights. They were very good, but the location sucked (was open to the other floors housing the casino, meaning smoke smell and noise/announcements spoiled the show!) I would watch for a short while but never managed to stay for their whole set. Venchi 2.0 Chocolate martini from the Venchi bar ... this was the best drink ... unfortunately not included in the "all inclusive" bar that comes with the YC ... it used to be! Wake view ... taken from La Caberet Rouge bar ... which was a nice quiet inside place to read or hang out, if you didn't want to "bake" in the sun. Trivia was held there. Wine bar ... taken on San Jose evening in port, which is why there is no one there ... but I think it was not used much at any time!

Part III “You’re not on the list”: So after lunch, I headed off to check on my room and was happy to see both my suitcases waiting for me outside the door. However, once I opened the room, I stopped dead, seeing a cabin that was, frankly, being used for storage, with extra furniture and bedding scattered around the room. I paused and double checked the room number, and with a “What the heck” turned around to find a butler standing directly behind me in the corridor. The butler, later introduced as Abhinav, looking a little puzzled, and the conversation went something like this: Butler: Can I help you? Me: Err, yes, this is my room? Butler: [Looking at his printed out list.] No, this room is empty for this sailing, what room are you looking for? Me: 16025 … [shows printed luggage labels, shows that key card opened the door] I booked this 6 months ago. Have I been upgraded or something and no one told me? [partially /s, partially hopeful!] Butler: Um, no I don’t think so. [Makes a quick phone call.] So sorry, my list must be wrong, if you go and wait in the lounge I’ll get the room ready for you. Me: Um … okay … I guess… Cue me heading back to the lounge and ordering a pot of tea, while I ponder “what the heck?”. And I wait, and I wait, and I wait. While my tea got cooler, I proceeded to get hotter and more annoyed. [Some background, mostly for anyone who has not travelled as a solo, older female. I have been treated as “invisible” more times than I can count, and as a now “grey-haired” older female, it has been getting more frequent – apparently the grey-hair really does act as an invisibility cloak [/s]. When in a queue, or waiting for my turn at something, groups and couples will walk around me as if I don’t exist, or the groups and couples will be called forward before me, no matter how long I’ve been waiting … when that happens I’ve started to comment under my breath (but recently it’s been getting louder) that “oh, I guess the invisibility cloak turned on again!” So, yes, being “forgotten about” or ignored has become a bit of a “trigger” for me.] So I waited, and watched the time tick by, after 45 minutes – it was now 3pm – I was still waiting! I made my way to the Concierge Desk (at the entrance to the YC) and calmly but forcefully asked to speak to a manager [yes, I know how that sounds … I really do try not to be “that” woman, but sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself and let people know you are not happy!]. I explained the issue to the Concierge and then to the Head Butler. I presume the Head Butler had been advised as she appeared to be familiar with the issue of the room being used for storage. The Head Butler walked me around to my now ready room, telling me that the original butler had looked for me in the lounge once the room was prepared, but couldn’t find me … “invisibility cloak” strikes again? We proceeded to have a conversation, where I explained that I had been made to feel very “invisible”, and I wasn’t impressed by the way I, as a solo, female traveller, had been treated. She explained that it must have been due to a miscommunication between head office and the ship over room assignment – however, from my point of view, how was I checked in and on the manifest but yet didn’t have a room assigned, a room I specifically picked when I booked the cruise more than 6 months ago! And did no one make the connection between 2 suitcases being left outside a room that was going to be “empty this sailing”? [I was also not the only person with room issues – I don’t know the details , but there was at least one other couple having major discussions with the Concierge over some room confusion over the next couple of days, so there seems to be a pattern of miscommunications.] By this time it was well after 3pm, so I hustled to a sail-away get-together that had been arranged online, then to muster. I cheated a bit, I went down to my muster station early, got scanned in, returned to my room to do the phone check in that was required to acknowledge watching the on-TV information, and then headed up to the sundeck for a drink and to watch the other ships around us sail-away. I’m not sure why MSC does muster the way it does (watch the information, call the phone number, go down to your muster station in groupings by floor), it really doesn’t avoid crowding (unless, like me, you head down early, and do it all in the “wrong” order!). The recent RCCL/Celebrity way of muster is much more convenient and avoids any crowding – watch the muster information video online before embarkation, head to your muster station location anytime after embarkation to check in and you’re done! MSC muster takes a LONG time, with the different groupings of floors being called, the muster instructions over the PA in multiple languages, and repeated PA instructions to get the "stragglers" to comply with muster! Eventually Seashore sailed away, followed by dinner in the YC restaurant, followed by the show. I normally try to ensure I am fully unpacked before sail away so I can relax and really start my cruise, however this time I ended up unpacking my bags well after 10pm and headed to bed. Included minibar ... drinks will be refilled, but only one Toblerone for the cruise (and I never even got around to eating it...) First bottle of Proscecco ... all included ... not sure if this was a YC or a Diamond benefit? YIN cabin layout ... the size is fine for me, but the narrow access at the side of the bed was a bit awkward. I don't think much of the artwork ... hope no one has a shark phobia! YC sundeck hottub ... this was the large one and there was another regular round one at the other end of the sundeck. Both were hot ... this one was very hot ... to the point of being uncomfortable at times! YC pool ... on days in US ports the water was this low, normally the water was higher and was over the tiled area around it. Love this pool! Nice and deep and salt water so you "bobbed" in it! YC YIN cabin bathroom ... yes it's small, fine for a solo, not sure I'd want to share with anyone I didn't know very well. Not shown - shower had a rain shower head as well as the handheld attachment. Eventually ... sailaway, following Disney out of the canal... Dinner - Embark day - Duck and chicken terrine Menu - Embark day dinner Embark day - dinner - Tortelli

Part II Port and Embarkation: I took my time organizing in the morning and after comparing Uber to Lyft went with the “wait 15 minutes” discount on a Lyft (total was around $35 incl. tip). A very nice SUV type vehicle turned up and was loaded up with my overpacked luggage and I was on my way to Port of Miami before noon. The drive was pretty quiet, as it became apparent that my driver spoke only Cuban Spanish and just about the only Spanish I know is “cerveza”! I spent the trip Googling “white tent” in Spanish so I could direct him to the infamous YC white tent drop off point (for the record it’s “carpa blanca”). An uneventful ride later, we made it to the port. The driver went to drop me off at the nearest porter, but the magic words “Yacht Club?” got me redirected a bit further down the port to the Carpa Blanca! A few dollars to the porter and the overpacked suitcases had YC labels added and were whisked away. My printed out pass was handed to the checkin staff handling YC and me, along with a couple of family groups were escorted pass the building crowds, through security to the YC check in area – a small room to the side of the general checkin area. It did get a little confusing here, as we were directed to take a seat in the room, with no other instruction. Others in the room were already getting their bracelets and cards. However, after a few minutes, my name was called and I went up to the counter to complete the necessary checkin/security photo taking/given my bracelet and card and offered a glass of prosecco to sip on. A few minutes more and a butler rounded up the small group and walked up a set of stairs towards the gangway. There was a small confusion with the YC first-timers who had put their cruise cards away thinking that the bracelet was all they needed – reminder: bracelet for YC stuff onboard the ship, cruise card for getting on and off the ship. It was a bit of a butler tag-team effort, with one butler taking us a short way, to hand us off to another butler, who then handed us off to another butler at the other side of the gangway, who handed us off to another butler at the lifts. I had booked a YIN YC inside on deck 16 (16025), on the inside side of the port side corridor (that’s a lot of “sides”, but I can’t think of any other way to describe it!). I have sailed in a YIN before and knew it was an affordable way to experience the “suite life” of Yacht Club. I knew YIN cabins are on the small side (with the bathrooms on the extremely small side), but the benefits of the lounge, restaurant and private sun deck make up for the lack of cabin space. On the Seaside in 2018, my YIN was one of the L-shaped ones near the entrance to the YC. Then I was underneath the Aurea sundeck/bar area and noticed some early morning scraping of loungers being positioned, so this time I specifically picked deck 16 thinking I would avoid any sundeck noise transfer. Once embarked I was told that rooms on 16 were not yet available and advised to head straight to lunch. The restaurant and lounge area looked the same as the Seaside did in 2018. Lunch was pretty good – however their definition of Veggie Pakoras is somewhat different to what this curry-loving ex-Brit thinks of as a Pakora! Embark lunch starter 1 - Hamachi and avocado ... yes, I like raw fish! Embark lunch Starter 2 - Asparagus Panna Cotta - texture was a bit weird... Embark lunch - listed as an entree ... (so called) Pakoras

It's been a "moment" since I've written a review ... but here goes!! Warning: this is probably going to be a long one... Explanation for title: Inside cabins in the Yacht Club (“YC”) are classified as YIN cabins, and can be affordable way for a solo to experience the “Suite Life” in the YC. Background: Me, female solo traveller, reaching the end of my 50’s. A Brit by birth and a Canadian by choice, I’ve lived on the west coast for over 25 years, but still have my Brit accent, which confuses everybody when I introduce myself as Canadian. I started taking solo cruises about 20 years ago and in the “before times” averaged a couple of cruises a year. I’m not loyal to one cruiseline, have done mostly RCCL, but some MSC (specifically, 7 days Caribbean on Seaside – YIN cabin, 13 days Mediterranean on Musica – Aurea cabin, 29 days repositioning on Orchestra – Aurea cabin), Celebrity, NCL, with the odd Cunard, P&O UK and even a Viking Ocean. I cruise whatever ship takes me where I want to go, when I want to go and for the price as a solo that I’m comfortable paying. I consider myself a “cruise nerd” and enjoy researching, reading and talking about cruising. I’ve got to the point where I’m taking a cruise to see and experience the ship more than being bothered where the ship is going. READER’S WARNING: What follows is going to include my honest opinion and while I consider it’s tough to have a “bad” cruise, some of what I have to say is going to be negative, so if you’re a MSC cheerleader, who can’t bear to read anything bad about your BFF cruiseline – stop reading now! This will be a “no holds barred” review, not as a criticism of MSC, but as a “heads up” to anyone planning a MSC cruise, so you can know the possible ups and downs and make your decision with all the information. I could tell you the cruise was all rainbows and unicorns, but that would probably be a short (and probably boring) review and I believe it’s better to be aware of all the possibilities … good and bad. It is also going to be L-O-N-G … Some of what I write will be firmly tongue-in-cheek as I still have my Brit sarcasm gene in place, and I know (from experience) that sometimes that sarcasm doesn’t always translate to North American – you have been warned! [I may mark any possibly unclear sarcasm with a [/s] marker, to attempt to avoid misunderstanding.] I’ll attempt to split up the review in a logical manner, but will be mixing chronological style with a by-topic style, so if you get bored, feel free to skip to the next section! And I’ll add in photos - if I can get that to work! Why did I take this cruise? Way back in the “before times” (i.e., 2018) when I first looked at MSC I took advantage of the status match and went straight into the Voyager Club as Diamond. As you might be aware with MSC you have to sail every 3 years to keep your status level. Earlier this year, I realized I would be coming up to 3 years, with my last MSC cruise being November 2019, so started researching possible sailings and made my choice. It was only after booking I learnt that due to “you know what”, the 3 year renewal had been extended to 4 years! Oh well, I was booked so decided to go ahead and use this trip as my reason to get back into the routine of travelling again, with the flight to Florida being the 1st time back in an airport for over 2.5 years. Flight and Florida: Being my first flight for several years, I had a bunch of points earned during the “before times”, so treated myself to a Premium Economy/Business Class mixed ticket for my flight across the continent, which also meant I didn’t have to worry about squeezing 2 weeks of clothing into one bag (and I always way overpack!). I used to nearly always use American Airlines to get across country for cruising from FL, but they seem to have changed the times of those flights, so ended up going through Denver on United Airlines. The flight was uneventful, with a short layover time, and my luggage made it to FLL with me, so that was good! A well-travelled friend told me about AirTags so I invested in a 4 pack, and it was interesting to be able to sit on the plane and check to see if the suitcases had made it across the airport in time to be on my plane with me … though not sure what I would do if it showed them heading in the opposite direction! Although MSC Seashore was sailing from Port of Miami, I had a better flight option into Fort Lauderdale, and I like the vibe of FLL for pre-cruise relaxing more than the City of Miami, so booked a hotel Hollywood Beach area (or so I thought) for 2 nights pre-cruise to have some time to acclimatize to Florida heat and humidity. Hotel: Doubletree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach. Pros – Warm, yummy cookies on arrival, large and spacious rooms, friendly staff, across the road from the beach with loungers/umbrellas included in the “resort fee”, short walk across bridge over the canal to a big Walmart, Big Lots (for any last minute shopping needs), Panera and Starbucks (for morning snacks). Cons – A few dings in the paint and worn carpet in places, and not really located in Hollywood Beach (with the big “balloon” marker for Hallandale Beach being just across the road!) No rental car, so I booked in Hollywood Beach thinking there would be varied and cheap dining options with a beach view within walking distance on the promenade. However, the Doubletree is in a long area of hotels and resorts, with few restaurants outside of the hotels. In the morning of my “spare” day, I headed to Panera for a morning snack and a quick trip to Walmart, to see the difference between Walmart Canada and Walmart US. I always find it funny to be in hot and humid Florida and Walmart is stocked with puffy jackets and flannel PJs! I walked back along the beach (burning my feet on the sand), but never did identify the particular loungers that belonged to the Doubletree. The tide was pretty high and the small amount of beach quite crowded, so headed back to the hotel pool, which was far less crowded, and spent the afternoon with a good book. In the evening, being stubborn, I decided I was going to walk to the Hollywood Beach promenade area “just because”. It was over 45 minutes walk to the beginning of the promenade, about an hour to a “reasonably priced” restaurant for a pizza and beer, and by the time I got there any views of the beach and sea were long hidden by the night and I ended my evening with another long walk back to the hotel … (yes, I could have Uber/Lyft, but like I say … I’m stubborn [and a little cheap!] and at least I walked off the pizza!) Cruise day tomorrow! View from the canal bridge - Doubletree pool is on the right under the trees I made it for sunset ... Hollywood Beach Promenade (about 45 mins walk from the Doubletree) My reward for a long walk - pizza and a beer ... but sea view has disappeared into the night! Doubletree pool ... nice and quiet ... it was not heated and was still on the chilly side being mostly shaded

Just popping back to say thanks for the info and input. Yesterday I actually managed to track down the model I wanted (in the colour I wanted!) at the local "fruit" store, so multi-tasked last night between packing for the trip and setting up the phone. Now I just need to learn all it's new tricks!

I've been looking at various resorts for our day in Cozumel, and every time I think I've found the perfect one, I see another one that's tempting! I'm looking for something on the quieter side, so no poolside DJ, and fewer kids. I would like the option of a good size pool/jazuzzi area as well as a sandy beach and not too far from the city, so a shorter/cheaper taxi ride away and a budget of under $100, and all inclusive would be a plus. I don't need a water park or multiple toys, just a relaxing day! A few options I've come up with El Cozumeleno or Nachi Cocum, but then saw The Cabana Beach, which is a bit higher budget, no pool and not inclusive, however ... private cabana beats inclusive in my world! Looking for experiences and suggestions of a good resort for more reclusive type of person.

Tubi TV shows as an available app on my default home screen when using a Fire TV stick to access streaming. It's listed as free to join (Tubi) and has a "join as guest" option so you don't have to provide any information to access the app. "Professor" Google might tell you if the documentary is available through alternative sources in any particular part of the world, full name of the program is "Building Paradise Island" and it's a 3 part documentary ... I think each episode is about 45 minutes long.

The AC direct flights (YVR to MIA) seem to be starting towards the end of December. They are not daily, just offered a few days per week (don't know if that will change in time?). I've arranged to stay an extra night in MIA at the end of my cruise so I can use it for the return flight to YVR. I know it doesn't make much financial sense with the extra expense of a hotel but it does shorten +10 hour traveling to a single flight of just over 6 hours, and avoids that rushed feeling of disembarkation day, so I'm going to treat myself and give it a try.

I haven't seen this discussed on CC ... maybe I just missed it, as it's probably been online for some time. I came across the 3-part documentary "Building Paradise Island" on my streaming service (I'm in Canada, and it was on Tubi TV app on my Fire TV service through Prime). It follows the development of Ocean Cay from trash filled and polluted sand to opening day and 1st ship visit. I found it interesting. I know it's a bit of a MSC promo, but if what they state about it's environmental standards is for real, then I applaud MSC for their actions, and I'm looking forward to seeing the island in real life in a few weeks. The numbers stated for the work done and the money spent was quite staggering ... I guess that's why they charge you to climb the lighthouse ... got to make the money back somehow! [jk!]

Solo here. Lucky enough to receive and book both recent BCC offers. You only get charged taxes and port fees for one, and if you have an upgrade option, only get the daily upgrade charge for one. A great deal for us solo cruisers ... but does make me wonder why solos have to pay double when we're paying full price for our cruises.

Visit guest services once onboard. They should be able to apply a purchasing limit or a purchasing block on the card. I used to do check in a the local port - always used to recommend to parents that they put a block/limit on a kid's cards, many new cruisers don't realize that there may be arcade type things on board some ships that the kids will have access to!

Yeah, iPhone 14, Pro Max model specifically. I had read that the 14 didn't have a SIM tray and but the CDN network providers still talked about providing a SIM, so that was confusing me! If they are different physical setup then that makes sense ... and makes it more difficult for me to get it in the US, I guess! I might have to wait till after my trip to get one here in CDN ☹️

I am in the market for a new phone (my current one is about 8 years old, so technically "ancient"), and I'm interested in the newest "fruit" branded model with a good camera option. I've been having problems finding the model I want in stock up here (West Coast), and as I'm in FL for a few extra days pre-cruise at the end of next month wondering if I could try and pick one up then, so I could use the new "super" camera during my cruise. Pricing seems just a little cheaper when buying in the US, even allowing for exchange rates, but the savings are not my primary incentive - I just don't want to wait the 6 weeks for shipping, I seem to be seeing from some sources. Is it practical to try and order one directly from the "fruit" brand to be picked up at a local FL store front while I'm in the area? I consider myself fairly "techy" when it comes to computers, but not so much when it comes to phones ... hence the 8 year old phone! I'm looking at changing my service provider here at home anyway, so would it practical to buy a Canadian SIM to take with me to try and set up the phone while I'm in the US? Or could I use the new phone on wi-fi only without adding a Canadian SIM while onboard, is that even possible? I would not be planning on using it for calls (and would have my old phone as a backup for any emergency communication needs), but if I could use it for the cruiseline app, that would be helpful. I'm presuming I could use it just as a camera without doing a full set up to a network? What do I need to consider if I try and do this?

It was extended by one year due to the shut down. I last sailed MSC in Nov 2019 and thought my status would expire this year, so went ahead and booked a trip for October this year ... then found out Voyager status was extended by one year, so would have been good through to Nov 2023. Oh well, I think I can still find a way to enjoy my cruise [/s] and reset the clock for another 3 years!

With Celebrity, inconsistency is the only consistency!! I got the Mexican offer and booked (7 day for 2023). It was explained to me that "my" BCC offer meant that Aqua would be a small ($20) per day additional charge - room only (no inclusions), but still a great deal, and I managed to snag an aft-facing Aqua A1 ... so happy dance! Earlier this month very surprised to also receive the Caribbean routes offer (I'm the OP of post #320 with the list of cruises). Phoned to book and was told "my" BCC offer, this time, covered a E1 (infinite verandah) and that "Aqua upgrades were not available" but I could check back later. Oh well, still a great deal and I went with an E1. Out of curiosity, I phoned today to check on possible upgrades to enquire about pricing. Today I was told that for "my" offer an Aqua would be list price with a discount, that would end up being about $2k. While I love Blu, it's not worth that much to me! However, "my" offer did cover Sunset Verandahs, and I managed to get moved to a Sunset Verandah. (Will be 1st time on E-class and I had been reading up on IVs and was not too sure about them!) So I am very happy with another aft-facing cabin with a more traditional balcony. I can't help wondering what answer I would get if I called again and spoke to someone else ... but I'm too busy doing another happy dance!

I suspect that the E-class sailings were snapped up first 😉! I've seen some postings of people being able to "request" sailings that were not specifically listed on the most recent offer (this might have been for the previous Mexican route sailings offer?), so if there's a sailing that particularly fits your schedule, it might be worth "asking nicely" if there's any possible BC availability on it - see my posting at #320 for a list of the sailings that was sent out on the 1st email I received for the Carib sailings. I've actually received the Carib offer in 3 separate emailings ... Even though I took up the initial offer the first time ... I presumed I couldn't use each one for a different sailing 😜 ... (I definitely wouldn't be able to take that much time off work anyway!). BTW, I'm a VERY minimal user of the casino, so no idea how I managed to make it on to their email list ... however, I will happy take them up on their generous offer(s) and consider it a "karmic" reward for 20 years of "donating" to the cruise industry generally (mostly RCCL, with a few Celeb and others, here and there!)