Hi, we have been on a few ferries etc but for our first ever cruise, we are going to book a Yacht Club 4 day taster cruise on MSC Virtuosa. It is just from Southampton to Cork and Portland UK, but we decided to do this cruise in style!
We have been browsing online to check the benefits of YC and just general information but have read conflicting opinions and would just really appreciate some tips or advice, thanks in advance!
For example, our deal includes a premium drinks package, but apparently MSC do not allow anyone to bring any soft drinks or even water in your luggage - is that correct? We were only hoping to bring on a small amount or use in our cabin, say if we wanted to simply stay in to watch a film one night, we know soft drinks are included in the drinks package, but obviously we’d have to go to a restaurant/buffet to obtain these.
Also, although we are looking forward to a slice of a luxury cruise, we have had a look at sample menus on the YC menu and as these menus are geared towards fine dining, we might only try there once and stick to the buffet and main Dining Room generally - are they strict on enforcing smart/ casual for evening meals or can you just appear smartly dressed without having to wear a smart jacket e.g.?
Another point of confusion is whether or not we would qualify for free wifi and complimentary mini-bar, some say yes to free wifi for up to 2 devices, others say both services cost extra?
There is a butler service included, which I doubt we would bother with, and our offer clearly states “ all gratuities included” but if we did ask the butler for help at any point would they expect a top anyway?
Our final question is about the onboard casino - a lot of people say just bring cash to play on the slot machines, but MSC seem to advise not to bring cash or credit card, any incidentals would be charged to a special onboard card. Does that mean we would have to pre- load say 500 euros on this card and then in order to play the slot machines is there a casino cashier who will dispense euros of for example 100 euros and if we hopefully won do you get paid out in cash or any winnings added to your onboard card account!
Sorry for all the queries, but what we thought would be fairly simple and straightforward is far more complex than we first imagined! Thanks