This was a 7 night cruise from Southampton to Genoa on the MSC Preziosa in Yacht club (YC1). It was our second MSC cruise after we experienced an Aurea balcony cruise on MSC Fantasia. That first cruise was a mixed experience, but we decided to try Yacht Club to see whether the hype matched the reality.

Embarkation - This was at Southampton and the experience was very good. Our cruise e-ticket told us that check in was 3pm, but too be honest we wanted to get on for lunch (why not !), so turned up at 12:30pm. We were ushered through to a separate area where we were served prosecco and nibbles. We waited until there was a few of us and then were ushered (that word again) onto the ship. Very nice and it did make you feel special and in fact set the tone for the rest of the cruise.

Cabin - We were in a standard YC1 balcony cabin. In terms of size, it is around the same size as a standard balcony, but you do have a different colour scheme. You also have a marble bathroom and just nicer touches. You also get an all-free mini bar that is topped up daily and a free bottle of presecco. You also get a walk in wardrobe. Read more