Written by Jay Johnson, CEO of Coastline Travel Advisors

While attending ILTM this past December in Cannes,  I ran across a booth that caused me to pause, and think MSC Yacht Club? After a few minutes of staring at the booth, I began to smile and perhaps giggle a bit.  OK, now seriously, MSC is going upscale?   I had obviously heard of MSC, but I had no idea what they meant by Yacht Club.  Yachts of Seabourn, Seadream Yacht Club are both companies I’ve sold many times in the past, but MSC Yacht Club?

I learned later that MSC currently has 11 ships worldwide, and dominate the Brazilian market, with five ships sailing off the coast of South America, as well as being a major player in the European market.  MSC is the second largest container shipping company in the world, and like NYK and their Crystal brand, MSC had decided to break into the cruise passenger market.  One of the great things about MSC is its international flavor of passengers.  Latin American guests mingle with the Germans, who mingle with the French, while the British, Italians, and Spaniards swap stories with the Russians.

About a month or so later, I received an email from Marilyn Conroy of David Morris International, asking if I would be interested in test driving their new travel partner, MSC Yacht Club. I mentioned I had seen their booth at ILTM and quite honestly, I was curious to learn more. Marilyn described the concept as a “cruise within a cruise.”  My assumption was that it would be something similar to the Four Seasons/Mandalay Bay concept. If you wanted to live the life of luxury, but still be close to the action, you could stay at the Four Seasons yet still be an elevator away from the hustle and bustle.  With that in mind, the big question was: is MSC able to pull off what the Four Seasons and Mandalay Bay had successfully done  I also wondered why this cruise within a cruise idea hadn’t been attempted before. I guess you can say Cunard has been doing it for years, and NCL is attempting something similar with their villa concept, but not at the magnitude of what MSC was trying to pull off.

Upon arrival at the port in Piraeus, I was met curbside by my Belgium trained personal butler, who escorted me through security, and directly into the Yacht Club. The time it took to get from my cab to the stateroom was less than 10 minutes, which has to be the quickest embarkation in my 20 years of cruising.  The process could not have been easier.  No check in, no lines, no stress.  I literally felt like a rock start being escorted to my suite.

I later learned that my butler was in charge of five suites while onboard. How he knew what time I was arriving is beyond me, yet from that moment on, every time I left the ship, I was escorted to the debarkation area, and every time I arrived back at the ship, I was greeted with his Balinese smile and charm.  Even when walking to the private dining room (which, unfortunately is not located near the Yacht Club, but in the aft section of the ship…probably the only flaw of my Yacht Club experience), he would escort me to the restaurant, and would be waiting for me after dinner to walk me back home.

Yacht Club guests were treated to their own lounge, filled in the morning with international breakfast treats followed by afternoon snacks and cocktails in the evening.  Each night, my travel group, consisting of agencies from both the US and Canada would meet in the lounge, known as the Top Sail and share stories about the travel industry while sipping our complimentary cocktails and canapés.

What was so enjoyable about the Yacht Club and why I think it’ll be a huge success is that you really do have the best of both worlds. I’m a huge fan of Crystal, Silversea, Regent and Seabourn, but to be honest, the nightlife on these ships can be lacking, to say the least. All have great service, great food, great amenities, but there are times when you really feel like going out on the town, so to speak.  MSC was able to offer both worlds seamlessly.  If you wanted a quiet night with friends, you spent the evening up at Top Sail.  But, if you wanted to have a little night life, then you ventured outside of the Yacht Club and into the heart of the ship, where you would be met by a lively casino, rocking disco, and dozens of packed bars full of worldly travelers.  When you were ready to retire, you could head back to your suite.

While in the confines of the Yacht Club, alcoholic beverages are included.  Gratuities are not expected, including in your private dining room.  MSC is also offering complimentary airfare from major US gateways and for price comparison sake, are lower than what you would fine on other all-inclusive products. MSC is testing this new concept onboard their two newest ships, the Splendida and Fantasia, with a third ship, Divina scheduled to arrive in May, 2012.  All three ships are scheduled to cruise the Mediterrean year round, which is another interesting concept for those who wish to visit Italy, Greece and France without the summer crowds.

Overall, I found my first MSC Yacht Club experience to be quite enjoyable and I am confident that the idea of having a ship within a ship will catch on.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the other cruise lines in the industry try to emulate MSC.  Though there are a couple of flaws that need polishing, I feel MSC has a hit on their hands and I applaud them for coming up with the creative idea of being able to balance the needs of six star passengers along with more traditional cruisers.