Editor's note: This is the first of our occasional hands-on reviews of experiences our editors have in the field.
The MSC Yacht Club had me at "hello."
As I was greeted upon entering the cruise terminal at the Port of Miami, I was immediately directed to the special check-in lounge for Yacht Club guests. That's right, the check-in LOUNGE, a separate, walled-off area for those in the luxury wing of the ship.
There were no lines, but there were refreshments and a uniformed butler to carry my bag onto the MSC Divina, the Italian line's first ship to be based year-round in the U.S., and escort me to the Yacht Club.
I must admit to being skeptical about luxury enclaves - the so-called ship-within-a-ship - on mega-ships. The MSC Divina is 140,000 gross tons in size and accommodates 3,502 passengers double occupancy or up to 4,345 if all berths are full.
How can a ship that carries thousands of people feel luxurious?
The MSC Divina's Yacht Club did it for me. The private area is accessed by key card and includes 69 suites, a concierge desk, the private Top Sail Lounge, and an exclusive deck area with a small pool, two whirlpools, bar and small buffet. It's all complimentary, including the booze.
There's a private elevator to whisk guests between the lounge, MSC Aurea Spa and the pool deck. The steps in the curving main staircase are made with Swarovski crystals that glitter like diamonds and served as the backdrop for more than one photo op.
My stateroom - although it's called a "suite," it's really one big room - was not as large as I'd imagined at 234 to 283 square feet but it was still plenty spacious with a lavish marble bathroom, bathtub with shower, and a walk-in closet.
It was quite luxurious, with lovely finishes and furnishings. The beds with the memory foam mattress and Egyptian cotton sheets were about the most comfortable I've ever slept in, on land or sea.
What I liked best was simply walking down a flight of stairs for a morning cappuccino and simple breakfast in the Top Sail Lounge. Or having a pre-dinner cocktail, nibbling on Italian cheese crackers, nuts and cucumber sandwiches, as a pianist played old standards.
While relaxing on the pool deck, it was easy to imagine I was on a luxury ship one-third the size of the MSC Divina, since the area was quiet with plenty of loungers for everyone, and there were no raucous pool games or annoyingly loud music.
The other great thing about MSC Yacht Club was being able to dine in its exclusive restaurant, Le Muse. It was a quiet, upscale venue, though we wondered why it was located at the other end of the ship instead of in the Yacht Club area.
Perhaps the ship designers wanted to make sure Yacht Club guests got out to see the rest of the ship! Le Muse was delightful - we had excellent, friendly service on the second night we dined there - and the food was good, though we were puzzled by the gloppy, nearly tasteless dressing on our Caesar salad the first night.
Overall, I loved the MSC Yacht Club, but it is a noticeably higher-priced option, given all the extras. Much has been said about the cooler European-style of service, and we did experience a few glitches - for example, calls to room service rang and rang before being answered by a repeating message.
And a few colleagues complained of never meeting their butler or cabin steward. Those are shortfalls that likely will be addressed and corrected in coming weeks as the staff becomes more accustomed to what U.S. cruise customers expect.
And after that, it's up to travel agents to qualify their clients to see if the Yacht Club's exclusive amenities and privacy are worth the extra money to them.
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