OBSERVATIONS FROM THE POOP DECK SEASCAPE JUNE 2023

[LImom]

@morpheusofthesea from you above post  #161

 

" but one can pay a nominal fee and reserve a pergola/cabana in the YC sun deck (on some ships and on some RS/OS have reserved pergolas)."

 

How does one go about doing this, the cost and do you know if they are available on the Meraviglia for regular YC balcony cabins? thank you, you are a wealth of knowledge 😀

[morpheusofthesea]

33 minutes ago, LImom said:

@morpheusofthesea from you above post  #161

 

" but one can pay a nominal fee and reserve a pergola/cabana in the YC sun deck (on some ships and on some RS/OS have reserved pergolas)."

 

How does one go about doing this, the cost and do you know if they are available on the Meraviglia for regular YC balcony cabins? thank you, you are a wealth of knowledge 😀

Never sailed Meraviglia. But I think Two Wheels Only knows the answer. Or Georgia_Peaches...When on board check with YC concierge.

Edited June 15, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[awatt]

1 hour ago, LImom said:

@morpheusofthesea from you above post  #161

 

" but one can pay a nominal fee and reserve a pergola/cabana in the YC sun deck (on some ships and on some RS/OS have reserved pergolas)."

 

How does one go about doing this, the cost and do you know if they are available on the Meraviglia for regular YC balcony cabins? thank you, you are a wealth of knowledge 😀

We were in a balcony cabin in YC on Meraviglia and asked the YC concierge to reserve one for a fee. I would do so early on as they book up.

[UWGRAD1]

Are there "North American Grounded" power outlets near the headboard of the bed in the Royal Suite?  From the videos on YouTube it looks like there are, but can't see them clearly enough to confirm.  Trying to figure out if I need to pack an extension cord like I needed to in the regular YC rooms.  

 

We are staying in the Royal Suite next March and so excited for the extra space!

[Mycykfamilytime]

7 minutes ago, awatt said:

We were in a balcony cabin in YC on Meraviglia and asked the YC concierge to reserve one for a fee. I would do so early on as they book up.

Aside from the privacy, did you find you needed to reserve because of shade?  Do the glass blockers do enough for shade on the Meregvilia? 

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, LImom said:

How does one go about doing this, the cost and do you know if they are available on the Meraviglia for regular YC balcony cabins?

 

 

Meraviglia only has 3 cabanas and 2 are reserved for the Royal Suites but Meraviglia has much more shade than the Sea**** ships. 

 

 

As for the price, it differs depending on sea day vs. port day. I'm thinking $99 and $59 but that's just from memory and since I didn't pay, it isn't an amount that I really remember. 

[mackfam]

I was able to reserve a cabana on the Meraviglia last week on port days for Port Canaveral and Nassau. As we weren’t arriving in either port until 1pm I thought it was still worth it. I believe the cost was $35 per day. 
I asked at the concierge desk as soon as we boarded and the sea days were already booked.

[morpheusofthesea]

31 minutes ago, UWGRAD1 said:

Are there "North American Grounded" power outlets near the headboard of the bed in the Royal Suite?  From the videos on YouTube it looks like there are, but can't see them clearly enough to confirm.  Trying to figure out if I need to pack an extension cord like I needed to in the regular YC rooms.  

 

We are staying in the Royal Suite next March and so excited for the extra space!

 

[morpheusofthesea]

39 minutes ago, Mycykfamilytime said:

Do the glass blockers do enough for shade

Don't really know about shade, but...

According to the following, the most harmful UV-B rays are blocked going through glass.
“Standard window glass, according to the International Ultraviolet Association, will allow UV-A to pass through while almost 100% of the UV-B and UV-C light is blocked. Therefore, some UV light will enter your home and potentially affect your skin.
UV-C rays penetrate the body the least, mostly effecting weak points such as the eyes. UV-A rays can only penetrate the first layer of skin, while UV-B rays can penetrate to the middle layer of skin and cause deep cancerous spots known as melanoma.

  This may be helpful info regarding sunburn..

[jules815]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Just got back from checking out the 'Seafood Extravaganza'. All hands on deck for this one. 10 tables of 4 on either side of the One Pool Deck, 5 directly in front of the buffet and almost every lounger occupied with guests indulging. Went inside to go to cabin and bumped into a whole group of YC guests that just 'heard' about this feast as they all piled into the elevator to go up one deck. (Boy, how spoiled we get in the YC.....we conserve our energy to eat, not to take stairs).

I'm glad we're not seafood lovers. 

 

Do you recall which day in the YC dining room that the dinner menu is seafood heavy? Is it Day 4?

[morpheusofthesea]

6 minutes ago, jules815 said:

Do you recall which day in the YC dining room that the dinner menu is seafood heavy? Is it Day 4?

DW only lets me peruse the dessert menu. I am only allowed a meat once per cruise (never get it at home). I rotate from prime rib to veal ossobucco each cruise. The rest of my evening meals are grilled salmon. Do not 'think' any menu is seafood heavy, besides the Extravaganza buffet, but others more knowledgable will surely chime in.

[LImom]

@Two Wheels Only @morpheusofthesea thank you for your quick replies.

 

[morpheusofthesea]

Contracts are coming to an end June and July. 100 left last week while another 100 are slated to leave next week. Replacements are occurring but the YC is down 2 waiters this cruise which were 'no shows'. And we did not get a room steward/junior butler though the cabin was emaculate when we arrived. We got a pool attendant promoted to the position and he is super. He is so pleased, he just got his new uniform yesterday. How do we know he was a pool attendant ? For his first days he had only his t-shirt with pool attendant printed in bold letters on his back. Interesting to note is that he is not a pool attendant from outside the YC. The YC promotes from within.

[scamper]

On 6/14/2023 at 10:30 AM, morpheusofthesea said:

There are two competing phenomena occurring while on board cruise ships. I can easily understand the science how the one affects the great majority of us, while the other is suspect and the majority of social media postings. The former is 'Everything tastes better at sea' and the latter are every complaint we read about the food, the service, even our fellow cruisers.

 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2023/04/cunard-reveals-why-chocolate-tastes-better-at-sea/?feed_id=2358&_unique_id=64307c875311f

 

Professor Spence, a gastrophysicist from the University of Oxford, said that food and drink taste better when having a good time. This is known as the ‘Provencal rose paradox’ which, according to Spence, everyone has experienced at some point in time.

“It relates to the fact that food and drink seem to taste so much better when we are on holiday, whether this is with our family in the Mediterranean, or traveling solo with the sun on our backs,” said Spence. 

“So nice in fact, that we are even tempted to buy a few bottles of that same holiday wine, to bring back home and share on a cold winter’s evening. Only it never tastes the same; it is disappointing somehow.

“The reason is that when we are on holiday, we are likely to be relaxed and in a better mood, and food simply tastes better when we are in a better mood. Given that people don’t often cruise for work, they are likely to be happy and relaxed on their cruise hence making food and drink taste better.”

Salt is known as a flavor enhancer, helping to mask bitterness in certain foods or drinks such as tonic water or grapefruit, while enhancing the taste of many other foods including chocolate. However, according to Spence, salt is not the only factor that enhances the taste as even seeing, smelling, and hearing the sea may also conceptually prime notions of saltiness too, thus enhancing the sensation even more."

It's funny that you bring this up. Years ago when my parents were alive and my sister and I moved to another state, I made a comment to sis that I thought food at mom and dad's tasted better.  My sister agreed. Mom could (and did) cook the exact same meal at my sister's place but it just didn't taste the same.  We mentioned that to mom one time and she thought we were nuts.

[morpheusofthesea]

38 minutes ago, scamper said:

I made a comment to sis that I thought food at mom and dad's tasted better.  My sister agreed.

You and your sister were blessed. You were brought up in a home enveloped in a cocoon of love.

[Georgia_Peaches]

3 hours ago, LImom said:

@morpheusofthesea from you above post  #161

 

" but one can pay a nominal fee and reserve a pergola/cabana in the YC sun deck (on some ships and on some RS/OS have reserved pergolas)."

 

How does one go about doing this, the cost and do you know if they are available on the Meraviglia for regular YC balcony cabins? thank you, you are a wealth of knowledge 😀

We reserved one on Meraviglia for $35 via the YC concierge.  I was aghast at how inexpensive the fee was/is...we sailed November, 2022.  It also included all kinds of cold drinks and an ice chest and cold towels.  It was the best $35 bucks we spent!  However, there are only 3 of them and 2 are allotted to the RS guests so you have to check in with the concierge when you embark for whichever day think you might want one.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, Mycykfamilytime said:

Aside from the privacy, did you find you needed to reserve because of shade?  Do the glass blockers do enough for shade on the Meregvilia? 

Not for me, which is why we went the pergola route.  The glass did offer some shade but it was also hot.  I'm not a huge fan of sun bathing but I do enjoy being on the pool deck.  There is a modicum amount of shade by virtue of things making shadows.  I moved with the shadows and there was always a pool attendant eager to help me relocate.

[kelleherdl]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Contracts are coming to an end June and July. 100 left last week while another 100 are slated to leave next week. Replacements are occurring but the YC is down 2 waiters this cruise which were 'no shows'. And we did not get a room steward/junior butler though the cabin was emaculate when we arrived. We got a pool attendant promoted to the position and he is super. He is so pleased, he just got his new uniform yesterday. How do we know he was a pool attendant ? For his first days he had only his t-shirt with pool attendant printed in bold letters on his back. Interesting to note is that he is not a pool attendant from outside the YC. The YC promotes from within.

We love the fact that MSC has instituted promotion to LoungeButler/JuniorButler/ Butler from within concept for Yacht Club, in addition to their aggressive recruitment from outside. It was not always that way. I think the ‘new’ Butlers/Junior Butlers are still required to eventually go through Butler training ashore. We’ve also known a couple of a YC pool attendants who have been selected for advancement to higher roles.

[no1talks]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

The YC promotes from within.

Internal promotions are well-and-fine, but MSC is still near the bottom when it comes to daily service charge, at $14.50 for US departures. Furthermore, YC charges the same "daily" as the rest of the ship. NCL, on the other hand . . .
 

How much are the service charges?

For bookings made on or after January 1, 2023:

• $25.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $20.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite and below;
  
  I wonder how many YC service staff are heading for NCL?

 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

23 minutes ago, no1talks said:

Internal promotions are well-and-fine, but MSC is still near the bottom when it comes to daily service charge, at $14.50 for US departures. Furthermore, YC charges the same "daily" as the rest of the ship. NCL, on the other hand . . .
 

How much are the service charges?

For bookings made on or after January 1, 2023:

• $25.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $20.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite and below;
  
  I wonder how many YC service staff are heading for NCL?

 

Perhaps those on MSC tip better in addition to the service fees since they are saving so much upfront. 

[bundtkate]

19 minutes ago, no1talks said:

I wonder how many YC service staff are heading for NCL?

I understand the Haven Butler and Concierge are actually not included in the daily service charge so deciding to leave YC for the Haven may not be as easy a choice as one might think given that one data point. Certainly one would hope those paying the prices the Haven commands would tip well (we certainly tried to), but it's also possible Yacht Club guests tip better due to lower service charges and lower prices overall.

I am entirely in favor of guaranteeing crew a better wage, regardless of tipping. They work hard and my husband and I both have crew members we still remember for making our sailings special, but for the moment I'd wager the human factor still makes a big difference. I enjoyed the Haven, but it's a once in a while extravagance for us while YC is well within reach so I hope folks like our friend Morpheus here laying down some extra scratch for management of interlopers helps keep some good folks with MSC.

[stp_mmh5]

Having talked to various crew members both within and outside of the YC, a very similar sentiment comes up that compared to Royal, X, NCL, etc MSC seems to both pay better and treat their employees better. We have only ever met one openly disgruntled crew member who had no problem sharing his dislike for the company as he was signing off the next day. Everyone else we have talked to has said once they jumped ship from another line, they've never looked back on it.

 

How much of that is honesty over saying the right thing in case we are secretly someone from higher is beyond me, but I feel that generally you can get a feel for the genuity of the crew members. 

 

I'm sure Morpheusoftheseas can speak to this as well with his experiences in chatting with the crew.

 

 

[perakcruiser]

4 hours ago, no1talks said:

I wonder how many YC service staff are heading for NCL?

No matter if YC or "normal", I would be surprised if MSC loses any staff to US lines, presume it goes the other way. 

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, bundtkate said:

so I hope folks like our friend Morpheus here laying down some extra scratch for management of interlopers helps keep some good folks with MSC.

Our largesse bestowed upon "some good folks" is not so altruistic as it is insurance against interlopers taking up residence in our paid for accommodations. At $100/pp/pd one must contend with "nightmare" situations (see posts above a la 20165). But paying $700-$1000 pp/pd for accommodations and adding a little $$ as insurance and still 'getting hosed' is insulting. The "nightmare", on this very cruise, is not only outside the Yacht Club (posted by 20165), this element has filtered into the YC as well. 

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, no1talks said:

I wonder how many YC service staff are heading for NCL?

It is so confusing. Heard it both ways. Wait staff say MSC wages are 1/2 that of RCCL ? Yet management are fleeing the other lines and flocking to MSC?