Hello from the Seaside in St. Thomas

[riclop]

Having done both Sky Class on RCCL (twice) and YC on Divina (13 times), I can guarantee you that there is NO comparison between the two. Yacht Club, hand's down, is by FAR the superior product!

13 X yc. Congrats.

[lifeasme123]

YC on Divina (13 times)

Impressive! I would like to just try it once! LOL.

[dn52]

Regarding bringing your own hangers to extend storage that would certainly be a good idea. Although the doors to the wardrobe area are sliding and therefore not suitable, there’s a gap between the top of the wardrobe and ceiling from which you could place these. The bedside cabinets (two) are very narrow so offer less than usual and then it’s only three shelves in the wardrobe (one of which contains the room safe) and two pull out drawers. That’s it for underwear / t-shirts / shorts etc. to fit in.

One thing that I have found improved has been the re-stocking of the mini bar. The deluxe drink package allows you to drink and eat the contents and the next day always replenished. Also very useful for stocking up day bag with water when getting off on the islands.

For now I’d say anyone travelling on the seaside in the near future there are certainly teething problems - poor menu knowledge, often questions about what’s included on the drinks package met with a puzzled expression, things often stop 15 minutes before the time stated in the daily programme (for example pizza available until midnight - but don’t bother trying to put an order in after 11:45pm.) So often no one will know the answer to your question. Just get on and enjoy the cruise regardless - the fact is no one really seems to care if you point out any deficiencies. I thought the staff being on a new ship would have an optimism and enthusiasm that came from being on a new ship. Nothing could be further from the truth - it’s a struggle to work out if it’s an issue of being overworked, a resentment towards guests demands or being underpaid - I would imagine a mix of all. Most of the time any request just seems like too much trouble to them. There’s also a hollowing out of any middle management so if you really do want your concerns to be listened too I’d say don’t bother expressing it to anyone at guest services, you’d need to speak to one of the officers or if not the captain if it was serious enough and you wanted something done about it. For now they’re certainly “finding their feet”.

 

 

 

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[Lovetocruise2002]

Having done both Sky Class on RCCL (twice) and YC on Divina (13 times), I can guarantee you that there is NO comparison between the two. Yacht Club, hand's down, is by FAR the superior product!

Awesome! Good to know. I've been on the hunt for some time now for someone who has sailed both and can compare. Just curious...the two times you sailed sky class on RCI, which ships were they?

[countess5]

Regarding bringing your own hangers to extend storage that would certainly be a good idea. Although the doors to the wardrobe area are sliding and therefore not suitable, there’s a gap between the top of the wardrobe and ceiling from which you could place these. The bedside cabinets (two) are very narrow so offer less than usual and then it’s only three shelves in the wardrobe (one of which contains the room safe) and two pull out drawers. That’s it for underwear / t-shirts / shorts etc. to fit in.

One thing that I have found improved has been the re-stocking of the mini bar. The deluxe drink package allows you to drink and eat the contents and the next day always replenished. Also very useful for stocking up day bag with water when getting off on the islands.

For now I’d say anyone travelling on the seaside in the near future there are certainly teething problems - poor menu knowledge, often questions about what’s included on the drinks package met with a puzzled expression, things often stop 15 minutes before the time stated in the daily programme (for example pizza available until midnight - but don’t bother trying to put an order in after 11:45pm.) So often no one will know the answer to your question. Just get on and enjoy the cruise regardless - the fact is no one really seems to care if you point out any deficiencies. I thought the staff being on a new ship would have an optimism and enthusiasm that came from being on a new ship. Nothing could be further from the truth - it’s a struggle to work out if it’s an issue of being overworked, a resentment towards guests demands or being underpaid - I would imagine a mix of all. Most of the time any request just seems like too much trouble to them. There’s also a hollowing out of any middle management so if you really do want your concerns to be listened too I’d say don’t bother expressing it to anyone at guest services, you’d need to speak to one of the officers or if not the captain if it was serious enough and you wanted something done about it. For now they’re certainly “finding their feet”.

 

 

 

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Was a bit excited to cruise on this ship and being loyal to Royal was a good match, but based on the many comments I have read on the transatlantic, and this sailing maybe 2020. By then they may have their act together.

The excuse of being a maiden sailing is not acceptable! First impressions are everything. I have sailed the first year on Reflection, Oasis and Allure never having maiden cruise excuses. They were spot on!

 

Management needs to read these threads and make major changes. Staffs attitudes and caring about guest are not new technology issues!

[golfusaofcs]

As a hobby of mine I am an outside travel agent. This alllows me to try different lines and recommend them to friend and family. I have traveled most domestic mainstream cruise lines what I have found seems to be a lot of parody. Of course each line excels in certain areas. I have been intrigued to try msc back when the Poesia was based in ftl. Never did I see a real fit for my family until they announced plans for the seaside. Sure I am one of the pax that booked a grand suite back in December thinking it was a 2 bedroom, and if I needed the room I would certainly be very disappointed. Msc obviously seems very willing to invest in there ships and seems determined to make a huge mark in the us but clearly they have some areas of opportunity. My point in this, I have noticed based off of just 1 or 2 reviews on cruiscritc that people are willing to cancel based off of a few people’s initial observations from a inaugural transatlantic. People please take reviews with a grain of salt and discover on your own! I know I will!!

[voyager89]

As a hobby of mine I am an outside travel agent. This alllows me to try different lines and recommend them to friend and family. I have traveled most domestic mainstream cruise lines what I have found seems to be a lot of parody. Of course each line excels in certain areas. I have been intrigued to try msc back when the Poesia was based in ftl. Never did I see a real fit for my family until they announced plans for the seaside. Sure I am one of the pax that booked a grand suite back in December thinking it was a 2 bedroom, and if I needed the room I would certainly be very disappointed. Msc obviously seems very willing to invest in there ships and seems determined to make a huge mark in the us but clearly they have some areas of opportunity. My point in this, I have noticed based off of just 1 or 2 reviews on cruiscritc that people are willing to cancel based off of a few people’s initial observations from a inaugural transatlantic. People please take reviews with a grain of salt and discover on your own! I know I will!!

 

Ugh same here. Not even the worst of the reviews could keep me from embarking and trying for myself. I mean the ship has been out for less than a month. I do not expect them to release an unfinished ship BUT I know there will be glitches here and there, and tweaks will be made throught its first few months. I knew it was kinda risky to book such a new ship but I really wanted to give MSC a shot and I couldnt wait to try this specific ship. I´ve been in love with it since I first saw the first renderings.

[asctony]

Having done both Sky Class on RCCL (twice) and YC on Divina (13 times), I can guarantee you that there is NO comparison between the two. Yacht Club, hand's down, is by FAR the superior product!

Was there a big price difference?

[Oppyguy]

My point in this, I have noticed based off of just 1 or 2 reviews on cruiscritc that people are willing to cancel based off of a few people’s initial observations from a inaugural transatlantic. People please take reviews with a grain of salt and discover on your own! I know I will!!

 

I very much agree! I am constantly amazed at how outraged posters are by the words or experience of a few individuals. THOUSANDS of people are on these ships each week. OF COURSE a few will have something go wrong, or not enjoy the experience because it is not what they wanted or expected. Maybe they will experience a rude staff member, a less than hot entrée or a tough steak. This can happen on ANY CRUISE. In fact it is part of cruising just as it is part of life. As you say, go find out for yourself IF the ship/line seem interesting to you. We have had at least one less than perfect moment on every cruise, but I would never mention it to anyone because its the kind of thing that is normal. If we didn't think a meal in a specialty restaurant was great we would just not do it again. I wouldn't warn others off of it. Also, crews and officers rotate on and off ships - the experience can change over time.

The best and most helpful reviews IMHO are those that talk about what posters enjoyed or just what they did as they create positive anticipation. They are also more reflective of what most people will probably experience on the same ship.

The real differentiator among cruise lines is really the overall package - in other words Carnival, RCL and NCL are more similar in overall vibe, and different from Princess, MSC or HAL. (MSC is really its own thing).

To me, If you don't enjoy the ship it probably means you picked the wrong ship for you, not that the ship is bad.

[Two Wheels Only]

The excuse of being a maiden sailing is not acceptable! First impressions are everything. I have sailed the first year on Reflection, Oasis and Allure never having maiden cruise excuses. They were spot on!

Did you read about Harmony OTS?

 

Harmony OTS article

[Oppyguy]

Did you read about Harmony OTS?

 

Harmony OTS article

 

Interesting you provide this. Shows how things can be looked at more than one way. While if I was on this cruise I would have been annoyed too, (construction of the ship does not fall under the category of normal growing pains or regular service/quality issues!) it would do nothing to dissuade me from sailing on it in the future. The article has nothing to do with what one might expect on Harmony or any other RCL ship in the future. It is simply reporting on what happened to a particular group of people, something that can't/won't happen again once done. Some people, however, would take it as an indictment of RCL altogether, and refuse to sail on Harmony or any RCL ship. This would make no sense, but it is how many people take these comments/experiences.

[Two Wheels Only]

Some people, however, would take it as an indictment of RCL altogether, and refuse to sail on Harmony or any RCL ship. This would make no sense, but it is how many people take these comments/experiences.

I totally agree with you.

If people cancelled their Harmony cruise because of the early issues/finishing touches, I'd find that to be silly. It's the same with Seaside.

 

Harmony was the 3rd Oasis class but the first one built in France. For them (STX France), it was "new". Seaside is a brand new class of ship. Having early issues isn't unusual.

[kathiean]

Awesome! Good to know. I've been on the hunt for some time now for someone who has sailed both and can compare. Just curious...the two times you sailed sky class on RCI, which ships were they?

 

Oasis and Allure. Both beautiful ships with amazing cabins...but the lounge was nothing like Top Sail on Divina and it was so nice having free cocktails 24/7 as opposed to Happy Hour on RCCL from 5-8 with extremely limited choices. Also the Yacht Club restaurant was very superior to Coastal Kitchen in service, food, and selection. And having a butler vs just a room steward was amazing in every way!

[kathiean]

Was there a big price difference?

 

A bit. We booked almost two years in advance on the Oasis so got a really good price...maybe $500 more than YC on MSC. On Allure we had the two story cabin which was utterly fantastic and got it for about the same price as the YC but it was only a 5 night cruise so it would have been more expensive than YC in the long run. RCCL's prices for Sky Class are out of sight right now...they cannot come close to YC pricing. If you choose off--peak times to travel on Divina or Seaside you'll pay around $4,000 for two in YC. You cannot get Sky Class on Royal for under $5,000 most sailings and that would be for just a Grand Suite...certainly not anything better than that.

[asctony]

A bit. We booked almost two years in advance on the Oasis so got a really good price...maybe $500 more than YC on MSC. On Allure we had the two story cabin which was utterly fantastic and got it for about the same price as the YC but it was only a 5 night cruise so it would have been more expensive than YC in the long run. RCCL's prices for Sky Class are out of sight right now...they cannot come close to YC pricing. If you choose off--peak times to travel on Divina or Seaside you'll pay around $4,000 for two in YC. You cannot get Sky Class on Royal for under $5,000 most sailings and that would be for just a Grand Suite...certainly not anything better than that.

Big difference. Thank you. Will have to watch. Happy New Year!

[Lovetocruise2002]

Oasis and Allure. Both beautiful ships with amazing cabins...but the lounge was nothing like Top Sail on Divina and it was so nice having free cocktails 24/7 as opposed to Happy Hour on RCCL from 5-8 with extremely limited choices. Also the Yacht Club restaurant was very superior to Coastal Kitchen in service, food, and selection. And having a butler vs just a room steward was amazing in every way!

Great news! Thanks for sharing. Now I am even more exciting for this sailing in July!

[Mycykfamilytime]

Look forward to your review. Really curious to see how things run at the end. I guess as long as they are improving then they are making an effort which is whats important for success in the future.

 

 

 

Hey Researchfreak! (love the name...coming from another). On another website thread, someone on the ship said that the current free baby care hours for babies from ages 1-3 was 11am-1pm and 5pm-8pm. I had heard that these hours could fluctuate based on baby numbers.

 

 

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[Lovetocruise2002]

A bit. We booked almost two years in advance on the Oasis so got a really good price...maybe $500 more than YC on MSC. On Allure we had the two story cabin which was utterly fantastic and got it for about the same price as the YC but it was only a 5 night cruise so it would have been more expensive than YC in the long run. RCCL's prices for Sky Class are out of sight right now...they cannot come close to YC pricing. If you choose off--peak times to travel on Divina or Seaside you'll pay around $4,000 for two in YC. You cannot get Sky Class on Royal for under $5,000 most sailings and that would be for just a Grand Suite...certainly not anything better than that.

We've actually had the opposite happen. We usually grab Sky class around the 45-60 day prior to sailing window where sometimes the suites drop in price. Even with a "deal" in that window, a yacht club balcony suite was still way cheaper than any GS or above on RCI. That is why I could not pass on it. We are sailing in July 2018, booked in March 2017 and we paid under $3700 for two people in a YC1.

[researchfreak90]

Hey Researchfreak! (love the name...coming from another). On another website thread, someone on the ship said that the current free baby care hours for babies from ages 1-3 was 11am-1pm and 5pm-8pm. I had heard that these hours could fluctuate based on baby numbers.

 

 

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Thank You. I love researching things so much that by the time I board the ship I usually know more than the staff. Which, I find awkward so not sure why I do this to myself!

Not the best hours -- I would think with a dedicated space they would have more availability!

[slei15]

Thanks for the great overview review. Looking forward to reading your detail thoughts. You mentioned about the limited storage space, and there are 2 rods in the closet....is that like a upper and lower rods (2 tiers)? That might help a bit where we can almost double the length of the closet...is that the right assumption?

 

 

 

Upper rod and half lower rod.

 

 

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[slei15]

What type of cabin do you have? We're in a regular suite and an inside cabin but Not until july[emoji54]. Love reading all the new reports coming in now that the cruising is starting. Hopefully by July the kinks are worked out. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!!

 

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Our group has everything from inside to Aurea whirlpool suite.

 

 

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[toxicfairy]

Our group has everything from inside to Aurea whirlpool suite.

 

 

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Oh wow we have a suite ( not grand) on deck 11 and it shows that it is next to a whirl pool suite or something like that ( the one that has it out on the balcony). I'm hoping it isn't too loud so we can still enjoy ours. Although we don't get bothered by too much ..we've had loud balcony neighbors , smoking balcony neighbors and little excited squealing kids balcony neighbors...none of which bothered us. We would just say hello and enjoy our balcony[emoji4]

 

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[countess5]

Did you read about Harmony OTS?

 

Harmony OTS article

 

Actually sailing on a B2B on Harmony in February 2018, I guess they have it all worked out by now. 😜

[seaweeyin]

A quick note that there are full sofa beds in some rooms. We're booked in a superfamily plus, three linked cabins, and one has bunk bed sofa, while another has the full pull out bed sofa.

 

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[Mycykfamilytime]

Thank You. I love researching things so much that by the time I board the ship I usually know more than the staff. Which, I find awkward so not sure why I do this to myself!

 

Not the best hours -- I would think with a dedicated space they would have more availability!

 

 

 

The head of youth services said there would be more hours in slow seasons. I’m thinking the Christmas cruise is probably high season. Hopefully they extend it even by one hour in the evening.

 

 

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