TALK TO ME ABOUT YACHT CLUB

[CTGirl74]

On 11/26/2022 at 12:21 PM, scamper said:

I will say that I am flummoxed when people say they have no idea what the butler is for or how to use same. 

 

Honestly, had I not been reading here for a few months, I wouldn't have a clue as to what to do with a butler. I've only cruised twice. Both times were almost 10 years ago and were in the standard cabins (MSC and NCL), so there's no butler. And it's not as though I have a butler at home. I booked MSC YC for a cruise next year and reading this thread has been informative for me.

[Oz_Steve]

We are on Virtuoso now in the Yacht Club and t

[Oz_Steve]

We are on Virtuoso now in the Yacht Club and to be honest it is not worth it. The good news is that you won't have to work out what a butler does because on this ship they don't do anything except escort you from one place to another. I really can't see what value they add.,

The concierge staff only want to book stuff for you and don't have any information on anything. Want to know what the different menus are for the Butcher's Cut or the Teppanyaki? The response is when do you want me to book that for you? Ask about what is included in a tour and you get the same response.

As for the food it is slightly better than what I imagine the MDR is like but nothing to get excited about. The times for when the dining room is open for breakfast are ridiculous.

The drinks are very similar to what the Carnival drinks are like, somewhat less than average. In spite of having the premium drink package they are always trying to give you the cheapest possble spirits. As for wine you don't want to know. I was told that they reduced the included stuff a few months ago and it shows.

If being nickle and dimed at every turn is your thing you will enjoy this line. Forget the all inclusive experience and the priority stuff is mostly an illusion. It is more Carnival with a less crowded dining room than anything like Celebrity Michaels Club or any of the other lines premium product. Quite frankly I would not book it again and would strongly recommend not booking it to my friends. It is not worth the premium they charge.

[Griff4AU]

Wow Steve, I am sorry to read that.

There's just such a varied appreciation (or not) on YC / Haven / Retreat that it's hard to know what to think on whether it's worth it or not. It's clearly not a "winner" for you. Have you tried Haven / Retreat and if so, what dis you think of those?

I guess I'll know in 4 weeks - although I am glad I was able to get it at a "reasonable" price. 

@Georgia_Peaches I'm not going to toss my email addy on here to answer your question. For what I am referring to with the MSC promotion that only TA's know about, I suggest you speak (like on the phone) with someone. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

11 hours ago, Oz_Steve said:

Forget the all inclusive experience and the priority stuff is mostly an illusion.

Wow!  Couldn't disagree more.  Perhaps it's the ship?  Thank goodness there are so many different cruise companies to choose from to meet the needs and tastes of all cruisers.  While I'm not much in need of a butler, there's no way I'd ever discount the offerings of the complete Yacht Club experience to the level of a standard Carnival experience...in my view, it's well worth the extra money.  I could be just booshie like that, though..

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, Griff4AU said:

I'm not going to toss my email addy on here to answer your question.

Wasn't suggesting that at all...was going to give you mine.  But no worries, I'm good.  And I did speak with my TA today and she laughed and said she had no idea what that could be.  Have used the same TA and have had tremendous service from them for years.  In fact, I've shared my source with numerous cruise critic members via e-mail that I provided.  It's a shame that Cruise Critic won't allow the public sharing of TA info but their site, their rules.  Happy cruising.

[Griff4AU]

51 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Wasn't suggesting that at all...was going to give you mine.  But no worries, I'm good.  And I did speak with my TA today and she laughed and said she had no idea what that could be.  Have used the same TA and have had tremendous service from them for years.  In fact, I've shared my source with numerous cruise critic members via e-mail that I provided.  It's a shame that Cruise Critic won't allow the public sharing of TA info but their site, their rules.  Happy cruising.

Then happy to share. And if she has no idea.. then she is likely missing out on for some $$$ for herself.  I wish we could PM here. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

30 minutes ago, Griff4AU said:

I wish we could PM here. 

Yes, that would be a great feature!  If you have time to shoot me an e-mail I'm at pipercatandjane at gmail dot com.  

[Griff4AU]

@Georgia_PeachesGot it. You can delete the post if you don't want your email visible to the world.

 

You'll see an email from an email addy with "spam" in the address so it can't attach to me in any way. 

Edited November 28, 2022 by Griff4AU

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Wow!  Couldn't disagree more.  Perhaps it's the ship?  Thank goodness there are so many different cruise companies to choose from to meet the needs and tastes of all cruisers.  While I'm not much in need of a butler, there's no way I'd ever discount the offerings of the complete Yacht Club experience to the level of a standard Carnival experience...in my view, it's well worth the extra money.  I could be just booshie like that, though..

Couldn’t quite wrap my mind around that post.  Whenever I read such a negative post, I always ask myself “what’s the motivation to post something like that?”.

 

Needless to say, I disagree with every bit of that post!