MSC Yacht club Question

[eric4395]

Wife and I have been on many cruises with different cruiselines but only 1 MSC cruise. We thought the ship was lovely but most other things food, entertainment, etc not as good as other cruiselines We have been offered a cruise at a tempting price from our TA on MSC Grandiosa  med cruise from Rome later this year

 with the upgraded yacht club package. Is the food at Le Muse restaurant so much better than the normal main dining room and would members on here particularly recommend the Yacht club experience in General. I have noted  the reviews are very poor but maybe not for yacht club experience Thanks for any replies

 

 

Edited February 2 by eric4395

[tony s]

15 minutes ago, eric4395 said:

Wife and I have been on many cruises with different cruiselines but only 1 MSC cruise. We thought the ship was lovely but most other things food, entertainment, etc not as good as other cruiselines We have been offered a cruise at a tempting price from our TA on MSC Grandiosa  med cruise from Rome later this year

 with the upgraded yacht club package. Is the food at Le Muse restaurant so much better than the normal main dining room and would members on here particularly recommend the Yacht club experience in General. I have noted  the reviews are very poor but maybe not for yacht club experience Thanks for any replies

 

 

Jump on it. We have been on YC on Grandiosa twice. Great food and service 

[eric4395]

Just now, tony s said:

Jump on it. We have been on YC on Grandiosa twice. Great food and service 

Thanks for the reply I take it

it is much better quality food & service on YC compared to the normal dining experience?

[mmbcater]

Yes 8 out of 9 of our Msc's cruises have been in the Yacht Club! Much better all over!

[eric4395]

Just now, mmbcater said:

Yes 8 out of 9 of our Msc's cruises have been in the Yacht Club! Much better all over!

Ok thanks I've made a booboo it's MSC Divina,🙂

Edited February 2 by eric4395

[Raj.K]

We have only been with MSC in YC (Fantasia (1), Divina (1), Preziosa (5), Seaview (1) and Virtuosa  (1)), so not able to compare. But food is generally good and well presented. Not exactly fine dining Michelin star though is my view, but close.

 

Amongst the things you might enjoy include: attentive service, unlimited drinks (but each drink to a max value, not sure if $14 or $16), unlimited access to the spa, priority boarding/tenders, exclusive lounge, restaurant, pool etc. 

Edited February 2 by Raj.K

[eric4395]

24 minutes ago, eric4395 said:

Wife and I have been on many cruises with different cruiselines but only 1 MSC cruise. We thought the ship was lovely but most other things food, entertainment, etc not as good as other cruiselines We have been offered a cruise at a tempting price from our TA on MSC Grandiosa  med cruise from Rome later this year

 with the upgraded yacht club package. Is the food at Le Muse restaurant so much better than the normal main dining room and would members on here particularly recommend the Yacht club experience in General. I have noted  the reviews are very poor but maybe not for yacht club experience Thanks for any replies

 

 

Apologies this should be MSC Divina I enquired about.

[Raj.K]

5 minutes ago, eric4395 said:

Apologies this should be MSC Divina I enquired about.

Though the YC services and privileges are the same on all ships where this class of cabins are offered, the YC restaurant is at he opposite end of the ship (to where the YC cabins and the lounge is) on the Fantasia Class Ships (Fantasia, Divina, Preziosa and I think Splendida (I have not been on)).

 

If you have mobility challenges this can be a little inconvenient, otherwise not too much of a bother particularly if the weather is warm/nice as you can simply walk across the open deck areas to the other end. Otherwise, you'll have to come down a few decks to the decks where the shops/bars are and then walk to the other end to take the lift up again. 

 

Hope that makes sense.

[TrinaLC]

The YC experience bears no resemblance to “regular” MSC. 
 

it is a “ship within the ship”, with its own private real estate and key access needed. Private dining, lounge/bar (canapés served all day), private pool deck with bar (light breakfast, lunch and snacks), pool, hot tub .. butler service, basically you are spoiled. 
 

Divina is our favorite YC as it is a smaller ship and the service even more personal. Drawbacks are the poolside dining is more restricted as they don’t have a kitchen up there, and you do need to walk aft to the restaurant (it is the only class of ship where the YC restaurant is not within the YC space). Personally I like the walk. 
 

Edited February 2 by TrinaLC

[Mark_T]

2 hours ago, eric4395 said:

Apologies this should be MSC Divina I enquired about.

We will be boarding Divina in just over a week, and cruised on her in June last year.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to book YC on her again, even with the walk to the YC restaurant.

[deliver42]

We absolutely loved the Divina. We were booked on her again last year, but the cruise was cancelled.

[Cloudyrain]

YC is amazing. The service, food, bar etc is incredible and nothing at all like the main MSC experience. The dining is perfect, just walk in and sit down whenever you are ready in our experience (on a full to capacity sailing).

 

the only caveat is that the evening entertainment in the YC lounge is occasionally piano or singer: if you want shows or something lively you need to venture out in to the main part of the ship. 

[morpheusofthesea]

20 hours ago, eric4395 said:

would members on here particularly recommend the Yacht club experience in General. I have noted  the reviews are very poor but maybe not for yacht club experience

This is the consensus. Though there are diehards that love love love being outside the Yacht Club. There are just as many that will not venture outside the confines of the YC as well. It all depends on what one is looking for from a cruise line. We enjoy never dealing with chair hogs. This is less likely in the Yacht Club though has happened on occasion, but difference is there are personnel in YC that will help one deal with the interlopers. Celebrity Retreat and NCL Haven the personnel look the other way. No help.

[morpheusofthesea]

Would also add that even the staff outside the Yacht Clubs do not like dealing with the clientele. 

[eric4395]

Some good positive replies which is swaying us to  MSC.

The other cruise  we are looking at is a Celebrity cruise which we have done on a few occasions and always enjoyed. Price wise there not much between them altho the celebrity is a 9 night cruise compared to a 7 day with MSC. Normally it would be the Celebrity cruise however  we want to give YC a go. 

[Mark_T]

49 minutes ago, eric4395 said:

Price wise there not much between them altho the celebrity is a 9 night cruise compared to a 7 day with MSC. Normally it would be the Celebrity cruise however  we want to give YC a go. 

If you've found a 9 day Celebrity cruise in the Retreat for anything close to the MSC YC price I'd be surprised...

[eric4395]

24 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

If you've found a 9 day Celebrity cruise in the Retreat for anything close to the MSC YC price I'd be surprised...

No not retreat but a V1 prime veranda  grade cabin with a drinks pckage incl.

[Mark_T]

2 minutes ago, eric4395 said:

No not retreat but a V1 prime veranda  grade cabin with a drinks pckage incl.

That makes it a much easier choice then.

 

I'd take YC over a Retreat Sky Suite every time, so a V1 wouldn't come close, for us at least.

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is my comparison Retreat to YC

 Since your post is under Yacht Club let us compare apple to apple.. Here is a list.

#1 MSC Yacht Club Restaurant is OPEN port days. Celebrity Luminae is NOT open port days.

#2 MSC YC has reserved seating in the theatre for YC guests at all shows. Celebrity only Gala night.

#3 Royal Suite on MSC has 2 cushion deck lounges on balcony. Celebrity RS can only accommodate 1 non cushioned deck lounger.

#4 MSC has reserved pergolas/cabanas for RS & OS Celebrity on sundeck it is FCFS chair hoggers that get those.

#5 More attentive butlers on MSC . Celebrity hosts give one their telephone number which many times is forwarded to room service.

#6 Walk-in showers on MSC YC, Celebrity has low profile tub/shower combos in CS and SS.

#7 Elevator OVERRIDE key cards for suite guests on MSC. No such amenity on Celebrity.

#8 No non suite paying Diamond card holders taking up real estate in YC venues. Celebrity has non suite Zeniths in our venues.

#9 MSC All suites are within a gated community with a short climb up or down to all venues. Celebrity depends what ship.

#10 MSC a new pristine Ocean Cay out island with its own employees. Celebrity has Nassau.

#11 MSC offers Individual escorts on and off the ship. Celebrity one must assemble and be escorted off in groups (always waiting for some straggler).

#12 For those that enjoy buffets MSC YC has its own buffet at the One Pool Deck and some report that even pizza can be delivered to One Pool Deck.

#13 Celebrity has two great features that MSC lacks; Starlink wifi is much better than MSC wifi and Cafe al Bacio has no peer on MSC for its selection of 12-14 mouth-watering pastries.

#14 YC has the best entertainers on the ship providing evening music in the TopSail Lounge, nothing in Retreat Lounge.

#15 YC Pool Deck has a pool, only Celebrity E-class ships have pool.

#16 MSC YC has much better price than the Retreat

[morpheusofthesea]

On 2/2/2024 at 1:20 PM, eric4395 said:

I have noted  the reviews are very poor but maybe not for yacht club experience Thanks for any replies

 

3 hours ago, eric4395 said:

No not retreat but a V1 prime veranda  grade cabin with a drinks pckage incl.

If one is considering a cabin outside the Celebrity Retreat vs outside theYacht Club, I would pick the Celebrity cabin. One is hard pressed to find many good reviews of their cruise outside the Yacht Club as you noted above "reviews are very poor", except here on this forum from these "diehards". As I am sure traveling with these few "diehards" would be most enjoyable and entertaining, they are overwhelmed by a mass of low class that leave their manners at home when on a cruise ship. This is more apparent on cruises from US ports than over seas. More of this type are attracted by the lowest prices in the cruising industry and are called by one chairman of one cruise line the "wider audience".

[eric4395]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

 

If one is considering a cabin outside the Celebrity Retreat vs outside theYacht Club, I would pick the Celebrity cabin. One is hard pressed to find many good reviews of their cruise outside the Yacht Club as you noted above "reviews are very poor", except here on this forum from these "diehards". As I am sure traveling with these few "diehards" would be most enjoyable and entertaining, they are overwhelmed by a mass of low class that leave their manners at home when on a cruise ship. This is more apparent on cruises from US ports than over seas. More of this type are attracted by the lowest prices in the cruising industry and are called by one chairman of one cruise line the "wider audience".

Understand your viewpoint, however we have been on a few Celebrity cruises but never tried YC on MSC so its time to take the plunge  and give it a go, we may may regret it or may be converted who knows?

[George C]

3 hours ago, eric4395 said:

Understand your viewpoint, however we have been on a few Celebrity cruises but never tried YC on MSC so its time to take the plunge  and give it a go, we may may regret it or may be converted who knows?

YC is in many ways far superior to celebrity suites and cost between 1 and 2k less per person currently. Really looking forward to next YC cruise and when they move to Texas I doubt I will cruise anything else . 

[scamper]

17 hours ago, Cloudyrain said:

if you want shows or something lively you need to venture out in to the main part of the ship. 

You mean one has to actually blend with the hoi poloi!?!?  The sorts of people who earn their money?!?!? Oh, really dahling!!! I'm going to need my smelling salts! 😜

Edited February 4 by scamper

[Cloudyrain]

2 hours ago, scamper said:

You mean one has to actually blend with the hoi poloi!?!?  The sorts of people who earn their money?!?!? Oh, really dahling!!! I'm going to need my smelling salts! 😜

We spent most nights outside of the YC because the lounge was a bit too quiet for me. However, we did witness several other YC customers asking if they could go into the main ship and take a Butler with them to get them a table and fetch them drinks 😂 Apparently the effort of putting one’s arm in the air to catch the attention of a drinks waiter, or using one’s own eyes to locate one’s own table was too much for them 😂

 

[thankfully that level of entitlement was the minority and most YC were actually quite normal, had no silver spoons, and even - gasp - had jobs 😱]

[DaKahuna]

20 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

#10 MSC a new pristine Ocean Cay out island with its own employees. Celebrity has Nassau

 

 Celebrity now has some sailings stopping at Royal's private island resort Coco Cay.  I would ammed this one to say 

#10 MSC's private island Ocean Cay has a dedicated YC area.  Celebrity uses Royal Caribbean's Coco Cay which does not have a dedicate Retreat area. 

 

or something similar.