Page 25 - ​2021 CIN Luxury Market Report

Luxury Market
MSC’s new Seashore, set to debut in 2021, has the biggest Yacht Club yet with 131 suites.
Integration
The MSC Yacht Club was first introduced in 2008 onboard
the MSC Fantasia.
“The purpose was to cater for guests who would truly val-
ue exclusivity, culinary experiences and personalized service
onboard our ships,” Stacher said. “This required a dedicated
space onboard to house a more exclusive and luxurious area.
In essence, a premium property.”
The cruise line started with hardware, designing an indoor
and outdoor restaurant, a panoramic lounge, a private pool deck
with whirlpools, and suites that combined create a “greater space
for guests who have paid for a premium product.”
Other changes that the Yacht Club has undergone are the
location of member-only restaurants in the Yacht Club in the
Meraviglia class of ships and the introduction of a Swarowski
staircase in the lounge, to link directly with the restaurant in
the Seaside class.
“We also increased the pool size and added sun cabanas,”
Stacher said.
“The successful integration of the Yacht Club also includ-
ed the high level of customer service delivered that has been
achieved by the personality and skillsets of every guest’s butler, butlers who will meet our exacting requirements to take care of
most of whom have a strong background not just hospitality,
but also had experience with luxury products,” he added.
All Inclusive
The Yacht Club is all-inclusive and varies in size in terms
of number of suites – depending on the ship – spread over three
upper foredecks.
The views from the Yacht Club across the bow of the
ships and out to sea are something special too, according
to Stacher.
“There’s no better location on the vessel for views of a port
as she heads to berth in a new destination,” he said.
In addition, Yacht Club guests get their own priority embar-
kation and disembarkation. Stacher added that the Yacht Club
capacity is “carefully managed” to ensure “privacy and the real
feeling of being part of an exclusive club.”
Challenges
Stacher said the MSC Yacht Club faces the same challenges
as “the whole cruise industry and travel sector face.” But beyond
that, the cruise line’s focus with the Yacht Club is also among
the features on two new ships the company is introducing in
2021: the MSC Virtuosa and the MSC Seashore.
The MSC Yacht Club on the MSC Virtuosa will have two
Royal Suites each with a private whirlpool bath on a large
balcony and eight duplex cabins.
“The MSC Seashore will be our largest MSC Yacht Club
with 131 suites including four presidential suites,” he said.
“The capacity increases lead to a need to attract additional
every guest in the MSC Yacht Club. They must have a sense of
purpose and service and be the iconic element of the offering,
24 hours a day,” he said.
“That’s a challenge, but one that we’re determined to ful-
fill,” he added. ¾
Cruise Industry News: 2021 Luxury Market Report 103