Explora or msc yacht club?

[no1talks]

20 minutes ago, TrinaLC said:

Are you a paid YC cheerleader?

Hardly. I am, however, suggesting those who have bones to pick should post their reviews on the MSC board. It is far better if all sides get their 2¢ on the record.

As to my own thoughts regarding Yacht Club, I'm atypical as cruisers go because criteria that others live and die by mean little to me. For example, you used the term, "sub par," to describe YC food. In my case, I'm more interested in the service and ambiance surrounding the dinner than the food itself.

We've always had excellent service from dining room servers and sommeliers. We are always able to enjoy our dinners in a slower and more traditional manner, including such niceties as sorbet intermezzo and a small mignardise to conclude. I can get delicious food of many varieties back home. Excellent dining service of a more traditional variety, however, is not so easy to find.

On the negative side, YC doesn't have much appeal for us in their top suites. No guest bathroom. Dining tables, yes, but no in-room service of the restaurant menu. (Officially, anyway.) No included laundry service, just the full assortment of YC room liquor that is offered as just one bottle for the regular YC cabins. That much hooch is of no use to us unless we can entertain in the suite, but without a guest toilet, we would never do so.

You mentioned the lack of shade. Others have, too. Doesn't bother me one jot because I do not avail myself of the loungers whatsoever, except for one we have added to our balcony by the butler. (Always have a great butler, by the way.) I can spend an afternoon laying on a poolside lounger back home, so I have no interest in doing so on a cruise ship. I want to fill my cruise time with things not so readily available in my day-to-day life. This is why MSC lost significant points with us when they cut the once-per-cruise opera matinee. Granted, it was just an abbreviated production, but it was a form of entertainment that is not readily available back home. (Yes, there are opera companies within reasonable distance from our home, but it's not just across town.)

Ultimately, I forsee YC dropping more of the things that appeal to me, but don't matter to most cruisers. For example, the wonderful choice of international newspapers delivered to your cabin door is a perq we greatly appreciate, but I expect it will get cut eventually. When the few little extras are gone, we'll only cruise in YC just enough to keep the card status intact for the fare discount.

 

[LostAtSeaForever]

20 hours ago, no1talks said:

Ultimately, I forsee YC dropping more of the things that appeal to me, but don't matter to most cruisers. For example, the wonderful choice of international newspapers delivered to your cabin door is a perq we greatly appreciate, but I expect it will get cut eventually. When the few little extras are gone, we'll only cruise in YC just enough to keep the card status intact for the fare discount.

 

Newspapers in print are discontinued. You’ll be given a QR code to pull up the paper on your phone 

[no1talks]

3 hours ago, LostAtSeaForever said:

Newspapers in print are discontinued. You’ll be given a QR code to pull up the paper on your phone 

Say, @Best Cat Mom,,,

You mentioned in your "Live From" that you and BCD chose the WSJ for your YC newspaper, but I did not see any further mention of it in your narrative.

Did you get a hardcopy hanging from your door each morning, or was it digital access for an electronic device? Thank you, in advance, BCM. 😀

[Best Cat Mom]

18 hours ago, no1talks said:

Did you get a hardcopy hanging from your door each morning, or was it digital access for an electronic device?

We had a Wall Street Journal printed and placed in our stateroom every morning for the 2 week sailing (except Sundays, when WSJ does not publish). I was hoping for an electronic PressReader version. The printed version has always had "PressReader" markings on each page so I figured that is the origin of the printed versions. I did not think to ask if guests could have access via PressReader. I'll try to remember to ask on our transatlantic in 3 weeks. We've had PressReader app access at land resorts in the past and like it that way -- it would be easy to "carry" into TSL or onto One Pool. 😉

[no1talks]

13 minutes ago, Best Cat Mom said:

I was hoping for an electronic PressReader version.

Shhh! They'll hear you and do away with the printed versions. To me, there is just something far more enjoyable about reading from a printed page, as opposed to a screen.

@LostAtSeaForever, can you elaborate upon the circumstances which caused you to say the printed versions at gone? Were you denied a physical paper on a recent YC cruise, for example? If so, I wonder if a phasing-out is under way.

[Best Cat Mom]

3 minutes ago, no1talks said:

Shhh! They'll hear you and do away with the printed versions.

I think it would be like the Daily Programs -- printed by request only. There will still be guests who are phone-averse, at least for a few more years.

[sidvan]

On 9/26/2024 at 4:22 AM, JonoBhoy said:

5 Jan

Will be trying out Explora II on this same sailing.  First foray into this market after enjoying Princess for 20 cruises.

Edited Sunday at 10:12 PM by sidvan
sp

[kelleherdl]

I’m onboard Explora II right now and have been since Sept 23. We received a printed version afternoon prior to the next day EVERY DAY.  So yes the program is routinely updated through the day on the app, but printed version is there for everyone still without asking. Same high quality stock.

[Dr. Cocktail]

13 hours ago, kelleherdl said:

I’m onboard Explora II right now and have been since Sept 23. We received a printed version afternoon prior to the next day EVERY DAY.  So yes the program is routinely updated through the day on the app, but printed version is there for everyone still without asking. Same high quality stock.

Jealous.

[Hlitner]

Been following this thread, with a lot of interest, since we are considering a last minute YC booking (for a Nov cruise).  When trying to compare the YC to EJ, one point often forgotten is the price difference.  We are looking at a cruise in the YC which would cost us about $350 per person/day.  EJ fares are somewhat higher....in fact they are sometimes a lot higher.  We continue to think of the YC as one of the best values in the entire cruise industry.  While it is true that the YC cuisine does not ride to the level of the small ship luxury lines (such as EJ), the service in the YC actually exceeds what we got on EJ.  Just consider that everyone in the YC does get access to Butlers, over the top service, etc.  On EJ, this was not the case for those of us in the regular suites.

 

Hank

[no1talks]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

We continue to think of the YC as one of the best values in the entire cruise industry.

If MSC could get the YC experience more consistent, regardless of who might happen to be chef, director, head butler, or whatever, MSC would have to expand their fleet's YC capacity to meet demand. 

The reoccurring incidents of, "So-and-so was on vacation and their department's performance took a serious hit," need to be systemically addressed. 

[Hlitner]

Just now, no1talks said:

If MSC could get the YC experience more consistent, regardless of who might happen to be chef, director, head butler, or whatever, MSC would have to expand their fleet's YC capacity to meet demand. 

The reoccurring incidents of, "So-and-so was on vacation and their department's performance took a serious hit," need to be systemically addressed. 

Perhaps,  I will admit we have suffered cuisine issues with lesser chefs/cooks.  On the other hand, on one Divina cruise most things in the restaurant were excellent.  When we had a silly issue, which got elevated by accident, the ship's Executive Chef came to the YCs restaurant, prepared some asparagus for us (the issue was asparagus that was inedible) and when it was still inedible shyly admitted that the product, brought aboard, was frozen and awful!  It happens!  We had a good laugh, with the chef, and later enjoyed a drink with the gentleman.  Even the best chefs can only do so much with inferior products.

 

I do get the drift of your comment, in that if the YC were perfect it would be difficult to book,  On the other hand, when bookings exceed availability, the MSC folks are smart enough to simply increase the price ;).

 

I will add one generic cruise comment.  With about 50 years of extensive cruising under our belts, we have yet to find the perfect cruise line or ship.  As one who still cruises on many different cruise lines (ranging from mass market to luxury) we have learned to adjust our expectations to the product.  When we cruise on a large Princess ship, we do not expect the level or service or cuisine we get on Seabourn or Explora Journeys.  On the other hand, when we are paying the big bucks for a luxury line, we are more demanding in terms of quality and service.

 

Hank