MSC Seaside Yacht Club 1/19/19 vs Celebrity Aqua Class

[smdubowsky]

My DW and I just cruised on the MSC Seaside and disembarked yesterday from an eastern Caribbean 7 day cruise. We are long time Elite Plus cruisers on Celebrity and this was our first time on MSC., so we are Black card members on MSC. First let me say that the experience on both lines is different.  We usually travel Aqua class on Celebrity and we were in the Yacht Club on the Seaside. WE are not usually fans of mega ships. We were once on the RC Quantum and did not enjoy the experience. Booking in the Yacht Club partially solves the problem since it is a self contained portion of the ship and being in the Yacht Club affects many elements of the cruise from embarkation to disembarkation.

Embarkation

There's a white tent for Yacht Club guests. Once about eight of us were assembled we were led to a special lounge with Mimosas in hand. In another few minutes were onboard in the Yacht Club (YC). Our butler was very friendly and accommodating through out the cruise.

Yacht Club

The YC suites are excellent with plenty of room and storage space. Much bigger than an Aqua Class room on Celebrity. You would need a suite on Celebrity for this much room. The balcony was also bigger. One hint is you can ask the butler to add a chaise lounge to the balcony since there are normally only chairs. We picked a cabin on the lower deck (16027). It was super quiet and convenient. Going forward on 16 gets you to the Topsail Lounge for the Yacht Club. This is a very spacious and comfortable space with a bar and where light food selections are available all day and evening.They don't have included champagne anymore but the proseco was fairly dry.

One deck up (18) (17 does not exist for some reason) is the restaurant.

Yacht Club food

Overall we found rhe food to be disappointing verses Celebrity. I'll go into detail for those interested. First of all, our experience with Celebrity has been in Blu. Breakfast in Blu was our favorite meal. The breakfast in the YC was fine but nothing out of the ordinary. The OJ was fresh. The omelettes were fine. I will say that the lox was better than Celebrity but still not like Fairway or Zabar's (for NY or NJ cruisers).

 

Lunch in the  YC dining room was  more for the European market with heavier selections. We often ate at the grill on deck 19  by the pool. Again, the selections were heavier but there was always something else like burgers or pasta. BTW, the pasta on the ship was very good.

Dinner

Many of the dinners were disappointing. The food was often very salty. The fish dishes were often tough and drowned in sauce. My guess is that the fish was frozen.  My DW's filet mignon had to be sent back. I will say that rhe staff was very accommodating. Our waiter, Drago, was excellent. I will say that the standard "every night" dishes like salmon and chicken were okay.

We did have a dinner at "Butcher's Cut." The food there was at a higher  standard. I had wild salmon which was excellent.

As an aside, we did visit the regular buffet twice. The pizza was fine but not as good as a good NY/NJ pie.

The main part of the ship

I would not travel on this ship if it were not for YC. There was always just too much of a mass of humanity in the main part of the ship. Others may not mind it or maybe enjoy the "Times Square" like environment. 7000 passengers and crew is a lot! We rarely ventured out except to go to the shows. The entertainment was good and the performers were talented. The shows did get a bit redundant as time went on. As an aside I was shocked at the prices for liquor in the store. If you want to buy booze , go ashore.

Itinerary

The itinerary was awful. We didn't care but first time cruisers beware. The ship docked in San Juan at 5pm. St thomas was fine; a full day; St Marten was only til 1:30PM and we didn't dock in Nassau until 12PM. Even the crew did not know why the itinerary had been changed like that. If you want to go on Seaside. I would advise to go on the western Caribbean trip.

To sum up, we did have a good time and would go on the Seaside again. We loved the Yacht Club and thought that except for the food, it was a very positive experience, but we also liked the ambiance of the entire ship better with the S class ships of Celebrity. The layout of the Seaside was very "choppy" and did not have the flow that we were used to on Celebrity. We missed the leisurely strolls we would have through the S class ships. Walking around the Seaside just seemed more like a challenge than a stroll.

 

Disembarkation.

Being on the Yacht Club mad it easy as the butler escorted us past all of the long lines. We were off the ship in about 15 minutes after the ship was finally cleared.

To sum it up, Celebrity  Aqua class and MSC Yacht Club are two different experiences. Both have their pluses and minuses and it's sort of a trade off. I've rambled on too long but would be happy to answer any questions.

 

Edited January 28, 2019 by smdubowsky

[modes]

Thanks for the report but we find the MSC YC is far superior in every aspect especially entertainment to anything on X.

[grandgeezer]

34 minutes ago, modes said:

Thanks for the report but we find the MSC YC is far superior in every aspect especially entertainment to anything on X.

 

 We like Aqua class, it’s the only cabins we’d consider staying in on Celebrity, especially due to Blu restaurant, but the Yacht Club trumps that. We were on the Seaside in September and found the food quite good. We are going back in October for fourteen days. No plans of going back to Celebrity.

[Nymich]

We like Aqua a lot and will be doing the Reflection in a few months.  That being said we will do two MSC YC cruises as well in the next year.  We like both lines for different reasons.  

[sverigecruiser]

2 hours ago, smdubowsky said:

 

They don't have included champagne anymore but the proseco was fairly dry.

 

 

 

Was that everywhere on the ship?

 

I can afford to pay for Champagne but prefer if it's included!

[hamrag]

6 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Was that everywhere on the ship?

 

I can afford to pay for Champagne but prefer if it's included!

 

Hi Sverige, we seem to 'bump' into each other often across these boards....NF champagne is included for the YC experience, and certainly for those who booked prior to the oct/nov cut-off dates for the old to new drinks packages . For YC areas, if it is not in stock, simply tell them you wish to have some (lots!!) and they will locate a few bottles from elsewhere on the ship!

lita på mig

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

 

Hi Sverige, we seem to 'bump' into each other often across these boards....NF champagne is included for the YC experience, and certainly for those who booked prior to the oct/nov cut-off dates for the old to new drinks packages . For YC areas, if it is not in stock, simply tell them you wish to have some (lots!!) and they will locate a few bottles from elsewhere on the ship!

lita på mig

 

I trust you more than MSC so I'm sure you are right!

[philamyc]

Isn't the yacht club quite a bit more expensive than than an Aqua class cabin?

[sptrout]

1 hour ago, philamyc said:

Isn't the yacht club quite a bit more expensive than than an Aqua class cabin?

No, typically YC is much less expensive than a Celebrity Sky Suite.

[mafig]

5 minutes ago, sptrout said:

No, typically YC is much less expensive than a Celebrity Sky Suite.

Celebrity Sky Suites are expensive compared to the Yacht Club.

 

We paid about the same amount for a 7 day cruise in the Yacht Club as a Aqua Class stateroom is going for on our upcoming 10 day cruise on Celebrity.  Maybe a little less.

[grandgeezer]

2 hours ago, philamyc said:

Isn't the yacht club quite a bit more expensive than than an Aqua class cabin?

 

  We paid around $2650 p.p. for a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite, on the Seaside, for 14 days in October. This doesn't include any obc from MSC or gratuities. The obc from the travel agency covered the gratuities. Remember, the free drink package includes the mini bar also. You do the math.

This was booked in December and the prices have gone up about $1500 p.p. since then.

[Hlitner]

There are a few things the OP did not mention.  On Celebrity, Blu (the dining room for Aqua Class) is never opened for lunch.  I the Yacht Club the dedicated restaurant is open for every meal...even when in port.  In the YC you get exclusive access to an entire section of the ship including large lounge, pool deck, etc.  But Aqua Class really gets you nothing other then Blu and some special access to part of the spa.  IMHO (having done Aqua many times and also the YC on the Divina) it is like comparing apples to kumquats.   Aqua is primarily about a few extras in one's cabin and Blu.  The YC is a complete "ship within a ship" for which Celebrity has nothing comparable (I cannot speak to the new Edge Class).

 

As to "frozen fish,"  I believe that is also the standard on Celebrity (perhaps I have this wrong).  My issue with fish on Celebrity (and most cruise lines) is that they are all into this "sustainable seafood" thing which is code for "tasteless farmed fish."  One great exception is in Murano on Celebrity where the tableside prepared (and fileted) Dover Sole...which we have always found delicious.  But Murano does not come cheap.

 

Hank

[sptrout]

Hlitner: "As to "frozen fish,"  I believe that is also the standard on Celebrity (perhaps I have this wrong)."

 

You are correct. It would be almost impossible to have fresh fish or other kinds of fresh seafood on a ship. I did have fresh mahi-mahi in French Polynesia during a Windstar cruise years ago. I actually saw the fisherman carry on to the ship a very large mahi-mahi, which I am sure was used the next day at a cruise-wide beach picnic which feature grilled, on the beach, mahi-mahi.

 

Even at the local grocery store, their "fresh seafood department" nearly always sell "previously frozen" fish/seafood if you read the fine print. Why they thaw out fish then put it on display has always been a pet peeve of mine. Why thaw it out? That starts the clock going as to how soon the fish must be cooked (a day or two max?). If they just kept it frozen then you could buy it and take it home to your own freezer and it will be good for weeks.

 

From experience, I rarely order seafood on a cruise. It will nearly always be poor at best. Salmon, that is wild caught is great tasting and very healthy. Nearly impossible to find this side of Juneau, AK at any grocery store (some if you check real close) or restaurant, or about anywhere else, that is not farm raised and missing nearly all the health benefits of wild caught salmon. We buy our salmon in bulk that is wild caught from outlets in the Pacific Northwest. (BTW - - Costco has great wild caught salmon if ordered at their online store. Sockeye (the best) only is provided in 10-pound shipments, but packaged in individual sized portions (have space ready in your freezer LOL).

 

I do agree that the Dover Sole at Murano's is the exception. 

[JAGR]

2 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

This was booked in December and the prices have gone up about $1500 p.p. since then.

Indeed, it has gone up, but still affordable.  We have two weeks in March 2020.  YC Suite for $6170 total.  Still at 3085 for each for 14 nights, it is still a great deal.  Generous OBC helps as well.

[LisaLisa87]

Thank you for your review! Our experience in December was very similar. 

[smdubowsky]

Interesting responses and I actually agree with most of them. The one thing that I mentioned that no one commented on was the overall ship experience. I agree that the YC is a great experience and provides more exclusiveness than Celebrity but my point was that the S Class ships were smaller and we enjoyed experiencing the whole ship in contrast to a Mega ship like Seaside.  We almost never experienced the "crowds" on Celebrity like we did on Seaside. Having said that it was a joy to go up to the pool and just pick out a chiar wherever you want.

I have to disagree with those who have said that all of the fish is frozen on Celebrity. The seared tuna, for instance, on Celebrity was not frozen and was only offered at the beginning of the cruise.

You are right about Blu only serving breakfast and dinners but the breakfasts were better and the the dinner dishes were not drowning in sauce like some of those on  the YC. . Getting lunch was easy at the Oceanside or at the AquaSpa cafe although the AquaSpa did go downhill a bit.

Comparing the two lines is like comparing apples to oranges. My DW and I are going on Celebrity this summer and back to MSC next year. Some of you did get a little defensive about MSC. My intention was just to point out my observations.

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

 

 

[Hlitner]

13 minutes ago, smdubowsky said:

Interesting responses and I actually agree with most of them. The one thing that I mentioned that no one commented on was the overall ship experience. I agree that the YC is a great experience and provides more exclusiveness than Celebrity but my point was that the S Class ships were smaller and we enjoyed experiencing the whole ship in contrast to a Mega ship like Seaside.  We almost never experienced the "crowds" on Celebrity like we did on Seaside. Having said that it was a joy to go up to the pool and just pick out a chiar wherever you want.

I have to disagree with those who have said that all of the fish is frozen on Celebrity. The seared tuna, for instance, on Celebrity was not frozen and was only offered at the beginning of the cruise.

You are right about Blu only serving breakfast and dinners but the breakfasts were better and the the dinner dishes were not drowning in sauce like some of those on  the YC. . Getting lunch was easy at the Oceanside or at the AquaSpa cafe although the AquaSpa did go downhill a bit.

Comparing the two lines is like comparing apples to oranges. My DW and I are going on Celebrity this summer and back to MSC next year. Some of you did get a little defensive about MSC. My intention was just to point out my observations.

 

You do have a great point about the passenger density on MSC vs Celebrity.  We seldom felt "crowded" on a S-Class ship, but on the Divina (smaller then your MSC ship) we thought the regular pool deck (outside the Yacht Club) felt a lot like a crowded Carnival or RCI vessel.  A huge issue on the Divina was the lack of shade areas where one could lounge without getting blasted by the Sun.  The S-Class Celebrity ships have a pretty decent shade area on the pool deck.  On the Yacht Club's private sun deck (One Pool) there was no shade.  We thought this was a major design flaw on the Divina.  Inside the Divina we never had an issue with crowds.  We would usually go out of the YC in the evening so we could enjoy some of the decent bands and never had a problem getting a decent seat in the bars.

 

Hank

[Europeantraveler1]

8 hours ago, sptrout said:

Hlitner: "As to "frozen fish,"  I believe that is also the standard on Celebrity (perhaps I have this wrong)."

 

You are correct. It would be almost impossible to have fresh fish or other kinds of fresh seafood on a ship. I did have fresh mahi-mahi in French Polynesia during a Windstar cruise years ago. I actually saw the fisherman carry on to the ship a very large mahi-mahi, which I am sure was used the next day at a cruise-wide beach picnic which feature grilled, on the beach, mahi-mahi.

 

Even at the local grocery store, their "fresh seafood department" nearly always sell "previously frozen" fish/seafood if you read the fine print. Why they thaw out fish then put it on display has always been a pet peeve of mine. Why thaw it out? That starts the clock going as to how soon the fish must be cooked (a day or two max?). If they just kept it frozen then you could buy it and take it home to your own freezer and it will be good for weeks.

 

From experience, I rarely order seafood on a cruise. It will nearly always be poor at best. Salmon, that is wild caught is great tasting and very healthy. Nearly impossible to find this side of Juneau, AK at any grocery store (some if you check real close) or restaurant, or about anywhere else, that is not farm raised and missing nearly all the health benefits of wild caught salmon. We buy our salmon in bulk that is wild caught from outlets in the Pacific Northwest. (BTW - - Costco has great wild caught salmon if ordered at their online store. Sockeye (the best) only is provided in 10-pound shipments, but packaged in individual sized portions (have space ready in your freezer LOL).

 

I do agree that the Dover Sole at Murano's is the exception. 

I am seriously considering switching to Atlantic-caught salmon due to the affects of the nuclear catastrophe that occurred in Japan. It’s frightening!  

Our family (daughters/spouses/grandchildren included) will be cruising in the Mediterranean next summer on the (new) MCS Grandiosa in YC. We’re celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary and are taking our family first to Rome then a train ride to Naples to board the Grandiosa for some familiar and not so familiar ports of call. We’ve cruised with several cruise companies (Princess; Norwegian; HAL; Oceania’s Riviera; and next.....MSC).  We chose MSC so our grandsons had more to keep them busy and the cost of all seven of us in YC was pretty doable. If it was just my husband and I we’d choose the RIVIERA-hands down!  The ship is just the right size (around 1250); it’s gorgeous; the food has been voted the best in the industry for many years and other passengers are interesting, friendly, professional folks from all over the map and also realize Oceania is tops. 

[sptrout]

Europeantraveler1: "I am seriously considering switching to Atlantic-caught salmon due to the affects of the nuclear catastrophe that occurred in Japan. It’s frightening!" 

 

Sorry, but "Atlantic-caught" really means "Atlantic farmed" since all Atlantic salmon is farmed. To make absolutely sure that the salmon you buy is wild caught, the label will say "Alaskan" salmon. Alaska prohibits using their State's name on any salmon that is farmed. Nearly all, if not all, non-Alaskan salmon is farmed. 

 

As for the possible radiation effects from the nuclear accident in Japan, IMO this is less of a problem than eating farmed salmon. Look up farm salmon vs. wild caught salmon and compare the nutrition components side-by-side, they are so different that you will not believe that they are even from the same species of fish. The same for grain fed beef vs. open range-fed beef, no comparison. Grass-fed beef, and other meats/eggs that are open range fed, beat their grain fed cousins in nearly all aspects. 

[NYHartChapp]

On 1/27/2019 at 9:40 PM, smdubowsky said:

 

One deck up (18) (17 does not exist for some reason) is the restaurant.

 

17 is considered unlucky in Italian culture, much like 13 in the US.

[hamrag]

23 minutes ago, NYHartChapp said:

 

17 is considered unlucky in Italian culture, much like 13 in the US.

 

In Italian culture, the number 17 is considered unlucky. When viewed as the Roman numeral, XVII, it is then changed anagrammatically to VIXI, which in the Latin language translates to "I lived", implying "My life is over."

[Captain-John]

Thanks very much for the summary. Strongly considering Celebrity Reflection out of Fort Lauderdale next year - and had been eyeing an A1/A2 cabin. The pricing is quite reasonable - I can get 10 or 11 nights on Reflection for the same as 7 nights on an NCL boat (which is just outrageous as typically X is seen as a higher class cruise line than NCL).

[sptrout]

Sounds like a good price Captain. May I ask which sailing you are looking at?