I recently sailed onboard MSC Seashore from Port Canaveral, Florida, for a three-night cruise. During my trip on the Seaside-class mega-ship, I got to stay in a suite that was part of MSC Yacht Club, an exclusive sanctuary on board that’s sort of like a ship within a ship. These luxury enclaves are becoming more and more common, and usually feature pricier staterooms or suites that come with added perks like access to a private lounge, restaurant, pool, and sundeck, though inclusions vary by cruise line.
While a variety of lines now feature such enclaves, MSC and Norwegian are generally credited with pioneering the idea, and MSC introduced Yacht Club in 2008.
Today, Yacht Club is a private area accessible only via key card for those who booked Yacht Club suites. While Yacht Club does cater mostly to adults, it’s not an adults-only space.
Each Yacht Club suite is assigned a team of butlers who can help with whatever you need, from delivering coffee in the morning to escorting you off the ship for excursions. The area has a private restaurant, lounge, and a stunning pool deck with hot tubs, a bar, and plenty of comfortable seating. On Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the cruise line’s private island in The Bahamas, Yacht Club guests have access to a private beach with chairs, umbrellas, beach bar service, and an oceanside restaurant.
The price of your suite covers just about everything, including premium drink packages, a stocked mini-bar in your suite, high-speed internet, and access to the thermal suite in the spa. You’ll also get skip-the-line service to get onto the ship at embarkation, off the ship at ports of call, and be the first off the ship at disembarkation time.
What Does a Yacht Club Suite Cost?
The prices for suites depend on the sailing length, time of year, and the type of room booked. However, the average Yacht Club experience can be double the cost or more of booking a non-Yacht Club room. For example, a three-night sailing from Port Canaveral to the brand’s private island and Nassau, The Bahamas, in August 2024 is $3,350 for two people in a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite. The same cruise in an equivalent balcony cabin is $990 for two. Non-Yacht Club suites are priced at $1,390 for two people on this same cruise.
Other Yacht Club cabin styles include Interior Suites, Executive and Family Suites, two-story Duplex Suites, Royal Suites, and the Owner's Suite, which boasts a whopping 1,119 square feet, a 517 square-foot balcony, and a whirlpool.
What’s a Yacht Club Suite Like?
My Deluxe Grand Suite was more spacious than any other cruise cabin I’ve been in, regardless of the cruise line (they range from 269 square feet to 463 square feet). I loved that it had a partially sectioned-off sitting area that made the room feel like it had a bedroom and a living room, plus it had one of the largest balconies I’ve seen on a cruise ship. Depending on your Deluxe Grand Suite, balconies can vary from 86 to 129 square feet. The room had plenty of storage, and the bathroom was about the same size as mine at home with a large shower, toilet, sink, and plenty of counter space.
On MSC Seashore, the Yacht Club has 131 rooms, all of which can accomodate four people. The largest Yacht Club space is on MSC World Europa, with 152 suites.
What I Loved About My MSC Yacht Club Experience
Overall, my experience with the MSC Yacht Club was great. The Yacht Club takes over the forward section of decks 16, 18, 19, and 20 (MSC Seashore does not have a deck 17) and I had to scan a wearable bracelet to get into the Yacht Club from the regular guest areas. Once I was inside the sanctuary of the Yacht Club I could use the private elevator to get to my cabin, the restaurant or lounge, and the pool.
I loved the Yacht Club Restaurant and Top Sail Lounge which were just a few steps from my cabin. Both spaces featured floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the ocean. The restaurant was elegant with white linens and beautiful place settings, while the lounge was a more casual hangout. Each morning I would walk to the lounge to get iced coffee, then head upstairs to sit at one of the restaurant tables. After a few meals, I really got to know my dining team — and more importantly, they got to know me and my dining and drinking preferences. Dishes at the Yacht Club Restaurant were elevated, including sea bass, filet mignon, and hand-made pasta. Every meal here was impeccable, as was the service. I also enjoyed that the menu for each service changed, so I was never eating the same thing twice, and there were always plenty of options to choose from.
I also loved the pool and the surrounding deck that was just for Yacht Club cruisers. This area offered a quieter oasis than the main pool, which was often brimming with guests. The Yacht Club pool deck also has an ample amount of shade and chairs, something I didn’t see at the main pool onboard. The Yacht Club pool is smaller than the main pool and doesn't have any views, but makes up for it by being relaxed, serene, and uncrowded.
One of the biggest perks of booking Yacht Club is the expedited service. This started right when I checked in at Port Canaveral, where a Yacht Club tent sat outside the terminal. I checked in and was escorted upstairs into the terminal to another Yacht Club-exclusive space to wait until I was called onboard. I was then taken to the ship by one of the Yacht Club butlers, who first brought me and a few other families to our muster station to check in for the safety drill before ushering us to the Yacht Club Lounge for drinks before lunch was served.
The expedited service didn’t stop at embarkation. After getting to my cabin and meeting my personal butler, he let me know that he could take me anywhere on the ship and that I could skip any lines. He could even take me to any specialty dining venue I wanted and have me seated almost immediately. There were also priority escorts and priority seating for the nightly shows.
When it was time to get off the ship and head to the private island, my butler met me in my room to take me down to the disembarkation point. I was then picked up by a golf cart and whisked to the Yacht Club-exclusive beach. At the beach, I booked a cabana for the day, and it just so happened that my room butler was on cabana duty, so he was also able to bring drinks, snacks, and anything else my heart desired.
What I Didn’t Love About My MSC Yacht Club Experience
While there are plenty of perks to the MSC Yacht Club experience, I also saw and experienced a few things that diminished the experience slightly. I wish the team, whether it be the front desk at the Yacht Club, my butler, or anyone else had explained all of the services that could be provided. For example, only on my last night did I see pizzas being delivered to rooms, which I would have gone for one evening when the seas were rough instead of eating in the Yacht Club restaurant.
The service in the lounge was hit or miss. There were a lot of great crew members taking care of the guests who booked the Yacht Club, but it seemed that in some instances special priority was given to guests who had already sailed on the ship and that the crew remembered.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for an elevated cruise experience where the only reason you would need to leave a private enclave is to get off the ship, then yes, the MSC Yacht Club is worth the cost. Nearly everything I wanted and needed for a long weekend away was included in the cost, and the level of service from the majority of the crew exceeded my expectations.