Lupush

On 4/25/2024 at 2:51 PM, Saint Greg said:

This is my 27th cruise, 25th with Carnival, first on Horizon, third time out of Miami, and first time to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.

 

 

Late to the party but look forward to catching up on another Saint Greg review.  Crazy that you've only sailed out of Miami 3 times out of 27 cruises.

Weather looked terrible.  Those Coast Guard chopper teams are insanely brave.

Hi All,

I will be going on the Utopia of the Seas preview cruise from 7/15-7/18.  Has anyone ever been on a preview cruise and can give me an idea of what to expect?  Are these previews full capacity and are all shipboard attractions open (water slides, flow rider, etc.).  I know specialty dining is by invite only, however looking for any other experiences my fellow cruisers may have on these types of sailings.

Does anyone know when Summer 2026 bookings will open for MSC World Europa?

Thanks in advance.

I got my Son's (10) done in January and it took exactly 3 weeks to the day.

13 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

Love Divina. Have sailed 3x YC on her and at least as many on the Seax ships. 
 

The YC Divina in February was seriously underwhelming. As though no chef in charge. Fillets that were so poorly cut as to be inedible (well, not really, but not YC quality), cold dishes, when asked for a “double” given two plates instead of being replaced as one …cold risotto

 

The service is wonderful. Mehmet is amazing. But the chef is totally absent. 

I’ve ordered filet in the YC twice this week, both times medium rare. Both times the temperature was extremely over.  Hope Butcher’s Cut gets it right.

Good morning from somewhere off of Ocean Cay!  Unable to dock due to high winds, but word is the Captain is going to give it another try around noon.  Mustafa the YC Director chatted with us and asked specifically of our experience in YC Restaurant. We gave him our honest opinion and he was genuinely appreciative of the feedback. We were surprised to find a complimentary specialty dining experience letter with his compliments waiting for us in the cabin.  So, Butchers Cut will be the spot for our last night.  In fairness, the food and service in the restaurant has improved as the week went along. Italian night last night was very good.  The YC’s pistachio crusted rack of lamb is among the best I’ve ever had. 
 

Took us a few days to figure out the best way to do YC. We do breakfast and lunch at the pool buffet. Service has been excellent and enough variety for the whole family.  The pool bar service has been the best we’ve ever had.  In the evenings, me’ve learned going early is the best bet.  
 

We’ve enjoyed our week on Seascape, and decided to book an Owners Suite on a 4 night Spring Break cruise on Seashore next year.  Haven remains our preference, but it’s nice to have another comparable option.

Some pics from the pool deck. You can get an idea of the wind today by looking at the flags on the mast.

Good Afternoon from Cozumel!  Enjoying MSC so far.  Skipped the YC Restaurant last night and did Kaito Sushi instead. It was excellent and my Son really enjoyed the experience.  Our Butler Ram has been the best we’ve experienced on any sailing.  Him and our Cabin Steward, Tweety have been exceptional.  Currently sitting in a hot tub, drinking a beer docked next to NCL Prima. No complaints. 

Good evening from somewhere between Falmouth and Grand Cayman.  Having a good time so far, there’s a lot of new things to explore on MSC. YC Restaurant has been disappointing overall. Waited over 30 mins to be seated last night.  The staff in seems completely overwhelmed at times and the overall feel is disorganized chaos. Walked off for about an hour today and spent the afternoon at the YC Pool. Service was exceptional and we really enjoyed it. Stingray City and snorkeling in Grand Cayman tomorrow. 

We found a duck! Thanks Rachel and Nick!

Good Morning from MSC Seascape.  Yesterday was hectic but very good for the most part.  My family and I had fun exploring the ship.  Was nice to experience something completely new and we were genuinely excited with some of the surprises we found.  Overall the ship is beautiful and very well kept.  It does not seem like they vacuum the carpets enough, however.  Not that the carpets are dirty per se, there are small pieces of paper, crumbs, etc. that have been noticeable in various areas of the ship.   Service has been a mixed bag so far.  Some cruise staff have been great, while others have been downright salty.  The one glaring miss so far is the YC restaurant.  Service has been slow, staff un-attentive, and food bland.  Heading up for breakfast in a few, hopefully they'll turn it around today.  Plans for today are YC pool area, water slides, Masterchef for kids, and karaoke this evening.  Will try to take some pictures and post throughout the day.  

40 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Not only that, there's only 1 bathroom in MSC Owner's Suites and Royal Suites. 🙁

Very true. Not complaining, but a half bath would be nice. The bathroom on these is essentially the same as found in a Haven Penthouse Balcony cabin.  I’d say this is the only area they missed the mark.

1 hour ago, DisneyJen said:

Beautiful cabin!

 

Thanks for sharing the photos.

My pleasure!  Hope to share a lot more throughout the week as long as the WiFi cooperates.

The Owners Suite is beautiful, although the bathroom is considerably smaller than the 2 Bedroom Family and Owners Suites on the NCL Breakaway Plus class ships.  Big advantage to MSC with the amenities, however.  The bar is STOCKED and the Butler told us he’ll replace anything we finish.  Going to do some damage this week. 

We met our Butler who escorted us onboard and showed us to our cabin. Dropped our bags and now seated in the YC Restaurant.  Lunch for me today is Grilled Filet w/ Perigeaux Sauce.

We made it onboard after a challenging ride to Port Miami. Poured most of the ride and got soaked dropping our bags at the YV tent.  Checkin at Terminal C was in the old Haven area that they used before the new NCL terminal was built. Embarkation was as smooth as could be expected.

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

Hate is a strong word…I can’t say I ever hated any cruise I have been on..

You’re right. We still had a good time, just not like we normally do on NCL.  

1 hour ago, GlenG said:

Can I ask - what made you hate Prima haven?

 

34 minutes ago, rxlowry said:

Very interested in your thoughts about the Prima Haven as it looks to be more elevated than the other Haven experiences.  I'll be on board next week in YC so I can't wait to read about your experiences!  Have a wonderful cruise!!!

Compared to other NCL mega ships (Encore, Bliss, Escape, etc.)  the design of Prima was just awful.  The Haven, while larger lacked the level of service found on other ships.  

This has been an odd winter for South Florida weather wise. Colder than normal and lots of rain. It poured all day yesterday with more showers in the forecast for today. Hopefully clearing up in time for sail away.  Quick run to Wawa for a breakfast burrito and a Mello Yello Zero before heading to Port Miami.

Morning Cruise Critic Fam,

In the weeks and month leading up to this cruise these boards have been invaluable in our planning and decision making which ultimately resulted in my family trying MSC and Yacht Club for the first time. We will be on the MSC Seascape departing Miami March 23rd-30th in a YC Owners Suite. We are loyal NCL customers and have sailed with them in the Haven 11 times on 10 different ships.  We hated the Haven experience on Prima last year which is what led us to MSC.  Other than a Stingray City excursion in Grand Cayman, we have no pre-set plans for this cruise and are going into it with a completely open mind.  Throughout the week I will be posting random observations/thoughts/musings on the ship and my impressions as compared to NCL.  

Hope you all enjoy the ride with us.

- Lupush

We'll be in YC with you as well.  Looks like Tidal Cove is going to be a wash, unfortunately.  Hopefully no rain for the rest of the week after tomorrow.  Safe travels.

11 hours ago, rrraydon said:

Well, another fabulous cruise down in the books.
 

My bag is packed and I’m ready to go. Hoping all goes well tomorrow…Uber gets here with no problems and we get to MIA by 0930, the flight leaves on time, the shuttle arrives on time in NJ to take me to my car, my car hasn’t been stolen out of the car lot and the 3 hour ride gets me to work on time for my shift tomorrow night! 🤪

Safe travels.  Terrible weather down here today.  Hope your flight gets out on time.

On 3/19/2024 at 12:19 PM, rrraydon said:

This island, although still a work in progress, is absolutely gorgeous!!!

Beautiful pictures.  Thank You for sharing.  What was in the gold pineapples?

On 3/15/2024 at 4:33 PM, TxTeach79 said:

Getting the feeling that the pools are too cold this cruise. Nobody’s ever in there. Gonna find out for sure tomorrow. 
 

Weather in South Florida/Caribbean has been rather cold this winter.  Not surprised the pool temperature was too low for most.