Are there any promotions available for the MSC Yacht Club? (page 2 of 2)

Hi Guxie,

*Larguez les amarres* is a Facebook group. If you're a member, you get a code that gives you an extra discount with the Croisiland agency.

Some cruise lines, when you book through Vacation to Go, add extra fees if you're not a U.S. or Canadian resident (for example, HAL). So the price difference needs to be significant for it to be worth it. For MSC, I’m not convinced it’s the best deal.

The quality of a Yacht Club doesn’t depend on the ship itself but on the crew and management—and crews change very regularly. So in my opinion, you can’t really say one ship is better than another... However, I’d recommend ships where the number of Yacht Club cabins is smaller (70 cabins vs. 152 on the latest ships). Most complaints about service and noise come from passengers in the larger Yacht Clubs.

Also worth noting: the higher you go in ship class, the less strict the dress codes become. Casual chic takes over, and formal evenings are becoming rarer. Still, sloppy outfits aren’t tolerated (and thankfully so 😉).

Hello So glad to be back on the forum with all of you too! 🙂

Back in October 2019, I got a great price (1000 €) on the *Fantasia* because it was a repositioning cruise—one day shorter. I haven’t seen prices like that since, but I was tied to school holidays back then. Not anymore since October 1st—retirement means travel time! 😊😍

hi so happy for you that you got your freedom back 😎 for me, it's normally in 2026 😉

I’m also so happy to be back on the forum—it was super helpful for my previous cruises! I found tons of info for my port stops and, most importantly, all the great tips with contacts. It even helped me make some amazing connections on board. Thanks everyone!

Thanks also for these important details about choosing the right boat to avoid overcrowding and potential pillow fights!😛

Hi there, During my last MSC cruise in May 2024, I booked the one for May 2025 directly on board. On top of the usual 5% discount, they offered me 300 € to spend exclusively on the ship during my next cruise for a YC cabin. It’s not amazing, I’ll admit, but I took it anyway!

Personally, I didn’t notice any negative changes in the YC between the older and newer ships. The cabins on the older ships are smaller with a bathtub. The YC bar on the newer ships is open to the outside with a promenade and a great view. The restaurant is above the bar, with another great view. For the older ships, you have to cross the entire ship to reach the restaurant at the back (which kind of ruins the cozy YC vibe). It’s true that we have the option not to travel during school holidays, which can make all the difference...

Thanks for this review and the details on the new YC amenities.

Hi there... Just wanted to say hello to Catherine—I’m so happy to see you again! For upgrades, I think MSC offers bidding options.

Hi Francis, I’m also happy to see you here. You’re right—MSC does offer bidding when they have unsold cabins, but the starting price is high, at least for the YC. See you soon!

Hello, that's true. I was offered upgrade auctions. I don’t know if that’s what you’re talking about. A few days before departure, MSC offered me the chance to bid on higher-category cabins than the one I’d booked. This went all the way up to the royal suite. What you need to know is that each bid had a required minimum. For example, if I remember correctly, they offered me the suite with a jacuzzi for a minimum of 1,000 euros extra for the week. Of course, I could bid more, but not less. That’s the supplement—or nearly the supplement—I would’ve had to pay when booking. Same principle for the other cabins, with increasingly higher minimum amounts proportional to the category. I would’ve found it worthwhile with a minimum 50% discount or, better yet, if I could’ve bid with just 1 euro...

Hi Francischem, so glad to see you here—I hope you're doing well.

Hello, it's true. I got to bid for an upgrade. I don’t know if that’s what you’re talking about. A few days before departure, MSC offered me the chance to bid on different cabins higher than the one I’d booked. This went all the way up to the royal suite. What you need to know is that each bid had a required minimum. For example, from what I remember, they offered me the suite with a hot tub for a minimum of 1,000 Euros extra for the week. Obviously, I could bid more, but not less. That’s the supplement—or almost the supplement—I would’ve had to pay at booking. Same principle for the other cabins, with minimum amounts increasing proportionally to the category. I would’ve found it interesting with a minimum 50% discount or, better yet, if you could bid starting at just 1 Euro...

Yes, that’s it, and I don’t really see the advantage.

Hi Alain, really happy too. Yes, like some others, I found MSC’s bid-based upgrade system absolutely ridiculous and I’ve already let them know twice... Total waste of time because for my next departure on 11/28 they’re offering me the same thing again. However, I can’t get any answers about the Valencia stopover—I have a stop there on the 29th and I can’t find out if it’s still happening (and what on earth we’d do there in the middle of the population’s struggles). If not, where will we go? I don’t believe they’ll replace it with a nearby stop at the last minute—you don’t just book a port on short notice... Will we just spend an extra day at sea? Does anyone know of a specific service at MSC France I could contact? I’ve already been to Valencia and won’t lose sleep over it, but I’m surprised there’s no communication about this. I can’t imagine that with just 3 weeks until departure and given the current damage, MSC doesn’t already have some idea of what’s going on...?

And sorry for posting here about a topic unrelated to the original subject, but it’s about something important: the departure schedule. Has any brave soul taken over that super useful schedule? Does anyone know? F.

Happy to see you again, Catherine, with your great tips!

Hi Francis, I read that layovers are in Valencia because the city itself was barely affected thanks to the major works done to divert the river—it worked well for them. However, the excursions offered by the cruise lines are seeing a lot of changes. Happy cruising.

So glad to see you again, Catherine, with your great tips!

The pleasure is mutual—I’m so happy to see you again too.

Ah, thanks Alain, that’s great for the locals. I’ll go back to see the amazing modernist architecture of the "Cité des sciences" again.

Hi,

This German site offers a cabin for 2 people departing from Hamburg for ONE WEEK in February 2025 starting at 1,364 € per person: https://ibe.kreuzfahrerei.de/de/kabine?baid=jOu1jxgm8D Plus, the agency is offering 5% in onboard credit.

Hi, Last year, we booked a balcony cabin on the World Europa. MSC also offered YC cabins at auction, which we didn’t go for. And surprisingly, a few days before departure, they upgraded us to YC at no extra cost. Maybe they had demand for balconies and extra YC cabins? We really appreciated this lucky break. Best, Josiane