Yacht Club vs Regent Grandeur

[morpheusofthesea]

No butler escort onto the ship and to cabin. Had to fend for ourselves. Cabins are not ready upon boarding like Yacht Club. Went to our cabin anyway and found the door open so we went in and deposited our carryons. No restaurant is open for a sit down and be served lunch on embarkation day like we all enjoy in the YC. There is a buffet or pool grill. Since we do not do self service buffets DW planned ahead and brought some factory sealed cookies to tide us over til dinner.

   Met our butler when he came to our cabin. Dressed in costume similar to butlers in YC. Heard from butlers on Seashore that ever popular YC butler Vishnu Domah left MSC and guess who is on board the Regent Grandeur as a butler? Will have to run him down and get the ‘scoop’.

[morpheusofthesea]

Muster is easy. While being told that cabins are not ready staff suggested we use this time to check in at our muster station. Gave purser our cabin card and directed to a restaurant, scanned cards and able to use elevators.

[morpheusofthesea]

Cabin is nice. Door bell rang and it was service staff of a couple of officers and crew asking to gain entrance as contractors finished some touch ups on the cabin shelving. This really is a new ship. I suppose ships set sail today incomplete. We are booked on MSC world America in April.? 

[FLCruiser97]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Welcome home.

Thank You Mr. Morpheus. I've been doing a bit of traveling myself.

[morpheusofthesea]

A couple of observations. The walls are not magnetic in our suite. Only the cabin door. So not able to use our magnetic hooks. The top suites can reserve any table in any restaurant for every evening dinner. Vishnu came by our table this evening at dinner. Looks the same. Said Covid really screwed things up. Mentioned he is recognized by many on board Regent that also cruise Yacht Club. Only has good things to say about YC and is happy with his position with Regent. Will talk more.

[morpheusofthesea]

Dinner in Compass Rose was good. On par with Yacht Club. Thought portions were small, but that’s the way cruise lines are going. Asked for Evian and they brought by an already opened 2/3 full bottle. In YC we get an unopened bottle on the table before we sit down. Waiter was very accommodating. Asked for two new empty glasses and fresh unopened bottle at every dinner and to leave the bottle. There were no desserts that appealed to me this evening. Waiter said the dessert menu changes every evening. Maybe tomorrow they will have chocolate cake.

[morpheusofthesea]

Elevators are fast and not crowded. No need for override key card. Have to speak with room stewardess in the morning. Discovered the toilet seat is not bolted to the toilet bowl, almost fell off. Would have thought prior tenant would have discovered this.

Edited March 16 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

Found this interesting. Safety protocols dictate that passengers are not to leave anything plugged in when not in cabin. That stewards are required to unplug phones or laptops when found in unattended cabins. Perhaps this is standard operating procedure, just never heard it announced over PA system. Difference maybe due to the fact that MSC has to make each PA announcement in 6 different languages and Regent only in English has time for more.

[no1talks]

44 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"The walls are not magnetic in our suite. Only the cabin door."

 

Ceiling?

[morpheusofthesea]

7 minutes ago, no1talks said:

 

Ceiling?

Good idea. But I married a munchkin.

[morpheusofthesea]

In the Constellation Theatre for tonight’s one performance at 9:30pm. Doors opened at 9.more space between rows and tables for bar service and bar waiters working the crowd. Another mature group that drink but do not get drunk. 

[Best Cat Mom]

We've been Regent-curious so are eagerly following. 🙂

[morpheusofthesea]

Well we have a new found appreciation for MSC Chora Theatre productions.

[morpheusofthesea]

We are on deck 7 on the back end of the ship. There is a bit more 'feel' to the vibration of the ship and the rattling of the structures in the cabin compared to the Seaships. Perhaps the decks above are better?

[Two Wheels Only]

4 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Vishnu came by our table this evening at dinner.

Only has good things to say about YC and is happy with his position with Regent.

 

That's good to know. He was our first Yacht Club butler.  

[morpheusofthesea]

6 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

That's good to know. He was our first Yacht Club butler.  

He was the first that was any good.

[morpheusofthesea]

Had a restful sleep. The bathroom mirrors have a button to press that keeps a nightlight on built into the mirror. One becomes oblivious to the vibration of the ship,  like did Elwood Blues became oblivious to his room shaking every time a subway train passed his tenement house.

[Georgia_Peaches]

I’ve read reports that the walls on Grandeur are paper thin. So much so that neighbors can be heard talking on the phone or watching their televisions. What has been your experience thus far?

[FLCruiser97]

Good Morning Mr. Morpheus. Where will your adventures take you and Mrs. today?

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, FLCruiser97 said:

Good Morning Mr. Morpheus. Where will your adventures take you and Mrs. today?

At sea.

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I’ve read reports that the walls on Grandeur are paper thin. So much so that neighbors can be heard talking on the phone or watching their televisions. What has been your experience thus far?

This cabin must be well insulated from neighbors or we have very considerate ones?

[morpheusofthesea]

This morning I was able to have the famous, most coveted, most raved about item on Regent ships.....the cronut. My first and last. I will not waste the calories. Depending on the MSC chef pastry roster, I have not been able to resist the donuts on MSC. The Berliners with a sweet creamy filling and melt in your mouth donut shell. Though on my last YC outing they were terrible, like soft bread than sweet donut. Hit or miss on MSC? No consistency from one chef to the next.

  Allow me to describe this cronut.. A very nice flakey pastry filled with a slightly 'sour' cream filling topped by a hard sweet frosting. One was enough....I did finish the entire cronut, not believing my taste buds with each fork full.

[morpheusofthesea]

Noticed some pluses and minuses on this ship. first and most distressing from a germaphobe are the electronic doors. No motion sensing. One must actually touch the lite sensor for the door to open into the buffet and the hand washing station is one sink which some 'people' use to place their soiled beverage glasses. Reeks of NCL.

  The plus is although the sliding doors of the cabins are not push button electric one can be assured no one can gain entry to ones cabin from the balcony when the sliders are closed properly without latching locked from the inside. If one forgets to lock the latch from the inside when leaving ones cabin on MSC, anyone climbing around barriers between cabins can open these doors.

[morpheusofthesea]

Last night a 'gentleman' came to Compass Rose for dinner and was refused entry. He was wearing shorts.

  We left a note for our butler this morning with our desire to have a room service lunch as the weather is beautiful, the ship is stable, the sound of the ocean rushing past and the slight breeze is comforting, out on the veranda. We ordered a couple of items that were not part of the room service menu, but are readily available on the ship. As soon as our walk about the ship after breakfast and return to the cabin, he rings our door bell for room service lunch clarification. Since we asked for items not listed he exclaimed that there was no problem and that 'he' was the one to make things happen. (Shades of Vishnu?) This is what one expects from a butler. (and posters proudly boast they have no need of a butler)

[morpheusofthesea]

Haven't run into or should I say no children have run into me on this ship. There are a few around 50 year old that were heckling the comedian last night, but I think he encouraged hecklers as his comedy by itself was so weak, that the hecklers became the best part of his act.

  Really enjoyed the theatre set up. No getting up and down with people coming and going all performance like MSC Seaships. Guests are served drinks and being only one performance clean up is easier in the hours after. On MSC having 2 or 3 shows per night makes clean up between shows impossible, hence no drinks allowed in the theatre. Now had passengers always been respectful and carried out what they carry into the theatre then one could expect a drink service in MSC theatres. But there are those cruise passengers that ruin it for the rest of us, always.