First time MSC cruiser ramblings on Seaside.

These are my ramblings as a cruiser only on royal ships till boarding seaside yesterday. Came on this cruise with an open mind and am just writing down my observations.

 

Boarding day and impressions.

 

Drove to port and off loaded family and friends at yc tent. Then returned the car to hertz. Highly recommend hertz here on 2nd street location. Dropped car off and shuttle driver was waiting to take me back to port. They have 4 shuttle drivers working that day so wait times were short (dont know if having 4 ships in port was the reason for 4 shuttle drivers.)

 

Returned in 10 minutes and yc tent does not start processing passengers till 10:30 am. Now after processing luggage we were told to stand and wait off to the side. Waited 20 minutes until there were at least 30 of us standing there. It started drizzling large rain drops, so I went over to yc tent and asked if we could move into terminal to be out of rain. Seemed like they forgot about the group of us standing there and quickly grabbed a paddle to lead us into terminal, through security and up to yc waiting area.

 

The waiting in the sun and rain for 20 minutes is worse than the suite check in with royal. Would figure a butler would take us through security and up to yc waiting are to be processed instead of waiting at the curb exposed to the elements for at least 20 minutes as this made no sense. Do not know if they usually do this and this was a one off or they need to review their procedures.

 

Check in went smoothly and efficiently. They started boarding passengers from other groups for about 15 minutes before a butler came and took us onto ship. Royal brings suite guests on right after the b2b cruisers. Butler brought us up straight to deck 16 to meet with yc director.

 

Food and service has been fabulous! As good as coastal kitchen and some dishes were superior to ck. Service, friendliness of crew are awesome. All crew we encountered walking around the ship are friendly. Tried a little breakfast in the buffet on deck 8 this morning and it was good. Pretty much the same as windjammer on royal. I noticed more seating available than windjammer as there is a lot of seating on the outside deck also.

 

Second day and we are at sea.

 

My first impression is that this ship is BEAUTIFUL. Classic and elegant best describes Seaside. Classic like radiance class but with big ship features like freedom class is the way I would best describe seaside. Lot of windows and views of the ocean. Loungers galore but the stair hogs were out full force at 630am. I believe this ship has more loungers laying across all open areas than oasis class shops. If no, it sure looks and feels like it. Walking around today there are loungers available even now at 9am on sea day even though the chair hogging is in full effect. The pool areas feels less crowded than Oasis class as there are so many areas for everyone.

 

Ship even feels less crowded in the public areas because there are so many public spaces available. You do have crowds in the standard areas like buffet. Bar service has been awesome at some bars and lackluster in others just like on royal. Many more bars and bar areas than oasis class ship. Crew is seen cleaning EVERYWHERE. I have to admit they take cleaning very seriously on MSC. There were no crew member reminding everyone to wash or sanitize their hands at buffets is a drawback.

 

The ship deck plans do not flow like on royals ships. No track to walk around the ship on the outside. Billiards table available on deck 7 by library but it is out of order.

 

Well have to attend the cruise critic meet n mingle now and the reception with captain in yc after. So will continue when I can.

 

If you have any questions, post away and will answer as best I can.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Hi, Frank808,

So happy you are posting from the ship.

 

How's the Yacht Club area? I notice you went to the regular buffet for breakfast this morning. Why? Just to check it out?

 

Did you make your show reservations?

Did you make any specialty dining reservations? Like your Black Card Dinner.

 

Are there many children in the Yacht Club?

I think I remember you have a child with you, how's he/she liking Seaside?

 

NOTE to SELF: Don't arrive before 10:30. To be honest I have read a few reviews of them acting like it's the first time ever checking guests in if they arrive early.

 

 

Looking forward to the rest of your ramblings.

 

 

Oh, and I asked on another thread, but you can give me real up to the minute information. Did they remove your luggage tags (the ones you received with your cruise docs) and put new ones on at the port?

 

Was the YC tent easy to find?

Edited July 1, 2018 by mafig

I would love to see YC menus AND WiFi pricing packages. If I already asked you for this I apologize for re-asking! Feel free to wait until you return to post in order to save your Wi-Fi data for things that matter. Thanks.

My arrival/check-in/boarding experience was different. A "butler" walked us from the tent, through security, up to the waiting area, brought us drinks, and walked us to the ship where another butler escorted us to the Yacht Club.

Thanks for sharing, are you traveling with kids? If so I'm interested in how they will like the kids club.

Hi, Frank808,

So happy you are posting from the ship.

 

How's the Yacht Club area? I notice you went to the regular buffet for breakfast this morning. Why? Just to check it out?

 

Did you make your show reservations?

Did you make any specialty dining reservations? Like your Black Card Dinner.

 

Are there many children in the Yacht Club?

I think I remember you have a child with you, how's he/she liking Seaside?

 

NOTE to SELF: Don't arrive before 10:30. To be honest I have read a few reviews of them acting like it's the first time ever checking guests in if they arrive early.

 

 

Looking forward to the rest of your ramblings.

 

 

Oh, and I asked on another thread, but you can give me real up to the minute information. Did they remove your luggage tags (the ones you received with your cruise docs) and put new ones on at the port?

 

Was the YC tent easy to find?

 

Yacht club area is great. Read almost no negative reviews about yacht club, but so many negative about the rest of the ship. So wanted to see if what was true might have been corrected. So you are right that is the reason for eating in the buffet on 8. Went to breakfast in yc restaurant with wife and bacon and corn beef hash tasted the same as buffet. There are of course more choices in yc but the common foods tasted the same to me. Gotta say after 30+ cruises on royal, that this was the BEST bacon at sea my wife and I have ever eaten for breakfast! It was not the thin cremated bacon that royal serves and definitely better than in coastal kitchen.

 

Made all the show reservations in the terminal waiting to board. Just logged into the mac seaside hotspot and did it all. Now you have to be on the seaside hotspot or it will not work. Also made black card dining and our spa reservations on boarding. Our cabin was ready so dropped off all our carry ons and did the reservations. Although our friends cabin was not ready though.

 

Not to many children in yacht club. Have seen a total of maybe a couple dozen. They are all well behaved. The one baby that started crying at dinner, the mother took them out of the restaurant, so great parenting there.

 

We are sailing with another family so he is having a blast. Loves that he can order almost anything anything to drink and eat. We dont get that sailing sky class on royal and we do not get the drink packages as it is not worthwhile to us. Lots of slides and ropes course to play on. He was tired of the rock climbing walls already and not a flowrider fan. So with this new experience he is happy.

 

YC tent is easy to find. It is on the island in front of terminal F. You cannot miss it as those are the only pop up tents there. Just drive up and drop off luggage at the white tents. No tags are needed as they will put the YC specific tags on. They did not remove the old tags if you printed them out and attached them. So save the paper, ink and time putting them on your luggage and just have the porter put YC tags on at port.

 

See you this coming Saturday.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Sea day and pic of the deck below us. Look how empty it is and the aurea area is to the left with the hot tub.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

How was the cruise critic party?

Sea day and pic of the deck below us. Look how empty it is and the aurea area is to the left with the hot tub.

 

I fully agree. The following pictures were taken at noon on a sea day....

 

 

 

On every sea day, there were plenty of areas that had space and loungers but for some reason, most people seemed to congregate in certain crowded areas. The "everyone" area next to the Aurea area was just as empty. It was funny watching people try to walk into the Aurea sundeck area only to be met by a locked door.

 

As for the bacon, they will make the "cremated" bacon as well as the "good" bacon depending on your preference. ;p

How was the cruise critic party?

Awesome. Got to see all the senior officers and chat. Capt Palma seemed sincerely interested as his officers on comments about ship and experiences. There were great cocktails and apps were served. It definitely beat the VC party out on by royal. Met a couple of cc members but it was only attended by about 30 of us. Also got a group pic with all of us and officers. Well done in my opinion.

 

Also right after, there was the yc cocktail party in the lounge with captain and officers. Got to talk to to officers again.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Edited July 1, 2018 by frank808

We were told from the yc director that crepes from venchi were included. So went to venchi and were told we would be charged. So declined and spoke with yc concierge. She confirmed that it was included like we were told earlier. Asked us if we were going to get one now, did not want to walk all the way back so declined.

 

Today after lunch, we went to get a crepe and were told again that it was not included. On the way back to room, stopped by to ask concierge and was told that we do not get crepes anymore and there is a charge for them.

 

I know, first world problems.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

That it really annoying about the crepes...i would ask for the yacht club director and the food and beverage officer and have them sort this out. I love crepes..i need answers lol

That it really annoying about the crepes...i would ask for the yacht club director and the food and beverage officer and have them sort this out. I love crepes..i need answers lol

Tell your butler that you want a crepe....enjoy at no cost.;)

We were told from the yc director that crepes from venchi were included. So went to venchi and were told we would be charged. So declined and spoke with yc concierge. She confirmed that it was included like we were told earlier. Asked us if we were going to get one now, did not want to walk all the way back so declined.

 

Today after lunch, we went to get a crepe and were told again that it was not included. On the way back to room, stopped by to ask concierge and was told that we do not get crepes anymore and there is a charge for them.

 

I know, first world problems.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

I would just pay for the crepe and then have the Concierge remove the charge...easy.

Glad you are enjoying it.

Thank you for your thoughts/opinions/comparisons as my husband, son, and I are long time RCCL cruisers but are in the beginning stages of booking our first MSC YC cruise for our 10 year anniversary next Dec :)

 

Sent from my XT1650 using Forums mobile app

We were told from the yc director that crepes from venchi were included. So went to venchi and were told we would be charged. So declined and spoke with yc concierge. She confirmed that it was included like we were told earlier. Asked us if we were going to get one now, did not want to walk all the way back so declined.

 

Today after lunch, we went to get a crepe and were told again that it was not included. On the way back to room, stopped by to ask concierge and was told that we do not get crepes anymore and there is a charge for them.

 

I know, first world problems.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Concierge got back to me this morning after talking to YC director Allesandro last night. Was told crepes are not included but they would let us have one crepe apiece and take the charge off. Reminded that is definitely a one off and no other crepes will be complimentary.

 

Dinner last night was wonderful! Prime rib was very good. Arthur is as awesome as everyone says he is. We also have Roshan and his asst Jayson. They are also very good. Arthur just sort of anticipates what you need and brings it. I have had great service from all the wait staff in the restaurant. Arthur brings that little more personal, attentive and cheery service than others. Will be requesting to seat in his station for next week with Guiseppe.

 

Butlers are great. They work cabins, lounge and deck 19. Talked to our butler and they have 15 cabins and jr butler has 10 cabins to take care of.

 

Experienced our first use of butler getting on and off the ship. Lines everywhere! Royal sure has msc best with this. On oasis class royal knows how to get people on and off. Security lines move too slow on MSC. As royal will have 2 or 3 stations to scan passengers in, MSC uses one. There is only 1 guy scanning you in and another manning xray machine which causes the back up. There was a butler at the beginning of pier and he hands you off to another butler to get past the lines and on to the ship. First class service from the team of butlers for sure.

 

Forgot to mention that a yc guest used his butler to get into show last night. No reserved seating but he was escorted to theatre. I made reservations on boarding day but did not need them the past 2 nights. Crew member saw my yc armband to scan that I had a ressie and said not needed since your in yc. Both nights and 2 separate crew members. So I think MSC is catching on to yc perks, but still no reserved seating like royal has for shows.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Frank808...are you able to ask Arthur if he will still be on for the July 21st sailing?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Talked to him and I believe he said he was going home in Sept. He has been on for 7 months already.

 

Here is a letter explaining tomorrow at grand cayman.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Thank you!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My arrival/check-in/boarding experience was different. A "butler" walked us from the tent, through security, up to the waiting area, brought us drinks, and walked us to the ship where another butler escorted us to the Yacht Club.

 

Do you remember what time you arrived at the port?

Talked to him and I believe he said he was going home in Sept. He has been on for 7 months already.

 

Here is a letter explaining tomorrow at grand cayman.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

It looks like you'll be getting priority tender service as well. :) Nice touch with the letter.

Do you remember what time you arrived at the port?

We arrived at 1020 am. It was too disorganized as the shore side team is inexperienced. I brought this up with yc director and he said they are working on it to make it more seamless. As it stands, my next yc cruise I will arrive at 12pm or later. It was not worth the aggravation to get there at 1030am. Seems yc tent and checkin runs smoother at a later time. I figure they would have this worked out as they dock the davina and seaside so twice a week and it is like deer in headlights.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Frank808...are you able to ask Arthur if he will still be on for the July 21st sailing?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Just spoke to him and the famous Arthur will be here to Sept 1 maybe end of Sept if possible. Seems that he would like to try to go back to davina. Might work as we are thinking of 21 nights on davina in Feb 2019.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Just spoke to him and the famous Arthur will be here to Sept 1 maybe end of Sept if possible. Seems that he would like to try to go back to davina. Might work as we are thinking of 21 nights on davina in Feb 2019.

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

 

 

Thank you for asking [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums