Lighthouse at MSC

We recently had the opportunity to upgrade our 4 night sailing on MSC's Seaside from a regular Fantastica experience to the Yacht Club. MSC books cruise based on the type of experience you want. They offer 4 options - Bella, Fantastica, Aurea, and Yacht Club. 

Bella is the basic experience. It's for the budget minded, no frills cruiser. These cruisers just want to be on the ship. You select the type of room, interior to balcony, but that's all you select. The room is what other cruise lines consider to be a "guarantee" meaning they select your room for you. You get what you get and you don't complain a bit. You are also not able to select your dining time and they select that for you. If you are a family or group traveling together this is not a good option if you want to have your rooms close to each other or dine together. 

The Fantastica is more in line with what we think of with cruises. You get to select your cabin and you can request a dining time. Recently MSC has offered free wifi and free "Easy Plus" beverage packages with this category. This is a game changer and sets their pricing apart from others. For the same price (or sometimes less) you get the cruise plus beverages up to $10 and wifi for texting for one device per person. 

The Aurea experience is a spa experience. These bookings come with a bottle of wine and access to some amenities in the spa. The guests with this experience also has their own area of the pool deck along with a bar. 

Then there is the Yacht Club. It is truly a ship within a ship. The Yacht Club turns your cruise into an all-inclusive experience with the premium drink package and wifi included. All room in the Yacht Club come with a butler. Yes, even an interior room in the Yacht Club has a butler and all of the amenities that the guests in Yacht Club balcony rooms have. The Yacht Club has its own lounge, restaurant, and pool area that includes a bar and grill. Ocean Cay, MSC's Marine Reserve, also has a private area for Yacht Club guest with an upgraded menu in a more secluded area. 

What I enjoyed about the Yacht Club was that I could go have fun in the crowds at "White Night" and but then go back to the quiet, relaxation of the Yacht Club lounge. I was able to enjoy time with my friends while we sang karaoke but then had a quiet dinner alone with my husband in the Yacht Club. It was like having the best of both worlds! 

If you would like to learn about MSC and their various experiences they offer, please email or call us! We are happy to help you pick the best sailing for your needs. 

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