AVACTION

For a very special occasion like a honeymoon I would definitely chose a Yacht Club Suite on the MSC Fantasia or other MSC ship.

The "ship within a ship" concept is just fantastic. My wife and I have cruised twice with MSC in YC and will definitely never ever cruise any other way. The value for money is amazing.

Open bar (some more expensive drinks you have to pay for) in the Top Lounge and One Pool areas, free mini-bar in cabin (topped up twice a day, just ask your butler for your preferred drinks), priority embarkation & dis-embarkation, personalised service from your butler and his/her assistant, daily fruit basket, newspaper of choice, room service (free), concierge services etc. etc. etc..

I could go on and on. Read the reviews of the Yacht Club and you will find nothing but glowing praise.

The 'private' (YC passengers only) restaurant is a real bonus, we really enjoyed the food and the service on both our cruises (one was a seven day MED, the other a 19 day transatlantic).

Funnily enough although they were different ships we had the same butler (Suresh) and he actually remembered us! He kept our mini bar stocked with Heineken for me and scotch & vodka for my wife.

For a memorable cruise on this special occasion I would have no hesitation at all in recommending MSC Yacht Club as THE way to go!!

IMHO if you do not drink much alcohol and do not want room service breakfast, a balcony/seaview BELLA experience would be the best value.

Try doing a "dummy booking" on the website to see what the single supplement would be.

January is definitely OFF season in the Med and I would expect "last minute" discounts to be available nearer to the date. Remember that it is going to be cold and windy for most of the trip so you may not get the full benefit of a balcony cabin.

Also if flying in from USA I would recommend boarding in Civitavecchia (about 90 minutes from Rome).

There are two re-positioning cruises available on the Australian website for MSC Opera. First is leaving Genoa on 2 Dec 2015 terminating in Cuba 22 Dec., the second departing Cuba 12 April 2016 terminating Warnemunde (Germany) 7 May 2016.

I have been unable to find flights to/from Cuba from Australia at a reasonable price so am waiting for the major American airlines (specifically AA) to open up routes from the US to Cuba before we can consider booking.

The only reasonable fare at the moment is with LAN/Copa but it takes nearly 50 hours including layovers!!

"MSC Cruises 2016 - 2017 Interactive Presentation - A world of wonder ".

I'm booked in for this webinar on Tuesday July 14. Apparently the new Voyager Club will be explained. This is organised by MSC Australia. Are there others for other markets?

Hopefully they will not gloss over the changes to their loyalty scheme and will explain exactly how discounts will apply and what the discount booklets will contain.

There is a video on Youtube showing this cabin on Divina's sister ship MSC Preziosa

yeah sorry about that post, wrong one, couldnt delete. there is some great info on here, ive just been chatting with MSC about this and they say its not all doom and gloom for black members, I SAY IT IS.

 

there are additional discounts upto 15% for members extra but not all the time, there will also be a discount book given (only on request) with different discount coupons depending on a persons level.

 

still really bad and cruel.

Preston, is that you who was on the MSC Preziosa TA in March?

I would think that all "Blackmembers" would be p***ed off with these changes.

My wife and I are both 'Silver Members' and she is 4 points off getting 'Gold'. Working backwards under the new Voyager Club rules she would be a Gold Member now with 5100pts (1 x 7 night cruise in YC & 1 x 20 night in YC + on board spend).

BUT instead of a 10% discount we would now only get 5%.

It is good that you get more points in YC (like the frequent flyer programs give 50% bonus for Business Class & 100% for First) but the downgrade in benefits + the reduced discount are disappointing. No discounts for on board shopping.

Do all MSC cruises count towards MSC Voyagers Club points?

Most cruises contribute towards your points balance unless otherwise specified. With promotional departures, it is important to clarify this during the booking process. It is possible that for promotional reasons, MSC Voyagers Club points might not be awarded for a particular cruise. No points will be issued for MSC Specials promotions.

The more I read the 'Terms & Conditions" the worse it seems to get .....

I see that they have changed the Yacht Club package to include Unlimited Beverages and Unlimited Dining for two.

Wonder if that is the Algrissimo package + dining in speciality restaurants. If not it is just a $300 OBC pp.

On our last cruise we tipped the barman, butler and assistant butler throughout the cruise.

However the best response and thanks that we got was when I handed out (and pinned on) Australian Flag Pins, thanking them for making our holiday special.

The waiters, maitre de, barstaff and waiters all seemed REALLY thrilled to get something more personal.

Perhaps you could get some NZ Flag pins (before you change your flag!!).

Reading the 2016-2017 brochure available on the MSC Australia website it appears that changes are being made to the MSC Club.

Change of name to MSC Voyager Club and "5% Discount for all departures year round". "Members only discounted rates on an array of selected departures".

Sounds like a downgrade to me! Anyone have further details as to how their loyalty scheme will change, the brochure is a bit vague on details.

Wandering around the internet looking for information on the MSC Meraviglia I stumbled across the Lebanon MSC website which has a description of the new ship.

http://www.msccruises.com.lb/lb_en/Ships/MSC-Meraviglia.aspx#

One of the cabins listed is "MSC Yacht Club Inside". Very strange.

It is now 22 June here in Aus so I am contacting MSC today to see if we can pre-book, and if they have any further information.

I'll let you know their reply (if any!!).

MSC Fantasia.

Found this cruise WAY ahead of time and have booked. Who got the 'Royal Suites' in Yacht Club? Even this far out (nearly two years!!) both were sold out. Very disappointed, suppose they reserve them for 'Black Members' or VIPs.

I have started a thread in the Roll Call but it is the first time we have EVER booked a holiday this far in advance, normally we book a few months ahead but this time the price was too good to ignore.

I do not know if this is MSC policy or a general occurrence but when returning to the ship at Tenerife I brought a bottle of Spanish Brandy on board. I declared it at security expecting it to be taken away and returned to us at the end of the cruise (it was too cheap to miss at 9 Euro for a lire bottle!!).The staff member responsible just returned it to me saying "Oh you are in Yacht Club so you can take it on board".

Anyone else experienced this?

Our last cruise booked through MSC Australia had a $400 pp non-refundable deposit (as well as credit card surcharges).

I am able to get the All In offer in the YC for a december cruise.

Is that through a Travel Agent or MSC direct? I got a reply from MSC today from my enquiry about the "All In" promotion and YC:

"I believe our Inventory Department is in the process of updating the promotion to include shipboard credit, but I don’t have the exact details at this time. Was there a specific date that you were interested in?"

Agreed. No need to spend any time in a place that jeopardises my or anyone's life that doesn't agree to their beliefs (although they don't care who lives or dies for their cause, believers or not). Plenty of other wonderful places in the world to spend my time and money on.

 

 

Anthony & Jenny, Melbourne Australia

Cruising MSC YC 7th June 2015, Eastern Mediterranean.

If you have not cruised with MSC before in the Yacht Club you will be in for a BIG surprise. It is FANTASTIC!! My wife and I had never cruised before our trip in 2013 on MSC Splendida out of Barcelona in YC. We did a trans-Atlantic earlier this year from Sth. America to Italy, also in YC. My wife will not even consider any other cruise line or class of service after sampling YC !! MSC Divina later this year in the Caribbean is her choice.

Enjoy your cruise.

They have changed the itineraries...

 

March 19, 2015, 3PM EST: In the wake of Wednesday’s (March 18) terror attack at the Bordo National Museum, in Tunis, MSC Cruises has decided to suspend all remaining Tunisian calls in the 2015 summer program in the interests of guest and crew member safety.

 

Itineraries affected by the change will impact four of MSC Cruises’ 12 ships as follows:

 

• MSC Splendida will call at Valletta, in Malta

• MSC Fantasia will call at Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca

• MSC Preziosa will call at Cagliari, in Sardinia

• MSC Divina will call at Valletta a day earlier and head directly to Corfu, Greece

 

Here's a link: http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/About-MSC-Cruises/News/MSC-Cruises-Official-Statement-Tunisia-Events.aspx

Thanks for that but I would like to see a total boycott rather than a suspension.

I know I will get into trouble with the 'politically correct' crowd but my tolerance of islamic views/values is just about exhausted.

thank you all for your feedback. We are back from our cruise now so no longer need the input but to answer some of my own questions that may benefit future cruisers:

Our sons (adults) were booked in a separate cabin under a different reservation so MSC had no idea or intention of separating us. Our travel agent did ask that it was OK before making the upgrade for my husband and I.

The upgrade was fabulous. Everything about the YC experience was fabulous. Service and amenities were top notch. Our sons were able to come to our cabin. they did not have free access to do so as a YC key was required to gain access to the YC area. They were not permitted to be in the lounge, restaurant or pool and understandably so. Most days we were off the ship on excursions so there was little time for lounging around. We joined them in their dining room a couple of nights and when they didn't want a sit down dinner and preferred to go to their buffet, my husband and I enjoyed a five star meal at the YC dining room.

We were given the option of paying for day passes to have our sons enjoy unlimited access to all areas and services of YC. We chose to do on the final day of the cruise as it was a full day at sea. For 80 euros each they had a full day pass and took advantage of the dining, lounge and pool.

One other major advantage to YC was there was very little exposure to smokers. We are all non smokers and in Canada, there are very strict regulations on where people can smoke. On MSC there were so many smokers and smoking areas throughout the ship that it was unpleasant and offensive to get anywhere. The only places that smoking was not allowed was the theatre and the restaurants. Everywhere else had clouds of smoke that you had to walk through to try and get anywhere. The casino was unbearable. In YC, simply because there are so few guests, it was easy to avoid smokers.

Overall a very good YC experience. There was a very devastating ordeal that took place at one port on the cruise we were on (terrorist attacks in Tunisia where 13 MSC passengers were killed) Although it was a very frightening and chaotic time, crew and management did their best to deal with a situation that no one could be fully prepared for.

Were you on the Splendida? We were on the Preziosa when the terrorist attack happened. There were rumours flying around the YC that the call to Casablanca would be cancelled. It was not but the port was surrounded with police and army/navy troops. We ventured into town where there was a very heavy presence of security. It was not a pleasant stop so we almost immediately returned to the ship.

Our first cruise with MSC was on the Splendida and it called at Tunis. My wife and I did not go ashore at all there as we had been warned of an anti-westerner atmosphere. I had been to North Africa before and just hated the hassle from peddlers and beggars, now with the added risk of terrorist incidents we would not even consider going ashore in ANY North African country.

On MSC's websites they still include Tunis as a port of call, I understood that they were not going to call there anymore after this tragedy??

Just wondering if the OBC can be used in the casino for gambling. Looked at the promo and there is no OBC for booking YC. With the 'unlimited drinks' package for an Aurea balcony + $400 per cabin OBC I don't see how we would spend $400 in seven days on other things on the ship .....

MSC Cruises MSC Divina will remain based out of Miami in 2016, cruising the Caribbean year-round.

Thanks for the link Mike.

Looks like our cruise is cancelled, would have been nice to have heard that from MSC or my travel agent!!

Wonder if they will offer something to those who had already booked and planned their holiday, or just return deposits. Luckily with this knowledge now I will not book flights to Miami from Sydney, would have lost a lot of money!!

We are 4 points off Gold Membership, wonder if I should ask for those points for our disappointment & frustration.

Several posters have said that MSC Divina is staying based out of Miami for the whole of 2016. I cannot find any itineraries for cruises on Divina between May and November 2016.

Any idea where I could find this information?

We have booked a TA 23 April 2016 out of Miami and our travel agent has not responded to requests for information on whether this cruise is cancelled or not.

Also using the UK site I cannot find any Divina cruises in the Med for summer of 2016.

It's a mystery I'd like solved, any ideas?

I am a smoker but my wife is not.

On our last (second) cruise on MSC Preziosa I was disappointed that they had done away with the Cigar Bar.

Smoking is "banned" in the suites and balconies but not heavily enforced. A 'cleaning fee" of $70 is imposed "if evidence of smoking is found in your cabin".

Smoking was allowed on the PORT side in designated areas and being all outside the sea breeze (which is a constant) blows away and dilutes any smoke so that 2nd hand smoke is not a problem (unless you stand really close next to the smokers!!).

I just booked a category YC1 room (15029) on the Divina, departing December 19. From what I have read, I'm anticipating the Yacht Club will be sensational!

 

Questions:

 

1. We've gravitated toward booking aft Vista suites on Princess, but, except for the smaller size of the YC1, it seems that the Yacht Club experience will be a major step up in virtually every other regard over a full suite on Princess. Agree? Disagree?

 

Personally have not cruised on Princess, so cannot say

 

2. I know there is all-inclusive alcohol in the confines of the Yacht Club area. Does that extend to Le Muse as well?

 

Wine by the glass (usually a choice of two reds and two whites), beer, etc. are included. We also purchased bottles of wine at reasonable prices for some variety. In the Med you also have a selection of dessert wines by the glass/bottle for purchase.

 

3. Our son will be 13, so he will be with the Y-Team kids group. I can't seem to find any information as to whether the four age groupings within MSC's children's programs each has its own separate physical space. I'm assuming the answer is yes, but I'm not sure.

 

Don't know.

 

4. As a first timer on MSC (without any status in their loyalty program), are there benefits we won't have, or does being in the Yacht Club get you most of the important ones?

 

Being in the Yacht Club it doesn't really matter what status MSC Club you are, except for discounts on cruise fare, laundry, spa treatments, shop discounts etc.. We palled up with two 'Black Card' members, they got a bottle of Moet on arrival and a couple of free dinners in speciality restaurants, within the YC itself there were no extra perks.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all answers and advice!!

Hope this helps.

Water is something you freeze to put in your whisky. :rolleyes: