Are there any promotions available for the MSC Yacht Club?

Hi,

Is it possible to get promotions on the MSC Yacht Club section? What strategy should I adopt to get the best prices: book in advance or at the last minute? Is it better to book directly with MSC or through a third-party provider to get the best value for money? Thanks

Unfortunately, the good deals on YC are a thing of the past—prices have gone way up, and it’s not really worth choosing the Yacht Club anymore. You might as well go with a luxury line like Azamara or Oceania.

Hi there, I completely agree with Poupou—the YC has gotten expensive. Even for an interior cabin, the minimum price is around 1800 € per person, and that’s if you book really early (they sell out fast because there are so few cabins). Some MSC ships don’t even have Yacht Club cabins. For a balcony cabin, you’re looking at at least 1000 € more. In my opinion, it might be worth looking elsewhere for better value... MICH74

Hi there,

I think you can still find a decent price if you look hard enough. By combining the MSC discounts + Croisiland + Larguez les Amarres deals, for the Christmas week in the Mediterranean, I got a YC1 balcony cabin for **2150 € per person**.

It’s definitely not the same price for the Caribbean at this time of year, and on top of that, you have to add the flight ticket.

It’s true there are very few promotions on the YC, and yet I’m a huge fan—I’ve done over 20 cruises with YC! I HAVE TO ADMIT I tried the new Explora Journey, and honestly, it’s nothing like the YC. I’m going back on it on November 10th, and the price difference with the YC isn’t that big compared to the services, especially the food—it’s all gourmet restaurants. On the flip side, there’s less entertainment and shows. But they do have promotions sometimes.

They sometimes run auctions a little before departure when there are seats left, but the starting price means the savings are pretty small in the end.

hi Catherine it’s definitely a lot pricier than before my last YC cruise I paid 1600 € for 15 nights per person for a week I’d paid 1200 € we can’t find those prices anymore 🙁

I don’t doubt that the quality-price ratio could be much better on EXPLORA. Especially since I’ve heard a lot that the quality of services has really dropped in YC.... 😕

Hi Isa,

I totally agree—it’s way pricier than before. Those were some amazing, rare prices that have been gone for a while now. 😕

@Karinessa, I’ve seen the latest Explora Journeys promotions and they’re really tempting—I’m keeping an eye on them... 😉

Not that long ago, Catherine my 15-night YC cruise was in 2023. 🙁

I’m surprised, but if you say so—it’s only the first YC I’ve gotten at that price, back in June 2019.

You got a good price for the Christmas holidays at the YC. Maybe MSC is hoping that former YC clients will move to the Explora ships since new YC clients haven’t experienced what it was like before... I got this response from the YC manager last year on the World Europa, saying there was a decrease compared to other YCs because new clients haven’t experienced it...🙁

Hi Michel, It’s possible, and I also think the YC has really dropped in quality on the latest big ships, which have way more YC cabins—152 instead of 70, if I’m not mistaken.

Thanks for these details—they’re not exactly encouraging. But this price hike affects most cruises, not to mention the rising cost of flights to reach the destination. We’ll keep an eye on price trends and deals on Vacations To Go, which offers last-minute clearance sales for some of the mentioned cruise lines under 90 days before departure. Should we be worried that, on ships with a large American crowd, the tipping culture might cancel out some or all of the promotion we get?

Thanks for the details you’ve shared. We’ll weigh up all the airlines you mentioned, especially the destinations, layover times, and the quality of the services.

Hi, is it possible to know if "Larguez les amarres" is a promotion offered by Croisiland or by MSC? Thanks! It’s really interesting—now we’ll have to see if the services are as good as they used to be in the old days

Hi there, Is Explora Journey too formal—like long dresses and jackets for dinner? Thanks

In fact, if choosing the MSC Yacht Club, which ships should I prioritize? Thanks

Hi there, Thanks for taking the time to reply to my comment. You're right, all companies have generally raised their prices, but the Yacht Club price has gone up by 50% for most cruises, while at the same time, many are complaining about the drop in quality 😕 Now, if you’ve never tried it before, you won’t be able to compare it to how it was BEFORE. If you’re set on going for the YC, I’d recommend choosing an older ship and definitely not the new ones where they pack in the crowds. The two best are the Fantasia and Splendida, which only have very few quadruple cabins. That limits the number of people even more—and especially the number of kids 😉

No, not at all—the dress codes are normal, except there’s no gala evening or white party. You dress completely normally.

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