MSC Yacht Club vs NCL The Haven

[WildcatRock]

DW and I have only cruised on NCL and only in suites and really like NCL's Haven experience and perks. We are very interested however in trying a new cruise line and are interested in MSC's Yacht Club experience and perks. We're specifically looking at booking the Seaside out of Miami. For those who have cruised both in MSC's Yacht Club and NCL's Haven, how do the two cruise lines compare to each other? Thank you for your help!!

[FireEater]

Posted August 2014

MSC Divina Yacht Club vs. NCL Haven

 

Sail Date: August 2014

Destination: Western Caribbean Embarkation: Miami

 

Introduction: We just got back from a cruise on the Divina. We booked the Yacht Club YC2 suite which has a living room, separate bedroom, walk-in closet and bathroom with both shower and bath. This was our first cruise on MSC. Prior to MSC, we have been regular NCL passengers usually in Haven suites. Since it appears MSC is targeting NCL, this review compares the ship within a ship areas of each cruise line. Last year we sailed on the Breakaway in a Haven family suite which compares in size and layout to the Divina's YC2 suite. Since both ships are approximately two years old, there is a good basis for comparison of each company's suites.

 

Price: MSC Divina won this category hands down. We paid $6,000 for the YC2 for four travelers. A similar Haven family suite at the time we made the reservation was $9,000+. Also, the Divina Yacht club included free drinks and free minibar in the Yacht club and also free drinks at dinner in Le Muse the Yacht club restaurant.

 

Room: The YC2 does not include a balcony. It is at the front of the ship and has wall to wall windows. Your view if basically the same as the captain's which is directly one deck above your room. We did miss the balcony, but the YC2 pool and lounge area is bigger than NCL's Haven and we had no problem getting space on deck 18. The rest of the room was more spacious than the NCL family suite. Overall I would give a slight edge to the Divina in this category.

 

Amenities: In addition to the drinks mentioned above, the Top Sail lounge is a very large lounge on deck 15 which served casual breakfast, and was always stocked during the day with small bites for snacking or a light lunch. NCL's lounge was much smaller and with few amenities including no free drinks. NCL did have their Haven restaurant in the same location as the lounge. Le Muse, the Yacht Club restaurant was at the opposite end of the ship. We did not mind the walk as we try to stay active during the cruise anyway to burn some of the calories. However, if you don't like traveling cross ship every day to the exclusive club restaurant, NCL is a better choice. One other amenity on the Divina that was very cool, was the daily delivery of a fully bound copy of the newspaper of your choice. Everything consider, we liked the amenities of the Yacht club better than the Haven.

 

Food: The Divina does not have freestyle dining. We dined at Le Muse every night. We missed trying other restaurants on the ship. The two pay restaurants on board were basically ghost towns most of the time. While the food on the Divina was excellent, I would give this catagory to NCL based on the variety of choices available to guests. Our butler indicated MSC's new ships will have free style dining, and will locate Le Muse to the front of the ship where the other Yacht club facilities exist.

 

Entertainment: The Divina had the best entertainment of any ship we have sailed. Opera, a Michael Jackson tribute, dancers, jugglers, aerialists, contortionists, you name it the Divina had it. On NCL, we saw Rock of Ages and Burn the Floor. Both are good shows, but once you have seen those two shows, there is very little entertainment left in the Main Theater. Entertainment goes to MSC by a wide margin.

 

Fitness: NCL's fitness center was about twice as large as the Divina's. Both venues had new equipment and classes of all types. However, the Divina's center was often crowded compared to the Breakaway's center. We did not use the spa on either ship. The fitness catagory belongs to NCL.

 

Recreation: This section of the Breakaway excels. My daughter and I did the ropes course twice, and is was unlike anything available on other ships. The water park was also excellent and lines were very short. Even the mini-golf was pretty fun for a cruise ship. The Divina has one water slide and the usually sports court, but nothing comparable to the Breakaway's offerings. This catagory goes hands down to NCL.

 

Embarking and Disembarking: Both ships are good in this area, but the Divina embarkation was the best we experienced. Unlike NCL, you never stand in any general boarding or security lines. You drive up to the Yacht Club canopy and the butler's take it from there. We were on the ship in 15 minutes which included all I.D. cards, room keys, accounting, etc. Disembarking on both ships was quick. MSC wins this category.

 

Service: The Divina has been maligned in several reviews regarding service. We did not experience this issue, and that includes service outside the Yacht Club. We try to be nice to the staff, as most have very difficult jobs, and the staff was pleasant in return. We had a few issues early on the cruise with our room, and they were resolved quickly. On the Breakaway, it appeared either the staff was new and still working on delivering reasonable service, or there was not sufficient staff for a ship of this size. The Divina wins the service category.

 

Conclusion: This was the best cruise we have experienced on any ship. The service and amenities were great value for money when compared with NCL's Haven. This is not to say the Haven is a bad experience. Anytime you sail in the suite section of any ship, you are likely to have a good cruise. However, when considering the price differential, the suite amenities and the overall experience, I would sail MSC again over a similar offering from NCL. Less

 

Now remember, this was posted a few years ago. Seaside can be a different animal, and a different vibe until all the kinks are worked out...

Edited February 23, 2016 by FireEater

[WildcatRock]

Outstanding. Thank you!!!

[Shippy]

Some people pan the YC2 cabins because of the lack of the balcony but they are our favorite because they are huge. The windows are floor to ceiling in both the bedroom & living room.There are small water jets on the outside that keep the window clean. You can leave your curtains open at night & watch the sunrise from bed.

Also the bathroom is twice the size of a YC1.

2 sinks and a separate shower with lots of jets & a large tub. I really like this because I do not like trying to step into the tub to take a shower.

I like Norwegian but I am sure we will never do the Haven. Gets down to $$$$$.

We will again be sailing in a few weeks on the Divina in a YC2.

Just my husband & myself. Not only is it always less than $2000. pp but there is a $10.next cruise coupon you can buy onboard. It has LOTS of exclusions & expires in 18 months. But we always go in March & as soon as we get back, book for the following March.

That $10. coupon gives us $400.00 on board credit since we do Yacht Club & early booking.

This will be the third year we are taking advantage of this. You can bet if it is still offered...I will be buying another one of those coupons in a few weeks.

[Cruisin D]

Thanks FireEater for a amazing comparison, very informative.

 

We where on the Epic for the first time in January and in the Haven loved it, we are also on the Divina this coming November and December in a YC1 cabin and really looking forward it from what we have been reading so far.

[Iluvcruising2]

I am missing my YC experience so much. :)

 

The comparison missed out the One Pool area in the MSC Yacht Club where you can also get food, and drinks (alcohol included) by the pool. Very awesome!

 

Here is what we had for breakfast at the One Bar.

[YOUTUBE]kAKSSD1qT9E[/YOUTUBE]

 

On another day, some drinks at the One Bar.

[YOUTUBE]QXW3gNUaN-8[/YOUTUBE]

 

Yet another day, more food and drink at the pool area.

[YOUTUBE]lGl-_9SHSo0[/YOUTUBE]

[FireEater]

Outstanding. Thank you!!!

 

Thanks FireEater for a amazing comparison, very informative.

 

Just to clarify, that was not my post back in August. I found that posting online and just reposted it......

 

I have yet to step on a MSC ship. Had a YC1 booked to Bermuda and Bahamas for this April, but had to canx due to real world obligations. For all that I read though, I would not hesitate on rebooking an MSC cruise if timing is right. Due to other commitments, I will now have to wait for the Seaside and 2018 to come around before I would be going on an MSC cruise and if pricing is similar, will make it a Yacht Club experience.....

[flipper32]

I typically cruise on NCL in the Haven but I keep reading about the Divinia Yacht club and we are considering it, mostly due to price.

Is Divinia dressier than NCL? I have read where there are no shorts on the ship, is this true for a Caribbean cruise also or is this only on a European cruise. How is the overall "vibe" on the ship vs a Haven vacation? I guess what I'm asking is it stuffier?

[Cruisergal1208]

I typically cruise on NCL in the Haven but I keep reading about the Divinia Yacht club and we are considering it, mostly due to price.

Is Divinia dressier than NCL? I have read where there are no shorts on the ship, is this true for a Caribbean cruise also or is this only on a European cruise. How is the overall "vibe" on the ship vs a Haven vacation? I guess what I'm asking is it stuffier?

 

Not stuffy at all. You will find the Europeans tend to be smartly dressed but there are plenty of shorts. Of course, there is a dress code suggention for each night in the MDR but not all adhere to it. In the YC, you can be very casual during the day but will want to follow the dress code for the YC dining room. Never been on NCL so can't compare.

[WildcatRock]

Thank you so much for the feedback - it has been very helpful!

[Iluvcruising2]

I didn't even bother to follow the dress code for dinner on the YC and many passengers didn't either. We had 2 Gala evenings.

 

Of course, I didn't turn up for the Gala evening in a sloppy manner. I still wore a proper long-sleeved shirt plus dark pants. I left all my formal wear at home. Too much luggage to carry.

[RichNY]

Thanks everyone for the information. Having been a long time NCL suite/Haven passenger it sounds like the YC will probably exceed our expectations..:D:D:D

[amscene1]

I look forward to this as well in my upcoming April cruise, the haven outdoor loungers and hot tubs always seemed crowded, even more so than the vibe. The fact that MSC has a whole top deck is great news!

[Freespir8]

Thanks everyone for the information. Having been a long time NCL suite/Haven passenger it sounds like the YC will probably exceed our expectations..:D:D:D

 

I am anxious to hear your experience. We just booked a YC2 for me and my 2 sisters for April 2017. We normally cruise in a suite on NCL as well and have found that the prices have increased dramatically this past year. I just can't justify spending 2500 per person for a 7 day cruise.

 

I had heard about MSC on the NCL boards and the reference to the Yacht club being similar to the Haven, so I we are really excited to check it out. Our biggest concern is space. I am happy to read that the space makes up for the lack of balcony. While we would have loved to have had a balcony, the YC1 is just too small for 3 women. So we will forgo the balcony for extra space. :) Thanks for all of the information in this post! It was exactly what I was hoping to find!

[RichNY]

I am anxious to hear your experience. We just booked a YC2 for me and my 2 sisters for April 2017. We normally cruise in a suite on NCL as well and have found that the prices have increased dramatically this past year. I just can't justify spending 2500 per person for a 7 day cruise.

 

I had heard about MSC on the NCL boards and the reference to the Yacht club being similar to the Haven, so I we are really excited to check it out. Our biggest concern is space. I am happy to read that the space makes up for the lack of balcony. While we would have loved to have had a balcony, the YC1 is just too small for 3 women. So we will forgo the balcony for extra space. :) Thanks for all of the information in this post! It was exactly what I was hoping to find!

 

We will be sailing with 2 NCL "Haven" couples.All of us are looking forward to making the comparison. With the balconies on the newer, larger ships getting smaller you wont be missing too much..

 

The MSC Yacht Club savings vs NCL Haven are too good to pass up.:)

[Freespir8]

We will be sailing with 2 NCL "Haven" couples.All of us are looking forward to making the comparison. With the balconies on the newer, larger ships getting smaller you wont be missing too much..

 

The MSC Yacht Club savings vs NCL Haven are too good to pass up.:)

 

Thanks for that reassurance. Love hearing that! Agreed. The price difference for apples to apples suite was 800-1000 more per person on NCL. Just crazy.

Enjoy your trip and I will be looking for your thoughts.

[tonytone68]

Some people pan the YC2 cabins because of the lack of the balcony but they are our favorite because they are huge. The windows are floor to ceiling in both the bedroom & living room.There are small water jets on the outside that keep the window clean. You can leave your curtains open at night & watch the sunrise from bed.

Also the bathroom is twice the size of a YC1.

2 sinks and a separate shower with lots of jets & a large tub. I really like this because I do not like trying to step into the tub to take a shower.

I like Norwegian but I am sure we will never do the Haven. Gets down to $$$$$.

We will again be sailing in a few weeks on the Divina in a YC2.

Just my husband & myself. Not only is it always less than $2000. pp but there is a $10.next cruise coupon you can buy onboard. It has LOTS of exclusions & expires in 18 months. But we always go in March & as soon as we get back, book for the following March.

That $10. coupon gives us $400.00 on board credit since we do Yacht Club & early booking.

This will be the third year we are taking advantage of this. You can bet if it is still offered...I will be buying another one of those coupons in a few weeks.

 

Hi Shippy. Thanks for sharing. Like you, my partner and I have sailed multiple times in NCLs Haven penthouses. While we like NCL's Haven experience, like you, we have seen their prices rise to the point were the prices are compare to other luxury cruise lines (i.e. Regent Seven Seas, Oceana, etc.). We have been looking at MSC's Yacht Club. After some thought, we booked the MSC Seaside for April 2018 in the Royal Suite (I think a YC1) which is priced competitively with NCL's Courtyard Haven Penthouses. If our experience is as good as NCL's Haven, we will probably continue to sail with MSC in their Yacht Club. Your description of the $10 coupon will certainly seal that deal too! Thanks again!

[Beamafar]

The $10 is no longer available to buy anymore, unfortunately. MSC discontinued it in April last year.

 

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