THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE YACHT CLUB

[morpheusofthesea]

This is a problem. The staff in the Yacht Club are overwhelmed with all the NON Yacht Club class guests that are given "access" to the YC. Heard some of these "access" get up as early as 4 am and reserve for themselves the available cabanas (first come, first serve policy on the Seascape).  Actual YC guests are oblivious to what is occurring. They don't know that the prime real estate is being occupied by NON Yacht Club guests. Like RCCL and its NON suite Pinnacles, MSC has its NON Yacht Club guests with "access". Many are friends and family of officers. Others are family and friends of YC guests outside the YC that are smuggled in (wormed in) or given the wrist bands to gain access. On our recent cruise there were 44 ‘official’ additional friends and family using the Yacht Club venues besides the 310 YC guests.

   All these "access types" can and do take up valuable real estate that is limited to suite paying guests. A YC guest is not able to reserve one of the limited cabanas/pergolas of YC One Pool Sun Deck. The “access” shouldn't even be in these venues, we have enough suite paying chair hogs that do the same thing. Only Yacht Club paying passengers should be able to use or reserve (for a fee is fine) these most desirable spots in ‘our’ Yacht Club.

  The wait and the line that develops for the seafood extravaganza on the One Pool Deck has so many new faces. No one is policing and the strain on the staff to accommodate us all is but an abuse on the paying YCer.

[Two Wheels Only]

If enough people bring the issue to the attention of the YC director, maybe something will be done.

 

On NCL, the concierge is in charge of Haven access. Some Haven concierges are known to be strict when it comes to access.

 

Maybe Yacht Club guests can start to post the names of the Yacht Club directors that are strict. The ones who keep the Yacht Club what it is supposed to be should be acknowledged.

[morpheusofthesea]

We are paying for '"exclusivity".  Not 'inclusivity'. Perhaps this is a point in favor of Explora Journeys ?

[Bobbiegentry]

We remain very interested in finding a solution for the problem of interlopers. 
 

What specific steps are YC guests taking to help YC staff/management identify these people?

 

I understand the crew mindset of not wanting to “upset” their paying customers by enforcing rules but by taking a hands-off approach and turning their heads to this problem, they are alienating their highest paying group of customers. 

[morpheusofthesea]

12 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

If enough people bring the issue to the attention of the YC director, maybe something will be done.

It is a very 'delicate' even 'risky' situation for the YC Director. Notice that there is a new one. Instead of a promotion for a job well done, a lateral roll off the ship. Coincidence?

[PTC DAWG]

12 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

This is a problem. The staff in the Yacht Club are overwhelmed with all the NON Yacht Club class guests that are given "access" to the YC. Heard some of these "access" get up as early as 4 am and reserve for themselves the available cabanas (first come, first serve policy on the Seascape).  Actual YC guests are oblivious to what is occurring. They don't know that the prime real estate is being occupied by NON Yacht Club guests. Like RCCL and its NON suite Pinnacles, MSC has its NON Yacht Club guests with "access". Many are friends and family of officers. Others are family and friends of YC guests outside the YC that are smuggled in (wormed in) or given the wrist bands to gain access. On our recent cruise there were 44 ‘official’ additional friends and family using the Yacht Club venues besides the 310 YC guests.

   All these "access types" can and do take up valuable real estate that is limited to suite paying guests. A YC guest is not able to reserve one of the limited cabanas/pergolas of YC One Pool Sun Deck. The “access” shouldn't even be in these venues, we have enough suite paying chair hogs that do the same thing. Only Yacht Club paying passengers should be able to use or reserve (for a fee is fine) these most desirable spots in ‘our’ Yacht Club.

  The wait and the line that develops for the seafood extravaganza on the One Pool Deck has so many new faces. No one is policing and the strain on the staff to accommodate us all is but an abuse on the paying YCer.

What has the YC director said?  I would seek him out and state my complaint as clearly as I could.  

[morpheusofthesea]

Just now, PTC DAWG said:

What has the YC director said?  I would seek him out and state my complaint as clearly as I could.  

All they can do is commiserate .One is apt to get a small amenity as compensation from the Director. His 'hands are tied'.

  We did send the first post above in our comment e-mail this morning. Last cruise (R.I.P.) cruise Director Gene Young told the Chora Theatre audience the final night of the cruise that out of 5000 passengers only 50 fill out and respond to this survey He said the surveys do count. Too many of us do not care and we are losing the best we have come to know and love. The problems are not of their doing.

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

All they can do is commiserate .One is apt to get a small amenity as compensation from the Director. His 'hands are tied'.

  

I would ask who his boss is then, and seek them out.  I was on YC in Jan...Meraviglia out of Port Canaveral.  Our director was fairly new, he kept a tight reign on any interlopers.  The guests appreciated it.  

[Morgsmom]

21 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

I would ask who his boss is then, and seek them out.  I was on YC in Jan...Meraviglia out of Port Canaveral.  Our director was fairly new, he kept a tight reign on any interlopers.  The guests appreciated it.  

That is YC Director Craig.  He's a keeper 🙂

 

[Morgsmom]

Well I can add another.  We just got off the Grandiosa on Friday.  There is no longer YC reserved seating in the theater.  While there are 3 roped off rows, ANYONE can sit there.  In fact, the very hostile young lady (who was very anti-YC and it's privileges) kept inviting guests "hey, do you want to sit here?".  We ended up leaving after the 2nd occurrence of this.

 

YC Director (the charming Mr. Balla) said that his hands were tied, too, because there'd be nights when only a few people from YC went to the show so others were complaining that the seats were going to waste so higher ups than him decided to do away with YC seating. 

 

As far as interlopers, I will say that I am keen to observe and there were none on our sailing (that I noted), HOWEVER since it was on the Med I can imagine that it is different than in the Caribbean where "guests" might want to lay around the pool all day.  Sounds like there needs to be much more vigilance in the US market.

[peder]

2 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

YC Director (the charming Mr. Balla) said that his hands were tied, too, because there'd be nights when only a few people from YC went to the show so others were complaining that the seats were going to waste so higher ups than him decided to do away with YC seating. 

Somewhat tangential here, but on our Seascape cruise at Aurea level, we simply walked in maybe 5 minutes before a show started and found plenty of front row seats for our family. There were empty seats everywhere.

 

Also the reservations on the app usually suggested that not many people were going to the shows.

 

Maybe the shows' reputation are catching up and demand is waning overall?

[morpheusofthesea]

22 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

I would ask who his boss is then, and seek them out.  I was on YC in Jan...Meraviglia out of Port Canaveral.  Our director was fairly new, he kept a tight reign on any interlopers.  The guests appreciated it.  

Yes. Your YC Director on the Mera in Jan 23, is the very good Mr. Balla, who runs the tightest ship in the fleet. He is not 'new' to MSC. However even he has been 'intimidated' on occasion by the large groups that book only one cabin or two in the Yacht Club and 3 and 4 outside the YC. They "demand" to have meals in the YC restaurant and pool deck with drinks etc..One time he was even threatened by a guest with physical violence had it not been for a retired Miami police captain coming to his aid.

  Interlopers are only part of the problem. It is the family and friends that put up a fight.

[styles27]

This is a shame. The one chance I have of getting my husband on another MSC ship in the future is to book the YC. 
I hope this isn’t going to be the norm going forward. 
 

@morpheusoftheseaare you still on board?
 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by styles27

[phissy]

Our last 2 YC cruises were in the Caribbean. 
On Meraviglia, we had people in our reserved RS cabana on more than 1 occasion.

First time, they were nice .they thought it was first come first serve- although sign did say RESERVED.  They vacated without issue.

Second time-
I Politely asked them to leave and received a litany of foul language.

REALLY?  
I guess they thought they would double down and get me to back off.  YC Director, Mr. Robbie was happy to deal with them. Turns out they were not even YC guests.

It was US Thanksgiving week…we will never sail that again. Many families letting kids have a “free for all”. Very aggressive behavior from parents .

Our last cruise was on Divina, in YC.

No cabanas on pool deck.

However, lots of cash changing hands for reserving areas with shade.
Once, I was asked to move as they had “reserved” this area for after lunch.🙄

YC Director for that cruise could have cared less.  

[morpheusofthesea]

19 minutes ago, styles27 said:

@morpheusoftheseaare you still on board?

No. Got off Sunday. DW still works to keep me in a manner to which I have become accustomed.

[styles27]

27 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

No. Got off Sunday. DW still works to keep me in a manner to which I have become accustomed.

😂 I’m in a similar situation except I’m the one that’s retired!

 

*Planning vacations is a full time job! 😬

[morpheusofthesea]

25 minutes ago, styles27 said:

This is a shame. The one chance I have of getting my husband on another MSC ship in the future is to book the YC. 
I hope this isn’t going to be the norm going forward.

Yes, it is a shame. But to be expected on a mass market ship. Just be aware that the person next to you might not belong.We switched three cruises(so far) after reading your posts. At the present time Yacht Club is still the best value in 'the ship within a ship' category.The service has been exceptional, the food is cooked to how we like it. The dining room is open port days for lunch. The deck lounges are cushioned for long hours of contemplation. The cabin is cleaned twice per day. The Seascape still has reserved theatre seating until show time. E muster is a dream. (I posted my top 15 in another post). Suffice to say, you both will love the Seascape YC.

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, Morgsmom said:

That is YC Director Craig.  He's a keeper 🙂

 

Yes, great guy, he was very engaging with us. He was from Wales…came to MSC from Viking. 

Edited March 1, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[def0715]

Are there YC wristbands or just a special key or something for YC passenger on the Meraviglia? Wondering how one would know who was or wasn’t actually staying in YC. Thanks.

[PTC DAWG]

12 minutes ago, def0715 said:

Are there YC wristbands or just a special key or something for YC passenger on the Meraviglia? Wondering how one would know who was or wasn’t actually staying in YC. Thanks.

YC Blue Key card and also blue wristbands. 

[def0715]

Thanks. Sailing tomorrow. YC rookie.

[phissy]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

Yes, great guy, he was very engaging with us. He was from Wales…came to MSC from Viking. 

Perhaps you are thinking of this gentleman…

[travelberlin]

I am very surprised about the free riders, rude people, etc, etc gaining irregular/non paid access to the Yacht Club. This is certainly not something we are expecting by paying those premium prices. I hope someone from MSC reads this thread and take corrective action.

Ivi

[PTC DAWG]

41 minutes ago, phissy said:

Perhaps you are thinking of this gentleman…

That's not the guy we met on Meraviglia on our Jan 22nd cruise...Craig said he had only been with MSC for about 6 weeks or so.  

[Gatordad1967]

41 minutes ago, phissy said:

Perhaps you are thinking of this gentleman…

Robbie