Yacht Club Inclusions

[KennyFla]

11 minutes ago, Até said:

Yacht Club will sail full, at least to whatever capacity limit the CDC will hold them to.  Showing of cabin availability is something that seems to have changed recently.  I've watched since 2016 and up until this re-start MSC would initially show all availability but would eventually move to "hide" YC cabin availability, this does not apply to regular cabins.  I've been dragged into detailed debates about that statement and would rather not get into that again. 

 

This does not usually apply to YC interiors, but there were some similar strategies aimed at pushing people to choose the Deluxe over the interior.  On numerous sailings it was common for MSC to show two YC Deluxe cabins left, then a week later two other cabins were all that was available, then a couple weeks later two totally different cabins and it would eventually repeat back to the original two.  Oddly they were almost always in symmetrical pairs.  Either several people are fickle with their cabin choices or MSC was playing a little game.  In the past their sales method usually resulted in just a couple to a few upgrades to fill out the unsold YC, if any.  Pre bidding system the most I've been admitted to by a YC Director was 15 YC Deluxe upgrades on Seaside for an off season sailing.

 

For some reason MSC is no longer trying to hide availability, there are tons of recent posts where people are seeing half to 90% YC Deluxe available after final payment.  Look for yourself.  I'm not sure what is going on, my current theory is the recent increase in YC prices has caused an significant decline in YC bookings and therefore an issue with the system that used to automatically "hide" inventory.  Or perhaps they dropped hiding availability for the bidding system?  Cruise lines have extremely complicated algorithms that take account number of cabins sold, number of cabins left available, asking prices and many other factors.  I don't think anyone has been able to break into their tightly held strategies.

Thanks

Our cruise, Divina Oct 17, does not show many cabins left.

Seems like about 10.

Edited August 10, 2021 by KennyFla

[zackarykeef]

1 hour ago, Até said:

ETA:  Oh, @zackarykeefcould you verify this winning bid was for a YC Deluxe and not a YC interior?

Confirming it's a YC Deluxe...15018. I didn't even bid on an interior. Although I've never sailed YC, an interior is not worth it to me no matter where it is. I would always take a regular balcony over an exclusive interior.

 

To be fair, I was offered to bid on the YC Deluxe, YC Interior, and a suite with the whirpool balcony. The only one I didn't bid on was the YC Interior, and was awarded the YC Deluxe 2 days after my bid.

 

I do think the overall prices dropped somewhat from when we originally booked several weeks ago...I'm pretty sure the YC Deluxe was around $2000pp +/- at that time. I would personally never pay that for a 3-day cruise.

 

I was ok with the balcony we had (10202), because as I mentioned before, balcony is more important to me. I bid the very minimum on both because I was happy to stay in our original room, honestly thinking we would not get the upgrade with a "poor" bid. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

I personally think the prices for YC, Haven, etc are exorbitant. If you can afford to pay those always, that's great. I used to (pre-pandemic) travel on 2-3 cruises per year plus other non-cruise vacations for the price I would pay for one week in the Haven or YC, as a week typically is around $1200pp in a standard balcony, which is perfect. I would rather have multiple vacations in a good room than a single vacation in an exclusive room, as my finances and time off allow.

 

Regardless, I'm extremely excited for this little bonus experience we are about to have, and I'm sure it will have me loving MSC. Just like I don't want to sail in any less than a balcony, I'm sure I won't want to sail in any less than YC from now on. So I welcome the upgrade program 🤣

Edited August 10, 2021 by zackarykeef

[Até]

6 minutes ago, zackarykeef said:

Confirming it's a YC Deluxe...15018.

Thanks for the information.  I meant to also ask if you already had a drink package and WiFi with your original booking.  I do agree you, and likely a lot of others, got a good deal.  You will like the YC, the question is will you be willing to chance booking a regular cabin and not winning a YC bid?  Save your answer until you sail in a regular cabin on one of these larger MSC ships with full capacity.

[jules815]

9 hours ago, Margaretealexander said:

Just called MSC and the upgrade does NOT include the experience. It only includes the bigger room. I don’t know how they can keep up with that if your in that area. Not worth the extra $ for just the bigger room.

Wait what? You bid on the room in the YC but it's only for the room? So you only get to spend time in your cabin, but no butler service, you can't visit the Top Sail or use the YC pool? That doesn't seem right to me.

It that were the case, I wouldn't do it. 

[no1talks]

6 minutes ago, jules815 said:

Wait what? You bid on the room in the YC but it's only for the room? So you only get to spend time in your cabin, but no butler service, you can't visit the Top Sail or use the YC pool? That doesn't seem right to me.

It that were the case, I wouldn't do it. 

Point #19 from the Ts&Cs...

19. If the Guests are currently in a cabin with “Fantastica” or “Aurea” experience and submit an Offer to upgrade to a higher category, we cannot guarantee that they will be assigned to a cabin with the same experience, but the experience itself “Bella”, “Fantastica” or “Aurea” will be maintained. For the upgraded Bid in Yacht Club, we will guarantee all benefits related to the Yacht Club Experience in addition to the original experience.

The mix-up is probably do to an operator who misunderstood the meaning of "Promotions." It is elsewhere explained that the promotions attached to the original reservation remain the same and do not change with the upgrade.

[Margaretealexander]

3 minutes ago, no1talks said:

Point #19 from the Ts&Cs...

19. If the Guests are currently in a cabin with “Fantastica” or “Aurea” experience and submit an Offer to upgrade to a higher category, we cannot guarantee that they will be assigned to a cabin with the same experience, but the experience itself “Bella”, “Fantastica” or “Aurea” will be maintained. For the upgraded Bid in Yacht Club, we will guarantee all benefits related to the Yacht Club Experience in addition to the original experience.

The mix-up is probably do to an operator who misunderstood the meaning of "Promotions." It is elsewhere explained that the promotions attached to the original reservation remain the same and do not change with the upgrade.

Yep. Called back and got a different operator who clarified for me. 

[Até]

21 minutes ago, no1talks said:

Point #19 from the Ts&Cs...

It looks like you have a different T&C than I have, can you post the URL of the one you are reading?

[no1talks]

16 minutes ago, Até said:

It looks like you have a different T&C than I have, can you post the URL of the one you are reading?

Here is the upgrade program's FAQs...
https://upg.stage.plusgrade.com/faq/partner/9Ck2Ks4MSC

At the bottom of that page, there is a link to Ts and Cs.

I'm not working from an e-mailed offer to bid. I used Google-fu to find the page. What comes attached to an actual bidding invitation might be different at this time. The © is this year, though.

[Até]

5 hours ago, no1talks said:

Here is the upgrade program's FAQs...
https://upg.stage.plusgrade.com/faq/partner/9Ck2Ks4MSC

Ah, yes thanks.  That's the same link I gave in post #35.  I confused myself and thought you had an updated FAQ, it didn't register in my brain that you said Terms & Conditions.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Até

[Até]

For anyone going back and reading that old thread I linked to called "Beware of the MSC Upgrade bid program" I'll include a note that back then when I first linked to the PlusGrade FAQ page it was an earlier version at the time and several policies were missing or different, particular to that thread whether YC bids got the YC perks.  That is a hazard of linking to a web page where the owner can later change the page and the information in your posts no longer make sense.  Going back through that thread a modern reader wonders what all the discussion was about, the link on page one clearly outlines the policy.  But at the time it didn't.

 

And just as easily PlusGrade can change those FAQ & T&C web pages to make everything posted in this thread totally incorrect.  I've been working on not posting links to certain web documents and rather posting them in PDF or other non-changeable forms.  So that is something I wanted to point out when you see arguments over some policy's wording or a post that makes no sense because a linked web page contradicts it.  In order to avoid future reader's confusion here are the PlusGrade FAQ and T&C on this date.

 

 

PlusGrade FAQ.pdf PlusGrade T&C.pdf

[grandgeezer]

7 hours ago, jules815 said:

Wait what? You bid on the room in the YC but it's only for the room? So you only get to spend time in your cabin, but no butler service, you can't visit the Top Sail or use the YC pool? That doesn't seem right to me.

It that were the case, I wouldn't do it. 

If you are in a Yacht Club room, I don't see how you can't use the bar, restaurant, or pool area, at least on the Seaside, the only ship we've been on. The Yacht Club is a sealed off area where you can only enter with your room key. Once in, nobody has ever asked to see our card to see if we qualified. You aren't more than five minutes from any of the designated areas no matter what room you are in.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

6 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

If you are in a Yacht Club room, I don't see how you can't use the bar, restaurant, or pool area, at least on the Seaside, the only ship we've been on. The Yacht Club is a sealed off area where you can only enter with your room key. Once in, nobody has ever asked to see our card to see if we qualified. You aren't more than five minutes from any of the designated areas no matter what room you are in.

Correct grandgeezer!  Let’s get this straight once and for all.  If you get an upgrade to the Yacht Club you get ALL the benefits…period.   

[Margaretealexander]

Well now that that is settled how much do you bid? I would assume something past the poor range bidding?

[alyssamma]

8 minutes ago, Margaretealexander said:

Well now that that is settled how much do you bid? I would assume something past the poor range bidding?

Earlier in the thread they said:

 

We bid the minimum…it was $270pp. Said it was a “poor” bid, so didn’t think we would get it. Bid Friday and found out this morning. We cruise this Friday 8/13.

 

[Margaretealexander]

26 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

Earlier in the thread they said:

 

We bid the minimum…it was $270pp. Said it was a “poor” bid, so didn’t think we would get it. Bid Friday and found out this morning. We cruise this Friday 8/13.

 

Well I bid the minimum as well so I’m hoping. They are currently showing like 40 rooms available and we leave in less than two weeks. We shall see…

[cyndyga]

The minimum on my 4 day on Davina is $430 so would be $860... I'm sailing solo so not too much cheaper than booking it directly...I have a aft balcony I got for $285 so I am satisfied...never had aft before!!!

[Margaretealexander]

On 8/9/2021 at 4:07 PM, zackarykeef said:

Thanks…I just didn’t know that if we order drinks anywhere on the ship if we could get whatever we wanted.

 

We bid the minimum…it was $270pp. Said it was a “poor” bid, so didn’t think we would get it. Bid Friday and found out this morning. We cruise this Friday 8/13.

How was your YC experience?

[pdobrynski]

Are they still using the White Tent for Yacht Club check in?

[alyssamma]

4 minutes ago, pdobrynski said:

Are they still using the White Tent for Yacht Club check in?

Yep

[Gatordad1967]

On 8/9/2021 at 6:22 PM, kelleherdl said:

You shot and you scored!   You now must deal with the horror of never wanting to sail outside the YC again.

The struggle is real......... You hit the nail on the head.

[Kruizin'Kath]

We were notified this morning that our minimum bid was accepted for our 9/25 sailing!