MSC Cruises: To Yacht Club or Not to Yacht Club?

Embarkation

Starting with embarkation, you're in for a treat as you're given your cruise card and your Yacht Club wristband, which acts as an additional cruise card for everything except getting on and off the ship. (There are also literal treats in the Yacht Club waiting area.)

Once it's time to board the ship, you're escorted (by a butler or another member of the MSC team) from the Yacht Club area of the cruise terminal, directly to the ship and straight to your muster station to complete your mandatory check-in process.

From there, you're once again escorted to the Top Sail Lounge, where you can wait for your room to be ready. While in the Top Sail Lounge, you'll have direct access to the outside “patio” area, with large windows overlooking the front of the ship, in addition to plenty of spacious, comfortable places to sit and relax. You won't have to look far for drink service—the entire Top Sail Lounge crew is incredibly attentive and are readily available to make sure you don't go thirsty during your trip. (And, all of the drinks in the Top Sail Lounge and Yacht Club Restaurant are included.)

Top Sail Lounge & Restaurant sign

Accommodation

When your room is ready, your personal butler will come find you and escort you to your room and fill you in on all of the benefits and services they provide. You'll find a stocked mini-bar, which is restocked throughout your trip (there are a few things that you only receive once complimentary, like the chips, nuts, and candy bar) daily during rounds by housekeeping.

One of the best things that happened for me, personally, was the daily turn-down service and the little treats left for me each night when I arrived back in my room. I have a tremendous sweet tooth, and to be able to have something sweet and/or chocolaty when I got back to my room at the end of the day was pure heaven.

Yacht Club Balcony Bedroom

Complimentary Nespresso machine and water

The Top Sail Lounge

The Top Sail Lounge is open each morning at 6 am and let me tell you, it’s a popular spot as the espresso machine doesn’t ever seem to get a break!

The Yacht Club Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Times and services may vary based on port days—see the posted signs daily for more information—and is all included in your cruise fare as a member of the Yacht Club.

Assortment of snacks from Top Sail Lounge

Cappuccino from Top Sail Lounge

The entire service team here is truly incredible, and they are absolute professionals. Why is this important for me to call out? Yacht Club isn't a cheap endeavor, so to have a team that is there to provide top-notch service and to fulfill every request (within reason, obviously) without making it seem like they're going above and beyond or are being asked to do something that's not normally required, is such a distinguishing factor that is forever going to set this experience apart for me.

The menu in the restaurant itself is honestly incredible. Burgers, steaks, pasta, seafood—you’re going to find what you're looking for on this menu. Here's a little hint: there are also some off-menu things available for dinner as well, so don't be afraid to ask about them. As with some fine dining experiences, the service tends to take a little longer than being at other restaurants, but I think that’s all part of the charm of fine dining. Take your time, enjoy your food, the company, and the views.

Appetizer (lunch) from Yacht Club Restaurant

Concierge services

In addition to all of these incredible things, you also have a Concierge team to assist with any requests you may have during your stay. Looking to book a reservation at one of the specialty restaurants? Stop by and they'll call ahead for you. Looking to have an additional sweet treat delivered to your room? Tthe chocolate chip cookies are an excellent late-night treat... or so I've heard.) It's included as part of room service.

One of the services that, I'll be honest, I didn’t take advantage of until disembarkation day, a lot of people will likely find very useful is being escorted to your show and dinner reservations by your butler. They're there to make sure you get where you're heading on time and without incident.

On disembarkation day, I specifically asked to be one of the last people off of the ship (from the Yacht Club area) because I had a late flight leaving Orlando and John, bless his soul, obliged as my friend and I were the last two people (save for the couple doing a back-to-back cruise) in the Top Sail Lounge. From there, we were escorted directly to the exit of the ship and bumped into the line to get scanned out, and we were on our way. Granted, it’s my own fault for not having used the butler service amenities/benefits to their fullest during the cruise, but I, as a general rule, don't like to be waited on in that manner but when I did need to use it, it was incredibly beneficial.

Yacht club inclusions

What else haven't I talked about? Let's touch on what else is included within the price of Yacht Club.

There is an exclusive Yacht Club pool deck with a private pool, bar, and buffet. You are automatically given the Premium Extra Package for wine, beers, cocktails, top-shelf liquor, and non-alcoholic beverages. You receive the premium Internet package for two devices (per stateroom), and complimentary access to the Thermal Spa. (Spa services are still additional charges.)

Booking a shore excursion? Enjoy being escorted directly to the waiting area for your excursion. Does your cruise make a stop at Ocean Cay Marine Preserve, MSC's private island? You get to relax on a private section of the beach with a private restaurant and bar.

Yacht Club Pool Deck

To upgrade or not to upgrade?

So, to the question about whether or not upgrading to Yacht Club might be worth the extra money. Well, I think that depends on you and/or the party you’re traveling with. If you are someone that enjoys drinking during your cruise(s), someone that likes to stay connected (Wi-Fi), and just doesn't want to worry about anything during the trip, then I think it could absolutely be worth the investment.

Let your travel advisor figure out the potential cost savings and benefits for you. Really think about the cost of the bar and internet packages and what that would add to your base cruise fare. If the cost is similar or close, especially if you can get an interior room in the Yacht Club and don't care whether or not you have a balcony or higher room category, and you get to enjoy the benefits of the Yacht Club experience, I would absolutely recommend it.

Celebrating a special occasion? Definitely worth it to create an incredible value-add experience. If you're still unsure, I would recommend checking it out on a shorter, 3- or 4-night cruise first and then going from there. (There are also tons of reviews on YouTube from content creators that you can check out before making a decision as well!)

In sum

Ultimately, whether you decide to make the decision to upgrade to Yacht Club or not, I think MSC Cruises is an exceptional cruise line with incredible standards, service, and absolutely beautiful ships. I can’t recommend their product enough and seriously hope you consider checking it out as well!

Lobster roll from Yacht Club Restaurant

Yacht Club, in addition to the other benefits listed, has “anytime” embarkation. If you’re early to the ship, no worries!

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Cruises page.