MSC Yacht Club Experience

[alyssamma]

14 minutes ago, Solent Richard said:

 

Well thanks for that.

 

All I can say is that personally, of all the Yacht Club passengers that I have made the acquaintance of, none admitted to being there through a bidding process. 

 

Maybe its just not 'British'. 😂

Then maybe you haven't cruised lately. I can tell you that probably 50% of the YC passengers after restart got it through the bidding process...at least on the sailings I was on.

 

And not sure what you mean by "admit"...how many people did you meet that admitted to paying more than they should for their cabins?

[cruising.mark.uk]

Dick - what proportion of Yacht Club passengers are you claiming to be acquainted with?  You've probably met much less than 1% of people who've sailed in the Yacht Club.  And just because none of that tiny number told you they were there through a bidding process doesn't mean they weren't.  And why would they volunteer the information anyway, unless you asked the specific question which would, in itself, be downright rude and very much not 'British'.

[kernow]

We were on Virtuosa last June. We had originally booked a Fantastica balcony but got the bid email, YC inside was £175, we couldn't resist bidding just above the minimum to see what would happen. We got the upgrade, some of you may remember I did a 'live' at the time and was a bit worried about an inside cabin but we were fine and absolutely loved the YC experience. I would say the majority of people we talked to in the Top Sail lounge were there because of an upgrade. I met two separate couples who were in a duplex suite for a few hundred pounds upgrade, neither realised that they would be getting the YC experience.

Well the bidding system works for MSC because we are back on Virtuosa next month, this time we booked and paid full price for YIN (same cabin as last year). When the upgrade email came a couple of weeks ago we again couldn't resist a low bid for a balcony. This year it costs more and to get in the good range is actually more expensive that what it would have cost to upgrade when we booked. 

 

Not expecting to get it this time but will be very happy in our YIN enjoying all YC has to offer.

[Seadweller001]

Met quite a few fellow YC passengers since Oct 2021 and this topic never came up.

 

 

[dexddd]

22 hours ago, dexddd said:

NCL has had the bid process for around 7 years and brings them extra income.  I think the longest thread there is on what people bid and what they got and if they one.  So many variables there is no guarantee.

 

People are rabid hoping to win.  Often the buy outright close to bid,

Spelled one, meant won.

[JAGR]

6 hours ago, Seadweller001 said:

Met quite a few fellow YC passengers since Oct 2021 and this topic never came up.

 

 

It would not come up with me.  I learned many years ago not to play the game of 'what did you pay for your flight/first class seat/hotel room' with a fellow traveler. I paid what I thought was a reasonable amount at the time, so I don't "need to know" if I got a good deal or a bad deal.  I also learned many years ago that people aren't necessarily honest when travel and drink go hand in hand.

[Seadweller001]

IMO it’s personal what I paid for my cruise.  My income, my health, etc are off limit topics anywhere.  I cant imagine someone broaching the question of what I paid for the cruise.  
 

And personally, I couldn’t care less if some got a free cruise or paid $1000s over what I paid.   

[xcell]

On 4/9/2022 at 12:45 PM, dexddd said:

NCL has had the bid process for around 7 years and brings them extra income.  I think the longest thread there is on what people bid and what they got and if they one.  So many variables there is no guarantee.

 

People are rabid hoping to win.  Often the buy outright close to bid,

Before the bidding, NCL had a direct line to call in and they would just offer you the upgrade price (which was fair) and you would either accept it or declined.  I as able to upgrade twice from a balcony to a Haven 2 Bdrm suite twice.  Then came the bidding and I was never successful.  At the end of the day, it's all about information -- they are wanting to know how many people are interested and how much they are willing to pay and I am assuming, so is MSC.

 

The one thing I got from those pages of the bidding process on NCL -- more likely a cabin of 2 would be uprgaded than a cabin of 4.

 

YC is more afrodable for me, so I'd rather to 100% sure I get the room I want vs hoping for an upgrade. If Haven prices come to a reasonable level (for me), I would do the same.  

[dexddd]

Right, NCL used to have the upgrade fairy.  Only called once to try a GV.  Price too high, especially for just two of us.  No pixie dust for us.

[Solent Richard]

On 4/9/2022 at 2:15 PM, cruising.mark.uk said:

Perhaps, Dick, you should try to exercise some empathy and emotional intelligence?  Many people who wish to experience the unique experience which is the MSC Yacht Club might be on constrained budgets.  The cabins form only a tiny element of the overall Yacht Club experience. So, well done to MSC for making the whole package - which in my experience is pretty much unmatched by any of the other mainstream cruise companies - at various different price points which make it accessible to a wider cohort of cruisers.  

Each to their own Mark. As I said, 'down to affordability' and which it would appear you now agree with. 😉

[Solent Richard]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:49 PM, JAGR said:

It would not come up with me.  I learned many years ago not to play the game of 'what did you pay for your flight/first class seat/hotel room' with a fellow traveler. I paid what I thought was a reasonable amount at the time, so I don't "need to know" if I got a good deal or a bad deal.  I also learned many years ago that people aren't necessarily honest when travel and drink go hand in hand.

...and I fully concur.

 

 

[alyssamma]

52 minutes ago, Solent Richard said:

...and I fully concur.

 

 

Great, so now you agree with us...glad you changed your mind!

[Solent Richard]

On 4/16/2022 at 4:16 PM, alyssamma said:

Great, so now you agree with us...glad you changed your mind!

On the contrary Sir, I've not changed my mind not one iota.

 

I merely concurred with what you stated...

'It would not come up with me.  I learned many years ago not to play the game of 'what did you pay for your flight/first class seat/hotel room' with a fellow traveler. I paid what I thought was a reasonable amount at the time, so I don't "need to know" if I got a good deal or a bad deal.  I also learned many years ago that people aren't necessarily honest when travel and drink go hand in hand'.

 

...and in particular the highlighted sentences.

[Solent Richard]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:22 AM, alyssamma said:

Then maybe you haven't cruised lately. I can tell you that probably 50% of the YC passengers after restart got it through the bidding process...at least on the sailings I was on.

 

And not sure what you mean by "admit"...how many people did you meet that admitted to paying more than they should for their cabins?

 

On 4/10/2022 at 8:24 AM, cruising.mark.uk said:

Dick - what proportion of Yacht Club passengers are you claiming to be acquainted with?  You've probably met much less than 1% of people who've sailed in the Yacht Club.  And just because none of that tiny number told you they were there through a bidding process doesn't mean they weren't.  And why would they volunteer the information anyway, unless you asked the specific question which would, in itself, be downright rude and very much not 'British'.

 

Assuming Mark's comment was directed towards me then I can only rest my case. 

 

Rumour and conjecture obviously abound on cruise boards. 😂😈

[alyssamma]

6 hours ago, Solent Richard said:

On the contrary Sir, I've not changed my mind not one iota.

 

I merely concurred with what you stated...

'It would not come up with me.  I learned many years ago not to play the game of 'what did you pay for your flight/first class seat/hotel room' with a fellow traveler. I paid what I thought was a reasonable amount at the time, so I don't "need to know" if I got a good deal or a bad deal.  I also learned many years ago that people aren't necessarily honest when travel and drink go hand in hand'.

 

...and in particular the highlighted sentences.

Then you need to learn to quote the correct people. @JAGR said this not me.

 

But glad we both concur with what he said, which to me seems like you changed your position, but regardless, we are all on the same.page now.