RCCL Diamond+ Looking to Try MSC... Hints?

[yogimax]

Royal's outrageous prices have led me to consider trying MSC.   Prices are a lot more reasonable and sailing from Brooklyn is certainly more appealing to us than Bayonne.  In addition, friends have highly recommended MSC for their entertainment and food.

 

I know MSC has a status match with RCCL.  What exactly would it mean for a D+?  

 

Any other helpful hints or suggestions for booking with MSC would be greatly appreciated.

[VernRDH]

D+ will get you gold status on MSC. Very easy to do.

We are D+, and are trying MSC Meraviglia out of Brooklyn this October. 

We booked Yacht Club interior for the same price as an ocean view on Symphony for the same week.  Full drinks package,surf internet for two devices per person. Price included gratuities and bus transportation through the travel agent, since parking is $45/day. So I am saving since I would still buy soda package and internet for two, plus parking in Bayonne at $210.

We are not suite or fancy upgrade people ordinarily, but as we age are looking for a quieter, more laid back experience. You also get access to thermal suite in the spa( unlimited) and private dining room. It may spoil me, but we will see.

They offer different levels of cruise experience, and some nice perks with the Voyagers club.

What's the worst thing that happens? You find it's not for you. We are planning on trying other lines as well, since Pinnacle is too far away and at Royal's current pricing, I may find other lines suit our needs better.

[jean87510]

2 hours ago, yogimax said:

Royal's outrageous prices have led me to consider trying MSC.   Prices are a lot more reasonable and sailing from Brooklyn is certainly more appealing to us than Bayonne.  In addition, friends have highly recommended MSC for their entertainment and food.

 

I know MSC has a status match with RCCL.  What exactly would it mean for a D+?  

 

Any other helpful hints or suggestions for booking with MSC would be greatly appreciated.

I recently did a review on my December 28, 2023 MSC Divina YC sailing.  I am D+ on RCCL and Diamond (the old black - aka highest level) on MSC.  My husband ended up Gold.  I don't know why I'm higher.  

 

My strong suggestion is to DO THE YC.  But first do the status match.  THEN book.  Reason is you will get an extra 5 or 10% off which comes with gold status.  

 

We loved the YC so much we are just going to finish up the 4 cruises we have with Royal, the one with Celebrity plus 1 with NCL next month and are going to either sail on Windstar, Paul Gaughan or MSC YC if on the east coast or Europe moving forward.  This is coming from 2 people who weren't sure they wanted a butler, don't drink a lot, don't like lying about pools all day, hate dressing up, ate in WJ almost everyday and used a cruise just for the ports.  YC and the service really changed our views.  And we have been in suites the last few times on Royal.  The staff was so exceptionally nice and friendly everyday, everywhere.  My favorite was how they knew I snuck in the gym off hours around 530sm but told gym attendant I was YC and to let me (i found this out the last day).  And the bartender would have my coffee ready for me and a coke zero for my husband.  When I left I was so sad because I had probably the best cruise.  It was completely night and day from my suite experiences on Royal where the staff tend to cater to the pinnacles.  My husband is a quiet guy who does his own thing and the staff actually got him to talk and share pictures and stories of our snorkeling excursions.  On royal, we never had anyone really bother with us which was ok at the time, but you really notice the difference when you sail YC.

[shipgeeks]

We loved our MSC cruises; what we perhaps liked the most was the fact that it was different from our usual cruises, probably owing to the passenger mix (Americans in the minority), and the different foods, shows, and overall feel.  It really felt more like being "away".

As others have said, it is worth doing the status match.

My main recommendation is to study the four "experiences" and their benefits before choosing one and making your booking.  In our case, for example, we will not do Anytime Dining, so Aurea was not for us.  We don't use room service, so Fantastica would not benefit us.  We booked Bella, had a wonderful cabin, excellent service, and two great cruises.

[yogimax]

1 hour ago, VernRDH said:

D+ will get you gold status on MSC. Very easy to do.

We are D+, and are trying MSC Meraviglia out of Brooklyn this October. 

 

Those are the dates I'm considering as well.  I see the status match requires an RCCL membership card.  Would our last Sea Pass Card be accepted?  

 

Can I assume the status match does not include the five free drinks or two days of free internet?

[yogimax]

1 hour ago, jean87510 said:

This is coming from 2 people who weren't sure they wanted a butler, 

Thanks for the great advice.  Somehow, I can't see myself with a butler.  Probably the result of my background, growing up in a relatively poor family in NYC.  I'd have to really think that one over.🙂

[jean87510]

3 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Thanks for the great advice.  Somehow, I can't see myself with a butler.  Probably the result of my background, growing up in a relatively poor family in NYC.  I'd have to really think that one over.🙂

Trust me, you'll love it.  They can read you well.  We aren't the type who have our butlers wipe our behinds and throw palm branches down when you walk.  They are there when needed.  It was amazing service for the price.

[Sunshine3601]

6 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

First time we sailed in YC, we never met our butler until day 6 😳

 

Really didn’t matter as our room attendant was excellent and took care of the only two things we ever request 

Extra hangers and a few extra pillows.

 

We don’t need them unpacking or folding our smalls 🤣

 

Nancy 🍹

How are their casino's and their casino program for comps, etc.?

[RosieRoo]

41 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Thanks for the great advice.  Somehow, I can't see myself with a butler.  Probably the result of my background, growing up in a relatively poor family in NYC.  I'd have to really think that one over.🙂

One of the best perks of the YC in Brooklyn I haven’t seen mentioned is that the butler meets you on the sidewalk by the YC tent and escorts you through security, check in and right onto the ship. No lines, no waiting. They also escort you off the ship at ports, taking you right to the front of the line. 

[VernRDH]

2 hours ago, yogimax said:

Those are the dates I'm considering as well.  I see the status match requires an RCCL membership card.  Would our last Sea Pass Card be accepted?  

 

Can I assume the status match does not include the five free drinks or two days of free internet?

I just sent a screenshot of my account page from RC that showed my points and status. Plus filled out the application. Had a MSC Voyagers number 2 days later. Definitely do it first than book, as you do get the discount.

I believe you were on Anthem with us last week too!

[jean87510]

2 hours ago, schooner_Drinker said:

First time we sailed in YC, we never met our butler until day 6 😳

 

Really didn’t matter as our room attendant was excellent and took care of the only two things we ever request 

Extra hangers and a few extra pillows.

 

We don’t need them unpacking or folding our smalls 🤣

 

Nancy 🍹

You didn't use them to skip lines? You should have just saved money and did Bella if all you wanted was hangers and pillows.  You can get them there.

[jean87510]

3 hours ago, yogimax said:

Those are the dates I'm considering as well.  I see the status match requires an RCCL membership card.  Would our last Sea Pass Card be accepted?  

 

Can I assume the status match does not include the five free drinks or two days of free internet?

no.

 

BUT (yes pushing YC again) if you do YC, drinks and wifi included and the refrigerator is stocked for you plus they put daily bottles of wine in cabin.  We had 7 or 8 bottles our butler wrapped for us that we put in our suitcase (we aren't big drinkers).  

 

Edited to add - and free room service...

Edited February 25 by jean87510

[yogimax]

50 minutes ago, VernRDH said:

I believe you were on Anthem with us last week too!

Ha!!!  Yes, we were.

[Thisguylikestocruise]

5 hours ago, jean87510 said:

I recently did a review on my December 28, 2023 MSC Divina YC sailing.  I am D+ on RCCL and Diamond (the old black - aka highest level) on MSC.  My husband ended up Gold.  I don't know why I'm higher.  

 

My strong suggestion is to DO THE YC.  But first do the status match.  THEN book.  Reason is you will get an extra 5 or 10% off which comes with gold status.  

 

We loved the YC so much we are just going to finish up the 4 cruises we have with Royal, the one with Celebrity plus 1 with NCL next month and are going to either sail on Windstar, Paul Gaughan or MSC YC if on the east coast or Europe moving forward.  This is coming from 2 people who weren't sure they wanted a butler, don't drink a lot, don't like lying about pools all day, hate dressing up, ate in WJ almost everyday and used a cruise just for the ports.  YC and the service really changed our views.  And we have been in suites the last few times on Royal.  The staff was so exceptionally nice and friendly everyday, everywhere.  My favorite was how they knew I snuck in the gym off hours around 530sm but told gym attendant I was YC and to let me (i found this out the last day).  And the bartender would have my coffee ready for me and a coke zero for my husband.  When I left I was so sad because I had probably the best cruise.  It was completely night and day from my suite experiences on Royal where the staff tend to cater to the pinnacles.  My husband is a quiet guy who does his own thing and the staff actually got him to talk and share pictures and stories of our snorkeling excursions.  On royal, we never had anyone really bother with us which was ok at the time, but you really notice the difference when you sail YC.

That sounds awesome how personalized the cruise was. I really don’t understand Royal’s pricing, especially when cruises are priced higher than Celebrity. No staff on Royal talks to us unless it’s about giving a 10/10 on the survey. 

Edited February 25 by Thisguylikestocruise

[PhillyFan33579]

5 hours ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

That sounds awesome how personalized the cruise was. I really don’t understand Royal’s pricing, especially when cruises are priced higher than Celebrity. No staff on Royal talks to us unless it’s about giving a 10/10 on the survey. 

I think RCI has done a great job marketing themselves, especially with Icon. I live in Florida and you can’t turn on the TV without seeing a commercial for Icon. Having said that, I don’t understand why people are paying so much to cruise on Icon. I was on the second Icon cruise and while I enjoyed the cruise, the ship definitely wasn’t built for people who like quiet areas like the Solarium on other RCI ships. The majority of cruises I have been on the last two years (RCI and Celebrity) have been casino comps. As long as the offers keep coming, I will continue to stick with RCI and Celebrity. But if it gets to the point where I have to start paying for most of my cruises, and assuming the prices remain at current levels, I will definitely branch out to other cruise lines. Right now a lot of people are paying more to cruise on Icon than on a luxury cruise line, which makes no sense to me. 

[jean87510]

7 hours ago, schooner_Drinker said:

I will sail BELLA if you do - Deal 

Sorry, must have misunderstood.  It didn't read as you liked it.

[jean87510]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I think RCI has done a great job marketing themselves, especially with Icon. I live in Florida and you can’t turn on the TV without seeing a commercial for Icon. Having said that, I don’t understand why people are paying so much to cruise on Icon. I was on the second Icon cruise and while I enjoyed the cruise, the ship definitely wasn’t built for people who like quiet areas like the Solarium on other RCI ships. The majority of cruises I have been on the last two years (RCI and Celebrity) have been casino comps. As long as the offers keep coming, I will continue to stick with RCI and Celebrity. But if it gets to the point where I have to start paying for most of my cruises, and assuming the prices remain at current levels, I will definitely branch out to other cruise lines. Right now a lot of people are paying more to cruise on Icon than on a luxury cruise line, which makes no sense to me. 

I too don't understand the Icon draw especially with the pricing.  If I may add, I don't understand CocoCay draw either.  We visited Ocean Cay which is MSC Island.  Complete difference.  Quiet, lots of places to stretch out, YC has their own area (which CocoCay does not for the suite guests).  We ended up walking all over.  There's even a place for the spa to give massages.  Much more water activites available of course for a fee but still there.

Edited February 25 by jean87510

[cublet]

9 hours ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

That sounds awesome how personalized the cruise was. I really don’t understand Royal’s pricing, especially when cruises are priced higher than Celebrity. No staff on Royal talks to us unless it’s about giving a 10/10 on the survey. 

Hello,

 

Royal is now run by an accountant. His principle seems to be to charge as much as he can get away with. MSC is effectively family owned and run - it *MAY* be being subsidised by the container operations but I have no way of knowing.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[PhillyFan33579]

6 hours ago, jean87510 said:

I too don't understand the Icon draw especially with the pricing.  If I may add, I don't understand CocoCay draw either.  We visited Ocean Cay which is MSC Island.  Complete difference.  Quiet, lots of places to stretch out, YC has their own area (which CocoCay does not for the suite guests).  We ended up walking all over.  There's even a place for the spa to give massages.  Much more water activites available of course for a fee but still there.

I just did several mock bookings for November. For a 7 day cruise on Icon out of Port Miami in November, it is $6,970.68 for an ocean view balcony. On Oceania Marina, a 10 day cruise in November out of Port Miami is $7,198 for an ocean view balcony. I like RCI, but it doesn’t compare to Oceania, especially when the price per day is actually cheaper on numerous Oceania cruises. Why someone would pay the current Icon prices still baffles me. It’s like these passengers are paying BMW or Mercedes prices for a Honda or Toyota. 

[cublet]

24 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I just did several mock bookings for November. For a 7 day cruise on Icon out of Port Miami in November, it is $6,970.68 for an ocean view balcony. On Oceania Marina, a 10 day cruise in November out of Port Miami is $7,198 for an ocean view balcony. I like RCI, but it doesn’t compare to Oceania, especially when the price per day is actually cheaper on numerous Oceania cruises. Why someone would pay the current Icon prices still baffles me. It’s like these passengers are paying BMW or Mercedes prices for a Honda or Toyota. 

Hello,

 

This is horrendously off-topic, but is a response to your posting.

 

A certain UK television motoring programme stripped a car of all its identifying marks, or marques, stuck it in a town centre parking-lot and asked people to decide what it was.

 

The vast majority said it was a BMW.

 

It was a Honda: And I have driven them for over 20 years and the only thing that stopped me last year is that they no longer have a saloon (or sedan - as you call them).

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[George C]

We are diamond plus on rccl , normally book suites on celebrity and rccl , totally loved MSc yacht club , we never used butler much on celebrity but on yacht club they were outstanding, they will escort you to any shows or specialty restaurants, etc. YC also comes with premium drink package and WiFi . Their lounge is beautiful much nicer than celebrity or rccl suite lounge , YC lounge also gives you live music from 5 to 11. Outdoor area has pool , restaurant, hot tubs and never an issue finding chairs. If you want to save money they even have inside cabins . I would rather book YC indoors over a junior suite on rccl.