Travel Seller’s Report: Pampered, Privileged on MSC’s Yacht Club
by Sherry LaskinSherry Laskin, ACC, is the owner of Florida-based Vacation Shoppe. She is a founding member of the CLIA Travel Agent Advisory Board and has been quoted in Travel and Leisure and on Frommers.com and msnbc.today.com.
When you or your clients think of a luxury Mediterranean cruise, a ship that carries over 4,000 guests isn’t usually the first thing to come to mind. But think again. What if within this almost-mega-ship there existed an exclusive area where only those with key-card access could enter? Meet the stunning MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida.
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The Yacht Club in these vessels is almost a ship within a ship and consists of only 99 luxuriously appointed staterooms. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience the MSC Splendida Yacht Club on a seven-night Mediterranean cruise. I hoped this exclusive, elegant and supposedly very private class of accommodations would live up to the hype.
When presenting my ticket, which identified me as a Yacht Club guest, a butler immediately escorted me past the typical frenzied boarding-day front desk and up to the Yacht Club’s concierge desk to receive my room key. Right away, I knew this would be a unique experience.
Imagine the Yacht Club as a place where the concierge and staff greet you by name. Envision an exclusive lounge, a lovely English tea time to relax and unwind after returning from a busy day visiting amazing ancient and historic cities, and a place aboard ship where you can stretch out on a deck chair that you didn’t have to “stake out” at 7 a.m. The private sunning and pool/whirlpool area is accessible only to Yacht Club members, too.
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Did I mention your own butler? Every Yacht Club stateroom is assigned a butler trained at the International Butler Academy in the Netherlands. While always available, they are never intrusive or bothersome. Whether replacing items from your complimentary mini-bar or helping you select a pillow from the five choices on the pillow menu, your butler is there to ensure that your Yacht Club experience rivals that of smaller luxury ships.
Don’t feel like unpacking your luggage? No problem. Your butler will do it. Laundry and dry cleaning services are included; just inform your butler. It is a wonderful feeling to return home knowing your clothes have been washed, ironed and folded before leaving the ship. Upon request, your favorite newspaper will be delivered each morning in its original size, with a flexible binding.
The MSC Splendida is a large ship but not to excess. Sixty-eight of the 99 Yacht Club staterooms are located forward, on decks 15 and 16, in proximity to the two-story private Top Sail Lounge. The remainder of the Yacht Club staterooms are located at the very bow on decks 9, 10, 11 and 12 with floor-to-ceiling glass windows in lieu of balconies and a fantastic forward view. Among these are nine executive suites and family suites. My cabin was on deck 15 and I appreciated the close proximity to the Concierge Desk and Top Sail Lounge. For a true feeling of exclusivity, I suggest choosing a suite on decks 15 or 16 for your client.
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The One Pool, a private, key-card access sunning and swimming area, has an outdoor bar and is a gracious retreat high above the main pool area, on deck 18. After a long, hot day in port, I’d take the private elevator to stop by the bar and unwind in the shade with a frothy cappuccino or a chilled sauvignon blanc, all complimentary of course. The One Bar at the private pool is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and you can enjoy many of the same light meals and beverages alfresco as you would in the Top Sail Lounge.
The Top Sail lounge, located at the bow of deck 15, provides a breathtaking panoramic view of the sea and is open 24 hours a day. At various times during the day attentive wait staff set out a light breakfast, lunch, English tea time, pre-dinner snacks, a light dinner and midnight snacks. Complimentary drinks and wines are offered. It’s a wonderful spot to meet before heading to dinner. And it is the only forward-facing lounge on the ship. The view is spectacular.
While the Yacht Club is off-limits to the other guests, you have total access to all that the ship has to offer, including a bowling alley, lounges with excellent varieties of live music, a spa, the main pool and of course the gala productions in the main theater, where you have your own special seating area. When you want to retreat to your exclusive space, simply put your key-card into the slot of the forward elevators and you are nonstop on your way to the top.
Yacht Club Class passengers have an exclusive area in the main dining room, should you choose to dine there. Also, as a Yacht Club guest, the specialty restaurant, L’Olivo, is complimentary and a nice retreat far from the madding crowd. On all seven nights, I chose to dine at L’Olivo in lieu of the main dining room, to savor the prepared-to-order traditional Mediterranean cuisine and complimentary wine. With seating for only 131 guests, my butler had arranged with the maitre’d the same window table each night for me. While the menu does not change, the dining selections were plentiful. By the end of the cruise, I still had not tried every entrée or appetizer on the menu.
Also complimentary is a private transfer between the port and the airport (or, as in my case, the train station). Towards the end of the cruise, the concierge will ask you to complete a transfer form and arrange it all. Your butler will notify you when your ride has arrived and escort you to your awaiting car.
Who to Send
After my seven-night Med cruise, while aboard the sleek TGV train taking me to Paris, I gave a lot of thought as to who would be best be suited to this unique class of service. It should clients who want a truly European cruise experience, with authentic Mediterranean food and wine, who enjoy meeting people who have cruised on luxury small ships and who appreciate dedicated personalized attention.
Perhaps a key target market in the U.S. would be retired university academics and those with discretionary income, unrestricted vacation time or a penchant for ancient history, cultures and languages. They may have a preference for European immersion rather than an Americanized luxury cruise and they might embrace the Italian lifestyle. Your clients will be pampered and privileged as on no other mass market cruise line because the MSC Yacht Club exudes small ship luxuries with big ship amenities.
Note: As of this writing, MSC has confirmed construction of a third Fantasia-class ship, the MSC Fantastica, by STX France. This new vessel will be the twelfth in the MSC fleet. Rates on the MSC Splendida Yacht Club start at $3,459 (early booking rates) plus government fees and taxes.
