First Time in YC by a Celebrity Retreat Refugee

[RichYak]

My wife and I sailed Meraviglia last month after many cruises on Celebrity in The Retreat. With Retreat product declining a bit and prices skyrocketing, we found ourselves looking for another line to try and YC fit the bill. And since we live less than an hour from Brooklyn, it didn't take much effort to give it a shot. TLDR: we're very glad we did.

 

I had posted somewhat live comments in an already existing thread on the Celebrity CC board. Per the suggestion of @DisneyJen I'm creating a standalone thread here and re-writing.

 

Embarkation

Embarkation was a breeze, not really any better or worse than any we've had in Retreat, though with the butler escort, it felt more like a Retreat Upper Suite embarkation. Once on board, the Top Sail lounge was a bit crowded, but we chatted with other couples and I made a Butcher's Cut reservation while we waited for our cabin to be ready prior to lunch. I did miss the ability to drop carry-ons in the cabin immediately upon boarding like on Celebrity, but not by much.

 

YC Restaurant vs Luminae

Embarkation day lunch in the YC Restaurant felt noticeably different than it does in Luminae on Celebrity. The Luminae staff always appears hair-on-fire-frenetic for the first meal service. YC was relaxed, friendly and efficient--a very good sign.

 

After subsequent meals it became obvious that YC was both better staffed and managed than Luminae. Servers never felt rushed, food arrived hot and well prepared, ingredients were of high quality. I found the menu less adventurous than Luminae's, but not in a bad way. My big Luminae pet peeve: if you want a cocktail, servers need to fetch the Sommelier. In YC, I just ask whoever is in front of me and in a couple minutes, my drink arrives. Also, the 180 degree views off the bow are gorgeous. Lastly, the YC Restaurant is open on port days. Luminae just can't compete and falls way short.

 

YC Lounge vs Retreat Lounge

This just isn't a fair fight. On most of their ships, Celebrity just retrofitted an already existing venue and called it the Retreat Lounge. And on the new ships where the lounge was designed from scratch for the Retreat, there's no proper bar with seating. Their lounges are antiseptic and antisocial. Top Sail is so warm and inviting with comfortable seating and killer views. You can get a proper espresso in Top Sail, there are small bites all day long, and some form of entertainment every evening. Retreat Lounges have a pod-based coffee machine, occasional food items, and little in the way of entertainment. Our stateroom was so close to the lounge, it served as our de facto living room. You would need to stay in an Edge Villa on Celebrity for the same convenient lounge access. It's simply no contest.

 

YC One Pool vs Retreat Sundeck

This is also no-contest. The only Celebrity ships with a proper sundeck with pool and hot tub are the new Edge Class ships. The problem with Edge Class is there are sooooo many suites. For an area designed to be a "retreat" from the masses, there are simply too many people. I didn't feel that way on Mera's One Pool deck. There was plenty of space for everyone. Add to that a buffet for breakfast and lunch, something that Celebrity Retreat doesn't offer, and YC wins hands down.

 

Butler Service

Our butler was awesome... just fantastic. Just about everyone else we talked to also loved their butler, except one couple who were on a lower floor outside the YC enclave. Maybe that was the issue. We mentioned wine and cheese to him and every night there was wine and cheese in our stateroom. My wife mentioned that she liked the dates that they had in the lounge, the next day we found a whole box of them in our cabin. Stuff like that. On Celebrity, you need to stay in upper suites to get this kind of attention. Any time I stopped at the lounge for coffee to bring back to our cabin, whichever butler was there brought it back for us.

 

YC Deluxe Balcony vs Retreat Sky Suite

This is the only area where Retreat might be a winner. The toiletries are of higher quality in Retreat and the cabin just seems more luxurious. I love the robes too. The terrycloth ones in our YC cabin were cheap. There were no bedside power outlets and the room, while perfectly functional, was a bit smaller. In Retreat, the bed faces the balcony which is also nice. For us though, having chosen a location just steps from the lounge, location trumped all those little in-cabin flaws. If one is on a lower deck or less convenient location, Retreat could certainly win this battle.

 

So that's my comparison. I'm sold on YC. Sorry to let the secret out 😂

[jcpc]

@RichYak You've pretty much summed up my thoughts on Retreat vs Yacht Club.  I'm sold on MSC Yacht Club.  Now......will I sail Celebrity again?  Yes, and as a matter of fact I've got two Celebrity cruises booked this year - but not in Retreat.  I refuse to pay those Retreat prices for the quality of service I've received lately in Retreat.  I've also got 4 MSC Yacht Club cruises booked between now and February 2025.  So....for my money.....it's Yacht Club all the way!  Thanks for posting your final thoughts.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Yacht Club is the only way to go on MSC in my opinion.  So glad you had a great experience! And yes, the word is getting out as reflected in the increasing prices...still not as high as Retreat though.

[RichYak]

21 minutes ago, jcpc said:

I've got two Celebrity cruises booked this year...  I've also got 4 MSC Yacht Club cruises booked between now and February 2025.

I have 2 daughters getting married in the next 13 months, so I have 0 cruises booked 🤑

[DisneyJen]

Thanks for this post @RichYak🥂

 

We board the Mera next month. We will be driving in on Saturday and staying at a hotel Saturday night.

 

Did you drive to the port? What time did you arrive?

 

TIA!

 

 

 

 

[cruisebeachgirl703]

3 hours ago, RichYak said:

My wife and I sailed Meraviglia last month after many cruises on Celebrity in The Retreat. With Retreat product declining a bit and prices skyrocketing, we found ourselves looking for another line to try and YC fit the bill. And since we live less than an hour from Brooklyn, it didn't take much effort to give it a shot. TLDR: we're very glad we did.

 

I had posted somewhat live comments in an already existing thread on the Celebrity CC board. Per the suggestion of @DisneyJen I'm creating a standalone thread here and re-writing.

 

Embarkation

Embarkation was a breeze, not really any better or worse than any we've had in Retreat, though with the butler escort, it felt more like a Retreat Upper Suite embarkation. Once on board, the Top Sail lounge was a bit crowded, but we chatted with other couples and I made a Butcher's Cut reservation while we waited for our cabin to be ready prior to lunch. I did miss the ability to drop carry-ons in the cabin immediately upon boarding like on Celebrity, but not by much.

 

YC Restaurant vs Luminae

Embarkation day lunch in the YC Restaurant felt noticeably different than it does in Luminae on Celebrity. The Luminae staff always appears hair-on-fire-frenetic for the first meal service. YC was relaxed, friendly and efficient--a very good sign.

 

After subsequent meals it became obvious that YC was both better staffed and managed than Luminae. Servers never felt rushed, food arrived hot and well prepared, ingredients were of high quality. I found the menu less adventurous than Luminae's, but not in a bad way. My big Luminae pet peeve: if you want a cocktail, servers need to fetch the Sommelier. In YC, I just ask whoever is in front of me and in a couple minutes, my drink arrives. Also, the 180 degree views off the bow are gorgeous. Lastly, the YC Restaurant is open on port days. Luminae just can't compete and falls way short.

 

YC Lounge vs Retreat Lounge

This just isn't a fair fight. On most of their ships, Celebrity just retrofitted an already existing venue and called it the Retreat Lounge. And on the new ships where the lounge was designed from scratch for the Retreat, there's no proper bar with seating. Their lounges are antiseptic and antisocial. Top Sail is so warm and inviting with comfortable seating and killer views. You can get a proper espresso in Top Sail, there are small bites all day long, and some form of entertainment every evening. Retreat Lounges have a pod-based coffee machine, occasional food items, and little in the way of entertainment. Our stateroom was so close to the lounge, it served as our de facto living room. You would need to stay in an Edge Villa on Celebrity for the same convenient lounge access. It's simply no contest.

 

YC One Pool vs Retreat Sundeck

This is also no-contest. The only Celebrity ships with a proper sundeck with pool and hot tub are the new Edge Class ships. The problem with Edge Class is there are sooooo many suites. For an area designed to be a "retreat" from the masses, there are simply too many people. I didn't feel that way on Mera's One Pool deck. There was plenty of space for everyone. Add to that a buffet for breakfast and lunch, something that Celebrity Retreat doesn't offer, and YC wins hands down.

 

Butler Service

Our butler was awesome... just fantastic. Just about everyone else we talked to also loved their butler, except one couple who were on a lower floor outside the YC enclave. Maybe that was the issue. We mentioned wine and cheese to him and every night there was wine and cheese in our stateroom. My wife mentioned that she liked the dates that they had in the lounge, the next day we found a whole box of them in our cabin. Stuff like that. On Celebrity, you need to stay in upper suites to get this kind of attention. Any time I stopped at the lounge for coffee to bring back to our cabin, whichever butler was there brought it back for us.

 

YC Deluxe Balcony vs Retreat Sky Suite

This is the only area where Retreat might be a winner. The toiletries are of higher quality in Retreat and the cabin just seems more luxurious. I love the robes too. The terrycloth ones in our YC cabin were cheap. There were no bedside power outlets and the room, while perfectly functional, was a bit smaller. In Retreat, the bed faces the balcony which is also nice. For us though, having chosen a location just steps from the lounge, location trumped all those little in-cabin flaws. If one is on a lower deck or less convenient location, Retreat could certainly win this battle.

 

So that's my comparison. I'm sold on YC. Sorry to let the secret out 😂

Thanks for the review. We are back onboard end of the month. Can't wait. Who was your butler team? Do you know the restaurant sommelier?

[RichYak]

36 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Thanks for the review. We are back onboard end of the month. Can't wait. Who was your butler team? Do you know the restaurant sommelier?

Our butler was Faisol and his assistant was Roque. Both excellent. I can’t recall the Somm’s name. We let our waiter handle the wine for the most part. 

[cruisebeachgirl703]

41 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Our butler was Faisol and his assistant was Roque. Both excellent. I can’t recall the Somm’s name. We let our waiter handle the wine for the most part. 

Thanks. Did you go to the Captain's Welcome party? High Tea? Casino? If so, how was it?

[PTC DAWG]

No, no..just no.  Don’t spread the word. 🙂

[RichYak]

54 minutes ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Thanks. Did you go to the Captain's Welcome party? High Tea? Casino? If so, how was it?

We went to the Captain's welcome party, which was well attended. One of the singers and a couple of the dancers performed. We enjoyed it. High Tea was on the last sea day and was pleasant, even though the ship was really rocking and rolling on our way back to Brooklyn. We didn't visit the casino, which is typical for us.

[DaKahuna]

On 4/8/2024 at 1:10 PM, RichYak said:

I have 2 daughters getting married in the next 13 months, so I have 0 cruises booked 🤑

 

 Ah but just think of all the extra time you'll have to cruise once you are beyond the Weddings are true empty nester's.  

 

P.S.  My thoughts and experience, with the exception of the Butler, mirrors  yours.  My Wife is a picky eater and prefers the food on Celebrity.  However, we will see how that goes when we experience the new Luminae menu to Millennium 

 

[Jeaannie55]

Thank you for posting this, have come to MSC  board for this very subject, I am Elite on Celebrity(very nearly +) but wanting to look at different lines, for itinerary  and price.  I did a 3 day on Virtuosa last year and had fun, but would want a bit more from a longer cruise and seems YC might fit the bill.