cruise critic msc yacht club

What is the MSC Yacht Club? Take a look at MSC Cruises’ luxury suite area

MSC Cruises sails nearly two dozen beautiful ships from home ports around the world, but their inviting sun decks can be crowded, and you're likely to encounter queues for dinner, shows and guest services.

The trick to creating a more luxurious experience on this big-ship cruise line is to book a stay in the line's Yacht Club. This upscale enclave within MSC Cruises ' larger ships offers guests more spacious accommodations, butler service and dedicated restaurants and lounges — even coffee delivered to your room each morning, just the way you like it.

Because of the Yacht Club , MSC can offer an inviting experience for cruisers who like big-ship cruising but crave more elevated accommodations, dining and amenities. MSC Cruises was one of the first lines to introduce this ship-within-a-ship concept, along with Norwegian Cruise Line . Now other popular cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean , also have adopted it.

The Yacht Club section on several of MSC Cruises' ships offers gated access to semi-private dining, butler service and more, but it comes at a price. Find out how much you can expect to pay and what you'll get for your money.

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What are the MSC Yacht Club perks?

All stays in the Yacht Club include priority check-in and checkout; priority disembarkation and boarding on shore excursions days; free premium alcohol and Wi-Fi packages; a bathrobe and slippers; complimentary access to the Aurea Spa thermal suite; 24-hour concierge and butler services (dining and spa reservations, unpacking and repacking, morning coffee delivery, etc.); a free daily in-cabin newspaper of your choice, delivered; and the ability to change your cruise one time without penalty.

Yacht Club cruisers are also entitled to discounts of 10% on spa treatments, 20% on specialty dining packages and 40% on spa packages.

In addition, passengers booked in the Yacht Club have access to their own dedicated bar, lounge and restaurant, as well as a semi-private outdoor bar, pool and hot tubs, all on an exclusive sun deck. When ships dock at the line's private island, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve , Yacht Club passengers have private beach and restaurant access .

In their cabins, Yacht Club cruisers will find a pillow menu, memory foam mattresses, high-quality linens, bathrooms with marble floors, a specialty coffee maker, complimentary open minibar access, one gratis bottle of spirits (choose from a list of available options), free one-time snacks, 24-hour room service and nightly turn-down chocolates from Venchi, an Italian chocolatier that partners with the cruise line.

Which MSC cruise ships have the Yacht Club?

Thirteen ships in the MSC Cruises fleet have the Yacht Club on board:

• MSC Bellissima
• MSC Euribia
• MSC Fantasia
• MSC Grandiosa
• MSC Meraviglia
• MSC Preziosa
• MSC Seascape.
• MSC Seashore.
• MSC Seaside
• MSC Seaview
• MSC Splendida
• MSC Virtuosa
• MSC World Europa

Upcoming vessel MSC World America (2025) also will have the Yacht Club.

The largest Yacht Club in the fleet is on MSC World Europa, offering 152 suites. The second-largest is found on the line's two Seaside EVO Class ships, MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape, which each have 131 suites.

MSC Yacht Club cabins

All accommodations in the Yacht Club are labeled as suites, even though they comprise some standard cabin types. The specific stateroom types offered will vary by ship, but in general, they range from windowless interior cabins and deluxe balcony rooms to Executive and Royal Suites with more space, walk-in closets and bathrooms with both showers and bathtubs.

New to the fleet with the line's World Class are 1,600-square-foot Owner Suites, which include multi-room layouts, walk-in closets, bathtubs and balconies, each with a whirlpool and alfresco dining area.

Also new are Duplex Suites, offering two decks of space, with the bedroom and bathroom upstairs and a dining area, living room and guest bath downstairs. These also include two private sun decks with loungers, one of which boasts a whirlpool.

How much does it cost to stay in the MSC Yacht Club?

As you might expect, the cost to stay in the Yacht Club depends on several factors, including cabin type, the length of the sailing and where you're going and when. However, in line with the rest of the brand's pricing, a stay in the Yacht Club is an excellent value when you compare it to stays in other lines' dedicated suite areas or to luxury cruise prices.

I priced out several sailings departing over the next two years on some of the line's newest and largest ships. This is what was available at press time. (Note: MSC Cruises' website will only allow me to choose a general Yacht Club designation when booking. That means a guaranteed suite within the Yacht Club, but you won't know what type it is until closer to sailing.)

• 7-night Caribbean and Bahamas cruise on MSC Seascape: $6,538 (including taxes) for two adults, round trip from Miami, March 16-23, 2024
• 11-night Bermuda, Canada and New England cruise on MSC Meraviglia: $9,958 (including taxes) for two adults, round trip from Brooklyn, New York, Sept. 25-Oct. 6, 2024
• 7-night Mediterranean cruise on MSC World Europa: $5,118 (including taxes) for two adults, round trip from Barcelona, May 2-9, 2025
• 7-night Mediterranean on MSC Divina: $5,858 (including taxes) for two adults, round trip from Kusadasi, Turkey, June 5-12, 2025

Check out the MSC Cruises website to learn more about the MSC Yacht Club .

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• MSC Cruises

By magnus1977 , April 13, 2022 in MSC Cruises

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Me and my family are going to book a MSC Seashore cruise. We initialy wanted to book to balcony rooms, we are two adults and two children, age 1 and 3 years old. Now I see that the royal suite is available. To book all of us in the royal suite will be to expensive, but how is it, if we book the royal suite for me, and an interior cabin for my girlfriend and the two kids, can they come and stay in the suite with me? I understand that they wont get the yacht club perks, but thats fine. It would just be so nice to stay all of us in this fantastic suite. Would the butler and the cruise think it is okey or not?

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sverigecruiser

2 hours ago, magnus1977 said: Me and my family are going to book a MSC Seashore cruise. We initialy wanted to book to balcony rooms, we are two adults and two children, age 1 and 3 years old. Now I see that the royal suite is available. To book all of us in the royal suite will be to expensive, but how is it, if we book the royal suite for me, and an interior cabin for my girlfriend and the two kids, can they come and stay in the suite with me? I understand that they wont get the yacht club perks, but thats fine. It would just be so nice to stay all of us in this fantastic suite. Would the butler and the cruise think it is okey or not?    

I'm not sure that I understand your question. 

Are your asking if you can book the Royal suite for you, an interior cabin for your girlfriend and the kids and then you all stay in the suite? If yes, why?

Will it not cost much more to book the suite and an interior cabin than just to book the suite? As said, I don't understand.

If you mean interior Yacht Club, then fine...but if you mean interior non-Yacht Club then that won't work. Only people booked in YC cabins can enter the YC.

So...non-YC interior + YC Royal will not work. But, YC Interior + YC Royal will work.

Not sure which one you are asking.

6 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:   I'm not sure that I understand your question.    Are your asking if you can book the Royal suite for you, an interior cabin for your girlfriend and the kids and then you all stay in the suite? If yes, why?   Will it not cost much more to book the suite and an interior cabin than just to book the suite? As said, I don't understand.

No, the total for our family in the yacht club royal suite would be a total of $10.000, but if we book me in the royal suite and my girlfriend and kids in the interior, the total will be a bit over $7000, so a massive difference.

6 minutes ago, alyssamma said: If you mean interior Yacht Club, then fine...but if you mean interior non-Yacht Club then that won't work. Only people booked in YC cabins can enter the YC.   So...non-YC interior + YC Royal will not work. But, YC Interior + YC Royal will work.   Not sure which one you are asking.

Are you sure? I think I remember reading about someone who did this. They could stay in the suite but not enter the wact club lounge/restaurant, sun deck.

2 minutes ago, magnus1977 said: No, the total for our family in the yacht club royal suite would be a total of $10.000, but if we book me in the royal suite and my girlfriend and kids in the interior, the total will be a bit over $7000, so a massive difference.

See my reply...interior YC or non-YC?

Just now, magnus1977 said: Are you sure? I think I remember reading about someone who did this. They could stay in the suite but not enter the wact club lounge/restaurant, sun deck.

Sorry, our replies crossed.

Yes, I am 100% sure...if you do not have a YC room you can't enter. The reason is there is nothing to identify you as YC, so you would get all of the perks. Even if there was some way to go into the suite, how would they know your wife would only stay in there?

But, you said you have a 1 and 3yr old...that is kind of a waste of money in my opinion to splurge on the YC. I'd look at Aurea or something like that.

The rooms in the YC usually aren't even the best rooms on the ship. Not saying they aren't nice, just often Aurea is nicer (depends on the ship). But you sail in YC for the experience, not the room. If you just stay in the room, what is the point of YC?

3 minutes ago, alyssamma said: Sorry, our replies crossed.   Yes, I am 100% sure...if you do not have a YC room you can't enter. The reason is there is nothing to identify you as YC, so you would get all of the perks. Even if there was some way to go into the suite, how would they know your wife would only stay in there?   But, you said you have a 1 and 3yr old...that is kind of a waste of money in my opinion to splurge on the YC. I'd look at Aurea or something like that.   The rooms in the YC usually aren't even the best rooms on the ship. Not saying they aren't nice, just often Aurea is nicer (depends on the ship). But you sail in YC for the experience, not the room. If you just stay in the room, what is the point of YC?

Not the nicest cavins?Have you looked at the Royal suite??? its amazing! The reason for booking that suite is the suite it self. It would be much more social with a large living area, large balcony with jacuzzi and so on. But if it wont work I just have to forget about it.

Dont say this suite isnt nice...

2 minutes ago, magnus1977 said: Not the nicest cavins?Have you looked at the Royal suite??? its amazing! The reason for booking that suite is the suite it self. It would be much more social with a large living area, large balcony with jacuzzi and so on. But if it wont work I just have to forget about it.

LOL, yes...I've been in the suite on Seashore actually. It's nice, just not amazing. The deck is probably the best things about it. But there are problems with it - a single bathroom is a big one. And a single bedroom. If I were traveling with 4, I'd much rather have the 2 bedroom Aurea suite.

This is if I only cared about the room.

I was on Seashore with a couple that booked it. The problem was they wanted to enjoy the room, so kept trying to invite people in. But the beauty of the YC is the experience *outside* of the rooms, so no one really wanted to hang out there.

Trust me, book Aurea with kids that young. If it were just you and your wife, I would say get a nice Deluxe YC room. 

If you have all the money in the world, sure, book the Royal Suite...but otherwise, don't waste your money on it.

1 hour ago, alyssamma said: LOL, yes...I've been in the suite on Seashore actually. It's nice, just not amazing. The deck is probably the best things about it. But there are problems with it - a single bathroom is a big one. And a single bedroom. If I were traveling with 4, I'd much rather have the 2 bedroom Aurea suite.   This is if I only cared about the room.   I was on Seashore with a couple that booked it. The problem was they wanted to enjoy the room, so kept trying to invite people in. But the beauty of the YC is the experience *outside* of the rooms, so no one really wanted to hang out there.   Trust me, book Aurea with kids that young. If it were just you and your wife, I would say get a nice Deluxe YC room.    If you have all the money in the world, sure, book the Royal Suite...but otherwise, don't waste your money on it.   Thank you:-)

I agree that a 2 bedroom Aureau cabin would have suited us much better, but the problem is that those cabins never are available...

7 minutes ago, magnus1977 said: I agree that a 2 bedroom Aureau cabin would have suited us much better, but the problem is that those cabins never are available...

Yes, that is unfortunate 😞

Well, whatever you decide, good luck!

2 hours ago, magnus1977 said: Not the nicest cavins?Have you looked at the Royal suite??? its amazing! The reason for booking that suite is the suite it self. It would be much more social with a large living area, large balcony with jacuzzi and so on. But if it wont work I just have to forget about it.

It will work, if you book it in the correct manner and pay YC rates for all of you!!  🙄

Why do you think it would be acceptable to make the booking you propose, the pricing structure is there for a reason??

Ok, I will bite.  Are you getting a rate in the RS that does not charge two passenger rates for only one person in the RS?  Lots of confusion here.  Meaning are they waiving the solo supplement?

Just book a YC balcony room with kids that Young.

DisneyDatknee

To me it would make more sense to get the Non-Yacht Club suite with the whirlpool tub on the balcony.

You're paying for the yacht club experience, not the room and you wouldn't be able to enjoy it with your family at all if they were booked in a room outside of YC.

Two Wheels Only

Premium Suite Aurea with Whirlpool on Seashore would probably be better. 

The " 1 in Royal Suite, 3 in non-YC interior " idea won't work. If it did and it was less expensive, every family of 4 would do it. 

  We are staying in the YC3  (Royal Suite) on the Seashore in September.

Have been in those suites before on the other ships BECAUSE we were able to get the 30% discount from the casino. I understand that category no longer qualifies so I am sure we will be relegated to a regular YC cabin....which I do not particularly care for but as others have said, you pay for the experience.

  The YC3 are beyond amazing & everytime we stayed in one, we were afforded extra perks by the butlers. And YES, they will know who belongs in the YC area & who does not.

If you can afford it, I highly recommend the YC3 and and interior YC cabin. It will be a once in a lifetime experience.

You do not know how lucky you were to find a Royal Suite available. I think there are only 2 on each ship. If you did not hold that cabin...it is probably gone !

Do not forget that things like free drinks & wifi are included in the YC when pricing out other categories.

youtube the YC

6 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said: Premium Suite Aurea with Whirlpool on Seashore would probably be better.    The " 1 in Royal Suite, 3 in non-YC interior " idea won't work. If it did and it was less expensive, every family of 4 would do it. 

No, they would not. Because almost everyone who book yacht club want to get the whole yacht club ecxperience and in my suggestion just one of us four would get that experience.

13 hours ago, magnus1977 said:   No, they would not. Because almost everyone who book yacht club want to get the whole yacht club ecxperience and in my suggestion just one of us four would get that experience.

Wow!  Please extend my deepest sympathies to your girlfriend.

morpheusofthesea

23 hours ago, Shippy said: The YC3 are beyond amazing & everytime we stayed in one, we were afforded extra perks by the butlers.

Would it be possible for you to divulge what these "extra perks by the butlers" were afforded you every time you stayed in the Royal Suite ?

7 hours ago, JAGR said: Wow!  Please extend my deepest sympathies to your girlfriend.

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said: Would it be possible for you to divulge what these "extra perks by the butlers" were afforded you every time you stayed in the Royal Suite ?

   We were on the Seaside right before covid in the YC3. The butlers were doing way beyond what was expected as we had sailed on the other ships in a YC3.

It started with them saying they had a special surprise for us first thing in the morning for breakfast.

Remember we were not 'special' people & had used our casino discount to get that cabin.

  Anyway, 3 butlers arrived and set up the table on the deck & bought just about everything on the menu. Juice, coffee, pastries, waffles, eggs benedict, crepes, bacon, sausage etc..  It was really quite overwhelming. I took a picture & sent it to a friend & she replied...when are the others coming !

  2 days later they said they would have a surprise dinner for us....they out did the breakfast.Again on the deck but set the table fancy  &  brought taped music . Again served by 3 butlers at once.They served coarse by coarse. appetizers, soup, salad, pasta & fish. I thought they were through but then brought several meat dishes. We could not even look at it we were so full. I was not really impressed this time as it was overkill.

We had NOT asked for either of these special meals.

  The next day I went to the YC concierge & asked if they had any specials for laundry service. They said it was complementary for yc3 suite eventhough not yet in print as a perk. We sent out a lot of stuff & were not charged.

   Also, the little bungalow ( sorry I forgot the right word) that the YC3 gets complementary on the pool deck. Always stocked with champagne. If we there for 5 minutes, someone showed up with chocolate strawberrys or ice cream.

There might be other little things I cannot remember.

  It seems they were starting up a program to try & compete with Norwegian's Haven.

I think that fell apart with the long closure because  of covid.

 They definitely raised the price of the YC3 & as I mentioned earlier, that category is no longer eligible for some discounts.

The room is fantastic. I am sure they still fall all over themselves to serve you. If you have the chance to get it...grab it.

14 minutes ago, Shippy said: I think that fell apart with the long closure because  of covid.

Maybe not. 

I've been in the Royal Suite before Covid (Seaside) and after Covid (Meraviglia) and the " something special " was there each time.  A quality butler (Vishnu and Lesle) will do things like that for RS guests. The more that guests interact with the butler and share their preferences with the butler, the more the butler will do to make the cruise special. That has been the case for us in the Yacht Club and in NCL's Haven. 

Seadweller001

We were with Lesie Buretto on the Meraviglia recently for 14 nights.  His service was sublime.  He could not do enough for us.  He got a very substantial gratuity for his personal attention toward us.  We consider him to be one of the best we have experienced.   He even sent me a FB friend request.  Hope to see him on a future cruise.

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