Capricruiser

We used to cruise both Costa and MSC but for a variety of reasons by 2014 decided that Costa was no longer our cup of tea.  We've now had 20 MSC cruises on our books and loved them all, especially the Yacht Club experience found on the larger ships. 

The name of the ship is DIVINA, not Davina!

No MSC ship has an ATM on board.  For local currency cash at the ports there are usually ATMs in the terminal or close by.

Any cabin on deck 16 is preferable.  Easy access to the Top Sail lounge and concierge area.

We're booked for November 2019 the crossing from Civitavecchia to Dubai.  Obviously in Yacht Club.

If you're on an MSC organized flight you will be met by MSC ground personnel at the airport who take your baggage and bussed to the ship. There you go to the Yacht Club welcome area and the butlers will check you in and escort you onto the ship and up to the YC concierge area. If your cabin is ready you can go right in, otherwise a short relaxing wait in the Topsail Lounge. Your baggage will be delivered to your cabin. From passing through immigration at the airport to arrival in the YC area plan on about an hour and a half, maybe less.

Only in the Yacht Club restaurant.

CC ... I doubt even MSC know.

You're probably right.

You might get some answers if you'd specify the ports for your cruise itinerary. Each country has many.

All fine for the parties, but does anybody know anything about the advanced tier after Black?????

CC ... MSC now need to add at least two levels beyond Black at around 15k and 25k, the second for those who have or are over 25k in points.

What they also need to do is keep status match at Black level as that will then mean those who received it have to actually cruise more to get to the new levels.

There would also then be less people at the new levels.

Agree but I would make them 25k and 50k. It's too easy to get 15,000 points. Just need some spa expenses and a few excursions every cruise.

It's been talked about for a few years that MSC was considering a "platinum" level for those cruisers with many, many thousands of Voyagers Club points. Not too long ago one CC member heard from a reliable source that it might be announced after the launching of the Seaview. Has anyone heard anything more about this? It would be nice to get back that 20% discount that we used to have as Black members for example, along hopefully with other perks. A few years ago there might have been ten or twenty Black members on a cruise. Now with status match there are hundreds.

On March 11th (2018) we docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal across from E 48th Street.

I can log in with my email address and password but it shows a completely different club number for me. I've had the same MSC number for 12 years. Customer assistance doesn't seem able to correct it.

In my experience there are crew changes in many ports. When a crew member completes his or her contract and the next port has a convenient airport, you'll see a group of them disembarking with their suitcases. At the same time there will be another group waiting to embark for a new contract. The only time you could be inconvenienced if your cabin steward or favorite waiter disembarks half way through your cruise. Few of the newbies are first timers. The others have had one or more previous contracts and just want to pick up their cabin key and get to work.

We had port calls at both Bahrain and Doha last year on the Fantasia. In both ports we took MSC excursions and the buses took wheelchair guests without problem.

We normally cruise on the larger ships with Yacht Club but in 2016 we were in an aurea suite on the Opera which is one of Lirica's sister ships. The Aurea my choice dining was in a reserved area of the aft restaurant on deck 6 and we usually had one of the two person tables right next to the aft facing windows. Very nice especially at sunset. On the Lirica this would be the Ippocampo restaurant. We'll be on the Lirica in March 2019 sailing from Dubai to India and back to Dubai. Enjoy your cruise.

I'm against the YC day pass. If YC is to remain exclusive for those of us who pay a substantial price to enjoy it, then having non members in for the day would bother me a little. It's bad enough when they bring a tour group through. They come into the TSL and gawk (yes, gawk) - makes you feel like you're in a zoo with all those people staring at you (and even though they're not supposed to, some actually take pictures of us). Day pass, no way!

We haven't been on Seaside yet but on the four Fantasia class ships, Fantasia, Splendida, Preziosa and Divina, the two of the four forward elevators have a tag indicating they are for YC use. There's a slot to swipe your card to call the elevator and once on you have to swipe it again to indicate which deck you want. If other passengers decide to get on one of the dedicated elevators they have to put up with an express shot up to the YC decks. That's one of the perks we pay for in YC:

Bea, one of the butlers we know quite well should still be on the Splendida: Jean Franco Louis, a big fellow from Madagascar. If he's still on board could you please pass on best regards from Charles and Pinuccia from Rome. Thanks.

Thank you Bea regarding the Chief Butler's name. I've heard of him but never met.

Regarding the YC restaurant, in our six YC cruises we've learned that getting to know the asst maitre is super important. From that point on anything we want we get (if available of course). "Ask and you shall receive" and we've never had a maitre that wasn't exceptional. We haven't had Vincenzo yet but I'm sure he'll work miracles for you.

p.s. I like sticking with the same wines. DW drinks only prosecco so that's no problem. I always get Santa Margherita Pino Grigio when I want a white and Regale when I want a red. The waiter gets to know this and will always have it available for me. Obviously we use the same waiter every evening.

Have a wonderful cruise Bea. We just disembarked from the Divina after 20 days of a rough transatlantic crossing with lots of cold rain and wind. Thankfully the Top Sail was our little haven. I'd be curious to hear about some of the YC staff on your cruise: Who is the Chief Butler for one, and the Maitre in L'Olivo? We've gotten to know so many of the YC personnel over the years every time we embark on a new cruise there are always those who remember us.

We have now had over thirty cruises since we retired some 15 years ago. We're not exclusively Yacht Clubers because we cruise more for the itinerary but since 2015 we've had five YC cruises which we consider luxury compared with what we were used to before. Most Yacht Clubers we've met seem to be older retirees like us because who has money to spend today tends to be in the over 65 category. I remember the old adage of the people who take cruise vacations: "the newly weds, the over-feds, and the nearly dead!"

You can tip the girl who does your hair in cash as you like. The hair salon is already in the Spa. Access to the Spa Thermal area: No.

When sailing YC on the Fantasia or Splendida I always try to book 15001 or 15002 which are square cabins with huge balconies in the bow, just by the entry doors to the Top Sail Lounge. We've had one on two Fantasia cruises last year and were very pleased. Luckily our TA was able to get us 15002 for our next Fantasia cruise in March 2019. The balcony affords visibility both laterally and to the front of the ship.