MSC Yacht Club Loyalist Tries Haven

[Fogfog]

As avid MSC YC pax I thought we’d give some firsthand insight into our first NCL Haven experience and I will update this thread from time to time during and after sailing.

We completely enjoy the MSC YC experience from embarkation day, lounge, dining, pool deck and stellar service.

We feel that the MSC YC experience both in its culture on the ships, to the menus, and the YC perks makes it a win for us every time.

 

We selected a Haven sailing only after exhausting every avenue to get on an MSC ship for a TA this spring. It was to be a surprise trip for me and my better half had researched various sailings and then watched and verified (on the selected MSC sailing more than 18 Y1s available on a Fri afternoon). On Sat am when it was announced we were going on this trip—and went to book-they were all gone.  Boo. We think an agent had secured them, just don’t know.

 

So, having to choose from competitors we landed on NCL Prima in Haven; Choosing a 2 Br, 2 Ba suite. Having a second bath seemed like a good idea for a long sailing.  The stateroom looks very nice and we will know in a week.

 

We are looking fwd to the sailing, the ports, and seeing what the Haven experience is like compared to MSC YC.

We have “met” several nice folks here on CC with whom we are doing private excursions and/or are keeping up with them here on CC – and we expect to do the same on the ship. That’s the beauty of CC, the community.

 

This post is about comparing two different products/services – How we see Haven stacking up against MSCs YC

 

To compare the MSC vs NCL pre sail experience and what we know so far

 

1-       MSC YC is far more inclusive. Including premium bev package, water, proper espresso, some included minibar in the room, and included wifi. YC Lounge offers small plates/small bites all day and into late evening.

 

With Haven we have “Free at Sea” like every other pax on the ship that bought under that promotion. We must pay to upgrade to a premium package. Anything in the minibar in the room is charged including water. We can ask for all of that to be removed and for “pitchers of water and juice” to be left in the fridge.

 

From everything we read, there are no small plates/snack offerings in the Prima Haven Lounge.

 

Wifi “included in the “Free at Sea” is limited to 300 min, so we will have to upgrade. (15 day TransAtl sailing.

 

2-       On NCL -Haven: Butlers and Concierge are NOT included in gratuities. So in spite of the high daily service charge for Haven, pax are told ahead that your butlers and concierge are being left out of the mix. This seems terribly unfair to the Haven pax. Where is the higher daily rate fee going? Daily service charge fees are distributed to those eligible by contract – so seemingly front of the house servers/dining/housekeeping. NCL charges grats on the bev packages so the bartenders are covered. And when you get a “free promo” bev package, pax are charged those grats separately on top. We Do always tip our Butlers, Waitstaff etc in YC and expect to do so in Haven. We find this policy to specifically leave the Butlers out of any portion of the Daily Service Charge dubious. My guess is those funds are shuffled elsewhere (subsidizing something else)

 

3-       NCL Haven pre cruise Concierge. We are hoping that things go as seamlessly onboard as the preboard concierge has indicated. Prior to embarkation we have been able to make specialty dining reservations as well as make requests for the stateroom (remove for charge items from fridge, etc)

 

MSC YC: On our two recent MSC YC sailings we did get contacted by MSC prior to sailing asking about preference for daily newspapers and choice of liquor for the room. At embarkation our Butlers did verify with us our choices and asked about preferences in the fridge.

 

4-       In Haven, the Beverage package is NOT applicable to your Haven Room. If we ask the Butler to bring drinks to the room, it will be charged a la carte and not included in our purchased bev package. On MSC, we enjoyed having cocktails sent to the room while dressing for dinner (such a lovely perk). Won’t be doing that in Haven.

 

5-        Smart Ship/Wristbands. MSC’s smart Ship YC wristbands were a great feature for room access/elevator control. As we understand it, NCLs Prima (even as a new ship) does not use that technology even in Haven.

 

6-       Embarkation. Luggage

 

MSC YC has always had a dedicated Tent with porters who tag the YC luggage and put it on carts together with only YC luggage. Our YC luggage has always been in our cabin shortly after embarkation lunch.

 

NCL supposedly mailed us “Haven” tags 45 days ago. They did not arrive. At the pier, there is no special Haven luggage drop off. And no special handling for Haven bags until the bags are on the ship with the rest pax bags. We have heard from other seasoned Haven pax to not expect expedited handling “just because we are in Haven”.

 

7-       Cruise Critic  M&G 

Prior to Cvd the MSC’s M&G was outstanding. Lovely small plates, canapes, chocolate covered strawberries, cake and cocktails. Officers attended and pictures were taken. Since cvd those have been suspended. Like other lines, MSC has not reinstated them.

 

There is a Cruise Critic M&G scheduled for the sailing (as well as many other gatherings). No canapes/cocktails expected.

 

MSC Voyager Loyalty- As Diamond/Black card holders we have a variety of perks including specialty dining and a cocktail party with the Captain and Officers.

 

8-       Dining.

MSC’s YC dining has rotating menus.

Haven’s menu is static.

As MSC Diamond/Black we get some specialty dining perks which we use.  

With this sailing and booking Haven and “Free at Sea” we have specialty dining for 3 meals which we will use. If we upgrade- we will have 5.

 

9-       Captain and Officers Reception.

MSC YC Captain and Officers Reception. In MSC YC the Captain, CD, HD and several other Officers come to the YC Lounge for a private gathering of YC pax. Cocktails and canapes are served. It is a nice time to meet them.

 

Haven. TBD. Haven’t read if this is offered during sailings.

 

Those are some of our initial thoughts.

Best. FOG

 

 

[Fogfog]

Our Haven luggage tags have still not arrived. NCL says they went in the mail March 15.

We are dubious about that claim.

 

Made some changes to specialty dining requests that landside concierge says ship concierge will confirm (and not to worry we can't see it on our cruise planner). We hope that is correct. 

 

Embarkation tom. 

 

Best

Fog

[TrinaLC]

Odd that rooms disappeared. Divina currently doing TA has I am told 8 YC-1s available. 

[mnocket]

I'm following with interest, but when does your cruise actually start?

[pirate4me2]

Following along! I have debated trying NCL's Haven, but the "extras" in YC have kept me from doing so. 

[Beamafar]

1 hour ago, mnocket said:

I'm following with interest, but when does your cruise actually start?

Post #2. “Embarkation tom” (At the end of the post). 

[skeeter195]

We did Haven in November, YC in January, we are on this sailing with you in an owners suite, Haven in October, then YC in January.  After a week we should compare notes on the two.  I will not give my input yet.  There usually is a captains reception for Haven only guests on the 2nd or 3rd day which is very nice.  

[JamieLogical]

@jhoover69, my brother, will be sailing in a YC on MSC for the second time on May 4 but has sailed Haven on NCL several times in the past. He might have some notes for you about the differences between the two.

[Fogfog]

19 hours ago, TrinaLC said:

Odd that rooms disappeared. Divina currently doing TA has I am told 8 YC-1s available. 

It was crazy. The agents, MSC landslide and even MSC agent on Divinia while we were in YC could see nothing. So for lots of opens cabins now..I don’t know why.

16 hours ago, skeeter195 said:

We did Haven in November, YC in January, we are on this sailing with you in an owners suite, Haven in October, then YC in January.  After a week we should compare notes on the two.  I will not give my input yet.  There usually is a captains reception for Haven only guests on the 2nd or 3rd day which is very nice.  

see you later today or the Lounge or M&G

We’ve done 8 YC and this if first Haven. Prima looks lovely.

looking fwd to meeting and comparing notes.

 

 

Arrival in NY was great. Weather cooperated. Tulips and cherry trees in bloom. Drinks at rooftop bar gave us the long view of the park. Kept dinner simple.

 

Delayed embarkation today. Glads it’s only cold and not raining. I’ll take it.

 

Best

Fog

[Fogfog]

@skeeter195

we were at the Captains reception in the observ lounge Sunday Even.

Hope paths cross on these seas days.

 

 

In other news we were glad for Haven concierge as we saw the Donna Summer show last night. Required to be in line 35 min beforehand and Reserv is a must. The best show at sea …a full on Broadway style theater performance. Strong ensemble. Leads were WOW.

 

Where YC ropes off an area. And it’s easy to get a seat….

NCL instead requires Haven guests to cue up to be escorted in to reserved seating earlier for this high demand show.
In this case on the Prima, Haven is aft and the theater is fwd. So you just need to leave dining by 715p to be in line with Haven guests for 8p show.

 

For all other shows we won’t need reserv but do need to cue early and present room key to be seated in Haven area. The room key check is helpful 
 

Menu is the same each dinner and has been good.
Different from the style of YC. Not better. Different. 

 

Wine has been better. The weak link imho is YCs wine choices post Covid. I’ve been able to get a dry minerally rose in Haven when nothing was available on Seashore nor Divinia in Feb and March. Some nice choices with of whites and reds. Pre cvd MSC had great premium bev in YC, that’s dropped off a bit

 

Embarkation…YC all the way. NCL doesn’t come close to what MSC YC does at embarkation, luggage etc. Embarkation was so so crazy. 
 

Best

FOG
 

Edited Tuesday at 07:13 PM by Fogfog

[Bgwest]

We too have been tempted to try Haven. By the sound of your first few posts, I'm very glad we did not follow through on this. 

Following...............(and thank you!)

[wolft927]

We are Haven cruisers trying the YC for the first time in September. What drove us to try the YC was several things:

1 An actual pool deck. Most Havens have a very small pool in the courtyard area. You do have the upper sun deck with hot tubs, but doesnt feel the same.

2 The YC grill poolside. Love this option for quick brekfast and lunches. 

3 Live entertainment in the YC lounge at night. Most Haven lounges does not offer this. 

4 Changing YC Menu. Not saying we dont love the Haven Menu, but will be fun to see different options every night. 

5 PRICE! So, Wife and I are rarely in the cabin, so being able to snag a YC interior suite with the same access to the YC for all in $3200 plus $200 onboard credit was a no brainer. Now, this does mean that I will need to venture outside on the morning to enjoy arriving into each port but honestly doesnt bother me. 

[Mommapadraig]

2 hours ago, wolft927 said:

We are Haven cruisers trying the YC for the first time in September. What drove us to try the YC was several things:

1 An actual pool deck. Most Havens have a very small pool in the courtyard area. You do have the upper sun deck with hot tubs, but doesnt feel the same.

2 The YC grill poolside. Love this option for quick brekfast and lunches. 

3 Live entertainment in the YC lounge at night. Most Haven lounges does not offer this. 

4 Changing YC Menu. Not saying we dont love the Haven Menu, but will be fun to see different options every night. 

5 PRICE! So, Wife and I are rarely in the cabin, so being able to snag a YC interior suite with the same access to the YC for all in $3200 plus $200 onboard credit was a no brainer. Now, this does mean that I will need to venture outside on the morning to enjoy arriving into each port but honestly doesnt bother me. 

We are switching for the same reasons. The haven prices have gotten insane. We were booked in the haven for our anniversary next year and got a cheaper 10 day cruise on the Explora ll. 

[George C]

Thanks for the comparison , the only line that can compare with MSc yacht club in my opinion is celebrity E class suites. Looking forward to next yacht club cruise later this year.

[Sharon_and_TC]

On 5/1/2024 at 10:36 AM, wolft927 said:

We are Haven cruisers trying the YC for the first time in September. What drove us to try the YC was several things:

1 An actual pool deck. Most Havens have a very small pool in the courtyard area. You do have the upper sun deck with hot tubs, but doesnt feel the same.

2 The YC grill poolside. Love this option for quick brekfast and lunches. 

3 Live entertainment in the YC lounge at night. Most Haven lounges does not offer this. 

4 Changing YC Menu. Not saying we dont love the Haven Menu, but will be fun to see different options every night. 

5 PRICE! So, Wife and I are rarely in the cabin, so being able to snag a YC interior suite with the same access to the YC for all in $3200 plus $200 onboard credit was a no brainer. Now, this does mean that I will need to venture outside on the morning to enjoy arriving into each port but honestly doesnt bother me. 

What you mentioned is exactly why we have chosen MSC's YC over NCL's Haven. 

 

Although we have limited experience, we have decided that the Haven exceeds the Yacht Club in only 3 items - interestingly all beginning with the letter "B".  Those are:

1)  Bed -   the Haven bed is soooooo much more comfortable

2)  Bar -  The Haven mixologists are better and more creative

3)  Bathroom Amenities -  The Haven amenities are nicer

These are - of course - our opinions.  Everything else - Yacht Club exceeds by far!!!!

 

 

[Beamafar]

1 hour ago, Sharon_and_TC said:

What you mentioned is exactly why we have chosen MSC's YC over NCL's Haven. 

 

Although we have limited experience, we have decided that the Haven exceeds the Yacht Club in only 3 items - interestingly all beginning with the letter "B".  Those are:

1)  Bed -   the Haven bed is soooooo much more comfortable

2)  Bar -  The Haven mixologists are better and more creative

3)  Bathroom Amenities -  The Haven amenities are nicer

These are - of course - our opinions.  Everything else - Yacht Club exceeds by far!!!!

 

 

Genuine question:  Does the price differential warrant these ‘better’ items?

 

From the little I’ve read about Haven, it seems to me that it doesn’t offer some of the inclusions that YC does.  That being the case, YC base price appears to offer a lot more than Haven’s.  For that reason we have never been tempted to consider Haven (never had any issues with beds in YC;  bring our own toiletries, so not an issue - and MSC has mixology lounges on most of their ships that the included drinks package in YC covers - not that that’s a ‘thing’ for us as we rarely drink cocktails). 

[Fogfog]

Good morning from somewhere off of Greenland enroute to Iceland.

 

No Haven priority to see the “hot” entertainment in the Syds venue. So we stood in line to see Rock the Pour Hour this week. Great cover band. Super show. Timed it right and being on a 15 night TA we know these shows are super popular. Got 2 of last seats 

Did the same last night, to see the Rumors show..the cover of the Fleetwod Mac album. Also excellent. Mind you we stood in line 45 min. Then wanted 45 min, then show 45 min. 
Done.

The big criticism even for NCL loyalists is the no reservations for those hot shows.

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

15 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

Mind you we stood in line 45 min. Then wanted 45 min, then show 45 min. 

I did the same "when I wore a younger man's shoes". Billy Joel

"The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for." Will Rogers 

 

Another reason we switched to Yacht Club.

P.S. Not taking better care of its suite guests is a common thread running through NCL and its sister line Regent Seven Seas, but still charging its guests more for the privilege of being treated like steerage.

Edited yesterday at 11:11 AM by morpheusofthesea
P.S.

[Sharon_and_TC]

16 hours ago, Beamafar said:

Genuine question:  Does the price differential warrant these ‘better’ items?

 

The 3 items I think Haven does better does not warrant the additional cost of doing the Haven. 

 

Even when considering the additional cost of flying to Miami vs flying to Seattle (we are in Montana so there is a pretty huge price difference) - the Yacht Club still provides more "bang for the buck".

 

We have worked hard and saved hard and it is time for us to enjoy life.  We understand that the nicer things in life usually cost more.  However, we still look at the entirety of the experience to see what is a "better deal".  If we can get a better experience, and pay less doing it, then it's a win-win! 

 

The Yacht Club provides that.

 

[Beamafar]

Thanks for doing this comparison, Fogfog.  It’s both illuminating and enlightening (probably means the same thing - just sounded good - in my head, anyway  🤪)

[momofmab]

One of the shortcomings of MSC (for us) was the level of entertainment when compared to other lines we've been on. It sounds like Prima has already surpassed in that area.

 

We loved everything about our first time in YC (sounds like they've fixed the muster drill chaos on the Sea ships.)  The one big negative was that we did not enjoy our time outside of YC.  If one doesn't mind staying in YC for most of the time, it's a winner - but for us, we missed being able to enjoy the rest of the ship.

Edited yesterday at 04:36 PM by momofmab

[Fogfog]

We love YC

 

So…The shows on Prima have been excellent.

As Haven the concierge made reservations for the Donna Summers show. It was outstanding.

The Rock the Pour House was great. The band did a long set..maybe 90 min…16 songs with transitions. 
Rumors, 45 min

The wait in line is a bit of a pill yet both were great.

 

We do feel NCL takes it here for entertainment..strong voice talent main venues.

 

But it’s not a YC vs Haven..that’s NCL vs MSC.

Rock of Ages on MSC was good…and we liked Cirque pre cvd.

We enjoyed the blended ballet-opera matinee pre cvd .. 

IDK what it takes to bring in talent and to plan. 

 

Haven menu doesn’t change…and with 15 days…the same lunch and dinner menu means getting creative with choosing. They are accommodating beyond the printed page as is YC when you do B2Bs and need a change 
 

 

 

 

[Sharon_and_TC]

1 hour ago, Fogfog said:

 

Haven menu doesn’t change…and with 15 days…the same lunch and dinner menu means getting creative with choosing. They are accommodating beyond the printed page as is YC when you do B2Bs and need a change 
 

Agree that one of the BIG drawbacks of the Haven are the non-changing menus.  The "accommodating beyond the printed page" maybe  'depend on the ship' thing.  We did a B2B last October on the Bliss (Haven on both), and they were not accommodating at all for any changes.  Just trying to get a plain salad in the Haven restaurant seemed to be a bit of a challenge.  But with the YC's buffet offering on the pool deck, there are multiple food options to choose from.

 

Maybe if more (or any?) of the NCL Haven offerings had the equivalent of the YC buffet on the pool deck it may have been a different thing.  But, that was not the case for the Bliss.  Thankful that it wasn't since they were October Alaska cruises and being outside in general was a struggle.  Don't get me started on the Bliss's Haven smoking area. 

 

We are basically the YC/Haven cruisers that don't leave the comfort of the YC/Haven once we enter.  We may do a show every few days and except for heading to the spa for a massage, we stay put.  We enjoy being at sea - we enjoy being pampered - and YC does that for us. Heck, we don't even need to leave the YC for evening entertainment with it being provided in the Top Sail Lounge.  That is one of those things that is a huge miss for NCL in our book!

 

We MAY need to alter that choice with our upcoming 25 day TA next April.  But, we'll see how it shakes out. 

[Best Cat Mom]

For us, there are only 3 things that we found to be "better" in Haven vs. YC:

    - One full bathroom and one half bath (we only sailed the suites with 1.5 baths)
    - Two sinks in the full bath
    - One entire mattress for the bed

 

Since there is just one bathroom on MSC, BCD will sometimes use the bathroom by the concierge desk.

 

The other two items seem to not matter quite so much when we reflect on the overall holiday experience, especially the Italian aspect of food and service. And we're thankful to return home to our one bed mattress where a huge divot does NOT open up every time we use it. 😁

[no1talks]

8 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

"One full bathroom and one half bath (we only sailed the suites with 1.5 baths)"

There's always the ships with the YC duplex suites, having a full bath on the upper level and half on the lower. It's worth mentioning the duplex suites are back on World Europa (and presumably on World America) and the rooms look much nicer and have more outside space.

Lastly, even though they are Aurea and not YC, MSC offers two-bedroom grand suites with both a full and half-bath.

Edited 15 hours ago by no1talks