First time on MSC and in the Yacht Club. Loads of random thoughts coming your way....

[Griff4AU]

Just off the Preziosa today (Tuesday). Here’s my brain-dump. I am sure there’s more… but I am tired and about to fly to the US. So while it’s fresh….

 

First, the Author’s Perspective:

·         Pretty frequent cruiser – approaching 50 on every major line with the exception of HAL. Also have one “Elite line” cruise under by belt.

 

·         Although I am a TA, I only book for friends and family (not my day job) and so all those cruises I have been on are with my own dime (except 1).

 

·         Although I have been on every line, I would consider Princess my “sweet spot”. I enjoy the added level of service over a Carnival / NCL and am willing to pay for it. I am absolutely in the Seaborn demographic, but I think the super premier lines lose some fun factor as they don’t have all the amenities / alternatives that the bigger ships offer. Plus I’d rather go on 2 Princess sailings for roughly the same cost as a Seaborn (both as examples).

 

·         Lastly, I haven’t been on a cruise in 4 years – 2 because of the Pandemic and before that, 2 because I was dating someone who had zero desire to cruise. (she’s gone!)

 

Sorry for the Blah blah blah, but here in CC I see many times folks do a comparison but you don’t know where they are coming from.

 

Post 1 – this one – will be overall

Post 2 – (coming up next) will be more Yacht Club specific.

 

I so I was on the MSC Preziosa from 27 Dec to 3 January. I expected there to be more Euros on board as it’s their Winter too, but this was a 90%+ Brazil crowd. That’s OK, I REALLY like Brazil, but they cruise differently than US folks do. The itinerary was boring. This crowd was about the ship and NYE and having fun. More than once I was glad I had the seclusion of the Yacht Club. Dang... Euros and South Americans have more fun-factor when sailing then US folks do. But there's a point there... this is an Italian line. It's not going to be raucous like a shorter Carnival boat... but it's not going to be Celebrity / HAL either. Some fun folks on this ship.

 

Random thoughts in no particular order:

·         I thought the Preziosa was a good looking ship. Built in 2013 and last docked in 2018 (I think), she has some of the dumb features / design of that era ship. For example, many times you had to walk right through one of the music venues to walk forward / aft. There were many Crooner-type music venues (Princess folks will get this reference) but they were near the open air casino so unless you were willing to smell smoke, the venues weren’t utilized.

 

·         The ship was maintained very well.

 

·         The specialty dining was OK – not great. Butcher’s Cut (meat) was decent. Galaxy (sushi) was also good, but pretty much attached to the virtual reality area… so the kids walking in and out had to cut through the restaurant bar area. Stupid.. I think someone said “well, we need to put Galaxy somewhere, and this is the last spot that isn’t spoken for”. However it was up high and the views were terrific. It’s better that I made it sound as we went there twice.

 

·         Zero experience with the MDR.

 

·         We did the buffet twice and thought it was actually pretty decent. I would call it “average or slightly above”, but since recent cruisers have said more than once that everything has deteriorated, I would call this slightly above (if all other lines have gone down). My opinion has the quality as good / average and the variety as above average. It was much better than I expected.

 

·         I thought the non YC crew was good. Not nearly a Princess or X level, but very solid. Please remember that these folks work harder every single day than many of us have ever worked… they hustle. And I thought the crew was good.

 

·         Décor?  I’d call it a Euro NCL. Not loud like some of the Carnival boats. Not the traditional colors that US cruise folks are accustomed to, but I thought it was tasteful.

 

·         Embarkation was a bit of a disaster and delayed 3 hours because the ship’s system went down. Yes, that’s MSC’s fault. But they handled it as well as they could have. Getting off the boat?  Typical cruise ship chaos – so average. I am glad I was in YC.

 

·         Entertainment – I can’t add much to what other threads have stated – entertainment is not a priority for MSC. It’s below average if not well below average (based on my perspective).

 

·         Ship’s Leadership – I will offer that I think the Captain and the senior officers of the MSC Preziosa were amongst the top, if not the top, of any sailing (on any line) I have been on. They were exceptional.

 

·         This sailing was the 2^nd Brazil sailing after the Transatlantic. English is NOT the language you are going to hear first (or at all) with the announcements. US folks will have to accept that (unless it’s a sailing from the US). I found the language skills of the staff to be excellent. Most (more than ½ - that’s the definition of most) spoke multiple languages. English was everywhere.

 

·         Speaking of English – for my US folks who think the US is the center of the world and everything else is 2^nd rate, MSC probably isn’t the line for you.

 

End of first brain dump!

Edited January 3, 2023 by Griff4AU

[Griff4AU]

Post 2 - Yacht Club focused

 

I think Yacht Club deserves it’s own thread, but I’m not going there. Let’s just that I strongly suspect that many folks here who offer YC advice are folks who have never sailed in the Yacht Club. Or maybe they didn’t take advantage of what all YC offers. I thought Yacht Club was special. I’ve been in the NCL Haven and while I enjoyed it, I did not think it was worth the added costs. Again, just one guy’s perspective. To me, the Haven was nice and a little exclusive, but not special.

 

I think this comparison of the 2 sums up my thoughts well. https://seanandstefirl.blog/2018/08/01/ncl-haven-vs-msc-yacht-club/

 

From our own area for embarkation, to one of the butlers walking you everywhere if you haven’t been somewhere or just ask, to the private diving room and pool and bar (all in the best areas), this was special. How many times have you gotten on an elevator on 7 (for example) and needed to go to Deck 16 just knowing you’re going to stop at nearly every floor?  Swipe your card in (not all elevators had it) and you’re going to 16 without any more stops (unless someone was already in the elevator). Priority Elevators!!!!! Awesome...    Long line for a Tender?  Your butler walks you to the front of the line. Don’t feel guilty – you paid for it. When many of the bars were closed, the Top Sail (for YC) was open until 0230 with live music (piano player).

 

Food – vastly superior to the rest of the ship. The 2 steaks I had in the YC restaurant were better than the one I had in Butcher’s Cut (specialty restaurant).

 

After a week, I felt I knew every YC staffer and they knew me (and the other guests). YC staff were dedicated to YC guests. No comingling.

 

I can list all of the benefits, but they have been listed ad nauseum here on CC.

 

Again, Yacht Club felt significantly more exclusive to me than the Haven ever did. Leaps and bounds. Zero comparison. Nicer cabin with the Haven?  Yup. I slept and showered in the cabin. For me (again, perspective), the Yacht Club was special.

 

So, is it worth it?  That’s up to you. It’s more money. But where’s your sweet-spot?  Would I sail on MSC outside of Yacht Club?  Probably not. It felt a little Carnival / NCL-ish to me and I am willing to pay for a little more polish. So that puts me back to my happy-lines:  Princess, X and RCL.

 

Before this week I had a small deposit on a Princess mini-suite for a Med cruise in June on the newer Enchanted Princess. That’s my happy spot in terms of cruise line and price-point.

 

And then this week happened. Am I going to dump the deposit it for the newer MSC Seashore? Probably. For roughly the same money, I can have the  Yacht Club experience for a mini-Suite price on Princess. Do I think Princess is a better cruise line (from what I remember)?  Absolutely. But nothing short of the super-premier lines comes close to the Yacht Club – and the main stream lines are more fun (to me) than the super-premier lines.

 

Again, just one guys perspective.

[emmas gran]

Good review on YC , Preziosa was our first MSC cruise in Jan 2019. We managed 4 cruises (70 days) before Covid

We would not saiil outside YC as it offers all we need.

[kernow]

11 hours ago, Griff4AU said:

 

 

        Speaking of English – for my US folks who think the US is the center of the world and everything else is 2^nd rate, MSC probably isn’t the line for you.

 

 

I love this, it's exactly what I want to say every time someone asks 'how does MSC compare to ......' but I wouldn't dare as I'm from the UK😁.

 

I agree with all your thoughts on YC, it's special and somewhere to go for a real treat as we too like the big ship experience. Looking forward to being back (on Virtuosa) in May.

[perakcruiser]

13 hours ago, Griff4AU said:

I so I was on the MSC Preziosa from 27 Dec to 3 January. I expected there to be more Euros on board as it’s their Winter too, but this was a 90%+ Brazil crowd

Flights to South America from Europe are still very expensive, still far away from normal (same with South East and East Asia). And so many ships spend the winter in Europe and Middle East, the Canary Islands and Dubai cruises right now are much more attractive for the European crowds. 

[Griff4AU]

On 1/4/2023 at 4:50 AM, kernow said:

I love this, it's exactly what I want to say every time someone asks 'how does MSC compare to ......' but I wouldn't dare as I'm from the UK😁.

Well, if y'all would learn to speak English, there wouldn't be an issue! 🤪😂

I appreciate your comment. 

I'm still thinking about the YC. When I wanted to party with the crazy Brazilians, I did. When I wanted a retreat, I went back to YC. Early in the sailing the Captain was walking by The One (YC pool) introducing himself. He asked what brought me down to Brazil since 90% of the pax were from Brazil. I replied that I love Brazil and my date / GF was from there. 

 

When still speaking to the Captain I pointed at the Brazilian flag that the ship was flying and said, "Being from the US I shouldn't care, but your pax might appreciate lowering the flag in honor of Pele's death". He thanked me, got on the radio for about 1 minute, then continued meeting the YC pax. 

 

Literally 10 minutes later:

 

When I shared above that the senior officers of the Preziosa were exceptional, I was not exaggerating. There were several examples. After we rang in the New Year, I saw 3 of the senior officers (they probably all were, but I saw 3) walking the ship not wishing the Pax a happy new year... but shaking the hand of every crew member wishing them a Happy New Year.... Leadership....  

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by Griff4AU

[jules815]

On 1/3/2023 at 5:15 PM, Griff4AU said:

 

On 1/3/2023 at 5:15 PM, Griff4AU said:

 

 

 

 

The comparison link you posted is EXACTLY why we booked our first YC cruise back in 2019. We'd cruised many times over the years with our kids on Royal Caribbean and a handful of times on Carnival. It was always 2 cabins. A balcony for us and an interior across the hall for our daughters. FF to 2014 when we were now empty nesters and going on cruises with just the two of us. We started sailing in suites on RC and X (Love X), but was really interested in the ship within a ship concept. Hadn't even heard about YC until I started doing research on Haven. Saw they'd also do a nice status match with our RC C&A, so we gave it a try. We've been on 2 cruises with MSC, Seaside and Meraviglia. Love the YC experience for all the reasons mentioned, but we still like walking around a big ship. Just booked Seascape a few days ago and already made a room change. Didn't realize there were YC rooms with a walk in closet with shelving and drawers! When I called, the nice rep noticed my loyalty status hadn't been applied to my reservation, so not only did I get a room upgrade, but I'm still saving over $200.

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by jules815

[A-n-T]

@Griff4AU... bang on perfect review.  

We have done many cruises, several different cruise lines.  Currently we have a 7 year old so the smaller more exclusive boats don't have things for her, so big boats it is... To be honest, I have never sailed on MSC and not been in the Yacht Club... and likely never will.  

 

Your description is perfect, also your statement of people's "sweet spot" is bang on... if you're able and willing to pay for the extras of Yacht Club, they are worth it.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your review.

[Nunagoras]

Many thanks for this as simple and practical as it can be, and as well written as it could have been review; @Griff4AU!... JIMHO; me thinks that the ones in charge of this MSC's CC board should award this thread as a rare one and pin it to the top for the beginners to notice anytime! Sadly; most of the complainers here are the ones whom actually don't really know the product they're purchasing, and then they come mostly as cultural warriors, or at least cultural warriors of sorts!... Fortunately there are here the ones whom not only know the product, but they know the market and the corresponding market segmentation that be!

 

Of course there are no perfect cruise lines, nor perfect cruises. That personal "sweet spot" reference is so very important and very personal in our lives... Wonderful you shared it with us, so we can read your review more accurately as your personal experience! And believe me: I can see myself on my old experience of both my Brazil and transatlantic crossing cruises on a relatively smaller ship, the Magnifica, on a regular MSC cabin. If it wasn't for my parents difficulties with the English language, and my "sweet spot" would be within the X/Princess segment as well, with the YC as a tentative replacement. Sadly all the cruises I went but one were on non YC ships, and the one that had was with us as part of a charter group with no YC cabins as part of the deal.

 

Permit me a few notes:

 

Sadly; I wouldn't blame only MSC on the Brazilian embarkation process chaos. I had exactly same experience at my turn. Once I'm a Portuguese language native, I had the opportunity to understand what was going at my turn, and it is my understanding that while the MSC's whole process might to be less than stellar implemented, the Brazilian authorities approach the eventual challenges at a "only we know how to manage this, so guys, go with the program or go away", and then give whatever excuse they wish and go on to the next one... It's simply odd. Brazilians are used to that service level. It's their land and they culturally accept it, but it is far out of way for EU/US/UK demands. My "pro tip" if you still want to go? Be patient with all of them, especially with those military police officers they have all the place...

 

Entertainment may be hit or miss. Bear in mind that MSC is now experimenting a partnership with a local Brazilian event provider that runs pretty much most if not all the entertainment. It is specific. Maybe quite lively, but ultimately one would be bored after a couple of days of said entertainment. Wonderful that you have had that experience though!...

 

Have a wonderful day and a wonderful 2023!...

[Cjdbrit]

Thanks wonderful review we are taking first MSc cruise in a couple of weeks booked yacht club so we could have the private area but large ship when needed. Usually go with celebrity. Any suggestions appreciated for yacht club we are 10 days on mergavilia .thanks again 

[pirate4me2]

Alright, I think you convinced me....my next mother/daughter cruise, I think I am going to try YC on MSC!

[GOLDENBONNY]

On 1/3/2023 at 6:10 PM, Griff4AU said:

entertainment is not a priority for MSC

ha? MSC had top entertainment in the sea. I really hope it didn't change that much.

[GOLDENBONNY]

On 1/3/2023 at 6:10 PM, Griff4AU said:

Speaking of English – for my US folks who think the US is the center of the world and everything else is 2^nd rate, MSC probably isn’t the line for you.

LOL

[little britain]

Going on my first YC cruise next week (WE)… I’ve read about the newspaper, the bottle of spirits in the cabin, the canapés morning and afternoon; free Wi-Fi…the butler sweeping others out of your way ( yes I’m looking at you @kernow!!) 

 

- is there anything else I should expect? 

[kernow]

21 hours ago, little britain said:

Going on my first YC cruise next week (WE)… I’ve read about the newspaper, the bottle of spirits in the cabin, the canapés morning and afternoon; free Wi-Fi…the butler sweeping others out of your way ( yes I’m looking at you @kernow!!) 

 

- is there anything else I should expect? 

Ha Ha that was so embarrassing 😁.

 

Can't think of anything specific but lots of little things that just happen and surprise you. We were wondering when you were off, have a fab time, can't wait to hear all about it.