Joy May 8 review and Haven/Yacht Club comparison

[karmamule]

We just finished our second cruise with NCL and our first in the Haven on Joy May 8th NYC - Bermuda. 3 of our past cruises were on MSC in their Yacht Club and we've always been curious how that compared to the Haven, so this is our impressions from that cruise with an emphasis on that comparison.

 

Our MSC cruises were on the Seaside, Meraviglia, and the Seashore. The first 2 were in standard YC balconies, and the 3rd was in the Yacht Club Royal Suite on the Seashore. Because we booked early when COVID was still at its peak and NCL had super-low prices we were able to book a 2-bedroom Haven suite then upgrade to to the Deluxe Owner's Suite on the Joy, so it was a (probably) once in a lifetime opportunity for us.

 

Embarkation: We stayed at Ink 48 which is a 1 block walk from Pier 88 and we had a 9am arrival. We got there, turned in luggage, then stood in line 30 minutes because security didn't open until 9:30. After going through security I noticed a woman off to the side helping people but most were going straight ahead. I asked where to go for the Haven and it's a good thing I did because that woman was for Haven check-in. Some signage would have been helpful! In any case, we were quickly through the remaining steps then into the Haven waiting room to get our ship cards then wait for boarding to begin.

 

Haven/YC: For Yacht Club MSC has a special tent before you even get in to the terminal for YC guests, and they make sure to express you through all lines, including security, right from the start. The YC waiting areas in Miami and Port Canaveral were much nicer than the Haven room in NYC which was just lots of seats in a row like an airport gate with a small buffet. YC areas had couches and chairs and much more space. For embarkation, we felt much more pampered by YC than Haven.

 

Ship-within-a-ship areas: the Haven areas on the Joy were very comfortable feeling and enjoyable. The Haven indoors pool was tiny, but the observation lounge was impressive. The restaurant was also a very enjoyable space. MSC YC areas are more stylish, with a common layout being the restaurant overlooking the bar/lounge area below. YC outdoor areas were significantly better, especially on the newer Seashore with a substantial outdoor buffet and larger sundeck.

 

General Food: After being spoiled by YC and Haven restaurants the buffets for both lines are underwhelming. MSC's quality is more extreme, with pizza, pastas and coffees generally being very good, but burgers and some other items being very bad. We really liked having the Local open 24/7. Food was generally ok to good, and MSC has no equivalent. We've always been underwhelmed by MSC's specialty restaurants, almost always leaving them saying "that was good but not great". NCL, on the other hand, has wonderful specialty restaurants. We went to Q, Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, and La Cucina. We were pleasantly surprised by Q after seeing lots of negative comments about it, absolutely loved both Le Bistro and Teppanyaki, and were only (slightly) disappointed by La Cucina.

 

Haven/YC restaurant food: The Haven menu was larger but didn't change much, vs smaller menus that changed every day for the YC. YC food tried to be more adventurous, but they always had filet/burger/chicken if nothing appealed. While it was fun to have some new options every day, we found the Haven's menu and food to be more consistently enjoyable and had some truly delicious meals there. The small breakfast buffet (and those almond croissants!!!) was a nice supplement to the breakfast menu.

 

Service: We loved our room steward Windsor and butler Roland. Both were outstanding and always had a smile and were eager to help in any way. We had a couple meals in-room which Roland made seamless, and he made excellent choices in daily snacks for us based on our initial conversation on embarkation day. Truly outstanding. Our YC butlers and room stewards have been a touch more formal. They still provide great service but weren't as warm and friendly overall.

 

Other than those two, we were used to people in the YC restaurant quickly getting to know us and not needing to ask for room number after the first day. We were consistently given the same waiter every day in the YC restaurant and on each cruise got to know them well, especially on the Seashore when our waiter Henry was quite the character. The Haven restaurant and staff were very friendly, but didn't have quite the same personal touch.

 

As @sthrngary has said in prior posts, being kind to the staff almost always rewards you with warm/friendly behavior and excellent service in return. This is true for both cruise lines.

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by karmamule

[karmamule]

To summarize: YC has better facilities (at least for the ships we've been on) in terms of style and wow factor, but Haven felt warm and cozy and was very enjoyable too. Food is slightly better for the Haven vs YC, but overall we prefer NCL ships outside the Haven to their MSC counterparts outside the YC. Service is equivalent, with YC having a more consistent experience but Haven feeling a bit more friendly vs formal.

 

Both are great experiences. For the prior few years YC was significantly cheaper than Haven and if that were still true we'd still highly recommend that, especially for people who find the Haven a bit out of reach. That does seem to be changing however, with MSC YC prices on the rise, at least the last few times I've checked, and they're now much closer to Haven equivalents.

[karmamule]

I just realized I forgot to mention one topic: the rooms. Both YC and Haven rooms are wonderful. The Deluxe Owner's Suite was spectacular. The closest comparison is to the Royal Suite we stayed in on the Seashore, and there's still no comparison. The Royal Suite was a great space, with a hot tub on the balcony we really enjoyed, but the DOS is in another league. From glancing in to other rooms in the Haven when they were being cleaned they seemed very similar to their YC equivalents, with the only point I'd mention being that I like NCL's decor choices more than MSC's. They're more colorful and warm.

[mafig]

We preferred the YC over the Haven (which we thought was very nice).  

 

Unfortunately, we picked a week when there were lots of kids, which did impact our enjoyment.  Our fault, of course.  We never got a chance to get into the pool in the Haven.  

[LisaLisa87]

Thank you for this. The comparison was very helpful! We've been in the YC (Seaside) but have not splurged on the Haven yet. We sailed on MSC a few years ago, when prices for the YC were very reasonable. Like you, we loved the YC, but didn't care as much for the areas outside of the YC -- the pool deck in particular. We would only sail in the YC if we were to book another MSC cruise.

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by LisaLisa87

[rxlowry]

Thanks for the review!  We were in the Haven in February on the Joy and in October we will be trying MSC for first time and in the YC.  You are making me excited to try and compare!!

[karmamule]

3 minutes ago, rxlowry said:

Thanks for the review!  We were in the Haven in February on the Joy and in October we will be trying MSC for first time and in the YC.  You are making me excited to try and compare!!

 

I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions! Which MSC ship will you be on?

 

The main thing to remember on embarkation day: head to the white tent/awning for Yacht Club at the entrance area. Don't let someone grab your luggage before you get to that. 🙂

Edited May 18, 2022 by karmamule

[mnpurple]

Nice to see a comparison. We have been in the Haven on Pearl and more recently on Getaway (both 2 BR family, which is more affordable with a group of 6!). We embark MSC Seaview on Monday from Naples, Italy.  I'm looking forward to seeing how things compare, but will respect that they are also very different, plus different regions.

 

I think I will like the embarkation because, like you, boarding in NY was chaotic and the time before we were in Tampa and that was terrible.

[Two Wheels Only]

3 hours ago, karmamule said:

The Royal Suite was a great space, with a hot tub on the balcony we really enjoyed, but the DOS is in another league.

 

The RS on Seaside/Seaview/Seashore/Seascape are all pretty much the same. The EVO ships have an Owner's Suite but I would still put NCL's DOS on Escape/Joy/Bliss/Encore above MSC's highest stateroom (OS). The Meraviglia Royal Suite is also very nice but is configured differently than the other class of ships. 

 

When the MSC World Class ships come around, their top suites will do battle with NCL's Prima Class top suites. Yacht Club vs. Haven will continue.....(Celebrity Retreat Iconic Suite and Royal Caribbean Royal Loft await their turn.) 😁

[rxlowry]

2 hours ago, karmamule said:

 

I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions! Which MSC ship will you be on?

 

The main thing to remember on embarkation day: head to the white tent/awning for Yacht Club at the entrance area. Don't let someone grab your luggage before you get to that. 🙂

We will be on the MSC Grandiosa leaving from Barcelona.

[nasellemom1]

Why is there such a large price difference between YC and Haven? I have a Haven booked on the Joy in December and thought I got a good price. Went to price out a Mediterranean with NCL w/Haven and was shocked, so expensive. Then priced basically the same itinerary with MSC w/ YC and it was half the price. We have not sailed MSC before and this looks too good to be true at this point. Also, for ship comparison it would be Breakaway vs Seaside. Any insight would be helpful.  

[Hearthosesteeldrumsplayin]

We, too, have done both Yacht Club and Haven.  I agree that I would not be impressed sailing on MSC outside of YC (we were on Belissima from Genoa early in her career).  On NCL I have sailed both in and out of Haven and would do so again.  Hubby is sold on Haven.  The reason MSC prices have been so much more affordable than other lines is because they were trying to break into the US market, in my opinion.  Now that they have established some reputation, I think that is why the prices are headed up.

Have always felt at home in the Haven.  The YC was wonderful space, with string quartets playing in the lounge some nights.  We were in the largest suite, so the Maitre d' bent over backwards to ensure we were pleased with the food/wine.  Haven has those wonderful 2 bedroom suites available for families, with the extra full bathroom.  The OS on MSC only had a single bathroom, even though there was plenty of space in the stateroom for more than 2 people!  We recently sailed in the Retreat with Celebrity.  We were on an older ship, the Summit.  Stateroom was lovely, but bathroom rather cramped.  I like the Haven idea of having everything you need in one area (of course, not all of the ships have the restaurant and bar in the Haven area).  The Retreat on Summit included a separate area for Retreat guests, but not on the same floor, and restaurant in one area and bar/concierge in another, not even near each other.  I would sail with any of them again, though!  (But MSC cruise points expire after 3 years if you don't keep sailing, so that's a downfall.  We sailed under the matching status, so were top tier.  With pandemic, we haven't sailed with them again.)

[karmamule]

16 hours ago, nasellemom1 said:

Why is there such a large price difference between YC and Haven? I have a Haven booked on the Joy in December and thought I got a good price. Went to price out a Mediterranean with NCL w/Haven and was shocked, so expensive. Then priced basically the same itinerary with MSC w/ YC and it was half the price. We have not sailed MSC before and this looks too good to be true at this point. Also, for ship comparison it would be Breakaway vs Seaside. Any insight would be helpful.  

 

That was our first experience with the YC: We were booked on the second sailing of the Joy after her post-China redesign, but it got canceled because the refit wasn't done yet. For less than the price of the minisuite we had on the Joy (not even in the Haven!) we got a YC balcony cabin on the Seaside and had a marvelous time.

 

The Seaside is a lovely ship, and has the same sort of outward-ocean-focused design the Prima will. The YC on it is wonderful and I think you'll really enjoy the space. I have only been on the Escape and Joy, but they're breakaway--plus class so very similar. The Seaside will be slightly smaller, but IMO a much more stunning atrium and overall look to the ship. Not quite as many activities and key attractions, it feels like a more relaxed atmosphere. (They usually have a white party one night, so bring some appropriate white shirts/shorts/pants/dress if you like that sort of thing). They do have a zipline and slides.

 

The usual MSC/NCL differences apply: specialty restaurants weren't as good, shows are more language-agnostic acrobatics etc rather than big broadway-style features, and MDR and other complimentary food (outside of YC) is a very mixed bag, but DO try the pizza.

 

Also, be sure to try the chocolate martinis at Venchi. They were our favorite drink!

 

A few pics from the Seaside. (A couple shiny atrium pics, a couple yacht club pics, and a couple outdoor area pics)

 

 

 

 

 

[karmamule]

19 hours ago, rxlowry said:

Thanks for the review!  We were in the Haven in February on the Joy and in October we will be trying MSC for first time and in the YC.  You are making me excited to try and compare!!

 

I hope you have a wonderful time, enjoy!