What can you tell me about the Meraviglia YC experience 2021?

[Mustsea]

Thinking about booking a cruise next month on Maraviglia YC. MSC is one of the few lines we have yet to cruise. I called a cruise travel agent and she tried talking me out of MSC. How does the YC compare with NCL Haven - which we've done and liked. Has the general experience of cruising gone downhill during Covid? How's the food, entertainment, staffing, etc? Wondering if we should do a resort vacation instead? Will appreciate any and all responses!

[dexddd]

11 hours ago, Mustsea said:

Thinking about booking a cruise next month on Maraviglia YC. MSC is one of the few lines we have yet to cruise. I called a cruise travel agent and she tried talking me out of MSC. How does the YC compare with NCL Haven - which we've done and liked. Has the general experience of cruising gone downhill during Covid? How's the food, entertainment, staffing, etc? Wondering if we should do a resort vacation instead? Will appreciate any and all responses!

We are set, hopefully, to sail 9/18.  YC vs Haven depends on ship for NCL but compared to the newest ships, the lounge areas are similar.  YC pool area has nice bar and buffet.  MSC rooms smaller but also cheaper.

 

YC service better.

[Shippy]

The service should be fantastic on the Sept 25th cruise.

We are on that one. I just checked & there are about 45 Yacht Club cabins still available !

No way they are selling all those in one month.

YC has a dedicated pool area , restaurant, lounge, etc

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, Shippy said:

The service should be fantastic on the Sept 25th cruise.

We are on that one. I just checked & there are about 45 Yacht Club cabins still available !

No way they are selling all those in one month.

YC has a dedicated pool area , restaurant, lounge, etc

They will fill them all with people who booked a regular balcony using the bid program. 

I am on the 10/23 sailing and we have 49 YC deluxe cabins open. I have one of the 15 inside YC cabins. My minimum bid will get me to a deluxe for over $2000 cheaper than those who actually booked a deluxe.

 I already got the bid email last week.

I also know of 2 people in Areua balcony cabins that got bid email as well with offer to bid for YC deluxe and YC inside even though all insides are sold out meaning those of us inside YC will be getting deluxe outside for cheap bid money compared to actually booking deluxe YC to begin with.

Steve

[Mustsea]

Thanks, all; and great info, mscdivina2016!

[Shippy]

On 8/10/2021 at 9:21 AM, mscdivina2016 said:

They will fill them all with people who booked a regular balcony using the bid program. 

I am on the 10/23 sailing and we have 49 YC deluxe cabins open. I have one of the 15 inside YC cabins. My minimum bid will get me to a deluxe for over $2000 cheaper than those who actually booked a deluxe.

 I already got the bid email last week.

I also know of 2 people in Areua balcony cabins that got bid email as well with offer to bid for YC deluxe and YC inside even though all insides are sold out meaning those of us inside YC will be getting deluxe outside for cheap bid money compared to actually booking deluxe YC to begin with.

Steve

     Doesn't really matter how many upsells they do. This cruise is only 6 weeks away.

Aside from the 49 YC cabins available...there are 138 balcony cabins still available !

So service should be great all over the ship.

These cabins can not be the so called 'held out' ones so the ship is not at full capacity as the cabin numbers are all available for bookings.

   I think there is still a hesitancy for some people to travel.

[dexddd]

Every poster who has posted they got bid for YC that I've read has won upsell.

[KennyFla]

I can't help but think that in the long run, the bid process will hurt MSC.  People are not likely to keep quiet about what great deals they are getting, angering the people that pay full price.  Eventually fewer and fewer will want to pay full price.

[kidless]

On 8/10/2021 at 12:21 PM, mscdivina2016 said:

I am on the 10/23 sailing and we have 49 YC deluxe cabins open. I have one of the 15 inside YC cabins. My minimum bid will get me to a deluxe for over $2000 cheaper than those who actually booked a deluxe.

 I already got the bid email last week.

 

Steve

We have inside booked in Yacht club for November. What did they start the bidding at for you to go to Deluxe Balcony in YC?  Did you bid and do you do minimum? Let us know if you get it!!! 

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, kidless said:

We have inside booked in Yacht club for November. What did they start the bidding at for you to go to Deluxe Balcony in YC?  Did you bid and do you do minimum? Let us know if you get it!!! 

I actually had received a bid email on 2 cruises. 10/16 which was cancelled and 10/23 which I am talking.

10/16 was $405 opening and the other $305. I bid the minimum of $305 as there are so many deluxe available.

Steve

[jules815]

1 hour ago, kidless said:

We have inside booked in Yacht club for November. What did they start the bidding at for you to go to Deluxe Balcony in YC?  Did you bid and do you do minimum? Let us know if you get it!!! 

Keep checking your email.  We're on the 10/16 sailing on Mera in a YC1. We got an email on 8/5 to bid on a Royal Suite. Minimum bid for us was around $1700pp, and both RS are already booked. I guess they still give you the option to bid in case there's a cancellation. We didn't bid. 

Edited August 12, 2021 by jules815

[mscdivina2016]

5 minutes ago, jules815 said:

Keep checking your email.  We're on the 10/16 sailing on Mera in a YC1. We got an email on 8/5 to bid on a Royal Suite. Minimum bid for us was around $1700pp, and both RS are already booked. I guess they still give you the option to bid in case there's a cancellation. We didn't bid. 

Us too, $2605pp minimum from YC inside for RS is available.

 I think the 48 hours cancel option is going to hurt them.

Steve

[kidless]

We are on Divina in October in YC balcony we received offer to upgrade to executive suite starting at $240 but they all showed booked so rather stay where we are. November on Meraviglia we have inside YC, final payment isn’t till end of August but do expect offer to upgrade as there are a lot of available balcony cabins in YC 

[no1talks]

For those of you who have done (or are doing) a bid from lesser YC to better YC, are you self-booked or using a TA? Does it matter how your initial reservation was made?

Thank you.

[alyssamma]

1 hour ago, no1talks said:

For those of you who have done (or are doing) a bid from lesser YC to better YC, are you self-booked or using a TA? Does it matter how your initial reservation was made?

Thank you.

I booked through a TA...inside YC and got offered to bid for deluxe and royal YC

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, no1talks said:

For those of you who have done (or are doing) a bid from lesser YC to better YC, are you self-booked or using a TA? Does it matter how your initial reservation was made?

Thank you.

Self booked also bid chance for deluxe and RS.

Friends are also self booked and are in Aurea balcony and offered YC inside and YC deluxe. There are no inside YC available so thats good news for us lesser YCers.

Steve

[phissy]

43 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

I booked through a TA...inside YC and got offered to bid for deluxe and royal YC

We booked through TA /YC deluxe. Got upgrade offers for RS. Amounts changed each week we did not bite. Down then back to original min bid.

we passed.

it is a bit concerning that MSC seems to want to load up the YC. We were hoping for 50% capacity in November.

[alyssamma]

25 minutes ago, phissy said:

We booked through TA /YC deluxe. Got upgrade offers for RS. Amounts changed each week we did not bite. Down then back to original min bid.

we passed.

it is a bit concerning that MSC seems to want to load up the YC. We were hoping for 50% capacity in November.

LOL, I agree...I want it all to myself

[no1talks]

24 minutes ago, phissy said:

We booked through TA /YC deluxe. Got upgrade offers for RS. Amounts changed each week we did not bite. Down then back to original min bid.

we passed.

it is a bit concerning that MSC seems to want to load up the YC. We were hoping for 50% capacity in November.

I suspect there is a sweet margin on YC cabins, even at reduced bids.

MSC has all the stats on an average YC passenger's food & beverage cost. Given the fare increases and the initiation of a price cap on drinks, MSC has a nice cushion on every YC cabin, and I don't mean what's on the pillow menu.

[mscdivina2016]

33 minutes ago, phissy said:

We booked through TA /YC deluxe. Got upgrade offers for RS. Amounts changed each week we did not bite. Down then back to original min bid.

we passed.

it is a bit concerning that MSC seems to want to load up the YC. We were hoping for 50% capacity in November.

Hi Pat,

 I hope the capacity is just enough so I get my Deluxe😁

Steve

[phissy]

5 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Hi Pat,

 I hope the capacity is just enough so I get my Deluxe😁

Steve

Steve, 

I am keeping fingers crossed so you guys get the Deluxe on your cruise.🥂

Too bad we ended up cruising different month. Looking forward to the day our paths cross again. Still have great memories of our cruise and your excellent excursions.

Pat

Edited August 14, 2021 by phissy

[DFMW]

Once a YC bid is accepted by MSC and the room assigned, can we select a different room number or do we have to keep the assigned room?

[zackarykeef]

We’re currently on the Meraviglia in YC, and although I cannot compare to pre-pandemic as this is our first time on MSC, I can say that it has been 💯 so far!!

 

The capacity is extremely low…I’m not exactly sure what it is, but it’s so nice 🤣 I’ll try to find out!

[phissy]

12 hours ago, DFMW said:

Once a YC bid is accepted by MSC and the room assigned, can we select a different room number or do we have to keep the assigned room?

Not sure how MSC is assigning cabins with Covid protocols.  Seems they are spacing cabins occupied by passengers.

 But, my motto, “it never hurts  to ask”. You won’t know if you don’t ask.

[zackarykeef]

I don’t think you can request a new room…you’re getting a deal with the upgrade, so you take what you get.

 

They don’t really seem to be spacing cabins out…both on either side of us are occupied, and YC definitely is not full.