Is YC a good commitment for the "good old days" mainstream cruisers nostalgics?

...For quite a while now I am reading many reviews of all the mainstream cruise lines and it seems that there are some of us that feel like they are being sort of "expelled" from this wonderful world that is cruising.

I understand the world has evolved and cruising just had to adjust... But that as all things in life comes at a price. Some of those like me whom started their cruising career some 15-20 years ago or more and whom are now on their 45-65 years old generation, have just started on a far different mainstream cruise experience than what they can receive right now. They aren't interested on those "bells & whistles" the current mega ships offer to the younger crowd... But they aren't interested, cannot afford or feel themselves pretty young to go on the premium or luxury lines available...

Then, I was just thinking: Isn't it in certain ways the YC just what they are demanding for? Aren't those cruisers the ones MSC has in mind with this concept, especially now that they decided to have YC inside cabins instead of installing larger verandah cabins? TBHH; YC suites are by far the smallest suites at sea, some of them not really more spacious than a regular cabin. Insides cannot be considered suites by any means either. True suite guests will rarely go for YC in general and won't definitely go on insides. Most of the MSC regulars are budget cruisers and will rarely splurge on YC either. So, whom is the YC target passengers? Give prices and conditions me think they are the "good old days" nostalgics on the likes of the ones that from time to time are coming in these forums comparing their most recent "ugly" cruises with the "glorious" yesterday ones!...

YC cannot be considered true luxury. I may say it cannot even be considered luxury lite... But it is certainly some steps above and beyond what the general mega ship mainstream cruising is generally offering!...

What do you think dear CCers?

Thank you very much a have a nice weekend!... :)

I think you are correct. Yes, we've stayed in larger suites on Celebrity, but the attention to detail and the level of treatment we received in YC on Divina was second to none. We started cruising about 12 years ago, and often heard our parents talk of the "good ol' days" of cruising when there were smaller ships, fewer kids, and lots of luxury. We never experienced that for ourselves, but when we sailed in YC last year, I did think to myself that our parents would have probably loved the experience. Great food, free drinks, outstanding service, and a quiet, slow pace. Now we are looking forward to taking our grown kids and their spouses with us to experience the Royal Suite and YC on Seaside in Sept.

I also agree... My wife and I cruised on the QE II for our Honeymoon in 1979.... True class system was in full force. I can still remember the 1st class (Crown?) passengers having their own Grill/Restaurant, section of ship, Bar and Lounge area, etc

While not the same.... the offerings and level of services, minus size of cabins, provided in YC Experience seem similar

I have to disagree with you. Yacht club is definitely luxury. And it certainly is not luxury light. I have been to some of the best hotels and the level of service does not compare to the Yacht Club. Last year, we decided to do something different and stayed at a 5 star all inclusive resort and in a separate area of accommodations (like YC) thinking we would get a similar experience. Keep in mind that we paid about 2 times the amount of a typical week in the Yacht Club. The food and service were nowhere near what we have experienced in the Yacht Club. I have also cruised suite class on other lines including Celebrity and I can also say that Yacht Club hands down beats that experience. Perhaps Celebrity will up their game with their new Edge class (has a lot of similarities to Yacht Club), but those suites are also selling at about 4 to 5K a person for a week cruise!

Hi Nuna,

I guess I qualify as one of the refugees from the good old days...having experienced some of the iconic ships from the golden era of transatlantic sailings. I can tell you they were all great. I started crossing and cruising in 1965!

Last October DW and I completed our first YC cruise on MSC Divina. I have to tell you that our YC experience rated as one of the all-time best cruises we ever had. It was not perfect but it certainly came close. The food was not as Italian as it was on the Leonardo DaVinci or as good as the TS Bremen or the SS France. Our two room suite 12001 was actually as big as the Royal Suite but not as great as the Royal Suite on the RCI Jewel Of The Seas. But I have to say that the Yacht Club atmosphere and especially the high level of personal service is head and shoulders above the other mass market lines. You have to consider the space and privacy that you receive in the YC. It is, overall, far superior to the suite-life on the mass market lines. I know there are those who will disagree with my opinion but I am only reporting our experience from our perspective.

We are not the type of cruisers who would prefer the smaller five star luxury ships. To be honest, we enjoy the action with a high activity level on a mega ship. We really enjoyed being able to roam on the Divina and take in all the sights and sounds and the casino. We even stopped in at the buffet a couple of times for pizza and beer. We really feel that MSC Yacht Club is perfect for us.

... I have to say that the Yacht Club atmosphere and especially the high level of personal service is head and shoulders above the other mass market lines. You have to consider the space and privacy that you receive in the YC. It is, overall, far superior to the suite-life on the mass market lines. I know there are those who will disagree with my opinion but I am only reporting our experience from our perspective.

 

We are not the type of cruisers who would prefer the smaller five star luxury ships. To be honest, we enjoy the action with a high activity level on a mega ship. We really enjoyed being able to roam on the Divina and take in all the sights and sounds and the casino. We even stopped in at the buffet a couple of times for pizza and beer. We really feel that MSC Yacht Club is perfect for us.

Having had a suite on Celebrity, I totally agree with both you and Fredric - it came nowhere near a YC experience.

I recently saw an offer for an Azamara cruise which seemed to be not much more expensive than YC but, like you, I much prefer being on the bigger ships where there is much more choices of entertainment and activities, yet still have the enclave to retreat back to for serenity and tranquillity.

We have now had over thirty cruises since we retired some 15 years ago. We're not exclusively Yacht Clubers because we cruise more for the itinerary but since 2015 we've had five YC cruises which we consider luxury compared with what we were used to before. Most Yacht Clubers we've met seem to be older retirees like us because who has money to spend today tends to be in the over 65 category. I remember the old adage of the people who take cruise vacations: "the newly weds, the over-feds, and the nearly dead!"

I have only been cruising for 10 years so I am unfamiliar with the good old days. However, I know what I want in a vacation and the Haven on NCL and the Yacht Club on MSC deliver. Our first cruise was in a mini-suite. After that cruise, I started looking for suite deals. At the time, we were cruising as a family of four. We got a great deal on the owner’s suite on the NCL Jewel. After that cruise, there was no going back to a regular room.

I have 3 YC experiences. What I like best about the suite life it is completely hassle free. You arrive at the dock and for the next seven days you don’t have to fight the crowds, don’t have to fight for a deck chair, no buffet lines and, in general, no cares in the world. As ships get bigger and more crowded, this experience is harder to find. It is not much of a vacation standing in lines or having to experience the other hassles mentioned above.

I do not know if the YC replicates the good old days, but it is a superior experience to a regular balcony room and worth the extra money. The room itself is fairly inconsequential to my decision. I was fine with a YC inside or the owner’s suite. It is the total experience that makes the YC and Haven special. When I complete a suite life cruise, it is truly an escape from reality.

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Having had a suite on Celebrity, I totally agree with both you and Fredric - it came nowhere near a YC experience.

 

I recently saw an offer for an Azamara cruise which seemed to be not much more expensive than YC but, like you, I much prefer being on the bigger ships where there is much more choices of entertainment and activities, yet still have the enclave to retreat back to for serenity and tranquillity.

Thank you Bea,

We have had the same experience on Celebrity...a suite does not a cruise make...lol. Celebrity is a good mass market line but the only experience on Celebrity that came close to the Yacht Club on MSC was our Penthouse experience on Celebrity Century. Since the price of a Celebrity Penthouse is now in the stratosphere there is no contest between the value of that VS the Yacht Club. The YC wins every time!

We'll be in YC for 4 weeks on Splendida in 5 weeks time - can't wait!! I've also just now booked YC on Meraviglia for next year. :p

I think this is a great post. Having started cruising in the 80's I'd agree that YC on MSC is reminiscent of days gone past.vI also agree that it isn't true luxury (by my definition). A 'real' butler unpacks, irons clothes, has your drink of choice waiting, knows your food preferences before arrival, etc... YC Butlers really are nothing more than room stewards and in my case in the YC, our butler wasn't even a great room steward.

With that, I'm not sure any mainstream line offers true luxury service, nor can they at the prices being charged. I do agree that YC is a step above. I sorta like the 'luxury lite' description. It's certainly more accurate than my definition of true luxury. But without a doubt, there is a market for this type of value driven luxury.

CGTNORMANDIE: I have also been crossing/cruising since 1965 including twice on the SS France back in the 60s!

I agree YC is true luxury. The rooms are not big but with the wonderful, private public space, the great service, canapés, drinks, pools, private dining ... why would you need more space? Heck, I’d book the inside YC over a non YC balcony.

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I was wondering if the OP has ever sailed in YC on MSC? There seem to be a lot of folks comparing products without actually sampling them for themselves. While you can certainly read other people's reviews and opinions I would recommend sampling things for yourself. Some people get upset over things that others would think are trivial or may not even notice.

There are certainly bigger and better cabins that what MSC offers but since I prefer service over cabin size I usually choose MSC. Holland America is a perfect example. I have sailed in her Pinnacle Suites and they are some of the finest cabins at sea. The problem is that they are more expensive than MSC and do not include butler service or alcohol. In addition the patrons are a totally different segment of the World population than MSC.

Many thanks to all the wonderful posts answering my question!...

TBHH, I have never gone in the YC. I was invited to go inside once on the Fantasia last year because of a little annoyance I had when a crew member run on me, I didn't see him and I nearly fell apart. Occasionally a butler whom was going somewhere in the common areas saw me and helped with the situation and with all the conversation that followed and once he said that almost all their guests had not returned or come from port yet, he invited me to just have a few minutes there and showed me all the relevant areas. It was a lovely experience that I hope I will one day have for a week myself. In the mean time he showed me one of the cabins (vacant once the previous guest has left by the morning in Dubai and the new one haven't arrived yet) and really I felt that the cabin was extremely small for what a real suite should be... Actually perhaps smaller than my own family "steerage" Fantastica cabin for 3!... Hence my post!...

By the way it seems that this is really a wonderful experience!...

Let me to just give 2 side notes:

1. There are in the posts some references to Azamara. While it might be a good product with no doubt, on the other hand their 2 or 3 ships are ageing, aren't they? Perhaps one day they will become out of current standards if not replaced, no?

2. While I understand what some are saying about butler services and general MSC ship services, YC or "steerage" related, I tend to see them with such a grain of salt. I have done 5 MSC cruises and an RCI Allure of the Seas cruise, so I can see what differences are there in those service levels from European and American. Here in Europe there is a thing that I can call as "reserved professionalism" that means that nobody will proactively ask you for something or the extra thing. Really we want our things done "behind the scenes" or at specific request. This is what I will expect from the butlers... Well, and that is what I just expect from everyone else!... That they do their job efficiently... But with no "fanfare" over it!... Extras should come just at request. And let me to say, I usually have only little extras to call! And TBHH, this is what is making me return to MSC! "Reserved professionalism" that actually delivers!... My advice: Politely ask and you'll receive. No doubts on that!...

Have a nice Sunday!!!... :)

I wonder how YC compares to Cunard "Grills"?

I wonder how YC compares to Cunard "Grills"?

One is a heck of a lot cheaper than the other, for starters, which really makes it unfair to even try to compare. If I paid Cunard "Grills" prices, I'd expect an incomparable experience to YC. For another, there's little to no snobbery from folks in YC (sure, you get the odd one thinking they're better than everyone else, but they're in a very small minority). Also, there's no pressure to dress up in YC which leads to a much more relaxed atmosphere.

Butler service in the YC can be a bit erratic. We were fortunate to have had Mevin as our butler and he was absolutely superb and more than willing to go the extra mile. He had been a butler on Azamara and was always two steps ahead of our wants and needs. Thank you Mevin!!

The Grills on Cunard are a different experience...very formal and very sedate. If you are a movie star with loads of money and crave privacy then you might choose Grill Class on Cunard...not our cup of tea. Again, the overall value of the YC is outstanding...I would say it is “the biggest bang for the buck” in cruising. Just understand that not everyone was or will be as satisfied as we were. Getting back to the OP...the price overrides the blemishes.