The MSC Yacht Club is a quiet area on the 3,300-passenger MSC Splendida (double occupancy, 3,900 with all berths). Occupying over 43,000 square feet and open to only the 99 yacht club suites, the butler and concierge staff pamper and pamper MSC Yacht Club guests with exceptional service and amenities typically only seen on smaller luxury ships. .
Embark from MSC Yacht Club
Special treatment begins on boarding. MSC Yacht Club guests are greeted at the pier by a butler and have a special no-line check-in area. The butler escorts guests directly to their suites and carries all luggage. Don’t wait a couple of hours to get your luggage, and the butler will even unpack your bags if requested.
MSC Yacht Club Suites
MSC Yacht Club offers a selection of 64 YC1 Deluxe Standard Suites, 22 YC2 Deluxe Family Suites (for 2-4 adults), 3 YC2 Executive Suites and 10 YC3 Royal Suites. Two of the executive suites are handicap accessible.
The MSC Yacht Club suites have a complimentary minibar. The MSC Yacht Club suites have a full bathroom and shower with marble details, interactive TV, WiFi, Nintento Wii, luxurious sheets and a selection of pillows. Although the standard and family suites have a separate living room, there is no curtain dividing the two sections of the suite as on many ships.
MSC Yacht Club Concierge and reception area
The MSC Yacht Club has a large, open, 2-story reception area with a concierge desk, seating area and a small library. Its most striking feature is a wonderful Swarkovski staircase filled with sparkling golden crystals. The concierge desk is open 24/7, and the multilingual concierge staff is available to answer questions and book reservations for shore excursions, dinners, or the spa. They will also organize transfers from the ship to your airport or hotel at the end of the cruise.
MSC Yacht Club Top Sail Lounge
The Top Sail Lounge is one of the best amenities at the Yacht Club. This large panoramic lounge on deck 15 offers wonderful views forward. It also has plasma screens where guests can gather information about the weather and the ship’s heading. Butlers and lounge staff serve complimentary beverages, pastries, and snacks throughout the day.
Since the Yacht Club does not have a kitchen, only a light breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served, but these small meals are certainly suitable for those who don’t want to venture outside the Yacht Club area or order room service. In the afternoon, the butlers serve English tea. My friend and I loved having a light breakfast in the Top Sail Lounge, afternoon tea, and before dinner. The living room is also perfect for reading a book and relaxing when the ship is at sea. You will certainly be the first to see any upcoming thrills like the volcanic island of Stromboli or your next port of call.
MSC Yacht Club Dining at MSC Splendida
In addition to room service, tea, and drinks and small plates served at the Top Sail Lounge, guests staying in the 99 suites at the MSC Yacht Club will also receive special treatment at other restaurants at the MSC Splendida. For example, Yacht Club guests can enjoy complimentary food and beverages at L’Olivo, the wonderful Mediterranean specialty restaurant, or at their table at Villa Verde, which is the main Italian restaurant. MSC Yacht Club guests have a special reserved area and tables at Villa Verde for all three meals.
Although the menu in the Villa Verde Yacht Club area is the same as for the other passengers, those at the Yacht Club have complimentary drinks and the tables are further apart in a prime location near the panoramic windows overlooking the stern.
MSC Yacht Club guests who drink or dine outside the Yacht Club, Villa Verde or L’Olivio will pay the same as other MSC Splendida guests.
MSC Yacht Club and the MSC Aurea Spa
The MSC Yacht Club has private elevator access to the MSC Aurea Spa, which is located directly below the Yacht Club on deck 14. Yacht Club guests can receive spa treatments in their suites or in one of the dedicated massage rooms at the Yacht Club in the spa.
MSC Splendida MSC Yacht Club – The only group
Anyone who enjoys a private and quiet outdoor area with a pool, hot tubs and a bar will love The One Pool at MSC Splendida. Located on the sun deck (deck 18) forward, The One Pool is a beautiful area, with comfortable loungers, a pool, two hot tubs, and a solarium. It is a great area to sit outside and enjoy the sun and sea air (or the shade and sea air).
MSC Splendida Yacht Club conclusion
The MSC Yacht Club on the MSC Splendida cruise ship exceeded my expectations. MSC Cruises has certainly fulfilled its goal of designing a ‘ship within a ship’. The service and amenities at the MSC Yacht Club are like those found on the smallest luxury ships. The suites are comfortable, although they are not really “suites” as there is no curtain dividing the sleeping and resting areas. Being able to have complimentary food and beverages at Villa Verde and L’Olivio certainly made the dining experience more enjoyable.
I saw a slight downside with the Yacht Club concept, but it affects those of us who only speak English or on cruises with few English speakers on board. On our Mediterranean cruise, my friend and I were the only passengers staying at the MSC Yacht Club who only spoke English. Although we had each other for company, we missed dining and socializing with other passengers whose first language was English. We met some lovely English speakers on the boat, but it would have been more fun if they had also stayed at the Yacht Club.
For this reason, the MSC Yacht Club is perfect for families or groups of travelers with common interests who plan to make the most of their social life and drink at the Yacht Club. On the other hand, romantic couples or those seeking solitude and tranquility will love the privacy and comfort that this wonderful area provides. I would certainly love to go back with my husband, a family group or a group of girlfriends, but not all at the same time!
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided complimentary cruise accommodations for review purposes. While you have not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
