Yacht Club vs Explora Journeys

[morpheusofthesea]

Another observation. These holiday cruises attract many people that have no one to share with anymore. They come on cruises to be among others. Some pour out their life stories to a congenial staff member that are trained to have a sympathetic ear. No advice. Just a sympathetic ear. Time to listen. 

[bundtkate]

Some in this thread had expressed concern so I am pleased to report that Seascape's Yacht Club restaurant does not seem to be suffering from Chef Lisa's departure. I didn't ask who is in the kitchen, but lunch was fantastic and I am definitely a snob about food so it's looking good in the Yacht Club on Seascape. 😋

[morpheusofthesea]

There were 5 different tastings to choose from hosted in the rear of the Emporium where the wines were housed. One would choose 1 of the 5 paired tastings, the cost was $85  per person.

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is a photo of our stop in St.Thomas. Behind us is the Norwegian Sky, dock at Havensight Mall. One really needs to take a taxi into town than spend valuable time walking into town. Please notice in the background a Royal Caribbean ship docked in the distance between the two hills. That dock is the better of the two for the proximity to downtown.

[morpheusofthesea]

The gangway was to the right and passing by these complimentary beach towels. Notice no lines and no one checking how many towels one can take.

[morpheusofthesea]

Here are photos of Haversight Mall. We did not go beyond the black entrance gates. We needed both our key cards and a photo ID to get past local security to get to gangway. Photo of the ship was similar and taken perhaps at the same time as @Fissues photo, almost from the same spot. "Strangers in the (day) exchanging glances".

P.S. Another example of not needing a butler to get off or on a ship. Where on MSC a butler is indispensable.

Edited January 6 by morpheusofthesea
P.S.

[Waltershipman]

4 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Here are photos of Haversight Mall. We did not go beyond the black entrance gates. We needed both our key cards and a photo ID to get past local security to get to gangway. Photo of the ship was similar and taken perhaps at the same time as @Fissues photo, almost from the same spot. "Strangers in the (day) exchanging glances".

P.S. Another example of not needing a butler to get off or on a ship. Where on MSC a butler is indispensable.

I love your posts. Makes me wanna be back on the ship as soon as possible

I still wonder why you stop posting on that explorer journey thread although i am able to read your posts love them They allow me to continue to vicariously keep experiencing when we were on the ship.  Plus we will be back in the Caribbean in less than 4 weeks on oceania vista so adds excitement and expectancy. Thanks much ENJOY THE CRUISE

[morpheusofthesea]

Thank you for your kind words. I posted why I abandoned the Explora forum, but the CC hosts erased it. We are booked next on Regent Grandeur for Spring Break, then the rest of the year in the Yacht Club where I hope to reanimate My "Observations From the Poop Deck" in April. When on the Regent will have to do another comparison with Yacht Club.

P.S. We booked another Explora II cruise in a Serenity Residence for 10 days Miami to Miami while on board. We tried again a day later to book a 14 day Miami to Miami for Christmas/New Years on board this year 2024, but the price was double, $70,000. Now I know we are crazy, but not this crazy.

 

Edited January 6 by morpheusofthesea
P.S.

[Waltershipman]

14 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Thank you for your kind words. I posted why I abandoned the Explora forum, but the CC hosts erased it. We are booked next on Regent Grandeur for Spring Break, then the rest of the year in the Yacht Club where I hope to reanimate My "Observations From the Poop Deck" in April. When on the Regent will have to do another comparison with Yacht Club.

P.S. We booked another Explora II cruise in a Serenity Residence for 10 days Miami to Miami while on board. We tried again a day later to book a 14 day Miami to Miami for Christmas/New Years on board this year 2024, but the price was double, $70,000. Now I know we are crazy, but not this crazy.

 

😉 enjoy

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is the Lobby Bar. When the seats are taken up, go up these stairs and sit in the seats of the Crema Cafe. At the top of these chairs is the player piano and pianist every evening. The famous wall with irretrievable bottles. One day Christmas decorations, then 'poof' the following morning....

[Waltershipman]

1 minute ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Here is the Lobby Bar. When the seats are taken up, go up these stairs and sit in the seats of the Crema Cafe. At the top of these chairs is the player piano and pianist every evening. The famous wall with irretrievable bottles. One day Christmas decorations, then 'poof' the following morning....

Find Slyvestri in the lobby bar before dinner and let him know that the people who he   he served with Nordic aquavit in October remember him fondly as well as his drinks❤️❤️❤️

[Waltershipman]

3 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Here is the Lobby Bar. When the seats are taken up, go up these stairs and sit in the seats of the Crema Cafe. At the top of these chairs is the player piano and pianist every evening. The famous wall with irretrievable bottles. One day Christmas decorations, then 'poof' the following morning....

And thank you enjoy ill let you know hiw oceania vista is as well

[no1talks]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"We tried again a day later to book a 14 day Miami to Miami for Christmas/New Years on board this year 2024, but the price was double, $70,000."

$70k?

 

That will get you a 2025 world cruise and I don't mean just a Costa world cruise.

[morpheusofthesea]

23 minutes ago, no1talks said:

$70k?

 

That will get you a 2025 world cruise and I don't mean just a Costa world cruise.

$60,000 will get one a world cruise though I do not think either of us can ever go back to steerage ?

Edited January 6 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

Up close and personal. Same set up as the MSC Yacht Club gangway.

[morpheusofthesea]

At our dinner table the Captain said filling this out was very important to them. We could only add the additional of bottled mineral water offered in all the restaurants and 'poof 'a couple days later Acqua Panna is suddenly offered to us in Fil Rouge and Emporium Market Place Buffet, something always standard on MSC YC.

[morpheusofthesea]

Seafood Extravaganza in Emporium, same as used to be at the OnePool deck on Seaships, has now found a home on Explora. And it's all behind glass, still witnessing 99% do not stop and wash hands before entering Emporium.

[morpheusofthesea]

Pizzo alarm signals the operation of the dome over the Conservatory same as Jungle Pool. 17 seconds.

[morpheusofthesea]

41 second video of gym. Appears not very popular with the Explora clientele.

[no1talks]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"...go back to steerage?"

Well, a Q4 suite on Queen Victoria with butler service and Queens Grill dining would hardly be steerage. Unfortunately, you go for florida-to-florida itineraries and many of the 2025 world cruises would be off the table, like the Cunard suite I mentioned. 

[no1talks]

Were there many "untamed landscapes" on your cruise, @morpheusofthesea?


Good thing Explora issues machetes for all applicable excursions.

 

Edited January 7 by no1talks

[morpheusofthesea]

14 minutes ago, no1talks said:

Were there many "untamed landscapes" on your cruise,

They all look the same from my cabin veranda. My traipsing through the jungles of Borneo are way in the distant past. But I could envision you with a machete slashing through some jungle in one of your apropos dinner jackets reaching your safari camp just in time for cocktails.

[no1talks]

43 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"But I could envision you with a machete slashing through some jungle in one of your apropos dinner jackets reaching your safari camp just in time for cocktails."

Well, I don't have a machete and my rapier is too unwieldy in safari-related foliage. (Besides, I'd never get it through security. 😆)

However, I have hoofed it part-way up St. Peter Mountain for a rather disappointing, yet de rigueur  banana daiquiri.

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is the count down to the ship to ship NYE horn blast to and from Explora and MSC Seaside at 12 am from our veranda. 41 seconds.

[morpheusofthesea]

As we left 15 minutes before NYE we went through this gauntlet of waiters with tasty treats, I turned around and took this shot.