Upgraded to Yacht Club Cabin!

[Beamafar]

14 minutes ago, nikkiw60 said:

My live from is certainly going to be different this year that’s for sure!

 

Can't wait!   😉

[Captain-John]

That's a great upgrade, congratulations!

 

However - it does make me question MSC's pricing strategy - if they have an unsold YC room (or multiple!) - it's interesting they would rather upgrade someone for free than sell the room at a discount - at a reasonably busy time of year I wouldn't have expected any availability. Unless a last minute cancellation of course.

 

In any event - enjoy and hope you get all the perks!

[Beamafar]

YC upgrades tend to come very close to sailing date, Cap'n, possibly due to very late cancellations.  It's very difficult to get reasonably priced flights if the dates you're looking for are imminent, so even offering a discount may not work.  I'd like to see them do what Emirates do when their business class isn't fully booked - send out emails to those who've already booked a lower class cabin with a discounted price to upgrade.  The first to accept the offer gets the deal.

 

While I don't begrudge anyone who's been upgraded to YC (and I'm wishing Nikki all the very best, with fingers crossed for her that she and Matt get to enjoy all the YC benefits), I think it's unfair on those that have paid YC prices for the inclusions.  With upgrades to other categories, people only receive the benefit of a better cabin (and that can be debatable if it's not in as desirable a location as the hitherto chosen one).  It's a tricky situation, that's for sure.

[nikkiw60]

As I have posted earlier some one on the roll call had said they have just booked a balcony cabin for $385 each for this same week.

[nikkiw60]

46 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

That's a great upgrade, congratulations!

 

However - it does make me question MSC's pricing strategy - if they have an unsold YC room (or multiple!) - it's interesting they would rather upgrade someone for free than sell the room at a discount - at a reasonably busy time of year I wouldn't have expected any availability. Unless a last minute cancellation of course.

 

In any event - enjoy and hope you get all the perks!

Would it help if I said we paid the same price for our balcony as an inside Yacht Club cabin? Plus an extra £322 each for the drink package?

[Captain-John]

Perhaps that was a factor in deciding to upgrade you - combined with VC status/cruise history perhaps? Or maybe it is truly random. Not begrudging you this at all by the way - just trying to work out MSC's commercials and logic behind 'who' and 'when' and 'why' - so I can position myself in the same way in future. :P

 

 

[hamrag]

5 minutes ago, nikkiw60 said:

Would it help if I said we paid the same price for our balcony as an inside Yacht Club cabin? Plus an extra £322 each for the drink package?

 

For future reference, IMHO the YIN cabin on the newer ships (not available on the fantasia class ships) offers the best value in cruising....you get ALL the YC benefits, at a much lower cost than a YC1.

[emmas gran]

Nikki you earned to Upgrade with your loyalty to MSC just go and ENJOY

[lyndarra]

On 5/17/2019 at 9:05 PM, nikkiw60 said:

Now if we do get full benefits...

what is the form re extra tips? 

Who, how much etc. This is on top of the daily service charge.

We usually give an extra $20 extra each to room steward, waiters in MDR and favourite bar person and servers at the end of the week. Also room service people a couple of $ as and when.

Hope we don’t look cheap!

From MSC UK website

PREPAYMENT OF SERVICE CHARGE 

If you wish, the Daily Service Charge for your cruise can be added to the price of your cruise at
the time of booking, rather than added to your onboard account during the cruise. Please let your booking agent know if you if you would like to add the Service Charge to your cruise price.

Tips
MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual members of staff.

[emmas gran]

7 hours ago, lyndarra said:

From MSC UK website

PREPAYMENT OF SERVICE CHARGE 

If you wish, the Daily Service Charge for your cruise can be added to the price of your cruise at
the time of booking, rather than added to your onboard account during the cruise. Please let your booking agent know if you if you would like to add the Service Charge to your cruise price.

Tips
MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual members of staff.

 

With all due respect Lyndarra --Nikki is an experienced MSC cruiser and was part joking with her post -I don't think she was looking for advice. 

 

We in the UK do tend to tip for good service but this thread is not about DSC or tipping.

[Jossie1960]

3 hours ago, emmas gran said:

 

With all due respect Lyndarra --Nikki is an experienced MSC cruiser and was part joking with her post -I don't think she was looking for advice. 

 

We in the UK do tend to tip for good service but this thread is not about DSC or tipping.

 

Strange response, I never read it as a joke. Thanks Lyndarra, useful info.

[nikkiw60]

1 minute ago, Jossie1960 said:

 

Strange response, I never read it as a joke. Thanks Lyndarra, useful info.

I was asking if the extra that we tip on top of the daily service charge is acceptable in YC. As don’t want to look cheap. 

I am aware that MSC don’t encourage tipping but we do it discretely and in circumstances were we feel the extra tip is warranted. 

[Jossie1960]

Thanks Nikki, I thought that was your meaning.  We did give our Butler extra bit of cash and gave the Maitre'd cash to share with those that serviced us as every evening we were seated with different waiters.

[little britain]

On 5/21/2019 at 9:37 AM, nikkiw60 said:

As I have posted earlier some one on the roll call had said they have just booked a balcony cabin for $385 each for this same week.

I found that hard to believe as when I checked Fantasia were still £999 for the week. Perhaps they are Interline or something! 

Enjoy YC.

You do realise that there is no going back....! LOL

Edited May 22, 2019 by little britain

[nikkiw60]

13 hours ago, little britain said:

I found that hard to believe as when I checked Fantasia were still £999 for the week. Perhaps they are Interline or something! 

Enjoy YC.

You do realise that there is no going back....! LOL

We have no choice as on our next 2 Yc is already fully booked!

[emmas gran]

Nikki -- Bon Voyage have a great cruise

 

Liz

 

[Hlitner]

If the upgraded cabin is inside the YC area, there is no way they would be able to effectively police the OPs non-use of the Top Sail Lounge or the One Pool deck.  Once inside the YC nobody ever asks to see a cruise card and they just assume this is where you belong.  But if in one of the YC suites located outside the YC then we would assume their cruise card will be programmed to NOT open the YC entrance doors.

 

As to embarkation, when we were in the YC on the Divina they were pretty careful at the YC embarkation tent.  They carefully checked our documents, double checked on a clip board list, and then re-tagged all of our luggage with special YC luggage tags.  We were always accompanied by staff as we worked our way through the embarkation process.

 

Hank

[helen haywood]

Will be interesting to hear her report!

[nikkiw60]

1 hour ago, emmas gran said:

Nikki -- Bon Voyage have a great cruise

 

Liz

 

Thanks Liz, we are just waiting for a friend to collect us to drop us off at Doncaster station for train to London!

 

24 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

If the upgraded cabin is inside the YC area, there is no way they would be able to effectively police the OPs non-use of the Top Sail Lounge or the One Pool deck.  Once inside the YC nobody ever asks to see a cruise card and they just assume this is where you belong.  But if in one of the YC suites located outside the YC then we would assume their cruise card will be programmed to NOT open the YC entrance doors.

 

As to embarkation, when we were in the YC on the Divina they were pretty careful at the YC embarkation tent.  They carefully checked our documents, double checked on a clip board list, and then re-tagged all of our luggage with special YC luggage tags.  We were always accompanied by staff as we worked our way through the embarkation process.

 

Hank

Hank, as you would have seen earlier in the thread, our document showing to check in at the Yacht Club tent. Our cabin is jiust Inside the Yacht Club area so we will need a card to get into there.

Just to say we are not going expecting the benefits.

Also, I went on the US MSC site today and the price quoted for the same departure tomorrow for a Yacht Club balcony is in dollars approximately what we have paid in pounds for our original booking.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, nikkiw60 said:

Thanks Liz, we are just waiting for a friend to collect us to drop us off at Doncaster station for train to London!

 

Hank, as you would have seen earlier in the thread, our document showing to check in at the Yacht Club tent. Our cabin is jiust Inside the Yacht Club area so we will need a card to get into there.

Just to say we are not going expecting the benefits.

Also, I went on the US MSC site today and the price quoted for the same departure tomorrow for a Yacht Club balcony is in dollars approximately what we have paid in pounds for our original booking.

Sorry but I missed that info.  Once inside the YC on the Divina, nobody ever asks to see any ID, cruise card, etc.  Even in the Top Sail lounge, if you order a drink the waiters/bar tenders just get it.  The only time they would ask for your card is if you were to buy an expensive bottle of wine or order some kind of high priced booze not included in the YC price.  When we were in the YC for 21 days there was not a single time anyone asked for our card.  So they would have to put you on the honor system not to use any of the benefits which makes little sense.  Seems to me that MSC should simply throw in the towel and give you all the benefits :).

 

Hank

[mrisj]

My parents just checked in to the Meraviglia and also got a Yacht Club upgrade. And they expected to only get the cabin, but they got all the perks! They're so excited.

[emmas gran]

If you are interested Nikki is doing a thread from Divina --she is onboard and in YC

[sverigecruiser]

21 hours ago, Hlitner said:

If the upgraded cabin is inside the YC area, there is no way they would be able to effectively police the OPs non-use of the Top Sail Lounge or the One Pool deck.  Once inside the YC nobody ever asks to see a cruise card and they just assume this is where you belong.

 

They can stop people from using the lounge even if the cabin is within the YC. If they have upgraded passengers there without "loungeaccess" the staff may ask for cards the first day and after that they know who is allowed to use the lounge.

 

I have seen in another thread that people can get upgraded to YC without access to the bar.

 

The OP is now on the ship and she got all the perks.I'm very happy for her, and jealous!

Edited May 25, 2019 by sverigecruiser