Two Wheels Only

You can buy a VIBE pass or a Spa pass (if they aren't sold out).

It's possible to have seats reserved but the success of the reservation will depend on the butler and the staff in the theater. On Seaside, we had 4 front row seats reserved for 2 shows and those seats were held for us until we were escorted to the theater. The Yacht Club reserved section was higher up but we wanted the front row for the Michael Jackson show and some other show that I don't remember. We even had drinks delivered while we were seated but having drinks in the theater is sometimes frowned upon. Once again, MSC is consistent with inconsistency. 😉

We've done both on several occasions. My kids are younger than either of yours. I deal with the same Spring Break/non-school dates searching for cruises so I understand your dilemma. The stateroom options for Yacht Club can vary depending on the ship. For Meraviglia, there is the option of the Duplex Suite which is your only YC option if 2 bathrooms is important. It also has a whirlpool on the balcony. It is sometimes possible to book a regular Deluxe balcony and an interior in the Yacht Club for the same price as a 2 bedroom Villa in the Haven. Haven and Yacht Club have many similarities but MSC is very "different" from the other mainstream lines. Some of those differences are the reason for many bad reviews. Yacht Club reviews tend to be much more positive. We enjoy both Yacht Club and Haven. There is a larger gap between the Yacht Club experience and "the others" on MSC vs. the gap between Haven and "the others" on NCL. Aurea experience on MSC is about in the middle. Most people would choose non-Haven on NCL vs. non-Yacht Club on MSC.

There are 2 different configurations/renderings for the Owner's Suite on World Europa based on the MSC site. There was some confusion as to which was which because the MSC site had the rendering for the OS on deck 16 paired to the virtual tour on deck 18 and the rendering for deck 18 paired to the virtual tour on deck 16. Which deck are you on? It looks like you have the larger bathroom/larger bedroom configuration (16002?).

He's a former cruise line employee/entertainer.

Many of the issues with customer service could have been handled by the concierge. Not guaranteeing that the problems would have all been fixed if you were in the Yacht Club but YC guests generally get better service from the concierge than non-YC guests get from customer service. The cigar smoking would have still been outside, though.

Every cruise line currently in operation has bad reviews on YouTube. Every cruise has the potential of "undesirable" cruise guests. Every cruise has the potential of being a bad cruise. Yet, we still cruise. If my personal experiences lead me to continue cruising, I will no matter what others have experienced. If my personal experiences lead me to stop cruising, I will no matter what others have experienced. Something like Concordia, Triumph, or Titanic would be serious enough for me to pay attention to what others have experienced but minor inconveniences are not earth-shattering.

It's supposed to be... 130 days for Haven/Suite guests. 125 days for Club Balcony "Suite" guests. 120 days for everyone else. ...but some people have had problems making reservations beyond 120 days even if they are supposed to be able to.

There are 2 different stateroom configuration for the aft-facing suites. NCL has started to charge more for the larger balcony aft-facing suites on most of the Breakaway/Breakaway Plus ships. See below for details (the stateroom codes were different then but the info is still correct).

Which Haven category did you book on Getaway? If you have time, there is a large Haven thread with a lot of info...

The newer ships have an enclosed smoking area in the casino. It isn't perfect but it is an improvement over Escape.

Maybe Explora Journeys would be a better fit....if you are willing to take another chance on something new.

As far as Cruise Critic, the OP "JOINED November 29, 2009".

Don't forget the alcohol. 🤔 Not being judgmental, just curious.....😉

MSC has a few deceiving photos/renderings so people should be cautious when selecting a stateroom. One example is MSC showing a wheelchair accessible interior stateroom as a representation of interior staterooms. The wheelchair accessible one is much larger than the standard ones. ^^ Here's what the MSC website shows for Yacht Club interior on Seaside/Seaview/Seashore/Seascape. ^^ Here's an actual Yacht Club interior on Seaside/Seaside EVO class.

On Meraviglia, you have a hot tub on the balcony, 2 separate balconies, and a total of 3 doors that lead to balcony space.

Tip whatever amount that you want to whomever you want. You can't tip too much. You can't tip too little. It's up to you.

Children are more than welcome in the Yacht Club. MSC is a family line and even on Explora Journeys, children are welcome. ^^ I agree with this. Adding a 3rd person to a balcony stateroom will generally only add a few hundred dollars to the total. The age of the 3rd person can make a difference. The older the child, both the fare and the Hotel Service Charge can go higher than for a younger child. It isn't much but as kids get older, one child might cost more than the other if booking for more than one child (3rd and 4th passenger) .

Their information isn't always correct. Forum members like bear3412 started making their own spreadsheets to share the correct information. He helped me and I'm returning the favor by helping others.

As a family of 4, Haven and Yacht Club work best for us. We like the big ship "stuff" like water-slides, go-karts, zip-lines, bumper cars, dance parties, etc. but we also like the "less crowded/better service/exclusive areas" of the "ship-within-a-ship". Celebrity Retreat and Explora Journeys are currently in the "maybe....wait and see...." category for us. The lack of "stuff" and smaller ships will have to be balanced with better service or some sort of other wow factor. For more "stuff" but less "ship-within-a-ship" service, I'm also looking at RCCL's Suite Neighborhood on Icon OTS. In the meantime, we're sticking with MSC Yacht Club and hopefully in the future NCL's Prima Class (Prima/Viva, + 4 unnamed). We've either been on or have booked both Seaside EVO ships (Seashore/Seascape) and I'll book World America as soon as I can.

That's not aft-facing but Joy 10246 is bed near balcony.

You don't always always get 5% + 5%. I know, it says that but that isn't always the case. Sometimes, you have to wait for a specific 5% + 5% (or 5% + 10%, or 5% + 15%) deal or call to get what you are supposed to get. On the Voyager's Club page, it reads... VOYAGERS CLUB EXCLUSIVES OFFER Book in advance and get the most from your MSC Voyagers Club membership. Offer is applicable to new bookings made on April 28th, 2022 and beyond.*-- Book 12+ months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount + Double Points.** (Silver, Gold and Diamond members will also receive a $50 Onboard Credit per person)-- Book 9 to12 months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount. (Silver, Gold and Diamond members will also receive a $50 Onboard Credit per person)-- Book 6 to 9 months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount.-- Book less than 6 months before departure and receive a 5% Discount.BOOK NOW But if you click "BOOK NOW", that page will read... WELCOME TO THE VOYAGERS CLUB EXCLUSIVES Offer is applicable to new bookings made on April 28th, 2022 and beyond. World Cruises excluded. Book 12+ months before departure and receive a 5% Discount + Double Points (Silver, Gold and Diamond members will also receive a $50 Onboard Credit per person) Book 9 to12 months before departure and receive a 5% Discount (Silver, Gold and Diamond members will also receive a $50 Onboard Credit per person) Book 6 to 9 months before departure and receive a 5% Discount | Book less than 6 months before departure and receive a 5% Discount. ...so getting that extra discount may require a call. I've called and had additional discounts added to my original booked price when it was lower than the current price but some other people have not had the same experience.

I'll give an educated guess (since I can't find a photo/video) and say that it is bed near closet. Bliss 10216 and 10218 are both bed near balcony and it is rare to find 3 bed near balcony in a row. I'm not even sure if 3 in a row is possible . Also, Bliss 10214 connects to 10212. On Escape, 10214 also connects to 10212 and on that ship, 10212 is bed near balcony. Being sandwiched between 2 bed near balcony leads me to believe that 10214 is bed near closet. I don't like to make guesses for "sleeps 3" balconies because there is nothing physically stopping a sleeps 3 row of several staterooms. Since there is no "indent" information, it's difficult to tell and even when there is an indent on the deck plan (BA/GA), the indent can be in the wrong place. I've found several indents that are wrong on the BA/GA deck plans. A "sleeps 4" balcony/Club balcony is easy. The pullman in the ceiling will be in the same place for BA/GA/Escape/Joy/Bliss/Encore so the bed will be near the balcony for those. When there is no pullman, the bed can be in either location. I'm better when it comes to afts... ...I'm an aft man. 😲

A "sleeps 3" can have either configuration for the side balcony/Club balcony staterooms. On Escape, that location is "bed near balcony" but the other 3 ships in the class could be different or the same. Escape is unique with the bridge being one deck higher than the other 3 in the class. I don't know if that is a factor. The aft-facing configurations are basically identical but the sides are not. I'll keep looking....

It's from pictures that I've taken, others have taken, and reviews. All of the Breakaway Plus ships are built in the same way as far as aft-facing sizes and configurations. The stateroom numbers are slightly different and there are minor differences. I've compiled the lists and made corrections (when needed) over the years.