MSC Yacht Club, Feb. 16-23 2019 compare to NCL Haven

[xznwfd]

Last year, my BFF and I tried a week on the NCL Escape in the Haven.  This year, my Significant Other the MI (Melancholy Italian) and I had a week on the MSC Seaside in the Yacht Club.  It was our first MSC cruise, and I did a lot of research before hand on these boards, so wanted to pay it forward a bit.  I won't cover every detail, but did want to make some comparisons between the 2 cruise lines and the 2 ship within a ship concepts.

 

Embarkation/Disembarking

Both YC and Haven have nice private lounges for boarding with expedited service.  Both offered snacks and drinks, and both escorted you to the lounge bypassing all lines.  Where MSC shone was in disembarking, our butler took us past every line (which were HUGE) and we were off the ship in less than 5 minutes.  MSC wins this first round!

 

Room

Last year we had an aft penthouse suite.  The room was huge, with a real bedroom and 2 bathrooms, and the balcony would have been perfect for ballroom dancing.  This year, we had a deluxe suite on MSC, which was more like a mini suite on Princess.  There was no division between the living area and the bed, and the bathroom, while lovely, was quite a bit smaller than the Haven bathroom.  Have to give this round to NCL.

 

Butler

No comparison.  Our butler this year was Glen, and he was an absolute delight.  He was always trying to think of things to do for us, including keeping the fridge stocked with a glass of Bailey's for the MI's morning coffee, and 2 glasses of Cabernet every evening for us to enjoy before bed.  Both the MI and I got dreadful colds (I blame flying into Orlando with dozens of sick kids on the plane) but he offered us hot tea with honey, offered to escort us to medical for cough medicine, and escorted us on and off the ship at every port and when we left the ship on Sad Saturday.  Last year we hardly saw our butler and he really did almost nothing for us.  MSC and the Yacht Club won this round hands down.

 

Private restaurant

MSC hands down again.  The staff was amazing, we had the same waiters for most meals and they quickly learned our preferences.  I loved that the menu changed every day for lunch and dinner, vs. the same choices every day in the Haven restaurant.  The Yacht Club homemade rolls, pastas and fish were all outstanding - better than anything I had in the Haven last year.  Really flawless experience.

 

Private lounge

MSC all the way.  The views from the lounge were amazing, where as the Haven was completely enclosed with no view.  Service was outstanding, we never waited more than one minute after sitting down for someone to offer us a drink.  The bar was huge, and they could, and did, make anything we asked for.  We also loved the little snacks available all day, not just candy like I saw in the Haven last year, but little sandwiches, fantastic salmon sushi, and things like cake pops and pastries.  The space is so large and open and very comfortable, and there is outside seating as well.  We spent a lot of time just relaxing here and enjoyed every minute.

 

Private pool deck

MSC again.  Lots of loungers, and the buffet area was great.  We had breakfast and a couple of lunches here and everything was fresh and good.  There wasn't much shade if you wanted a lounger, but there were shaded areas at the bar and tables so we were fine.  Again, excellent service all around.  

 

Mini bar

Loved having the mini bar free in the Yacht Club.  We enjoyed the nuts and Pringles, and any kind of soda was free as well.  They serve Coke products, which would have made my BFF very happy (only Pepsi on NCL).  There was also unlimited still and sparkling water and we enjoyed that a lot.  There was also fresh fruit and nice little treats at night, along with real champagne when we arrived in the room.  Once again, MSC wins the round.

 

Room steward

She was a ninja - rarely saw her, but our room was always immaculate and she was delightful when we saw her in the halls.  Our steward last year in the Haven was equally stellar so a tie for this round.  Staff all around the Seaside were warm and friendly, I never passed any staff member in the halls that didn't say hello and smile.  

 

Ship itself

We loved the atrium, so beautiful and bright.  The crystal stairs were fabulous, and the LED screens were amazing.  The ship was crowded, but so was the Escape last year.  Everything was clean and beautiful.  Shops were nice, but it was odd that there was no place to get small sundries you forgot (like cough syrup!).  The Venchi bar was fantastic - the #2 chocolate martini was one of the best drinks I've ever had.  The MI tried the F1 flight simulator and had fun, but didn't need to do it more than once.  We did not try the bowling but saw a lot of kids having a great time.  MSC wins again!

 

Entertainment

Best Shows On Any Cruise I've Been On!  (Celebrity, Princess, RCL, HAL and NCL).  The shows were fantastic!  The singers had wonderful voices, and the stunts and dancing were absolutely amazing.  I loved the shorter length and didn't notice any accents that detracted from the songs.  Really, really well done.  They made the shows on the Escape look like high school musicals (no offence to high school musicals).

 

Thermal Spa

This was NOT included in the Haven, but was free for Yacht Club members.  It was beautiful, loved the salt room and heated loungers.  I had a massage (only $70 booked ahead of the cruise) and it was one of the best I've ever had, with no hard sell afterward.  The spa on the Escape was equally lovely, but since it wasn't included in the Haven we didn't get to enjoy it.  I had given the MI 3 sessions with a personal trainer as a gift but he was only able to use one due to being under the weather.  He really enjoyed the one session he did do, and wished he could have done all three.  Once again MSC for the win.

 

Fellow passengers

We really enjoyed the international mix on the ship.  We met wonderful people from Canada (shout out to the delightful Peter and David from Toronto), Germany, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.  We didn't mind the announcements in 5 languages because they were infrequent and not invasive.  Almost everyone was polite and friendly.  It never felt like a booze cruise, but we did always welcome our return to our sanctuary in the Yacht Club.  MSC again!

 

Excursions

We had 2, one on St. Thomas (kayaking, hike and snorkel) and a boat ride to the beach by the airport in St. Martin.  Both were fine, and were enhanced by being escorted off the ship by our wonderful butler.  We bypassed all lines and had a private entrance when we came back to the ship.  Really well done and worth the money.

 

Price

NO comparison!  We paid 1/2 of what I paid for the Haven last year.  It was an absolutely amazing experience for the money, and I can't recommend it highly enough.  I hope to be back in the Yacht Club next year, and every year after that, God willing and the crick don't rise.  😉

 

I'm happy to answer questions, but wanted to put anyone who hasn't cruised the Yacht Club yet at ease - it was a wonderful, wonderful experience!  

 

Cathy and The MI

 

 

[xcell]

Thank you for the review...I was wondering why there weren't any new reviews of the YC.

 

We are going to the Seaside next Saturday.

 

Was the gelato and chocolate martinis included for the YC?

 

Anything we should not miss? Any hints?

[LorraineP]

57 minutes ago, xznwfd said:

Last year, my BFF and I tried a week on the NCL Escape in the Haven.  This year, my Significant Other the MI (Melancholy Italian) and I had a week on the MSC Seaside in the Yacht Club.  It was our first MSC cruise, and I did a lot of research before hand on these boards, so wanted to pay it forward a bit.  I won't cover every detail, but did want to make some comparisons between the 2 cruise lines and the 2 ship within a ship concepts.

 

Embarkation/Disembarking

Both YC and Haven have nice private lounges for boarding with expedited service.  Both offered snacks and drinks, and both escorted you to the lounge bypassing all lines.  Where MSC shone was in disembarking, our butler took us past every line (which were HUGE) and we were off the ship in less than 5 minutes.  MSC wins this first round!

 

Room

Last year we had an aft penthouse suite.  The room was huge, with a real bedroom and 2 bathrooms, and the balcony would have been perfect for ballroom dancing.  This year, we had a deluxe suite on MSC, which was more like a mini suite on Princess.  There was no division between the living area and the bed, and the bathroom, while lovely, was quite a bit smaller than the Haven bathroom.  Have to give this round to NCL.

 

Butler

No comparison.  Our butler this year was Glen, and he was an absolute delight.  He was always trying to think of things to do for us, including keeping the fridge stocked with a glass of Bailey's for the MI's morning coffee, and 2 glasses of Cabernet every evening for us to enjoy before bed.  Both the MI and I got dreadful colds (I blame flying into Orlando with dozens of sick kids on the plane) but he offered us hot tea with honey, offered to escort us to medical for cough medicine, and escorted us on and off the ship at every port and when we left the ship on Sad Saturday.  Last year we hardly saw our butler and he really did almost nothing for us.  MSC and the Yacht Club won this round hands down.

 

Private restaurant

MSC hands down again.  The staff was amazing, we had the same waiters for most meals and they quickly learned our preferences.  I loved that the menu changed every day for lunch and dinner, vs. the same choices every day in the Haven restaurant.  The Yacht Club homemade rolls, pastas and fish were all outstanding - better than anything I had in the Haven last year.  Really flawless experience.

 

Private lounge

MSC all the way.  The views from the lounge were amazing, where as the Haven was completely enclosed with no view.  Service was outstanding, we never waited more than one minute after sitting down for someone to offer us a drink.  The bar was huge, and they could, and did, make anything we asked for.  We also loved the little snacks available all day, not just candy like I saw in the Haven last year, but little sandwiches, fantastic salmon sushi, and things like cake pops and pastries.  The space is so large and open and very comfortable, and there is outside seating as well.  We spent a lot of time just relaxing here and enjoyed every minute.

 

Private pool deck

MSC again.  Lots of loungers, and the buffet area was great.  We had breakfast and a couple of lunches here and everything was fresh and good.  There wasn't much shade if you wanted a lounger, but there were shaded areas at the bar and tables so we were fine.  Again, excellent service all around.  

 

Mini bar

Loved having the mini bar free in the Yacht Club.  We enjoyed the nuts and Pringles, and any kind of soda was free as well.  They serve Coke products, which would have made my BFF very happy (only Pepsi on NCL).  There was also unlimited still and sparkling water and we enjoyed that a lot.  There was also fresh fruit and nice little treats at night, along with real champagne when we arrived in the room.  Once again, MSC wins the round.

 

Room steward

She was a ninja - rarely saw her, but our room was always immaculate and she was delightful when we saw her in the halls.  Our steward last year in the Haven was equally stellar so a tie for this round.  Staff all around the Seaside were warm and friendly, I never passed any staff member in the halls that didn't say hello and smile.  

 

Ship itself

We loved the atrium, so beautiful and bright.  The crystal stairs were fabulous, and the LED screens were amazing.  The ship was crowded, but so was the Escape last year.  Everything was clean and beautiful.  Shops were nice, but it was odd that there was no place to get small sundries you forgot (like cough syrup!).  The Venchi bar was fantastic - the #2 chocolate martini was one of the best drinks I've ever had.  The MI tried the F1 flight simulator and had fun, but didn't need to do it more than once.  We did not try the bowling but saw a lot of kids having a great time.  MSC wins again!

 

Entertainment

Best Shows On Any Cruise I've Been On!  (Celebrity, Princess, RCL, HAL and NCL).  The shows were fantastic!  The singers had wonderful voices, and the stunts and dancing were absolutely amazing.  I loved the shorter length and didn't notice any accents that detracted from the songs.  Really, really well done.  They made the shows on the Escape look like high school musicals (no offence to high school musicals).

 

Thermal Spa

This was NOT included in the Haven, but was free for Yacht Club members.  It was beautiful, loved the salt room and heated loungers.  I had a massage (only $70 booked ahead of the cruise) and it was one of the best I've ever had, with no hard sell afterward.  The spa on the Escape was equally lovely, but since it wasn't included in the Haven we didn't get to enjoy it.  I had given the MI 3 sessions with a personal trainer as a gift but he was only able to use one due to being under the weather.  He really enjoyed the one session he did do, and wished he could have done all three.  Once again MSC for the win.

 

Fellow passengers

We really enjoyed the international mix on the ship.  We met wonderful people from Canada (shout out to the delightful Peter and David from Toronto), Germany, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.  We didn't mind the announcements in 5 languages because they were infrequent and not invasive.  Almost everyone was polite and friendly.  It never felt like a booze cruise, but we did always welcome our return to our sanctuary in the Yacht Club.  MSC again!

 

Excursions

We had 2, one on St. Thomas (kayaking, hike and snorkel) and a boat ride to the beach by the airport in St. Martin.  Both were fine, and were enhanced by being escorted off the ship by our wonderful butler.  We bypassed all lines and had a private entrance when we came back to the ship.  Really well done and worth the money.

 

Price

NO comparison!  We paid 1/2 of what I paid for the Haven last year.  It was an absolutely amazing experience for the money, and I can't recommend it highly enough.  I hope to be back in the Yacht Club next year, and every year after that, God willing and the crick don't rise.  😉

 

I'm happy to answer questions, but wanted to put anyone who hasn't cruised the Yacht Club yet at ease - it was a wonderful, wonderful experience!  

 

Cathy and The MI

 

 

Great comparison. Also did Haven on Breakaway & YC on Seaside. When we got off of the Haven we said never again, not worth it. Got off YC & booked the next day for November 2019, can’t wait. Best cruise experience ever & have been cruising since 1970. 

[Nashna]

Thank you for your review.  We are sailing in the YC next year on Divina.  The last few years, we have been searching for a cruise home.  We are trying MSC due to some very persuasive HAL passengers on our January cruise.  They had gone on their first MSC YC cruise last December and while they enjoyed the Koningsdam cruise, were bemoaning the fact that they had to search for a pool chair and lines were long.  The last day of our cruise, another random passenger started telling us how they would only cruise in YC in the future.  We started researching YC the day after we arrived home.  We are looking for that extra bit of pampering which seems to be missing from mass market cruises.  It sounds like you found a new cruise home as well.   

[DMH15]

Thank you, Cathy.  I too am a NCL Havenite trying out MSC YC in 2 months from now.  

 

So glad to hear you liked it a lot!

[Essiesmom]

There is a place to purchase those sundries you forgot.  It is in the 'Duty Free' shops area.  Go into the Duty Free shop (not the perfumes one) and go all the way around to the left.  there are shelves with all that stuff.  I don't remember seeing couch medicine, though.  The shelves were half empty the day we boarded, but they filled them up.  EM

Edited March 3, 2019 by Essiesmom

[ptuder]

Thanks for your comments. We have been very loyal NCL Haven cruisers but disappointed in their escalating costs and limitations.  Last October we cruised in the Yacht Club in Royal Suite for price on lowest Haven suite. (We booked this well over a year in advance, prices have since gone up). We felt the space in the Yacht Club was far superior to Haven with views, room in the lounge and restaurant and pool deck. Service was also really great. We now have 2 more Yacht Club cruises booked. I would do NCL again but only if value was the same. Thanks again!  Happy to hear the continued good news from the Yacht Club. 

[phissy]

Thank you for great review.  Also, disappointed  NCL (Haven ) cruisers. After 18 years, enough. We are going on our first MSC cruise next week in YC.  Looking forward to YC and able to match to Black on MSC. Fellow cruisers from UK turned us on to MSC on our last cruise(NCL) . We had never heard of MSC and now are excited to try it and looking forward to next week. With your input,, sounds like we will have a great time. (Sailing Meraviglia in Mediterranean )

[sverigecruiser]

9 hours ago, xznwfd said:

 There was also fresh fruit and nice little treats at night, along with real champagne when we arrived in the room.

 

 

Champagne when you arrive is usually not included. I wonder why you got that.

[Beamafar]

6 hours ago, phissy said:

... We are going on our first MSC cruise next week in YC.  Looking forward to YC ... (Sailing Meraviglia in Mediterranean )

 

Are you planning on doing a review?  With Meraviglia heading stateside later on in the year, there's going to be more interest in her around these parts.

 

I don't know if you saw the thread about dancing on Meraviglia - it's been bumped back onto the main page by someone who's sailing on her from New York.  I'd also be interested in hearing if they have a smoking section in the Top Sail Lounge.  Usually it's allowed on Med cruises, though it wasn't when we were on during her first Med sailing and I very much doubt it will be when she starts sailing from NY.

 

Anyway ... hope you enjoy your first MSC cruise - having read so many comparisons between YC and the Haven, I think you will.  Variety is the spice of life, after all!

[JohnIreland]

Agree with 90% of that.

 

Entertainment and room size are the one places I would give NCL a win.

 

But given the price difference between the Haven and Yacht Club it isn't even a contest.

[xznwfd]

15 hours ago, xcell said:

Was the gelato and chocolate martinis included for the YC?

 

Anything we should not miss? Any hints?

Chocolate martinis were included, they did scan our card (wristband) because we weren't in the Yacht Club proper.  Did not try the gelato - I know, crazy! - so can't answer that.  Don't miss the shows, do try the chocolate martini and if you like salmon, the smoked salmon in the Yacht Club lounge is fantastic!

[xznwfd]

2 hours ago, Beamafar said:

 

Are you planning on doing a review?  With Meraviglia heading stateside later on in the year, there's going to be more interest in her around these parts.

 

I don't know if you saw the thread about dancing on Meraviglia - it's been bumped back onto the main page by someone who's sailing on her from New York.  I'd also be interested in hearing if they have a smoking section in the Top Sail Lounge.  Usually it's allowed on Med cruises, though it wasn't when we were on during her first Med sailing and I very much doubt it will be when she starts sailing from NY.

 

Anyway ... hope you enjoy your first MSC cruise - having read so many comparisons between YC and the Haven, I think you will.  Variety is the spice of life, after all!

There was a smoking section on the outside portion of the Top Sail Lounge, but not inside.  There was noticeably more smoking on the Seaside than some other cruise lines, but not so that it bothered me (and I'm allergic).  The casino was smaller and I did notice the smoke there.

[Beamafar]

16 minutes ago, xznwfd said:

There was a smoking section on the outside portion of the Top Sail Lounge, but not inside.  There was noticeably more smoking on the Seaside than some other cruise lines, but not so that it bothered me (and I'm allergic).  The casino was smaller and I did notice the smoke there.

 

MSC often has a different smoking policy in the TSL when in the Med.  I was asking @phissy, who's sailing on Meraviglia next week in the Med, if smoking is allowed in the lounge when they're onboard.

[Dr. Cocktail]

19 hours ago, xznwfd said:

 

 

Fellow passengers

We really enjoyed the international mix on the ship.  We met wonderful people from Canada (shout out to the delightful Peter and David from Toronto), Germany, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.  We didn't mind the announcements in 5 languages because they were infrequent and not invasive.  Almost everyone was polite and friendly.  It never felt like a booze cruise, but we did always welcome our return to our sanctuary in the Yacht Club.  MSC again!

 

 

 

Cathy and The MI

 

 

 

Hi Cathy!

 

Thanks for the compliment - we also had a great time!

 

Fantastic and comprehensive review - it's such a good product.

 

Hopefully you are both fully recovered by now.

 

Regards,

 

P

[phissy]

Beamafar,  I am more than happy to post a review when return.

 

Will take note of smoking areas, YC and main ship areas.   Will be interesting on this cruise, since many more smokers may be onboard.

We booked a year ago so, will also report on the drink package that is applied now for those bookings made before change.  

Also, have free dinner with Cirque show as promo.  Will be interesting how this works out once we are onboard . We have paid for drinks and show for both and that way can compare each experience.

Back to packing....then Bon Voyage. 

[Beamafar]

Thank you, Phissy - appreciate it!  I'm really only curious about the smoking policy in TSL, TBH.

 

We had no problems with our previously booked Deluxe package on Armonia in January.  However, YC is a bit trickier as it was never specified that the Deluxe was the package included for YC guests when they first introduced this policy, so it's not really an argument to state that that's what was available at the time of booking.  I had a communication this morning from friends of ours who were in YC on Preziosa very recently and they had no problem getting champagne, which is really one of the only things that Deluxe included that the new Premium doesn't (apart from gelato, I suppose.  I'm only referring to YC here as you already get room service and mini-bar).

 

We never did get to do the dinner & show so I'll be interested in hearing about it and what was on the menu.  We've seen Sonor and I've booked the other one for next October (the name escapes me!).  It'll be good to hear your comparisons.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise.  Buon viaggio!  😊

 

 

[nednrom]

13 minutes ago, phissy said:

Beamafar,  I am more than happy to post a review when return.

 

Will take note of smoking areas, YC and main ship areas.   Will be interesting on this cruise, since many more smokers may be onboard.

We booked a year ago so, will also report on the drink package that is applied now for those bookings made before change.  

Also, have free dinner with Cirque show as promo.  Will be interesting how this works out once we are onboard . We have paid for drinks and show for both and that way can compare each experience.

Back to packing....then Bon Voyage. 

 

Thank you Phissy - we will be on the Meraviglia YC in December.  Can you also post drink menus if possible?  

 

Have a great trip --  

[phissy]

Will post drink menus and also YC menus. Any other ideas?

[Beamafar]

35 minutes ago, nednrom said:

 

Thank you Phissy - we will be on the Meraviglia YC in December.  Can you also post drink menus if possible?  

 

Have a great trip --  

 

The drinks menus (and prices) will be different when Meraviglia sails in the US.  In the Med, the currency onboard will be Euros;  it'll be US$ when she sails from New York and, subsequently, Miami.

[Beamafar]

23 minutes ago, phissy said:

Will post drink menus and also YC menus. Any other ideas?

 

Be careful not to turn your cruise into a fact-finding mission, Phissy!  😜

[TrinaLC]

OP, I agree with every word. I would also note that the butler system on MSC is highly superior. Yes, you are assigned a butler (like on NCL), but the MSC butlers have general duties as well, for example serving in the lounge - it seems there are always a half a dozen around eager to help.  On NCL, if you have a dud for a butler you are SOL. We couldn’t even get ours to bring us ice on our last NCL cruise, and room service would not deliver as it was the butler’s “job” so we had to fetch ourselves. (Yeah, first world problem!)

[sverigecruiser]

2 hours ago, phissy said:

 

We booked a year ago so, will also report on the drink package that is applied now for those bookings made before change.  

 

I'm interested to know if they will give you any Champagne. And if yes if you just get it or if you have to fight for it!

[Beamafar]

22 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I'm interested to know if they will give you any Champagne. And if yes if you just get it or if you have to fight for it!

 

Friends of ours in YC on Preziosa 3 weeks ago had no problem getting champagne, SC.  As they said "No question at all!" 

 

It seems that the only problem was on Divina.  That's the problem with MSC, the policies aren't uniform across the fleet.

Edited March 4, 2019 by Beamafar

[xznwfd]

We did see people ordering and receiving Champagne in the bar on the 19th floor, so it is possible on the Seaside!