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Celebrity v MSC Yacht Club

emmas gran

By emmas gran,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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I see somebody wanted to know what we paid.  The YC (on the Divina) is usually priced about $300 per passenger day (including taxes and fees) and we paid slightly less then this amount.  Our cruise agency sweetened the offer with a $700 OBC and pre-paid gratuities for the 21 day cruise.  Being in the YC and having those extra amenities meant we had an all-inclusive cruise.  We used part of our OBC to purchase unlimited Internet for 2 Devices.   But towards the end of the cruise we still have over $500 of unused OBC....which was not refundable.  So DW purchased some jewelry and I got a couple of hundred in chips which I managed to quickly double (Blackjack) and then cashed-out.

 

Just a word about status match.  Since it was our first MSC cruise we took advantage of the status match program to get a Black Card.  But in the YC, that Black Card really is not a big deal.  I did get us 4 of the chocolate cruise ships (2 for each of our back to back cruises) which we left in our cabin for on Concierge.  It also got us a couple of free meals in the alternative restaurants (we used one of those free meals).  But we thought that Le Muse was actually the best of all the restaurants :).  We did attend one of the Black Card parties which turned out to be fun.  But everyone we met was relatively new to MSC...having gotten their Black Card via status match.  DW and I normally would have no interest in those kind of parties (we seldom do that stuff on any cruise line) but we wanted to learn how MSC does things.  We also attended one of the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet Parties (on our first cruise) and this was done at a level far above anything we have experienced on any other cruise line.  MSC really took the M&G seriously.  It was attended by the Captain (and many of his Senior Officers), MSC provided free drinks, and we also had live entertainment.  The Captain even invited everyone to join him in a group photo which was provided to all participants at no charge.    Whether MSC continues to handle these Meet and Greets in such a terrific way is something we will only learn with time.  But for now, they are sure making an amazing effort to welcome Cruise Critic folks.  Speaking of the Meet and Greet, we did have to sign-up prior to the cruise and received invitations in our cabin.  They actually checked the invitations at the door and we saw a few folks turned away who did not have an invite.

 

Hank

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Captain-John "Live from...." Rare

Captain-John

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I've got two YC cruises booked for this year, and have just finalised a booking on Reflection next year. I'll be very interested to compare the experiences. Price wise, I have found there to be absolutely no consistency or trend - if you get a pricing quirk or a good deal, go for it.

 

At the moment I'm most offended by Norwegian's pricing. For what we're paying for 11 nts on X, NCL want the same amount for 7 nts. I've always thought of X as a 'better' cruise line than NCL, and I enjoy all my NCL cruises, but not at the inflated prices of late. I wonder when the bubble will burst.......

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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4 hours ago, mafig said:

Hi, Hank,

DH and I ate our chocolate ships.   We waited until we got home, though.  👍👍

 

They did a great job on the M & M.  

So here is the story about the ships.   We were quite happy with most of the food on the Divina and also drank more then our share of adult beverages :).  As we neared the end of our cruise it occurred to me that I was gaining serious weight (this does not normally happen to me on cruises anymore) as I was having difficulty fastening some of my shorts.  We had these 4 big chocolate ships in our cabin, which did look yummy...but we never lacked food and snacks in the YC so avoided eating a ship.  At the end of the cruise we realized that those ships weighed over 1 pound each...and our luggage was already close to the airline weight limit.  And then there was the issue of having chocolate in our luggage while in Southern Florida temperatures.   So they stayed behind and we hope that some of the crew members in the YC were able to find good use for those things.  We made it clear to our Concierge that we wanted to leave them to the YC Staff and he simply ask us to leave them in our cabin and he would handle the matter.  

 

Prior to our voyage on the Divina we had read mixed reviews (here on CC) regarding the food on MSC.  When we realized that their menus really suited our taste a decision had to be made weather to exercise self-discipline or act like a kid in a candy store.  We did the latter and am still paying the price.  

 

Hank

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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19 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

I was on Seaside last October; only paid $1,250 pp, YC Inside and had a $450 on-board credit to boot.  Best deal in cruising, with a great Miami YC Terminal & YC Lounge!

Since folks are asking for a comparison we should have mentioned the lounge.  When we arrived at the Port of Miami we went directly to the white tend (outside the terminal building) which is only for YC check-in.  A Butler escorted us into the terminal, bypassed all the lines, took us through security, and then led us to a special (and very spacious) Yacht Club lounge inside the terminal.  In that lounge there was a table set-up which was staffed by a gentleman who made some drinks (such as Mimosas) and served snacks (really good bakery cookies).   The lounge had comfy furniture and turned out to be our home for about 2 hours since embarkation was delayed by the US Authorities.  While we waited we kept sipping mimosas and had an opportunity to meet a few other YC folks from various countries.  Once the ship was cleared for embarkation, a YC Butler led us onto the ship (avoiding lines) and to reserved elevators that took us up to the YC part of the ship.  At that point we were greeted by more Butlers, drinks were flowing, snacks available, and once ready we were escorted to the YC's private restaurant (Le Muse) for lunch.

 

Hank

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Stateroom_Sailor

Stateroom_Sailor

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I find MSC decor absolutely breathtaking, from photos and videos.  The MDR food looks unappetizing, IMO.  How is the food in the Yacht Club compared to X?  Or maybe there's a specialty dining package that would compensate.  I would love to try them, if I can get the food situation figured out at a reasonable price.

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Happy Cruiser 6143

Happy Cruiser 6143

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22 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

I was on Seaside last October; only paid $1,250 pp, YC Inside and had a $450 on-board credit to boot.  Best deal in cruising, with a great Miami YC Terminal & YC Lounge!

 

We've got to quit singing the praises of the Yacht Club before prices soar into the stratosphere like Celebrity's!  We booked a cruise last year for this fall while they were still trying to drum up interest among American cruisers.  NO single supplement!  Needless to say, those days are long gone.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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53 minutes ago, George C said:

My celebrity cruise next month is charging 69 a person for drink package, this is free on yacht club, might need to start booking sandals resorts which includes all drinks and food is way better than mdr, but not cheap. 

Celebrity has really gotten into what some experts call "dynamic marketing."  For example, take a drink package that is probably worth around $40 per passenger day (based on most folks' drinking habits) and market it at $69.  Then include it as a perk in a cruise "sale" where the cruise price is marked-up $55 to accommodate the "free" drink perk.   Not only is this very smart marketing but it makes it more difficult for many folks to do comparisons to other cruises and lines.

 

The solution to comparison is quite simple but often not done by many folks.  One needs to get adjust the cost of any cruise to the "per passenger/day" price.  But in order to do this exercise properly, one should value each perk based on its worth to the individual.  So, for example, if Celebrity includes 3 perks (Internet, drinks, pre-paid gratuities) we would reduce the actual price of the cruise by the value of the tips (that is easy), about $40 per passenger day for the drinks, and very little for the Internet (since we get some free Internet as a perk for being Elite Plus).  We can then compare that cost per day to other lines.   The reality is that there are times that Celebrity prices its cruises at more then the ultra-luxury lines when considering comparable accommodations.    We have an upcoming Seabourn booking that is actually less costly then a comparable cabin on most Celebrity ships.  And on Seabourn, instead of getting mixed nuts (a la Celebrity) with my cocktails I can have caviar.  Go figure.

 

Hank

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Happy Cruiser 6143

Happy Cruiser 6143

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3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Celebrity has really gotten into what some experts call "dynamic marketing."  For example, take a drink package that is probably worth around $40 per passenger day (based on most folks' drinking habits) and market it at $69.  Then include it as a perk in a cruise "sale" where the cruise price is marked-up $55 to accommodate the "free" drink perk.   Not only is this very smart marketing but it makes it more difficult for many folks to do comparisons to other cruises and lines.

 

The solution to comparison is quite simple but often not done by many folks.  One needs to get adjust the cost of any cruise to the "per passenger/day" price.  But in order to do this exercise properly, one should value each perk based on its worth to the individual.  So, for example, if Celebrity includes 3 perks (Internet, drinks, pre-paid gratuities) we would reduce the actual price of the cruise by the value of the tips (that is easy), about $40 per passenger day for the drinks, and very little for the Internet (since we get some free Internet as a perk for being Elite Plus).  We can then compare that cost per day to other lines.   The reality is that there are times that Celebrity prices its cruises at more then the ultra-luxury lines when considering comparable accommodations.    We have an upcoming Seabourn booking that is actually less costly then a comparable cabin on most Celebrity ships.  And on Seabourn, instead of getting mixed nuts (a la Celebrity) with my cocktails I can have caviar.  Go figure.

 

Hank

 

I'm hearing good things about Seabourn.  May have to give them a try.  I'm certainly never going to make Zenith on Celebrity, so there's not much point in sticking around for the same old, same old itineraries.  Although I did find a new one on the Summit next May.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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15 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I'm hearing good things about Seabourn.  May have to give them a try.  I'm certainly never going to make Zenith on Celebrity, so there's not much point in sticking around for the same old, same old itineraries.  Although I did find a new one on the Summit next May.

ROFL....hear you regarding Zenith.  Not a prayer for us since we enjoy many cruise lines.  As to Seabourn, we have read and heard so many mixed reviews that my head was spinning.  My vote is out until we take the cruise this coming summer.  We already know that we adore being on smaller ships (or even boats) so the size of the smaller Seabourn ships (450 passenger) immediately caught our attention.  But whether the service and cuisine will live up to our expectations is the big question mark. 

 

Largely as the result of numerous cut-backs and price increases with many of the mass market lines (especially Celebrity) we feel driven towards all the ultra luxury lines.  When it costs us $300 per passenger day for a balcony cabin on a mass market line (I am including drinks and other onboard expenses) and the much higher end lines are offering deals that are often under $500 per day (which includes a suite) it gets our attention.    The current cruise market is very interesting because the price difference between mass market lines and ultra luxury lines has been shrinking.  One could even argue that the ultra luxury lines are cheaper if you factor in the size and type of cabins.  An 11 day Edge cruise in the cheapest Sky Suite (which would compare to the regular suites on many ultra-luxury lines) can cost over $1000 per passenger day!  For that price we can go on Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, Silverseas, Sea Dream, etc.  and actually save money!    Bottom line is that if I am in a Sky Suite on the Edge, I am still on the Edge...along with folks paying a lot less for basically the same services.  

 

Hank

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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22 hours ago, Tillylovesseabourn said:

Hlitner, you will be hooked on SB. As you can probably tell my favourite line, I have tried most of the lux lines too. Which SB ship are you taking? The smallest, now retired triplets were my favourite, but now it is the Odyssey. 

Will be on the Soujourn for only 14 days.  My preference is to stick with the smaller ships in the luxury category, and not so sure  we want to be on those Odyssey Class vessels.   What is really weird is that our total cost per passenger day on Seabourn is less then half the cost of doing a Sky Suite on the Edge.  Go figure.   

 

Hank

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maggie.1008

maggie.1008

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MSC YC sounds great. We have been loyal to X with 26 cruises and two more booked. We have also enjoyed  trying all of the luxury lines. The price of Suites on X has us looking at other options. 

I looked at a video of MSC and noticed ashtrays for smokers in several areas, and in the YC. Looks like the smoke would drift upstairs to the private dining room that has a open stairway. Can someone comment on that ?

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Tillylovesseabourn

Tillylovesseabourn

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56 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Will be on the Soujourn for only 14 days.  My preference is to stick with the smaller ships in the luxury category, and not so sure  we want to be on those Odyssey Class vessels.   What is really weird is that our total cost per passenger day on Seabourn is less then half the cost of doing a Sky Suite on the Edge.  Go figure.   

 

Hank

Hank, Soujourn is Odyssey class. They are the smaller ships, the larger ones are Encore and Ovation. Very good value for money imho.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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2 hours ago, Tillylovesseabourn said:

Hank, Soujourn is Odyssey class. They are the smaller ships, the larger ones are Encore and Ovation. Very good value for money imho.

LOL, shows you what we know about SB.   Will soon be a lot smarter :).

 

Hank

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gimletgal

gimletgal

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4 hours ago, maggie.1008 said:

MSC YC sounds great. We have been loyal to X with 26 cruises and two more booked. We have also enjoyed  trying all of the luxury lines. The price of Suites on X has us looking at other options. 

I looked at a video of MSC and noticed ashtrays for smokers in several areas, and in the YC. Looks like the smoke would drift upstairs to the private dining room that has a open stairway. Can someone comment on that ?

Since you don't mention what MSC ship was featured in the video, I can only tell you that there is absolutely no smoking inside any YC areas on either the Seaside or Divina. Any smoking areas are outside and no where near the dining room. There are 2 sets of doors to get out to the smoking area on the Seaside (outside the Top Sail Lounge), and they are on the starboard side. The only other smoking area is on the starboard side of the One Pool Deck - around the corner from the bar.

 

MSC YC is wonderful! If you choose to book I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The butlers and all the staff in the YC are outstanding.

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