Explora not doing it for this Yacht Club cruiser.

[Nashna]

We loved sailing in the Yacht Club.  Now, we are looking at the Explora 2023 sailings and I'm underwhelmed.  The increased cost for the basic Explora suite is way more than Oceania, Regent or Viking for similar accommodations. We can actually upgrade to concierge accommodations on those lines for a lower price point.  One of the features we loved about being in the Yacht Club was the experience of access to a special quiet oasis, civilized boarding and disembarkation.  There is no way that we will pay the outrageous price increase to upgrade from a regular suite on Explora to one of the premium categories.  Understandably, those premium categories are going to come with enhanced boarding and experiences that the regular suites do not.  Since we have no interest in feeling like steerage passengers, MSC Explora is not going to be on our cruise options in the future.  

[Oxo]

Since we have no interest in feeling like steerage passengers,

 

OMG, WUP?

 

TOO GOOD FOR OTHERS?

[Beamafar]

Where are you seeing the prices?   I’ve looked at the German online TA;   they’re not showing there. 
 

(Slightly off-topic). I did see prices for a 12 night repo on Euribia in April 2024 from Genoa.  Cheapest balcony price is €1319;  a YC1 is more than 3 times the price at €4499 pp!!!!   

[Two Wheels Only]

58 minutes ago, Nashna said:

One of the features we loved about being in the Yacht Club was the experience of access to a special quiet oasis, civilized boarding and disembarkation.

 

The idea of Explora is that everyone on the entire ship gets those things. 

 

1 hour ago, Nashna said:

Since we have no interest in feeling like steerage passengers, MSC Explora is not going to be on our cruise options in the future.  

 

The person in the least expensive Explora stateroom will have about the same or better accommodations and services than the person staying in a Deluxe Suite in the Yacht Club. I don't understand how that can be called "steerage". 

 

[Nashna]

23 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Since we have no interest in feeling like steerage passengers,

 

OMG, WUP?

 

TOO GOOD FOR OTHERS?

We have paid our dues.  We have sailed all sorts of different cruise lines in the past. When we were younger, we had different requirements and enjoyed cruising in inside, outside wherever we could get it accommodations.  Now that we are older, we are willing to pay a reasonable amount to have a place to sit by the pool, receive extra service in the restaurants and experience expedited boarding and disembarkation.  Frankly, we are not able, nor do we wish to, wait in long lines to embark or disembark, use the buffets or wait to enter a restaurant.  So, the Yacht Club worked for us.  Not because we wanted to feel privileged, but because we needed those extra services to enjoy our cruises.  The Europa appears to very much be a typical class structured cruise option.  Since we need additional service, and we can only afford the basic standard stateroom, it appears that Europa will not be our choice.  

[Beamafar]

‘Explora’, Nashna, I believe you mean.   There’s going to be a fair bit of confusion when it, (World)Europa and Euribia are all sailing. 

[Nashna]

1 minute ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

The idea of Explora is that everyone on the entire ship gets those things. 

 

 

The person in the least expensive Explora stateroom will have about the same or better accommodations and services than the person staying in a Deluxe Suite in the Yacht Club. I don't understand how that can be called "steerage". 

 

The accommodations might be the same as the Yacht Club.  However, do you believe that the top suite passengers will receive the same treatment as the basic suite passengers?  Seriously, if I were in a top suite, I would expect to receive additional benefits. 

[Two Wheels Only]

1 minute ago, Nashna said:

However, do you believe that the top suite passengers will receive the same treatment as the basic suite passengers? 

 

In the Yacht Club NOW top suite passengers receive more than other Yacht Club passengers. It might be something as minor as an included cabana, a hot tub on the balcony,  or no charges for mini-fridge refills but it is something. 

 

4 minutes ago, Nashna said:

Seriously, if I were in a top suite, I would expect to receive additional benefits. 

 

It seems that the issue isn't the service but whether the service is above others.

 

In other words, if you were in the Yacht Club and got an included back massage while others in the Yacht Club didn't get a back massage, that would be great.

 

If EVERYONE on Explora got an included back massage and those staying in one of the Residences got a back massage and a foot massage, it would be a problem if you weren't in one of the Residences.

[wcook]

37 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

‘Explora’, Nashna, I believe you mean.   There’s going to be a fair bit of confusion when it, (World)Europa and Euribia are all sailing. 

This is the company that thought it a good idea to name ships Seaside, Seashore and Seascape. As I tell people, they are Italian, expect a bit of confusion. 

[wcook]

I’m sure nobody will admit it, but part of the fun of Yacht Club is being able to feel superior to us losers down in steerage. And part of the fun of steerage is being able to feel superior to those dopes up in yacht club spending all that money to cruise on the exact same ship. Just so you can have a butler to unpack your undies*. It’s a win-win arrangement for everybody. Genius. 
 

* Note: I don’t actually know what yacht club butlers do or if unpacking luggage is included. 

Edited July 17, 2022 by wcook

[Two Wheels Only]

1 minute ago, wcook said:

* Note: I don’t actually know what yacht club butlers do or if unpacking luggage is included.

 

Unpacking/Packing is offered/included for Yacht Club guests....although I've never read a review from someone who had it done. 

[Two Wheels Only]

9 minutes ago, wcook said:

This is the company that thought it a good idea to name ships Seaside, Seashore and Seascape. As I tell people, they are Italian, expect a bit of confusion. 

 

You forgot Seaview. 😛

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Nashna said:

............  Since we have no interest in feeling like steerage passengers, MSC Explora is not going to be on our cruise options in the future.  

Oh my!  Pardon us for being commoners :).  So I get it, you are the kind of folks that wants the million-dollar home in a neighborhood where all the other homes are tiny $100,000 homes.  For you, the idea of living in an upscale neighborhood where everyone lives in luxury is not your thing.  Because if everyone has as much as you....than you feel like "steerage?"  I get it.

 

Why would you need to upgrade on Explora Journeys?  Every suite will get access to everything on the ship?  I think the only reason to upgrade would be if one wants to pay more money for a larger suite.  Funny thing about luxury lines.  We generally cruise them in "steerage" and somehow get the same shows, same cuisine, same service, same deck loungers, etc.  I guess if we booked the largest suite on the ship we could go back to our suite and sigh as we said "we have the biggest and largest suite on the ship and I feel sorry for those other little people in steerage?"  Oh my.   So I guess you can go back to booking the biggest suite in the local Holiday Inn, and we will settle for a normal room in the Ritz.

 

Hank

[deliver42]

When MSC first announced the new cruise line, I was afraid they would go crazy on prices. Judging from these conversations, I guess I was right. Oh well, you don't miss what you don't have.

[Hlitner]

21 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

When MSC first announced the new cruise line, I was afraid they would go crazy on prices. Judging from these conversations, I guess I was right. Oh well, you don't miss what you don't have.

We are still giving it consideration.  While the pricing is somewhat more than the Yacht Club it is not unreasonable for a luxury line with those kind of space ratios  We have cruised on Seabourn for as little as $400 per person day but also paid a lot more for a more exotic itinerary.  Explora Journeys is in line with those prices and somewhat less than the $1000+ per person/day charged by some of the other luxury lines.  

 

But we have also noticed some confusing issues with Explora Journeys.  When you look at their web site they often show the "price per suite" which is not the price per person.  So some pricing on the web site is actually twice what it would cost.  So when I price out a particular cruise in the lowest priced suite it is under $500 per person/day which is actually priced lower than one would pay to be on Silverseas, Regent, etc.  Now one could also opt to book the Owners Suite for about $3500 per person/day!  That is real money :).  Yes, you would get a 1600+ sq foot suite, but would still be on the same ship, get the same food, and see the same entertainment as the person booking the $500 per person day/suite.

 

I do agree with the OP that there is no way we would pay 7 times as much to get the Owners Suite...even if it is more than 1600 square feet.  We have no use for a huge suite since our suite is where we sleep and use the bathroom...but otherwise we are out and about.   So color us folks who are happy to be in "steerage" on a luxury vessel.

 

Hank

P.S,  Reading the OP's post gave me a great laugh,  On that Explora Journeys, if we were in the lowest priced suite, we would be dining in the same restaurants as the folks in the highest priced suite (at 7 times the cost).  We would relax in the same deck chairs, enjoy the same entertainment, etc.  No need for us to be in the most expensive home in the neighborhood.  

[Two Wheels Only]

46 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We are still giving it consideration.  While the pricing is somewhat more than the Yacht Club it is not unreasonable for a luxury line with those kind of space ratios 

 

We are also considering but I won't pull the trigger until I read some reviews from frequent Yacht Club guests....let someone else be the guinea pig, not me. 

 

46 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

But we have also noticed some confusing issues with Explora Journeys.  When you look at their web site they often show the "price per suite" which is not the price per person. 

 

I noticed this immediately. As a family of 4, I don't often look at the price "per person" since that is usually for guests 1&2 while guests 3&4 pay little to nothing in comparison. I look at the totals. 

 

46 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

So when I price out a particular cruise in the lowest priced suite it is under $500 per person/day which is actually priced lower than one would pay to be on Silverseas, Regent, etc. 

 

I do the same except I compare the total to what a Duplex/Royal/Owner's Suite would be in MSC Yacht Club since that is what we book/price out. On one of the Explora cruises that I'm interested in, even a mid level suite is comparable. There are other factors such as flights vs. driving to port, included gratuities vs added gratuities, etc. The Explora mid-level stateroom would be smaller, though. 

 

46 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Now one could also opt to book the Owners Suite for about $3500 per person/day!  That is real money :).  Yes, you would get a 1600+ sq foot suite, but would still be on the same ship, get the same food, and see the same entertainment as the person booking the $500 per person day/suite.

 

Celebrity does pretty much the same with their Iconic Suite on EDGE/APEX/BEYOND in The Retreat. The good thing is that a $50,000 7 night cruise can fall to something as low as a $26,000 7 night cruise if you catch the price on the right day. 🤪

That's the best price that I have seen for an Iconic Suite on the days that I plan on cruising and NCL has been able to get that much for a 3BR Garden Villa for years. 

Edited July 18, 2022 by Two Wheels Only

[awhcruiser]

2 hours ago, Nashna said:

We have paid our dues.  We have sailed all sorts of different cruise lines in the past. When we were younger, we had different requirements and enjoyed cruising in inside, outside wherever we could get it accommodations.  Now that we are older, we are willing to pay a reasonable amount to have a place to sit by the pool, receive extra service in the restaurants and experience expedited boarding and disembarkation.  Frankly, we are not able, nor do we wish to, wait in long lines to embark or disembark, use the buffets or wait to enter a restaurant.  So, the Yacht Club worked for us.  Not because we wanted to feel privileged, but because we needed those extra services to enjoy our cruises.  The Europa appears to very much be a typical class structured cruise option.  Since we need additional service, and we can only afford the basic standard stateroom, it appears that Europa will not be our choice.  

MSC isn't the only line in town.  Time to move on

[awhcruiser]

3 hours ago, Nashna said:

 

 Since we have no interest in feeling like steerage passengers, MSC Explora is not going to be on our cruise options in the future.  

Unfortunately not all of us can afford the luxury suites to which you are accustomed.

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, Nashna said:

The increased cost for the basic Explora suite is way more than Oceania, Regent or Viking for similar accommodations

I understand your feelings. It is the time in ones life to enjoy the 'fruits of our labor'. Having sailed the world in 2 lowers on the inside for 40 years it is time to 'branch out'. But it is still most difficult to abandon the practices the got us to this point in our lives. We are looking for service, a cabin with a separate bedroom, a walk in shower, and a covered balcony with loungers to stretch out on. So our ONLY concern is now will we be able to cruise when the time comes. We booked the Explora 1 in a Grand Penthouse 732 sq ft / 226 sq ft balcony, $907/pp/pd compared to Seascape Royal Suite 670/355 for $1178/pp/pd for the same time of year this year. Just can not believe that the service in the YC on the Seashore/Seascape can be outclassed by the service on Explora, when one has twice the number of suite guests competing for attention. We all want to get on first, get off first. Now our butler can butt us to the front of any queue, reserve us any seat in the Theatre, have our complimentary pergola on the One Pool deck, have had special key card 'over-ride' of elevators. All this 'out the window' competing with 720 other prima donnas. So for these reasons we only booked the one Explora sailing.

  P.S. We booked a similar cabin on Regent Mariner MS 2002/798 $1345 pp/pd and Regent Grandeur GS 854/732 $1405 pp/pd to compare to our present MSC favorites. 

Edited July 18, 2022 by morpheusofthesea
P.S.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, awhcruiser said:

MSC isn't the only line in town.  Time to move on

Hear hear!  We have been cruising since the mid 70s and have been blessed to have been on 16 cruise lines (and more than 65 different ships).  I am still amazed at all the "one trick ponies" who have this "loyalty thing" to a single cruise line.  We have so much fun trying different lines, itineraries, ships, and even cabin categories.  Perhaps that is why after far more than 100 cruises (all over the world) each cruise is still an adventure :).  While it is all so familiar it never gets old.  I still remember having cocktails with a delightful couple on Celebrity who told us they were "bored with cruising" and were looking at other options.  When I asked them how many lines, they had tried they seemed shocked and said all their cruises had been on Celebrity!  We were recently on a longish Seabourn cruise and some onboard friends asked us about our next cruise.  When we said, MSC, they were completely shocked.  Most of the folks we meet on Seabourn only cruise Seabourn and perhaps Silverseas and Regent.  But going on MSC is seen as a huge downward step.

 

DW and have really enjoyed the YC and look forward to our upcoming Seashore cruise (in the YC).  While we have not found the cuisine as good as we get on other lines we think that the YC is am amazing value.  Will Explora turn out to be an "amazing value?"  I have no idea.  But the fact that the Aponte family is committed to the concept of a luxury line gives me a good reason to be optimistic.

 

Hank

[SirWolf]

Comparing MSC Seascape and MSC Explora 1

 

• Caribbean

• December 2023

• Miami to Miami

 

-> 7-Nights: Seascape YC $5,238 ($748/night)

Gratuities NOT included

Wi-Fi NOT included

Suite 269 sqft

 

-> 9-Nights: Explora 1 $7,000 ($778/night)

Gratuities included

Wi-Fi included

Suite 301 sqft

 

.. seriously considering to book Explora ..

[Oxo]

6 hours ago, SirWolf said:

Comparing MSC Seascape and MSC Explora 1

 

• Caribbean

• December 2023

• Miami to Miami

 

-> 7-Nights: Seascape YC $5,238 ($748/night)

Gratuities NOT included

Wi-Fi NOT included

Suite 269 sqft

 

-> 9-Nights: Explora 1 $7,000 ($778/night)

Gratuities included

Wi-Fi included

Suite 301 sqft

 

.. seriously considering to book Explora ..

The price of $5,230? For 2 people or 1?

TIA

[SirWolf]

13 minutes ago, Oxo said:

The price of $5,230? For 2 people or 1?

TIA

The price on Seascape is for 2 passengers

.. need to add taxes & fees $140/person = $280

 

Taxes on Explora 1 included in price..

that makes Explora even more interesting.

 

 

[mscdivina2016]

13 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Unpacking/Packing is offered/included for Yacht Club guests....although I've never read a review from someone who had it done. 

We have done it .

But not as a request.

It has been offered though.

 

One of the many screw ups had us changing cabins being b2b.

They moved everything from one cabin to another.

[mscdivina2016]

11 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

I understand your feelings. It is the time in ones life to enjoy the 'fruits of our labor'. Having sailed the world in 2 lowers on the inside for 40 years it is time to 'branch out'. But it is still most difficult to abandon the practices the got us to this point in our lives. We are looking for service, a cabin with a separate bedroom, a walk in shower, and a covered balcony with loungers to stretch out on. So our ONLY concern is now will we be able to cruise when the time comes. We booked the Explora 1 in a Grand Penthouse 732 sq ft / 226 sq ft balcony, $907/pp/pd compared to Seascape Royal Suite 670/355 for $1178/pp/pd for the same time of year this year. Just can not believe that the service in the YC on the Seashore/Seascape can be outclassed by the service on Explora, when one has twice the number of suite guests competing for attention. We all want to get on first, get off first. Now our butler can butt us to the front of any queue, reserve us any seat in the Theatre, have our complimentary pergola on the One Pool deck, have had special key card 'over-ride' of elevators. All this 'out the window' competing with 720 other prima donnas. So for these reasons we only booked the one Explora sailing.

  P.S. We booked a similar cabin on Regent Mariner MS 2002/798 $1345 pp/pd and Regent Grandeur GS 854/732 $1405 pp/pd to compare to our present MSC favorites. 

Has your key card ever expressed you up to YC.  I have tried many times on multiple ships and it never worked.