Yacht Club...what is not included?

[kelleherdl]

Here’s where the word VALUE  for MSC YC has real meaning. Cost divided by apples to apples benefits. Then you put the kicker in that the itinerary was more to your liking. I’d say you have made the same calculation a lot of us have.

Edited May 22, 2023 by kelleherdl

[talljules1]

29 minutes ago, kelleherdl said:

Here’s where the word VALUE  for MSC YC has real meaning. Cost divided by apples to apples benefits. Then you put the kicker in that the itinerary was more to your liking. I’d say you have made the same calculation a lot of us have.

Yes, absolutely. We figured what we get with Celebrity, what we don't get with MSC, what that would cost on MSC.  MSC a clear win.  We enjoyed our last MSC YC cruise and I have no doubt we will enjoy the next one!

 

[morpheusofthesea]

55 minutes ago, talljules1 said:

Have booked a 2 night specialty dining package and we will doubtless head to a couple of others a la carte.)

Just a tip on Specialty Restaurant packages. One might want to wait to purchase specialty restaurant packages until one reads the 'limited' menu one is confined to. Also in the Daily Planner on our cruise Day 3, "special lunch discount of 20% for a la carte menu at Butcher's Cut, Ocean Cay, Kaito Sushi and Kaito Teppanyaki. Day 4 Food Tasting Tour tasting all specialty restaurants, complimentary, accompanied with a glass of sparkling wine. (All in attendance entered in a drawing for 20% off on their a la carte reservation including a bottle of wine.) Also Day 4 Sushi "all you can eat" $33 +15% service charge lunch and dinner. Day 5 Ocean Cay "Surf and Surf" , choice of appetizer, main course of broiled lobster tail with shrimps and dessert, $60 +15% service charge. Or 20% off dinner from a la carte Ocean Cay menu + 15% service charge. Day 6, "Amigo Night Special Deal", a special dinner discount of 30% for a la carte menu in ALL Specialty Restaurants +15 % service charge. Day 7, repeat of "All you can eat" sushi (same as above). Also, "Brunch in Butcher's Cut" $12 (no mention of service charge).

[Mark_T]

6 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Just a tip on Specialty Restaurant packages. One might want to wait to purchase specialty restaurant packages until one reads the 'limited' menu one is confined to...

It is always good to check the menu, but we've paid less for the 'Duo' deal in advance than we would have paid for one Tuscan reservation on Celebrity, so it really is good value even with the menu restrictions.

 

The other deals during the cruise are just a bonus 🙂

[talljules1]

15 hours ago, talljules1 said:

We've only done one cruise on MSC YC, but have another coming up soon - in a YC Duplex on Virtuosa. We most often sail with Celebrity.  For the purpose of this post, I am going to equate a YC Duplex with a Celebrity Royal Suite (both the second most expensive rooms on the ship (if you consider Celebrity M and S class ships and both have a similar size and a hot tub on the balcony).

 

Not included with MSC:

 

Specialty dining (we'd get this included with equivalent suite on Celebrity - but price much lower on MSC so no harm, no foul. Have booked a 2 night specialty dining package and we will doubtless head to a couple of others a la carte.)

 

Laundry (we'd get this for our loyalty level with Celebrity and it would also come with a Royal suite. Again, price difference, no harm, no foul - have booked a laundry package)

 

2 bottles of spirits with the minibar (but we never drink them on board, 1 will be fine)

Free movies in room.  (All movies are free on TV in room on Celebrity but I gather that's not the case on MSC)

 

Included with both

 

Retreat/YC sundeck, lounge and dining room

Butler

Pillow menu

Unpacking/packing

Shoeshine

Free room service (we will put in a standing order for night time charcuterie and cheese plates - like to have something to nibble on at the end of the day)

Snacks in the lounge

 

Included with MSC, not with Celebrity

 

Daily newspaper

1st go at snacks in the minibar (there are no mini bar snacks in a RS on Celebrity)

Two full bathrooms (a RS on Celebrity Silhouette has a bathroom and a half bath)

Spa access (only included in Aqua suites on Celebrity)

All of the suites in one area (well, actually, except ours! - but this is no deal breaker for us as we are used to having to roam the ship for the Retreat areas on Celebrity)

 

Cost of our MSC cruise is WAY less (probably about 50% less) than the cost of 2 weeks in a RS on Celebrity, so even though there are some things not included, we will still be up on the deal. And it has an amazing itinerary. We just would not cruise with MSC outside the YC, but in the YC it is great.

I've thought of something else included with MSC, not with Celebrity - lunch in YC restaurant available every day (incl port days - when Luminae on Celebrity tends to be closed)

[morpheusofthesea]

51 minutes ago, talljules1 said:

I've thought of something else included with MSC, not with Celebrity - lunch in YC restaurant available every day (incl port days - when Luminae on Celebrity tends to be closed)

. Here is a list comparing Celebrity to MSC. Yours is my #1.

#1 MSC Yacht Club Restaurant is OPEN port days. Celebrity Luminae is NOT open port days.

#2 MSC YC has reserved seating in the theatre for YC guests at all shows. Celebrity only Gala night.

#3 Royal Suite on MSC has 2 cushion deck lounges on balcony. Celebrity RS can only accommodate 1 non cushioned deck lounger.

#4 MSC has reserved pergolas/cabanas for RS & OS Celebrity on sundeck it is FCFS chair hoggers that get those.

#5 More attentive butlers on MSC . Celebrity hosts give one their telephone number which many times is forwarded to room service.

#6 Walk-in showers on MSC YC, Celebrity has low profile tub/shower combos in CS and SS.

#7 Elevator OVERRIDE key cards for suite guests on MSC. No such amenity on Celebrity.

#8 No non suite paying Diamond card holders taking up real estate in YC venues. Celebrity has non suite Zeniths in our venues.

#9 MSC All suites are within a gated community with a short climb up or down to all venues. Celebrity depends what ship.

#10 MSC a new pristine Ocean Cay out island with its own employees. Celebrity has Nassau.

#11 MSC offers Individual escorts on and off the ship. Celebrity one must assemble and be escorted off in groups (always waiting for some straggler).

Celebrity has two great features that MSC lacks; Starlink wifi is much better than MSC wifi and Cafe al Bacio has no peer on MSC for its selection of 12-14 mouth-watering pastries.

[Two Wheels Only]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

MSC All suites are within a gated community with a short climb up or down to all venues. Celebrity depends what ship.

 

It also depends on the ship with MSC. The Meraviglia/Meraviglia Plus ships have Duplex Suites as low as deck 9 that are Yacht Club. 

[RichYak]

3 hours ago, talljules1 said:

I've thought of something else included with MSC, not with Celebrity - lunch in YC restaurant available every day (incl port days - when Luminae on Celebrity tends to be closed)

I haven't sailed MSC YC yet, but that's for sure a big advantage of YC over Retreat. Here's more from me that I've noticed from researching YC vs Retreat:

 

- YC has its own buffet

- Not all Celebrity ships have a Retreat pool (only E-class), some don't have any dedicated outdoor space at all

- Entertainment nearly non-existent in Retreat lounge, my understanding is that's not the case in YC

- Bar seating in YC lounge not in Retreat. I enjoy sitting at a bar and chatting with bartenders

- Retreat RS you can get room service sushi or any specialty for that matter. We enjoyed the sushi.

- I've read you can order room service pizza delivered to you on the YC pool deck. Big, if true.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

. Here is a list comparing Celebrity to MSC. Yours is my #1.

 

#2 MSC YC has reserved seating in the theatre for YC guests at all shows. Celebrity only Gala night.

Do we need to make reservations for the theatre?

 

#5 More attentive butlers on MSC .

I've heard Celebrity's are hit or miss.

 

#7 Elevator OVERRIDE key cards for suite guests on MSC. No such amenity on Celebrity.

 

This will be nice!

#8 No non suite paying Diamond card holders taking up real estate in YC venues. Celebrity has non suite Zeniths in our venues.

 

This will also be nice!

#9 MSC All suites are within a gated community with a short climb up or down to all venues. Celebrity depends what ship.

 

This is the way it should always be!

#10 MSC a new pristine Ocean Cay out island with its own employees. Celebrity has Nassau.

 

Super excited to see this!

#11 MSC offers Individual escorts on and off the ship. Celebrity one must assemble and be escorted off in groups (always waiting for some straggler).

 

Sweet!

Celebrity has two great features that MSC lacks; Starlink wifi is much better than MSC wifi and Cafe al Bacio has no peer on MSC for its selection of 12-14 mouth-watering pastries.

 

I will miss the coffee at Cafe al Bacio!!

 

[morpheusofthesea]

3 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Do we need to make reservations for the theatre?

No reservations needed. Some are so good we went twice. Standing ovations. Not lately as good anymore. Fingers crossed. MSC has been cutting corners with Theatre productions producing their own.

Edited May 23, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[NCteacherlovescruising]

13 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I haven't sailed MSC YC yet, but that's for sure a big advantage of YC over Retreat. Here's more from me that I've noticed from researching YC vs Retreat:

 

- YC has its own buffet

That's awesome!

- Not all Celebrity ships have a Retreat pool (only E-class), some don't have any dedicated outdoor space at all

We booked the Retreat on the Equinox for Europe June 2024.  I'm super bummer it doesn't have a retreat pool, but being a port intensive cruise I don't think it's as big of a deal.  

13 minutes ago, RichYak said:

- Entertainment nearly non-existent in Retreat lounge, my understanding is that's not the case in YC

This is major to me.  That's why very few people hang out in there.

13 minutes ago, RichYak said:

- Bar seating in YC lounge not in Retreat. I enjoy sitting at a bar and chatting with bartenders

Major plus!

13 minutes ago, RichYak said:

- Retreat RS you can get room service sushi or any specialty for that matter. We enjoyed the sushi.

I'm not really into room service, but drinks brought to my cabin would be amazing!  Especially coffee in the morning!

13 minutes ago, RichYak said:

- I've read you can order room service pizza delivered to you on the YC pool deck. Big, if true.

That would be cool!

[NCteacherlovescruising]

2 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

No reservations needed. 

Fantastic!  I kept reading we had to.  I was hoping that wouldn't be the case for yacht club.

[morpheusofthesea]

10 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

We booked the Retreat on the Equinox for Europe June 2024

Our only problem with the Equinox is that your Retreat cabin is sometimes deck 12 (noise from above 5 am) and dedicated restaurant is deck 3.  Elevators packed with coughers and sneezers, but you are still young enough to climb the stairs for each meal.

[MsTabbyKats]

58 minutes ago, RichYak said:

 

- I've read you can order room service pizza delivered to you on the YC pool deck. Big, if true.

You' ve read correctly.  I'm one of those health nuts at home.  Pizza and a coke delivered on the pool deck.  Whereas others care about "the drink package"....this was nirvana to me!

[NCteacherlovescruising]

28 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Our only problem with the Equinox is that your Retreat cabin is sometimes deck 12 (noise from above 5 am) and dedicated restaurant is deck 3.  Elevators packed with coughers and sneezers, but you are still young enough to climb the stairs for each meal.

We will be on deck 16

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I'm not really into room service

Depending on cabin, I'm usually not either. But the Royal Suites on Celebrity Millennium are fantastic spaces. We ordered coffee each morning and sometimes breakfast. We had all our other meals out of the cabin. The sushi was just one of the various afternoon snacks brought to us by our butler.

[Jorhammer]

Anyone knows if there is cold brew coffee available in the YC?

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

We will be on deck 16

Deck 16 is sun deck no cabins (Equinox)

Edited May 23, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[NCteacherlovescruising]

3 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Deck 16 is sun deck no cabins (Equinox)

I wasn’t thinking. We will be in 1663, which is on deck 11, not 16. 

[morpheusofthesea]

2 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

I wasn’t thinking. We will be in 1663, which is on deck 11, not 16. 

We had that cabin as well. The balcony always had sun. No shade.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

3 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

We had that cabin as well. The balcony always had sun. No shade.

That typically isn’t a big deal for us. We love the sun!  Of course, we wouldn’t stay out there if it’s super hot, but usually use it early in the morning or in the evening. I love the pool, which is why I almost didn’t choose this ship since the retreat deck doesn’t have a pool. Did you like the room?

[mscdivina2016]

1 hour ago, MsTabbyKats said:

You' ve read correctly.  I'm one of those health nuts at home.  Pizza and a coke delivered on the pool deck.

That depends on the ship. Just off Splendida less than a month ago and you could not get a pizza sent to pool deck or top sail.

 

Now there is a way around that....get it delivered to the concierge desk and have them notify you when it arrives and walk it to where you want.

[morpheusofthesea]

9 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Did you like the room?

Yes. It was the start of our spiral down into a life of cruise hedonism from which we will never return. (just read my notes about this cabin #1663 June 23, 2018 Sky Suite $5813 total Aft too hot, no shade).

 "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on a cruise." Oscar Wilde

Edited May 23, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[NCteacherlovescruising]

9 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Yes. It was the start of our spiral down into a life of cruise hedonism from which we will never return. (just read my notes about this cabin #1663 June 23, 2018 Sky Suite $5813 total Aft too hot, no shade).

 "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on a cruise." Oscar Wilde

$5813??  😭 How many nights?  We’re going on June next year and it was quite a bit more. 

[morpheusofthesea]

26 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

$5813??  😭 How many nights?  We’re going on June next year and it was quite a bit more. 

7 nights, Inflation.