Rare DaKahuna Posted July 23 #251 Share Posted July 23 @morpheusofthesea In looking at the Seascap deck plans on cruisedeckplans.com it seems that the only way to get from deck 19 to deck 20, 18, or 16 is the single aft YC elevator or stairs. Is this correct? Just making sure I am not missing any 'secret passages' betwen our floor and the lounge, restaurant, and or pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare morpheusofthesea Posted July 23 Author #252 Share Posted July 23 (edited) 21 minutes ago, DaKahuna said: @morpheusofthesea In looking at the Seascap deck plans on cruisedeckplans.com it seems that the only way to get from deck 19 to deck 20, 18, or 16 is the single aft YC elevator or stairs. Is this correct? Just making sure I am not missing any 'secret passages' betwen our floor and the lounge, restaurant, and or pool. Or one can follow an interloper outside on deck 19 that waits for someone in Aurea or YC to enter/leave from Top 19 and takes this outside staircase up to deck 20 by the YC hot tubs. All that stops is this chain. But you are correct, once inside the YC, only the stairs and the YC dedicated forward elevator, as far as I know. Edited July 23 by morpheusofthesea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mica178 Posted July 23 #253 Share Posted July 23 Well, ew. What YC passenger would sell their wristbands on ebay? That's gross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare morpheusofthesea Posted July 23 Author #254 Share Posted July 23 8 hours ago, mica178 said: Well, ew. What YC passenger would sell their wristbands on ebay? That's gross. The same kind that will buy them. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizaz Posted July 23 #255 Share Posted July 23 Interesting. We just leave our wristbands in the room when we leave. It's either that or we would just throw them away so seemed like a waste... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobndee Posted July 23 #256 Share Posted July 23 17 hours ago, Pizaz said: As a person who dresses like a homeless person and only sails YC, usurpers are most easily identifiable because they act odd. I run by the mantra of "treat people as people and you will generally have a good time". Staff always get along with me and my DW and go out of their way to assist us because we are just two people enjoying a getaway and don't have any pompous attitude. We try to treat staff like people, too. After all they ARE people! At the AI resort we frequent we have gotten to know many staff and are always remembered and greeted on every return, sometimes to the point of "welcome back" hugs. It's amusing to see the reaction of other guests when that happens: Who are those people and why are they getting hugs??? I remember a Cruise Critic post from some years ago where the poster related the story of getting an off-menu dish in the main restaurant. A couple at an adjacent table asked how he got it. He told of how he had talked to the waiters and gotten to know them, so they would do extra things for him. The other passengers replied "We never talk to staff." If you don't interact with the crew and staff, you're missing out on much of the joy of traveling. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonsterJoe Posted July 23 #257 Share Posted July 23 13 minutes ago, bobndee said: If you don't interact with the crew and staff, you're missing out on much of the joy of traveling. ^^^^ This. It improves the experience for everyone involved. We've remained friends with quite a few of them and friended each other on FB and stay in touch, even. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Wheels Only Posted July 23 #258 Share Posted July 23 14 minutes ago, bobndee said: At the AI resort we frequent we have gotten to know many staff and are always remembered and greeted on every return, sometimes to the point of "welcome back" hugs. It's amusing to see the reaction of other guests when that happens: Who are those people and why are they getting hugs??? Yacht Club butlers often do that with our family. I know the exact look from other passengers (Yacht Club and non-Yacht Club) when it happens in the terminal on embarkation day. 17 minutes ago, bobndee said: If you don't interact with the crew and staff, you're missing out on much of the joy of traveling. It's a shame that some people treat the staff so badly. I get that not everyone wants to get into conversations with strangers whether the strangers are staff or guests. Some people are just quiet which is fine. Some people, however, rudely talk down to staff as if the staff are sub-human. Being civil with the staff makes the overall experience and future experiences better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizaz Posted July 23 #259 Share Posted July 23 The YC Butlers are always interesting! And concur about getting treated extra special just by being a normal person. Everyone should enjoy themselves from patrons to employees! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare morpheusofthesea Posted July 23 Author #260 Share Posted July 23 46 minutes ago, bobndee said: I remember a Cruise Critic post from some years ago where the poster related the story of getting an off-menu dish in the main restaurant. A couple at an adjacent table asked how he got it. He told of how he had talked to the waiters and gotten to know them, so they would do extra things for him. We were in the NCL Haven when we were told on social media that one could order from Specialty Restaurants and have them served in the Haven Restaurant. When I asked I was told they no longer do that. A few tables over a guest was brought an Asian dish from one of the Specialty Restaurants to her Haven Restaurant table. The waitress was trying to be low key about it, but the woman made a big deal about it so all around her they would know she was someone "Special". Well, that burned my butt with the Haven (amongst other reasons). Forced us to try MSC Yacht Club where everyone is "Special" and with advanced notice will be accorded the same luxury of ordering off menu. P.S. Those in the high end luxury hotel and cruise line industry are taught that they were selected because they are not only the best, but that they are "ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare morpheusofthesea Posted July 23 Author #261 Share Posted July 23 1 hour ago, bobndee said: to the point of "welcome back" hugs. As much as this seems too familiar to some, it is down right scary to DW who is a germaphobe and likes to keep a distance from others (unfortunately from me as well). She blames me, rightly so, for giving her her last case of covid that I caught somehow on the ship which didn't manifest itself until we got home. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1talks Posted July 23 #262 Share Posted July 23 40 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said: The waitress was trying to be low key about it, but the woman made a big deal about it so all around her they would know she was someone "Special". Setting aside the woman's inappropriate display of self-aggrandizement, she may have been getting the special menu access in the first place by being a known and established big tipper. Perhaps a pre-tipper. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonsterJoe Posted July 23 #263 Share Posted July 23 4 minutes ago, no1talks said: Setting aside the woman's inappropriate display of self-aggrandizement, she may have been getting the special menu access in the first place by being a known and established big tipper. Perhaps a pre-tipper. 😉 Perhaps [s]a pre-tipper[/s]. bribery 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare morpheusofthesea Posted July 23 Author #264 Share Posted July 23 24 minutes ago, no1talks said: Setting aside the woman's inappropriate display of self-aggrandizement, she may have been getting the special menu access in the first place by being a known and established big tipper. Perhaps a pre-tipper. 😉 We got the impression she was a social media influencer... but your point is well taken. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare morpheusofthesea Posted July 23 Author #265 Share Posted July 23 (edited) 47 minutes ago, MonsterJoe said: Perhaps [s]a pre-tipper[/s]. bribery 😉 VI. Bribery-Tipping The idea of bribery-tipping occurred to me while reading the description of tipping a maitre d’ in Schein, Jablonski and Wohlfahrt (1984). Bribery-tipping is also done before the service is rendered, as in tipping-in-advance. The difference between tipping-in- advance and bribery-tipping is not always clear. Generally, I categorize tips in advance as bribery-tipping when someone else (either other consumers or the employer) is hurt as a result of what the worker does, and as tipping-in-advance otherwise. Tipping-in-advance is paying for something that is socially desirable: better service. Bribery-tipping is paying for something that is socially undesirable: getting preferred treatment without justification at the expense of others. For example, tipping a concierge in advance is not likely to hurt anyone and therefore is categorized as tipping-in-advance. Tipping a maitre d’ in order to get a table without having a reservation in an overbooked restaurant, however, implies that other customers with reservations (or those without reservations who arrived before the tipper) will have to wait longer for their tables, and can be considered a bribe offered to the maitre d’. Tipping the maitre d’ for a better table is somewhat more complex to categorize, but can still be categorized as bribery-tipping. If we assume that the customer is entitled to an average table, tipping the maitre d’ to get a better table hurts the other customers who get less-than-average tables. Another example for bribery-tipping in which the employer is hurt rather than other customers is when a guest tips the reservation manager to get a free upgrade of a hotel room. The owner of the hotel would prefer to sell the better room for a higher price rather than giving it as a free upgrade, and is hurt by the tipping transaction. As with other cases of bribery, both the giver and the taker (the consumer and the worker) can be blamed. Despite the negative connotations of bribery, bribery-tipping can be welfare enhancing. For example, it allocates the good tables to those who value them the most, if we assume that everyone can tip to get the better tables. If some customers are less willing “to bribe” not because of the monetary cost but because they believe that this behavior is inappropriate, however, bribery-tipping can also reduce welfare. https://econwpa.ub.uni-muenchen.de/econ-wp/lab/papers/0309/0309002.pdf Bribery tipping is my favorite type of tipping. How many of you received a free upgrade? P.S. I asked a poster on Explora site how he got an upgrade to the owners suite. His answer was because "he was nice people". Perhaps he didn't want to say he bribed? My reply was "And the rest of us are not nice people ?" and was booted from posting. Edited July 23 by morpheusofthesea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DaKahuna Posted July 23 #266 Share Posted July 23 16 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said: But you are correct, once inside the YC, only the stairs and the YC dedicated forward elevator, as far as I know. Thank you for the confirmation. I referred to it as an aft elevator since it is in the aft portion of the YC and I did not want to confuse it with the Forward elevators, which are outside the YC but very close to where the YC elevator is located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAGR Posted July 23 #267 Share Posted July 23 (edited) 1 hour ago, DaKahuna said: Thank you for the confirmation. I referred to it as an aft elevator since it is in the aft portion of the YC and I did not want to confuse it with the Forward elevators, which are outside the YC but very close to where the YC elevator is located. Haven't been on Seascape, but on the Seashore, her sister ship, there is an unmarked doorway toward the front of the the Sun deck that come right out near the Royal Suites on Deck 19. It wasn't advertised (probably intended for crew, but I'd be surprised if that was not the same on Seascape. Edited July 23 by JAGR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushyb Posted July 23 #268 Share Posted July 23 4 hours ago, Pizaz said: The YC Butlers are always interesting! And concur about getting treated extra special just by being a normal person. Everyone should enjoy themselves from patrons to employees! Bogden? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Wheels Only Posted July 23 #269 Share Posted July 23 48 minutes ago, JAGR said: Haven't been on Seascape, but on the Seashore, her sister ship, there is an unmarked doorway toward the front of the the Sun deck that come right out near the Royal Suites on Deck 19. Owner's Suites are on deck 19. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizaz Posted July 23 #270 Share Posted July 23 41 minutes ago, cushyb said: Bogden? Yes! Last I spoke with him he was living in Ireland now and not with MSC 😭 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psmarkle Posted July 29 #271 Share Posted July 29 On 7/13/2024 at 10:53 AM, MonsterJoe said: We've been talking about taking a year or two off from cruising after next year...(in my mind) to do an AI resort. How would you compare them? I love cruisi g, but I also like the idea of flying to where we want to go and to not have to think about pre/post hotels and ubers Each time I book an AI vacation for our group, I turn around within a couple of months a book a cruise because I just don't feel completely satisfied! I have a decent time, I mean I'm on vacation, right?! My personal reasons where the AIs we've stayed at: - weak drinks, so I'd have to order doubles - if they had a casino, not very good and poor table games - OK food in crowded restaurants, nothing bad, just don't expect high-end gourmet - bugs...don't have many bugs on sea days LOL Having said this, DW and I are going to Sonesta Ocean Point in St Marteen in Oct, but I also have a follow-up cruise ready for April! 🤪 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psmarkle Posted July 29 #272 Share Posted July 29 On 7/17/2024 at 11:20 AM, no1talks said: Understandable. Why would a crew member, whose job description doesn't specifically include passenger confrontation, place themselves in such precarity? As legitimate YC numbers grow and resources fail to keep pace, "inside job" trespassers will have ever more ability to diminish the YC experience for paying guests. That's another reason to cruise elsewhere. Why pay for the advertised experience in an already full-to-capacity area if it is going to be pushed beyond the tipping point by thieves who slide in with the aid and abettment of related YCers? I recall reading on these boards that YC guests bringing in others on the Seafood Extravaganza buffet day at the One Pool was a contributing factor to its demise. Curiously, it was the only day there was ever a long line at the buffet. Of course, my DD and I putting away 5 lobster tails each might also contributed...sorry about that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare morpheusofthesea Posted July 29 Author #273 Share Posted July 29 (edited) 5 hours ago, psmarkle said: Of course, my DD and I putting away 5 lobster tails each might also contributed...sorry about that! That never entered into the decision. We were on one week when Chef Lisa had two Seafood Extravaganzas on the One Pool Deck. It was too many interlopers. P.S. Here is Chef Lisa setting up a Seafood Extravaganza. IMG_2668.MOV Edited July 29 by morpheusofthesea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare morpheusofthesea Posted July 30 Author #274 Share Posted July 30 (edited) 6 hours ago, psmarkle said: my DD and I putting away 5 lobster tails each might also contributed.. It might be interesting to compare a Ocean Terrace cabin on MSC Explora which is comparable to YC deluxe. Lobster tails every lunch. Seafood Extravaganza still lives on Explora. Here are two short videos and one photo. IMG_3546.MOV IMG_3547.MOV Edited July 30 by morpheusofthesea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1talks Posted July 30 #275 Share Posted July 30 1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said: "Seafood Extravaganza still lives on Explora." Be that as it may, my dear Morpheus, Explora does not meet my minimum esthetic dining requirements. For years, even the finest restaurants on land have been jettisoning the proper dressing of their tables as a means of cutting costs. If I wanted to be seated at unclothed tables for indoor meals, I would not go to the trouble of cruising the open seas, I'd stay on land. Of Explora's indoor dining venues, most have unclothed tables. The two that do use tablecloths (Fil Rouge and Anthology) do not serve lunch. That doesn't say, "Luxury," to me. (The list of wines by the glass and included liquors is a bit thin, too, given what they charge for a cruise.) Explora will eventually find their less-luxury-is-more-luxury customer base, but it won't include me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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