MSC Cruises Yacht Club offers exclusive luxury
There’s no better time to write about an experience than when you’re totally immersed in it. Such was my week aboard the beautiful MSC Splendida, cruising a classic Mediterranean itinerary; tasting, exploring and thoroughly enjoying seven glorious days and six new, exciting ports.
For this cruise, I was a “member” of the MSC Yacht Club class – a private, “members-only” category of staterooms. Quite exclusive, very elegant. Very wonderful. Imagine having your own private lounge where you are greeted by name upon entering. Or a lovely tea-time to relax and unwind after returning from a busy day spent visiting amazing ancient and historic cities?
Wouldn’t it be nice to stretch out on a deck chair that you didn’t have to “stake out” at 7am? Your private sunning and pool/whirlpool area is accessible only to Yacht Club members. Yes, this is all possible.
Since I often travel solo, a conspicuous table for one amidst a sea of hundreds of other tables for four, six or eight is generally expected. As a Yacht Club guest, the specialty restaurant, L’Olivo, is not only complimentary, it is a gracious retreat far from the madding crowd. Since other guests must pay to dine here, it is quiet, relaxed and comfortable. Choosing L’Olivo over the main dining venues, I have had incredible Mediterranean cuisine every night. Each night as I gazed out of the picture windows, I’d watch in amazement as an incredible crimson sun would slowly disappear into the azure Mediterranean Sea.
Did I mention your own private butler? Every Yacht Club stateroom includes a professionally trained butler at your beck and call. Having a butler is wonderful; seems he can’t do enough to make your cruise as pleasant as possible. While always available, they are never intrusive or bothersome.
Whether replacing items from my complimentary mini-bar or just choosing a different pillow from the pillow menu, Vinod, my butler, is delightful, polite and intent on doing his “butlering.”
Despite my protests about not having to re-tie the sash on my bathrobe that he neatly hangs up every morning, he happily goes about his tasks.
The MSC Splendida is a large ship, right between Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and the Carnival Dream. At full capacity the Splendida can carry up to 4300 passengers.
The Yacht Club has a mere 99 cabins, all located forward on various decks. As a member, you have access to the private lounge, a private area in the main dining room (should you choose to dine there), a private sunning and swimming area and a private elevator to whisk you to the spa or to the lower floors I’m on deck15 and highly recommend deck 15 or 16 for close proximity to the concierge and Top Sail Lounge.
The Top Sail Lounge is open 24 hrs and at various times during the day there is a light breakfast and lunch, tea time, pre-dinner snacks, light dinner and midnight snacks.
The One Bar at the private pool is open from 7am – 7pm and you can enjoy the same light meals and beverages out there as in the Top Sail Lounge.
If you are planning a Mediterranean cruise and want to experience a slice of real Europe, reserve a cabin in the Yacht Club aboard either the Italian-owned MSC Splendida or the MSC Fantasia.
You’ll be pampered and privileged as on no other mass market cruise line. The MSC Yacht Club; a small ship feel with big ship’s amenities.
I’m the editor and creator of CruiseMaven.com, a solo traveler cruising the world on waves and wheels, collecting recipes along the way. I hope my articles and photos entertain, advise and inspire you to travel the world without flying. Take a breath…stop for a local meal and a glass of wine along the way.
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Moira,
Thank you for reading my article about MSC Yacht Club. Everyone has their preferences and how they like to cruise. There is something to be said about the ease of the buffet, depending on crowds of course. Yacht Club passengers can still eat at the buffet, too. The butler doesn’t do much more than your room attendant unless asked. I didn’t mind being escorted off the ship with my luggage on debarkation morning! Happy cruising and thanks again for writing.
Moira Sutherland says
Hi glad you enjoyed the yacht club we have looked at it but could have two more cruises for the price. Also would not know what to do with the butler. We carry out luggage on and off as it only weights 10 kgs max. We are perfectly capable of going to to the theatre alone ordering a drink ftom the bar and finding our way around the ports. We did stay in a suite once with a walk in wardrobe but we did not have enough clothes to put in it. We like MSC after a lifetime of dressing for business does we can relax in casual dress eat from the buffet when we like and just be us. Also zi like my freedom not somebody running after me.
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Mike,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I wonder where it all began to go wrong. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from super-unhappy passengers on just about every cruise line since the “end” of the pandemic. I hope your trip ends well.
Big mike says
On splendidly. Right now. HORRIBLE. End port is jeddah. A month out tried to get visa info. Email went unanswered. Called and they said they do nothing with visas. Asked for supervisor and they hung up. On the MSc website it says they will provide visa info. Finally a week out they send email with the Saudi website but Saudi is slow and we can’t find out if we can board. On day before we get email that we can but they can kick us off early if we don’t get the visa. Second day of cruise they have special meetings all day in theater to get visas reentered. It was at least half the passengers. Still no answer as we leave Crete.
Also website said covid test is not required. We showed the checking girl but she didn’t care and forced us to buy one at 4 times the local price.
Food has been marginal and service disorganized. Listened to a manager chew out one of the waiters 5 ft from the table we were eating at.
Left hoping we can get off in jeddah and not get kicked off. MSc is horrible.
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Neil,
Thank you for sharing your MSC experience and sorry that it was so awful.
neil aliksanian says
Worst Cruise Line Ever
Over the last fifteen years we have cruised on such cruise lines as, Oceana, Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival. We thought Carnival was the worst until the cruise on MSC Virtuosa 16 December to 23 December. In all of our travels, we have never seen such an inept crew, incompetent senior staff, hotel and restaurant operations. Here are some of the problems we encountered:
1. The embarkation port at Doha, Qatar was a mess. There was no place to sit, nowhere to eat and no MSC staff available until ½ hour before start of boarding. Ordinary fifteen minute check in took 45 minutes.
2. Wrist watches and cards they issued for access & purchases did not work. We had to change them 3 times, We were denied port exit three times, bar & restaurant service twice due to faulty watches & cards.
3. No library on board & no prior notice. When asked, got the usual covid response.
4. No access to menus, excursions, port visits or room statement on the useless tv interactive system.
5. No way to read tiny markings on cabin telephone. Had to call operator for all issues.
6. No Kleenex or hand towels in cabins. Excuse..saving the planet. Suggested getting rid of toilet paper also.
7. No information ship wide about port visits for guests refusing to pay MSC exhorbitant excursions.
8. No news channels in English. Only Russian, Italian and French. No onboard newspapers.
9. No enforcement of the four person per elevator limit. People crowded elevators constantly.
10. No respect for peace & quiet. Constant announcements in four languages which were loud, poorly spoken and incomprehensible.
11. No decent food choices at the main restaurant. Terrible food quality & preparation, inexperienced staff.
12. No fresh fruit, salmon, barbeque meat or chicken, decent pizza or spaghetti at the buffet restaurant.
13. Most of the beers and wine from bar and restaurant menus were not available. They said they were out. Paid extra for liquor package and got no benefits.
14. No decent internet service. Highest speed we saw was 3 mb/s. Couldn’t open web pages or make calls.
15. No possibility of changing U.S dollars on board. Both interactive machines were broken.
16. An unauthorized service charge of $140 & a foundation charge of $2 showed on statement 2 days after departure. Had to fight tooth and nail to get them removed.
17. No explanation given for cancelling port call at Dammam, Saudi Arabia, even though the port was open, ship had no mechanical problems & weather was great. They probably wanted to Save Fuel, with the ship less than one half full.
18. Human waste was pumped out into tankers at Dubai under our balcony. Smell was overpowering.
19. MSC required all guests going out at Doha, except those on excursions, to get a rapid antigen test on board at 12 euro/per. Absolute discrimination. Besides, no one at Doha asked to see the test results.
20. MSC required travel insurance, covering covid treatment & repatriation, in order to allow boarding at DOHA. They offered it at $320/person. We found it at half the price. However, no one asked to see the proof & others we spoke to onboard said they had not bothered to get it & no one asked them to see proof of insurance.
21. Several guests who hailed from Russia told us they had obtained vaccination certificates without being vaccinated, simply by paying for them. We brought this to MSC management, who did not do anything.
We presented all this and more to MSC staff onboard and in emails to their offices in Florida and Europe. They did not bother to respond to our complaints.
WE urge everyone planning on cruising with MSC to think twice before booking. MSC pricing may be attractive, but their service, food, internet, customer service, safety, port calls & other amenities usually found on reputable cruise lines are sorely lacking and you will be unhappy after the trip is over.
Sherry Kennedy says
Hi David,
Thanks for your email. The Yacht Club is the best way to appreciate MSC, in my opinion. I dined only in L’Olivo for dinner every night. In fact, I never ventured far from the Yacht Club except to see one or two of the main theatre productions. I’ve cruised with MSC many times in the past but not since the Splendida. I think it’s more important to stay in YC on a Europe cruise than on a Caribbean cruise.
Sherry
David says
I’d love to try out their Yacht Club experience. I sailed in Fantastica last time and have booked Aurea for my next trip, but that doesn’t come with the private spaces and butler service.
Did you dine outside L’Olivo to compare the food and service? I wonder if more care and attention is afforded at L’Olivo. Dining on Preziosa in the main restaurant was very much hit or miss.
Cruise Maven says
Hi Amy,
Thank you for reading my cruise adventures and for your nice comment.
VashonAmy says
I am enjoying your cruise vicariously and your appreciation of the amenities and description of the butler is delightful. Thanks for sharing!
Cruise Maven says
Hi –
MSC has a winner with their Yacht Club concept. Glad that you appreciated all the wonderful amenities – they more than outweigh the cost. Thanks very much for your comment.
Sherry