Seaside Yacht Club Observations 'Revisited'

[rattanchair]

I learned today that the' Poop deck ' is the roof of a cabin in the rear, aft of the ship and not the deck eco-maniacs use as a communal toilet. Also the importance of a primary escape exit in the event of a fire at sea is to move laterally away (horizontally) and only go vertically (up) as a secondary escape route if the primary is blocked. The staff are constantly trained so that it becomes 'second nature' and they react without having to think. (And you all thought I just came on board to eat, sleep and fill all my hedonist desires) . As Winston Churchill said "I am a man of simple tastes, I am quite easily satisfied with the best of everything." I only take my instruction from the best...

[rattanchair]

16 hours ago, George C said:

Merry Christmas Rattanchair , poor us I now have to pour my Johnny Walker blue myself and even cook our own meals at least for about 7 weeks till next cruise. 

Dear GC,  I reread this quote of Mark Twain and immediately thought of you. "Too much of anything is bad. But too much good whiskey is barely enough."

RC

[rattanchair]

Tomorrow will be Seaside's third inaugural visit to Ocean Cay. Our YC dining room will be closed because dining staff will be on the island providing YC guests with an a la carte menu with table service. No 'included ' cabana for the Royal Suites , but free wifi for all those that already have the package. The last time Seaside tried to dock ( I have been told) the weather did not permit and the Seaside spent the day circling Ocean Cay before heading to Miami. The YC staff will not have transport to the YC section and they will be taking a 30 minute walk. This YC section is called Ocean House on the furthest point away from the ship. YC guests will be taken for a 7 minute trolley ride to Ocean House. Since all the food that we will be eating on the island, including these' food trucks' will be food from the ship, it will take a couple of hours to prepare the island for guests. The only thing Bahamian is the island (so I have been assured).

   The pool deck will be open on the YC deck to accommodate those of us who prefer to still eat on board, and of course there is always pizza delivery. (With Julian on the island I think I will have a better chance of my pizza arriving hot, well worth the extra tip to whom ever delivers it).

[rattanchair]

Went to the Venchi ice cream and chocolate bar and picked a chocolate with chocolate syrup topping, they were out of cherry and apricot toppings (which I wanted in addition to the chocolate sauce but had to settle). Normally $5.50 in a 'to go' cup. The young lady waitress scanned my cabin card and I was free to go. Having finished the sundae ( DW was busy buying out a 'buy two get one free' sidewalk sale nearby) and I decided to return to the chocolate bar for some hand made Venchi milk chocolate in bit-size pieces (DW was not finished shopping, but asked if I would include a few pieces of white milk chocolate). The same young lady waited on me and weighed my order $18 for 8 pieces of chocolate (6 for me and 2 for my munchkin). The waitress again scanned my card, but this time she asked me to sign for the  sale. I mentioned that a moment ago you did not ask me to sign for the sundae. She explained to me that my 'package' included all ice cream and specialty coffees which does not require a signature (and so no charge).

[psmarkle]

9 hours ago, rattanchair said:

In our walkabout the ship this morning, a beautiful morning, the deck hands are setting up the loungers and as fast as they are set up, passengers are placing their "one' beige allotted deck towel and disappearing leaving only the towel to 'mark' their possession of said lounger. While in the YC about a dozen passengers have done the same thing. So lack of consideration of fellow passengers is not just limited to the hoi polloi. The only differences are YC guests get unlimited 'royal' blue towels, the lounges are a black rattan style with 2 1/2 " thick cushions, and the cabanas lounges are precovered with 3 blue towels wrapped under the cushions. The only deck area with plenty of available deck loungers not occupied with 'abandoned' towels is the' pay to lounge' experience just outside the YC. (I never bothered to find out the name of this experience since I was not interested, but it appears appealing.)

Rattan:  Is that the Aurea Top 19 lounge area you're speaking of?  It's a really nice setup, to include shaded sitting area.  YC can use that area, but not vice versa.  There's no pool, but a couple of hot tubs and some outdoor showers for cooling off.  I've not seen it over crowded on our 2 Seaside trips so far. 

[rattanchair]

11 hours ago, psmarkle said:

Rattan:  Is that the Aurea Top 19 lounge area you're speaking of?  It's a really nice setup, to include shaded sitting area.  YC can use that area, but not vice versa.  There's no pool, but a couple of hot tubs and some outdoor showers for cooling off.  I've not seen it over crowded on our 2 Seaside trips so far. 

Dear ps,  You are correct as usual.  We are presently docked at Ocean Cay and our RS #16037 is on the port side of the ship which the way the ship is presently docked we have an ocean view and can not see the island. This will present a disadvantage to all balcony guests on the port side not being able to utilize their balconies for the Lighthouse Light Show or the  Ocean Cay Village show. We plan to go to our cabana situated on the starboard side for those attractions.

[rattanchair]

Here are some photos from the ship airdropped:

[Bossa Nova]

21 hours ago, rattanchair said:

Our YC dining room will be closed because dining staff will be on the island providing YC guests with an a la carte menu with table service.

Ooh, now you have me worried -- while at Ocean Cay, YC fine dining is only available ashore, where there is a single toilet for the YC area? 😬 Lately I've been watching YouTube videos of luxury rail trips. The final leg of the Orient-Express from Paris to London is often aboard Belmond's British Pullman train, with first class service and dining in stunningly beautiful restored coaches from the 1920s and 30s that have carried monarchs and heads of state. I mention this because, like the YC section of Ocean Cay, all the first class passengers in each Pullman car have to share a single toilet! Hmmm . . . perhaps that rail service is where MSC got the idea that this is ok. If it's good enough for kings and queens, it's more than good for YC guests? Or perhaps MSC was inspired by the International Space Station, another spectacular means of travel where all the elite passengers share a single toilet. Anyway, thanks for the warning about the shipboard YC restaurant closure while in port. I'll be following in your footsteps in January, and our group will carefully manage hydration when we go ashore for lunch and dinner! Either that or wear Depend pads...

[rattanchair]

41 minutes ago, Bossa Nova said:

Ooh, now you have me worried -- while at Ocean Cay, YC fine dining is only available ashore, where there is a single toilet for the YC area?

Dear BN, Funny thing , I took a photo of the outside of the latrine.  I guess I am not the only one concerned about such things on the CC. We took a tour of the island on the YC "Limo" battery tram of which there are 3 in service at a time while a 4th is charging and is rotated through the day. Being YC guests we are a short 5 minute trip back to the ship for "room service'.

[rattanchair]

1 hour ago, Bossa Nova said:

Ooh, now you have me worried -- while at Ocean Cay, YC fine dining is only available ashore,

Dear BN,  The YC fine dining menu displayed to DW by our YC maitre d at Ocean House is the same menu provided YC guests at the YC pool deck.

[George C]

6 minutes ago, rattanchair said:

Dear BN,  The YC fine dining menu displayed to DW by our YC maitre d at Ocean House is the same menu provided YC guests at the YC pool deck.

Interesting I never saw a menu on pool deck , really would have liked to get another lobster roll, will. I will Remember this for next year.

Edited December 27, 2019 by George C

[rattanchair]

 The moment we stepped into Ocean House my DW and I had a reflective moment in time when we walked into the famous bar at Raffles Hotel in Singapore for the mandatory visitor "SingaporeSling". We got a quick tour by our ever friendly and very accommodating maitre d.

[rattanchair]

10 minutes ago, George C said:

Interesting I never saw a menu on pool deck , really would have liked to get another lobster roll, will. I will Remember this for next year.

Dear GC,  There is no menu at the pool deck, they are just providing YC guests that prefer to dine on board the option of the same menu. Also please remember that this is the over booked Christmas sailing with 280 YC guests.  So hamburgers and french fries are also always available at the pool deck besides the menu displayed at Ocean House. What may be occurring this cruise may not occur next cruise.

Edited December 27, 2019 by rattanchair

[rattanchair]

There is a food truck located 'across the street' from Ocean House. This is where all the menu items for Ocean House are stored.  These food trucks have the generators to keep the food cold or hot and only YC staff are permitted to approach them. They act as the galley off the ship. I do not know the situation of the other food trucks as they do not pertain to my YC experience.

[rattanchair]

This is one of the 4 "limos" that are constantly shuttling YC passengers back and forth from Ocean House. 

[rattanchair]

This how they 'haul' the hoi polloi around the island.

[rattanchair]

Our "limo" driver passed by this building which appears to be another latrine from the looks of it, but he told us it is the wedding pavilion. I did not ask him to stop..

Edited December 27, 2019 by rattanchair

[rattanchair]

The tractor arrived for another 'boat load'.

[rattanchair]

The shops on the island are few, but what they have to sell cannot be found on the ship, even MSC logo merchandise. You charge everything on your cabin card, but they add another 12% Bahamas sales tax to the purchase. DW had a hard time spending because her size was sold out and she desperately wanted an Ocean Cay logo "something" apparel. So she settled to take the only one left on the island being worn by the  mannequin. It took 3 store employees to dismantle, remove the head, etc... after 3 harrowing minutes the one attendee ask my DW if she wanted to 'try it on'.  ( Had I been one of the attendees  and the patron then refused its purchase.... well, lets just say they would have thrown me off the island, never to work for MSC again) But DW was a 'trooper' and said "just throw it in my bag."

[rattanchair]

This is Seakers, the grand pavilion where the hoi polloi 'chow down'.  This is as close as I wanted to get to it.

[rattanchair]

These are  photos of cabana #7 just in back and adjacent to Ocean House. Poured concrete slabs.The last photo from cabana #7 shows anther YC beach with cabanas in the distance.

[rattanchair]

The YC service is impeccable. Attention to every detail. The YC staff are just as impressed with their product as are the guests. They  are like "peacocks" showing off with big smiles. It makes a guest feel like they are experiencing the' jewel in the MSC crown' and they expect the jewel to become even finer as the years progress.

[rattanchair]

I learned at breakfast this morning the attire distinction between a waiter and an assistant waiter. The former wear gold ties, the latter black. I am only speaking about the YC.

[rattanchair]

I must be working my way somewhat backwards because this was our reception this morning when we entered the gates to Ocean Cay. A gauntlet ovation from ships staff as we walked to the YC tents for our "limo" transport to the Ocean House and YC section of the island. The butler waving is the famous butler extraordinaire Tushar, always smiling, most helpful, tries to anticipate your every need , arranges your transportation and makes suggestions you did not  know existed.

[rattanchair]

The ubiquitous steel drum band, off to the side. I guess it is mandatory Bahamas regulation. I understand there is another close by island called Cat Cay where MSC had planned to host this band, but someone's brother-in-law.... you know the story.