**LIVE** from MSC Seascape YC (Yacht Club) - Caribbean & Bahamas from Miami 14 September to 28 September 2024

[Best Cat Mom]

Just now, chrisgp999 said:

Seating was classic airport boarding gate style.  The upside was an endless supply of champagne and snacks along with a very congenial group of fellow YC folks.

Yes, we've been in that area for previous cruises. This time we did not even stop there. The butler took us directly onto the ship. I guess we arrived at a slow time right then. 🙂

[cruisebeachgirl703]

8 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Yes, we've been in that area for previous cruises. This time we did not even stop there. The butler took us directly onto the ship. I guess we arrived at a slow time right then. 🙂

Enjoying your review. 2 questions for you. What is in your holiday coffee and what champagne are they pouring in YC? Thanks.

[Best Cat Mom]

Just now, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

What is in your holiday coffee

BCD created this one for us at home on weekends. 1 shot each of espresso, Kahlua, Baileys and coconut rum. Shake with ice and serve in a high ball glass with ice.

 

Just now, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

what champagne are they pouring in YC

They are currently serving Nicolas Feuillatte. In the past, if they run out, they will bump up to a better brand. We've had Jacquart and Moët & Chandon in the past. I wish you good luck in them running out! 🙂

[Best Cat Mom]

Day 7 - Ocean Cay

 

We slept in a bit this morning, deciding the night before that we'd have breakfast on the One Pool Deck, which lasts an hour longer than the TS restaurant. We tend to linger over our meals and did not want to delay the TS servers from getting onto the island to set up Ocean House.

 

As we arrived at the pool deck, it started to thunder. We picked up a few items from the buffet and I ordered an egg white omelette with ham and cheese:

 

BCD chose some smoked whitefish and jalapeno salad and had that on a croissant with some fruit on the side:

 

BCD ordered a Holiday Coffee and I asked for a mimosa and a cappuccino:

 

We found a table on the port side and awaited our orders. Then we heard more thunder and saw staff start to remove cushions from the chairs at the few empty tables around us. They did not ask anyone to move but some people left. Our stuff arrived and just as we started to eat, the rain began.

 

The head waiter came over and said that we could move to the bar area. I asked if there was enough space and he said he'd check. He came back and motioned us up there. We grabbed our plates and by the time we got to the bar, he had set up a table with two chairs close to the bar and out of the rain.

 

Michael Angelo, a crew member that remembered us from a previous cruise brought over our drinks and we proceeded to have a cozy breakfast in the cool air of the rain:

 

The sun eventually came out and the deck heated up again. We finished up and headed back to the room to gather sunglasses, etc., for the island. Then we went to TSL to get a butler to escort us off the ship. They always tell YCers to have a butler escort you off the ship because there is not a separate YC exit. The butler will take you to the front of the exit line and then walk you all the way to the YC waiting area for the trolley to Ocean House.

 

Our butler was unavailable at that moment so our Junior Butler Yogesh was our escort today. He brought us over to the YC trolley area and 'transferred' us to Nelly, the YC restaurant host, who was seemingly in charge of making sure YC guests had trolleys available to transport them to Ocean House.

 

Side note: I had previously mis-identifed our wonderful host as Holly. I think both @morpheusofthesea and @MonsterJoe corrected me. I finally had a chance to examine her name tag without being too conspicuous and I stand corrected -- her name is Nelly. 🙂

 

During the walk off with Yogesh, we saw some of the stock they seemed to be unloading for the island. BCD was relieved that there was enough inventory for his lunch:

 

There were already a few people waiting for a trolley. One arrived and was quickly filled to capacity. Nelly then walked us to the regular trolley area and commandeered one for the rest of us. It was quite nice that they did not have us all wait for one at the YC tent when others were available nearby.

 

We quickly arrived at Ocean House and found plenty of open seating, though there were several dozen guests already there. We chose to sit under the canopies in the new section, looking out over the ocean:

 

 

As we looked over the menu, BCD had an Ultimate Pina Colada and I had (what else?) champagne. We were pleased to see that the menu had not changed:

 

I started with my favorite octopus salad:

 

BCD ordered his usual crab ceviche:

 

We both ordered hamburgers and lobster rolls, innards only, to create the popular Ocean House surf and turf:

 

 

 

We proceeded to have a delicious meal, albeit without the comfort of air conditioning. We had 3 rounds of drinks with our lunch and headed back to the ship at 1:30pm.

 

Our trolley driver was speeding a bit and we thought it was kinda fun. However, at the end one woman was very vocal that she was scared by the speed and began berating the driver. All we could think was why didn't she say something at the beginning of the ride when he could have slowed down right away? Instead, she waited until we were nearly at the ship when he couldn't slow down to accommodate her.

 

We let her walk way ahead of us back to the ship because she was also angry with us. I could only think that she wanted us to back her up and was not happy that we didn't. We both really did not think the driver was going too fast based on other rides we’ve had on the island. In fact, once a YC Director gave us a ride in their golf cart and went even faster. But to us, the most perplexing part was that she did not speak up immediately.

 

We were the only ones in the security line, breezed through and headed back to our cabin to soak in some cool air for a bit.

 

Day 7 continues next…

[no1talks]

49 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

However, at the end one woman was very vocal that she was scared by the speed and began berating the driver.

She's lucky it wasn't an afternoon at Royal Caribbean’s private beach in Labadee.


(Sometimes, jokes have a somber subtext.)

 

 

Edited Monday at 01:14 AM by no1talks

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Then we went to TSL to get a butler to escort us off the ship. They always tell YCers to have a butler escort you off the ship because there is not a separate YC exit.

 

Butler escort is the only way to roll.  Today our butler was busy and our assistant butler escorted us to lunch. 

 

1 hour ago, Best Cat Mom said:

BCD was relieved that there was enough inventory for his lunch:

 

Wait - BCD does not even drink that stuff.  Now if it had been Markers or Tequila I could understand his relief. 

 

1 hour ago, Best Cat Mom said:

BCD had an Ultimate Pina Colada and I had (what else?) champagne.

 

Right behind your Holiday Coffee is the Ultimate Pina Colada .. My personal favorite is slightly different and as I was explaining to BCD earlier today uses Kraken rum instead of Captain Morgan’s.  

 

1 hour ago, Best Cat Mom said:

We both ordered hamburgers and lobster rolls, innards only, to create the popular Ocean House surf and turf:

 

As I know you have been truthful in your other postings but is this really a good combo?  I am asking because in five days I may just have to try this.  

 

[Av8tor]

15 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

 

Rodin brought us a nice Barbaresco to accompany our meal:

 

 

Just wondered if the wines Rodin brings you are included as part of the YC or are they at an extra cost?

[morpheusofthesea]

8 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Wait - BCD does not even drink that stuff.

See what I mean about the presence of an eyewitness?  In the literary world we should always cut the author some slack, it's called literary license and makes for a better story.

P.S. @Best Cat Mom cut me loads of slack...Thank you.

Edited Monday at 10:11 AM by morpheusofthesea

[cruisebeachgirl703]

13 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

BCD created this one for us at home on weekends. 1 shot each of espresso, Kahlua, Baileys and coconut rum. Shake with ice and serve in a high ball glass with ice.

 

They are currently serving Nicolas Feuillatte. In the past, if they run out, they will bump up to a better brand. We've had Jacquart and Moët & Chandon in the past. I wish you good luck in them running out! 🙂

Thanks for the details. Very much enjoying your review.

[Best Cat Mom]

11 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

Wait - BCD does not even drink that stuff.

Ah, but he does. Heineken is his go to beer, and it was mine before I had to be GF. I am constantly amazed when people complain that MSC has "only" Heineken. Not sure if that means they want Bud or something high end.

[Best Cat Mom]

11 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

As I know you have been truthful in your other postings but is this really a good combo?  I am asking because in five days I may just have to try this

We enjoy it. It does make for a lot of food but the flavors go well because there is no "creative" changes to your basic burger or lobster salad. In our experience, they always bring them separately so you can combine in any ration you prefer. Looking forward to your opinion in a few days.

[Best Cat Mom]

8 hours ago, Av8tor said:

Just wondered if the wines Rodin brings you are included as part of the YC or are they at an extra cost?

All wines we've had this sailing are included in our YC drink package. Rodin does usually open a new bottle for us and then leave the bottle on the table for our entrées. For the starters, they usually pour from one of the wine buckets. Now that I think about it, maybe that's because we usually have a white wine with our starters.

 

If you want to purchase a bottle of something not included, I'm sure he'll be happy to help you. There should be a list somewhere on here; I recall seeing one not that long ago.

[Best Cat Mom]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

See what I mean about the presence of an eyewitness?

Sir, I think you must know that given we drink all day long, some drinks were simply not noticed. That's our story and we're sticking to it! 😁

[bobndee]

55 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Ah, but he does. Heineken is his go to beer, and it was mine before I had to be GF. I am constantly amazed when people complain that MSC has "only" Heineken. Not sure if that means they want Bud or something high end.

 

Heineken is not my go to beer, BUT . . .

 

When were were in Amsterdam prior to a cruise I was concerned about how we would get around since neither of knows any words of Dutch. Turns out it wasn't a problem as almost everyone spoke English. Also, I found that I DID know one very important Dutch word: Heineken! 😉

[Best Cat Mom]

Day 7 - Ocean Cay

 

We spent the afternoon in TSL. @morpheusofthesea stopped by and we said our goodbyes. We very much hope to have the pleasure of sharing a few days at sea with him and Mrs. Morph in the future. They are truly a charming couple.

 

As the sun dipped below the horizon, we retreated to our stateroom to change for our customary late dinner. As we walked the corridors, we saw luggage outside various staterooms and we were happy to not be disembarking the next morning. We were quite aware that this would be us, but not for another week. We were determined not to dwell on the future but instead to enjoy tonight's great menu in the TS restaurant.

 

We settled in with some champagne to review the offerings:

 

 

We both chose fois gras as our starters, with more champagne. I opted for a GF dinner roll since I could not have the brioche usually served with it. (Sorry -- no image. We'll try to capture one this coming week.)

 

For our mains, we both chose the lamb shank (oops, the image is after we started eating):

 

And we could not skip the truffle risotto -- one of the best risottos (risotti?) that they serve:

 

Rodin supplied a truly superb Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz to accompany our entrées:

Edgar convinced BCD to try the cherries jubilee for dessert (no extensive persuasive skills needed there, as BCD loves cherries!):

 

I had a sympathy cappuccino ice cream and, yes, that is a shot of Kahlua you see on the plate next to the ice cream:

 

We happily spent some time in TSL before dodging suitcases in the corridor on our way back to the cabin.

 

Day 8 comes next…

[cellfree]

On 9/17/2024 at 8:03 PM, rrraydon said:

I'm new to MSC so still learning the ropes. I have two sailings booked YC, one on Seaside and one on World. You mentioned a choice of a bottle of liquor, does this amenity come with booking YC or is this amenity as a result of a loyalty status (Diamond)?

 

If Diamond you also get the bottle of “sparkling” something. Oops, as I read along I see already answered in detail, sorry, just off Horizon and catching up. 

Edited Monday at 03:28 PM by cellfree
added more

[Best Cat Mom]

18 minutes ago, cellfree said:

just off Horizon

Hope you had a great cruise!

[cellfree]

26 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Hope you had a great cruise!

It was, ty, now home and playing cc catch-up while doing laundry, and loving your “live” as we anticipate YC on Seascape in November. 

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Best Cat Mom said:

There should be a list somewhere on here

Yes they have one. On one of our cruises this past summer in the Yacht Club we bumped into our doctor. I couldn't just send a regular bottle of Champagne, I ask to see the upcharges Champagne menu. The most expensive was $500 for one bottle, I chose the second highest for $250. The sommelier enticed me with an additional 20% off so I tipped him $40 cash to make a big deal Gala night.

[DaKahuna]

6 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

Ah, but he does. Heineken is his go to beer, and it was mine before I had to be GF. I am constantly amazed when people complain that MSC has "only" Heineken. Not sure if that means they want Bud or something high end.

 

I took the Heineken out of our mini-fridge along with the bottles of Blue Moon, and had the butler replace them with Diet Coke and Sprite. 

 

If BCD wants a couple of extra bottles let me know and I’ll bring them to your usual spot in the lounge. 

 

[Best Cat Mom]

11 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

If BCD wants a couple of extra bottles let me know

Our butler has been keeping our fridge well-stocked, but thanks!

[Best Cat Mom]

Day 8 Daily Program...

 

 

 

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

We very much hope to have the pleasure of sharing a few days at sea with him and Mrs. Morph in the future. They are truly a charming couple.

 

You are truly too kind.

[Best Cat Mom]

Day 8 - (Some People's) Debarkation (Day) and (@DaKahuna's) Embarkation Day

 

BCD awoke around 4:50am and saw that we'd already arrived in Port of Miami. After checking the time, he came back to bed and we slept until our alarm woke us at 6:30am.

 

Baileys and coffee arrived to our cabin to start our day. At 7:50am, we headed to the TS restaurant for breakfast. As we exited our room, our neighbor was lugging a suitcase into the hall. We wished her safe travels and she said the same to us. I did not tell her we were not departing so as to not to rub it in. We'll be in the same situation in a week and I hope others are as kind to us.

 

We started with 2 mimosas and 2 cappuccini as usual, while again looking up the aft end of Icon of the Seas who was parked in front of us, but not in the sight line of this image:

 

The menu looked different from every other day, but I think it had the same items on it:

I ordered two 6-minute soft boiled eggs, with a side of ham and some berries:

BCD ordered smoked salmon and a bagel, something he's wanted to try for some time. We eat smoked salmon frequently at home, but he has never had it for breakfast before:

We retrieved our passports from our cabin and went to TSL around 9:30am, sat at the bar with some Holiday Coffees and waited for the butlers to take us down to customs for our turnaround.

 

After all the disembarking passengers seemed to be gone, it was our turn. At 10:12am, we departed TSL with 3 other YC guests.

 

By 10:55am, we were downstairs in line at customs, waiting for what we were told was one lone straggler to disembark.

 

That passenger finally disembarked and by 11:04am, our group was re-boarding through security and by 11:11am we were back in YC.

 

Eventually, newly embarking passengers joined us in TSL and began to be introduced to all things YC.

 

We were delighted to meet @DaKahuna and his spouse a little while after they boarded.

BCD gifted DaKahuna with a car then we chatted for a bit before they headed up to lunch.

 

We stayed a little longer then also went to lunch. We were seated in Edgar's lunch section which happened to be the table next to DaKahuna. Later, as DaKahuna and his spouse were leaving, we swore to them that we were absolutely not stalking them.

 

We enjoyed some champagne and made sure that the menus were as expected on an embarkation day:

 

This week, I ordered the octopus soup, one of my favorites:

BCD ordered a Cobb salad:

For entrées, we both ordered the tournedos, mine without sauce to make it GF:

 

We accompanied our entrées with one of our favorite Shiraz wines:

BCD had the Italian pastries for dessert:

We returned to TSL for more car therapy and sail away. As it got later, we went back to the room to change for dinner.

 

Day 8 concludes next…

[morpheusofthesea]

1 minute ago, Best Cat Mom said:

I did not tell her we were not departing so as to not to rub it in. We'll be in the same situation in a week and I hope others are as kind to us.

That would be nice, but that only happens in Fantasy Land. (I know you can handle the truth)