OBSERVATIONS FROM THE POOP DECK JULY 16-23, 2023 SEASCAPE

[Georgia_Peaches]

5 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Tomorrow is Grand Cayman with tendering

Is bar service available while in GC?  We were on Celebrity Equinox over July 4th and had a stop GC. Due to local laws, bar service was only available at the pool bar. I call BS on this and think it has more to do with Celebrity not wanting to pay the fees while in port. I could be wrong, tho. 

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Is bar service available while in GC?

I will make it a point to check this out as we will be staying on the ship. We only get off at Ocean Cay.

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

can you hit me with a thumbs up, thumbs down, 1-5 currently? 

Have to say, unequivocally, a thumbs up ! We are already looking forward to repeating the Seascape in 3 weeks time if all goes well. In February we gave entertainment a 6 out of 10 for the Chora Theatre productions. In June we missed the first 3 shows because we thought they were the same cast and did not want to waste our time. Telling this to the concierge, she advised us that MSC fired the entire staff two weeks prior to our June cruise and so gave them a 10 out of 10 for the final 2 shows we saw. They both got standing ovations from the passengers. Tonight's was a little weak but the "Imaginocean" was very good and we saw the next two in June so we give them a 9 out of 10. The "Guiness Book of World Records" is a 3 out of 10 (And this is being generous). The other Le Cabaret Rouge acts are hit and miss, mostly misses. But thankfully these acts are on short contracts (some the shorter the better for repeat passengers). Love the Jazz quartet in the Loft Cafe (a 10)

  The food in the YC restaurant is a 10 for us. Always comes out exactly how we order it. Love that we can get the same table and waiters for every meal.(Makes our extra tipping easier) Service is fast so we can make it to the early 7:30 shows. Open for lunch on port days. Waiter and butler make sure we are accommodated with back up lunch service when we decide not to fight the lunch crowd at OH and stay on the ship for lunch.(Either room service or One Pool Grill).

   Room stewards are always different and always very good. Extra towels both white and blue every day replenished. (10)

   Personal butler always a 10 ( maybe because the RS/OS are always the 'creme de la creme').

   Love the complimentary pergola on the One Pool Deck and service (10).

   RS/OS cabins are the best with large enough balconies that accommodate cushioned lounges and overhang for shade. (10)

    Elevator override when it works is a 10. But right now both the elevator and the lose of override is a 1 out of 10.

    Walk-in showers with waterfall shower heads and instant hot water. No shower with climb in low profile tubs. (10)

I am sure there are more 10s , but those that I have listed are most important to us and other amenities are really not applicable.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

Ran into our butler returning to our cabin last night. He reported having trouble again with the elevators as another passenger broke another keyboard .  This is a major complaint we have with the crowd outside the YC.  MSC has to learn. Reminds me of a Will Rogers quote "People that pay for things never complain. It's that guy you give something to (low fares) that you can't please."

 Notice that the group in the Yacht Club really is a higher class international set this cruise. Though still more "Onslows" outside than in.

[morpheusofthesea]

11 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Is bar service available while in GC?  We were on Celebrity Equinox over July 4th and had a stop GC. Due to local laws, bar service was only available at the pool bar. I call BS on this and think it has more to do with Celebrity not wanting to pay the fees while in port. I could be wrong, tho. 

All bars are open even earlier.

[jules815]

11 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Having sailed during Covid with only 800 passengers we were all spoiled rotten.

This was how our last MSC cruise was on Meraviglia in October 2021 in the YC. I keep reminding my husband that our September cruise on Seascape won't be anything like the last one. 

[morpheusofthesea]

Walking out on deck 8  this morning we saw a first for us on MSC. A woman carrying a chihuahua having a smoke by the Infinity Pool. I guess MSC is animal friendly ?

[Mark_T]

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Walking out on deck 8  this morning we saw a first for us on MSC. A woman carrying a chihuahua having a smoke by the Infinity Pool. I guess MSC is animal friendly ?

It must be a registered service animal (... or the Captain's wife perhaps? )

 

... and who in their right mind would let a dog smoke in the first place 🙂

[no1talks]

13 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"I guess MSC is animal friendly?"

 

Lest any readers scoff at the idea of a chihuahua being a legitimate service dog, the breed can be trained for a "short" list of tasks.

 

Hearing dog.

Seizure detection dog.

Diabetes dog.

 

Of course, it is also possible this lady has specious paperwork for the dog and MSC couldn't refuse.

 

Also possible, this lady knows or is related to someone highly placed in MSC and she got her dog a "VIP waiver."

[LMaxwell]

28 minutes ago, no1talks said:

 

Lest any readers scoff at the idea of a chihuahua being a legitimate service dog, the breed can be trained for a "short" list of tasks.

 

Hearing dog.

Seizure detection dog.

Diabetes dog.

 

Of course, it is also possible this lady has specious paperwork for the dog and MSC couldn't refuse.

 

Also possible, this lady knows or is related to someone highly placed in MSC and she got her dog a "VIP waiver."

 

 

I will fearless guess exactly NONE of the above. It's Port of Miami security; take anything you want through there. They don't care. 

[no1talks]

35 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

 

I will fearless guess exactly NONE of the above. It's Port of Miami security; take anything you want through there. They don't care. 

Be that as it may, I was referring to MSC's internal enforcement of their service animal policy, as presented on their website.

[jules815]

Quite a few years ago on a few of our RC cruises there would be a couple with a small dog that they'd push around in a stroller. Not sure if it was a service dog or not because sometimes it would be with either of its owners. It had lots of little outfits and was a big hit in the Windjammer Buffet on the days it wore its little sailor suit. Yes, they brought it into the buffet.

 

[morpheusofthesea]

MSC has finally OPENED December through April 2024

[P2l]

2 hours ago, jules815 said:

Yes, they brought it into the buffet.

Was it on the menu?

[Georgia_Peaches]

9 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

All bars are open even earlier.

I had a feeling this was a Celebrity thing...it seems that GC charges certain fees to have bar venues open on ship while tendering in port.  Apparently, it is easier to tell passengers that GC law doesn't allow open bars than cough up the money to pay the fees to keep the bars open...

[Mycykfamilytime]

7 hours ago, jules815 said:

Quite a few years ago on a few of our RC cruises there would be a couple with a small dog that they'd push around in a stroller. Not sure if it was a service dog or not because sometimes it would be with either of its owners. It had lots of little outfits and was a big hit in the Windjammer Buffet on the days it wore its little sailor suit. Yes, they brought it into the buffet.

 

I was on a cruise with this same dog!!!

[jules815]

3 minutes ago, Mycykfamilytime said:

I was on a cruise with this same dog!!!

Freedom of the Seas? 

[Mycykfamilytime]

1 hour ago, jules815 said:

Freedom of the Seas? 

No…it was Oasis not too long after cruising opened Back up.   Too funny!  Anyway,  Thank you for the review Morpheus!!! 

[morpheusofthesea]

We left Grand Cayman around 4pm. The Captain came on the PA and said we should have smooth sailing all the way to Cozumel., with the winds at our backs. Fifteen minutes later it began to rain and has not stopped since. Earlier today our butler told us of our tropical party tonight on the OnePool deck of which he just came to tell us has been cancelled due to this storm. I asked our butler if he heard the Captain's announcement of smooth seas all the way to Cozumel ? He smiled and said he heard the same forecast by the  Captain. So, either the Captain was joking with all of us or we now have the only 'blind' captain on the high seas. I pray it's the former.

[no1talks]

3 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"So, either the Captain was joking with all of us or we now have the only 'blind' captain on the high seas. I pray it's the former."

Better a 'blind' captain than a Captain Bligh.

[morpheusofthesea]

Tonight's show in the Chora Theatre was called "Rock". The production was backed up by the band usually in Le Cabaret Rouge. So LCR probably alternated tonight with the violinist and the juggler (we skipped LCR). Felt this "Rock" show was not one of the production teams' best. I judge a show by noticing if there are many that feel like I do and actually get up and walk out. We did not walk out until we heard CD Beni (at the end). Then we went to the Loft Cafe to listen to Duo Music Show ( I don't know who picks out these 'catchy' group titles) which we first encountered in the TopSailLounge. They were followed by Bruno Vincenza and the Jazz Quartet. 

[morpheusofthesea]

Our butler unexpectedly turned up at our cabin and asked our plans for the rest of the evening. We said we were going to the Chora Theatre and he asked if he could escort us. Sure, why not. The closed doors to the theatre are very heavy and sometimes there is a guard prohibiting early entry. So these butlers come in handy with the 'heavy lifting' and early entry times. On the way down the elevator (yes we caught one) he told us he was informed that MSC is sending an engineer to fix these elevators. We will find out when we return (hopefully) in 3 weeks. Actually MSC should send someone to "fix" the passengers that keep breaking the elevators.

Edited July 21, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[Bgwest]

12 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

We left Grand Cayman around 4pm. The Captain came on the PA and said we should have smooth sailing all the way to Cozumel., with the winds at our backs. Fifteen minutes later it began to rain and has not stopped since. Earlier today our butler told us of our tropical party tonight on the OnePool deck of which he just came to tell us has been cancelled due to this storm. I asked our butler if he heard the Captain's announcement of smooth seas all the way to Cozumel ? He smiled and said he heard the same forecast by the  Captain. So, either the Captain was joking with all of us or we now have the only 'blind' captain on the high seas. I pray it's the former.

Oops!

[Bgwest]

12 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Our butler unexpectedly turned up at our cabin and asked our plans for the rest of the evening. We said we were going to the Chora Theatre and he asked if he could escort us. Sure, why not. The closed doors to the theatre are very heavy and sometimes there is a guard prohibiting early entry. So these butlers come in handy with the 'heavy lifting' and early entry times. On the way down the elevator (yes we caught one) he told us he was informed that MSC is sending an engineer to fix these elevators. We will find out when we return (hopefully) in 3 weeks. Actually MSC should send someone to "fix" the passengers that keep breaking the elevators.

A ball peen hammer correctly applied (to the appropriate pax) would instantly solve the problem. 

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is the latest on booking on board more than 12 months ahead, 9 months, 6-9 months etc.