EDITION: 10/09/2025

By Sara Lundquist

April has come and gone but my memories will last forever! Back in April, I was fortunate enough to vacation with my family on the MSC Seashore in their Yacht Club. Our experiences and adventures went above and beyond all my expectations. What is The MSC Yacht Club, the exclusive ship-within-a-ship? It takes cruising to the next level with privacy and luxury, 24-hour service with our own concierge team and butler, a dedicated restaurant, a private sundeck and The Top Sail lounge.

The luxury started right from the beginning when we got dropped off at the port. We were escorted to The Yacht Club embarkation area and handed a glass of champagne while we started the checkin process. We were given a special wrist band that would be our key for the entire trip. It would unlock our exclusive private sanctuary areas onboard including our rooms. Within no time we were approached by a butler that then proceeded to escort us onboard and right to their special Top Sail Lounge. The Top Sail Lounge is an area that we would frequent throughout the entire trip. A spot to rest after a long day ashore and admire the panoramic views from the floor to ceiling windows. We would often return there for our before dinner drink sitting and listening to the pianist playing. Our private restaurant was up the spiral Swarovski crystal staircase.

While we waited for our room to be ready we were delivered drinks and snacks and then started to take a stroll through the other areas that were exclusive to Yacht Club Guests. The Private Solarium with pool, bar and buffet was welcoming and glamorous.

Once our room was ready our butler appeared and escorted us to where we would call home for the next 7 days. As we walked he explained all the special perks that come with Yacht Club. He described the special pillows you can request, the beverages already stocked in your fridge, the option for one free full size bottle of liquor, room service that is just a phone call away, butler escort on and off the boat when we pull into a port as well as to anywhere on the ship if needed, 24 hour concierge, wifi, thermal spa access and finally the ocean house just for yacht club members on their private island Ocean Cay. We were so excited to experience it all.

We did just that!

We ate lobster and filet mignon in the private restaurant, we got waited on while sitting in our special lounge chair on the beautiful beaches of Ocean Cay and got escorted and seated in the special area 5 minutes before the show started in their beautiful theater. My family loved that we could leave Yacht club and go all around the ship swimming and eating and sliding down their water slides but when we were tired of the 3000+ other guests we could swipe our magic watchband and enter back into the peace and serenity of the yacht club. A couple days into our trip we had a day at sea. This day was filled with lounging in our reserved pergola with our own cooler filled with our selected beverages, pizza delivered by the pool, tea time in the top sail lounge, butler escort to our speciality restaurant, the white party after dinner in the moonlight up on deck in our private pool area with the staff dancing and putting on a show, and finally one more pizza delivered to our room for a midnight snack. Need something sweet after that midnight pizza? When we came back to our room each night there was always a little box of specialty chocolates waiting for us. Every want we could have was quickly satisfied. We were sad when the cruise was over and had to leave yacht club behind, but like I said in the beginning these memories will last a lifetime. Would we do MSC Yacht Club the ship-within-a-ship again........let's just say when we got home the kids asked where their butler went so I would say yes! :0)

We explored MSC Yacht Club but they are not the only cruise line that offers ship-within-a-ship choices. More and More are realizing that passengers today like the option to upgrade their cruise with the luxury amenities and personalized services. Below are just some of the Cruise Lines that have started this experience.

Norwegian Cruise Line's The Haven

What makes The Haven so special: Relaxing in your breathtaking suite to swimming in the private pool to exploring the rest of the ship, you'll be thoroughly pampered every moment of your cruise.

Whatever you want or need, your 24-hour butler and concierge are ready to deliver. When you arrive in port, you'll be first off the ship - giving you more time to explore.  The Haven's also has an exclusive restaurant and lounge that are a truly special experience.

Receive those priority reservations for restaurant & entertainment as well as priority beauty salon / massage appointments. Luxurious benefits, delicious extras and thoughtful touches are what you will recieve with The Haven.

Celebrity's Retreat

Dedicated butler service to assist with everything you need, including packing and unpacking, making spa appointments, and dining and shore excursion reservations.

Butler Chat: Conveniently contact your butler from anywhere on board using your personal device.

Destination Experience Specialist: Dedicated expert to help you make the most of your time ashore, from planning activities to ensuring smooth transfers to your excursions.

Suite-to-car escort by your butler on Private Journeys excursions

Premium bath and body products crafted exclusively for The Retreat 

Priority departure and embarkation at most destinations, including those that require tendering

Reserved theater seating on evening chic nights.

Complimentary beach towel service, shoeshine service, use of an umbrella, and binoculars

Dedicated spa concierge and personal consultant*

Complimentary fitness classes*

Complimentary laundry service and unlimited pressing service†

Extend Your Stay: on debarkation day, stay on board to relax until mid-afternoon and enjoy lunch at Luminae, before you depart (available in select ports of call)

For those that do not want to upgrade their entire trip there are other options that are being offered on cruise lines across the board. Princess cruise line has what they call their Adults-Only Oasis, The Sanctuary. Extra perks and privileges come along with The Sanctuary. Some examples would be priority reservations at dining venues, priority embarkation and disembarkation and exclusive access to certain areas of the ship. You can purchase a day pass which will give you access to their exclusive private areas or reserve a cabana and enjoy the piece and quiet away from the rest of the hustle and bustle by the regular free pool decks.

Norwegian cruise line has their own version of The Sanctuary called Vibe Beach Club. You do not have the option to purchase by the day but you can add it on for the entire time onboard. Vibe Beach Club is an exclusive, adults-only retreat with ocean views, plush loungers, an oversized hot tub, and perks like chilled towels and fruit skewers. Don't wait any longer let the fun and pampering begin on that cruise you have been putting off booking.