We are normally not suite people so despite some shortfalls, we really enjoyed this cruise. It was definitely an elevated experience over our normal standard balcony rooms. For the price I paid, MSC Yacht Club is the best bargain at sea.
That said, this experience falls far short of The Haven on NCL and still has some significant shortcomings for a premium product. I'd book another inside at balcony prices without a second thought, but if I ever have the $7000+ it costs for a regular Yacht Club suite, I'd probably look at the Haven instead.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Overall really great, but the "priority" process for Yacht Club is a bit awkward when getting on the ship. The butler just gently pushes the other line aside and ushers everyone he's escorting through without really telling those he's bypassing what's going on. Made for a few uncomfortable conversations about why we were cutting the line.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was wonderful and miles better than what you get outside Yacht Club. The pizza was also delicious as always. Drinks were tasty and a good variety available for the most part, but they were out of a ton, including a beer I apparently got the last glass of before we even left Miami. This was equally true in the Yacht Club where many signature drinks were unavailable due to shortages. Not a big deal given the variety available, but if you're the type to be set on a particular liquor, it's something to be aware of.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
They had the standard trivia, game shows, music, etc, but there wasn't much variety. In the Yacht Club, we enjoyed simply taking advantage of the private pool and sun deck on sea days since it was never crowded, but if we were sailing outside Yacht Club the activities would have felt a bit sparse.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Musicians were all great. A lot of the music was 70s/80s focused so not my thing as a 90s kid, but the jazz quartet was right up my alley and played in a particular cool venue, the Loft Cafe.
MSC's theater shows are a bit odd and not my jam, but the performers were clearly talented and I appreciate that MSC is trying to do something different. I missed the opera performance from our MSC cruise in Europe, but I understand why they may skip that for an American audience.
The variety show in Le Caberet Rouge was fantastic. The acrobatics are a bit simple, but given the space available I was impressed with what they put together. Bella, the singer, is particularly talented and her singer/songwriter set isn't to be missed.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The staff were great, but service in the Yacht Club was a bit uneven at times. For example, if you went to dinner around 7:30 (our preferred time), you'd be there for at least 2 hours, not counting the time you're waiting for a table. Drinks were slow, there were huge breaks between courses, and no one really checked on you. If you went at opening time (6), then dinner was paced really well, drinks were timely, and getting extra sauce or a side or something was easy because waiters were constantly checking in. We ended up eating early and grabbing pizza late if we needed a snack. It's clear the crew are hard working and amazing at their jobs, but they seem overworked and understaffed at busy times, which is a bummer for what's meant to be a premium experience.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was clean and beautiful, but the elevator system is so awful it genuinely costs 2 stars on its own. It seems straight forward enough but it just doesn't work. You choose a floor. The voice announces a different floor and assigns you a car. The tablet shows the floor you chose. You could end up at either. You choose a floor. The car arrives, but it's crammed full of people. The tablet won't scroll to the floor you need and just bounces to the top. You choose a floor. "Unable to allocate elevator." The supposed priority system Yacht Club gets doesn't help as it only works about 50% of the time and even then, only for going to the Yacht Club floors. As a tech person, I love the idea, but the execution needs serious work.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
I would not recommend this cabin specifically because it's right below what I think is the One Pool Buffet kitchen which means bangs can happen at all hours. I kind of expected it would be a problem but it was the only Yacht Club inside available when we booked.
Location aside, though, it was an acceptable cabin. Plenty of storage for two on a 7-night sailing. TV swivels so you can watch from bed or chairs (note: no couch in this room which seems to only sleep 2). Bed is large and comfy.
Some minor things:
-No foot bar in the shower
-Shower was smaller than others we've had on MSC – I'd have given up our coffee table and some desk space for a larger bathroom/shower
-Walkways on side of bed really small even for a small person like me
- Plug sockets are narrow so if you plug in a phone charger it overlaps the other plug rendering it unusable
Ship tip
Do a lot of exploring! It's easy to overlook venues onboard due to the size and layout of the ship.
This island is beautiful and actually my favorite cruise line island but the Yacht Club experience here is really sub-par. The Yacht Club beach is so rocky it's impossible to get into the water without water shoes. The whole thing also essentially shuts down at 3:30pm when Ocean House restaurant and the associated bar close, even tho most stops here stay late (we left at 8pm).
Disembarkation was actually relaxed! We woke up, grabbed breakfast, had a coffee in the Top Sail Lounge and were escorted off at the latest possible time to avoid too much hanging out at the airport.
Terrific review. Thank you for the NCL/Haven vs. MSC/Yacht Club comparison. Very well detailed. Glad you had a nice cruise overall. Thanks for sharing & happy cruising 🤩⚓️😎❣️‼️
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