Come Comparisons with MSC Yacht Club

[philamyc]

Thanks for your review! My only confusion is on the prices. What do you mean by a YC1 Suite? The only thing I am finding are deluxe suites and that is between 500-600 a night. You mentioned 300 a night, and I am not finding anything with suite in the name that is close to that. I am not familiar with MSC, so I'm sure I am missing something.

 

Thanks!

[DaveOKC]

33 minutes ago, philamyc said:

Thanks for your review! My only confusion is on the prices. What do you mean by a YC1 Suite? The only thing I am finding are deluxe suites and that is between 500-600 a night. You mentioned 300 a night, and I am not finding anything with suite in the name that is close to that. I am not familiar with MSC, so I'm sure I am missing something.

 

Thanks!

Are you looking at the same thing?  Price per person or price per cabin?  Often two people talk different points.

[philamyc]

Ah, good point. It might have been PP.

[Nashna]

Thank you, Hank.  I enjoyed reading your review.  We just returned from a 10-night HAL Koningsdam sailing.  This was our 44th cruise and our first on HAL in 18 years.  We were in an AFT Vista suite.  The stateroom was fine, the evening entertainment was fantastic in the music venues.  The food was just ok.  Having to wait 20 minutes for a table when we had reservations was not ok.  We had four sea days and found that the towel chair game began each morning about 7:00am.  By 8:00am it was impossible to find a seat in the main pool area.  We came to the conclusion that we needed to find a better alternative to crowded dining rooms and pools.  One nice Canadian couple that we met were bemoaning the fact that they were not sailing on MSC YC.  Their enthusiasm caused me to check the YC option out for our January 2020 cruise.  We found the YC pricing comparable to a Mini Suite in Grand Class on Princess as well as Celebrity's Aqua Class.  What those two lack is private pool areas, butler service, lounge and casual dining options.  We decided to take the plunge and are booked and looking forward to new experiences in the YC on the Davina. 

[LorraineP]

On 12/23/2018 at 2:04 PM, Hlitner said:

Just returned from 21 days on MSC's Divina in their highly regarded Yacht Club.  There were many differences from HAL, whether one is in a Neptune Suite or simply steerage :).  Lets start with the vessel which is about 7 years old.  It was the best maintained ship we have even seen (and this is after 40+ years of extensive cruising).  Everything worked, toilets flushed, cabin A/C could easily be set for any temperature from freezing to hot, and we even had a full size tub/shower in our cabin (they call it a Yacht Club Suite but its basically a deluxe balcony cabin).  The entire ship was spotless and one would have needed a magnifying glass to find any rust or corrosion.  We actually saw a leak (in a pipe running through a public area) that developed after one night of some rougher seas....and that was completely repaired within a few hours!

 

Unlike those in Neptune Suites, we had an entire 3 deck section of the ship reserved for the fewer then 200 souls in the YC.  It took a special cruise card to even access this section of the ship.  Within that large part of the ship (towards the bow and above the bridge) we had our suites, a huge private lounge (bigger then the Crow's Nest on any HAL vessel, a 20 hour buffet in that lounge (changed many times a day from breakfast to snacks). a large private sundeck with more then enough loungers for all in the YC, which had two nice hot tubs and a decent pool.  On that sundeck we also had an eating area with an active bar (all drinks included), a small food buffet, and a cooking station where we could get made to order eggs/omelets for breakfast and made to order pastas for lunch.  Service on this deck was spectacular all day long.  Those in the YC get all their beverages included, exce alpt for Premium wines and a few very high end booze items like Remy Martin XO.   Our cabins had a well stocked fridge (which was actually quite cold) that was constantly replenished at no charge.  If we wanted a certain type booze, beer, soda or water it was in our cabin within minutes.  Room Service (with a very expanded menu) was available 24/7.

 

We actually decided to attend the CC Meet and Greet to see how this was handled.  MSC allowed us to sign-up for the M&G in advance of the cruise and actually sent us an e-mail acknowledgment.  When we arrived at our cabin (a story unto itself) we had an invitation to the M&G.   There were about 100 at the M&G which was held in a private lounge (they did ask to see the invitation).  MSC provided free drinks (Champagne, wine, etc) at the party which was attended by the Captain, many of his senior Officers, the Senior Hotel Staff, etc.  Live entertainment was provided by a terrific guitar player/singer.  The Captain made a very nice speech, introduced some of his staff, and then invited us all to join in a group photo (free 8x10s were later delivered to our cabin).  After the speech the Captain and some of his staff actually hung around for over 15 minutes to chat with any and all.

 

Another  interesting event was our embarkation from the Port of Miami.  We arrived at the port around 11:15 and quickly found the white embarkation tent (outside the terminal) reserved for only those in the YC).  They immediately added a special luggage tag to our bags (which were quickly delivered to our cabin) and then escorted us through security (we bypassed the lines) and into a large VIP Lounge (in the cruise terminal).  Embarkation was delayed for about 2 hours due to a surprise CBP inspection (with drug dogs) so we had to remain in the comfy VIP Lounge.  But MSC provided proseco, mimosas and a few other drinks and also offered a selection of small snacks.  The two hour wait was pleasant and gave us a chance to meet a few other YC  cruisers.  Around 1:30 one of our YC Butlers came and escorted us all onto the ship (bypassing lines) and to reserved elevators to whisk us up to deck 15 and the YC.  We immediately met our butler and had access to the beautiful "Top Sail" Lounge with drinks and small buffet.

 

One wonderful YC perk was having our meals in a private dining room (called Le Muse) which could handle all the YC members without a wait.  This dining room had its own galley, chefs, waiters, etc.  It was open 3 meals a day, even when in port!  Our menus were somewhat different then what they had in the regular MDR.  Everything was served hot with many items prepared to order.  Pastas and risottos were truly amazing...which is expected on an Italian ship.  When they served lobster tail, it was a very large tail (about twice the size we get on HAL) and perfectly prepared.  Meats were generally good, but not great.  But one day, which in a port, DW stopped in for lunch and had some of the best Veal Saltimbocca we have ever enjoyed.  This dish would have been acceptable in the best land side restaurants.  While food was always good, there were quite a few of these moments where the food rose to a level we have not experienced on cruises for many years.

 

Once leaving the YC facilities, we were on a typical overcrowded mass market ship.  The YC truly lived up to its reputation as a ship within a ship and the difference inside the YC versus outside was like night and day.  In the YC we never waited more then 30 seconds for a bar waiter.  Outside it was often difficult to even get a bar waiter.  But going outside gave us access to lots of entertainment and it was fun to mix with the "masses."    To put it simply, nearly everything in the YC was near perfect with the remainder of the ship having plenty of issues with bad service and inexperienced crew.  

 

As a result of this experience we quickly booked a future cruise (same ship and cabin) for next year :).  The shocker about MSC is that the YC only costs about $300 per passenger/day if you are in a YC1 Suite (what we call a deluxe balcony).  Since we booked though our favorite cruise agency we also had prepaid gratutities and a $700 OBC.  The only thing we used OBC for was to purchase Internet ($166 got us lots of gigabytes for 4 devices for the entire 21 days).  Towards the end of the cruise we realized that our on board account did not have a single item other then that Internet..leaving us with over $500 OBC.  A quick trip to our YC Concierge Desk (open 24/7 and about 10 feet from our cabin helped us discover that our OBC was non-refundable.  So DW went to the Effy Jewelry Store (onboard) and managed to spend about $500.  The last night I stopped in the Casino, drew out the rest of the OBC, increased it by about 50% at the Black Jack table...and walked out with the cash.  

 

MSC has many rough edges and would not satisfy some HAL cruisers.  But it is a rapidly growing company (adding about 2 ships a year for the next 6-7 years) that is quickly adjusting to the US Market (where a majority of its passengers still come from Europe).  By 2026 this line will have about 29 vessels of which 4 will be small Luxury Class vessels (completely Yacht Club...competing with Seabourn, SIlverseas, etc).  Other vessels will vary in size from about 3000 to over 4000 passengers.  

 

Hank

 

“Since we booked though our favorite cruise agency we also had prepaid gratutities and a $700 OBC.”

 

We loved the YC so much we are also booked once again in a YC balcony only disappointment now is our TA gave us nothing with past & future bookings. Would love to know who you use. 

[Hlitner]

49 minutes ago, LorraineP said:

 

“Since we booked though our favorite cruise agency we also had prepaid gratutities and a $700 OBC.”

 

We loved the YC so much we are also booked once again in a YC balcony only disappointment now is our TA gave us nothing with past & future bookings. Would love to know who you use. 

Board rules prohibit us from posting the name of the cruise agency.  But we always suggest that folks shop around, among reputable high volume cruise agencies, for the best deal.  Another alternative that we have never tried is to use one of the big box stores which always offer some kind of benefit.

 

Hank

[LorraineP]

17 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Board rules prohibit us from posting the name of the cruise agency.  But we always suggest that folks shop around, among reputable high volume cruise agencies, for the best deal.  Another alternative that we have never tried is to use one of the big box stores which always offer some kind of benefit.

 

Hank

OK I will start shopping. Thank you!

[rkacruiser]

I surely appreciate you taking the time and effort in posting your review.  MSC has interested me for some time and the Yacht Club reports I have read and the videos I have watched on You Tube are very tantalizing.  HAL's 2019-2020 Caribbean itineraries are more of the same.  Time for me to do some exploring?  

[iancal]

I started looking at cruise line premium options over and above our standard balcony.  This included some of the premium lines.

 

Seems to me that once you get above this the differences in additional deliverables vs additional cost between some cruise lines is rather astounding.  It is an entirely new analysis that challenged some of our pre conceived notions.  Yacht club is just one  example.  Real deliverables, not simply the priority boarding, ‘free water’ or some of the other no cost rather useless benefits that cruise lines like to hail as upgrade benefits or loyal customer perks.

[OlsSalt]

MSC is wonderful for those who like showing up 4000 other passengers in every port. 

[iancal]

It is not just MSC that I was referring too.  

 

There appearsto us to be significant cost/benefit comparisons  and differences between the mass market cruise lines when we look ar the real value (to us) of upgrading over and above the real estate.  Then, when we compare those from a value perspective (our value) to a an actual premium line there is a entirely different perspective. 

We only consider tangible benefits...not the fluff that some lcruise lines push when selling the u/g’s.

 

4000 people?  Not much different that visiting many popular ports when there are four, five ships in port is it?  Our last cruise ship visit to The Eastern Med convinced us to give up cruising in favor of independent land trips in this area.

.

Edited February 13, 2019 by iancal

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 1/28/2019 at 4:26 PM, philamyc said:

Thanks for your review! My only confusion is on the prices. What do you mean by a YC1 Suite? The only thing I am finding are deluxe suites and that is between 500-600 a night. You mentioned 300 a night, and I am not finding anything with suite in the name that is close to that. I am not familiar with MSC, so I'm sure I am missing something.

 

Thanks!

Just as a data point, we paid about 4500 pp for our 14 day Baltic/Norway cruise, upcoming in Late April in the YC of Meraviglia, so that is about 320 pp pd.

One point worth mentioning - the YC restaurant on the earlier ships, including Divina, is at the opposite end of the boat, and the path to get there involves going down a few decks, navigating the full length of the ship, and then going back up.  I'm looking forward to our upcoming Meraviglia cruise in YC because on this ship the restaurant is up front, within the YC enclave.

I don't have a ton of cruising experience.  We very much enjoyed our 14 day Alaska cruise last May on HAL Zaandam (Oceanview cabin).  But the YC experience was a notch above, for us.

[mcrcruiser]

Thanks for your report on MSC YC  .Makes our  food cravings   come alive as we love anything Italian  .We must give  the YC a try & as a elite + with Celebrity we are surely going to their top level