Yacht Club Changes

[sverigecruiser]

2 hours ago, reedprincess said:

 Why would beers be unlimited, but spirits, and the snacks,  limited??  And how about all this times the butler has simply brought the bottle of wine rather than keep delivering by the glass - I'm guessing that would be done away with.. 

 

Maybe people drink the beer on the ship and take the snacks and spirits with them off the ship?

 

Has bottles of wine ever been included, officially? 

[hamrag]

4 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Maybe people drink the beer on the ship and take the snacks and spirits with them off the ship?

 

Yes, that makes sense as the beer bottles are cumbersome but spirit miniatures are not!

 

I have read on these threads, not often but occasionally, of passengers emptying their minibar twice a day and going home with their 'swag'. Most who do that would not be posting such on these boards, so I wonder if this is prevalent and the powers that be have decided to remove this particular YC perk as it was intended for cabin use only? I am not criticising anyone who would take a few snacks on a port tour for example....we have done that a few times.

Edited November 12, 2019 by hamrag

[sidari]

H ... At the end of the day the drinks have been paid for in advance and regardless of consumption/ people taking them home they are paid for.

Cannot speak for the YC but in Aurea with Deluxe we ate most of the snacks from the minibar while onboard And took some on tours or days off the ship.

[sverigecruiser]

12 minutes ago, sidari said:

H ... At the end of the day the drinks have been paid for in advance and regardless of consumption/ people taking them home they are paid for.

Cannot speak for the YC but in Aurea with Deluxe we ate most of the snacks from the minibar while onboard And took some on tours or days off the ship.

 

If people eat snacks from the lounge and take the snacks from the minibar home it cost MSC more.

 

Most beers are probably consumed in the cabin and instead of ordering from the bars people take beer from the minibar so no extra cost for MSC.

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

 

I have read on these threads, not often but occasionally, of passengers emptying their minibar twice a day and going home with their 'swag'. Most who do that would not be posting such on these boards, so I wonder if this is prevalent and the powers that be have decided to remove this particular YC perk as it was intended for cabin use only?

 

I think that can be the reason but as I said before it's just a guess.

[sidari]

SC ... MSC restock the mini bar daily, regardless of what a customer does with what they have paid for has no extra cost to MSC! Maybe you can explain how someone taking home 7 packs of pringles instead of eating them onboard costs MSC more ? They are the same 7 items regardless of what happens with them.

[dexddd]

16 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

But NCL charge much more for the Haven and nothing is included from the minibar.

 

The only significant change I can see, after reading the original post, is that now you can get a bottle of Champagne and that's a good thing.

 

Drinks and snacks can still be delivered from the Top Sail Lounge so nothing is really lost, I think.

 

I agree that the snacks should be included but if I have to choose between snacks in the cabin or the possibility to get a bottle of Champagne I really prefer the Champagne. 

On NCL soda, water, and three bottles of booze plus champagne are included for OS, DOS, and six bottles for GV.

 

Typically NCL more expensive but the room categories VS MSC vary widely.  The RS on last and next trip are similar to pricing to what we've paid for reasonable NCL DOS or OS.

 

[Fogfog]

When we purchased our fares for our sailing--the YC bev included (not limited) the mini bar---

this is an unacceptable change in that IF they reduce amenities/service--then the fare should reflect the reduction. 

 

I suspect this is happening because of public posts by folks who claim to load up luggage with snacks. (ridiculous behavior)

just like the public post about consuming outrageous amounts of expensive champagne precipitated the YC bev exclusions. 

 

Gluttony, greed and abuse ruin it for the rest of us

 

[Lars997]

Counting nuts - well isn't that a common pattern 😉

[hamrag]

44 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

....I suspect this is happening because of public posts by folks who claim to load up luggage with snacks. (ridiculous behavior)....

....Gluttony, greed and abuse ruin it for the rest of us

 

I believe it is much more likely to be the miniature spirits, which are in plastic bottles and relatively easy to load into luggage.

Absolutely, I agree greed and abuse is most likely the reason.

[Dr. Cocktail]

An interesting topic with many valid viewpoints from all sides!

 

The provision of an included minibar has likely been a low expense item for MSC as while it's a great "come-on" to entice cruisers, my guess is very few people actually use it!  Personally, I generally don't want a drink in my cabin unless it's a late night scotch and then I get it in the Top Sail. Be that as it may, we're all different and have different wants and needs.

 

Where the wheels come off the bus for MSC is where EVERYONE actually starts to use it or, as many have stated, start to empty out the bar twice daily. There was a previous frequent reviewer/poster who proudly showed pictures of his stash of miniatures on the last day - there had to be at least 50 bottles. 

 

I think that a reasonable solution for the liquor "problem" would be to leave a note kindly asking you to leave your empty bottle on the tray and that it would be replaced at the first opportunity by the butler. Them's that drink it would be satisfied and it would put the kibosh on those who are a wee bit greedy. Even if you wanted some for your trip to the beach - no problem as long as you bring back the bottles!

 

As for the snacks .... still not an expensive item but limit it to one replenishment daily.

 

There really would be no extra work for the butlers save for collecting the empties.

[DCGuy64]

We only ever drank the included mini-bar items while we were in the cabin. Never took any of them out-what would be the point? We enjoyed having our own "bar" to come home to, and there was plenty to eat and drink elsewhere on the ship. I have no idea whether MSC's decision was driven by greed or theft (to the extent that MSC expected people to consume the contents of the mini-bar in situ and not pilfer them), but for us, the value of the Yacht Club still seems great. Our upcoming sailing on the Meraviglia is roughly the same price as the Aurea cabin we had on the Seaside last year. Now, that being said, the Aurea included the mini-bar items, and only time will tell whether the Yacht Club will, too. Note: to anyone who's tempted to say "people paid for the service, they can take as much as they want," we all know that's not true. Can you imagine someone grabbing an entire pizza from the buffet or a whole tray of pastries "because it's included and I can have as much as I want."? That's not how it works. You take what you need at the moment and go back for seconds if you have the appetite. Seems to me the mini-bar should work the same way. IF (and I mean IF) some people have been ransacking the liquor bottles and MSC is cracking down on that by charging, it's just another shameful example of a few bad eggs ruining the experience for the rest of us. Sermon over.

Edited November 12, 2019 by DCGuy64
Added a space after a period for clarity.

[sidari]

Dr C ... I understand that only YC gets the restock twice a day, with the Deluxe package ours was only ever done once per day.

 

DC Guy ... What seems to be missed is that the fact that items within the mini bar are calculated into the cruise price and are therefore paid for prior to the cruise. So far this new issue appears to be only the YC  and not the rest of the ship so are MSC telling us the problem is within the YC and those who sail in it!

Edited November 12, 2019 by sidari

[Cruising89143]

43 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

An interesting topic with many valid viewpoints from all sides!

 

The provision of an included minibar has likely been a low expense item for MSC as while it's a great "come-on" to entice cruisers, my guess is very few people actually use it!  Personally, I generally don't want a drink in my cabin unless it's a late night scotch and then I get it in the Top Sail. Be that as it may, we're all different and have different wants and needs.

 

Where the wheels come off the bus for MSC is where EVERYONE actually starts to use it or, as many have stated, start to empty out the bar twice daily. There was a previous frequent reviewer/poster who proudly showed pictures of his stash of miniatures on the last day - there had to be at least 50 bottles. 

 

I think that a reasonable solution for the liquor "problem" would be to leave a note kindly asking you to leave your empty bottle on the tray and that it would be replaced at the first opportunity by the butler. Them's that drink it would be satisfied and it would put the kibosh on those who are a wee bit greedy. Even if you wanted some for your trip to the beach - no problem as long as you bring back the bottles!

 

As for the snacks .... still not an expensive item but limit it to one replenishment daily.

 

There really would be no extra work for the butlers save for collecting the empties.

Sounds like a good plan IMHO.

[Kmkub]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

H ... At the end of the day the drinks have been paid for in advance and regardless of consumption/ people taking them home they are paid for. 

When you go to a restaurant, refills on sodas are typically free. It's not FOREVER, it's for while you are at the restaurant. This is the same situation.

 

[sidari]

3 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

When you go to a restaurant, refills on sodas are typically free. It's not FOREVER, it's for while you are at the restaurant. This is the same situation.

 

It isn't though is it ? You are not in the restaurant for Seven consecutive days and you do not pay in advance.

If someone chooses to use everything in the mini bar on each day of the cruise there is no difference to them filling a bag and taking it off the ship!

The mini bar rules are that it is restocked on a daily basis, you were not asked to pay more for it because you used up your daily allowance.

[sverigecruiser]

3 hours ago, sidari said:

SC ... MSC restock the mini bar daily, regardless of what a customer does with what they have paid for has no extra cost to MSC! Maybe you can explain how someone taking home 7 packs of pringles instead of eating them onboard costs MSC more ? They are the same 7 items regardless of what happens with them.

 

If someone eat snacks in the lounge and take home the snacks in the minibar it cost MSC more than if people only eat the snacks in the lounge.

 

7 servings in the lounge + 7 servings taken home cost more than 7 servings in the lounge.

[sidari]

SC ... People have paid for both so if they choose to eat both then what is the issue? If someone chooses to have two bottles of Bud in one bar does that mean they cannot have two bottles of Bud in another bar!

[Kmkub]

4 minutes ago, sidari said:

SC ... People have paid for both so if they choose to eat both then what is the issue? If someone chooses to have two bottles of Bud in one bar does that mean they cannot have two bottles of Bud in another bar!

You paid for the availability while cruising. You didn't pay for souvenirs. Again, once people start abusing a perk, it ruins things for those who do not abuse perks.

[sidari]

Using what you have paid for is abusing nothing, buying drinks for others from the same drink package is abusing the package and the cruise line.

[Kmkub]

28 minutes ago, sidari said:

Using what you have paid for is abusing nothing, buying drinks for others from the same drink package is abusing the package and the cruise line.

So any yacht club guest should bring an extra suitcase and just ask the butler to fill it up? The perk is "unlimited." In the service industry, the word unlimited always means "while a guest at our establishment." 

 

Seriously - all you can eat buffet doesn't mean forever. You can't tell the staff that you will be hungry every day for the rest of your life, so you can eat a whole lot more in the future. It's the exact same logic.

 

 

[sverigecruiser]

40 minutes ago, sidari said:

SC ... People have paid for both so if they choose to eat both then what is the issue? If someone chooses to have two bottles of Bud in one bar does that mean they cannot have two bottles of Bud in another bar!

 

I still think that 7+7 is more than 7. It seems like we will have to disagree about that. 

[emmas gran]

Just got off Meraviglia on Sunday, my DH likes Pringles and salted peanuts, I like the chocolate covered nuts. The occasional vodka and diet soda, but we never touched the juices or 🍺 beers.

 

We have cruised 57  days in YC this year and have 2 weeks on Bellissima in February , we don’t ever take miniature bottles we leave used ones on the counter. As my DH likes to read whilst I get some sun time why can’t he have the snacks he likes. I will take ziplocks and fill them in Topsail for him.

[DCGuy64]

42 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

So any yacht club guest should bring an extra suitcase and just ask the butler to fill it up? The perk is "unlimited." In the service industry, the word unlimited always means "while a guest at our establishment." 

 

Seriously - all you can eat buffet doesn't mean forever. You can't tell the staff that you will be hungry every day for the rest of your life, so you can eat a whole lot more in the future. It's the exact same logic.

 

 

I agree. To be sure, @sidari is correct in that YC guests HAVE paid in advance for the features included in the YC. In that sense, it seems miserly for MSC to now say "sorry, no more free refills." OTOH I can't believe that the prices for the Yacht Club were based on every YC guest consuming everything in the minibar multiple times a day for every day of the cruise. For one thing, YC prices are dynamic, not static, yet presumably occupancy is at or near capacity for most, if not all, cruises. Therefore, somehow MSC must have run the numbers and decided they were losing money. I don't know the cause, and neither does anyone else unless he/she works for the cruise line and has seen internal documents. That being said, like most things the cruise line will get feedback on this potential change in policy, both here and from guests onboard, not to mention the post-cruise surveys. Guests will have an opportunity to weigh in and MSC can make adjustments, if necessary. They did so regarding the food and drink at Ocean Cay, so maybe this will change, too. From a legal perspective, the cruise line made us agree to the T&C so they can change things like this if they want to. And people are free to decide whether this change is worth chucking the whole trip or not. It isn't a big deal to me. Your mileage may vary.

[hamrag]

3 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

....There was a previous frequent reviewer/poster who proudly showed pictures of his stash of miniatures on the last day - there had to be at least 50 bottles. 

 

I think that a reasonable solution for the liquor "problem" would be to leave a note kindly asking you to leave your empty bottle on the tray and that it would be replaced at the first opportunity by the butler. Them's that drink it would be satisfied and it would put the kibosh on those who are a wee bit greedy. Even if you wanted some for your trip to the beach - no problem as long as you bring back the bottles!

 

As for the snacks .... still not an expensive item but limit it to one replenishment daily.

 

There really would be no extra work for the butlers save for collecting the empties.

 

Yes, there was and that reviewer is the one I was trying to remember when I posted earlier.

 

Your proposed solution is perfect, could be easily implemented, and those of us who use the perk as intended would not suffer the loss of said perk!