Silhouette LIVE (1/12) w/ Side by Side: A Royal Week on Celebrity and MSC

[GenerationX]

After a busy few days back in the real world, coming back to finish my catch up posts!

 

Let’s see, according to my notes, I think what I have left are my two other Le Muse dinners on Divina.

 

Let’s start with white night dinner:

 

I was dining solo this time and butler Kevin was working on a turndown, so my assistant/junior butler offered to escort me to the restaurant instead.  The poor guy was apologizing to me on the walk that Kevin wasn’t free to take me himself and I tried to reassure him that it was totally fine.  I said “after all, I know I’m not the only guest in the Yacht Club”.  He responded with “that’s true ma’am, but it’s our job to make you FEEL like you are!”

 

When I arrived and got seated, Z and Rohan were my servers again and greeted me warmly and before I could even ask for anything, Z said “I’ll be right back with your champagne and cheese plate to start.”  Did I mention that this was night 2 of a 4 night cruise? These folks catch on REAL quick.

 

For dinner, I had the crab cake starter followed by the prime rib.  The prime rib came with a potato flan side that was decent, but I also asked for an order of the truffle mashed potatoes that came with the pork tenderloin and it was a best life decision.  I heard rave reviews of the lobster ravioli as well, but I didn’t want to risk stuffing myself with 2 entrees and being too full to party.  

 

As it was, I could’ve eaten 5 of those crab cakes. It was loaded with tender, juicy crab meat and the crunchy crust was well seasoned.

 

My server didn’t ask about cook temp preference for my prime rib and it came out much closer to medium than I like to eat a prime rib.  Fortunately though the meat was still very tender and the shallot and Italian wine au jus was well done.  A decent house made horseradish sauce was also served tableside.

 

Once again, the meal service was prompt and I was in an out in less than an hour.

 

 The second dinner was the last night of the cruise and it was the first time the entire cruise that I had a yacht club dining experience that was less than excellent.  

 

Here again the service wasn’t bad and I probably wouldn’t have called it much of a downgrade if the service hadn’t been so above and beyond the rest of the cruise.  It seemed like the restaurant staff was flustered and rushing around trying to keep up.  Honestly it reminded me of the atmosphere at a busy embarkation lunch in Luminae. Whereas every other meal had taken an hour at most, this one took almost 2.  I think part of the reason may have been that that night was the most full I’d seen the yacht club restaurant all cruise (I’d say it was at about 60-70% of tables occupied).  

 

As far as the food, this meal also had one of the very few dishes on the ship  that were a miss for me. There was a fritto misto appetizer on the menu that I was very excited to try, but unfortunately, while I was able to find a few pieces of tender shrimp and and calamari, most of it was way over cooked and chewy.

 

Fortunately next two courses redeemed the meal.  I ordered the lamb chops and once again wasn’t asked my preferred cooking temp, but luckily they came out medium rare  just as I like them.  Once I finished the meat I was very tempted pick up the bones and suck on them, but then I remembered I want to be allowed back on this cruise line again.

 

For dessert, I had a wonderful pistachio gelato, which also came served with a message.

 

The table next to me was occupied by a couple I’d gotten to know who were also from STL and on their first MSC cruise. They were loyal NCLHaven cruisers and over the course of the cruise we chatted several times about how they were also pleasantly surprised by how comparable if not slightly better the yacht club experience turned out to be compared to the suite class experience they were used to.

 

After dinner, we all got a pic with our amazing serving team from the week, then I headed off to pack.

 

Ok, I’ll go back and double check but I think this should be my last catch up post. Stay tuned in the next day or two and I’ll share one last report with my overall final thoughts on retreat vs. yacht club and future cruise plans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elainemh]

Charla, Thank you for your reply.

I always enjoy following you on your adventures. Will be looking

forward to your next cruise, which I believe will be with your daughter.

My daughter has always been my cruise partner and we have wonderful memories of our times together. Your daughter will also have those memories forever.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2023 by Elainemh

[GenerationX]

Oops I lied! Sharing the menu and fritto misto pics I forgot above as well as a few pics from day eating on Divina.  
 

I really liked that unlike the Retreat, the Yacht Club restaurant is still open for lunch on port days.  

The lunch menu veggie samosas appetizer with sweet and spicy mango chutney was one of my favorite eats of the cruise!  
 

Oh also, I did manage on the last full day to catch the end of high tea in the top sail lounge.  I presume in an effort to satisfy both American and European preferences, the buffet is set up with some tea sandwiches and desserts, but you’re also given the option to have a full sit down white glove tea service with the tiered tea stand prepared and delivered, etc.

 

Scones are served (warm 🤤) by the butlers as ordered.  
 

I was just stopping in the lounge to turn something in to the future cruise agent and was still stuffed from lunch that day, but saw some new cruise friends at tea and figured I should at least try a scone for the sake of the review.  
 

As soon as my rear end hit the chair I saw the top sail bartender start moving about out of the corner of my eye and then heard the sound of a cocktail shaker rattling.  Sure enough, next thing I know I had in front of me not only delectable scones, but also a surprise espresso martini.

 

Now that I think about it, these people were really lucky that I left that ship willingly and didn’t have to be drug off kicking and screaming by security.

 

 

 

 

 

[GenerationX]

On 1/18/2023 at 7:36 PM, miched said:

I was looking at MSC cruises after reading this and am considering trying them.  They seem to be in line with X and may offer more perks and frills in the Yacht Club than the Retreat.     There is the Escape to Sea price  and one with the All In that includes the  Easy Drink Package  and Wi-Fi for an additional cost.   It can be upgraded to The Premium Drink Package for and additional cost.  What is the extra cost?   Are the gratuities for the drinks included in the package?   
 

Escape to Sea

Take advantage of these special cruise only reduced rates. Please note that these special rates are not eligible to receive extra perks and amenities.

 

If you are in the Yacht Club what extra perks and amenities would you be excluded from?  

 

Free drinks and WiFI

Go ALL-IN and get unlimited drinks plus free wi-fi on this cruise! The ALL-IN promotion includes the Easy Drink Package. Guests can upgrade from the Easy Drink Package to the Premium Plus Drink Package for an additional charge.

 

 

How are the daily gratuities handled?   Are they included in the Yacht Club or the All In  package or are they an additional daily charge?   The All In doesn’t list the gratuities.  
 

Thanks for using your time 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🌅🇺🇸

So sorry for the response delay!

 

I was told that if you are booking in yacht club, you can just book at the base price as wifi and premium drink package are always included in yacht club as perks of the package. I presume gratuities for drinks were included because I did not see any charges for them on my bill.  
 

I did have a charge go on my bill the last night of the cruise for general daily gratuities, so those were not included in the yacht club package like they are in the Retreat.  It looked like it was all charged at once at the end (rather than daily) and the charge was about $70 for me as one person in yacht club for 4 nights.

 

Oh also, there was a note on the daily each day that said tipping of individual crew members is “discouraged”.  
 

However I asked several regular MSC passengers and they said that it was perfectly fine and fairly common to give additional cash tips at the end of the cruise to crew members who had gone above and beyond.

 

Additional tipping is of course a matter of personal preference though.

 

The note in the daily just made me nervous and I just wanted to confirm that I wouldn’t be getting a crew member in trouble or putting them in an awkward position if I decided to give them an envelope the last night.

 

There were some crew members on this cruise whose service was really exceptional and I would not have felt right at all leaving without giving them a little extra token of gratitude.

[GenerationX]

On 1/20/2023 at 8:29 PM, DUTRAVEL said:

Thank you so much for your review! Excellent as always. I can't even imagine how much time you must take out of your vacation to post your pictures and review (I can barely even take the time anymore to post a picture on Insta).

You’re so welcome!  I’ve kept journals of my travels since I was a teenager so I’m in a habit of taking part of the time before bed or while relaxing poolside to write about my experiences while it’s fresh in my head.

 

It is very cool to be able to go back and read years later about little details of vacation meals, drinks and experiences that I’d otherwise probably have forgotten.  
 

When I discovered CC and started reading others’ live reviews I figured since I’m writing anyway, maybe I should pay it forward and share with the class in case others might get as much from my reviews as I do from reading other people’s.

 

Plus I’ve found I can write much faster typing than with a pen and notebook!

[KKB]

On 1/17/2023 at 8:10 AM, GenerationX said:

 

1- As I mentioned before, the decor on this particular ship is…something.  Very Vegas circa 1995.  I know people complain about E class and refurb decor on Celebrity being too grey and plain but I will cheerfully take that bright clean look over all things purple, fluffy and gold.  

 

OMG how happy I was to get caught up here to find your review!!!

I am sailing the Divina for 5+7 days next month, also 1st MSC cruise, tho I will be slumming it...

But it is good to see your POV. 

 

As to why I posted this quote from you...we just got off our 1st Carnival cruise on the Carnival Miracle.

You think Divina decor is distracting...well, you should sail the Miracle!

That being said we were pleased we had a wonderful time--crew was amazing, food was good, and we sailed to Hawaii, so little to complain about! 

BUT I did watch a video tour of the Miracle before we departed...I was quite shocked with the themed decor but at least I was prepared once we boarded.

 

I love the Celebrity app for activities as well (Carnival's is excellent as well)--but not a fan of how Princess organizes theirs on the app. 
SO a TIP for you: snap a photo of the daily planner pages you might want each morning. 

Nicer to have a photo on your phone than an extra paper.

 

Thank you for this & all your reviews! Hoping one day to sail with you.

Edited January 27, 2023 by KKB

[GenerationX]

On 1/18/2023 at 4:57 PM, Seas2mountains said:

@GenerationX are you using the ship Wifi to post your updates or your cell phone plan?  I attempted to do a live review on the cruise before yours but got blocked going on CC on both devices (iPhone and iPad) after making updates.  I could go to any other website or social media site but it would not connect to the MSC pages on CC. This was reported to have been a problem for another CC live review poster before me, too.

 

I was using the ship wifi the whole time and had my cell phone on airplane mode so I would not use the data from my cell phone plan.

 

 

So sorry I just caught your question!  Yes, I used the ship wifi for all posting while I was onboard. I used the wifi package that comes free with yacht club. 
 

I wonder if it’s an issue that got fixed between cruises?

Or I wonder if my thread being on the Celebrity board (since I started on that ship) rather than the MSC board had anything to do with it?

 

If I recall correctly though, I could still view and post on the MSC boards while I was onboard.

[Stem to Stern]

10 hours ago, KKB said:

a TIP for you: snap a photo of the daily planner pages you might want each morning. 

Nicer to have a photo on your phone than an extra paper.

A great tip!  I finally learned this one from a fellow passenger on the last night of my most recent cruise.  It only took me 17 cruises and 20 years of cruising on five cruise lines to figure it out.

[Swordfish1949]

Charla - again, thank you so much for your review. I know it takes significant time and effort, but like a lot of folks, I have looked forward to read your newest entry. Can't wait to read about your next cruise.  All the very best.......

[Stem to Stern]

On 1/21/2023 at 12:07 PM, GenerationX said:

I did try to do the status match a few weeks pre cruise, but the website was being tricky and I gave up. I decided it wasn’t worth investing the time unless/until I knew whether I’d even be interested in sailing MSC again after this cruise.

Hey there @GenerationXWe booked it!!!  Yay!!!
 

We are trying MSC Cruises for the first time after your inspiration.  We will be sailing out of Miami in a Yacht Club suite on the brand new MSC Seascape for 7-nights side-by-side with our 5-night that we previously booked on Celebrity Summit in The Retreat.

 

Based on recommendations that I read over on the MSC boards, I used my Azamara Discoverer status rather than my Celebrity Elite status to submit my MSC Voyagers Status Match enrollment.  They matched me to their highest Diamond level.  Elite reportedly only matches to Gold on MSC.  Submitting the status match form on MSC’ s website was pretty painless and the response came back in a day or two.  After receiving my MSC Voyagers number in an email from MSC, I passed it on to our travel agent and received the 5% plus 5% discount on the booking.  It was also nice to only be required to place a deposit of $199 per person.
 

Neither one of us have ever been on such a populous ship, but it will be fun to try something new.  And with the huge Yacht Club facilities for only 130 suites, we have a comfortable refuge from the “GenPop” that we can retreat to (no pun intended) if needed.  Thanks again for your report!👍

[gotta cruise again]

@GenerationX

Charla: you need to start a thread regarding the map dress!!! Get folks to share their experiences and or pics.

 

I wore mine when we boarded Beyond last Sunday and it was sooooo much fun. As we arrived in Luminae for lunch, there were several staff at the check in desk…all had to show me their country (which got a little personal, lol). This happened all day long and was a great conversation starter. 

 

You truly deserve a commission from that company. Thank you for sharing the link with all of us. If we ever sail together, I owe you a grand mimosa, which we’ll enjoy while wearing our twin dresses!!

 

BTW: I wore mine as a jumper with a black short sleeved T-shirt; also added black bike shorts underneath in case the wind caught the skirt (it did & the shorts saved me from embarrassment-LOL).

[GenerationX]

On 1/21/2023 at 10:29 AM, jerseygirl3 said:

Thank you so much.   You are so sweet!  Hubby and I went out to University of Pennsylvania yesterday.  Some additional testing demonstrated a "hole" in between the chambers of my heart that may be the culprit causing my stroke.  I am scheduled this Thursday at University of Pennsylvania Hospital for surgery to have this hole closed.  Good vibes and positive healing thoughts (and prayers if you are so inclined; if not, no problem) are gladly accepted.  And I will continue to follow your adventures, and if our paths do ever cross, I will hold you to your offer of a good bottle of Pinot Grigio!

@jerseygirl3 first and foremost, just checking on you! I hope all went well with your surgery and that you are recovering well. I’m sure you’re focused on much more important things than CC right now, but please do drop a note whenever you do have time to let us know how you are doing.  I’ve been praying very hard for a quick recovery for you and for the 4 of us to be laughing and sipping wine at the sunset bar soon without a care in the world beyond what to order for the next bottle!

[GenerationX]

On 1/20/2023 at 9:49 PM, nikel said:

Thank you so much for your review Charla.  I'm sure you are unhappy your holiday is over, but I am even more so....  For the past couple of years this has been my only form of cruise entertainment and I loved reading your reviews every day.  Love your pictures and your style of writing.  Have you ever thought of writing a book ?

Oh thank you so much for your kind words!  
 

I’m so glad I was able to bring some entertainment while you haven’t been able to cruise.  I also get so much out of the reviews others post when I’m stuck home planning and saving for my next trip.  Confession: I actually start to get a bit antsy when Celebrity live reviews are wrapping up and no one has started new ones for cruises coming up!
 

A few of my friends who follow my reviews and social media posts have actually suggested that I start writing a true blog or book.  
 

I’ve always pushed back because honestly don’t think my life is really enough to be a very exciting read, beyond maybe those who share my very niche intense interest in cruising, cooking, designer accessories and small farm life.  Which also seems like a super eclectic plot line.

 

 I feel like “The Girl in the Map Dress:  A Woman of Color’s True Tales from the Sample Sales, Open Seas, America’s Boardrooms and the Missouri Countryside” might be tough book to segment and market for even the best publisher. 😂

 

 

[GenerationX]

Hi guys!  I’m back for my better late than never wrap up post!

 

I’m actually glad I waited a bit to write this one because it gave me a bit more time to think about my final comparison thoughts on Celebrity vs. MSC.  

 

Before I give the run down, it wouldn’t be a lawyer’s review without a few disclaimers, so here we go with the caveats:

 

-First, a reminder that these were two 4-night cruises on each line’s older ships.  Fellow cruise enthusiasts know just how much passenger demographic, atmosphere, etc. can vary for longer sailings vs shorter ones.  Same variance when sailing on the “latest and greatest” ships vs. the “well-seasoned ladies of the seas” if you will.  I’d imagine sailings in other parts of the world may be very different as well.

 

-As mentioned previously, I heard repeatedly that Divina is the top of the fleet when it comes to MSC’s yacht club service experience and I was on a sailing where yacht club was at about 70% of capacity (apparently unlike Celebrity, MSC does not automatically sell out the yacht club with move up bids as sail date approaches).  The experience on newer/bigger ships and fuller sailings may vary.

 

-I think it’s worth flagging that the crew experience level may also have an effect.  On Silhouette, I got the impression that many crew members, while all friendly and hard working as I’ve come to expect from Celebrity, were on their first contract.  Whereas, much of the crew at least in yacht club on Divina seemed to be at least a couple of contracts in and many (including Captain Pugh and the yacht club concierge and yacht club manager) were soon going to be wrapping up contracts that had been extended multiple times and heading home for time off before reassignment for Med season.

 

-As I thought back on the difference between my 2 afternoons in the $500 cabanas at Ocean Cay, it reminded me of how much the quality of the butler also has to do with the quality of the premium experience.  The cabana butler we had on day 1 certainly did his job and wasn’t rude or anything, but didn’t leave me thinking I’d be willing to invest $500 for a cabana experience.  Our above and beyond butler experience on day 2 has me already booked for a cabana for my next MSC cruise (future cruise plans report at the end of this post, stay tuned).  My stateroom butler on Silhouette was good and probably one of the better ones I’ve had since restart. However my butler on Divina was one of the best I’ve ever had on any cruise and it took me back to the treatment we had on Jeremy and I’s first time in a suite on Silhouette 5 years ago where our butler Glenn (see? I even still remember his name) got us hooked on the Retreat experience.

 

Ok, with those disclaimers, here’s where the Celebrity vs. MSC battle shakes out for me as of now…

 

CELEBRITY FOR THE WIN:

 

-I’ve always found Celebrity’s non-suite experience to be excellent and I would never hesitate to sail a Celebrity ship in a lower stateroom class if Retreat wasn’t in my budget.  On the other hand, I don’t know that I would sail MSC outside of the yacht club (though right now yacht club prices are around Celebrity’s AQ class prices for comparable ships and itineraries, so maybe less of an issue).  

 

-Celebrity seems to offer a better number and variety of shore excursions and better pricing, especially when you catch an excursion sale.

 

-I never thought I’d be praising Celebrity for its technology and accounting systems, but here I am.  The MSC website, cruise planner, online check in systems, etc. are just down right confusing till you learn the ropes. And even then, they experience glitches even more frequently than Celebrity.  For example, I received emails with my cruise documents (boarding pass, luggage tags, etc.) at least 7 times and each time it had a different assigned boarding time. 🤦🏾‍♀️ 

 

-The MSC onboard billing/charge system is also somewhat frustrating.  ALLEGEDLY, just like Celebrity you can link a credit card to your onboard account during online check in pre-cruise, but I never got this to work and based on the MSC boards that’s a common occurrence.  When it doesn’t work, you have to wait till you’re onboard and go to a kiosk to link a card to your account or add cash to it.  I ended up doing a cash account due to the number of reviews I saw while researching my online check in issue about erroneous credit card charges and multiple charges/holds that stayed on cards for months on end.  (PRO TIP: If you plan to do a cash account, get cash BEFORE you get onboard because apparently there are NO ATM’s on MSC ships.) Relatedly, on the older ships there is no way to check the balance and charges on your account unless you go to the yacht club concierge (or guest services when not in yacht club) and get a print out.  The MSC app doesn’t work on the older ships and there is no account info on the stateroom TV like Celebrity.

 

-While MSC’s casino was bigger and had many more table and slot options, it was far busier and louder when open than I’ve ever seen a Celebrity casino and smoking is allowed in some sections.  I didn’t think the smoke was bad in nonsmoking areas.  But my favorite Marilyn Monroe slot machine was right next to a gentleman immersed in a chain smoking cloud so I didn’t get to partake.

 

-The sommelier and wine activities program on Celebrity (when wine supply chain cooperates) is far better.  I had some good wines brought by my servers, but I don’t think I ever even met a sommelier on Divina.  The only wine tasting “event” on Divina was simply a special in the pizza and wine bar one afternoon where you could buy a flight of wines for a set price.  Not a full formal tasting event.

 

-I think my feelings on the ship design style and decor are well documented, so I won’t dwell again here.  But let’s just say when I got to the admirals club at MIA after getting off Divina I had never been so happy to see white and beige before. Glorious, beautiful, boring, unassuming white and beige!

 

MSC FOR THE WIN:

 

-The poolside breakfast and lunch in yacht club and yacht club lunch restaurant options being open on port days was so nice.  So is the option for formal high tea.  I’m told on longer sailings there’s even a seafood extravaganza party poolside in yacht club one day of the cruise.

 

-The yacht club lounge and yacht club pool areas are much bigger and less crowded than the Retreat, even compared to E class ships (NOTE: I haven’t been in retreat on Beyond yet where I understand these spaces are bigger than other E class ships).  I also liked the nightly live music schedule in yacht club, which seems to only happen sporadically in the retreat lounge.

 

-Two words: Private Island.  It was so nice to be able to lie on a beach and not have to worry about taking a bus anywhere or beach vendors constantly interrupting my reading.  Not to mention having my beach drinks covered by the beverage package and the delicious yacht club lunch restaurant.

 

-As noted throughout my review, the yacht club just seems to include a few more amenities than the retreat, and you don’t have as much of the “caste within a caste” 😂 of having to purchase a higher level suite to get them.  For example, the personal butler escorts onboard, included mini bar, butler assistance in the terminal at disembarkation, butler escorts to meals/shows…I could go on.  

 

-I will also say it seemed like the butlers on MSC were almost like the genies on RC.  Kevin seemed to pop up wherever I was to randomly do stuff for me. I was beginning to wonder if he put an AirTag and mic in my Below Deck tote bag.  The second day at Ocean Cay, as I was about to board a golf cart back to the ship, who should appear to offer me a hand into the cart and ask if I’d like a water or cold towel for the (2 minute) ride back to the ship?  Kevin (who I barely recognized in his much more casual beach khaki uniform).  One evening, as I was sipping champagne and watching sunset before dinner in a hot tub on the deserted yacht club pool deck, who comes walking up in tux with a tray with a fresh cocktail for me in hand (and a gentle reminder about approaching dinner time and offer to escort me there once dressed and ready)? Kevin.

 

-The yacht club concierges also seem to have some capabilities that the Retreat concierges don’t.  For example, on Celebrity my experience had been that the Retreat hosts can’t help with anything involving cash transactions.  On the (rare) occasions when I’ve been lucky in the casino, I prefer to put my cash winnings on my onboard account for the rest of the cruise rather than increasing the balance in my safe or risking forgetting to cash in a slip later.  I’ve always had to go to guest services and stand in the line to put the cash on my account and get the refund of any negative balance at the end of the cruise.  On MSC, this can all be done by the concierge in the lounge.  One day when I was reading in a lounge area by the desk, I overheard the concierge assisting some passengers who’d had their flight home cancelled and rebooked to the next day after the cruise with making a hotel reservation in Miami. I don’t think I’ve seen retreat concierges get involved beyond the end of the cruise.

 

 

So, where does all this leave me? Am I prepared to jump ship (see what I did there?) and give up Celebrity for MSC?  For this lady, I think the answer is no for now and the jury is still out.  

 

As my mom oh so wisely told me when I started dating: “just remember, anyone can manage to charm you for a dinner or two, give it time and pay close attention.”

 

I did find enough that I like, that I definitely want to try out a newer MSC ship on a longer sailing and see how the pros and cons shake out.  Which brings me to future cruise plans!

 

As of now, my next cruise will be in mid-March when Gen Z and I will spend her spring break week on Solstice sailing the Mexican Riviera out of LA.

 

Then, because I of course need the most important opinion in the family on the subject, Gen Z will get HER first taste of MSC in early July when we’ll take a summer, mommy-daughter,  7-night Caribbean cruise on MSC’s Seascape (one of the aforementioned bigger, new ships)!

 

The live review for that one will of course be on the MSC board, so if any of my Celebrity friends are interested, please save the date and head over and check it out probably starting around 7/6 or 7/7.

 

Still TBD is what we’ll be booking for the Fall to celebrate Jeremy’s big 40th birthday at sea. 

 

Thank you so much again to everyone who came along on these cruises and shared their comments and info.

 

Feel free to still jump in with any other questions or comments folks may have! 

 

I’ll talk to you all next month. Countdown to Solstice is on!

 

Edited February 7, 2023 by GenerationX

[mchell810]

Thanks for coming back with your summary and final comparison. 

 

I've marked my calendar for July 😀

[Redking]

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

Oh thank you so much for your kind words!  
 

I’m so glad I was able to bring some entertainment while you haven’t been able to cruise.  I also get so much out of the reviews others post when I’m stuck home planning and saving for my next trip.  Confession: I actually start to get a bit antsy when Celebrity live reviews are wrapping up and no one has started new ones for cruises coming up!
 

A few of my friends who follow my reviews and social media posts have actually suggested that I start writing a true blog or book.  
 

I’ve always pushed back because honestly don’t think my life is really enough to be a very exciting read, beyond maybe those who share my very niche intense interest in cruising, cooking, designer accessories and small farm life.  Which also seems like a super eclectic plot line.

 

 I feel like “The Girl in the Map Dress:  A Woman of Color’s True Tales from the Sample Sales, Open Seas, America’s Boardrooms and the Missouri Countryside” might be tough book to segment and market for even the best publisher. 😂

 

 

Do it!

[zgscl]

Thanks so much for your review! I really found it so helpful. I have really wanted to try the yacht club, but for a number of reasons MSC has no appeal to me. I don't know if this has made me want to sail with them or not, but a lot of food for thought! 

[ecslady]

Gen X - Thanks for your comparison summary.  And please post a link on this thread to your July MSC cruise when it gets up and running.  I know I'll forget without a reminder to check the MSC boards.

[Azulann]

I think your book title is perfect. Your writing style is clear, funny, and full of energy and delight.

I had sailed Celebrity for many years, now sail on Viking Ocean.  I love smaller ships. But still have a soft spot for the M class ships in my heart. 

In reading your very engaging  report of MSC yacht club, I looked at their web site. Too big for me.then I saw MSC  starting  a new cruise line: Explore Journeys.  This one looks very enticing. Maybe for the big 40th birthday  for your husband ,check it out . their first ship sails in July 2023. They will be doing  North American /Caribbean sailing.

Again thank you for  your  reports and look forward to the GenZ and you having a fun time in March and July.  

Best wishes to you and your family.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Thanks for your comparison of MSC YC and Celebrity suites.  I've done both.  On MSC Seaside when it was new and on M & S class Celebrity ships.  While many things were better in the MSC YC, the food was mediocre and I wasn't impressed with the service.  I have always been wowed by the service in Celebrity suites.  And lately, I haven't found the prices on MCS YC to be a much better deal than Celebrity.  One thing I very much dislike about MSC is that my Diamond status will expire if I don't cruise every three years.  My Zenith status with Celebrity doesn't expire.

 

Looking forward to your future cruise reports!  And please post the link to your MSC review here on the Celebrity board somewhere.  I very rarely check the MSC boards.

[REOVA]

. " I ended up doing a cash account due to the number of reviews I saw while researching my online check in issue about erroneous credit card charges and multiple charges/holds that stayed on cards for months on end."

 

 

Curious how well you are able to dispute a cash charge. I've heard fees being added or changed which I guess the cruise contract could be used to hold your cash. I find it easy to get the credit card company involved in the fight and reverse charges. But never have used cash accounts. 

[Texed]

3 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Thanks for your comparison of MSC YC and Celebrity suites.  I've done both.  On MSC Seaside when it was new and on M & S class Celebrity ships.  While many things were better in the MSC YC, the food was mediocre and I wasn't impressed with the service.

Thanks for posting.  I value your comments.  😊

[GenerationX]

6 hours ago, ecslady said:

Gen X - Thanks for your comparison summary.  And please post a link on this thread to your July MSC cruise when it gets up and running.  I know I'll forget without a reminder to check the MSC boards.

Will do! Making myself a note on my calendar now.

[GenerationX]

4 hours ago, Azulann said:

I think your book title is perfect. Your writing style is clear, funny, and full of energy and delight.

I had sailed Celebrity for many years, now sail on Viking Ocean.  I love smaller ships. But still have a soft spot for the M class ships in my heart. 

In reading your very engaging  report of MSC yacht club, I looked at their web site. Too big for me.then I saw MSC  starting  a new cruise line: Explore Journeys.  This one looks very enticing. Maybe for the big 40th birthday  for your husband ,check it out . their first ship sails in July 2023. They will be doing  North American /Caribbean sailing.

Again thank you for  your  reports and look forward to the GenZ and you having a fun time in March and July.  

Best wishes to you and your family.

Thank you for the info on Explora!

 

I did a little digging on their website and it looks like the ship will be beautiful and they’ve hired some pretty impressive chefs to head the culinary program.  The pricing doesn’t look a lot more expensive than some of what I’ve seen for E-class Retreat either.

 

I think I’m too nervous about being one of the first to try a brand new cruise line, especially at that price point, to book for this year (I’m sure there’ll be kinks still being worked out in fall), but I’ll definitely keep an eye on the reports and reviews coming back and look closely at it for 2024.

[Texed]

GenerationX,

Thanks for posting your nice review.  😊