MSC Meraviliga YC Review

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

Please see below my review of my recent cruise on the Meraviglia in YC. I am happy to answer any questions anybody may have about the ship, YC or the experience ! 

 

 

I am a cruiser of significant experience. I have sailed many days on Crystal, as well as having sailed on Seabourn, Holland America Line, Azamara Club Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Princess as well as the now defunct Transocean Tours' MS Marco Polo (ex Alexander Pushkin) and Voyages of Discovery's much missed MV Discovery (ex Island Princess, the original Love Boat). I have sailed multiple times in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, as well as the Northwest Passage, Antarctica, South America, Asia, Alaska, Norway and the Baltics. 

Whenever I do a review, I review the ship against what it A) is pertaining to be, and B) value versus the price paid. In this sense, a Crystal cruise may not receive five stars if the voyage did not meet my high expectations, whilst a 3 night Norwegian Cruise Line voyage may rate higher if my substantially lower expectations were exceeded. 

In my opinion, the MSC Yacht Club product is the best value in luxury cruising. My wife and I are in our mid 20s, and we appreciated the fact that we had our own enclave aboard, where the crew quickly learnt our names and favourite drinks, but could at will descend into the melee of a mega-ship filled with energy, music, song and dance. The Yacht Club was in essence a haven (pun unintended), a quite, relaxing area, approximately the size of one the older Seabourn triplets, where it was easy to meet passengers and make friends, in a fashion that is usually impossible aboard a ship carrying several thousand passengers. One could then go and enjoy the entertainment and options available on the ship with said friends. The entertainment was of high quality, especially the Cirque de Soleil show. Every night a production show was presented, of which one can get tired of quite quickly, but they were of similar quality to shows I have seen on other mass-market lines. The overall ambiance of the vessel was international, which is something we really enjoyed about MSC, and the Meravilliga's interiors where nothing short of stunning. We did not try any eateries besides the Yacht Club restaurant and the buffet, so cannot comment on the quality of food in the rest of the ship. 

In the Yacht Club, the pantry always had food available, the drinks where of reasonable quality and weather permitting there was a barbecue or buffet available on the open private decks. The MSC Yacht Club restaurant offered food of a reasonable to high quality, with service that was great if not perfect, missing the finesse of service found on dedicated luxury lines.

The butler aboard the Yacht Club was more of a room attendant, although you could always count on the ones serving in the Yacht Club lounge, for all intents a private observation lounge at the forward-most point of the vessel's superstructure. 

Lines where never a problem as we had dedicated lifts which we could override to give Yacht Club passengers express service, and the butlers where always at hand to walk you out or back on to the ship, skipping the  sometimes substantial ques. In a similar fashion, after a very hectic day trying to get to the ship (trains on strike, taking a bus, taxis on strike, having to take several busses, etc.) the glasses of sparkling wine and welcome of the YC crew made our embarkation perfect. 

I can happily recommend the Meraviglia if you are a guest seeking a large cruise-ship experience in an international environment, with a value-driven luxury product, and for this value are willing to give up the extra refinements and finesse found on 'true' luxury lines.   

I am sure we will be sailing aboard an MSC vessel in the Yacht Club in the future. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by bahrain_not_dubai!

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[champagne123]

Thank you for your quick review.  I would like to know what you do for a living and why in your TWENTIES are able to cruise so much...lol..lol..lol.   Just kidding.  I'm jealous!!!!

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

4 hours ago, champagne123 said:

Thank you for your quick review.  I would like to know what you do for a living and why in your TWENTIES are able to cruise so much...lol..lol..lol.   Just kidding.  I'm jealous!!!!

 

It is interesting that you note that. I just love crusing and so do my parents, so have been sailing since a young age. As such most of my disposable income goes on cruising ! 🙂

 

The one thing I found to be very annoying about the YC Director, and the Matrie'D of the YC restaurant, is that they not once approached us (although they did everyone else) and I did feel that certain specific members of the crew thought they could short us on the service side because of our age. 

 

That is an issue I certainly have never encountered on Crystal or Seabourn, but then again due to the difference in price paid relevant to the YC, I did not highlight that issue, even though I found it to be unprofessional. 

 

Edited January 2, 2019 by bahrain_not_dubai!

[champagne123]

 It is interesting that you note that.   (as stated by you)

 

Did you think we would not notice....lol  ?  You did offer that piece of information....which now makes me wonder why you received "different" service than others.  Were there any other couples around your age in the YC?   I find this very interesting.  Could there have been another reason?    Only asking because my children are all in their 30's and always receive the same respect that we do.  Fascinating.   

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

47 minutes ago, champagne123 said:

 It is interesting that you note that.   (as stated by you)

 

Did you think we would not notice....lol  ?  You did offer that piece of information....which now makes me wonder why you received "different" service than others.  Were there any other couples around your age in the YC?   I find this very interesting.  Could there have been another reason?    Only asking because my children are all in their 30's and always receive the same respect that we do.  Fascinating.   

 

 

I think the issue was limited to very specific crew members. We noticed them interacting with everybody but us, and another couple of similar age. It was not a major issue but we definitely noticed.