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7 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We didn't have any music in the Retreat on the Summit but we did have a wine tasting event and a Martini making class, with martini's for all to sample.

E class we have had Silent Disco, trivia, meet the cast, a comedian perform and music 1 or 2 nights, generally the duo that is on the ship. 

@jelayneOn the E-class, did they have live music for the entire evening in the Retreat Lounge or just for an hour during "pre-dinner cocktail time"?  But it is good to hear that they are "stepping up their game" on E-class at least.  I have sailed Edge, Apex and Beyond and have not yet encountered any of the things you describe.  However, I must admit my last E-class sailing was in October 2022.  All of 2023 was on either Summit or MSC.

@Stem to SternIf you attend the Voyagers Party for Diamond members please let me know what you thought of it.  For some reason that escapes me right now, we did not attend.  But we are sailing again in February so may attend if you think it's worthwhile.

I had lunch a few times in the YC DIning room during our sailing.  I enjoyed it.  But I only got one onion ring with my burger......LOL.  Actually, one was enough for me but I suppose if I want extra in February I'll have to make sure to specify how many I want so I don't end up with just two!!!

Re entertainment in Retreat Lounge on Summit.  I sailed Summit in July and there was no live entertainment any evening in the Retreat Lounge.  One night they did have the officer's meet and greet but that was about it.  In previous sailings I do recall one or two nights during the cruise they had a piano player in there.  But nothing on July sailing.  When we sailed Meraviglia in September they had live entertainment in the Top Sail every evening until around midnight.  It was nice.

Oh, and re the potato chips.  You can tell your DH that I was told that the chips are made onboard.  I don't know if that's true or false......but they had some of the tastiest chips I've every eaten!!  I recall that the type of chip varied a few times during the week.  

@Stem to SternI'm really enjoying your posts and I hope you guys are having a great time.  I loved the fact that "pickies" are available in the Top Sail Lounge all day long whereas in Retreat I think they have limited hours for munchies (i.e., morning and pre-dinner cocktail time).  One day I actually ate both breakfast and lunch in the Top Sail Lounge......LOL  And I'm not really a "sun" person so some sea days were also spent in the Top Sail Lounge reading (and drinking!!! LOL)

We also had those fancy silver butter dishes on our Meraviglia sailing but they were filled with butter in a dish - not wrapped butter packets.  Either one would be fine with me.  I think sometimes I prefer the wrapped butter packets!

@Stem to SternI'm really enjoying your pictures and posts.  I will admit that I missed Cafe Al'Bacio when I sailed Meraviglia earlier this year.  But I quickly warmed up to the Top Sail Lounge and the Lounge Butlers working there for my morning and afternoon cappuccino fixes.  And I enjoyed all the snacks that were offered in the Top Sail Lounge (but, alas, no almond croissants!!!)

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Sure, they all "play games". Just book another cruise. You will eventually get your deposit back IF the posting is true.

Thanks, @morpheusofthesea.  I realize that they all "play games" since I've been cruising usually about 3 to 4 times per year since 1969 (yeah.........I'm old!!!)  But I'm very new to MSC having been a Celebrity Retreat loyalist for many, many years.  My problem (as I see it) is that I don't want to book another cruise for September on another cruise line (with a non-refundable deposit) if, in fact, MSC Meraviglia is indeed sailing.  So I think it's best for me to just "wait and see".  I have an MSC cruise in February and a Celebrity cruise in May to keep me occupied in the meantime.  Thanks for all the valuable postings you provided re MSC YC.  Your posts were one of the reasons why I decided to take the leap from Celebrity Retreat to MSC Yacht Club........and I'm very glad I did.

35 minutes ago, Squawkman said:

Do any of the September/October sailings have a port stop scheduled in Prince Edward Island?

Yes, the September 15 cruise was supposed to dock in Charlottetown on September 20.

@Upper Deck Dad I, too, wish they would let us know soon regarding the September/October Canada/N.E. sailings.  There are 5 of us going (3 Yacht Club cabins) and we want to re-book as quickly as possible on another cruise line (and, hopefully, transfer our pre-purchased insurance).  We are all "long time" Celebrity cruisers so we'll probably revert back to Celebrity from Boston (but not in Retreat because their pricing is astronomical......twice as high as what we would be paying MSC for this sailing).

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Generally one has up to 2 years to apply a canceled cruise with most all insurance companies.

Thanks for the info @morpheusofthesea  So, once we receive official notification from MSC that the cruise is cancelled, I'll find out if "Nationwide is on our side" (as the advertisement jingle states).  LOL 

I'm not really familiar with MSC as I've only sailed them once (in YC and loved it, BTW).  Since you are a seasoned MSC cruiser have you known them to "play games" when a sailing is cancelled?  The poster on that other social media site has actually posted the email blurb that his travel agent had received from MSC re the sailing being cancelled.  He, however, is not located in the US......so does MSC notify international folks first??  I'm baffled about this one.

I am also on one of those September Canada/N.E. sailings and I have seen the post that you are referring to on the other social media site.

I, personally, believe these Canada/N.E. sailings in September/October have been cancelled but for some reason beyond my comprehension MSC is not yet saying they are truly cancelled.  Both myself and my travel agent have called MSC and the agents emphatically say they are showing as active sailings and the sailing still shows up as "booked" on my MSC account.  But the simple fact that they do not show on the consumer website or in any of the "port listings" for each port of call leads me to believe they are indeed cancelled.  For the life of me I cannot understand why MSC has not just notified everyone that they are cancelled.  Once that happens we will definitely get reimbursed our deposit amount from MSC.

Regarding insurance:  It sounds as if you have not paid for the insurance yet as you say you've only paid deposit of $398, which equates to $199 per person which is the exact per person amount for the cruise deposit that we paid.  So you haven't even paid for any insurance so there's no way you will be financially responsible for it.  I, on the other hand, have purchased insurance through insuremytrip.com and it was purchased immediately after depositing the cruise (to make sure we are covered for pre-existing conditions).  Unfortunately, my premium payment is non-refundable.  Hopefully once the cruise is cancelled if I can book on Princess or another cruise line for a similar date/itinerary the insurance company "might" let me transfer my insurance to this new booking.  But I can't do anything until MSC officially cancels.

19 hours ago, sbcs5390 said:

In vast contrast to Hugh who replaced him and seemed in October to never leave his office but once or twice in the cruise!

Oh no.  I'm sailing Meraviglia again in February and I certainly hope Hugh is not the YC Director at that time.  Our entire group though Giuseppe was just the greatest.  From the moment we first met him in the terminal in Brooklyn on Embarkation Day and then throughout the entire cruise, he was so involved with all YC guests.

3 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Too much?!?🤣🤣🤣

Oooohhhh....I think you might find the storage/space in the YC Inside cabin problematic!  :>)

16 hours ago, hcat said:

wow.. you said 6,000 pax on Seascape.

 

.How many max on Summit? 

 

 Seems hard to compare??,

Yes, I agree.  It's like comparing apples to oranges.  There are vast differences in a ship with 6000 passengers vs. one with 2000 passengers.  I'm sure @Stem to Stern is keeping this in mind while he does his comparison.

I will definitely be following along.  I wish you two wonderful sailings.  I'm anxiously awaiting your comparison of Celebrity Retreat and MSC Yacht Club.  Hopefully the Inside YC cabin is not an issue for you.  I, myself, would find it much to small (and I usually sail solo!)

After sailing exclusively with Celebrity for 20+ years I tried my first MSC YC experience on Meraviglia in September.  I (along with 4 other Celebrity Retreat addicts) were blown away by the YC experience........far superior to any Retreat experience any of us have received in recent saiilngs.  The Summit is my absolute favorite Celebrity vessel, having sailed her 35 times.  

While onboard Meraviglia, I did miss the general ambiance that I've grown to love onboard Celebrity ships.  When venturing out of the YC enclave the ship was very crowded and frenetic.  But I loved the YC enclave and saw no reason to leave it other than to go to the shows or visit the casino. 

I also missed some of the Celebrity crew who I have become like family to me over the years.  But I notice that a lot of those crew members have chosen not to return to the ships.  So there seems to be lots of "newbies" on Celebrity ships (and, unfortunately, the level of service is just not there anymore!)

I found the food on Meraviglia much superior than the food I've been receiving on Celebrity.  This is the first time in years that my legs and feet did not swell up as MSC seems to cook without using lots of sodium and the food tasted delicious.

Anyway, sorry for going on and on.  I do wish you both two great cruises and I'll definitely be awaiting your posts.

This is what I would suggest:

If you have folks with mobility issues, you can have the driver drop them off directly in front of the "Yacht Club Entrance" to the terminal.  Then have the driver proceed to the Yacht Club Tent where one of you can check in all the luggage.  The distance from the YC Tent to the YC Entrance to the terminal is not really awfully long but if someone really has a hard time walking it might be best to drop them off right at the YC entrance.

Also, yes, as soon as you enter the terminal there is an area to the left for "Wheelchair assistance".  However, if you go over there your name is put on a list and when there is a chair and an available pusher you will be wheeled to check-in and board the ship.  I did first stop by the "wheelchair assistance" area but when I saw how they operated, I proceeded to walk myself directly to the YC Check-in Room!  What I suggest is to make the short walk from the entrance to the terminal to the YC Check-in area.  Once in the Check-In area there will be a senior butler from the ship and just tell him that you need a wheelchair and you'll have one with a pusher from the ship with no wait and no problem.  

I have difficulty walking long distances (and actually rent and use a rollator while onboard the ship as the Meraviglia is a pretty long ship) but I easily made the walk from the YC Luggage Tent to the YC Check-in inside the terminal. 

She’s in the Penthouse Suite!

3 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Divina YC Director currently is Giuseppe Terminiello, commonly known as Pepe. He was on Seaside in 2018 as Maitre d' of the YC Restaurant. I also think he was an MDR restaurant manager more recently.

Giuseppe was the YC Director on the Meraviglia in September.  He was great.  He was everywhere....morning, noon and night.  I swear that man never sleeps.

@Georgia_PeachesThanks so much for posting your very informative "live" review.  I really enjoyed reading it.  And very happy to hear that Thor was kind to you.....LOL  The E-Class ships definitely have a lot to offer.  

I have been sailing with Celebrity for 30+ years and sailing in suites (from SS to PH) for the past 12 or 13 years.  More than likely, I will continue to sail on Celebrity but I will not be booking suites in the future.  My next Celebrity sailing is in Concierge Class (cruise only rate - no perks included - we get complimentary beverage package and internet due to our Loyalty Status).  The price that Celebrity is currently charging for suites is OUTRAGEOUS.  There is no way I'm paying that kind of money for the diluted services and product Celebrity is now offering.

For comparison purposes I offer the following:  I am booked on MSC Yacht Club (balcony suite) for a 10 night Canada/New England sailing departing September 15.  Price is $4.2K per person.  Celebrity is offering an 11 night Canada/New England sailing departing September 19.  Entry level Sky Suite pricing is $9.1K per person.  I don't know who would ever pay nine-thousand dollars per person for the Sky Suite experience on Celebrity.  Also, the non-refundable deposit on MSC is total of $398 based on double occupancy whereas the non-refundable deposit on Celebrity is $1777 based on double occupancy.  

Surprised that there are no small bottles of Aqua Panna or Evian in the Retreat fridge.  Just that generic "True" water and another brand I'm not familiar with.  And, @Georgia_Peachesmy "go to" machine in the casino is usually Thor also.   Actually, Wonder Woman on both Beyond and Edge was very kind to me!!!  So maybe you should pay her a visit.;;;LOL

19 hours ago, go.without.you said:

The whole reason I booked MSC was after reading all the wonderful reviews on here!! Every single review I read that compared YC to Retreat all said the same thing. "Better service, great food, exceeded our expectations, etc", the total opposite of what we had this past week. We spoke to several passengers in YC that had sailed MSC before and they were all disappointed too.

@go.without.you It's really too bad that you had such an awful experience.  Honestly, it was the complete opposite of what we experienced on Meraviglia in September.  But for all I know I may have your exact same experience on my next Meraviglia sailing in February.  I really do believe nowadays it's "hit and miss" with these cruise lines.......one week it's perfect and three weeks later it's awful. It does sound as if you tried to make the best of it, which is really all you can do.  Hopefully your next cruise will be better.

5 minutes ago, go.without.you said:

That's how Celebrity does it too. It was just so awkward going against the current to get to the exit point.

I've never taken a Celebrity cruise where they use a "service type elevator".....it's always been mixed in with the non-Retreat folks.  On Summit in Bayonne you definitely exit from a different ship door onto Deck 4 but at the point where you cross over the gangway you are mixing in with the other folks.  The Retreat Concierge escorts you to the point where you "mix in" and then you're on your own!

@Georgia_Peaches The Retreat Deck and the layout of the SS looks to be the same as on Edge and Beyond.  The Retreat Deck is absolutely gorgeous but I'm not a "sun" person so I really did not spend all that much time up there on any of my E-class sailings.  The SS is, however, a perfect cabin.  Yours doesn't look much different than the ones I stayed in on Edge.  I did find, however, that it was difficult hanging clothes in the closet as I'm on the "short side" and had to stand on my tiptoes to properly hang things.....LOL.  

Too bad the turnaround wasn't as seamless as it is supposed to be.  Funny......we had the exact same issue on Beyond.......our keys weren't ready and we had a heck of a time getting back onto the ship without any keys!!!  What saved us is that we were accompanied by the Retreat Concierge and the Captain's Club Host so those 2 guys stayed with us until all was settled.

@Georgia_PeachesI'll be very interested to read your take on Luminae and the Retreat Lounge.  On M and S class ships, I love Luminae because I always felt like I had personalized service (i.e., the wait team really gets to know you and your likes and dislikes.  Nothing "over the top" but I always felt like I was very well taken care of in Luminae).  However, on E class ships I felt that Luminae was just like another "main dining room".......especially on Beyond.  WIth the amount of suites the E-class ships have I never felt like you got personalized service in Luminae.  And the same goes for the Retreat Lounge.  When on an M or S class ship just about every time you walked into the Reterat Lounge (or Michael's Club, as the case may be) the Retreat Concierge just about always greeted you by name and said hello.  Not a big long conversation by any means (which is fine with me) but always a "hello Greeting".  On E class ships usually the Retreat Concierges don't even know who you are or that you are in the Lounge (even when staying in PH on Beyond!).  The whole Lounge (and Luminae) just had a "cold" feeling to it.  So, very interested to hear what you think about these 2 venues on Ascent.  Enjoy!!!

@Georgia_Peaches I'm surprised that they are not having you physically disembark the ship.  I know from my "limited experiences" of doing B2B cruises from Fort Lauderdale (Miami, and Bayonne) we always had to physically walk off the ship and present our passport to the officials at the end of the gangway.  The process you describe sounds wonderful to me!!  Now am I remembering correctly that you are in a SS on this next sailing?

17 minutes ago, CardowMD said:

Hoping they have that seafood extravaganza on cruise starting tomorrow!

The last time I sailed on Celebrity (Summit, July 2023) they did indeed have the "seafood extravaganza buffet" on the last day.  In addition to all the seafood items that were mentioned in Georgia Peaches' post, they also had huge slabs of a beef (not sure what it was......a huge steak of some sort I'm guessing).  They really "did it up big" for the last day (and this was on a 7-night Bermuda cruise!).  The lunchtime buffet was packed.