msc yacht club reviews 2023

MSC Cruises

Seascape - 10 Sep 2023 - First Time MSC - Yacht Club Review

By Hutcha , September 16, 2023 in MSC Cruises

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57 minutes ago, Hutcha said: "He had a friend coming along, but they couldn't make it, so they were a no show."

Was there any adjustment to the fare, since your son was then a single in a double-occupancy cabin?

7 minutes ago, no1talks said: Was there any adjustment to the fare, since your son was then a single in a double-occupancy cabin?

No, I was nervous about that, but they just deleted the extra. I still need to check on the service charge.

Thank you.

3 hours ago, Hutcha said: "Non YC guests were seated right across from us, and it was a little uncomfortable as they stared at us while we were being served."

Please don't feel uncomfortable.

MSC doesn't check the U.S. Social Register or Burke's Peerage before they will sell Yacht Club accommodation to someone.

Anyone who has the money can be in YC, even if they are of generally modest means and save for it over time.

First impressions....

This is the week after Labor Day, so school is back in session. All of the rooms are booked on the ship, and there are 4800 passengers on board. There may be a few hundred kids on board. Most are under six. In YC, I see maybe 5 or 6 families with minors in the YC.

If I had to guess, I'd say that 50% of the passengers are from international destinations (mostly Europe), 30% are US, and 15% are Canadian.

The ship is beautiful, but the layout is difficult to navigate. Lots of dead ends, where you'd think traffic would normally flow. Weird flows, like walking from the main atrium, on 5 where guest reception is, through the photo area, only to come to an area where you are forced to take the stairs up to 6. If you want to stay on 5, you have go from reception down a long hallway of cabins, to make it to the front. I'd hate to have one of those cabins.

There are a lot of pools, and even more hot tubs. The bad part is that they all close down by 10 or 11 at night. They really need to leave some hot tubs open for the late night crowd.

The main buffet. The crowds are real. Not only do you need to wait for a table, at peak times, you then have to wait in line at the different stations. It gets very congested. The selection of food is probably the best that I've seen. Lots of choices, and definitely geared towards an international crowd.

There is no need to leave YC. I could spend the entire week in the enclave, and be happy.

21 minutes ago, Hutcha said: The main buffet. The crowds are real. Not only do you need to wait for a table, at peak times, you then have to wait in line at the different stations.

For every post reporting a sea of humanity at an MSC buffet, there seems to be a post reporting a crowded front buffet AND a very underutilized back buffet.

I wonder how often the crowds are self-inflicted.

We watched the sail away from the infinity pools, at the back of the ship. They were not too crowded. I think most were probably at the marina pool for the sail away party.

After taking a break in our room, we got ready for dinner at the YC. The YC seems smaller than I had imagined from the pictures and video. The lounge was never crowded, but the restaurant was usually pretty full and noisy.

Normally not a tomato soup fan. Followed the previous reviews, and it was a 5/5

These were just ok. A little dry. 3/5

Risotto with clams. Too fishy for us. One bite and done. 2/5

Veal chop 5/5

Coconut pasticcio dacquoise 5/5. Carrot cake consistency.

45 minutes ago, no1talks said: For every post reporting a sea of humanity at an MSC buffet, there seems to be a post reporting a crowded front buffet AND a very underutilized back buffet. I wonder how often the crowds are self-inflicted.

You are correct. If you go to the back, it is not as crowded. It is still the worst that I have seen. For us, it's normal to have to seek out a table, however that's just the beginning. If one holds a table, while the other grabs their plate, by the time the second is back with their food, the first is finished.

At dinner, we mentioned to the maître d, Arthur, that we had not yet seen our butler. He said he would call him right away. Still didn't see him so we stopped at the concierge after dinner to ask. They called and told us to have a seat. After a few minutes, he showed up. We went to our room with him to ask about a couple of things. Pillows, our bottle of alcohol, and the mini fridge. We tipped him $50 right there, hopping to set the expectation that good service for the week would be rewarded. This was my first time tipping someone ahead of time. Excluding running into him randomly in the topsail lounge or up at the pool, we saw him 2 other times during the week. Once when he dropped our laundry off, and another when he was looking for us, because he thought we left our excursion tickets in the room. We're not high maintenance, but we did expect him to at least make his services known to us. What he could do, how to reach him, and so on. Once, in the topsail, we were looking to be escorted to the tender. They asked who our butler was, and then called him. We left after about 10 mins and made it on our own. My wife is convinced that he still does not know that she is in one of his rooms. He'll look at her and smile, but never engages when they pass each other.

morpheusofthesea

2 hours ago, Hutcha said: We left after about 10 mins and made it on our own. My wife is convinced that he still does not know that she is in one of his rooms. He'll look at her and smile, but never engages when they pass each other.

Not a good butler. Can you tell us all his/her name, so when any of us board we can avoid getting him/her in the future?

CarolnLarry

Yeah I want to know his name also as I will ask for another butler if I ever have him on my next cruise 2 Dec What deck are ou on?

Thanks for the review! We'll be sailing on her the end of next month. Love planning my meals ahead of time.

Enjoying.... We are on Seascape in YC Thanksgiving week....your level of detail is perfect! Thx

18 hours ago, Hutcha said: At dinner, we mentioned to the maître d, Arthur, that we had not yet seen our butler. He said he would call him right away. Still didn't see him so we stopped at the concierge after dinner to ask. They called and told us to have a seat. After a few minutes, he showed up. We went to our room with him to ask about a couple of things. Pillows, our bottle of alcohol, and the mini fridge. We tipped him $50 right there, hopping to set the expectation that good service for the week would be rewarded. This was my first time tipping someone ahead of time. Excluding running into him randomly in the topsail lounge or up at the pool, we saw him 2 other times during the week. Once when he dropped our laundry off, and another when he was looking for us, because he thought we left our excursion tickets in the room. We're not high maintenance, but we did expect him to at least make his services known to us. What he could do, how to reach him, and so on. Once, in the topsail, we were looking to be escorted to the tender. They asked who our butler was, and then called him. We left after about 10 mins and made it on our own. My wife is convinced that he still does not know that she is in one of his rooms. He'll look at her and smile, but never engages when they pass each other.

This is most depressing and not the type of service we would expect. Was he new? Would love to know what suites he works. Looking forward to seeing Arthur. He is fabulous, isn't he?

16 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said: Not a good butler. Can you tell us all his/her name, so when any of us board we can avoid getting him/her in the future?

Agree and yes, I'd love to know what suites he was working.

Enjoying and following along we are sailing yc late November

On 9/16/2023 at 3:00 PM, no1talks said: Please don't feel uncomfortable. MSC doesn't check the U.S. Social Register or Burke's Peerage before they will sell Yacht Club accommodation to someone. Anyone who has the money can be in YC, even if they are of generally modest means and save for it over time.

Lol-- wait till you have to walk by them at disembarkation --although, you will never see them again, so big whoop. Actually, the only other time is during ports, when the butler brings you through the crowd, stops the line, etc... I just tell my kids not to look anyone in the eye... Enjoy the YC!

1 hour ago, xcell said: not to look anyone in the eye...

No touch, no talk, no eye contact!

On 9/16/2023 at 9:04 PM, morpheusofthesea said: Not a good butler. Can you tell us all his/her name, so when any of us board we can avoid getting him/her in the future?

I'd rather not out him totally here. He was pretty young, so he probably is on the newer side. If I didn't have my expectations set high, from so many great reviews like yours, I probably would have been content. We did hear one family, in the hallway, telling him how wonderful he was. I also could have pulled him aside, on day 2 or 3, and told him he wasn't meeting my expectations. I will say that I was on 16, port side.

It's been a long travel day. I'll try to knock out some more tomorrow.

6 hours ago, Hutcha said: I also could have pulled him aside, on day 2 or 3, and told him he wasn't meeting my expectations.

My DW leaves notes, actually a list of 2-3 items each day in the cabin before we leave in the morning. Found this helps.

The daily from the first day

Daily 0910.pdf

Pics from the embarkation lunch buffet.

After dinner we went to the show in the main theater. Tonight was Imagine Ocean. It was both our favorite and least favorite of the cruise. In other words, it was the only production show we saw. I knew what to expect going into this cruise. Singing and dancing, with an implied story line. This isn't our cup of tea, but we gave it a try. The male lead was a great singer. The female lead was good. The acrobats were entertaining. The cast members running through the audience, dress in unitards and carrying fish puppets, was a bit over the top.

The show was fine, it just didn't inspire us to make sure we made a different show later in the week. I'm not sure where the Yacht Club seating was. Would have been nice to have someone to point that out to us.

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I tried a ship-within-a-ship cruise experience and it was worth it for the endless perks—here’s why

The MSC Yacht Club affords travelers a totally different cruising experience, but you’ll have to splurge.

I heard tales of luxury from people about the ritzy MSC Yacht Club , the ship-within-a-ship concept where discerning passengers enjoy their own area of the cruise ship that includes a dedicated restaurant, private lounge, separate pool and sundeck as well as private butlers and concierges to take of any whim while cruising. The elevated Yacht Club boasts priority everything while sailing MSC.

I sailed on a four-night cruise on the new MSC Seashore, a glitzy ship with Italian flair intermingled with references to New York City at every turn. Although the ship was well-appointed and had amazing dining, drinking and entertainment venues, and a bountiful Top Sail main buffet, thousands of passengers made the ship feel crowded at times, elevators were slow, and as I strolled through the general pools, they were boisterous and crowded.

RECOMMENDED: 10 things about cruising on an adults-only ship that might surprise you

Switch gears to MSC Seashore’s Yacht Club, passkey-protected for lucky guests, and is a 180 from the ship’s general spaces. Once you scan your handy Yacht Club wrist badge, or your room key, you’re instantly given entrance to a breathtaking retreat of 131 staterooms and suites. All this luxury does come at a price. Cruise fares will vary based on destination, time of year, and cabin category, but generally speaking you can expect to pay double for the Yacht Club. And from my experience, it’s worth it. Read more about why you should splurge.

You’re fast-tracked through everything

The Yacht Club’s exclusivity and impeccable service standard started from the moment I got dropped off at the Port Canaveral cruise terminal. There were hundreds of people waiting to board at 1pm on embarkation day. I saw in the distance a canopy that said MSC Yacht Club. My husband and I wheeled our carry-on luggage to the representative under the canopy. I gave her my name and within two seconds, she gave me a sticker to wear and up we ascended on the escalator to check in. Just five minutes later, I was directed to the dedicated check-in area for Yacht Club guests. To my right, I saw about 1,000 people serpentine through ropes to do general check-in. I felt a sense of relief; who wants to wait in that line? Five minutes later, a butler from the Yacht Club insisted on wheeling my luggage to board the ship and I was in my room in a total on 12 minutes from the time I stepped foot out of the car to my stateroom in the Yacht Club.

Relaxing and streamlined

In addition, Yacht Club guests have the freedom to get off the ship first for excursions. Your butler will happily escort you off the ship with a smile. Guests also can disembark on the last morning first, which is a big convenience. Your butler walks you right to the place you disembark, bypassing crowds and hassles. Port Canaveral is about an hour away from Orlando International Airport, and we took a 10 am flight home. We didn’t have to linger around until the afternoon for our flight home.

Another perk is that there’s a special seating area in the theater for shows. All the shows were excellent during my voyage. All other ship passengers have to make reservations in advance for shows but that’s not the case for the privileged Yacht Club passengers. As long as you arrive about 10 minutes before any show you choose, a crew member from the Club will allow you entry into a special roped-off section. Again, no rushing through dinner—you have the flexibility to plan your evenings your way.

Your Yacht Club package is packed with remarkable value

The price tag may sound daunting, but there’s lots of value there. All Yacht Club cabins and suites include a premium drink package that covers beverages up to $15. You can use this perk both in the Yacht Club and throughout the ship. In addition, your package includes a two-device Wi-Fi package, which worked well during my sailing. Finally, you get access to the thermal spa suite, which is a place to indulge after a day in port or a sea day. Commonly, there’s a taboo regarding mini-bars, but not in the Yacht Club. It’s stocked each day with the beverages you want; just tell your butler and consider it done.

You get perks ashore too

If your sailing includes a call to Ocean Cay, MSC’s private island, Yacht Club guests get an elevated experience there too. Yacht Club guests enjoy a private area, and a dedicated restaurant called the Ocean House. While other ship guests were hosted to a buffet of predictable fare, I enjoyed a lobster roll, and my husband chose carne asada. In my opinion, one thing that could be improved was the tram service to the Yacht Club’s private area. We were told the last tram back was 3:30pm if we didn’t want to trek a 15-minute walk in the heat. Since we were docked in Ocean Cay for the evening and weren’t sailing, I was a bit dismayed by this logistical quirk. I felt like I was keeping an eye on my phone to make sure I didn’t miss the last tram.

You have private areas with curated food and drink and outdoor spaces

Within the Yacht Club complex, there’s the Yacht Club Restaurant, Top Sail Lounge and the One Pool Buffet, which are all exclusive to Yacht Club guests. Obviously, the food and service are steps above other dining venues of the ship, I can vouch for that. Although the food is delicious, if you don’t want to pay extra to dine at the specialty restaurants or fuss in the main buffet, eating three meals a day in the Yacht Club restaurant can get a bit monotonous. The breakfast is the same daily, and lunch and dinner offer a menu with daily specials plus a few standby selections like a hamburger or pasta each day. Although the Yacht Club Restaurant concept is desirable, I would strongly suggest dining in other venues on board, especially for dinner. I thoroughly enjoyed specialty dining in Ocean Cay Restaurant, Butcher’s Cut, and Kaito Teppanyaki. I also want to mention that late afternoon high tea is offered daily at the Yacht Club Restaurant. It was one of the nicest I have experienced at sea.

Also available exclusively to Yacht Club passengers is the Top Sail Lounge, which offers panoramic water views and has chef-curated selections from morning through late night. We enjoyed popping into the lounge at all hours to try finger foods and sweets. The One Pool Buffet offers a more casual option for breakfast and lunch by the pool. The buffet has grilled fish, sandwiches and lots of delicious options if you want to dine outside.

There’s also an exclusive area with a private pool and two whirlpools for Yacht Club guests only. The sun deck loungers are very comfortable and I never had to worry about finding a lounger, there are ample. One issue I had was that there was almost no shade on the sun deck; there were shaded day beds for Royal Suite and Owners Suite guests, but beyond those, I couldn’t find any shade, which was disappointing.

You can justify the price at the end of your cruise

Overall, the best way to explain my enthusiasm for my MSC Yacht Club experience is this: it’s better to book an interior stateroom in the Yacht Club than a luxe cabin outside the Yacht Club. It’s worth the splurge and you return home feeling truly pampered and it’s money well-spent. And I make this prediction: Once you try a ship-within-a-ship concept like the MSC Yacht Club, you won’t want cruise any other way. Bon Voyage!

Erica Lamberg

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The Traveling Steve's

Our traveling adventure blog.

The Steve’s Review of MSC Seaside’s Yacht Club

Steve (DOS) and I sailed MSC’s Seaside cruise ship for the first time this past week; October 15 – 22, 2023 for a 7 night cruise to MSC’s Ocean Cay (MSC’s private island in the Bahamas), Costa Maya, and Cozumel Mexico. As this was a new cruise line for us, I’ll detail my/our experiences here in a bit more detail, similar to what I did when we first sailed Virgin Voyages this past July. Warning: this is a long post with lots of photos! (Sorry in advance for any typos!)?

First some quick ship stats: for the MSC Seaside (per Wikipedia)

153,516 Gross Tons
Length: 1,059 Feet
Beam: 141 Feet
Total Cabins: 2,067
Passenger capacity: Max 4,961
Entered Service: December 2017
Cost when built in 2014: €700 million Euros
Country of Registry: Valletta, Malta
Current number of cruise ships in MSC fleet: 23

DRIVE TO THE PORT: As we live in the Orlando, FL suburbs, the Port of Cape Canaveral (where the Seaside is currently sailing from) is only an hour drive from our house, which make it super convenient. Not only that, but Cape Canaveral, in my humble opinion is one of the easiest embarkation/debarkation points we have sailed out of. It is not the closest port, however, to the airport as it’s an hour’s drive via car or shuttle bus, unlike Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) which is a short distance from the FLL airport terminal.

ARRIVAL AT PORT CANAVERAL: MSC currently leaves from terminal 10, which is the former Royal Caribbean (RCL) Cruise terminal. We saw RCL’s Wonder of the Seas docked further down the terminal channel, so I guess they needed bigger space for their mega series of ships.

We arrived at Port Canaveral Terminal 10 around 10:45am, and the luggage drop off and parking were a breeze, thanks to the good signage and uniformed port staff providing directions. There was very little car traffic at this hour, and the tour buses coming from the airport had a drop off point just for them, so they weren’t interfering with the flow of traffic. We parked on the ground level of the garage (shaded area), took a photo of where we parked, and walked the short distance to the terminal with our carry-on luggage, taking a selfie along the way of us with the giant ship behind us. One huge thing that at least the Port Canaveral Terminal Garage 10 does, is collect the parking fee upon entry via credit card. This really expedites the traffic flow upon debarkation, something other port garages such as Miami do not do, which caused lengthy exit delays when we sailed out of there in late July on Virgin’s Scarlet Lady. Ideally Miami’s garage should at least have an EPAS exit, as their garages handle multiple cruise lines out of the same garage, with various lengths of cruises, so pre-paying is perhaps not an option there.

Once at the terminal, we quickly found the Yacht Club (YC) tent area where we were verified for YC, and then sent thru a quick security check line. From there we were directed to a dedicated large conference-type room in the terminal, where we would then check-in for our cruise. We had already completed the paperwork and had downloaded the MSC app, but we still printed out our travel documents per MSC’s website guidelines, which makes it easier should the phone need re-charging or an update when you’re trying to check-in. (I’m old fashioned I guess, but I always print my boarding pass for the airport for the same reason; don’t always trust the phone and/or app when I need it most.)

The check-in process was very quick and we were given a glass of champagne as we entered the room. We then received our room card key which indicated YC access. They did not have the blue wrist bands available at check-in, (which will also allow you to open your stateroom door), but we picked up our complimentary bands two days later onboard at the photo gallery. While we waited a few minutes for our boarding to commence, we sipped our glass of pre-boarding champagne together with the other YC guests, and toasted to an awesome cruise ahead!

After a short wait in the pre-boarding area, we were escorted in small groups aboard the ship where we were led directly thru the main lobby atrium. Here we met our personal shipboard Butler Agus, who assisted us from there. Agus helped us with our carry-on luggage and escorted us from deck five thru a few public areas, until we reached the forward elevators which took us to our “ship within a ship”, the Yacht Club section. The Yacht Club occupies the forward third of the 16th, 18th, and 19th decks aboard the Seaside. (There is not a deck 17 on this ship as it is an Italian ship, and 17 (like 13 in the US) is considered an unlucky number.)

Once in the Yacht Club, we had a seat in the Top Sail Lounge, which is the huge main cocktail lounge exclusive to the 200 Yacht Club passengers. We had yet another glass of the complimentary Champagne in the Lounge (actually Prosecco to be technically correct), and met some of our fellow passengers, while we again sipped our Bubbly. (And it’s not even 11:30am yet!). There was a nice assortment of snacks, nuts and pastries as well, but we skipped over those for now as lunch was in the near future for us. In a few minutes, we were gathered with a few other guests for a quick orientation of the Yacht Club’s services, amenities, meal hours etc, which was lead by the lead Concierge staff person, Raj. After the 10 minute or so orientation, we went to our cabin, which was just down the hall, also on deck 16. We knew from the moment we boarded that the Yacht Club was truly special, and this would be an awesome cruise!

STATEROOM : After the orientation in the Top Sail Lounge, DOS and I headed to our stateroom which was just down the hall. Our room was 16014, with 16 being the deck number, and 014 the room number. The room was quite comfortable, and categorized by MSC as a “Superior Yacht Club Suite”. While our room was not what I would consider a full suite, it was a nice sized Jr. Suite in size, similar to those on other cruise lines and quite spacious enough for us. We had a King sized bed, half open-sided wall adjacent to the bedroom, dividing off the living room sofa, a large bathroom (no tub) with decent sized shower and a large single sink vanity. Robes were provided for use onboard, and the large towels and bed linens were of very good quality.

The outlets for electronic devices were a bit lacking as they weren’t located on either side of the bed, but on the long table with pull out drawers. We brought a cruise-allowed power adapter (not a surge protector which are banned on all cruise ships) we bought on Amazon which is cruise-safe, and handled our other devices, such as our iPhones, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac Book. The is also a European power outlet under the TV, as well a couple USB outlets.

FIRST MEAL ABOARD: LUNCH! After briefly settling into our cabin and unpacking our carry-on items, we headed up to Deck 18 (only one level up due the “skipping” of the 17th floor per Italian superstition) to the Yacht Club (YC) Dining Room. I’ll talk at length about the Yacht Club further down in this post, but for now the relaxing lunch with wine made for quite a friendly welcome aboard and literally a taste of what was to come over the next 7 days. We met our waiter and assistant waiters, who would expertly serve us throughout the cruise.

EXPLORING THE SHIP: After lunch in the Yacht Club, it was time to venture out of the YC exclusive area, and explore a bit of the rest of this mammoth ship. I say “a bit” as even by the end of the cruise we felt like we had only seen some of the major ship venues, and never quite learned our way around the ship, even with the lighted ship maps located near the elevators and elsewhere.

The layout in some places could be a bit strange, such as on Deck 16 towards the mid/aft of the ship, where you needed to go down or up a deck to cross all the way to the back of the ship (due to a galley blocking part of the passageway) or the plethora of mirrors aboard in some corridors that had us saying hi to the “other people” coming towards us, only to realize we were saying hi to ourselves! LOL! ?

Part of the fun of going on a new ship, however, is getting lost finding your way around; it really is a beautiful ship with so many sectional venues that it will take some time to explore even the main parts of the ship by day and night.

MAIN LOBBY : At the centerpiece of the ship are the beautiful Swarovski decorated crystal staircases located in the ship’s main atrium. These staircases lead to several levels, and flank either side of the multi-level stage areas that are used for various musicians throughout the day and evening, as well as on the main open air bottom level of the lobby. The backdrop of the atrium is an ever changing myriad of colors and scenes, depending on the occasion.

There is a huge semi-circular bar which is visible from the staircases and overlooks surrounding them, and serves as a focal point entertainment venue for the numerous onboard events and parties. We even saw Elvis, and Michael Jackson one night!

ELEVATORS: The ship has two primary banks of elevators; one towards the forward of the ship; and one a bit past the middle of the ship. The main elevators are “smart” elevators, although I would say the “smart part” needs a bit of tweaking to them. The idea in theory is great, provide more efficient elevator access by matching groups of passengers going to the same floors, although at peak times that doesn’t work the best. Basically by each elevator there is a mini iPad type device where you select your floor, which is also indicated by the deck’s name; i.e, Miami Beach deck.

The elevator then calculates which elevator will be the quickest, and tell you the elevator (via letter and number, i.e. G5) and the approximate wait time. During slow periods, these worked fine, but when several hundred people got out of a show at the same time or returned from a busy port of call, things got a bit more hectic. Ideally each person in their group, say four people, should enter the floor number, not just one person from the group, so the elevator can calculate the capacity as 4 riders instead of 1. Unfortunately this is not obvious, and I don’t recall seeing signage to tell people to do this which at busy times can be quite crowded and confusing with multiple groups of people trying to ride as a single passenger, instead of their actual group size.

Busy periods aside, though, I really love this concept, as busy elevators on these mega ships in general (most other lines included) face the problem of over-crowded elevators, and people riding up to go down, and not getting off at the correct top or bottom floor; instead just getting on to secure their space in the crowded elevators. These “smart” elevators do not have any floor buttons once you are on board so you can’t change your mind or better yet, don’t have kids pushing every floor button of the elevator!

There is also one small bank of two elevators in the aft area of the ship by the aft pool, which are not the “smart elevator” type. There is also an elevator inside the Yacht Club for exclusive use of the YC passengers, but it only operates on the YC floors 16 – 19.

LOUNGES/BARS: According to the MSC website there are some 19 bars and lounges onboard! And, no we didn’t try all of them out on our seven day cruise! While we primarily used the Top Sail Lounge in the Yacht Club, as well as the YC’s pool bar, we did go to several of the other bars and lounges in the main part of the ship as well. We were concerned the main bars/lounges outside the YC would be jam packed all the time, but that really was not the case most of the time. While many were busy, with the exception of the large main atrium bar, and main and aft pool bars, we didn’t have trouble finding seats or barstools at some of the other bars and lounges. We tried the Sports Bar, which had a large selection of drafts (but oddly no IPAs such as Lagunitis here or elsewhere on the ship I could find), the Seaview Lounge, and the Haven Lounge, both of the latter offered live entertainment, as well as the main atrium lounge.

We didn’t try out the Champagne Lounge on the upper level of the main atrium, but walked by it several times as well as the Chocolate Bar; both of which looked nice but not overflowing with crowds.

There is also a small bar (more of a to-go bar) in the buffet area on deck 8 which is open late while the late night buffet is being served until 1am, which is fine for grabbing a brewski or drink to your table while munching on the midnight food and snacks.

GAME ROOM: We didn’t utilize the game room, but did pass thru the Game Room Arcade a few times when walking towards the back of the ship. There was a Formula One Race Car simulator, complete with an actual size car that can be “driven” around the large virtual screen track directly in front of it. It looked pretty realistic, and we watched a man probably in his early 40s having a ball with his racing skills!

There is also a two lane bowling alley in the arcade room, but we never saw anyone bowling, although we weren’t there very much other than just passing thru. I was hoping to video someone bowling as it must be quite tricky on a moving ship; I’m sure there’s lots of curve and gutter balls even from experienced bowlers!

There are also other video games as well, all of which required payment or a game pass of sorts via the ATM like kiosk or pre-pay on the cruise card.

SPA Area: We’re not spa kind of people (i.e. don’t get massages, use the treatment rooms etc) so we can’t speak for the Spa, other than it was quite large, and people we spoke to really enjoyed their massage and even the “mud treatment”. (I’ve always wanted to try that seaweed wrap treatment but DOS says “that’s phooy”, you’ll gain your weight back as soon as you drink water or alcohol! Possibly, but it does sound like fun!)

Any passenger on the ship can book the “The Thermal Suite Pass” (which is complimentary for Yacht Club Members), and provides access to the Thermal Suite area and and spa deck area; a private section of deck 16, just prior to entering the YC section. We did not use the Thermal Suite on this trip as we seemed to be too busy on this cruise (not sure what we were doing other than relaxing, but we seemed busy all the time!) We did walk thru the spa outdoor deck area on our daily walks around the ship for exercise, which is shown in the next couple of photos, which never seemed to be busy, and was a nice wide area of the deck as well.

We did like the cold towels the Spa staff handed to all guests when they came back from port, on the dock area near the entrance to the ship. The white washcloths were chilled (like Celebrity Cruises and Princess does), but also sprayed with an exotic Eucalyptus mixture that smelled divine. Of course they sell the bottled mixture in the Spa if you like it!

POOL FUN : The main (non Yacht Club) portion of the ship has several pools, divided into different sections. There is an adventure pool area that has a kiddie pool and other water activities, while there are 2 racing water slides that go out over the starboard side of the ship, while on the port side there is a similar, but larger twisting water slide that uses a raft to ride the slide down to the bottom. Scrunched in-between, in the center of the Adventure Club area, is another twisting slide that finishes on the bottom deck of the Adventure Club pool area. None of the slides were overly busy and were complimentary, although you had to sign a waiver and get a wrist band prior to riding them. Adults as well as kids seemed to be enjoying themselves! I’m sure in peak summer or holiday periods there would be hundreds more kids using these facilities, though on our mid-October sailing it was not overwhelming.

SAIL-AWAY PARTY: Sure enough, as quiet and empty as the ship was when we first got on and started exploring the ship, it quickly filled up by sail-away time. There was a big sail-away party at the aft pool deck area, but it was a bit too busy to see the entertainment staff, and a bit too noisy for us to enjoy, so we retreated back to the quite calm of The Yacht Club. I told Steve (DOS) at times leaving some of the crowded main areas of the ship was like being in a busy airport terminal, and then suddenly entering the calm of an airline’s international First Class Lounge! Not really an exaggeration either, as a couple of fellow Yacht Club passengers said something similar.

SHOPPING GALLERY : As expected for a ship of this size, there are several shopping areas aboard the ship, ranging from logo items, to duty free liquors and other items, to Swarovski crystals, jewelry, cosmetics, to men’s face creams to make you look ten years younger. Maybe I should have bought two of the face cremes to shave 20 years off my age!?

We’re not big shoppers except for souvenir type items, but we did purchase the ship’s Seascape model (which I try to collect of ships we have taken), which was priced at $56, and was a nice quality metal model on a wood base. I wanted an MSC cap, but oddly enough they were out of them, and I didn’t see any nice logo T-shirts that I cared for, so we settled for just purchasing the ship’s model.

We had the same issue on Virgin Voyages recently where they were out of their logo caps, and like on MSC, this was only on the second night. Don’t know if ships are having supply-chain issues or people are gobbling them up right away (I think the former as you they would want to advertise their product), so if you see something you want in the gift logo shop, I would buy it early on in the cruise.

CASINO: While we’re not gamblers, we did stroll thru the casino after the theater shows let out, as it was a passageway towards the mid to the aft of the ship, and you really couldn’t avoid it. Although MSC allows smoking in the casino, it really was very well filtered, and this comes from someone who is very sensitive to second-hand smoke. There were definitely plenty of slots for every type play you like, as well as many table games as well.

The huge bar served as a functional and aesthetically pleasing circular sports bar as there were TV monitors mounted from the ceiling pointed down to the bar below.

YACHT CLUB EXPERIENCE: Wow oh Wow! What can I say about this? The Yacht Club (YC) is an exclusive area for 200 or fewer passengers, which makes up only 5% of the ship’s capacity, yet offers the best service, food, and amenities aboard. The YC occupies the forward 1/3 of decks 16, 18, and 19, with YC cabins on decks 16 and 18 (there is no deck 17 on these Italian ships due to superstition of the number 17). The YC offers mostly similar “Superior Suite Balcony” cabins, although there are 2 Royal Suites, and a few inside cabins as well, all which receive the same Yacht Club service, although the Royal Suites do get a reserved onboard pool-side cabana and much larger suite. (There are other cabanas in the YC available complimentary to YC passengers, on a first-come basis, and can be reserved onboard.)

Note there are actually several categories of larger suites aboard the Seaside that are not in the Yacht Club area, and these do NOT include the 5 star Yacht Club admittance and perks; they are basically larger cabins located throughout the ship among the masses of other passengers. Even though we’ve had very large suites on other lines, the room on MSC was almost secondary as the service and amenities in the public Yacht Club areas were far superior than being in a large suite in a non-Yacht Club area, although the larger space would be good for families needing extra space. All of the rooms in the Yacht Club are in the same key-only accessible area, and it was like being at a Country Club as it was such a small group of passengers with such a high staff to passenger ratio. It was easy to meet most of the fellow YC passengers over the course of the cruise, and it really was like a family between the staff and passengers by the end of the cruise.

The Yacht Club is entered via a key-carded entry door, where the 24 hour Concierge desk and staff are located, and glad to answer any questions, assist with shore excursions, specialty dining, and any type special request you may have.

The long hallway internal to the YC is mirrored on both sides, a common design theme used throughout the ship; lots of mirrors everywhere! On the starboard side where our cabin was located, there is also another keyed entrance door which bypasses the Concierge, and lead down a couple hallways to our room.

At the end of the hall on deck 16, is the Top Sail Lounge, a large and elegant cocktail lounge exclusive to the YC passengers. It faces the front of the ship and has plenty of seating on chairs, sofas, and at the bar area as well. It is here where (well actually anywhere in the YC) you can truly relax away from the mass market crowds of passengers in the main parts of the ship. No loud music and shouting, although there is a piano player/singer who entertains in the evening and special events such as the Captains cocktail party, High Tea, etc, and one night there was a saxophone player entertaining as well.

During other times of the day and night there is light and soft jazz or supper-club type music piped in thru the speakers, which makes a subtle background effect, without being overwhelming, even in the pool lavatory! There are always plenty of staff serving the YC, and there is never a wait for a drink, be it bottled water or your favorite cocktail, wine, or beer, and all but the most premium wines and liquors are included both here and throughout the ship (with two exceptions, the chocolate bar and the gelato bar in the main areas of the ship.)

Meals Aboard: Unlike the main part of the ship which has 3 seatings in a couple of dining rooms, which require a reservation time, the YC is open seating, and offers 3 waiter-serviced meals a day, in addition to the YC buffet which is available until 7 -10 am for breakfast and normally 12 – 3pm for lunch. We usually ate at the outdoor buffet for breakfast and lunch as the service hours were later and longer than the restaurant, and it was quite an extensive buffet you could enjoy around the pool, or outdoor seating area.

We did have lunch in the Yacht Club Dining Room the first day, and breakfast in the Dining Room on Debarkation Day; both of which were leisurely and wonderful, but we preferred the casual poolside buffet most days for breakfast and lunch. (The YC buffet is not open for dinner, although they have hors d’oeuvres in the Top Sail Lounge for a pre or post dinner snack.)

We always had dinner in the YC Dining room, which was truly a treat! Dinner is served nightly from 6pm to 9pm, and is open seating with no reservation required for whatever time you like to dine between the posted hours. We requested the same section each night so we had the same wait staff, and normally dined around 7:30pm. The menu selections changed each night with the evening’s theming, but they always had a few classics you could order from if nothing was to your liking, which including a Filet Mignon, Salmon, Cesar Salad etc.

Unlike other mainstream US cruise lines, there are 3 courses offered instead of the usual four on RCL, Celebrity, Princess and others. The portion sizes are also a bit small than other lines, but we thought this was actually a positive thing as many times cruise lines oversize their portions, although that too has changed since COVID in serving size portions. MSC offers a choice of several starters, entrees, and desserts (including selections from the cheese cart which I loved.). If you wanted another entree or like Steve (DOS) another or different starter, the wait staff was only too happy to oblige. As drinks were included, we tried several different wines with different food pairings over the week cruise, and one night the sommelier surprised us with a Beaujolais to try with our starter. We never would have guessed what it was (he didn’t tell us initially) as it was quite complex; like a more full-bodied Pinot, than a Beaujolais which is usually a young and more simple wine. Our wine of choice however, was the French Medoc they freely poured, or the Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon.

The food, presentation, and service were truly outstanding in the YC, and the Chef visited us table-side a couple evenings, while the Maitre D’ always stopped by to check on us. Our waiter and assistant waiter were absolutely some of MSC’s best!

Outdoor YC Pool Area/Bar/Buffet: On deck 19 was the YC Sun Deck, pool, and bar/buffet and outdoor seating area and cabanas. This was a large area, although most of the lounge chairs were not shaded unfortunately. As the YC’s sundeck was in the very front of the ship, umbrellas would probably not work due to the wind, although the area was quite protected by full length window panels, which mostly blocked the wind. On the downside, the large window panels created a bit of an obstacle for taking photos, although for sunset photos or in-port photos such as MSC’s private island, we could get good and unobstructed photos from our room’s balcony, as the window panels did not block the view as they did on the sundeck.

The YC saltwater pool was deeper than it looked, at around 5 feet deep, although the sign said 4’8″. The pool was a fun place to socialize and cool off, and we used it most days due to the great weather.

There are also two whirlpools located a bit further forward of the sectionally partitioned YC club, which are on the forward part of the YC sundeck.

Little extras mean a lot: The Yacht Club includes so many little extra touches with attention to detail, which makes it so extra-special. Your choice of daily newspaper: Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, and others, which are condescended versions of the papers, and printed daily on site.

Evening chocolates on the pillow, and some type of surprise treat each evening, such as white chocolates in a plexiglass box, a bottle of Prosecco one evening, a box of 4 sampler chocolates in a gift box the last night, replenishment of your mini-bar beers, water, sodas per your request etc.

Butler Service is included along with your room attendant, and the Butler will escort you anywhere on the ship and even to the exit for port days and debarkation. This was a huge benefit, especially being led to the reserved Yacht Club section for the Theater production shows. The High Tea service was especially nice and classy, and served in the Top Sail Lounge.

Production Shows: There were FIVE Production shows on this 7 night cruise! (Most 7 and even 10 night cruises only have a maximum of three, filled in with other acts on the other nights). Each show was different and some were better than others, but were all energetic with 4 main singers and 9 dancers, with additional specialty-act performers on some of the shows, such as the Peter Punk and Michael Jackson show.

The show theater itself while very large with two aisles and a center section (with stadium type seating allowing for great views), seemed a bit under-sized for a ship this large, sailing with 4,300 passengers on our sailing, so a couple of the most popular shows actually had 3 seatings (7:30, 9:30, and 10:30pm) instead of two most nights, due to the capacity requirements.

Unlike most other cruise lines, the Cruise Director did not make an announcement forbidding photography or even video taping at each show, and it seemed like quite a few people discretely videoed some of the performance number highlights, including myself, which I have included a few short segments below of some of the shows.

We enjoyed all of the shows, although we did not go to the two comedy shows on the non-production show nights, with the Circus Spectacular and the final night’s Michael Jackson show really extra well-done.

PORTS OF CALL : MSC OCEAN’s CAY was without a doubt our favorite port stop on this cruise. Like other cruise lines, MSC has their own private island in the Bahamas, however on our itinerary we were docked at Ocean Cay overnight, allowing for two full days on their private island, something other cruise lines do not do.

The island is also reachable via a dock area, so there is no need to tender to the port. As our cabin was on the starboard (right) side of the ship, we had an awesome view of the private island, including the landmark lighthouse, which has a light show at night, overlooking the beach party there.

We absolutely loved MSC’s Ocean Cay, and as DOS and I both agreed, it reminded us of Royal Caribbean’s (RCL’s) Coco Cay, before they turned the quiet island into a “theme park” with gigantic waters slips, a hot air balloon, zip lines etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with that if you want a bit of adventure for the whole family, but we much prefer the more pristine and natural look of a tropical island without all the added frills which we could do onboard or at a waterpark back home if we wanted to.

As there is no tendering required, it’s quite easy to debark the ship, and quickly explore the island. Our ship was the only ship in port both days, so it really did feel like a private island without the crowds. As passengers in the Yacht Club, we were escorted down to the exit, and once on land directed to a golf-cart tram, which transported us to the other side of the island, to the exclusive Yacht Club compound on the private beach.

The Yacht Club section includes the only air-conditioned passenger building on the island for the club house bar. There was really no reason to access the bar most of the time though, as the service was exceptional, both on the beach as well as at the adjacent Yacht Club Ocean Restaurant. We did go in there a couple times for a quick bottled water or drink if we were passing by there for a restroom stop or to cool off a bit.

As lunch the first day was from noon to 2pm, (11:30am – 1:30pm on the second day), we were a bit early for lunch, so headed to the gorgeous private beach just steps aways from the restaurant/bar area. The private beach area was huge, and offered plenty of lounge chairs with umbrellas (complimentary). We had read that the beach itself could be a bit rocky, so we brought some waterproof beach shoes which were great for not only the water, but walking on the hot beach.

In addition to the complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas, beachside cabanas could be pre-reserved as well for a fee. As the service was so good to everyone, we really didn’t see a point in getting a cabana, and were quite comfortable with our beach chairs and umbrellas, as servers were constantly coming by on the beach to provide us beverages. The beach chairs were actually closer to the water as well. The Bahamian water was so crystal blue and clear, it invited most passengers in for a refreshing dip.

Snorkeling was not offered at the Yacht Club beach, possibly as there was no protective netting there (more in a moment – yikes! ?), but it was offered at the non-Yacht Club main beach areas for a fee.

We went to lunch around 1pm at the Yacht Club outdoor Ocean House Restaurant, which is covered in most areas, along with ceiling fans to cool off. The food has different menus both days, and unlike a Buffet for the non-Yacht Club areas we passed on the way in, the YC section has full waiter service. It is served by the same wait staff on the ship, so it’s nice they know you, and you know them for the service they provide with a smile.

Steve (DOS) had always wanted a lobster roll (served on the second day on the island) but doesn’t like mayonnaise, so he told that to the waiter, who in turn talked to the chef, and DOS got his lobster roll without mayo and loved it! Later on in the cruise, the chef actually came by our table one evening at dinner and asked him how he liked the lobster roll without mayo! Outstanding service, and passenger memory preferences as well!

After a leisurely lunch, we headed back to the beach to relax for a while and enjoyable the beautiful mid-October day in the Bahamas. We actually got more than we expected, with some “wildlife” viewing, swimming around in the water. Yes, we saw a few sharks really close to the shore! ? These were sand sharks, and I guess when everyone was at lunch and the water was empty of beach goers, they decided to swim close to the shore and feed on the tiny needle or other fish. I could not believe how close the sharks got to the shore; literally in a foot of water! ????

We, along with most our fellow passengers at the beach took photos and video of the sharks swimming around, although I don’t think anyone else got back in the water that afternoon. There is a lifeguard, and he cautioned people about the sharks, but it didn’t take much caution for us to avoid the water after lunch!

The next day, we didn’t see the sharks though, and it seemed safe to go back into the water. I looked up sand sharks when we got back to the ship and Wikipedia had this article on them. They are normally “docile” to humans and are not aggressive unless provoked. They are usually more active at night, so I guess we “got lucky” by seeing them in the afternoon!

In the evening of our first day at MSC’s Ocean Cay, there were two lighthouse shows, and a huge beach party on the sand. We intended to get off the ship and go to the party, but after a big dinner and a few drinks we felt a bit lazy, so watched the show and party from our 16th floor balcony; actually probably the best view from anywhere.

The beach party was adjacent to the lighthouse, and in full view for us as seen from our balcony, looked lively and fun as well. The beach party, and island “curfew” lasted until 11:30pm, at which point everyone rebounded the ship until the next day, while the “island people” who live there freshened up the island overnight.

There were two different light shows; one at 9 and one at 10pm, and in between the shows were rotating light effects; i.e. MSC logo, different color lights etc, and coordinated with music as well.

The second day on Ocean Cay was basically a repeat of the first day, but without any shark sightings.? It was nice to sleep in a bit, have breakfast aboard the ship, and then head back to the Yacht Club Beach Resort; it had a feel of staying at a nice Caribbean land resort. DOS had his lobster roll for lunch, while I had the lunch tournedos of beef, and an ahi tuna salad.

We sailed from Ocean Cay on our second day there, at 5:30pm for our next port, Costa Maya, which we would arrive in two days, after a day at sea on the way there.

COSTA MAYA, MEXICO: This is a newer Mexican port as far as tourism goes, but already it has gotten quite popular, and unfortunately crowded. The day we we docked here, there were a total of 4 mega ships in port, (RCL’s Adventure OTS, Allure OTS, Carnival Pride, and our ship MSC Seaside) and as the ships shared the two long dock areas, it was quite busy just walking down the long perpendicular dock ramps to the Costa Maya cruise entrance.

Once there, it felt perhaps a little less busy than Mardi Gras, with most passengers wandering around aimlessly watching the free show in the town square, going to the many bars there, shopping, some even swimming in the huge pool there, or like us heading down to the “swim with the dolphins” area to have a look.

We skipped on doing Costa Maya’s “Spa Treatment”, which consisted of women (and even some men) soaking their feet in an aquarium filled with tiny fish. Supposedly the fish gently chew on your dead skin, and somehow this “reduces stress” and “makes skin smooth and soft!”. I don’t know, but I got stressed just watching these ladies with their feet getting chewed on by those little fish! To each his own I guess; hey they’re in Mexico enjoying themselves. (At least the lady on the right. The lady on the left kept looking at her watch, like “how much longer do I have to have my feet in this horrible tank!”

We did not do a shore excursion or tour here on our own, as we stopped here last year in March 2022 on a Princess cruise and had gone into town on that trip. While there were mega ships in that day as well, as it was still the trailing part of the COVID pandemic, most of the ships were only sailing half full then, so while the port was busy in places (such as the taxi stand), the port itself was more like a ghost town compared to this trip’s visit to Costa Maya. The one part that was busy then was when we took a taxi into town, and it was a bit of a free-for-all getting a cab. The town itself wasn’t as busy as the hectic cruise port, and offered massages on the beach next to one of the many ocean front beach bars and souvenir shops. The town was worth a look if you hadn’t been, and it had much more of a feel for the “real” Mexico with its rustic sea-side village. You can view our stop in Costa Maya last year on this Princess post if you want to see the village town of Costa Maya.

COZUMEL MEXICO: We’ve been to Cozumel several times over the years, and always enjoy the stop there. While there were three or four ships in port the day we were there, Cozumel has several docks which are spread out by a couple miles, so it’s not nearly as overwhelming with crowds compared to Costa Maya, where the docks are all in the same area. We were docked at the International Cruise Port Terminal, which is the preferred terminal as it’s in town and the port area has some of the fun places to visit; i.e. Margaritaville and Señor Frogs among others. We had no excursions booked here, so basically wondered around the port area and into town for some exercise and bought a souvenir hat, being the big spenders we are!?

I first went to Cozumel in 1987 on my very first cruise, Bahama Star Line’s Veracruz, when Cozumel was not a well known port of call, and the ships that did stop there were much smaller than today’s mega-monsters. That first 5 day cruise on the Veracruz, got me hooked on cruising for life, and I have fond memories of the 3 cruises I took on her the first two years alone, eventually expending my cruise repertoire to now over 75 cruises on various cruise lines with different cruise lengths and regions of the world That tiny ship, the Veracruz was only 10,000 tons or so with perhaps 700 passengers, and there were no balconies, specialty dining, internet (Internet! ??? It wasn’t even invented yet!???), but it brings back great memories to this day, and many former passengers and staff have commented on my Veracruz post from a few years back with their stories down memory lane on her as well.

Anyway, sorry I digress down memory lane. What reminded me of Cozumel and the Veracruz, was the Hotel that you see in port, at the International Terminal where we were docked on the MSC Seaside. That Hotel has been there for years, although has undergone many renovations (even now) due to hurricanes and general upkeep and modernization.

It was formerly called “El Sol”, Spanish for “The Sun”. I never stayed there, or even visited the property, so DOS and I toured the lobby of the hotel and grounds, which although under partial renovation, looked very nice. Even though it was so close and just across the dock area from the cruise ships, it had a secluded feel to it, with a nice pool facing our ship, a nature walk with outdoor spa, whirlpool, bar etc, and was tropically landscaping as well. DOS even went to inquire on room types and rates at the Front Desk before we left, which is now called “El Cid La Ceiba”.

In my younger, “Veracruz” days, (pre-DOS) I would take the old Fiesta party boat as a shore excursion to a private beach, with unlimited rum punch and a piñata party and dancing on the way back to the port.

I’m sure they have something similar to the Fiesta boat now, but we skipped the party scene on this return trip to Cozumel, although did have a look in at Margaritaville and Senior Frogs. I settled for my souvenir cap from Ron Jon’s Surf Shop in Cozumel, and we made our way back to the ship for lunch. It was a beautiful day in Cozumel while we here on the MSC Seaside in mid-October 2023.

MISC/OTHER Onboard Experiences : On MSC Seaside, there were several other optional tours and events, wine tastings, backstage tours, Bingo, Slot Pulls etc you could signup and pay for, although we did not do any of them; not so much out of lack of interest, rather there were so many other activities to do, and hanging out by day at the Yacht Club pool area was one of them! ?

Behind-the-Scenes Tour: I would have loved to have taken MSC’s Behind the Scenes Tour, but it was quite an extensive tour and required lots of walking up stairs and other areas of the ship (per their description) and as I’m still recovering from my heart surgery last year and I didn’t want to over-exert myself, although I’m doing fine walking on level surfaces. The backstage tour includes off-limits areas to guests including the Engine Room, Galley, Bridge, and Backstage of the Main theater among others. The Backstage Theater tour was always my favorite on Celebrity Cruises, and I’m sure this all inclusive Behind-the-Scenes tour would fail to disappoint as well.

Wine Tasting Events: Another event that sounded promising was one of the wine tastings. We walked by the display table for the wine tasting event that was setup adjacent the Butcher Cut (Specialty steak dining venue), and it looked quite elegant with various size Riedel glassware and fine wines. We’ve done many ship wine tastings on many different ships, and have always enjoyed them, so from the descriptions of the wine tasting it sounded very nice; again it was more of a timing thing for us. We enjoyed one wine tasting event on Celebrity Cruises years ago, that got us hooked on the Riedel glassware and use it to this day (after breaking a few glasses over the years and replenishing them obviously!)? A proper wine tasting with Riedel should include a different type glass for each varietal tasted, noting the differences and shapes in the stemware, paired with the appropriate wine for the glass from which you are sampling.

Caviar Tasting : We did not do this, but met a couple of ladies in the Yacht Club who did, and loved it! I believe the cost was $50 for this tasting, which is held at Butcher’s Cut Steakhouse at various times.

Specialty Dining : There are several Specialty Dining venues on board, including the Butcher’s Cut, an Asian Restaurant, and a Seafood Restaurant. The Butcher’s Cut especially looked wonderful for me Steve (UNO) as I’m a steak and potatoes kind of guy, and the cuts of beef (and wines) are on display adjacent to the Specialty Restaurant’s Lounge and worth at least having a look. /

We actually enjoyed the Yacht Club Restaurant so much we didn’t even make it to one of the Specialty Dining’s Restaurants aboard (although I would have chosen The Butcher’s Cut if we had gone) as we had an included complimentary Specialty Restaurant dinner with my (status match) Diamond status on MSC. Passing up on a complimentary meal at Butcher’s Steakhouse tells you how much we enjoyed The Yacht Club’s restaurant. (Actually though, I was getting a bit Filet Mignon’d out by the fourth day!)?

Optic Eye: This was unique to us, and again we didn’t do this, but it was interesting, at least in concept. According to MSC, “it’s all the rage in Europe”, although we’ve never heard of it there either. Basically they scan your eyes with a device similar to one at an optometrist office, and it creates a colorful artwork design of your eyes, enlarged to make a poster, photo, canvas etc. I don’t know maybe it’s me, but I don’t think I would want my eyes staring at me all the time at home in the living room, but it is a unique conversation piece.?

BINGO! Everyone knows Bingo and if you play it, you know it! Onboard every cruise ship.

Zip Lining! This is one activity I definitely wouldn’t do, but was hoping to watch. They only offer it certain times of day, and unfortunately the last sea day was a bit windy so it was closed. I just wanted to video the brave souls that soared high over mid ship’s top deck toward the aft pool area. The zip line, (after you sign your life away waiver) costs $11 a zip. No thank you from the Steve’s, although it’s probably a blast if you’re an adventurer type.

I’m sure there are many other paid events and experiences aboard, but these caught my “eye” so to speak, out of interest even though we didn’t do them. There were plenty of free activities as well such as trivia, karaoke, dance classes, beach parties, pool parties, sail-away parties, etc, etc, etc. Whatever you do, you won’t be bored or run out of things to do, and you certainly won’t go hungry.

Farewell Day at Sea: The last day of the cruise is traditionally sad for us, as you have to pack up and realize the cruise is ending early the next morning. On this cruise, most likely due to the Yacht Club service, accommodations, easy itinerary and mostly casual clothes, we were really able to relax the last day.

Traditionally the first and last night of a cruise are very casual with the idea being passengers just arrived and/or have not unpacked their luggage, or on the last day have already packed up their luggage for the trip home. On MSC in the YC at least, about 50% of the passengers dressed up in semi-formal attire for the farewell Italian dinner on the last night of the cruise. This was the only night I wore shorts to the dining room as we had already packed and were only traveling an hour home to Orlando the next day. I felt a bit uncomfortable although quite a few other Floridians and others were wearing shorts as well. Some of the passengers also wore shorts to dinner on the port days, but mostly it was dress casual aboard except for the one formal night, which was not the last night of the cruise.

We spent a good part of the day by the pool area, having lunch as usual at the outdoor YC buffet. As a nice afternoon treat, the waiters come by and pass out your choice of ice cream too!

For dinner, it was Italian night, and all of the waiters were dressed in tuxes with the Italian flag colors for the tie and vest. Even the tables had alternating colors of red, white, and green of the Italian flag.

Disembarkation: We had our farewell breakfast in the YC Restaurant at 8am on disembarkation day, as the regular pool-side buffet breakfast was not served on the last morning. Having the full breakfast and not being rushed on Debarkation Day was especially nice vs the normal Continental Breakfast you get on some lines as you’re in a hurry to get off the ship and avoid crowds.

After breakfast, we waited for a bit with the other YC guests in the Top Sail lounge as we waited to be called; rather escorted down to the exit one last time. The “walk off” guests were called first; i.e. those passengers aboard the ship (everyone, not just YC) who were carrying their own luggage off the ship (as opposed to checked luggage), which must have been a few hundred passengers. No rush for us though as we were comfortably seated in the lounge area.

We disembarked around 9:10am, and were escorted all the way to the exit, following a roped off line so the passenger mix wouldn’t get in with our flow of YC traffic. Our luggage was waiting for us in the terminal, and we got a porter to assist us (very smart move!), who wheeled our luggage thru Customs and all the way to our parking spot in the parking garage. We were on our way home by 9:30am, and home by 10:35am; quite an easy disembarkation and trip home. Welcome Home!

Final Thoughts on the MSC Seascape after our first sailing:

Certain areas of the MSC Seascape (more so than allowed on most other cruise lines) allow smoking. This seemed to be the main pool on the starboard side, but even the YC allowed smoking on the front portion (away from the pool though) starboard side. I don’t recall anyone smoking in the YC area however, so it wasn’t a problem for us, although on the main pool area starboard side there were quite a few smokers. The casino allows smoking but it is really filtered well, so wasn’t terrible just walking thru it, as we don’t gamble.
YC is truly a class by itself, and is so worth it if you can afford it. Compared to booking a suite on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Princess, it’s quite a bit cheaper as well, and RCL doesn’t include the drink package with all but the very top suites, nor their Beach Club access on their private island (an extra $200 a person for the one day there!)
The production shows in the theater do not allow you to bring a drink into them. Not a huge deal though as the shows are typically 30 -35 minutes. There were actually 5 production shows on this 7 night cruise, plus two comedy shows. The shows were shorter, except for the Michael Jackson show which lasted about 45 minutes vs 30 minutes for the others.
YC service includes Butlers who will escort you anywhere on the ship, and for disembarking in port as well as final debarkation. While we normally only used this service for the theater shows and going off the ship, it really does save lots of time, and makes it much easier to attend the shows, as you don’t need a reservation for the reserved YC seating area. Main passenger guests need to make reservations for the shows and queue up, while YC passengers are escorted by a butler 10-15 minutes prior to show time in a dedicated seating area which always had seats for us and others, even on the full shows.
YC guests do not need a reservation for dinner as it’s open seating in the YC Dining Room. Other guests must make reservations for dinner, and depending on the fare level you paid, you may not be able to pre-reserve your dining preference at one of the three seatings.
To us it seemed a bit of an oddity, but there are ATM-like credit card verification kiosks several places aboard the ship, where you needed to verify your credit card to enable charging on your account. We just thought it was a given to charge your credit card on file, but I guess some people put down a cash deposit, and need to have a card cover their excess charges on board. We just provided a credit card and “activated” (that’s what MSC calls it) when we boarded, and we were good to go for any incidentals.
The YC covers all meals, 2 internet devices per person, virtually all alcoholic and other drinks, Butler and Room Attendant services, complimentary room service (you can even order a whole pizza to your room!), dedicated Concierge service, nightly turn down service (with chocolates!), daily choice of newspapers, pillow menu, etc: so worth it all! Best of all are the dedicated spaces for it’s own restaurant, lounge, private pool and sundeck area, and the YC Beach section at Ocean Cay, as well as complimentary access to the Spa Thermal Suite.
The YC does NOT include daily staff gratuities, shore excursions, spa, or gift shop items.
MSC will “status match” their frequent quest program to another cruise line or an elite Frequent Flyer or Hotel Program. I got status matched with Hyatt Globalist which gave me Diamond status with MSC. It’s not a huge benefit, but provides a 5% discount, and one specialty dinner aboard. The YC restaurant itself was so good, however, we didn’t even go to one of the specialty dining venues, even though we had a complimentary meal at the speciality restaurant of our choice.
At least on the Seaside out of Port Canaveral, the shipboard announcements were not as many in quantity as we expected. It’s possible these (except for emergency or Captain’s announcements) were muted in the YC area, but we didn’t hear any more than you would on a Princess or RCL ship. This would be different in Europe I imagine due to the many nationalities boarding there, as well as the different length of cruises, even within the same 7 or 10 day itinerary (people may disembark in one port, vs taking the whole roundtrip cruise like on the Seaside out of Port Canaveral).

Finally, If you’re still here reading this; thanks for sticking around! I’ll finish this lengthy post with the finale the MSC singers and dancers concluded the Michael Jackson show with on the final night of the cruise. This song was a fitting sendoff to everyone, and in effect the ship itself is a bit of the United Nations itself with the multiple nationalities from both crew and passengers, that make up this floating city. The video is taken from the back of the theater, so it’s not the best quality, but it gives a happy and bittersweet moment for the end of show and cruise. Thanks for reading, and God bless the crew members here and worldwide that work so hard for us, and are away from their families for months at a time, so that we may enjoy our cruises. Take care everyone, and safe and happy travels!

← Welcome Aboard the MSC Seaside’s Yacht Club!
Happy Birthday to Steve DOS from DISNEY SPRINGS! →

6 thoughts on “ The Steve’s Review of MSC Seaside’s Yacht Club ”

Steves, thank you so much for taking the time to write this exhaustive description of your experiences. It is chock full of useful information that I will make good use of.

My pleasure! We enjoy sharing our experiences and tips with others. Thanks for your comments!

Hi both We are booked on MSC SEASHORE which I presume is mostly identical in October. Yacht Club….. I can’t wait for this top notch experience. Your review brought it to life especially the private island. Your writeup of the boarding experience was very informative and will mean hopefully we wont wait in the wrong queue with no fizz! Excellent and thanks

Hi Graham, glad you enjoyed my post on the Yacht Club. While we haven’t taken the Seashore, from what I’ve read (as it’s based in North America) it should be a very similar experience. As the Yacht Club is such an intimate and enhanced experience, you’ll meet many of your fellow YC passengers there, and everyone we met said they would only do the YC on MSC again it was so wonderful! Enjoy your trip on the Seashore!

Thank you so much for this really detailed review. We were suggested Yacht Club by our travel agent but we haven’t yet made a final decision based on so many negative reviews of both MSC and the Yacht Club. Your review makes me much more likely to give it a try this coming October!!

You will love the Yacht Club if you do it. Yes, MSC itself has had some negatives; mainly due to the ‘nickel and diming’, required reservations for shows etc in the basic MSC lower, non YC cabins.. The Yacht Club, however is in a totally different league. There are only about 200 passengers in the YC, and it feels like a “country club” setting. You are free to explore the ship ship anywhere, however it feels so special coming back “home” to the YC. I really think you will like it. We’ve sailed many cruises on many lines, and we were quite impressed with the level of service and attention to details. Enjoy!

MSC Splendida Review: MSC Yacht Club Experience

We just got back from a seven-day cruise to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan on board the MSC Splendida, and today we will tell you all you need to know about MSC Yacht Club Experience! Is it really worth it? Watch us until the end, and you will find out!

Today we will tell you all about our experience on board the MSC Splendida Yacht Club. But first, if you like travel-related blogs like this one, now is a great time to hit the subscribe button so you will never miss any future blogs.

Let’s begin:

What is the MSC Yacht Club?

The MSC Yacht Club is an exclusive section of some of MSC’s cruise ships that offers passengers a unique, all-inclusive cruising experience. Some people refer to it as a ship within a ship or a luxury cruise to other luxury cruises.

The MSC Yacht Club section is typically located at the top of the ship, and it’s reserved for guests who are looking for a little extra luxury and a private club. It can only be accessed with the cruise card.

When you book a trip with the MSC Yacht Club, you’ll have access to a range of exclusive amenities and services. For example, you’ll have a dedicated concierge who will be available to help you with any requests you might have.

They’ll even walk you to wherever you need to go! You’ll also have access to a private lounge, which serves complimentary drinks and snacks throughout the day.

But that’s just the beginning. The MSC Yacht Club also offers passengers exclusive access to a range of private spaces, including a private pool area, an MSC Yacht Club restaurant, and a bar. This means that you’ll be able to relax and unwind in your own private sanctuary, away from the hustle and bustle of the main ship.

But perhaps the best thing about the MSC Yacht Club is the level of service you’ll receive. The staff in this section of the ship are highly trained and attentive, ensuring that your every need is taken care of. Whether you need help with your luggage, want to book an excursion, or simply need a drink, the staff at the MSC Yacht Club will be on hand to assist you.

Our next topic for the Yacht Club Experience is:

Boarding MSC Yacht

One of the great perks that we noticed right away was priority boarding. In fact, when we arrived at the luxury cruise terminal, a butler was waiting for us and took us straight through immigration, check, and on the ship skipping the extra long line that other passengers had to do. Also, the butler explained to us how to use the dedicated elevator reserved for Yacht Club passengers. With this elevator, activated by our cruise card, we could go right to deck 15 or 16 without stopping on any deck in between.

Once we arrived at the dedicated MSC Yacht Club Lounge on deck 15, we were greeted with a glass of champagne while a very nice concierge lady explained to us all our Yacht Club benefits. We have to admit that the priority boarding process was incredibly smooth and efficient, with a very nice personalized touch.

Let’s move to our next topic of the MSC Yacht Club experience, and we will talk about:

We booked a Yacht Club Deluxe suite on deck 16. The cabin was quite nice, wide, and well laid out. The room had a nice couch and a little desk beside the private balcony.

The bed was very comfortable. We had a very nice walk-in closet with a lot of space for clothes and shoes, which we really liked.

The bathroom was wide and quite nice, with a bathtub. In our opinion, a nice big shower is better than a tub, but we know that a lot of people like to take baths.

The private balcony was nice, not the widest but big enough. We noticed a couple of things that could be improved in the cabin. First, there were no electrical plugs by the bedside tables to charge the phones.

In fact, the only plugs available were by the desk, and there were two European and two American plugs there. Second, the wood paneling in the room made the room feel a little dark. Other than those minor details, we really enjoyed our cabin.

The next topic in our Review of MSC Yacht Club is

The Yacht Club Lounge

On MSC Splendida, the Yacht Club lounge is on deck 15 all the way to the front. The area is really nice and well-designed. There is a concierge desk that takes care of all the yacht club passengers’ needs; more about that later.

Next to the concierge, there is a great big lounge with couches and tables. In the lounge, there are snacks available all the time. In the morning, they serve a light breakfast with cereals, sandwiches, and toast, and jam.

The lounge also has a nice big bar with complimentary drinks. We really enjoyed this area, especially on sea days we used it to work because it was really quiet and comfortable. It was also the best place for a pre-dinner aperitif.

Moving on to our next topic of the MSC Yacht Club experience:

The Yacht Club Pool

The MSC Yacht Club Pool is called “one pool” and is located on deck 18, right above the lounge. It is a very nice space with a pool, two jacuzzis, a lot of sunbeds, a bar, and a small buffet area where they serve food for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. On our cruise, during sea days in the buffet area, the head waiter of the Yacht Club restaurant was cooking fresh pasta and other lunch items in a buffet they set up by the pool.

We really enjoyed this area sunbathing, especially during the sea days. It is never super busy and always has sun beds available for us away from the huge crowds of the main pools on the ship.

The MSC Yacht Club Pool area is also incredibly private. In fact, we asked the concierge if it was possible to invite guests, and the answer was no. The area is for Yacht Club members only.

Next, we will talk about:

The Yacht Club Restaurant

On the MSC Splendida, the Yacht Club’s dedicated restaurant is called Olivo, and it is located on deck 15 all the way aft above the main buffet. We heard that on newer ships the MSC Yacht Club restaurant is located above or below the yacht club lounge, but on this particular ship it was outside the exclusive yacht club area. That’s probably because the MSC Splendida was the first ship to get retrofitted with the yacht club.

MSC Splendida Yacht Club L'Olivo Restaurant

The restaurant is open seating, and Yacht Club passengers can go anytime during opening hours. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The specialty restaurant’s ambiance is excellent, very intimate and wide, with a lot of natural light. The service is absolutely impeccable. Every waiter is perfectly trained, knowledgeable and really friendly.

In this restaurant’s menu, there are always one or two items that are not available on the menu in the main dining room; for example, on the second formal night, they served lobster that was not on the menu in the main dining room.

Moving on to our next topic of the MSC Yacht Club experience, we will talk about:

The Service for MSC Yacht Club Guests

The service at MSC Splendida Yacht Club is impeccable. The MSC Yacht Club perk is that a 24-hour butler service is available, which is really nice.

We did not ask our butler to unpack and pack for us, but that is one of the butler services that they provide. We can totally tell that the butler service takes great pride in providing stunning service and that they genuinely care about their MSC Yacht Club guests.

Our butler Augustine was incredibly friendly and attentive, always available but never intrusive. Very well done!

The concierge desk was there to take care of passengers’ needs. They were there to help with almost every aspect of the MSC cruise, from excursions to billing.

This came particularly helpful the day before arriving at the port of Sokhna when the Egyptian border agent came on board to stamp everyone’s passports. We did not have to go to see the agent, but the concierge took care of this step for us to avoid the long lines.

Also, the future cruise consultant was available at the concierge lounge by appointment for MSC Yacht Club passengers. Really stunning service.

Our next item to review about the MSC Yacht Club review is:

What is Included in MSC Yacht Club?

One of the best benefits of MSC Yacht Club perks, aside from the amazing service, is the fact that it is a truly all-inclusive experience. In fact, when you book a yacht club cabin, you have the Premium Extra Drink Package included. The MSC Yacht Club offers a package that includes drinks up to €13 euros.

Now one thing to consider is that if you order a drink that costs €14, for example, you will be charged the whole amount, not the €1.00 difference as other cruise lines do. It also included is the premium internet package, with unlimited use for two devices per passenger.

Another thing that is included is unlimited access to Thermal Suite in the MSC Aurea Spa, even though on this voyage, people at the spa told us that we had to make a reservation before going. Now we brought this up to the concierge, and they said that it wasn’t true. We did not have to make a reservation.

The MSC Yacht Club offers gratuities and 24-hour room service. Basically, the only items not included were the excursions, spa treatments, onboard shopping, drinks over 13 euros, and the Casino.

Moving on to the next topic of our MSC Yacht Club experience, we will talk about:

Yacht Club passengers have priority access to shore when going on an excursion. Basically, we had to meet our own personal butler at the sail lounge at the time specified on the excursion ticket, and he then took us to the gangway skipping all the lines for security, passport controls, etc.

Same thing on the way back from excursions. A butler was always by the gangway escorting us to the front of the line and back to our lounge. Now, this service is excellent because it allows Yacht Club Passengers to skip all the long lines, but there is a downside.

Since we were always the first passengers on the bus, we then had to wait on the bus for all the other passengers to arrive. Sometimes the wait was up to an hour. Now considering that some excursions on this itinerary required two and half hours bus ride, an extra hour before departure was quite long.

In our opinion, it would be better if MSC reserved the seats on the bus for Yacht Club passengers (they already know who they are) and let them off the ship when the bus was almost ready to go.

MSC Cruises Ships

MSC Cruises is getting bigger and better. There are a lot of special things to discover on each MSC cruise ship when you go sailing with them as a member of the MSC Yacht Club.

Their huge fleets include:

MSC Seashore

MSC Seashore is like her sister ships, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview. Most of the places people go on the ship are different than before.

MSC Seashore has new places to play, eat and hang out outside. There are also more rooms for people to stay in and more space for everyone.

You can sit back, relax, and enjoy all that MSC Seashore offers. MSC Seashore is the first of two special ships. It has technology that helps it use energy more efficiently.

The MSC Cruise has been fitted with the fleet’s largest and most luxurious MSC Yacht Club, with almost 3,000 sqm of space, including a bigger solarium and a panoramic whirlpool.

MSC Seashore’s 13,000 sqm of outdoor spaces, from pools and lounge areas to Speciality Restaurant seating areas, bring guests closer to the sea than ever before, making them truly.

MSC Meraviglia

You can experience the ultimate sea adventure on MSC Meraviglia. This magnificent ship boasts incredible features such as gourmet dining, amazing entertainment options, panoramic areas, an ocean-view lounge, a two-deck “inside promenade” complete with an LED dome, and an amusement area attached to an outdoor water park.

Best of all, MSC Meraviglia features late-night and overnight stays on MSC Cruise’s exclusive private island.

MSC Virtuosa

The name MSC Virtuosa is from the word virtuoso which means someone who is very good at something. MSC Cruises gave it this name to honor the people who designed and built the ship. They are very talented and skilled.

This new cruise ship is one of the biggest in the MSC Cruises fleet. It has lots of special features that work together to give you the best vacation ever! Moreover, it’s the MSC Grandiosa’s sister ship.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the Yacht Club on board MSC is really excellent product. It not only allows passengers to enjoy a ship within a ship but also provides a great service that is much more personalized and attentive than what you’d expect with a standard MSC product.

The MSC Yacht Club allows passengers to avoid long lines for embarkation, excursions, or even restaurants. The downside is the price.

The cruise costs almost twice as much as a regular balcony cabin. Everything is indeed included, but the price difference is quite steep. In fact, when you’re looking at this price point, luxury cruise lines now become comparables.

We really enjoyed our week on board the MSC Splendida Yacht Club and will do it again for sure, maybe next time on a different itinerary.

We hope you enjoyed our blog, and as usual, if you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

In March 2017, Rick and Andrea started Travel Addicts Life as a way to share their travel photos and videos with the world. And boy did it ever grow! Today, we are proud to offer content here on Travel Addicts Life, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

Thanks for reading!

Rick & Andrea

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MSC Yacht Club Luxury Experience Aboard MSC Splendida

By: Sherry Laskin · Updated On: November 27, 2023

As our motor coach turned a corner in Toulouse, France, I had my first glimpse of the MSC Splendida. Ei ghteen decks tall, the ship towered over the private boats and yachts docked next to her. Somewhere high at the bow was the MSC Yacht Club, my home for the next week.

A street in Toulon, France with cruise ship.

MSC Yacht Club May Spoil You for Life

In This Post...

From a distance, MSC Splendida looked like any sparkling white, enormous cruise ship you’d see in most ports. This cruise, however, I wouldn’t be mixing and mingling with 4,000 passengers.

My stateroom, suite actually, was located in the luxurious and private Yacht Club area. That’s where the amazing difference begins between a standard stateroom and Yacht Club.

MSC Splendida (along with 12 other MSC ships) sports an exclusive hideaway that rivals any small luxury ship afloat. If you haven’t already heard the term, MSC calls the Yacht Club concept, “a ship within a ship” and they couldn’t be more accurate.

MSC Splendida Yacht Club Experience

There are only ninety-nine Yacht Club staterooms on MSC Spendida , all located at the very bow of the ship, mostly on decks 15 and 16. Insert your keycard into the elevator and it’s a non-stop ride to your floor. As soon as you step off the elevator and into the Yacht Club, you’ll think you were transported to a small private yacht.

Exclusive Areas Only for Yacht Club Guests

The Top Sail lounge is your private retreat where you are greeted by name upon entering. This was by far my favorite hang-out for my week onboard.

MSC Splendida butler serving tea in Topsail Lounge.

On this ship, the Top Sail Lounge is located on deck 15 and is open 24 hrs. At various times during the day there is a light breakfast and lunch, tea time, pre-dinner snacks, light dinner and midnight snacks.

You couldn’t ask for a more lovely location to relax and unwind after a busy day visiting amazing ancient and historic cities. Complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in hand, your view of the city from the Top Sail lounge at sailaway is breathtaking.

Sunset in the Med aboard the MSC Splendida

Dining in Yacht Club on Splendida

Since I generally travel solo, a conspicuous table for one or a seat at a table for 10 is generally expected. As an MSC Yacht Club guest aboard Splendida , the specialty restaurant, L’Olivo is exclusive, complimentary and a gracious alternative to any cruise ship main dining room.

Marco, my waiter, managed to hold a window-side table for me every night. Each night, a glass of wine was waiting for me at my table, even before I was seated. O’livo, is located at the very aft of the ship, overlooking the Mediterranean. At sunset, the view is spectacular.

Yacht Club Suite Advantages

Did I mention a private butler? Every Yacht Club suite 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.

My luxurious Yacht Club suite aboard the MSC Splendida.

Insider tip: Choose a Yacht Club stateroom located on the same deck or one deck above the Concierge Desk and the Top Sail Lounge, if only for the convenience of proximity.

Whether replacing items from my complimentary mini-bar (yes, complimentary!) or just choosing a different pillow from the pillow menu, Vinod, my butler, was delightful, polite and intent on doing his “butlering.” He even re-tied the sash on my bathrobe, which I had left hanging on a hook.

Yacht Club Size Advantages

MSC Splendida is a large ship, right between the size of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and the Carnival Dream. At full capacity MSC Splendida can carry up to 4300 passengers. But the Yacht Club, with only about 200 passengers, gives an entirely different feel to being on a mega-ship.

You’ll never have to search for a seat in the Top Sail Lounge or stake out your pool-side lounge chair at 7am for a place at The One Pool, your private outdoor pool area.

The One Pool also has The One Bar for an alfresco cocktail or even a morning bite, open from 7am to 7pm. Located on Deck 18 at the very bow, this spot also affords a perfect vantage point on a balmy sailaway evening.

You can enjoy the same light snacks and beverages out there as in the Top Sail Lounge.

The One Bar at the One Pool deck area aboard the MSC Splendida.

If you are planning a Mediterranean cruise and want to experience a slice of real Europe and travel in luxury without the typical luxury price tag, reserve a cabin in the MSC Yacht Club aboard the Italian-owned MSC Splendida or any of the other MSC ships with a Yacht Club.

The exclusive One Pool deck area aboard the MSC Splendida.

Why Book an MSC Yacht Club Suite

You’ll be pampered and privileged as on no other mass market cruise line. The MSC Yacht Club truly offers the elegance and intimacy of a small ship but with big cruise ship amenities.

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About Sherry Laskin

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.

September 23, 2023 at 11:14 am

Hi Graham, Thank you very much for reading my MSC Yacht Club article. IMO, the Yacht Club is worth every penny. And wow for you booking the duplex! Enjoy every minute! Thanks again!

September 3, 2023 at 7:04 am

Excellent review. We have just booked one of the duplex suites on MSC Virtuosa in 2025. It looks amazing, luxury everywhere. Taken note of the butler will do all for you! Can not wait. Keep up the good work

February 26, 2023 at 11:03 pm

Hi Tina, Thanks for reading my MSC article. I think everyone would love a free upgrade! Happy cruising!

February 26, 2023 at 3:58 am

Would love a free up grade….We are booked for 10th April but now we want to try the Yacht Club experience

May 26, 2014 at 9:37 am

Glad to know your MSC Divina experience was so good! And thanks for your honest assessment of your spa experience.

August 22, 2012 at 11:17 am

Hi Michele,

Thank you for reading the article and your enthusiastic comment! And thank you for the update on the age for the kids’ club.

Best regards,

August 11, 2012 at 11:33 pm

Hi Colleen,

Thanks for your nice comment. Yes…sign me up again, too! Truly an excellent experience and even better now since the Yacht Club dining rooms are only for Yacht Club guests now.

Regards, Sherry/Cruise Maven

Update: Getting Closer to When Oasis of the Seas Cruises from Port Canaveral

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Updated on November 27, 2023 by Sherry Laskin

MSC Meraviglia review: What it's like to cruise on MSC's 1st New York-based ship

For the first time, MSC Cruises has based a ship in New York. Given that the vessel, MSC Meraviglia, is the fifth-largest in the line's fleet of two dozen ships in terms of tonnage and the sixth-largest by passenger capacity, the ship's presence in the Big Apple is a big deal. As one colleague astutely pointed out, when it's docked there, it's the largest hotel in the city .

I recently sailed on MSC Meraviglia out of its Red Hook homeport in Brooklyn, and I have mixed feelings. Overall, the ship is lively and aesthetically beautiful. Its specialty restaurants and nightly shows are some of the most consistently superb on any vessel, and it offers one heck of a luxury product in its Yacht Club suite enclave .

However, passenger flow is an issue, with many public spaces so crowded they're uncomfortable, and service is painfully slow in some bars and restaurants. You'll likely end up paying a lot more than you originally planned because some of the most enticing things to do come with added fees. And, as my travel companion so succinctly put it, I've never been told "no" so many times on a cruise.

Here, I'll take you through some of the activities I tried, the places I ate and the experience I had so you can better determine if MSC Meraviglia is right for your next voyage.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Overview of MSC Meraviglia

MSC Cruises' Meraviglia was the first in the line's Meraviglia Class of ships. When it debuted in 2017, it became the line's largest vessel, with space for up to 5,655 people at capacity (4,475 at double occupancy). It has since been overtaken, in terms of passenger capacity, by subsequent vessels in the Meraviglia Class, as well as those in the World Class.

The ship exudes the same glitz that's typical of other MSC vessels, despite its mass-market appeal and penchant for attracting budget travelers. Lavish artwork, chrome accents and bold jewel tones convey a sense of opulence throughout public spaces, and no ship in the fleet would be complete without an atrium staircase adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals.

Like MSC's other modern ships, MSC Meraviglia has an extra-fee chocolate shop on board — this one through a partnership with chocolatier and pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury — where you can purchase chocolate, macarons, candy and specialty coffees.

There's also a sizable water park on the top deck, a shopping mall-style promenade area and several decks of cabins that are part of the line's Yacht Club, which affords passengers exclusive access to a dedicated restaurant, lounge, bar and pool deck just for them, as well as butler service.

What I loved about MSC Meraviglia

Largely, my onboard experience was great. Crew members were friendly, my cabin was comfortable, and the daily activity options were plentiful, varied and fun. At night, most shows fell into the "excellent" category, and the food in every extra-fee restaurant and the Yacht Club was phenomenal.

Specialty dining

MSC's food consistently receives less-than-stellar reviews from passengers, particularly regarding the line's complimentary dining experiences. Much of the main dining room fare is indeed so-so — palatable but largely underseasoned and mass-produced, so that it often looks like it's been sitting under a heat lamp when it reaches you. Food in the buffet is varied and tasty, but it can also become repetitive after a week, and the space is frequently crowded and confusing to navigate.

So why am I including food under the "what I loved" category? I think that MSC's alternative, for-fee restaurants — including the ones on MSC Meraviglia — are some of the best. If you're willing to shell out the money, you can have a fantastic meal on this ship.

Of the ship's specialty restaurants, my favorites are Hola! Tacos & Cantina and Kaito Teppanyaki.

Even though Hola! levies extra charges, passengers have the option of paying a la carte for items individually priced as low as $2.95 or paying $17.99 for unlimited menu items. The salsa and guacamole are wonderful, the tortilla soup always hits the spot for me, and the tacos are small, so you'll be able to try several to find your favorite without feeling overstuffed.

If you know me, you know the fact that I'm recommending Kaito Teppanyaki is shocking. I'm notoriously not a fan of this type of cooking, particularly when it comes with a side of cringeworthy performances by the chefs. However, the food there on MSC Meraviglia was so great that I didn't mind the cook's jokes.

The MSC Yacht Club is a private section on select MSC ships that offers cabins across several categories, including suites. Passengers booked in those cabins have special keycard access to a dedicated guest services and concierge desk; an exclusive pool, sun deck, lounge and bar (with free drinks); and complimentary anytime dining at a special restaurant just for Yacht Club cruisers.

Cabins are outfitted with higher-quality materials and furnishings, and each comes with the services of a butler. Meri was mine, and she was the best. She was able to make dining and spa reservations for me, escort me to priority seating in the theater for nightly shows and have crackers and green apples delivered to my cabin when the second night's rough seas made me feel seasick.

I absolutely loved the special touches MSC provides to Yacht Club passengers, including a special afternoon tea service and a private, intimate final-night performance by Lorraine Crosby — the female vocalist from Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" — who sometimes makes guest appearances on board. (She also put on two larger shows for the entire ship earlier in the sailing.) Additionally, I had access to Yacht Club perks at private island Ocean Cay Marine Reserve , including dedicated trams, a shaded waiting area with cold water and access to a private beach and restaurant.

Although the Yacht Club comes at a premium — at the time of publication, rooms on MSC Meraviglia started at $1,199 per person for a Yacht Club inside cabin on a six-night Bermuda sailing — fares include drinks and tips, along with Venchi pillow chocolates, free room service and minibar selections, plus one round of in-cabin snacks and a choice of one bottle of vodka, gin or whiskey delivered to your room. (I normally drink rum, and they were able to substitute it for me, even though it's not one of the spirits normally offered.)

Above all, the most valuable component of the Yacht Club for me on this sailing was the ability to escape the general chaos that is the rest of the ship. Don't get me wrong: I immersed myself in the buzz outside of the Yacht Club as often as possible, but as an introvert who dislikes crowds and noise more and more the older she gets, I found it essential to have a separate area to which I could retreat.

Galleria Meraviglia

One of the most fun and flashy locations on MSC Meraviglia cruises is the Galleria Meraviglia, a central indoor walkway similar to the Royal Promenade on Royal Caribbean ships. It's a long space flanked by bars, restaurants and shops with a feel similar to a shopping mall. However, the highlight for me is the giant LED screen, which runs the length of the space and hosts what the line calls "dome shows."

During these shows, themed scenes — including deck plans for the muster drill, dinosaurs and volcanos during the "Jurassic" dome show and even famous ceilings — appear overhead. They're the metaphorical heartbeat of the ship, and you can't help but stop to watch.

The nearby chocolateria, Jean-Philippe Chocolate & Cafe, is an excellent place to grab a cuppa, and the adjacent Meraviglia Bar & Lounge is home to trivia, live music and more. Mix in a shore excursion desk; shops that sell high-end jewelry and purses; a counter serving for-fee gelato, crepes and smoothies; and Hola! Tacos & Cantina (one of the best Mexican restaurants at sea), and Galleria Meraviglia feels like the place to be.

There's little I enjoy more than a relaxing arcade day , and MSC delivers with its Sportplex gaming complex. It features a small traditional arcade with air hockey, alien shooter games and first-person driving games, as well as prize machines; several immersive virtual-reality pods (most of which were down for maintenance during my sailing); two Formula One racing simulators; a 4D cinema where several players attempt to take out zombies and killer clowns; and a sports court that hosts basketball, pickleball, dodgeball and other activities.

But my ultimate favorite was the bowling alley. My travel companion and I inexplicably wound up in Sportplex after dinner on formal night. We played for half an hour — enough time for two games if it's only two people and you move quickly — and were ultimately joined by the Yacht Club director, Craig (who won easily). It was a ton of fun, but I don't recommend bowling in a ballgown.

The drawback is that, like lots of other cool pastimes on MSC Meraviglia, it all costs extra (except for sports court use). The arcade charges per game with the tap of your keycard. The simulators can be purchased on a per-ride basis, and bowling is charged in chunks of either 30 or 60 minutes.

To save money, passengers can purchase packages where you get a certain dollar amount free. (For example, if you prepurchase $150 worth of gaming credits, your card will be loaded with $220.)

What I didn't love about MSC Meraviglia

As with all things, in travel we take the bad with the good. While most experiences on this sailing fell in the latter category, it wouldn't be a fair review without calling attention to the things that I think the line needs to address.

The departure port

When MSC first announced that MSC Meraviglia would be sailing from New York, the ship's homeport was Manhattan. I groaned when I heard its docking spot had changed to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood.

Brooklyn's terminal is difficult to reach, particularly if you don't have a car. Anyone venturing to the port from Manhattan will need to take the subway, followed by a ferry — not an easy feat if you're toting luggage. Park-and-ride-style buses also seemed to be an option, according to several passengers on my sailing who arrived from outside of the city. If you're like me and decide to drive to the port, know that parking is at a premium, and fees are steep. (At $45 per night, I paid $360 to park there for eight nights.)

Waits on embarkation day are another concern. When I arrived, lines snaked outside the terminal and down the sidewalk in front of the building. I had multiple passengers throughout my voyage tell me that they waited between two and three hours in line to board the vessel.

It's unclear whether the terminal is ill-equipped to deal with passenger flow for such a large ship or if MSC hasn't quite brought its embarkation processes up to speed, but if you don't have priority boarding privileges, either through a high loyalty status tier or a Yacht Club booking, expect the process to take a while.

On the plus side, you'll have great views of the Statue of Liberty as you sail away, assuming the weather isn't rainy or foggy.

At 19 decks, MSC Meraviglia is huge. On my voyage, the ship was only sailing at about half capacity (about 3,000 passengers out of a possible 5,655, or 53%). However, a perfect storm of events converged to create a situation that was less than pleasant for anyone not booked in a Yacht Club cabin.

A large group booking of about 1,000 people overtook many of the public areas on a daily basis, which drew complaints from cruisers who weren't in the group. For example, trivia was standing-room-only on several days, and the buffet was so continuously crowded that I ate there only twice on the entire voyage.

Additionally, it rained during our first two days on board — embarkation day and the following sea day — meaning that the ship's outdoor spaces weren't utilized. Because everyone was stuck inside, the ship felt even more crowded. (I shudder to imagine what it would have been like if the ship had been sailing completely full.)

Although the weather certainly isn't the cruise line's fault, it seems that the ship should be better equipped to deal with situations where passengers are stuck inside. I also thought that, perhaps, the large group booking was a one-off and that it wouldn't be the norm on other sailings. However, I spoke with one of the officers on board who told me that the cruise line is actively recruiting similar large group bookings.

One of the biggest contributing factors was the ship's layout and flow. Some areas lead to dead ends, while others force you to enter busy areas — like the massive Marketplace Buffet — to find stairs to go up or down a deck. In several bars and lounges in the main atrium, tables and chairs are scattered so close to the main staircase that it's difficult for two-way passenger traffic to move through the space.

The feeling of overcrowding was exacerbated by service inconveniences like long waits for drinks, meals and elevators.

Confusing policies and procedures

Some of the things MSC does truly confuse me, and they began almost immediately after boarding.

When cruises first returned following the 18-month COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, many lines decided to go digital with their muster drills. Passengers watched videos on their mobile apps or on their cabin TVs before reporting, at their leisure (to maintain social distancing), to their muster stations for verification. MSC has chosen to institute a bizarre version where all passengers watch a video and then report to their muster stations at the same time.

If everyone is going to the same place at the same time, why not do the muster drill in person? On the flip side, if you're going to make people watch a video instead of doing a live demonstration, why make everyone go to their stations simultaneously? The process creates a chaotic environment where, in my case, people were required to walk into the theater, do a lap around it (for reasons nobody ever actually explained) and immediately exit again.

Speaking of the theater, no drinks are allowed in there, which is odd, given that all other cruise lines allow passengers to order drinks during shows or at least carry them in with them to enjoy while they watch. We saw several surprised cruisers being told they had to dump their beverages or drink them before they'd be allowed inside.

The drink situation gets worse when you try to order cocktails in the ship's restaurants. When I did so in one of the main dining rooms, I was told that only wine was available. When I visited the alternative eateries, I was told I could only order from what was on the menu, some of which wasn't included with the beverage package. What's the point of selling pricey beverage packages (which can cost more than $70 per person, per day, for the most expensive) if there are so many exclusions?

Specialty coffee from the onboard chocolate shop also isn't included with the packages, nor are coffees on private island Ocean Cay, which leads me to my next head-scratcher. I had the single best coffee drink of my life when we called on Ocean Cay. The Coco-Nilla Latte is espresso, vanilla flavoring and coconut milk, and I loved it so much that I tried to have it replicated on board.

I went to three of the ship's regular bars, each of which is equipped to make espresso that's included in the line's beverage packages, as well as the specialty coffee bar at the for-fee chocolate shop. At each location, I was given some sort of excuse:

"We don't have vanilla syrup at this bar."

"We don't have coconut milk here."

"Oh, those are only made at Ocean Cay."

It's likely if this happened on a ship in any other fleet, the response would have been, "We don't have the ingredients, but let me see if we can find them."

The crew culture on MSC Meraviglia seems to be one that either doesn't encourage them or doesn't allow them to go the extra mile. My request wasn't a lavish one; vanilla syrup and coconut milk are standard accouterments at most cafes on land. The ship has a passenger-to-crew ratio of 3:1, which is better than that of other cruise lines with fares at a similar price point, so I don't feel like I'm asking too much from an affordable cruise line.

I must also mention some weird food-related practices I saw on board. Both times I ate at the Marketplace Buffet, I witnessed crew members stopping adults from taking food from a particular section of kid-friendly foods. "No, those are for children only," a crew member behind the counter told a parent who was trying to grab dessert for his son, who was outside by the pool.

"You mean I can't take this out to my kid?" the guy asked in shock. The crew member told him he would have to go to the pool, get his son, bring him inside and have him pick out the dessert, which he grudgingly did. But talk about a disruptive experience.

On the other occasion, I saw a couple of adults eyeing the chicken nuggets that were on offer. They were forbidden by a crew member from taking any. I have never seen something so absurd on a sailing in my life. Children aren't the only ones who enjoy chicken nuggets, nor are they the ones who pay the cruise fares. Adults, whether they have kids on board or not, should be allowed to eat whatever they wish from the buffet that they paid for — even if it comes from the children's menu.

Another head-scratcher is you might still have to pay a supplement to eat in certain restaurants, even if you booked a dining package that includes a set number of specialty restaurants for a set fee. It depends on what you order.

For example, I had a dining package, but when I dined at Kaito Teppanyaki, the waiter informed me that there would be an extra $10 surcharge to order the Geisha and Samurai options and a $30 upcharge for the Emperor option. Again, what's the point of selling dining packages if they don't cover what they're supposed to?

Additionally, on a ship of 3,000 people, MSC Meraviglia had only one of four main dining rooms open for lunch on a rainy sea day when everyone was stuck inside. It was open for one measly hour, from noon to 1 p.m. I saw the hours posted as I was passing by the line that was quickly forming, so I decided to eat there to evaluate the situation. Spoiler alert: It wasn't great.

Finally, MSC Meraviglia's sports equipment is kept under actual lock and key. You have to sign out everything from pickleball paddles to basketballs for use on the indoor sports court and volleyballs for the pits on Ocean Cay. However, when I tried to sign out a basketball during posted rental hours, the person working told me no and offered no explanation. When I checked with guest services, they told me that shouldn't have happened. But it did. Twice.

On a separate occasion, when my travel companion and I showed up for scheduled volleyball time, the attendant cut the game off at 45 minutes because he said he had to leave. When we asked if we could keep the ball to continue playing, he refused. There seems to be no flexibility, and staff members are not empowered to deviate from protocol on the fly, even when it makes sense.

Most cruise lines' ships have unmonitored equipment available for passengers to use when the courts are open. It's often stored in unlocked chests that passengers can access at any time. Sign-out, which seems like an unnecessary step, is not required with most other cruise lines, which brings me to this: To quote one of my TPG colleagues when she referenced an MSC sailing on a different ship, "I have never said, 'No other cruise line does it like this,' as much as I did on [my cruise]. And it wasn't a good thing."

MSC Meraviglia cabins and suites

MSC bookings can be confusing for first-timers because, in addition to selecting a cabin type (inside, outside, balcony or suite), passengers must also choose from one of three experience packages. Dubbed Bella, Fantastica and Aurea, they all come with different perks and inclusions, as noted below.

Bella: This is the most basic, bare-bones package. It includes accommodations, free meals in the main dining rooms and buffet, and free daily activities and nightly entertainment. Passengers with this package will be assigned to set-seating dining times after they board. They also will be charged for any room service orders, as well as changes to their cruise booking reservations.

Fantastica: This package includes everything listed under the Bella package, plus the ability to change sailing date reservations one time for free, complimentary delivery of room service breakfast and the ability to choose a preferred set-seating dining time for dinner prior to embarkation.

Aurea: Aurea comes with everything in the Bella and Fantastica packages, as well as free access to the ship's top-deck Solarium area, a welcome package that includes prosecco and chocolates, anytime dining (go whenever you want with no set seating time), a 10% discount on spa treatments, priority boarding and free 24-hour room service (not just at breakfast).

MSC Meraviglia houses 2,244 rooms in various types with several configurations, some of which sleep more than two passengers. Of those staterooms, 55 are accessible for cruisers with mobility issues. In those cabins, passengers will find additional space for maneuvering things like wheelchairs and scooters, as well as zero-entry door thresholds and shower grab bars. (Theaters and most public areas are also accessible, but unfortunately, I didn't see a single lift at any of the ship's four pools.)

Cabin types are the standard ones found on just about all cruise ships: inside or interior (no windows or balcony), outside or ocean-view (a window or porthole that doesn't open), balcony or verandah (a sliding glass door that opens onto a small balcony, usually with chairs and a small table) and suite (cabins with balconies and more square footage and/or special perks like those afforded in the Yacht Club).

On my Meraviglia sailing, I was booked in an MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite — a balcony cabin in the Yacht Club suite area — on Deck 18. At about 280 square feet, plus an additional 54 square feet of balcony space, the room felt generously sized for two people. (Note: Yacht Club has all types of cabins, from insides all the way up through massive Royal Suites and two-deck duplexes.)

The room was furnished with a king-size bed that converts into two twins on request, a couch and a desk/vanity area. It featured a closet and cabinet space for storage and an en suite bathroom.

Standard amenities included a hair dryer and a TV (with a random smattering of TV channels, for-fee movies and ship-created programs like jewelry and port seminars and navigational information). My cabin had several electrical outlets, including three 110-volt North American outlets, three 220-volt European outlets and one USB port at the desk/vanity area. One USB port is not enough, and there were no outlets near the bed, which was frustrating.

Special for Yacht Club guests, the suite was equipped with a Nespresso machine, free minibar drinks restocked daily (including bottled water, San Pellegrino, juices, flavored iced teas, soda and beer), one complimentary round of snacks (Toblerone chocolate, Pringles and mixed nuts) and a choice of one complimentary bottle of spirits (whiskey, gin or vodka).

My cabin came with a pillow menu, which I only discovered after two nights of neck pain, thanks to mismatched pillows. The bed was topped with a memory foam mattress, which was like sleeping on a cloud.

Closets in my cabin were just the right size for two people. There were two, one with a bar to hang clothes and another with cubbies for shoes, intimates and the cabin safe. I did find the closets' location in a small enclave that led to the bathroom a bit awkward.

Underbed storage was perfect for hiding empty suitcases. Bathrobes and slippers were provided, and I made good use of both when I went for a massage at the spa.

Cabin bathrooms in the Yacht Club are stocked with MSC's own brand of toiletries, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, bar soap, a shower cap and sewing kit. Fluffy white towels and elevated fixtures like marble countertops and floors and showers with both standard and rainfall showerheads add to the air of elegance.

However, some of that was offset by the fact that the shower in my bathroom had no lip, so water leaked all over the first time I used it. Each time after, I put towels outside the door to sop up the mess. The toilet also often smelled like sewage, even when not in use.

The storage space for toiletries could also have been more generous. There were only two small metal shelves, which weren't enough for two people's things. The rest had to be stored inside cabinets where the garbage can was located.

Gratuities, room service and premium alcohol and Wi-Fi packages are included in all Yacht Club fares. You do not need to purchase add-ons or pay added fees like you would in cabins outside the Yacht Club.

A Yacht Club booking also entitles you to priority embarkation, disembarkation and tender access; 24-hour butler and concierge services; complimentary spa thermal suite access; luggage unpacking and repacking services; daily newspaper delivery and one free pre-cruise booking change.

I made good use of the free Wi-Fi inclusion (for two devices per person). The free room service was handy when I just had to order late-night pizza. Plus, the priority boarding perk meant we went from shore to ship in less than 10 minutes while other passengers waited two to three hours in rainy conditions to embark.

My butler, Meri, went above and beyond to help me make spa and specialty restaurant reservations, and she met us each evening to escort us to dinner and to the theater, where reserved Yacht Club seating was waiting. She did her job superbly, but I generally like to do things for myself. Having someone else handling the minutia felt frivolous and unnecessary; it took a few days for me to acclimate.

Concierge service was generally good. However, on the first day, when I had questions about dining, the person who assisted me waived me off in the face of a long line at the desk and told me to ask my butler. My interactions there improved markedly after the stress of the first day calmed down, and all of my subsequent questions were answered promptly and cheerfully.

The exclusive Top Sail Lounge was a great place to relax with a drink and view, read or get some work done. The Yacht Club sun deck was a lovely space, but it was often too hot for me, so I didn't spend much time up there. The area was home to a pool, a hot tub, tons of seating, solarium access and a daily outdoor buffet at the Yacht Club Grill. Although the food looked tasty, it was, unfortunately, often surrounded by flies.

The indoor Yacht Club Restaurant, however, was a dream. Everything I ordered was fantastic — flavorful, well prepared and cooked to order instead of looking like it had been sitting out for a while. I particularly enjoyed the breakfasts there and highly suggest the omelets and pancakes.

Overall, I found my Yacht Club experience to be a great way to escape when other areas of the ship felt overwhelming, which they often did.

MSC Meraviglia restaurants and bars

Included in the price of each sailing is free dining at the massive Marketplace Buffet, in one of four main dining rooms or in the Yacht Club Restaurant (depending on your booking). The four main dining rooms often felt crowded, and service was inconsistent. The buffet was even worse.

The quality of the complimentary food was unremarkable — not great but not terrible, either. Waiters in the dining rooms often seemed rushed and unwilling to fill drink orders. (I found out later it's because the galleys don't have bars, so waiters have to run all over the ship to fill drink orders, which often take an inordinate amount of time to arrive.)

Due to its size, MSC Meraviglia can offer lots of different cuisines. While the Marketplace Buffet has an "ethnic" section typically serving Asian and Indian fare, the largest variety and the highest quality come from the specialty restaurants. They include seafood, steak, Mexican, sushi and teppanyaki, and all cost extra.

MSC offers dining packages, which allow passengers to pre-purchase a set number of meals in alternative restaurants. When those meals are cashed in, cruisers can choose from a preselected list of menu items designated for package holders. Generally, if you're planning to eat at more than two or three specialty restaurants, booking a package will save you money.

There's at least one bar in every public space, so you won't have to go far to whet your whistle.

Restaurants

Free restaurants

Waves, Panorama, L'Olive Dorée and L'Olivo D'Oro are MSC Meraviglia's four main dining rooms, where passengers can eat dinner for free. (Specific restaurants will also be open on certain days for breakfast and lunch, depending on the day's schedule.) Menus, which change daily, are the same across all four.

Waves, on Deck 5, is the smallest. The largest — L'Olive Dorée and L'Olivo D'Oro, which are mirrors of one another — are found on Deck 6, across from one another and flanking the hallway that eventually leads to Panorama. All four dining rooms offer set seating, except Panorama, which also accommodates passengers with Aurea bookings who have anytime dining.

As mentioned above, I was booked in the Yacht Club and dined in either the Yacht Club Restaurant or one of the specialty restaurants for dinner each night.

However, I did try lunch in Waves twice, as it was the only main dining room open to the ship's 3,000 passengers for lunch. The first time, we were seated at a table for two that might as well have been a table for six; it was so close to the tables for two on either side of it that there were only about 2 or 3 inches separating them.

After we sat, it took 15 minutes for someone to bring us water. We never received bread. It was another 10 minutes until our waiter took our food order, and not once did anyone ask us if we'd like something other than water to drink. When my travel companion finally requested a beer, the waiter's response was, "Be patient, sir." My jaw dropped.

The pacing between courses was silly. Our appetizers arrived shortly after we ordered, which was great, but mine — spinach and artichoke dip — arrived looking dried out and crusty with five broken chips on the side. (The waiter obliged when I requested a few more.) After the starters were cleared, it was another 10 minutes until our mains were delivered. I thoroughly enjoyed my cobb salad, but my beef burrito was build-your-own style, and it was largely flavorless.

My companion never did see the beer he ordered. Eventually, we gave up and left, as did the man at the table next to us, who said he had been waiting half an hour for a dessert that didn't materialize.

The second experience was significantly better, with our waiter seating us at a table for two near a window and asking if we wanted drinks (which arrived quickly). The food was still just OK, and both experiences were crowded and exceptionally loud.

MSC Meraviglia's buffet, Marketplace, spans the entire aft of Deck 15. It has a decent variety of stations, but the food is often the same from day to day. The layout is confusing to navigate, too, with lots of nooks and crannies that can make it difficult to find what you're looking for. It was crowded beyond reason during mealtimes, so I avoided it whenever possible, only eating there twice during the voyage for research purposes.

Stations include bread; salad; soup and pasta; a rotisserie section with a carving station and sides like mashed potatoes, rice and baked beans; cold cuts and cheeses; an "ethnic" counter, which tended to serve Asian and Indian cuisine; and outposts for desserts and both hot and cold drinks.

The pizza was both a highlight and a pleasant surprise. It comes out hot and fresh, and it's available by the slice in several types from two separate counters in the buffet.

There are some other small complimentary food locations throughout the ship, too, including a poolside grill with burgers, fries and hot dogs and an ice cream counter with free soft-serve in cones or cups and optional toppings.

Restaurants that cost extra

Hola! Tacos & Cantina is the Mexican restaurant on MSC's newest vessels. It offers tapas-style small plates; I highly encourage you to order a few, as there's a lot on the menu that's delicious. My favorites are the guacamole, tortilla soup and cheese quesadillas. For tacos, I highly recommend the Chipotle Carnitas (pulled pork with chipotle, black bean salsa and cilantro), Barbacoa (ancho-chili beef, chipotle and red cabbage) and Ancho Tingo (shredded chicken, poblano peppers and pico de gallo).

You can pay a la carte if you're in the mood for something light or go with the all-you-can-eat option if you've worked up a serious appetite.

Margaritas are also a must if you're craving an adult beverage. Basic margs are included in the line's alcohol packages, but specialty ones — featuring frozen flavors like mango and strawberry and on-the-rocks selections with smoky salt or sweet berry sugar rims — cost extra, ranging from $11.99 for a single drink to $30 for a 1-liter pitcher. There's also a selection of Spanish beer, fresh fruit juices, spiked milkshakes and other fun concoctions. The service was so great there that I returned on a different night just to order drinks.

If you've done one teppanyaki restaurant, you've done them all. Or at least that's what I thought when I grudgingly made a reservation at Kaito Teppanyaki, another of MSC's extra-charge dining choices.

Yes, the cheesy jokes, singalongs, "catch this food in your mouth when I throw it" challenges and other performative cooking are standard, but the actual dishes are so much tastier than any of a similar variety I've had on land. Top-notch quality and expert seasoning make the dishes stand out. (For context, I usually skip meat when I order teppanyaki, but the sirloin steak looked so good that I ordered it. I'm glad I did.)

Every person who orders receives miso soup and a small salad as starters, along with sushi and sashimi with tempura vegetables. Then they choose from one of several prix fixe menu options: Geisha (sea bass fillet and chicken breast), Samurai (Scottish salmon, tiger prawns and sirloin), Emperor (yellowfin tuna tataki, scallops and half of a Maine lobster), vegetarian (egg wash roll and sesame tofu steak) and a kids menu (spring chicken teriyaki with vegetables).

I ordered the Samurai, and the salmon and sirloin were absolutely delicious. All options include egg fried rice and a dessert of caramelized pineapple, ginger ice cream and mint. The latter was underwhelming. Drinks are limited to what's on the Kaito-specific menu (Japanese beer, whisky and sake, plus a small selection of wine by the glass and Champagne by the bottle).

Kaito also has a separate sushi bar with an a la carte selection of sushi, sashimi, nigiri, tataki, yakitori and other items, including combo platters and desserts.

Butcher's Cut, MSC Meraviglia's a la carte steakhouse, is heaven for meat lovers, but vegetarians beware: As expected, there's not a lot on the menu for you to eat, with the exception of some of the starters.

When you arrive, your waiter will bring a breadbasket for the table. Ours included baguettes, raisin walnut bread and bacon cheese rolls, but what stood out to me were the smoked maple and paprika butters served alongside them. They were so good.

Appetizers include burrata and beet salad, Caesar and house salads, hearts of palm, a goat cheese tart, shrimp, crabcakes and oysters Rockefeller. Or, if you're feeling extra-spendy, try one of the featured starters, such as caviar, a shellfish platter, bone marrow, Kobe sliders and foie deviled eggs. For soups, choose between smoked tomato and lobster chowder.

Non-steak mains consist of roasted chicken, scallops Benedict, halibut and sockeye salmon. However, if steak is what you're after, you can choose from a 36-ounce dry-aged tomahawk for two, 24-ounce dry-aged T-bone, 12-ounce flat iron, 8-ounce filet mignon, 20-ounce rib-eye, 14-ounce New York sirloin, 16-ounce American bison and 13-ounce double lamb chops.

I ate there on one night of my sailing and decided to go big by adding jumbo lump crab to my filet mignon. However, I misread the menu and didn't realize it was actually jumbo lump crab Oscar, which meant it arrived mixed with hollandaise sauce. It looked like scrambled eggs, and I'm not a hollandaise fan, so I didn't eat it.

The steak, however, was phenomenal, particularly with the accompanying sauces (mushroom, peppercorn, chimichurri and bearnaise). Each steak comes with one side; additional sides cost extra. Choose from Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, French fries, asparagus, onion rings, macaroni and cheese, and more.

Among the dessert options, the best are the chocolate lava cake, the New York cheesecake and the peanut butter and milk chocolate cookie.

I'm not a huge seafood fan, so I avoided Ocean Cay, but I heard rave reviews from other passengers. This intimate restaurant, found on Seaside-class ships and MSC Meraviglia, offers a menu of fresh fish and seafood dishes, as well as a selection of wines for appropriate pairing.

For a between-meal treat or a caffeinated pick-me-up, snacks and coffee tied to chocolatier and pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury are solid options. The cookies-and-cream gelato at the Jean-Philippe Crepes & Ice Cream counter is to die for, as is the Green Goddess smoothie, made with coconut juice, spinach, fresh mint, banana, passion fruit and lemon sorbet. They didn't have the lemon sorbet when I ordered, but I asked to substitute mango instead. It was exceptionally good.

At the cafe just across the way, you can buy chocolate replicas of the ship, chocolate bars with fun toppings like nuts and berries, macarons and candy by the pound, as well as gift boxes of sweets. It also sells coffee drinks that include espresso, cappuccino, Americano, lattes and spiked coffees.

If you're a coffee lover who's heading ashore at MSC's private island, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve , you won't want to miss the extra-fee Coco-Nilla Latte, found at The Smiling Fish. A combination of espresso, vanilla syrup and coconut milk, either hot or iced, it's far and away my favorite coffee drink anywhere, ever.

A more affordable option than most alternative restaurants is room service. My pick is the pizza, which will be delivered to your room hot and fresh, with a variety of options available, including Margherita, vegetable, pepperoni, four cheese, marinara, MSC style (tomato sauce, ham, arugula, mozzarella, Grana Padano cheese and olive oil) and supreme. It's free if you're staying in the Yacht Club. A la carte pricing and delivery fees will apply to other cabin types, depending on the experience package you book.

As with most cruise ships, you don't have to go far to find a stiff drink on MSC Meraviglia.

My go-to was the Brass Anchor Pub, reminiscent of an English local where you can snag a bottle or a pint and some extra-fee pub grub. TVs throughout the space broadcast a variety of sporting events (subject to satellite availability), and trivia and live music take place there throughout the sailing.

I also spent some time at the Casino Imperiale bar, which was open on my sailing longer than any of the other onboard watering holes. It serves a selection of beer and cocktails.

The centrally located Meraviglia Bar & Lounge, found along Galleria Meraviglia (the ship's promenade) next to Jean-Philippe Chocolate & Cafe, is also home to trivia competitions, live music and dancing throughout the day. It's the bar often frequented by passengers before and after shows in the nearby Broadway Theatre.

Sky Lounge is the place to be for sweeping views through floor-to-ceiling windows. It provides a comfy and often quiet space to read, work or gather with friends.

If you're seeking the oft-missed cigar lounge, look for the entrance on the starboard (right, when facing forward) side of the Sky Lounge entrance, or enter the lounge and follow it around to the starboard side.

Edge Cocktail Bar is another centrally located place to grab beer, wine and specialty cocktails — including the delicious Purple Rain, a combo of vodka, white rum, blue curacao, gin, peach schnapps, sweet and sour, and grenadine that turns a shade of purple when you mix it. One deck above it is the Champagne Bar, which sometimes also serves seafood. One deck below is the Infinity Bar, so named because it's found at the base of the Infinity Atrium.

The ship's TV Studio & Bar is where you can find the cruise director filming the ship's daily morning show the night before. It's also the site of trivia competitions, several of which were standing-room-only.

There's a Sports Bar in the ship's Sportplex, but I never saw it open, even when the area was crowded. Three bars (Atmosphere Bar North, Atmosphere Bar South and Bamboo Bar) by the main Atmosphere Pool serve up classic umbrella drinks, as well as beer and other libations. You'll also find bars in the Marketplace Buffet, on the Yacht Club sun deck and in the Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge.

MSC Meraviglia activities

MSC Meraviglia hosts a variety of activities to keep you busy when you're not ashore. You might start your day with a free guided morning stretch or aerobics, or pop into the gym for a self-led session or a for-fee class like yoga or spin.

The daytime schedule features plenty of options for those with a competitive spirit. They range from golf putting, foosball, Ping-Pong soccer and pickleball tournaments to giant darts and trivia (visual trivia like airline logos and "name that place," as well as "name that tune" and general knowledge trivia).

If you'd rather get your groove on, keep an eye out for dance lessons and themed parties hosted by the entertainment team. My favorite was the Snow Party, when the crew blasted fake snow (which appeared to be suds of some sort) as we danced on the blazing hot pool deck.

Napkin folding, bingo, movie screenings, arts and crafts, and passenger talent shows (yes, you have to audition) round out the list of pastimes.

As you pass back and forth between events, don't miss the regularly scheduled dome shows along the Galleria Meraviglia promenade. You'll see the LED projections on the ceiling, covering topics like famous ceilings, dinosaurs, space and the changing of the seasons.

Beware of seminars on jewelry, health and wellness, and other topics that are thinly veiled sales pitches.

Feeling like a day of swimming or sunbathing? Pull up a lounge chair by the main Atmosphere Pool. If you're looking for a more sauna-like experience, head to the Solarium's covered Bamboo Pool; check out the aft Horizon Pool for better views and more peace and quiet. There's also a small pool on the private Yacht Club sun deck.

Looking to relax in a hot tub instead? You can find two of them one deck up from the Atmosphere Pool, as well as two at the Bamboo Pool and one on Deck 18's aft sun deck (behind Sportplex). There's also one at the Yacht Club Pool.

The Polar Aquapark on Deck 19 aft offers plenty of wet fun for kids and adults. Attractions include three slides — a bowl slide, where riders awkwardly end in the bowl and then exit via a flight of steps, and two twisty slides that require rafts — and a splash area with sprayers and dump buckets. There's no fee to use the space, but you'll need to sign a waiver and obtain a wristband before riding the waterslides.

Speaking of children, the ship has a dedicated kids club, called Doremiland (named after the cruise line's mascot, Doremi, as in the first three notes of a musical scale). The club is divided into Baby Club (infants and toddlers up to 3 years), Mini Club (ages 3 to 6 years), Junior Club (7 to 11 years), Young Club (12 to 14 years) and Teen Club (15 to 17 years).

Each group has age-appropriate activities scheduled, and all — except the tweens and teens, who can come and go as they please — are heavily supervised by qualified staff. Sample activities might include storytime, arts and crafts, and Lego playtime for younger children, while tweens and teens enjoy less structured pastimes like video games and dance parties.

MSC Meraviglia shows

As with most MSC ships, MSC Meraviglia's entertainment is stellar. From free live music, theater shows and promenade dance parties to extra-fee Cirque du Soleil-style performances, the options are varied and feature talented singers, dancers, magicians, acrobats and more.

Each production show is offered once per sailing, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the Broadway Theatre. Some are staples, while others rotate.

"Born to Rock," "One Day More," "Cool" and "Journey" are the ship's recurring shows, which each appear once per weeklong cruise. They focus on popular songs in the rock 'n' roll and pop genres, Broadway hits, music from the '70s and '80s, and cultural favorites from Spain, Italy, France and more.

As part of a rotating selection of limited-time performers, English duo The Conjurors performed two shows during my sailing, featuring numbers games, mindreading and pre-show predictions that impressively came true by the end. The duo is scheduled for more than a dozen sailings. Other limited-engagement performers include comedians and pianists.

Speaking of limited-time performances, on the second-to-last night of the voyage, I sat in the theater unsure of what to expect from the headliner, Lorraine Crosby. "You might be thinking, 'She sounds like the lady who sings that Meat Loaf song.' Well, that's because I am the lady who sings that Meat Loaf song," Crosby joked. Her biggest claim to fame is that she rocked the female vocals in Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love, But I Won't Do That."

What followed was a vocal performance that gave me chills. Crosby's range and ability to adapt to different genres are astounding. She belted out favorites by Queen, Tina Turner and Celine Dion and arguably did a better job of it than they did.

On the final night on board, she held an intimate performance for Yacht Club passengers in the suite area's private lounge. Again, I shivered as she took on the likes of Adele, AC/DC and others.

Another free entertainment option worth mentioning is daytime street theater that includes contortionists, roving musicians, magic workshops and flash mob-style performances by the onboard singers and dancers. If you happen to be passing through the promenade area when a flash mob happens, you're likely to see a punk rock-themed song-and-dance routine or, perhaps, one where the cast is dressed up like flowers, insects and birds.

Shows for a fee

Carousel Productions, MSC's own brand of Cirque du Soleil-style shows, are offered six days a week on MSC Meraviglia, with each of two shows — "House of Houdini" and "Rock Circus" — running three nights, on alternating days, with two performances each night (8 p.m. and 10 p.m.). Originally designed to house dinner theater, the Carousel Lounge is set up as a theater in the round and no longer serves food. (That ended when the cruise line shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the line has no current plans to bring it back.)

The for-fee performances levy a nominal charge for attendance and include a welcome drink for each showgoer.

"Rock Circus" is a mix of acrobatics, aerial performances, and song and dance to some of rock's greatest hits, including songs by Guns N' Roses and AC/DC.

"House of Houdini," which follows a clearer storyline than "Rock Circus," loosely tells the tale of Houdini's great underwater escape from a straitjacket and chains. A group of singers, dancers, acrobats and aerialists dressed as circus performers show Houdini the ropes as he prepares for his greatest feat.

MSC Meraviglia itineraries and pricing

Through at least September 2024, MSC Meraviglia is sailing seven- and eight-night voyages to Nassau and Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in the Bahamas from Brooklyn.

It also features six-night Bermuda cruises that spend three days docked at King's Wharf, as well as 10- and 11-night Canada and New England sailings that feature calls on Boston; Portland, Maine; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick. The 11-night itinerary also visits Newport, Rhode Island.

A couple of 11-night Western Caribbean voyages visit Port Canaveral (the port for Orlando) and Miami in Florida, Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico and Ocean Cay.

MSC Meraviglia offers some of the lowest prices in the industry. At the time of publication, inside cabin prices were starting from $299 per person ($43 per person per night) for a seven-night Bahamas cruise, $379 per person ($63 per person per night) for a six-night Bermuda sailing, $449 per person ($41 per person per night) for an 11-night Western Caribbean voyage and $619 per person ($56 per person per night) for an 11-night trip to Canada and New England.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

As with a sailing on any ship, there's certain paperwork you'll need to cruise on MSC Meraviglia. If you're a U.S. citizen sailing from and returning to a U.S. port, you can sail with either an official copy of your birth certificate and a driver's license (both are required) or a passport. I recommend the latter, and it must be valid for at least six months.

MSC Cruises adds an automatic service charge of $14.50 per person, per day, to final bills on all sailings. For children 2 and older, the daily charge is half, or $7.25.

Also, a 15% gratuity is added to bills at bars for cruisers who do not have a drinks package. If you have a drinks package, you'll pay a 15% service charge when you purchase the package, but not on individual drinks. A 15% service charge is also added to items in minibars, salons and spas.

MSC Cruises' Wi-Fi, available through the MSC for Me app, is fast enough to be competitive with all of the other major cruise lines. But pricing varies, based on the number of devices you use and whether you're OK with simply browsing the web and checking e-mail or would prefer to use Netflix or other streaming services.

Expect to pay about $72 for one device with unlimited data on a basic package. A two-device plan for the same runs about $109. There's also a four-device plan for about $223. If streaming video is what you're hoping to do, you'll need one of the more expensive plans, which range from about $100 to more than $300.

Be warned that plans are tied to specific devices, and you cannot switch between them. For example, if you buy a one-device package, you cannot use it for your cellphone, log out and then log back in with your tablet. In that case, you would need to purchase a two-device package.

MSC's MSC for Me app allows passengers on the same ship to chat with one another for free without purchasing a Wi-Fi package. The app also lets you make dining reservations, check the daily schedule and view your onboard bill.

Carry-on drinks policy

MSC does not allow passengers to bring any of their own alcohol on board.

Smoking policy

Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is permitted in a few designated areas, including the port side of the main pool deck. It's also allowed on one side of the casino. Nonsmokers, beware: The separate sides do nothing to keep the smell from wafting. It was enough to keep me away from the area for the duration of my sailing. Smoking isn't allowed in cabins or on cabin balconies; violators will receive a $250 fine.

MSC Cruises does not offer self-service laundry facilities on any of its ships. However, passengers can send their clothing out to be washed, folded, pressed or dry-cleaned for a fee.

Electrical outlets

MSC Meraviglia's cabins all have a mix of 110-volt North American outlets, 220-volt European outlets and USB ports. In my Yacht Club balcony stateroom, I had three North American outlets, three European outlets and one USB port, all at the desk/vanity area — none near the bed.

The onboard currency for MSC Meraviglia when it sails from New York is the U.S. dollar.

Drinking age

You must be 21 to consume alcohol on MSC Meraviglia's sailings from the U.S.

Passengers on MSC Meraviglia's warm-weather itineraries from Brooklyn can be found in T-shirts, shorts, bathing suits and cover-ups during the day, when there's no set dress code.

The line's American clientele tends to dress more casually at night, as well, but the line suggests "smart casual" attire for dinner. That might include khakis with button-down or polo-style collared shirts for men and sundresses or nice pants with a flowy top for women. Dark, unripped jeans are also acceptable for both men and women.

On "gala" evenings (usually one per weeklong sailing), the dress code is more refined. Passengers might choose to wear tuxedos, suits, khakis with button-downs and blazers, cocktail dresses or sparkly ball gowns.

On my sailing, the ship also had "tropical" and "white" listed on the daily schedule as suggested attire. Pack accordingly.

Bottom line

MSC Meraviglia is a beautiful ship with great food, shows and public spaces, but it has a few pain points.

In addition to feeling crowded, the vessel charges extra for many things that will make your overall cruise better. If you're on a strict budget, either resign yourself to doing only the free activities and eating in the main dining room and buffet, or plan to sail with a different cruise line.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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7 Things I Learned On An MSC Cruise Ship

When I have a client who has never cruised before I always start with MSC. But since they are the “new” ship on the block, inevitably my clients ask “Is an MSC cruise good?” I went on a 3-night voyage on the MSC Meraviglia to the Bahamas. I then went on a 7-night cruise from Brooklyn on the same ship. Here are the 7 things I learned while I was on my MSC cruise ship.

Organization Is Not A Strong Point

Unfortunately, the organization of MSC is very subpar. I think that they need to revamp their embarkation process. They had a lot of issues with getting guests onto the ship. One of their issues was their method of managing all mandatory requirements before sailing. It requires passengers to bring their travel documentation with them.

I even saw entire families waiting in the holding area because they were being denied entry! That’s why I encourage all of my clients to get travel insurance either through the company or better yet with my personal choice Safety Wing !

Inevitably, there were many passengers who didn’t, and that immediately created lines. Luckily we arrived a couple of hours earlier so we didn’t have to wait too long. Unfortunately, others were not so lucky. Our ship was supposed to leave Port Canaveral, Florida at 4 p.m., and there were still lines at 6 p.m.

There needs to be a different more streamlined process because it created a bit of chaos and a little bit of disorganization. Another one of their disorganization issues revolves around the mandatory evacuation drills. Most cruises that I’ve been on have a seamless process, MSC not so much. Disney Cruise Lines shines in this department .

During the chaos of embarkation, they made several shipwide announcements to all passengers to voluntarily report to the muster station. A good portion of the travelers on the ship had never heard of this drill before!

Travel Tip: Muster Station Safety Drill

MSC’s muster drill was a series of announcements over the ship’s system demanding that “all passengers report to their muster station.” If you didn’t know what that was, you were not reporting. Even if you did know where it was, you didn’t know where to find it! This only added to the chaos that was embarkation. This is absolutely NOT one of the things that make MSC cruises good.

Cleanliness, Beauty, and Dining Are Where They Shine

The MSC Meraviglia is beautiful. There really isn’t any other way to describe it. It looks like it’s brand new, and has never been used. It smelled new, it was shiny and it literally sparkled. And by literally, I mean that the stairs literally sparkled! Seriously, they are made of Swarovski crystals and are absolutely breathtaking.

The rooms were very clean too. Honestly, it oozed “modern.” We stayed in a standard balcony stateroom and it was slightly larger than other cruise lines we’ve sailed. The bathroom was spotless, and for me, that is a big win. As with all cruise staterooms, the bathroom was on the smaller side, but it was overlooked because of how clean it was.

Travel Tip: Make sure you bring an adapter if you want to blow dry or straighten your hair in the bathroom. Since it is a European ship, they only had Euro power outlets in the bathroom. These are the ones I recommend .

The Food! Things I Learned On An MSC Cruise Ship–EAT ALL THE FOOD!

By day two we were loving every bit of food we ate. I don’t remember having one piece of food that I did not like. The quality is fresh and the variety is acceptable in the buffet area. I particularly liked the breakfast options. The variety of pastries alone made me wish I was back.

Their main dining hall was at the back of the ship and offered spectacular views. We ate there for what we affectionately called “dinner” at the earliest time 6 p.m. and found that the menu did not change, at all. That made our ventures into the specialty restaurants which we called “supper” that much more eventful.

We ended up eating at several of their specialty restaurants, and they are worth every penny of added expense. The options were:

Hola! Tacos & Cantina
Butcher’s Cut
Kaito Teppanyaki and Sushi
Main Dining Buffet

One of the negatives was the bars/lounges. Most of them were closed for our cruise. We were told that it was because of a staffing issue. I think that they need to improve this in order to improve their US-based customers.

Travel Tip: Try a drink when you are on a cruise that is different than anything you’ve ever had! If you like it, at least you’ve found a new drink! If you don’t, at least you tried!

They Are Very Family Friendly

Some cruise lines excel at family-friendly activities. MSC is one of them. First, moms of littles, you will be happy to learn that MSC offers a fun playroom for children under 3! Most places don’t offer that service!

They also have plenty of amenities that cater to older kids. There is a basketball court that converts to a teen nightclub at night, an ice cream bar, a virtual reality arcade, LEGO rooms, computer labs, and more!

What sets them apart, however, is that they have activities for families that like to think outside the box. I call these families “learning families” because they try to have moments with their kids while on vacation. MSC offers that with multiple “teaching with experiences” activities.

They aren’t just fun and games, they offer cooking classes, language classes, and immersive cultural tours while on location.

But when it comes to fun and games, they offer enough varieties to keep the kiddos entertained.

I Like How They Are Growing Their U.S. Fleet

MSC will have 2 new ships in 2022, the MSC Seascape and World Europa. They will then have 5 ships sailing in the USA throughout the year. Each of these ships has that unique new “flair” that MSC ships seem to offer. The word that comes to mind is sophisticated.

They are building a new port in Miami which will be the furthest and last built in a state-of-the-art cruise terminal that will open in late 2023. The key takeaway I got was that MSC is a higher-end cruise line. Their amenities and services are not for those who are looking for budget or party cruises.

In April of 2023, they will start sailing from New York City, which is such a benefit to my fellow northeast peeps! MSC Seascape will make its home there. MSC also announced that they will be launching World Europa, their largest ship in the fleet, and her sister ship MSC Americana.

I’d be cautious about booking cruises on those first cruises out of either new port. I’m sure it is not going to be organized. You’ll definitely want to avoid booking after they’ve been returning from a foreign country as the entire crew has to be inspected and the crew has to participate in Coast Guard drills, etc. That means lines, and waiting and we already know they aren’t good at that.

The Yacht Club Upgrade is Essential

MSC’s Yacht Club is an exclusive white glove service upgrade. They market it as a ship within a ship. It’s geared towards the more open-minded explorers w/higher education or more experience with travel. Yacht Club members are the travelers who when they arrive at a destination experience it. They go to museums, visit locals and eat at dive restaurants.

The Yacht Club amenities are worth taking a look at. Not only do you have access to your own wing of the ship in larger staterooms, but you also are treated like royalty!

On the ship, the Yacht Club experience is designed to give you 360 sea views at all times. In their private area on board, Yacht Club members receive:

Private white-glove butler service
Espresso machine (in-room)
Pillow menu
20-hour private concierge
Premium open bar
Private area for shows
Priority boarding and disembarkation (which allows them to avoid the lines)
A dedicated private beach area at Ocean Kay (private island)
Yacht Club Only restaurant with Michelin star chefs
Private pool and whirlpools
So much more!

In my opinion, it represents the future of cruising. On some of the newer ships, the Yacht Club is going to feel like you are in a 5-star resort in the middle of the ocean.

The Private Island is…Spectacular

There really isn’t much more to say than that. It’s the Bahamas, so you can already assume that the island was going to be nice. But MSC made it a mission to repurpose this island into the beautiful paradise it was.

The private island has a wedding venue and a pavilion. I would definitely be adding it to the list of best places for your destination wedding or honeymoon . Bimini Beach is on the list and I try to visit it as much as I can!

I highly recommend choosing a cruise that spends the night on the island so that you can witness the lighthouse light show!

Their Customer Service Leaves A Lot To Be Desired

It seems like a lot of the staff was not knowledgeable about certain things. It was almost as if they were new to the ship and didn’t know how to properly do their particular job. Throughout the entire trip, I heard guests complain about the customer service. One passenger stated that a staff’s response to a customer issue was “oh well.”

I didn’t personally have any issues, but whenever I had a question, I did find it a little unprofessional that the staff I asked usually couldn’t answer it. I spoke with a logistics coordinator for MSC in the shipping sector who was also on this cruise and she stated:

One of the issues people were having was with the credit card on file. Most cruise lines allow guests to use the credit card that they used to book their cruise for additional expenses. If you purchase anything you’ll just get a bill at the end of the cruise, and that’s it! Again, MSC does things differently.

They require clients to add a card either at check-in or at one of their kiosks for charges on board. This caused confusion, especially for travelers who are used to just having their card added for them automatically.

The credit card situation came back again when we were checking out of the ship. Passengers couldn’t disembark until they “settled their bill” prior to leaving. Most cruise lines do that for you. Very chaotic.

If you are sailing to the Caribbean, my answer is not quite yet. I think they need to get a year or two into the U.S. market before they are ready for the accolades of other companies. On the other hand, if you are cruising in Europe, I wouldn’t go with any other brand.

I do think that if you are a seasoned cruiser, you’ll definitely like the “up-scale” nature of MSC. If you would like to book your MSC cruise at some AMAZING rates! Click here to schedule a consultation with me!

The post 7 Things I Learned On An MSC Cruise Ship appeared first on Teach Travel Discover .

When I have a client who has never cruised before I always start with MSC. But since they are the “new” ship on the block, inevitably my clients ask “Is an MSC cruise good?” I went on a 3-night voyage on the MSC Meraviglia to the Bahamas. I then went on a 7-night cruise from...

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MINI HOTEL BANIFATSIY - Lodge Reviews (Elektrostal, Russia)

Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast /

Restaurant features in Elektrostal

Sights of Elektrostal, Moscow region

Table of contents:, history of the city, park of culture and leisure, historical and art museum, october cultural center, kristall ice palace, memorial complex, museum and exhibition complex.

2024 Author : Harold Hamphrey | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

In the Moscow region there is a small cozy town Elektrostal. Its sights for the most part have no historical value due to the fact that the city has a relatively small history. But for a visiting tourist or city dweller, they will be of interest. There is something to see, where to go to have an exciting leisure time.

Today the population of the city is 158 thousand people. Until the beginning of the 20th century there were several small workers' settlements here. After the opening of the electrometallurgical and equipment factories, the place began to be called the natural boundary of Calm. The construction of the railway made this settlement accessible, and workers and families flocked here to earn money. In 1925, the station was named Elektrostal, and the rapid increase in population allowed the village to receive the status of a city.

The founder of the city is a prominent Russian industrialist Nikolai Vtorov. It was he who opened the plant here, creating, in fact, a city-forming enterprise that is still operating. In Soviet times, it was a closed facility, and it was not easy to get to work here.

Today Elektrostal is a promising industrial city with a great future and a heroic past. It bears the proud name "City of Military and Labor Glory".

You can learn about the sights of Elektrostal with descriptions and photos here. There are places for walking, outdoor activities and cultural development.

sights of the electric steel of the Moscow region

Those who come to the city by train are met by a monument to the metallurgist. It was installed in November 2017 for the 100th anniversary of the Elektrostal plant. The attraction is made in the style of constructivism. The monument quickly won the love of the townspeople, because this city is supported by ordinary workers.

Elektrostal attractions photo with description

Elektrost altsy and the founding father of the plant, Nikolai Vtorov, are honored. In 2002, a monument was opened in honor of him, which became a landmark of the city of Elektrostal. The bronze sculpture is installed on the site where once stood a monument to the leader of the world proletariat, V. I. Lenin. Times change, characters change. Today, the plant, founded a century ago, is the largest in Russia. Vtorov himself, whose fortune was estimated at 60 million rubles in gold, according to Forbes magazine, was the owner of the largest capital at the beginning of the century. He was a banker, an industrialist, an entrepreneur, a man of action.

The monument was erected byinitiative of the townspeople who wished to perpetuate the monument to the great man.

One of the popular places for spending weekends and evenings among citizens and guests of the city is the Park of Culture and Leisure. Here you can ride attractions for children and adults, play slot machines, rollerblade or bike. The park is divided into two zones. Fans of unhurried walks in the fresh air make a promenade on the Quiet Alley, and those who prefer outdoor activities flock to the Entertainment Alley. The park has a summer stage, where concerts and cafes are regularly held.

Until 1999, there was no central museum among the attractions of Elektrostal in the Moscow Region. The expositions were exhibited in schools, the house of culture, in factory museums. The city was closed, so there was no large influx of tourists and visitors. The appearance of the historical and art museum made it possible for residents and guests of the city to learn a lot of useful information about their native land, the formation of the production process, and the difficult years of the war. The exposition consists of paintings by local artists, historical artifacts, household items, documents, books and much more. The collection is updated regularly. It also hosts outdoor exhibitions, which are always popular with the townspeople.

One of the main attractions of Elektrostal, the photo of which is available to almost every resident or visitor, is the Main Alley. On herpassers-by like to stroll along shady paths, townspeople rest by the fountain after a hard shift at the plant. Flower beds are the decoration of the alley. In 2006, a flower festival was held here for the first time, which has become traditional. Each enterprise of the city and private individuals give residents a real composition of fresh flowers, which pleases with bright colors all summer long. A riot of colors, aromas and a flight of fantasy reigns here. Walking through the park, you can see Snow White with a basket, a bright well, a multi-tiered cake made from fresh flowers, hearts of lovers or a fabulous house. It is almost impossible not to take a photo against the background of these compositions.

There is a cultural center in the city. It hosts performances by local creative teams and visiting stars, performances and circus performances.

In 1971, the ice palace "Crystal" was opened in the city. Almost immediately, a children's and youth hockey team was organized, which gained sports fame. This is the home sports arena for the Elektrostal hockey team. Matches of different levels are held on the ice.

There are sections for children who go in for hockey or figure skating. Citizens come here with their families to cheer for their favorite team or go ice skating.

Elektrostal is a city with a heroic past. During the war years, more than 12 thousand citizens came to the recruiting station and went to the front to defend their homeland. Almost 4 thousand of them did not return from the battle. To these heroesdedicated to the memorial complex with the inextinguishable Eternal Flame, opened in 1968

But the electricians took part in the war in Afghanistan and Chechnya. By decision of the city authorities, their memory is also immortalized in the memorial complex.

It has become a good tradition for newlyweds to lay flowers at this monument.

In 1999, a museum and exhibition complex was opened in the city, where, in addition to the exhibition hall, there are numerous circles for children, classes for young people, and a creative workshop. Various festivals, exhibitions, city holidays and other events are held within the walls and on the territory of the complex, which attract many spectators.

Listing the sights of Elektrostal, it is impossible not to mention the temples. There are several of them in the city: the church of St. John of Kronstadt, St. Andrew's Church, the hospital church of St. Panteleimon. Another new church is being built. In appearance, the temples look ancient, monumental, in the Novgorod style. But they were all built at the end of the 20th century.

Let there be no ancient artifacts among the sights of Elektrostal. But on the other hand, all of them are connected with the history of the city, with everyday work and military exploits of ordinary residents.

Recreation centers and boarding houses of the Moscow region allow you to comfortably spend weekends, vacations, celebrate an anniversary or holidays. Constantly busy Muscovites take the opportunity to escape from the embrace of the capital to recuperate, improve their he alth, think or just be with family and friends. Each district of the Moscow region has its own tourist places

Cities of the Moscow region. City of Moscow, Moscow Region: photo. City of Dzerzhinsky, Moscow region

Moscow region is the most populous subject of the Russian Federation. There are 77 cities on its territory, of which 19 have more than 100 thousand inhabitants, there are many industrial enterprises and cultural and educational institutions, and there is also a huge potential for the development of domestic tourism

Chekhov, Moscow region. Russia, Moscow region, Chekhov

This article will tell you about the amazing village. He literally from the first visit manages to fall in love with almost every traveler

Pushchino, Moscow region. Pushchino on the map. Sanatorium "Pushchino", Moscow region

In the south of the Moscow region, about 80 km from the capital, on the banks of the Oka River (at the confluence of the Lyubozhikha River) is one of the scientific centers of Russia - the Science City of Pushchino. Its population is just over 20,000 people

The most interesting sights of Pushkin Leningrad region. City of Pushkino, Moscow Region

Pushkin is the nearest suburb of St. Petersburg, mentioned in many works of art and official documents as Tsarskoye Selo (renamed in 1937)

Popular for the day

Beaches of Chelyabinsk. City beaches of Chelyabinsk

Urban-type settlements beyond the Moscow Ring Road - where to settle?

Darasun resort is a great place for rest and recovery

Strastnoy Boulevard is part of the Boulevard Ring of Moscow

Nikitsky Gate - a square in the historical center of Moscow

Boulevard Ring - a landmark of the Russian capital

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PEKIN, Elektrostal - Lenina Ave. 40/8 - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

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What It's Like To Take a Luxury Cruise With MSC Yacht Club
MSC Yacht Club: Is It Really Worth It?
MSC Yacht Club Perks: 8 Amenities Worth the Splurge
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I tried the cheapest MSC Cruises Yacht Club suite. Here's what to know
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The Steve's Review of MSC Seaside's Yacht Club. Steve (DOS) and I sailed MSC's Seaside cruise ship for the first time this past week; October 15 - 22, 2023 for a 7 night cruise to MSC's Ocean Cay (MSC's private island in the Bahamas), Costa Maya, and Cozumel Mexico. As this was a new cruise line for us, I'll detail my/our ...
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On MSC Splendida, the Yacht Club lounge is on deck 15 all the way to the front. The area is really nice and well-designed. There is a concierge desk that takes care of all the yacht club passengers' needs; more about that later. Next to the concierge, there is a great big lounge with couches and tables.
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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.
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Book Mini Hotel Banifatsiy, Elektrostal on Tripadvisor: See 8 traveller reviews, 9 candid photos, and great deals for Mini Hotel Banifatsiy, ranked #2 of 10 Speciality lodging in Elektrostal and rated 3.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor.
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Шашлык Club, Elektrostal
Шашлык Club #198 among Elektrostal restaurants: 1 review by visitors. Find on the map and call to book a table. Log In. English . Español . Русский . ... Frequently mentioned in reviews. food delivery takeaway. Ratings of Шашлык Club. Yandex. 4. 1 . Visitors' opinions on Шашлык Club / 1.
Sights of Elektrostal, Moscow region
Last modified: 2023-08-04 02:36. In the Moscow region there is a small cozy town Elektrostal. Its sights for the most part have no historical value due to the fact that the city has a relatively small history. But for a visiting tourist or city dweller, they will be of interest. There is something to see, where to go to have an exciting leisure ...
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PEKIN, Elektrostal
Pekin. Unclaimed. Review. Save. Share. 17 reviews #12 of 28 Restaurants in Elektrostal $$ - $$$ Asian. Lenina Ave., 40/8, Elektrostal 144005 Russia +7 495 120-35-45 Website + Add hours Improve this listing. See all (5) Enhance this page - Upload photos!