hamrag

YC has Premium Extra 'plus' i.e. drinks included in the Premium Extra package plus a small number that are slightly above the pricing threshold. However, to answer your real question, yes outwith YC Premium Extra is the deal all around the ship.

About a decade ago we had a very close call for a Barcelona departure. Our mid morning flight on sailing day was ultimately delayed by 6 hours. The saving grace was that our ship departure was 8pm. We called ahead when boarding the plane to advise the cruiseline, who assured us they would wait for us all being well flightwise etc. Fortunately we landed about 7pm, luggage was swift and we managed to talk our way to the front of taxi queue. We boarded just after 8pm, and immediately the gangway was raised. Since then we mitigate risk, for short haul we fly previous day no later than early afternoon. For long haul we go at least two days prior. For Cape Town, with limited alternative options we'd probably go three days prior.

The answer for dining depends very much on how sensitively your hassleometer calibration is set! 😉 As others have reported, there is no direct indoors route but (for us) it was no problem in the slightest on her sister ship Preziosa. There is no doubt, for those who do not wish to 'muss your hair do', wind would be a factor outdoors at dinner with the ship moving. The pool deck is comparable, aside from the fact the sunbeds have no cushions.

Yes, direct access from the corridor.

That was my thought also reading this thread, and another complication could be weather as November is notorious for fog in the Med!

Exactly that!

There is no specified amount, but emergency cover is generally up to a couple of million! This, from the UK website: https://www.msccruises.co.uk/manage-booking/before-you-go/covid-protection-plan

Expect nothing on Virtuosa or Grandiosa, other than towels and sunbeds totally shaded under the wrap around overhang above the Sky Lounge. There is NO bar or food available. For drinks, on demand the guy at the entrance area calls the nearest bar. After half an hour, and a reminder to chase them, a very grumpy attendant will arrive and take your order. They will NOT get hot drinks for you, as 'they will be cool by the time I get here'!! My advice....forget it, but if you do I'd go for our drinks myself. It's truly a joke, we used it once and departed after an hour....never again! When we were on Seaview a few months ago, it's a totally different set up with a generous sun deck and a full bar in the area. Night and day different from Virtuosa. My guess would be that all the Seaxxxxx whatever name ships have same, so much better.

What I take is the policy document page, showing names covered and policy number etc. the page with everything covered and the maximum amount covered for each, and also any further references to Covid-19. From memory, that's 4 pages in all but they don't read it....I generally use a highlighter across the Covid-19 references and emergency cover amount.

All on MSC, no hassle at all. The Staysure product covers Covid-19 so all they need is the evidence within the policy that you are covered. They do not read through all of the policy, if they did then the embarkation process would take a few days rather than a few hours.

Same, and cruised 3 times since purchasing our annual policy.

I am not sure, but routine 'Butler service' for us is neither here nor there. Any non routine requests should be provided, I'd be 99% certain of that!

There is no way this can impact your overall YC experience. You will have full access to the YC enclave, and only need to leave there to access your cabin....def not a problem, in my opinion, having now sailed sailed 5 YC cruises. 😉 Do remember the Duplex is perfect for you, and nothing like it exists in the YC enclave. That is the reason MSC have now given them full YC status.

The same, and we love both ships! On vacation, the TV is not a concern for us. 😉

As always, well written and clearly expressed JAGR. Hadn't thought of it in those terms, for a non-YC ship....although that ship has sailed for us (pun intended)!!

The best advice I can offer is book it, before it disappears from view! Do note the Duplex is outwith the YC enclave, but still has the benefit of all YC facilities....and is the only YC cabin type with two bathrooms, incredibly even the Royal Suite only has one!!

There is no comparison. We sailed Aurea on Virtuosa in September last year, which does have YC but was exorbitantly priced, and both agreed that going forward it was YC or nothing with MSC. The dining experience was poor, and the spaciousness of the YC enclave we really missed that. We sailed Grandiosa YC last month, which affirmed our thinking absolutely following the non-YC cruise on Virtuosa.

Yes, abundant glass bottles of water.

No privacy!

exactly that.

Permit me to disagree, you have written our own thoughts re YC much better than I could have expressed it. The experience is waaaay greater than the sum of all the constituent parts of the YC, absolutely no doubt. That said, I don't think the OP is getting a fair deal if paying $1600 more and losing $300 OBC for a YIN cabin.....deluxe suite, yes. Even as a YC fan, I'd struggle to justify that amount for a YIN!

Get a taxi straight from hotel to ship, for YC you board at a time suitable to you...ignore any time listed on your ticket, and enjoy!

Service charges are included in the cruise pricing in the UK.

No, they don't stick around like gum. If you need anything, the go to place is the YC concierge as first port of call.

Yes, it appears to be madness, but....IMHO, the reason the original daily restocking full minibar is no longer available is because of those who twice daily emptied all alcoholic miniatures and loaded them into luggage to bring home! Seriously, we met some who freely admitted to doing so. 🤔