Is the Yacht Club right for us?

[mlpetrozelli]

My wife and I have been considering a cruise some 15+ years since our last. Truth be told, the sheer size not to mention what seems to me a lot of nickel and diming for "specialty dining/beverages" has soured us somewhat. Recently we've reconsidered now that they are offering private areas for an addl. fee. We originally looked into the Havana cabins on Carnival, as we liked the aft layout better than the Haven but just stumbled upon the MSC Yacht Club as yet another option. A little background, my wife is a picky eater i.e. she eats "clean" as in nothing fried and mostly salads and seafood, esp. sushi. In a perfect world I'd pay extra and she'd have the option to have as much lobster, shrimp and sushi throughout the day, preferably without having to get out of the sun, or get dressed to get it inside. Now it appears that at least with the YC there are upcharges, packages and availability is limited to certain hours, days, visits or locations, no?

 

I guess my question is, is this scenario available on cruises, and if so is it primarily only the lux class of cruising?

[psmarkle]

Go to the message thread I posted of New Seaside Menus video link...I found someone else's youtube video where they have all the new YC menus that your wife can review and see if it meets her needs (there's a healthy option on the menu every night).  My personal opinion...yes, the YC will work for you.  And in the YC, pretty much everything is included except the very top-tier wines/spirits like Johnnie Walker Blue, for example (and possibly Venchi chocolate and the crepes...I'm still puzzled if they're still free for YC guests or not). The specialty restaurants are extra for everyone, but the YC has their own private restaurant that's included.

 

We are taking our 2d cruise in the YC on Seaside next week...that's how much we enjoyed it!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I don't know of any cruiseline which will serve your wife as much lobster, shrimp, and sushi by the pool as she wants.  Other than that, Yacht Club is all inclusive and they will work very hard to please you.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I can’t think of anyplace better than the YC top deck pool area for lounging in the sun and eating shrimp etc.  If you ask for it they will do their best to find it for you.

[BermudaBound2014]

It certainly sounds like YC is a good match for you. IMO, the absolute best part of YC is lack of crowds both in the pool and dedicated lounge and it seems that is what is most important. 

 

I didn't have as 'over the top' experience as many others on this forum in terms of service. For example, we were ordering pizza to be delivered to the room and we asked for just pepperoni and mushroom and were told that was 'impossible'. We had to order the pizza by number with no deviations or changes. However; my experience with mediocre service does appear to be in the minority. 

 

If you're looking for lack of crowds, YC is an excellent option IMO.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

It certainly sounds like YC is a good match for you. IMO, the absolute best part of YC is lack of crowds both in the pool and dedicated lounge and it seems that is what is most important. 

 

I didn't have as 'over the top' experience as many others on this forum in terms of service. For example, we were ordering pizza to be delivered to the room and we asked for just pepperoni and mushroom and were told that was 'impossible'. We had to order the pizza by number with no deviations or changes. However; my experience with mediocre service does appear to be in the minority. 

 

If you're looking for lack of crowds, YC is an excellent option IMO.

 

I'm curious to know if you ordered your pizza from your butler or if you called room service.  My expectation would be that the butler could get whatever you wanted.

[BermudaBound2014]

10 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I'm curious to know if you ordered your pizza from your butler or if you called room service.  My expectation would be that the butler could get whatever you wanted.

 

Unfortunately, our butler was MIA most of the week. We ordered from the concierge in the YC and a different butler than ours delivered the pizza. We called and placed our order. The concierge called back and said, sorry "that is not possible". I remember the phrase because we heard it more than once and jokingly still use it today. This was on the Divina that has the separate pizza place down on deck 7 and that's where we were ordering from (not the buffet pizza). 

 

With that all said, I do fully recognize that my experiences are in the minority of what is reported, but they did occur and I think people are well served to be informed. While in the minority, if you look through reviews, there is a trend of experiences reported that are similar to mine. The good news is that the odds are in favor!!

 

I've had two wonderful vacations on MSC  and will gladly sail them again at the right price. 

 

[Gordoncruickshank]

We are doing our first MSC cruise in October in the YC. I have spent some time researching things like the drinks included and in terms of spirits, the only items not included are a small number of Connoisseur Collection drinks like Blue Label that I probably wouldn't  order anyway. The YC drinks included Grey Goose, Bombay Saphire, Remy Martin  VSOP and many other drinks of that quality. I have not finally decided if I want to upgrade to Premium Plus which I have read costs 12 euros a day extra but if I do it will be for the better wines included in the package. 

[picabo972]

I too am a picky eater and could eat shrimp all day everyday. The YC had no problem with me ordering it whether it was the restaurant or the pool bar. I only ordered it once in each place and after that the waiters specifically asked me if I wanted shrimp or a salad when it wasn't on the menu. I never ordered lobster other than the night it was on the menu though. My husband ordered filet mignon almost every night. 

 

The top tier drinks weren't included and neither was Venchi or the specialty restaurants. In my opinion, you won't miss those things. We typically spend upwards of $2000 on extras when cruising, whether it is shopping, gambling, specialty restaurants, salon, spa, etc, but our bill for Seaview was less than 500 euros and that included the tips. Once we got home we added up the difference in what we spent to upgrade to YC with what we saved and it pretty much equalled out. 

[js]

For the most part, I eat "clean" too and it is fairly easy for me to eat in the YC.

Lobster night last February, I believe I had four lobsters and asked to be just cooked without them adding anything extra.  Prawns by the pool were cooked in something but that too, I ate as much as I wanted.  Salads are a little thin but I made due and if I really wanted to, I could have walked to the buffet to get exactly what I wanted (but I didn't LOL).

 

I also enjoy having some good drinks and while the YC bartenders still aren't up to speed with NCL Haven bartenders, I never went thirsty.

 

I sail NCL with my family and MSC YC with my mom and can tell you from morning-dinner, we never left (even on a few port days LOL).

If you are going to try cruising again, I would most certainly recommend the YC, even over Haven.  But, if I was sailing with my family, we all enjoy the nightlife on NCL much better but never felt nickle and dimed in YC. Actually, I don't understand why people get too upset with the charges.  You either decide you want extra and pay, or you don't.  For me, it's that simple but to each their own.

Let us know what you decide.  I'll be on my third MSC YC Seaside cruise in February and cannot wait!

 

Edited July 18, 2019 by js

[vtgumby]

On 7/17/2019 at 10:13 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Unfortunately, our butler was MIA most of the week. We ordered from the concierge in the YC and a different butler than ours delivered the pizza. We called and placed our order. The concierge called back and said, sorry "that is not possible". I remember the phrase because we heard it more than once and jokingly still use it today. This was on the Divina that has the separate pizza place down on deck 7 and that's where we were ordering from (not the buffet pizza). 

 

With that all said, I do fully recognize that my experiences are in the minority of what is reported, but they did occur and I think people are well served to be informed. While in the minority, if you look through reviews, there is a trend of experiences reported that are similar to mine. The good news is that the odds are in favor!!

 

I've had two wonderful vacations on MSC  and will gladly sail them again at the right price. 

 

We had the same experience on Preziosa, when asking for sausage on the pizza we were told not possible and we laughed because being in the restaurant biz, EVERYTHING is possible and slapping some sausage or pepperoni on a pizza is very possible...and it was ordered thru the concierge. We also found the service to be good but not as wowing as others but again, in the service biz and we have a finer eye for what is obtrusive and what works. If you compare the service inside vs outside the YC then I can see why people are wowed, it is a different ball of wax completely and we honestly were grateful for the YC enclave after observing the chaos amidst the rest of the ship.

YC is perfect for MSC cruising for the mere fact of avoiding the masses, that was the best part of it, the exclusivity of the area. Food was substandard for us and yay, weight loss during the cruise, but it did not deter our fun and as you noted, right price and we're there also, just with adjusted expectations and no longer the dread of cruise weight gain cuz it won't happen!

🙂

[mlpetrozelli]

22 hours ago, js said:

For the most part, I eat "clean" too and it is fairly easy for me to eat in the YC.

Lobster night last February, I believe I had four lobsters and asked to be just cooked without them adding anything extra.  Prawns by the pool were cooked in something but that too, I ate as much as I wanted.  Salads are a little thin but I made due and if I really wanted to, I could have walked to the buffet to get exactly what I wanted (but I didn't LOL).

 

I also enjoy having some good drinks and while the YC bartenders still aren't up to speed with NCL Haven bartenders, I never went thirsty.

 

I sail NCL with my family and MSC YC with my mom and can tell you from morning-dinner, we never left (even on a few port days LOL).

If you are going to try cruising again, I would most certainly recommend the YC, even over Haven.  But, if I was sailing with my family, we all enjoy the nightlife on NCL much better but never felt nickle and dimed in YC. Actually, I don't understand why people get too upset with the charges.  You either decide you want extra and pay, or you don't.  For me, it's that simple but to each their own.

Let us know what you decide.  I'll be on my third MSC YC Seaside cruise in February and cannot wait!

 

Understand, when I went a good 15-20 years ago ALL food and soft drinks was included, granted it wasn't Starbucks or 4/5 star cuisine but the only thing they charged you for was alcohol. Heck, I remember when you could buy bottles of alcohol in the shops onboard and make drinks in your room! I just find it kinda disorienting walking into a place for food or drinks and them saying "this costs extra for this specific burger".

 

As far as drinks, we're not picky at all, we like Coronas and fruity drinks.

[Homosassa]

For those of you complaining that you couldn't get pepperoni or sausage on a pizza, you have to remember that you are on an Italian cruise line that takes great pride in its Italian heritage and has a pizza that conforms to the standards of the Associazione Pizza Napoletana.

 

Pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, BBQ sauce, and other "Pizza Hut" toppings would not be available in Italy unless one was in a place that specifically was oriented to the tourist trade (and they probably also have butter for the bread,  meatballs and sugar in the sauce). 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

2 hours ago, Homosassa said:

For those of you complaining that you couldn't get pepperoni or sausage on a pizza, you have to remember that you are on an Italian cruise line that takes great pride in its Italian heritage and has a pizza that conforms to the standards of the Associazione Pizza Napoletana.

 

Pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, BBQ sauce, and other "Pizza Hut" toppings would not be available in Italy unless one was in a place that specifically was oriented to the tourist trade (and they probably also have butter for the bread,  meatballs and sugar in the sauce). 

 

 

 

Nope- nodda- in my case you are just plain wrong.

 

MSC puts pepperoni and mushroom on their pizzas. We got it in the buffet no problem. It was when ordering from YC on Divina that we had the issue. The deck 7 pizzeria has 9 or 10 set pizza options and they would not deviate. Any changes were met with “sorry that is not possible”. Very poor customer service for “YC” level. 

 

Quite frankly, I find it puzzling how you could defend them in this case. 

[Fogfog]

On 7/17/2019 at 2:20 PM, mlpetrozelli said:

My wife and I have been considering a cruise some 15+ years since our last. Truth be told, the sheer size not to mention what seems to me a lot of nickel and diming for "specialty dining/beverages" has soured us somewhat. Recently we've reconsidered now that they are offering private areas for an addl. fee. We originally looked into the Havana cabins on Carnival, as we liked the aft layout better than the Haven but just stumbled upon the MSC Yacht Club as yet another option. A little background, my wife is a picky eater i.e. she eats "clean" as in nothing fried and mostly salads and seafood, esp. sushi. In a perfect world I'd pay extra and she'd have the option to have as much lobster, shrimp and sushi throughout the day, preferably without having to get out of the sun, or get dressed to get it inside. Now it appears that at least with the YC there are upcharges, packages and availability is limited to certain hours, days, visits or locations, no?

 

I guess my question is, is this scenario available on cruises, and if so is it primarily only the lux class of cruising?

Not certain that any of the mass market lines like RCCL, NCL, Carnival and MSC fit the bill of "clean eating" 

Have you considered some of the luxury lines?

[mlpetrozelli]

On 7/20/2019 at 5:04 PM, Fogfog said:

Not certain that any of the mass market lines like RCCL, NCL, Carnival and MSC fit the bill of "clean eating" 

Have you considered some of the luxury lines?

Yeah, that may be our best bet. Again, we aren't expecting to be waited on hand and foot, just that on many lines you can't simply walk into say, the sushi bar in flip flops and a bathing suit to even order something, let alone eat. When we go to Aruba we pay the waitresses extra money (which they appreciate) to put in an order and bring us sushi right to your chair, which is great.

[Fogfog]

1 minute ago, mlpetrozelli said:

Yeah, that may be our best bet. Again, we aren't expecting to be waited on hand and foot, just that on many lines you can't simply walk into say, the sushi bar in flip flops and a bathing suit to even order something, let alone eat. When we go to Aruba we pay the waitresses extra money (which they appreciate) to put in an order and bring us sushi right to your chair, which is great.

We are gong to try YC in spring. Have B2B scheduled.

Wanting to give it a go before committing to the Med where we'd incur a flight.

Though we eat very broadly

 

As far as "clean" food/whole 30/Keto/Veg-Vegan/raw etc.. I don't think you will find that on any mass market line 

Even sushi onboard tends to be rather plain. Only salmon or tuna. Its a supply issue I am certain

Best sushi we have had was in HI (supply) and also an omakasa  with sake paring (in PHL of all places)... that was over $400 pp by the time we were done....(special occasion)

If your better half is flexible for salads, grilled fish etc... I think that the lux lines are more likely to suit..

Would be worth asking on those boards about meals/special requests. If she is all about great sushi... than perhaps vacas in and around Japan would be far more interesting and fun. Some of the lux lines do sailings around Japan and do many many port intensive itineraries. Just a thought

 

[JAGR]

I think you mean omakase (style), don't you? Omakasa in New York closed years ago

Edited July 22, 2019 by JAGR

[helen haywood]

On 7/19/2019 at 6:49 AM, vtgumby said:

Food was substandard for us

🙂

 

Just curious what cruise lines you’ve found that had food that wasn’t substandard.  We’ve cruised Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, HAL, MSC and Royal in addition to some river cruises.  Service has often been very good but I’ve seldom had a meal on a cruise ship that compared to a really good land based restaurant.

 

 

[vtgumby]

8 hours ago, helen haywood said:

 

Just curious what cruise lines you’ve found that had food that wasn’t substandard.  We’ve cruised Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, HAL, MSC and Royal in addition to some river cruises.  Service has often been very good but I’ve seldom had a meal on a cruise ship that compared to a really good land based restaurant.

 

 

Azamara was crazy good, by far the best food we've ever had on a ship (along with a ten lb weight gain on a two week cruise) but they also sail smaller ships so cooking for 700 is easier than 3k.

We also sail Celebrity and only have done Aqua class which gives you the Blu restaurant, the only reason we do Aqua, and also enjoyed that immensely.

The oddest part of MSC food was taste, completely without for the most part and it became the focal point for everyone of all nationalities BUT I've spun this as a weight loss thing, disappointed in the food but it kept me from grabbing desserts so that was a GOOD thing.

🙂

[Nashna]

We have sailed on Seabourn, Azamara and Regent.  The food on Azamara and Regent was excellent.  Surprisingly, the food on Seabourn was just ok.  We have also sailed in Princess in Grand Class which offers a special section in the MDR.  The wait staff was excellent.  Celebrity's Blu was also very nice and they went of out of their way to provide special GF meals for my husband.  On Seabourn, the frozen GF pizza was horrible as it was served uncooked.  When served the second time, my husband complained and the chef came out to defend his cooking by saying that he had just been following directions by cooking it for 10 minutes.  My husband actually went back to the oven and told the chef when to remove it at 35 minutes.  

 

I would absolutely say that you could have shrimp anytime you wished on any of the cruise lines mentioned above.  Even the mainstream lines serve you well.  In June, we were on the Allure with our grandchildren and every night the waiter presented them with shrimp as they sat down in the MDR and they were served extra platters of fish throughout the week.   The children tried cerviche, escargot and carlamari  for the first time and loved them all.  If you are eating lunch or dinner in the MDR or YC on MSC, I would expect that your dinning requests will be granted.