Decks reserved for higher voyage status?

[drwbrt]

I'm new to MSC and have just booked my first MSC cruise.  I'll be on World America in a Yacht Club Interior.  I was looking through the booking and noticed that there was no availability for Yacht Club Deluxe (YC1) on decks 20 and 21.  This was for a 2026 sailing.  Could they really all be sold out?  Are those higher decks reserved for higher status (returning) travelers? I just found it odd that there was absolutely no availability on those decks.

[DaKahuna]

To the best of my knowledge, your Voyager Club status has no bearing on your ability to book ar room. 

 

You'd have to be more specific about which cruise dates and destination for your 2026 cruise for anyone to be able to check and see if they are showing any of those rooms available.  

[DaKahuna]

@drwbrt  I checked three different January 2026 sailings for World American and I am not seeing any rooms available on the higher decks .. There are very few Deluxe Suites available in general so would not surprise me those are sold out. 

 

[drwbrt]

@DaKahuna this is what I saw too.  Thanks for checking. Is it normally that entire decks would sell out before the YC Interiors? There's only 7 interiors.  I'm booked on the Feb 21, 2026 sailing.  If I believe that decks 20 and 21 are sold out, that would mean that they've sold 4 of 7 interiors and 80 of 130 deluxe but haven't sold any duplex, royal, or owners. Just seemed a little strange to me.  That's why I asked if perhaps returning guests were given first priority on those decks.

[Two Wheels Only]

The MSC site can be strange.....well, "stranger than usual" at times. 

 

I would look around at the various travel agency sites to check availability. If what you want is available, call MSC (ugh) and book what you want over the phone.

[drwbrt]

@Two Wheels Only good idea to check third party.  I just did and found the same inventory.  Very interesting.

[DaKahuna]

@drwbrt there are 10 inside staterooms on deck 20 and 9 interior staterooms on deck 21 according to the deck plans I see on cruisedeckplans.com 

 

 I am starting to agree with you, it would seem fishy with all those staterooms would be sold out.  Then again, new ships have always been in high demand. 

 

 

[drwbrt]

@DaKahuna I believe those interiors are category IR2 and are not associated with YC. The YC interiors are on 15 and 16 only. In total there are seven of them. Unless I’m missing something. 

[Até]

MSC has lots of senior staff from NCL, It's the same playbook where you don't show all the cabins available. Sure they keep some cabins aside for designated markets but two whole decks held back from the primary market, I doubt it. 

 

My last NCL sailing the Haven only had deck 17 cabins available, the more desirable deck.  Nothing was ever available on deck 18, the less desirable deck.   All the way until one month before sailing NCL never offered deck 18 and deck 17 still had about 30% availability.  Then one day the Haven was sold out. 

 

Turns out the Haven was full at sailing.   I knew the concierge.   Every cabin on deck 18 was an upgrade bid won.

 

If MSC sells all the cabins on the shown current decks more will become available. Thier jab at those who know this to go ahead and book is to offer the better decks first.

[drwbrt]

SOLVED - Decks 19/20/21 only have deluxe rooms for three or more passengers.  If you try to book with three passengers you can book on decks 19/20/21. I will now put my tin foil hat away to bring out another day.

 

Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions.

[Até]

Thanks, forgot about MSC doing this on further out sailings.  When inventory of the two berth cabins gets low enough, or sail date gets closer, they will start offering those upper deck cabins to two people. I've run into this where I booked a two berth cabin but later, near sail date, when they opened up the rest I was able to change cabins to a better location but was 3/4 berths (not that I consider those upper deck cabins any better).

 

As mentioned people have been able to call and get assigned a cabin that shows this type of unavailability on the website.  So if you really want one now it may be worth a try.   

 

However on ships with fewer 3/4 berth cabins there have been reports of getting reassigned because they run out of the three/four berth cabins, like a Holidaysailing.  I don't think that's likely on a ship with so many YC cabins.