First time MSC

[NCteacherlovescruising]

We’re thinking of cruising with MSC for the first time.  We would book a deluxe balcony YC on the Seaside. What would be the major differences between them and the major cruise lines?  Who would they compare most to?  How is the entertainment?  What’s their private island like?  Is there anything to do besides relax in the beach?  I would love that but my husband isn’t thrilled about 3 beach days. (Two there and one in Costa Maya)

[Essiesmom]

A little reading on this board, particularly Live from threads, and reports of cruises, will answer most of your questions, pictures included.  Entertainment is mostly musical, as with perhaps half of the guests from Europe a comedian would be lost on many.  I have not sailed in the Yacht Club, but reports are that it is closest to the NCL Haven,  but better and less expensive.  EM

[shipgeeks]

Seven night sailing?  Or shorter? That could make a difference.  Are you locked in to a particular date and cruise?

The private island is, IMO, miles ahead of anyone else's.  However, it is primarily a relaxed place; no amusement park features.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

36 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Seven night sailing?  Or shorter? That could make a difference.  Are you locked in to a particular date and cruise?

The private island is, IMO, miles ahead of anyone else's.  However, it is primarily a relaxed place; no amusement park features.

It’s 7 night and my husband has a specific week in mind that works well around his work schedule. Good to know about the island. What do you like so much about it?  The beach is my happy place!  🙂

[morpheusofthesea]

As cruisers that book ship and not destination, we would recommend first timer YCers that visit Ocean Cay get off early and get to Ocean House before it gets crowded. Just like those that get up early to hog, I mean reserve, before breakfast a FCFS available cabana/pergola on the One Pool Deck . And get themselves a nice table outside on the veranda in anticipation of lunch. Have drinks and soak up the view and swaying palms. After lunch take the trolley back and walk off lunch around the shops, lighthouse then go back to the vacant ship to enjoy the buffet at the One Pool deck (for dessert ?)  and any available pergola. It would be interesting to see how many pergolas are still being “reserved”…..

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

What would be the major differences between them and the major cruise lines?

Here is a list we compiled.

Never sailed on a MSC ship in a cabin outside the Yacht Club. But we can list now all the things to look out for when booking any cruise ship.

#1 E muster drill is better

#2 Two cabin cleanings per day

#3 No % charge for gambling unless using cash

#4 No extra charge for can sodas vs fountain drinks

#5 Reserved seating in the theatre for all shows

#6 Complimentary bottled water

#7 Reserved or ability to reserve pergola/cabanas on pool deck

#8 'Cushioned' pool lounges

#9 Escorts on and off ship avoiding long lines

#10 First to use tenders off the ship at ports that tender

#11 Dedicated restaurant that is so good one need not book Specialty Restaurants

#12 Service that does not involve 2 hours to complete a meal

#13 An attentive butler not hard to find when needed

#14 Cabins ready upon embarkation/ key cards in hand at checkin

#15 Dedicated restaurant OPEN port days

#16 Dedicated buffet to only suite guests

#17 Dedicated pool and sun deck only for suite guests with ample lounges

# 18 All the advantages of a mega ship with the exclusivity of a gated community

#19 walk-in shower not low profile tub/shower combo

#20 No non-suite paying Pinnacle/Zenith/Diamond passengers taking up prime real estate in the Yacht Club

#21 Elevator over-ride key cards for suite guests

#22 Pristine out island with NO bugs crawling all over cabanas

#23 short distance between cabin and restaurant decks

[jules815]

The butlers are very attentive and they're all over the YC. You do have your assigned butler, but the others are there to assist you as well. You can order cocktails thru room service (all room service goes thru the concierge desk) and they'll bring them to your room, included.  Nice if you want a glass of bubbly or wine while getting ready for dinner.

 

Concierge desk located within the YC. You never have to stand in line at guest services for anything.

 

 

 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

21 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Here is a list we compiled.

Never sailed on a MSC ship in a cabin outside the Yacht Club. But we can list now all the things to look out for when booking any cruise ship.

#1 E muster drill is better

#2 Two cabin cleanings per day

#3 No % charge for gambling unless using cash

#4 No extra charge for can sodas vs fountain drinks

#5 Reserved seating in the theatre for all shows

#6 Complimentary bottled water

#7 Reserved or ability to reserve pergola/cabanas on pool deck

#8 'Cushioned' pool lounges

#9 Escorts on and off ship avoiding long lines

#10 First to use tenders off the ship at ports that tender

#11 Dedicated restaurant that is so good one need not book Specialty Restaurants

#12 Service that does not involve 2 hours to complete a meal

#13 An attentive butler not hard to find when needed

#14 Cabins ready upon embarkation/ key cards in hand at checkin

#15 Dedicated restaurant OPEN port days

#16 Dedicated buffet to only suite guests

#17 Dedicated pool and sun deck only for suite guests with ample lounges

# 18 All the advantages of a mega ship with the exclusivity of a gated community

#19 walk-in shower not low profile tub/shower combo

#20 No non-suite paying Pinnacle/Zenith/Diamond passengers taking up prime real estate in the Yacht Club

#21 Elevator over-ride key cards for suite guests

#22 Pristine out island with NO bugs crawling all over cabanas

#23 short distance between cabin and restaurant decks

We just booked a deluxe suite for next month.  This sounds wonderful!  What is the elevator over-ride?  How do they do the muster drill?  The muster drill on Celebrity was super easy.  I didn't see anything about gratuities while booking.  Are they included or will we be billed for them?  How early can we embark?

[shipgeeks]

1 hour ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

It’s 7 night and my husband has a specific week in mind that works well around his work schedule. Good to know about the island. What do you like so much about it?  The beach is my happy place!  🙂

That's good.  I asked because I've read some negative things about behavior on 3- and 4-night cruises; not just MSC but most of the other lines, as well.

Ocean Cay was just so beautiful.  Beaches on all sides, aqua water.  Palm trees all over.  No loud music, no big structures to block the view.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

2 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

That's good.  I asked because I've read some negative things about behavior on 3- and 4-night cruises; not just MSC but most of the other lines, as well.

Ocean Cay was just so beautiful.  Beaches on all sides, aqua water.  Palm trees all over.  No loud music, no big structures to block the view.

Sounds like my kind of vibe!  

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

We just booked a deluxe suite for next month.  This sounds wonderful!  What is the elevator over-ride?  How do they do the muster drill?  The muster drill on Celebrity was super easy.  I didn't see anything about gratuities while booking.  Are they included or will we be billed for them?  How early can we embark?

If all the 'stars are aligned' for your sailing, your key cards will summon an empty elevator and whisk you to your desired deck non stop. This bonus is found only for YC guests.

 Muster drill. Watch video on cabin TV. Call #811 on cabin phone and hang up. Go down to muster station (designated on cabin door). At 4:15 pm an announcement is made of mandatory muster drill, bars will be closed and elevators will be packed. At muster station are pink ball capped staff that scan your key cards as having found your station. Make your way up the stairs if the elevators aren't working from deck 7 to 16, 18, 19, of the YC. ALSO it is advised to count the number of steps from your cabin door to the nearest escape routes, primary and secondary, in the event of an emergency. Smoke and/or emergency lighting may be knocked out.

YC guests will be escorted on the ship first as soon as it clears customs. All the zeros have to hunted down and escorted off the ship.

$98 per person will be added to your hotel accounts for gratuities.

Gratuities charged to ones account ($98 pp for the week) go to paying the staff's wages. Those that remove the gratuity, for whatever lame reason, then the cruise line has to make up the difference. OBC used to tip a particular staff member may not go 100% to the designated person, and may be shared. Tip in cash directly to service provider.

I got permission from a FB poster to repost this: "Recently I saw a Tik Tok by Captain Kate. She was giving out envelopes to her staff that a passenger asked her to do for them. One staff member opened the envelope to find $5. He went crazy with joy, you would have thought it was a $100. She received so many comments on why the young man was overly excited and happy for such a small amount. A few days later she did another Tik Tok with him asking him why his reaction was so grand. He said that he would have reacted the same way if it was only $1 dollar. He said with those $5 dollars he can buy rice, bread and a lot more stuff for his family back home. That video opened my eyes on tipping anyone who serves me and our family. Please tip extra by cash. The included tips are the bare minimum that are divided between many."

Edited May 13, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[hunter68]

What does everybody tip the staff of the YC above the automatic tips  (Butler, Room Steward, Concierge, Restaurant staff and others)? I am used to the  NCL Haven

[morpheusofthesea]

36 minutes ago, hunter68 said:

What does everybody tip the staff of the YC above the automatic tips  (Butler, Room Steward, Concierge, Restaurant staff and others)? I am used to the  NCL Haven

It all depends on your service. What would you feel you would appreciate for the service you provided if the shoe was on the other foot?

I was unsure about a lot of things, so I went in search of information and found this university study on tipping. The common feature of all forms of tipping is the voluntary and discretionary nature of the tip: the consumer is free to choose how much to tip, if at all. This definition excludes service charges, imposed gratuities, and imposed tips which have nothing in common with voluntary tipping. 
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23748777_The_Social_Norm_of_Tipping_A_Review

Tipping in advance was traditionally the way most people used to tip, to insure promptness and most service providers actually respond best to this form of tipping. Especially useful when one is competing for the attention of over-worked short staffed service providers.

  I did tip in advance last year on a cruise only to discover that the maitre d' was switched a day after i had tipped him. Then we went through 3 different butlers that were taken out of service due to covid and one steward.

  On our most recent cruise I met with the maitre d' to express my desires and then asked him if he was going to be our maitre d' for the entire cruise. He assured me he was and to 'express' my 'appreciation' that everything would be as I requested, I tipped him. Just at the moment of his hand and mine clasping an officer approached and witnessed the act. I asked the officer if he had anything to do with the dedicated restaurant and he said he was the manager of all the restaurants. I proceeded to go into my pocket again for another tip 'in kind' when the officer stopped me and said for him it is not necessary. The maitre d' chimed in and said "whenever you feel the urge to tip my boss to give it to me. I will make sure he gets it."

Edited May 14, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[hunter68]

Thank you!

[NCteacherlovescruising]

13 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

If all the 'stars are aligned' for your sailing, your key cards will summon an empty elevator and whisk you to your desired deck non stop. This bonus is found only for YC guests.

 Muster drill. Watch video on cabin TV. Call #811 on cabin phone and hang up. Go down to muster station (designated on cabin door). At 4:15 pm an announcement is made of mandatory muster drill, bars will be closed and elevators will be packed. At muster station are pink ball capped staff that scan your key cards as having found your station. Make your way up the stairs if the elevators aren't working from deck 7 to 16, 18, 19, of the YC. ALSO it is advised to count the number of steps from your cabin door to the nearest escape routes, primary and secondary, in the event of an emergency. Smoke and/or emergency lighting may be knocked out.

YC guests will be escorted on the ship first as soon as it clears customs. All the zeros have to hunted down and escorted off the ship.

$98 per person will be added to your hotel accounts for gratuities.

Gratuities charged to ones account ($98 pp for the week) go to paying the staff's wages. Those that remove the gratuity, for whatever lame reason, then the cruise line has to make up the difference. OBC used to tip a particular staff member may not go 100% to the designated person, and may be shared. Tip in cash directly to service provider.

I got permission from a FB poster to repost this: "Recently I saw a Tik Tok by Captain Kate. She was giving out envelopes to her staff that a passenger asked her to do for them. One staff member opened the envelope to find $5. He went crazy with joy, you would have thought it was a $100. She received so many comments on why the young man was overly excited and happy for such a small amount. A few days later she did another Tik Tok with him asking him why his reaction was so grand. He said that he would have reacted the same way if it was only $1 dollar. He said with those $5 dollars he can buy rice, bread and a lot more stuff for his family back home. That video opened my eyes on tipping anyone who serves me and our family. Please tip extra by cash. The included tips are the bare minimum that are divided between many."

Thanks for all the details!  The elevator thing sounds awesome!  Hopefully the stars align for us at some point during the cruise. 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

I see we have to pay for some shows. What’s up with that?  Are they worth it?

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I see we have to pay for some shows. What’s up with that?  Are they worth it?

This is something new on certain MSC ships. We are presently ambivalent having never paid for entertainment on a cruise ship before this 'trend?'  Two of the worst things about theatre performances has always been those that bring drinks into the theatre and those that come in late and those that leave early from the middle of every row. Those that bring in drinks are always spilling things on those that have to get up to let them by, then they leave their empties all over the theatre. The generally 40 minute performances are constantly interrupted by late coming folks seeking the last remaining, hardest to get to seats. Perhaps by charging for a show one of these can be alleviated.

  Photo is of the last parody performer to 'spill'  lemoncella drinks on unsuspecting theatre goers. (preparing them for what was really going to happen).

Edited May 14, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[NCteacherlovescruising]

5 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

This is something new on certain MSC ships. We are presently ambivalent having never paid for entertainment on a cruise ship before this 'trend?'  Two of the worst things about theatre performances has always been those that bring drinks into the theatre and those that come in late and those that leave early from the middle of every row. Those that bring in drinks are always spilling things on those that have to get up to let them by, then they leave their empties all over the theatre. The generally 40 minute performances are constantly interrupted by late coming folks seeking the last remaining, hardest to get to seats. Perhaps by charging for a show one of these can be alleviated.

I don’t know, rude people are always rude. 

[morpheusofthesea]

21 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I don’t know, rude people are always rude. 

Found for 'some' reason they are more refined in the Yacht Club, except for the chair hogs.

Edited May 14, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[MsTabbyKats]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Found for 'some' reason they are more refined in the Yacht Club, except for the chair hogs.

Maybe because in the Yacht Club people aren't fighting for space.

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Maybe because in the Yacht Club people aren't fighting for space.

One might think that would be the case. But found these 'guests' to be chair hogging their place in the shade.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

38 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

One might think that would be the case. But found these 'guests' to be chair hogging their place in the shade.

We love to bask in the sun to work on our tans. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by NCteacherlovescruising

[cellfree]

8 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I see we have to pay for some shows. What’s up with that?  Are they worth it?

Hello NCteacher, met you over on a Carnival thread - perhaps someone will correct me - but I think it is only Meraviglia, Grandiosa, that Class ship, that have The Carousel Theatre at back of ship that have shows you pay for. Seaside, Seashore, etc., do have a venue back of ship with a variety of evening entertainment that does not have a cost. The lounge area is also very nice for a quiet indoor place to read, etc. If on Mera and want to attend show it is less expensive if you book prior to cruise. 
 

 

 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

26 minutes ago, cellfree said:

Hello NCteacher, met you over on a Carnival thread - perhaps someone will correct me - but I think it is only Meraviglia, Grandiosa, that Class ship, that have The Carousel Theatre at back of ship that have shows you pay for. Seaside, Seashore, etc., do have a venue back of ship with a variety of evening entertainment that does not have a cost. The lounge area is also very nice for a quiet indoor place to read, etc. If on Mera and want to attend show it is less expensive if you book prior to cruise. 
 

 

 

Great, thanks!  It said we have to make reservations for the show. Is that correct?

[emdia43]

Have a look at any of the YouTube videos showing the private island. It’s your typical Bahamian beach day.