07/30/2023
Review of MSC Seascape/MSC Yacht Club
First off, we tried MSC for the first time last year on the MSC Divina and we were very pleasantly surprised, especially given the mixed reviews we had read about MSC (feel free to read my review from last summer). We wanted to give them another go, but said we wanted to try the MSC Yacht Club, their ship-within-a-ship concept, and we were blown away! Let’s break it all down.
What MSC Yacht Club Includes:
-Priority Boarding and Disembarkation (more on this later).
-Premium Plus Drink Package.
-Mini Bar in the room (restocked daily).
-A fifth of liquor or a bottle of wine for the room (can also be taken home if you don’t open it).
-Daily snacks in the room.
-Browse Internet Package (we upgraded for $70 to the Browse and Stream).
-Private Topsail Lounge/Bar with 180 degree views from the top of the ship and nightly entertainment.
-Room service.
-Private pool deck with padded loungers, buffet, bar, hot tubs, pool, cabanas, etc.
-24 hour concierge to book restaurants, answer questions, customer service, etc.
-Butler Service (more on this later).
-Private beach in Ocean Cay with lunch service, not just a buffet.
-Private restaurant with breakfast, lunch, and dinner service, featuring premium and local ingredients.
-Restricted access to the Yacht Club areas on and off the ship.
-Access to the thermal spa.
-Other things that I’m sure I’m forgetting but we didn’t take advantage of.
Pricing - You cannot beat MSC’s pricing. We splurged for their top experience this time (in order, Bella, Fantastica, Aurea, and Yacht Club), but we could have just as easily paid for a balcony room with the basic, Bella experience for what it would cost for an interior room on almost any other cruise line. We booked this suite for our July cruise in late spring and paid what we would have for a basic balcony room on Royal Caribbean, and barely any of the listed amenities would have been included with them. You can see from the above inclusions that it would have cost us a fortune to add these amenities on almost any other cruise line! Also, fun fact, if you have a loyalty status with another cruise line, they will MATCH your status to receive those perks as long as you call ahead.
Priority Boarding/Disembarkation - We got out of our cab at the port, walked to the Yacht Club tent, they took our bags, escorted us through security and to Yacht Club’s priority check-in, and we were on the boat in less than 15 minutes. We walked by the lines of hundreds of people waiting to check in, and if nothing else, this made Yacht Club worth every penny. Any time we wanted off at a port of call, we were escorted by a butler past the lines of people waiting and moved to the front of the line every time, and they had a special line for us to return each time as well. This was worth its weight in gold!
Peace and Quiet - Passengers in the Yacht Club have wristbands and key cards to allow access to the YC areas of the ship, but other passengers are not permitted and this kept things very quiet. Especially considering there were only roughly 275 passengers in our part of the ship, spanning 4 decks, there was plenty of room to stretch out and there was never a fight for a sun lounger. There were no pool games or loud music, but for those that wanted a party, they could go to any of the other venues on the ship with no problem. We ventured out of the YC to shop and to walk around, but we rarely left our little oasis.
Dining - We had our own private dining room in the Yacht Club with “premium” and local ingredients. The food was incredible. Truly, much better than any regular cruise food we have ever had and we had zero desire to try specialty restaurants with the choices we had every day. There was also a buffet/grill with daily offerings for breakfast and lunch on the pool deck that we enjoyed daily.
Service - We have never had staff treat us like we did on this trip. Each member of the crew went above and beyond to make sure we were happy at all times. The bar and wait staff were outstanding. Our butler, Charles was incredible and I swear he has found a way to be in multiple places at the same time because he was everywhere, serving drinks, getting coffees, passing out towels on the pool deck, escorting guests, you name it! He looked out for us and made sure we were comfortable. Even the Captain was a regular face around the ship, and he was quite the comedian!
Drinks - Having the Premium Plus package included was wonderful, but having the mini bar included was SUCH a nice addition to this cruise. We could grab a soda or a bottle of water any time we wanted from the fridge and it was fully stocked with whatever we wanted. Also, since everyone in the Yacht Club had the drink package, there was no swiping of cards as long as you were in the YC areas. If you were in other parts of the ship, you would simply tap your wristband or your card like everyone else. Bar service was wonderful, and plentiful.
Ocean Cay - Truthfully, we booked with MSC again because we enjoyed Ocean Cay (MSC’s private island) so much last year, and we were definitely not disappointed this year either! Ocean Cay is an unspoiled paradise. There are no crazy pools, hot air balloons, or water slides on the island, but there is a dock, which requires no tendering, and there are tons of pristine white beaches with clear blue waters, food, bars, and clean bathrooms. As members of the Yacht Club, we were driven to the other side of the island where umbrellas were included with our chairs, we had WiFi, our drink packages worked, and instead of just a buffet of hamburgers and hotdogs, we were treated to a full-service lunch in an open air restaurant overlooking the water. MSC has knocked it out of the park with this island and I hope they do not change it! Also, don’t miss the light show at the lighthouse if you’re ever there in the evening.
Room - The Yacht Club offers many different types of rooms, including interior rooms, that still include all of the same amenities offered with the YC. We had the basic balcony suite which is similar to a Junior Suite on RC or a Vista Suite on HAL. The room was huge and had TONS of storage that we didn’t even use and it was beautifully decorated. And, as far as bathrooms on a cruise ship go, this one was tops. We had a giant shower with a bench and a rain shower head. I will miss that shower.
Technology - Technology was greatly improved from our cruise on the Divina! On that trip, the top internet package was functional at best, it didn’t work on the island, and there was no MSC app. On this trip, the internet (after upgrading) was quite fast, we had WiFi on Ocean Cay, and the MSC for Me app was a great help! We could make reservations, check dinner menus, we could check the weather for all of the ports, chat, book excursions, you name it! Huge upgrade!
Fellow Passengers - The clientele in the YC was predominately middle to upper class and international. About half of the YC was from the US and the rest were from all over the globe. The staff was incredible and knew so many languages and communication was almost never an issue (also an interesting improvement from last year’s cruise). On the whole, passengers in the YC were low-key, with a few exceptions, and there were quite a few families, but other than meals, children were not often seen around the lounge and pool in the YC. Outside of the YC, there were many international guests (keep in mind that MSC is a European company) and the clientele was very similar to that of a Royal Caribbean or Carnival sailing.
Overall, we had an incredible time on this trip and it was probably our favorite of over 20 cruises. I continue to think MSC is the cruise line to be watched in the US. They already dominate the European market and with their competitive pricing and offerings, we will definitely continue to sail with them and even have another MSC Yacht Club cruise booked for 2024!
