How’s Yacht Club these days?

[Cruising with MSC]

Been on a couple of cruises - non Yacht Club last/this year. 
Have a Virtuosa Yacht Club cruise September 27th. Just wondering about general atmosphere and changes. 

[Eglesbrech]

I’m here right now and having a really great experience. I have a live thread on here if you want to take a look.
 

We haven’t done YC before but we have travelled in other iterations of suite class for example Celebrity and Cunard and this is just as good, (better at some things, less for others) but overall good.

[Cruising with MSC]

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

I’m here right now and having a really great experience. I have a live thread on here if you want to take a look.
 

We haven’t done YC before but we have travelled in other iterations of suite class for example Celebrity and Cunard and this is just as good, (better at some things, less for others) but overall good.

Thanks very much I’ve just found it 😀 
Be interested to know if you hear any murmurings from MSC old timers about any changes. 

[Eglesbrech]

5 hours ago, Cruising with MSC said:

Thanks very much I’ve just found it 😀 
Be interested to know if you hear any murmurings from MSC old timers about any changes. 

The only repeated moan I have heard is the missing chocolate ships. Apparently they used to get a sculpted chocolate ship in the cabin. Several people have mentioned that.

[hamrag]

43 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

The only repeated moan I have heard is the missing chocolate ships. Apparently they used to get a sculpted chocolate ship in the cabin. Several people have mentioned that.

Yes, but that isn't a YC benefit it's for those with Voyager Diamond status. We don't miss that particular 'perk' TBH.

[Cruising with MSC]

7 hours ago, hamrag said:

Yes, but that isn't a YC benefit it's for those with Voyager Diamond status. We don't miss that particular 'perk' TBH.

I was told onboard Virtuosa that some MSC sailings had over 50% diamond members onboard. It was becoming a logistical nightmare/impossibility. 
I’m glad of not having the hassle of it, will it melt on the way home etc….

[Eglesbrech]

10 hours ago, hamrag said:

Yes, but that isn't a YC benefit it's for those with Voyager Diamond status. We don't miss that particular 'perk' TBH.

Very few complaints, everyone seems happy enough with the YC. I think most of them are diamond so conflate the two but thanks for clarifying.

 

 

 

 

[dexddd]

5 hours ago, Cruising with MSC said:

I was told onboard Virtuosa that some MSC sailings had over 50% diamond members onboard. It was becoming a logistical nightmare/impossibility. 
I’m glad of not having the hassle of it, will it melt on the way home etc….

Welcome to CC.

 

Taken the ships through Miami in carry on and checked.  They are/were solid and did not melt.  TSA did look at one very intently though.

[hamrag]

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

Very few complaints, everyone seems happy enough with the YC. I think most of them are diamond so conflate the two but thanks for clarifying.

 

 

 

 

I know you booked this cruise last minute, but are you aware that MSC will match your best other cruiseline status enabling you to avail yourselves of other perks?

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

I know you booked this cruise last minute, but are you aware that MSC will match your best other cruiseline status enabling you to avail yourselves of other perks?

Thank you, yes we did that thanks to some kindly advice here on cc. Got Diamond.

[mafig]

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

Thank you, yes we did that thanks to some kindly advice here on cc. Got Diamond.

 

[Cruising with MSC]

22 hours ago, dexddd said:

Welcome to CC.

 

Taken the ships through Miami in carry on and checked.  They are/were solid and did not melt.  TSA did look at one very intently though.

Thanks very much dexddd. We had similar in Miami. Also disembarked in a very hot Genoa and by the time we got home the ship had started to lose the detail 😀

will definitely miss them 

[Raj.K]

We have cruised with MSC in Yacht Club every year (except 2020 & 21) since 2014. On our last cruise a couple of months ago on the Virtuosa, we noticed that the Yacht Club experience is not as it used to be. Just to mention a few:

 

Selection of Whiskies (my favourite drink) was limited in the Top Sail Lounge and even a particular brand of 70c bottle you can get in supermarkets in the UK for £35 was listed as premium (so you have to pay for this particular drink even in YC). 

 

My choice of the whisky ran out of stock in the Top Sail Lounge within 3 days of our 7 day cruise. Honest, I only had a couple of drinks each evening! 😄

 

Going by our previous experience, where there was always a good selection of something savoury or sweet to "nibble" throughout the day in the Top Sail lounge, and these were changed throughout the day. Such that we spent a lot of time in the lounge playing board games, cards or simply chatting watching the world go by. Now its not the same and so we don't spend as much time there! 

 

The mini bar in the cabin is now not stocked with miniature bottles of your favourite drinks. Instead you are given a choice of one bigger bottle of something to choose once on your cruise! This limited our drink choice through the cruise. We love having a drink after our return to ship from an excursion on the balcony while we took turns to shower and get ready. Instead now we have to go get a drink from the lounge and get to our cabin.

 

On some of our excursions booked via MSC, YC guests had reserved seating on coaches/buses so we got the best seats. That seems no more. As YC guests are often escorted out to excursions just in time, we were often at the back of the queue so had to make do with whatever seating was available.

 

Overall, I feel the pricing for YC has progressively increased while services and privileges (Voyagers Club) being watered down.

 

 

 

[hamrag]

39 minutes ago, Raj.K said:

......The mini bar in the cabin is now not stocked with miniature bottles of your favourite drinks. Instead you are given a choice of one bigger bottle of something to choose once on your cruise! This limited our drink choice through the cruise. We love having a drink after our return to ship from an excursion on the balcony while we took turns to shower and get ready. Instead now we have to go get a drink from the lounge and get to our cabin....

Whilst I'd agree with some of what you posted, for us this particular change is positive! We choose the best available bottle of our chosen drink, and take it back home (luggage weight allowing) or give it to the butler along with our additional gratuities.

 

With regard to drinks on the balcony, you don't require to go near the lounge....simply call them, and they will deliver to the cabin. OK, it may take 5 or 10 minutes longer to arrive but you're on vacation!  😉

[Cruising with MSC]

2 hours ago, Raj.K said:

We have cruised with MSC in Yacht Club every year (except 2020 & 21) since 2014. On our last cruise a couple of months ago on the Virtuosa, we noticed that the Yacht Club experience is not as it used to be. Just to mention a few:

 

Selection of Whiskies (my favourite drink) was limited in the Top Sail Lounge and even a particular brand of 70c bottle you can get in supermarkets in the UK for £35 was listed as premium (so you have to pay for this particular drink even in YC). 

 

My choice of the whisky ran out of stock in the Top Sail Lounge within 3 days of our 7 day cruise. Honest, I only had a couple of drinks each evening! 😄

 

Going by our previous experience, where there was always a good selection of something savoury or sweet to "nibble" throughout the day in the Top Sail lounge, and these were changed throughout the day. Such that we spent a lot of time in the lounge playing board games, cards or simply chatting watching the world go by. Now its not the same and so we don't spend as much time there! 

 

The mini bar in the cabin is now not stocked with miniature bottles of your favourite drinks. Instead you are given a choice of one bigger bottle of something to choose once on your cruise! This limited our drink choice through the cruise. We love having a drink after our return to ship from an excursion on the balcony while we took turns to shower and get ready. Instead now we have to go get a drink from the lounge and get to our cabin.

 

On some of our excursions booked via MSC, YC guests had reserved seating on coaches/buses so we got the best seats. That seems no more. As YC guests are often escorted out to excursions just in time, we were often at the back of the queue so had to make do with whatever seating was available.

 

Overall, I feel the pricing for YC has progressively increased while services and privileges (Voyagers Club) being watered down.

 

 

 

Many thanks Raj. I thought our best YC experience was 2016 onboard Divina. Thought there was a less personal service on Meraviglia YC. Guess that lowers my expectations which is a good thing prior to boarding 

[Raj.K]

12 minutes ago, Cruising with MSC said:

Many thanks Raj. I thought our best YC experience was 2016 onboard Divina. Thought there was a less personal service on Meraviglia YC. Guess that lowers my expectations which is a good thing prior to boarding 

The Fantasia, Divina and Preziosa (all Fantasia Class ships) seem to have been our best YC experience, except the long walk to the restaurant towards the other end of the ship. 

 

The High Tea on those ships during 2014 - 2017 had a wider choice of Teas. Even on the Preziosa in 2018 this had reduced to English Breakfast and Earl Grey (+ the Green fruit/flavoured teas) only. This seems to be the norm on Seaview and Virtuosa since. 

[Raj.K]

2 hours ago, hamrag said:

Whilst I'd agree with some of what you posted, for us this particular change is positive! We choose the best available bottle of our chosen drink, and take it back home (luggage weight allowing) or give it to the butler along with our additional gratuities.

 

With regard to drinks on the balcony, you don't require to go near the lounge....simply call them, and they will deliver to the cabin. OK, it may take 5 or 10 minutes longer to arrive but you're on vacation!  😉

True. I suppose we will all have our preferences.

 

But, because we are on vacation is why I miss that flexibility so at my convenience I can raid the minibar. It's only a bottle valued around £30 - £40 at best and there were drinks on the list to pick from which were much cheaper so don't see this as great value.