**LIVE** from the MSC Seascape: A Family's Experience in the Yacht Club – 7-Night Western Caribbean – March 23-30, 2024

[Beamafar]

24 minutes ago, Dock B said:

What about having the comped specialty dining for lunch so you can continue to enjoy dinner in Yacht Club?

Great suggestion 👍

[Dock B]

3 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

Oops - see you caught it and edited it lol

 

It can be hard to keep up when you’re switching from one forum to another.  👍

Now, if I was in a YC lounge right now, I would order a salted caramel espresso martini to wake up then maybe I wouldn’t make silly mistakes!!

 

And @FamilyAtSea.travel, really enjoying your thread…thank you so very much for taking the time to post!

[Beamafar]

1 minute ago, Dock B said:

And @FamilyAtSea.travel, really enjoying your thread…thank you so very much for taking the time to post!

Same here. Looking forward to enjoying our YC experience on Seascape soon. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 hour ago, Dock B said:

Now, if I was in a YC lounge right now, I would order a salted caramel espresso martini to

 

Martinis are supposed to taste awful so you don't have too many.....

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

2 hours ago, Dock B said:

Now, if I was in a YC lounge right now, I would order a salted caramel espresso martini to wake up then maybe I wouldn’t make silly mistakes!!

 

And @FamilyAtSea.travel, really enjoying your thread…thank you so very much for taking the time to post!

I actually just had one of these before I read your post and enjoyed it so much I had 2 more.

 

These are trouble - delicious and caffeine to keep me going 😜😝😵

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Main Theater Shows:

 

I'm sitting here in the main Chora Theater waiting for the 9:30 show to start, so this seems like a good time to share my experience on the shows so far.

 

We missed the show in day 2 but saw the show on day 1, which was Imaginocean, and the family-friendly version of the comedian on day 3.

 

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Shows:

 

While both shows we've seen have been decent, if you've sailed on cruise lines line Royal/Celebrity or NCL, these are pretty low budget and underwhelming. 

 

Imaginocean had recognizable songs, which was a nice improvement from our last MSC cruise on the Meraviglia, which featured a lot of foreign Broadway-type songs that we didn't know (and often couldn't understand as they weren't in English). However, the cast themselves seemed to lack the passion that they had on the Meraviglia.

 

The comedian spent a lot of time joking about Carnival, which seems to be a go to staple for every cruise ship comedian we see... We haven't sailed Carnival in a long time, but I'd be curious to see who comedians on Carnival poke fun at (or perhaps it is self-deprecating). For a cruise line that is arguably cheaper than Carnival (outside the YC), it seems odd to poke fun at Carnival for being low budget onboard an MSC cruise.

 

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Chora Theater:

 

The theater itself is nice, but unremarkable. There's not much to write about here other than to say, the theater is exactly what you'd expect from a cruise ship theater, with no frills or exciting additions.

 

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Seating: 

 

If you're not in the YC, you need to make reservations for the shows each evening. Even on our sold out sailing, the theater hasn't appeared to be completely filled, so I don't think this is a big deal, but it's something to be aware of.

 

The YC seating is in the back 4 rows of the right center seating. We are the type to be early for shows (hence me writing this review as I wait for the next show), so I doubt we will use these seats unless we happen to be running late for some reason. It's nice that you don't have to get to the show quite as early though if you don't want to. I believe these seats are released to everybody 5-10 minutes before the show starts.

 

One thing I did notice that was a bit different is they have some seats that are larger than others, so if you're more comfortable in a larger seat, this is a nice option.

 

Tip: If you enter/exit from the far right/left side of the theater, you can bypass much of the traffic on the way in/out. This is especially nice as the show ends as you don't get caught up in the usual traffic leaving a show (we typically just stay seated an extra 5 minutes to allow people to clear out, but we haven't had to do that here).

 

The theater lacks the immersive screen the Meraviglia has, as well as any eye catching special features like you see on Celebrity/Royal.

 

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Service:

 

Titling this section "Service" is a bit of a misnomer, as there is none.

 

Unlike other cruise lines that deliver drinks to your seats in the theater, MSC does not have any drink service in the theater at all (I don't think drinks are even allowed).

 

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Scoring:

 

- Shows: 2/5

- Theater: 3/5

- Seating: 4/5

- Service: 1/5

- Overall: 2.5/5

 

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[alserrod]

Hello

If I were you, I would accept the dinner that the director of YC offered you.
No longer in itself because of the "free dinner" that he supposes but because he wants to offer it.
The director of the YC is aware that, no matter how controlled he has things, something will go wrong. And his job is to turn a bad experience into a good experience. He is trying to do his job and you are not a client who protests about everything but rather he has expressed something that he did not like.
If you accept it, he will be calmer knowing that they are not perfect but they try to do as much as possible.

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Kids in the Yacht Club

 

We're now past the halfway point for our 7-day cruise, which I feel is enough time to offer a fair assessment of things.

 

My concern before we boarded was that my kids would be one of the only ones in the YC and potentially unwelcome.

 

Well, I'm pleased to share (at least during this sold out, Spring Break sailing) our concern was unfounded.

 

Our butler said there are a bit over 100 kids in the YC during this sailing.

 

If you figure the average family (like ours) is sailing with 2 kids, then that would mean roughly 50 of the 131 YC cabins have kids in them.

 

For those of you that do not enjoy being around kids while you cruise, allow me to offer this - I have not seen a single kid of any age in the YC behaving inappropriately, nor have I heard a single baby crying. I've been extremely impressed by how well-behaved the kids in the YC have been.

 

The staff has all been very friendly to our kids and the bartenders have been great about making fun, alcohol-free drinks for them in Top Sail Lounge.

 

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Kid-Friendly Food at YC Restaurant

 

I know kids can often be picky eaters, but I'm happy to report that ours have had no problems finding foods they like in the YC.

 

The YC Restaurant has a kids menu each evening (I'm not sure that it changes... I'll have to pay closer attention), but my kids have also enjoyed the steaks (filet mignon and prime rib so far)..

 

In addition to classic kids dishes like chicken tenders, my son also enjoyed white pizza one evening (he doesn't like pizza sauce). They've also enjoyed the fries (they don't like all types of fries).

 

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Kids Outside the YC:

 

I can't say entirely the same about the kids once you get outside the YC, though we haven't noticed more than the occasional teen boy hooting and hollering or group of teen girls congregating in the stairwells. (I'll likely cover this more in a review of the general non-YC area)

 

We haven't had any problems with younger kids (though yesterday we got stuck behind some parents who literally took 5 minutes to clear everything from their strollers passing through security on the way back from the port in Grand Cayman... They aren't misbehaving, but how much do you really need for 6 hours?).

 

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Scoring:

 

- Welcoming to Kids: 5/5

- Kids' Behavior: 5/5 (not just mine!)

- Kid-Friendly Foods: 4/5

- YC Pool: TBD (we haven't used this yet... Likely will tomorrow on our 2nd sea day)

 

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Grabbing a quick drink in Top Sail Lounge before enjoying dinner in the YC Restaurant:

 

 

 

Edited March 27 by FamilyAtSea.travel

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

My posts have slowed down a bit as we've been enjoying the cruise.

 

Today is day 6, our second (and final) sea day. Tomorrow we are in Ocean Cay and then it's all over 😔

 

I'll try to offer some more perspectives today as I have time.

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Gym Update

 

Like so many other things, the crowds in the gym have not been as bad the rest of the week as they were on the first morning.

 

Yesterday, when we didn't get to the port (Cozumel) until 10am, was a bit busier than the two earlier port calls, but still manageable.

 

This morning is the least crowded I've seen it, which is surprising since it is a sea day.

 

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Updated Score:

 

- Crowd Control: 4/5

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Cruise Director

 

Let me start by saying I'm not somebody who cares all that much about who the Cruise Director is. Other than seeing them say their piece at shows in the evenings and occasional announcements, I have very limited interactions with the CD, so I don't care much one way or the other about who the CD is.

 

The Cruise Director currently aboard the Seascape is Ted James from the UK.

 

He has been just okay. Nothing really memorable or exciting about him, other than the way he says, "Bye Bye," at the end of every announcement.

 

Compare this to a CD like Endrigo Martin, currently CD on the Seashore, that is actively posting in FB groups to build excitement and engage with all of us. Or, if any of you have sailed with Luigi on Celebrity, he's somebody that has an energy about him that people feed off.

 

Ted isn't bad, he's just not memorable, and I'm sure after this sailing, my wife and I will never mention him again. I'm sure he's a lovely person.

 

No intent to be disrespectful, just my honest opinion. 

 

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[rxlowry]

Thanks for the review!  I’ll be embarking this Saturday and this was very helpful!

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

15 minutes ago, rxlowry said:

Thanks for the review!  I’ll be embarking this Saturday and this was very helpful!

Enjoy! I hope you have an amazing time as we have!

[Dock B]

3 hours ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

Cruise Director

 

He has been just okay. Nothing really memorable or exciting about him, other than the way he says, "Bye Bye," at the end of every announcement.

I’m not absolutely positive regarding this comment but my guess is the “bye-bye” at the end of the announcement is from Captain Tuvo (I think he’s your captain). Captain Tuvo is Italian so if the announcer’s accent is British, then the CD also utilizes Captain Tuvo’s signature sign-off.

 

I agree with your assessment regarding most all CDs: it really doesn’t matter to me who they are and there are very few who I’ve had direct interactions with and/or who are memorable, regardless of the cruise line.

 

Again, thank you for sharing all of the information about your cruise with us!!

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

7 minutes ago, Dock B said:

I’m not absolutely positive regarding this comment but my guess is the “bye-bye” at the end of the announcement is from Captain Tuvo (I think he’s your captain). Captain Tuvo is Italian so if the announcer’s accent is British, then the CD also utilizes Captain Tuvo’s signature sign-off.

 

I agree with your assessment regarding most all CDs: it really doesn’t matter to me who they are and there are very few who I’ve had direct interactions with and/or who are memorable, regardless of the cruise line.

 

Again, thank you for sharing all of the information about your cruise with us!!

The guy I'm talking about definitely has a British accent, so it sounds like they must share the same "Bye Bye" closing.

 

Kind of funny and neat they do that if so (we have met the captain, he's a nice guy).

[cruisebeachgirl703]

8 hours ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

My posts have slowed down a bit as we've been enjoying the cruise.

 

Today is day 6, our second (and final) sea day. Tomorrow we are in Ocean Cay and then it's all over 😔

 

I'll try to offer some more perspectives today as I have time.

Glad you are enjoying, it goes fast.Thanks for your review and perspective. Let us know at the end more. 

[Beamafar]

What’s the earliest time for room service breakfast delivery?  TIA. 

[PDXer2]

Hi, I am on the Seashore this Sunday (3/31) in the yacht club. Hoping to meet you for a drink there. Enjoying your review.

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

What’s the earliest time for room service breakfast delivery?  TIA. 

The YC said you can get room service 24/7... Would you like me to ask this question for outside the YC?

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

2 minutes ago, PDXer2 said:

Hi, I am on the Seashore this Sunday (3/31) in the yacht club. Hoping to meet you for a drink there. Enjoying your review.

I'll be on that one solo, so I'm sure I'll be happy to chat!

 

Are you part of the TA group in the YC?

[PDXer2]

No I am also a solo. 

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Just now, PDXer2 said:

No I am also a solo. 

Definitely introduce yourself then!

[Beamafar]

8 hours ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said:

The YC said you can get room service 24/7... Would you like me to ask this question for outside the YC?

It’s specifically breakfast delivery time slots (on the breakfast menu) and it’s just the YC, thanks.  We’ve done YC many times but I can’t remember the earliest time that you can have breakfast items delivered.

 

Appreciate the time you’re taking to do this.  I’ve done several ’Live from…’ reports so I know what it takes doing one.  We’ll be sailing on Seascape soon, so it’s great to read about current experiences onboard.  

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Our final day aboard the beautiful MSC Seascape is upon us as we've just arrived at Ocean Cay.

 

I'm getting my morning workout in on a stationary bike as I write this and I'm happy to report the gym isn't as busy this morning. My personal goal was to workout every day on this trip and so far I've made good on this, but there's still more relaxation ahead. Unfortunately I haven't been and to outwork the amazing food and drinks of the Yacht Club according to the scale here in the gym, but I'm hoping to limit the damage.

 

Tomorrow we will disembark in Miami and we will do some shopping and potentially visit the children's museum in Miami before I drop my amazing wife and kids off at the airport before I continue on to Port Canaveral to board the MSC Seashore tomorrow to enjoy another week in YC luxury, but solo this time. I have to be back in Florida the following week for a business tradeshow so I traded my wife this solo trip and later this year she will do a girl's cruise and I'll take the kids for that week... I'm grateful to have a good marriage where we truly take a team approach to all the things we do.

 

Being solo on the next cruise, I'll have more time to dedicate to a live thread vs fitting this in between time ensuring I'm being present with my family.

 

Following that I will be doing 2 days on the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise... This should be quite the shock to the system after spending two weeks in the YC, but I'm going to make the most of it and I'll likely do a similar thread over on the M@S forum for anyone interested (out of sheer curiosity).

 

With that said, I still have some things I want to write about here in this thread before I wrap things up.

Edited March 29 by FamilyAtSea.travel

[FamilyAtSea.travel]

Hall of Games Arcade

 

No cruise with kids is complete without a trip to the arcade!

 

We purchased the Fun Pass in advance so we received $140 of gameplay for $80.

 

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VR Motorcycle:

 

The first thing we played was this virtual reality motorcycle race simulator.

 

Upon putting the VR headset on, you are able to choose from three different styles of races. My daughter and I both did a jetski style race and my son chose a more futuristic hypertrack style race.

 

Note: Although there are two of these VR simulators, they're not linked together so even if you play at the same time, you're not racing against each other.

 

Like most of the VR games I've played at arcades and similar places, the graphics were pretty basic and the gameplay is fairly cheesey.

 

The jetski style race my daughter and I did seemed to have more movement of the physical motorcycle you're riding than my son's futuristic simulator did...I had to brace myself at the beginning as I wasn't expecting it to lean as far to the sides as it did. For you parents, this may help you make the right decision for you.

 

You get approximately 3 minutes before the system cuts off, regardless of where you are in the race.

 

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4D Cinema:

 

There are three different "movies" to choose from, but they all work similarly.

 

You walk into a room with 8 moving seats lined up left-to-right with a large screen stretching across in front of you. You then get a gun that you use to shoot objects on the screen during the brief cinematic (approximately 5 minutes).

 

Note: The seats in the center have a definite advantage due to shooting straight on vs at an angle from a longer distance away. If you're the competitive type, sit as close to the center as possible.

 

We chose the "Neon Ninja" movie to play. It had neat visuals (more modern graphics than the movie we played on the Meraviglia back in November.

 

Overall, this was another cheesey experience but a half step better than the VR Motorcycle game.

 

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VR Flight 360 Simulator:

 

This was Out of Order so we weren't able to play this but we did this previously on the Meraviglia and it was also cheesey with the added bonus of making me nauseous due to being flipped upside down and in all sorts of directions, so I wasn't planning to do this anyways. 

 

My kids were a little bummed but they quickly moved on.

 

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F1 Racecar Simulator:

 

My kids are too short to reach the pedals to play this game and I had done it on the Meraviglia, so we skipped this one.

 

For those of you interested, the way it works is you climb into the cockpit of an F1 Racecar and control the pedals and steering wheel as you stare into 3 widescreen TVs placed side-by-side.

 

It's a very realistic simulator (vs arcade-style), meaning myself and everybody I watched play it and spent more time spinning out and recovering than actual racing.

 

Perhaps a little fun for the 3 minutes or so you get, but not worth doing twice.

 

Note: Getting out of the cockpit is a challenge for us adults, so make sure you know what you're getting yourself into (and out of) before you get seated. I watched a woman have to be hoisted out with a person on both sides helping lift her (and she was of average fitness).

 

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Arcade Games:

 

Now onto the actual arcade games!

 

There's maybe 20 games to choose from and of those 20, a third are Out of Order and several others should be (we essentially threw our money away from games that didn't work as intended).

 

With that said, my kids were still able to have fun with what did work.

 

Side Note: Don't you wish we could have the innocence of our youth back and when something disappointing happens, instead of wallowing in self-pity, we simply spend half a second disappointed and then immediately find joy in something else? There's something to be learned there.

 

Most of the games are $2.50/play (the only one I saw that was different was air hockey, which was $4 but two people get to play - for either 4 minutes or until somebody gets to 7 points), and most are the style of games where you get tickets based on performance.

 

My kids eventually found a couple games that actually worked properly and they had fun.

 

For my son it was a Sonic game where you drop a "hedgehog" (ball) from the top and try to get it in the high score slots at the bottom as bounces around the pins on the way down (for us older folks, think Plinko from The Price is Right...Bob Barker > Drew Carey for anybody curious). He got lucky one time and the ball passed through the "bonus zone" on the way down and then into the top score slot, netting him around 400 tickets (these are real, physical tickets vs virtual points on a game card like at most modern arcades, so it was fun to see it spit out 400 tickets as my son tried to collect them all).

 

My daughter settled in on the game immediately to the right of Sonic on a game called "Fireball". This is a game where the ball drops from the top and bounces around on the floor until it eventually rolls into a hole. Her top win was around 150 tickets.

 

They also enjoyed a bowling game that is essentially a hybrid of skeeball with a screen above the track that shows your ball rolling down the lane and striking virtual pins after each roll. There are three frames in total (6 rolls), so it's pretty quick. 

 

In total, with around $75 in arcade games they netted 758 tickets, which was enough to get them a My Little Pony keychain (250 tickets), a Harry Potter (Hagrid) pen topper (300 tickets), and a small foldable checkers game (350 tickets).

 

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Robotron:

 

We wanted to do this but it was shutdown yesterday due to weather (it wasn't that bad, but I understand safety).

 

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Scoring:

 

- VR Motorcycle: 2/5

- 4D Cinema: 3/5

- VR Flight Simulator: Out of Order (but based on doing this on the Meraviglia, I would give it a 3/5... Lower if you have a weak stomach like me)

- F1 Simulator: We didn't do this, but from the Meraviglia I would give it a 2/5 

- Arcade Games: 3/5 (but I should drop this to a 2/5 with so many games out of order)

- Kids' Joy from Arcade: 5/5 (and that's what really matters)

 

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