Anyone been on MSC yacht club?

Question for anyone who has stayed with MSC yacht club but had other friends or family staying on another level of the ship. My husband and I have been upgraded to a yacht club suite but our teenaged children are staying on another deck not on the yacht club level. Do you know if they can come to our room- stay by the pool with us- or eat in the dining room if they don't have the magic yacht club card?

Don't take this as fact, but I'm sure the answer is no to the pool, and maybe to the cabin

We have stayed in a YC1 and YC2. The YC2 was on the 12th floor and the Club entrance was on the 15th floor. We therefore were in and out of the club often in the YC2. We all had YC cards, but no one ever asked to see the cards. The Top Sail Lounge has plenty of space as does the pool area. It was never crowded on either cruise. Although I am sure it is technically a policy violation to have guests, I doubt anyone will really care if one more person is in either locale.

We have stayed in a YC1 and YC2. The YC2 was on the 12th floor and the Club entrance was on the 15th floor. We therefore were in and out of the club often in the YC2. We all had YC cards, but no one ever asked to see the cards. The Top Sail Lounge has plenty of space as does the pool area. It was never crowded on either cruise. Although I am sure it is technically a policy violation to have guests, I doubt anyone will really care if one more person is in either locale.

Msc reads these boards now that you have published it they will be looking for others who do this.

Having sailed in the YC four times, I never ever brought up guests unless I asked first...I certainly did not want to get in trouble or get my guests in trouble. I checked with my butler then with concierge...both said it was ok as long as they did not dine with us or drink with us...just come to our cabin for a visit. I would never ever try to get them into Le Muse or Top Sail...folks pay a LOT of money for YC and it is just not fair for others to be able to come up for free and dine or drink with you...

This Thread might tell the story.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=2047701

I hope MSC does read this board and realizes how they split this family. If you are upgrading someone then upgrade everyone or no one. There is nothing special about a YC1 room compared to a regular balcony room. It is the Yacht Club amenities that make it special. So the upgrade is fairly meaningless if the family is split and they cannot bring their children into the Yacht Club. If that is the case, the only place the entire family can meet is outside the Yacht Club. In which case, they would be better off in their original rooms which I presume were much closer to one another.

A lot of assumptions above, if on separate bookings how would MSC know that they'd split the family.

That leads me to my next question..... OP....Are the two cabins on separate bookings?? This will have a bearing on MSCs knowing that you have family members down stairs. If same booking they have the capacity to quickly work it out.

I did see people being politely asked to leave the YC on my previous trip.

Someone earlier posted that because they don't check cards, they wouldn't know. IMHO they are that attentive in the YC they really would notice.

No one can stop you from having them in your cabin, but by virtue of that action they would soon work out that it was family members. I'd also suggest that fellow YC guest would snitch on you as well if they noticed. Either way it could be embarrassing for you.

Additionally... If my memory serves correctly they have a CCTV station in the concierge area, this may be one of those false memories but if it is there they would soon see you letting them in.

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thank you all for your feedback. We are back from our cruise now so no longer need the input but to answer some of my own questions that may benefit future cruisers:

Our sons (adults) were booked in a separate cabin under a different reservation so MSC had no idea or intention of separating us. Our travel agent did ask that it was OK before making the upgrade for my husband and I.

The upgrade was fabulous. Everything about the YC experience was fabulous. Service and amenities were top notch. Our sons were able to come to our cabin. they did not have free access to do so as a YC key was required to gain access to the YC area. They were not permitted to be in the lounge, restaurant or pool and understandably so. Most days we were off the ship on excursions so there was little time for lounging around. We joined them in their dining room a couple of nights and when they didn't want a sit down dinner and preferred to go to their buffet, my husband and I enjoyed a five star meal at the YC dining room.

We were given the option of paying for day passes to have our sons enjoy unlimited access to all areas and services of YC. We chose to do on the final day of the cruise as it was a full day at sea. For 80 euros each they had a full day pass and took advantage of the dining, lounge and pool.

One other major advantage to YC was there was very little exposure to smokers. We are all non smokers and in Canada, there are very strict regulations on where people can smoke. On MSC there were so many smokers and smoking areas throughout the ship that it was unpleasant and offensive to get anywhere. The only places that smoking was not allowed was the theatre and the restaurants. Everywhere else had clouds of smoke that you had to walk through to try and get anywhere. The casino was unbearable. In YC, simply because there are so few guests, it was easy to avoid smokers.

Overall a very good YC experience. There was a very devastating ordeal that took place at one port on the cruise we were on (terrorist attacks in Tunisia where 13 MSC passengers were killed) Although it was a very frightening and chaotic time, crew and management did their best to deal with a situation that no one could be fully prepared for.

thank you all for your feedback. We are back from our cruise now so no longer need the input but to answer some of my own questions that may benefit future cruisers:

Our sons (adults) were booked in a separate cabin under a different reservation so MSC had no idea or intention of separating us. Our travel agent did ask that it was OK before making the upgrade for my husband and I.

The upgrade was fabulous. Everything about the YC experience was fabulous. Service and amenities were top notch. Our sons were able to come to our cabin. they did not have free access to do so as a YC key was required to gain access to the YC area. They were not permitted to be in the lounge, restaurant or pool and understandably so. Most days we were off the ship on excursions so there was little time for lounging around. We joined them in their dining room a couple of nights and when they didn't want a sit down dinner and preferred to go to their buffet, my husband and I enjoyed a five star meal at the YC dining room.

We were given the option of paying for day passes to have our sons enjoy unlimited access to all areas and services of YC. We chose to do on the final day of the cruise as it was a full day at sea. For 80 euros each they had a full day pass and took advantage of the dining, lounge and pool.

One other major advantage to YC was there was very little exposure to smokers. We are all non smokers and in Canada, there are very strict regulations on where people can smoke. On MSC there were so many smokers and smoking areas throughout the ship that it was unpleasant and offensive to get anywhere. The only places that smoking was not allowed was the theatre and the restaurants. Everywhere else had clouds of smoke that you had to walk through to try and get anywhere. The casino was unbearable. In YC, simply because there are so few guests, it was easy to avoid smokers.

Overall a very good YC experience. There was a very devastating ordeal that took place at one port on the cruise we were on (terrorist attacks in Tunisia where 13 MSC passengers were killed) Although it was a very frightening and chaotic time, crew and management did their best to deal with a situation that no one could be fully prepared for.

Were you on the Splendida? We were on the Preziosa when the terrorist attack happened. There were rumours flying around the YC that the call to Casablanca would be cancelled. It was not but the port was surrounded with police and army/navy troops. We ventured into town where there was a very heavy presence of security. It was not a pleasant stop so we almost immediately returned to the ship.

Our first cruise with MSC was on the Splendida and it called at Tunis. My wife and I did not go ashore at all there as we had been warned of an anti-westerner atmosphere. I had been to North Africa before and just hated the hassle from peddlers and beggars, now with the added risk of terrorist incidents we would not even consider going ashore in ANY North African country.

On MSC's websites they still include Tunis as a port of call, I understood that they were not going to call there anymore after this tragedy??

We were on the Splendida when the terrorist attack in Tunis occurred. It is my understanding that MSC has cancelled all stops to the port of Tunis in the near future. I will never go to North Africa again. When touring in Tunis the day of the attacks the whole family was not enjoying it and felt 'creepy' and we decided to go back to the ship early. We were in front of the Bardo museum 15 minutes before it happened but decided to leave. Thank goodness.

On MSC's websites they still include Tunis as a port of call, I understood that they were not going to call there anymore after this tragedy??

They have changed the itineraries...

March 19, 2015, 3PM EST: In the wake of Wednesday’s (March 18) terror attack at the Bordo National Museum, in Tunis, MSC Cruises has decided to suspend all remaining Tunisian calls in the 2015 summer program in the interests of guest and crew member safety.

Itineraries affected by the change will impact four of MSC Cruises’ 12 ships as follows:

• MSC Splendida will call at Valletta, in Malta

• MSC Fantasia will call at Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca

• MSC Preziosa will call at Cagliari, in Sardinia

• MSC Divina will call at Valletta a day earlier and head directly to Corfu, Greece

Here's a link: http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/About-MSC-Cruises/News/MSC-Cruises-Official-Statement-Tunisia-Events.aspx

They have changed the itineraries...

 

March 19, 2015, 3PM EST: In the wake of Wednesday’s (March 18) terror attack at the Bordo National Museum, in Tunis, MSC Cruises has decided to suspend all remaining Tunisian calls in the 2015 summer program in the interests of guest and crew member safety.

 

Itineraries affected by the change will impact four of MSC Cruises’ 12 ships as follows:

 

• MSC Splendida will call at Valletta, in Malta

• MSC Fantasia will call at Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca

• MSC Preziosa will call at Cagliari, in Sardinia

• MSC Divina will call at Valletta a day earlier and head directly to Corfu, Greece

 

Here's a link: http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/About-MSC-Cruises/News/MSC-Cruises-Official-Statement-Tunisia-Events.aspx

Thanks for that but I would like to see a total boycott rather than a suspension.

I know I will get into trouble with the 'politically correct' crowd but my tolerance of islamic views/values is just about exhausted.

Agreed. No need to spend any time in a place that jeopardises my or anyone's life that doesn't agree to their beliefs (although they don't care who lives or dies for their cause, believers or not). Plenty of other wonderful places in the world to spend my time and money on.

Anthony & Jenny, Melbourne Australia

Cruising MSC YC 7th June 2015, Eastern Mediterranean.

Agreed. No need to spend any time in a place that jeopardises my or anyone's life that doesn't agree to their beliefs (although they don't care who lives or dies for their cause, believers or not). Plenty of other wonderful places in the world to spend my time and money on.

 

 

Anthony & Jenny, Melbourne Australia

Cruising MSC YC 7th June 2015, Eastern Mediterranean.

If you have not cruised with MSC before in the Yacht Club you will be in for a BIG surprise. It is FANTASTIC!! My wife and I had never cruised before our trip in 2013 on MSC Splendida out of Barcelona in YC. We did a trans-Atlantic earlier this year from Sth. America to Italy, also in YC. My wife will not even consider any other cruise line or class of service after sampling YC !! MSC Divina later this year in the Caribbean is her choice.

Enjoy your cruise.

One reason MSC went to Tunisia was so it could offer Duty Free to Europeans onboard. Now that they sail within the EU (Western Med itineraries) we can't avail of duty-free prices onboard (or in the ports of call for that matter :mad:)! Tunis was never an attractive port to visit so I don't think anyone will be upset that it's now off the itineraries. However, DH will miss getting his cigarettes @ 15% of what they cost here!

Thanks Avaction. Can't wait. We leave 30th May and start in Rome before boarding on the 7th June.

Anthony & Jenny, Melbourne Australia

Cruising MSC YC 7th June 2015, Eastern Mediterranean.

Has anyone got a copy of the YC excursions for the Caribbean?

Check this page from MSC

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/Excursions/Overview.aspx

 

I did see people being politely asked to leave the YC on my previous trip.

Someone earlier posted that because they don't check cards, they wouldn't know. IMHO they are that attentive in the YC they really would notice.

 

No one can stop you from having them in your cabin, but by virtue of that action they would soon work out that it was family members. I'd also suggest that fellow YC guest would snitch on you as well if they noticed. Either way it could be embarrassing for you.

 

Additionally... If my memory serves correctly they have a CCTV station in the concierge area, this may be one of those false memories but if it is there they would soon see you letting them in.

 

 

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I know that the OP has already finished their cruise but for future posters who may be interested in this topic, I'm still going to comment.

As Anderjb1 said, I have on several occasions seen the Yacht Cluc Staff nicely ask people to leave. I have also had the occasion of seeing a couple sneak in through the one pool deck door (the door by the stairs that requires a key) after member had walked out. The interlopers were caught over by the lunch buffet when the yacht club waiter did not recognize them. He then asked them to leave and they got very nasty with him. At which point the bartender called security and no joke, security was there in 2 minutes flat and sternly escorted them out of the yacht club. Now, this could just be rumor but when I was speaking with that waiter the next day (we were docked in Costa Maya) he said that because security had to remove them, they were made to leave the ship.

The lesson here is that the staff in the yacht club does an extremely awesome job at getting to know their guests quickly. There should be no doubt that they would catch people who sneak in. But also, keep in mind that since the yacht club is like a small little community, the guests also get to know each other. After day two or three, most guests recognize each other as belonging even if they've never spoken. So if you are lucky enough that the staff hasn't caught you, your luck will probably run out quickly since a guest will no doubt figure you out. And while I'm usually too busy enjoying myself to pay much attention to what others are doing, if I notice you - you can be damn certain that I will have you removed!

So the real question should be, if you are willing to break the rule and sneak in, how high is your embarrassment threshold?

Here here.

Anthony & Jenny, Melbourne Australia

Cruising MSC YC 7th June 2015, Eastern Mediterranean.

I do not know if this is MSC policy or a general occurrence but when returning to the ship at Tenerife I brought a bottle of Spanish Brandy on board. I declared it at security expecting it to be taken away and returned to us at the end of the cruise (it was too cheap to miss at 9 Euro for a lire bottle!!).The staff member responsible just returned it to me saying "Oh you are in Yacht Club so you can take it on board".

Anyone else experienced this?

I haven't, but looks like they'd figure that someone who'd spent thousands on a room with free booze wouldn't be 'smuggling' a €8 bottle of sobrano. Lol.

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I hope MSC does read this board and realizes how they split this family. If you are upgrading someone then upgrade everyone or no one. There is nothing special about a YC1 room compared to a regular balcony room. It is the Yacht Club amenities that make it special. So the upgrade is fairly meaningless if the family is split and they cannot bring their children into the Yacht Club. If that is the case, the only place the entire family can meet is outside the Yacht Club. In which case, they would be better off in their original rooms which I presume were much closer to one another.

Except that a YC 1 is at least 40 sq ft bigger (20%) and they have full size baths in the bigger bathroom not just a shower cubicle.

PETE

You're awesome, Pete. A true treasure font of information on this board. Thank you! :D