Who has switched their primary cruise line?

[Hlitner]

We often "preach" that variety is truly the spice of life when it comes to cruising.  So following our philosophy of always looking for new and exciting travel options, we recently completed our first MSC cruise (21 days) on the Divina in its highly rated Yacht Club.  This was our 15th cruise line (over about 45 years of cruising) and in some ways was the best!  The Yacht Club concept (quite unique in the cruise world) was a near perfect fit to our own wants.  The level of service blew away anything we have experienced on the other 14 lines, including some high-end lines such as Crystal.  

 

Sure, we could have booked more of the same (we qualify for lots of perks on many lines) but the reality is that many of the loyalty perks are not that big of a deal.  What we experienced on the Divina (keep in mind it was our first cruise with MSC) was well beyond the perks we have received on lines such as Celebrity, RCI, Princess, HAL, etc. where we qualify for all that loyalty stuff.  Our next booked cruise will be on our 16th cruise line, and then back to Princess and MSC :).  I guess some folks really enjoy the familiarity of sticking with the same line, but for us, the adventure of something new is just so much fun.  And I will admit that being on a line where the menus and menu items were all new, the shows were totally new, etc., was a great experience.  Normally I do not gain much weight on cruises anymore (even 2 month cruises) but on MSC I managed to put on 8 pounds on a 21 day cruise (ouch).  If we had simply booked an alternative cruise with Celebrity (we are Elite Plus with that line) we would have experienced several production show that we had seen multiple times, had many of the same items at dinner, etc.  Yes, change is good 🙂

 

Hank

[Lois R]

Hi Hank, The Yacht Club is the "Ship within the ship" concept, right? You have your own private areas and it prohibits anyone that is not in a suite from going to those areas, right? 

[Hlitner]

6 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Hank, The Yacht Club is the "Ship within the ship" concept, right? You have your own private areas and it prohibits anyone that is not in a suite from going to those areas, right? 

Absolutely correct.  The YC's area on the Divina (3 decks far forward) are sealed off from the ship and entrance if via electronic doors activated by our cruise cards.  When coming from the hustle and bustle of the regular ship into the YC it often felt like we were on our own Yacht.   The YC's huge Top Sail Lounge (20 hours a day of unlimited drinks and a changing buffet of snacks) is often quite empty.  This large lounge spans the entire bow with terrific views.  There is even live entertainment a few hours every evening.  Many times we were in that Lounge with fewer then 10 passengers and about 6 staff :).  The YC Sundeck is quite private and has more then enough loungers to serve anyone who wants to be on the deck.  There is also excellent drink service, as well as breakfast (limited options) and lunch.  The YC has its own dining room  (Le Muse) at the opposite end of the ship that can accommodate everyone whenever they show-up for breakfast, lunch or dinner on all days (including port days).  The menus in Le Muse are different from the MDRs, quality is much better, and service amazing.  Of course all this comes at a price...which is significantly higher then most accommodations outside the YC.

 

Many of the YC cabins, although called suites, are more like deluxe balcony cabins (just over 200 sq feet).  We had one of those "normal" YC1 cabins which was slightly larger then regular balconies on some lines.  Our cabin did have a small walk-in closet and our bathroom had a full size tub with shower.  The mini-bar is stocked to the passenger's specifications and restocked (several times a day if necessary) at no extra charge.

 

Hank

[champagne123]

Hi Hank.  I have read a couple of your posts on MSC, including the review on the Celebrity threads.  We also do not stick with any "one" cruise line, as we love them all for different reasons.   We have the Divina booked for January and the Meraviglia booked in October.  This will be our first time on MSC and very impressed with your synopsis of this cruise line. However, we are not booked in the YC, but may book it on the Seaside in 2020.  

There is really only one thing that bothers me. You and many others have stated..."almost empty" in the areas of the YC.  Although this may have many advantages (no chair hogs, etc.),  my husband and I are very social.  We like meeting and speaking with new people and have formed many life long cruising buddies over the years.  If these places are practically empty....where is everybody?  Lol   Does everyone venture out of the YC?  Thank you for any info you can provide.

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, champagne123 said:

Hi Hank.  I have read a couple of your posts on MSC, including the review on the Celebrity threads.  We also do not stick with any "one" cruise line, as we love them all for different reasons.   We have the Divina booked for January and the Meraviglia booked in October.  This will be our first time on MSC and very impressed with your synopsis of this cruise line. However, we are not booked in the YC, but may book it on the Seaside in 2020.  

There is really only one thing that bothers me. You and many others have stated..."almost empty" in the areas of the YC.  Although this may have many advantages (no chair hogs, etc.),  my husband and I are very social.  We like meeting and speaking with new people and have formed many life long cruising buddies over the years.  If these places are practically empty....where is everybody?  Lol   Does everyone venture out of the YC?  Thank you for any info you can provide.

Keep in mind that our experience is limited to only 21 days on the Divina.  But your concern is valid and is something that did cause DW and me to alter our onboard schedule on the Divina.  The Top Sail Lounge is terrific, but not the ideal place to socialize because of the huge size of the room.  But we really improved our YC social life by spending some time sitting at the Top Sail Bar (folks tend to socialize at the bar).  We also wondered where everyone went and did ask some questions.  The simple answer is they are out and about the remainder of the vessel.  Many in the YC spent time in the casino or other bars/loungers that offered entertainment.  The nightly entertainment we had in the YC was very sedate and provided by either a smooth jazz duo (excellent) or another violin/piano duo that focused on classical music.  Outside of the YC, we spent many hours in the Luna Bar where there was an excellent rock duo who quickly became our favorite entertainment.  

 

But we learned to love the fact that we could always come back to the YC when we wanted to get away from the "masses" and relax with superior cocktails :).  And the YC's sundeck is an excellent alternative to the crowded regular decks where loungers are crammed against each other and folks are always struggling to find an empty lounger (never a problem on our "One" Pool deck.  Our only criticism of our private YC sun deck was the lack of cushions for the loungers (something one would normally expect at this price point).

 

We also had an issue with the YC's restaurant (Le Muse).  The restaurant is primarily 2-tops and does not lend itself to folks who want to share a large table (sharing was never done at Le Muse).  If you want to dine with another couple you would generally need to befriend them elsewhere and then request a table for 4 when you show up at Le Muse.  Otherwise, you will automatically be guided to a table for 2.  They did have some larger tables, but they were used by families or friends traveling together.  On other cruise lines with Open Sitting, DW and I will often tell the Maitre'd that we want to share a large table (for us this is a lot of fun).  That option does not exist in the YC....at least on our two cruises.

 

Another big negative issue on the Divina is the lack of pool loungers in the shade.  The YC One Sun Deck is almost all in the full sun although one can certainly find a chair that might keep the sun out of your eyes.  Even around the rest of the ship, shade is at a big premium.  We stayed aboard at several ports, when the ship was pretty empty of cruisers, and would sometimes go down to the main pool deck where we could find a shady spot during the port day.  But on sea days, you would have to be up early to get one of those valuable loungers in the shade.  Ironically, the one decent shady spot in the "One" pool deck is in the pool :).  For some strange reason, MSC put a large awning over part of the pool area.  On one sunny hot day we noticed one YC member who stood in the water at one corner of the pool (where he was in the shade) and read his book as he sipped his drink (both on the side of the pool).  We thought it was funny until we also spent a lot of time in that pool during the hot day.  There is one section at the "One" where there are some tables with umbrellas, but this is part of the smoking area that we preferred to avoid.  There is also an eating/drinking area at the "One" which does have some shade provided by a large awning and some tables with umbrellas (which cannot be used if its a very windy day).

 

One final issue.  MSC is a very International cruise line where native English speaking folks can be in the minority.  DW and I are very comfortable with International travel (our only language barrier problems have happened in London) but language does often put a crimp in socialization.  We quickly made friends with two other couples in the YC, one from France and the other German.  Although they all spoke some English and we speak a teeny bit of French...lengthy conversation was a problem.  So while we might chat for a few minutes in the Top Sail Lounge or say hello in Le Muse, dining with those folks would have been trying.

 

Hank

[champagne123]

Thank you so much Hank.  This is the exact detailed  information I was looking for and needed.  As amazing as the YC sounds, I really do not think it is for us.  I understand why many people do not care for crowds and too many people, but I would prefer it to what you have described.  I'm sure your experience was probably on target after spending 21 straight days there.  I painstakingly chose the 2 cabins for the Aurora experience on both the Divina and the Meraviglia and I am sure we will be very happy.  I think perhaps I will do the same for the Seaside.  

 

On the flip side, your critique probably convinced many people to try the YC, as many people prefer peace and serenity!!!!    Thank you soooo very much! 

[LHT28]

wonder if it is  a matter of switching lines  or just finding a line that suits you better

Everyone has priorities in choosing  a cruise line  some tick more boxes than others 

I choose a line that ticks  the most boxes to suit us & our  style of cruising

YMMV

[Aquahound]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

wonder if it is  a matter of switching lines  or just finding a line that suits you better

 

I think that pretty much goes hand-in-hand.  I can't speak for everyone but as I grow, the line(s) that suit me better are changing.  

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, champagne123 said:

Thank you so much Hank.  This is the exact detailed  information I was looking for and needed.  As amazing as the YC sounds, I really do not think it is for us.  I understand why many people do not care for crowds and too many people, but I would prefer it to what you have described.  I'm sure your experience was probably on target after spending 21 straight days there.  I painstakingly chose the 2 cabins for the Aurora experience on both the Divina and the Meraviglia and I am sure we will be very happy.  I think perhaps I will do the same for the Seaside.  

 

On the flip side, your critique probably convinced many people to try the YC, as many people prefer peace and serenity!!!!    Thank you soooo very much! 

We spoke to several folks who really enjoyed the Aurora Experience :).  We could have also been OK with the "masses" but stuck to the YC for our next MSC cruise primarily because of the amazing YC service and having meals in Le Muse.   Must admit that we did avail ourselves of lunch in the Lido a few times (instead of Le Muse or on our pool deck) because we loved the availability of a nice salad bar and the terrific pizza.  For those that don't know, MSC truly offers pizza for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even late night snacks.  And the pizza is fantastic be in in the Lido or the Eately.   I could not believe it when I saw the breakfast pizza in the Lido, which was pizza topped with sunny side up eggs.  Too funny, but actually quite popular.  All pizza on MSC is hand made with decent toppings.  The various white pizzas in the Lido were among the best white pizza I have ever tasted.  

 

Hank

[Host Jazzbeau]

When we started cruising in earnest in 2011 we consciously decided not to stick with one cruise line until we had sampled enough to pick a favorite.  We have taken 18 cruises on ships ranging from 28 to 2,852 passengers on 9 different cruise lines.  Thanks to the joint Celebrity-Azamara loyalty program we have reached Elite status there, but that was not intended [although the benefits are welcome].  Looking over our history the more noticeable shift, rather than cruise lines, has been cabin level:  the first 5 cruises were in Insides, then we moved up to Verandas (and OceanViews on ships that didn't have many Veranda choices), and lately to Suites.  [Warning: each step up is addictive!]

 

But when you look at the cruises we have booked and are looking at, there is a strong trend to small ships, e.g. Azamara (690 pax), Australis (210), Ponant (184), river cruises (~150).  We might consider a ship-within-a-ship like the MSC Yacht Club – especially for the Caribbean where we don't care much about the ports – but in the Mediterranean and other areas we want to visit smaller ports that can't accommodate large ships, and to do country-intensive itineraries like those on Azamara and Ponant.

 

So we're still not loyal to any one line – although I note that a few more Azamara cruises will bump us to the next loyalty level which comes with a special bonus of 6 free nights in the same category cabin you typically book, so I see some suites on Azamara coming up!  [That will be the only time loyalty rewards have steered our choices, and still only if Azamara has an enticing itinerary at a good time for us to travel.]

[Iamcruzin]

Princess has been our go to cruise line since 1991. While we like the service and ships we are limited to Caribbean itineraries at this point in our life. Princes just hadn't  offered anything in the time frame that we want which is May/early June for a few years. For that reason we ventured out to Celebrity who had Bermuda itineraries during this time period from Cape Liberty and a Repo that starts in San Juan and ends at Cape Liberty.  We are sailing on Anthem in June because it's 9 days and we don't have to fly to port. If Princess had an itinerary that interested me or if they ever decide to sail from the NY area during the summer I would defiantly book a cruise with them. While I'm still living here in the Northeast I will be looking towards lines that service this area since I'm spoiled now by not having to fly to port and I can book a cruise that's a bit longer than a 7 day Princess cruise from Ft Lauderdale.