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MSC Seashore - Bahamas

This was our first foray into MSC.  I was very hesitant to book with MSC because the reviews have been historically hit or miss. Friends of ours had booked MSC and then upgraded to Yacht Club, and they loved it, sooo… why not?  Anyway, here’s my rundown.

We parked at Port Canaveral, again choosing to forego Park Port Canaveral offsite.  Traffic was terrible going since MSC docked at Terminal 10, requiring you to drive over the drawbridge. 

The MSC Yacht Club is all in one location, unlike Celebrity Retreat class which spreads out the spaces and the rooms.  It was so incredibly convenient, such that you don’t really need to leave unless you want to see the shows, shop, or check out the speciality restaurants and bars.  The pool, pool buffet, restaurant, and lounge are all located in the key-access area with our rooms. 

Room

For the first time since before the pandemic, we chose to book Interior - Yacht Club Interior.  It was cheap enough that we figured it would be a good way to try MSC and experience Yacht Club at a low price.  Our friends booked a balcony room in Yacht Club.  Neither bathroom had night lights to help you in the dark, so I recommend taking a little LED puck light.  The balcony room’s curtains are the best I’ve ever seen on a cruise ship, totally blacking out the room so you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

Our interior room (16029) was sized well for us, but the bathroom was quite small - knees hitting the sink cabinet and elbows hitting the shower wall while washing my hair.  The bath products they provide are really nice.

Our friends’ balcony room (16016) was quite large with a spacious bathroom and shower.  The balcony itself was also a nice size.  

YC rooms come with a restocked minibar, which is wonderful for keeping hydrated with water.

Food & Beverage

There were always snacks in the YC lounge, and the buffet offers quite a nice selection.  The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the option to stick with the same dining staff.  The food was about as good as Celebrity, maybe a touch lower.  We enjoyed our meals.

YC doesn’t count your drinks, while the regular purchased beverage package is now limited to 15.  

The coffee options are pretty expensive and the wine menu available for YC is about the same as Celebrity’s Retreat.

Ocean Cay Marine Reserve (MSC’s private island)

The island is beautiful, surrounding by the most amazing blues, greens, and teal water.  They did not fall back on concrete pools, instead opting to leverage the white sugar sand beaches. There is a dedicated Yacht Club area on the island, which of course we had to visit for the day.  NOTE: Take water shoes!  Both the YC beach and the beach across the golf cart path are very rocky and uncomfortable.  Wish we’d had them!

Our butler was one of the beach servers, and our preferred main waiter served us lunch at the YC restaurant on the island.  The menu is small but has a fair number of selections.  The restaurant is beautiful, and the entire area never felt overcrowded.

Entertainment

The main theatre singers were disappointing so we only went once.The entertainment in Le Cabaret Rouge was better, but Celebrity wins with talent.

There were quite a few options for live music, but none blew us away.

The Ship

There are many themed bars, but we only visited Brooklyn Cafe - really good chocolate and espresso martinis.  We were ignored at a couple of places, which made us not want to leave the YC area much.  I had read many reviews regarding the level of service, which seemed to jive with what we experienced in the common areas.  Everyone in the YC were wonderful - smiling, attentive, and kind.

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