MSC Yacht Club vs HAL Suite Life

[mrspeck]

Have any of you fellow HAL suite lovers experienced the MSC Yacht Club? If so, how was your experience? What did you like? What did you not like? Looking at the Divina in the Carribean. We've only cruised HAL and NCL.

 

 

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[blizzardboy]

A lawyer would call it hearsay, but very good friends were on MSC a 18 months or so ago on a cruise he won from an employer sales contest or something like that, and they were not impressed. They weren't in the Yacht Club, but said they would not pay to cruise with MSC again.

[Krazy Kruizers]

A couple of people I know from another site said they felt like their cabin was a closet. They were not impressed with the food or the activities or service on the ship.

[OleSalt]

Rooms very small. Food and service superb. The food is REAL Italian, not the AmericoItalian you get on Tuesday night at Marios down the street. Cruise staff large, involved and very fun.

go and enjoy.

[blizzardboy]

My friends that weren't impressed are Italian. Their complaints mirror the remarks of Krazy Kruiser. Probably like any other line, quality varies from ship to ship. They were on a ship out of Florida if I remember correctly.

[avian777]

Where is Marios? And, are there any reviews of it on TripAdvisor or elsewhere?

[OlsSalt]

Have any of you fellow HAL suite lovers experienced the MSC Yacht Club? If so, how was your experience? What did you like? What did you not like? Looking at the Divina in the Carribean. We've only cruised HAL and NCL.

 

 

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I always find it can be good idea to spend time on the MSC cruise critic forum to help get a feel for the cruise line from their own fans ...and critics. See what kind of patterns emerge in the discussions.

 

I had some well-traveled friends who did like MSC - surprised to learn from them it is a Swiss-owned company. The Swiss are certainly the legendary hotel keepers in the hospitality world, so that at least is a good start. But I have never sailed them myself -though their itineraries and departure ports have some appeal. However, over all I am just not a fan of larger ships.

[George C]

I have done Hal full suite twice and did sail on MSC on a older ship not in a suite, I love Italian food and thought MSC was excellent there ( also love Costa food), as for suite perks Hals is pretty bad, no free drinks, very limited perks compared to some of the other lines.

[DebJ14]

We sailed in the MSC Yacht Club. For comparisons sake I have been on 58 cruises across all the mainstream lines as well as cruises on lines that are long gone. For the last 15 years or so we have only booked suites.

 

There are very few actual suites in the MSC YC so you have to book early to get one. They are mostly just balcony cabins that are a bit larger than standard cabins, however they are tastefully done and make great use of the space. There are several cabins that are a bit larger, but price the same as the smaller balcony cabins. But you have to book early to get one of those or one of the suites.

 

The bathroom is small by suite standards on other lines, but does have a nice tub and marble finishes. The bed was the most comfortable I have ever had - memory foam mattress with especially soft linens.

 

The MSC Divina is a beautiful ship. The public rooms are all very different and are some of the most interesting I have seen on a ship. The crystal staircases are amazing, but difficult to navigate when the light reflects off of them.

 

The passenger mix out of Miami was probably 2/3 US and 1/3 Europeans. It was the most well dressed bunch I have seen on a cruise in a long time (those in the regular cabins). There was a great variety of activities that are different from most cruises. We enjoyed 3 afternoon sessions of Italian lessons. There was also the opportunity to blend your own wine and bottle it. The shops on board had more upscale merchandise and it was different from the normal fare.

 

What makes the MSC experience stand out is the service. From the moment you arrive at the pier until you depart you are so well looked after. Butler escorts onto the ship (and they carry your hand luggage), escorts all the way to the bus on excursions, a butler at your beck and call and fantastic service in the private lounge, private restaurant and up at the private pool, bar and sundeck. I would be sitting up by the pool with a drink and a butler would pass by and notice that the ice was melting and without saying anything my drink would be replaced.

 

There was a continental breakfast available in the lounge and there were food tastings all day and evening. It was such a relaxing, beautiful lounge and the service from the bar waiters was wonderful. If our butler had not seen us for a while he would come into the lounge or go up to the pool deck to check on us to see if we needed anything.

 

The cruise includes all the alcoholic beverages, including decent wines at lunch and dinner that changed every day. Every dinner started with a glass of Proseco. The private restaurant was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the food and service were excellent. We have to eat Gluten free for medical reasons and they gave us the regular GF menu from the MDR daily as well as offering us the option to order off the Yacht Club restaurant menu with any necessary adjustments. They even had GF chocolate croissants for us every morning. I wanted to bring our waiter home with us. He was so friendly, and very efficient.

The entertainment was the best we have ever had at sea. There was a full production show every evening and an opera performance on the last sea day. The costumes and sets were a feast for the eyes and the singers were very talented.

 

We definitely were sorry to see the week end and will sail MSC, but only in the Yacht Club. I would be miserable as a regular passenger knowing what I was missing.

 

We are also looking forward to the Seaside new build that will have the Yacht Club restaurant within the YC complex and will have more suites.

 

FYI: The week we sailed most of the passengers in the YC had sailed in the YC 2 or 3 times before and most had been devotees of Celebrity Suites, but found that the MSC YC provided better service and more bang for the buck. We met people who were also fans of Azamara and Oceania and were astounded at the level of food and service in the YC for the price.

Edited August 29, 2015 by DebJ14

[George C]

Thanks for info DebJ14, I would love to sail MSC again, perks sound great.

[mrspeck]

DEB - Thank you for the great info...just the kind of stuff I was looking for. I think we'll have to give The Yacht Club a shot! I definitely will want a larger suite...the question is deck 12 with out a balcony or a smaller royal suite on 16 with the balcony????

 

 

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[lilybob]

Thank you for a detailed account of your cruise in a YC suite. We have been looking at them and your info is most helpful.:)