CruisinShips

I did not. I believe the status match page asked for a booking number of a future or past MSC cruise. So I booked the cruise, signed up for the status match, and then handed it to my travel agent and he called about the status match discount.

FWIW, my TA just notified me that MCS gave me a 5% discount based on my status match (Gold) on a 7 night YC booking.

Hi all. We just booked our first MSC cruise. I completed the status match application and (quickly) got back confirmation that I am deemed Gold level. My question is this: Do I have to do the same thing for my wife? Or is there a way to link status between members (she has not yet signed up for Voyagers Club), or does it not really matter if she has status match since we cruise together? Thanks in advance!

I just watched a good review of the Beyond (non Retreat) from a you tube channel called Cruise News and Booze. You may want to check it out.

We too have stayed in Crown Loft suites...rear facing ones on the Oasis, Allure and Symphony, and liked them very much. I agree the 17th floor being suites only with the Coastal Kitchen/Lounge is a very good setup. We could easily do without the butler we enjoy in the Retreat, the a CL was exactly where I was leaning before this thread convinced me to try MSC YC. That being said, a week cruise in a CL is no great bargain either....

I can't believe you're not satisfied with one or two news stations, some form of ESPN that shows sporting events one never knew existed, a channel or two that show nonstop cartoons, an onboard infomercial, or the view of the ocean ahead. What more do you need?

I was on the Eclipse last October (west coast) and the wifi was so bad, nothing would stream. Hopefully that had to do with cabin location, ship location, or both.

Thank you. We booked the Seascape.

So, since starting this thread, we have booked a cruise on MSC YC. I will say we have absolutely LOVED our two prior Retreat experiences...first was the Eclipse last October, and then that experience was eclipsed by an absolutely wonderful cruise in a CS on the Apex in February. We enjoyed that one so much that we booked the same cabin on the same ship for February of next year. So while we now have two Retreat cruises booked, the pricing and the reviews I have read right here in this thread have motivated me to try MSC. I agree with many others...we live in South Florida and really love the convenience of Caribbean cruises, so the ship is more important to us than the ports...that's why the smaller ships just aren't appealing for those itineraries. Anyway...this has been a VERY enlightening discussion, and I sincerely appreciate all of the great feedback so many have provided.

I've had some real frustration with the online Status Match form page. #1 it requires you to upload a "membership card" from the other loyalty club...I am not sure about anyone else, but I don't have a membership card from Royal or Celebrity; #2 To get around that, I uploaded a screen cap of my loyalty number and status from Celebrity. When I finally got that finished, and hit confirm to submit the completed page, I got an error message. Has anyone else experienced anything similar, and do I need to call them? Thanks

Can’t you save me the trouble please….how would they assess the Retreat?

OK...I deserve to be smacked for missing that.

Why do you have another booked if "it's not good"? And your post is the first negative one in this thread about the YC. Can't you people all just agree so my future cruise planning gets easier? Sheesh! 😉

What I am learning from posts in this thread is that you only need the "ship in a ship" scenario with main-stream lines as opposed to the luxury lines. I am also learning MSC YC might not be as bad as I was thinking. Again, the most negative thing I have read about it is related to when you walk out of the YC area, you are entering a more crowded, lower end feeling megaship experience. Perhaps it has to do with which MSC ship you're on. Lots of good input in this thread.

I am really surprised to see the positive comments about MSC Yacht Club. I haven't tried it yet, but I have watched tons of youtube reviews and have read many reviews/comparisons, and almost all said similar things...the YC experience is very good on some ships, food is below that of Celebrity, and if you leave the YC area, you feel like you're on a packed Carnival cruise ship. If this is not what some of you have found, then I'd love to be wrong. Are there certain MSC ships to focus on for the better experience?

VERY informative and potentially helpful. Thank you.

Unless it's changed, it's basically just a bigger cabin and access to a quiet little concierge area with finger foods. No dedicated restaurant or deck as far as I recall.

Thanks, thoughtful response. Budget-wise we typically stay in Celebrity suites, and prefer to go on 7-10 day cruises...some of the more luxury lines are for longer periods and tend to price us out. So, yes, I guess my options are as limited as I thought they were...unless anyone else has any options that haven't been mentioned.

Oh...gee...never thought of that lol. 😉

NOT just from a suite standpoint, but I'm referring to the overall Retreat experience. Butlers, dedicated restaurant, dedicated lounge, dedicated sun deck. I get that other cruise lines offer suites and upscale amenities, but most don't offer those things I mentioned. I know some will say MSC Yacht Club, but IMO it just doesn't match up. Others may say NCL's Haven, but same answer. RCL's suite class on Oasis ships? Maybe close, I guess, but a step or two below. So what am I missing?

Enjoying this thread....thank you!

THANK GOD someone asked this very important question!

I in no way mean for that to replace "Live from" type posts, and I meant to add that. This would be for things like "On the Eclipse right now the ____ show is great". Or for people who are about to board to ask current cruisers questions.

Port intensive cruises, particularly in Alaska, are more about the locale than the ship anyway. I might have a different opinion if you were taking a Caribbean cruise, but without knowing your kids, I'm guessing they will have a great cruise.

respectfully submitted... It might be interesting to have a pinned running post for each Celebrity ship, where people can continually update the respective ship thread with live updates and commentary relative to their current experiences. I know we can always search for specific info via ship name, but I thought it might be nice to have a running thread that is always current. Just a thought.