MSC Cruises to add Yacht Club to world cruise for first time

MSC Cruises is introducing MSC Yacht Club on a world cruise for the first time through a retrofit of MSC Magnifica.

 

The ‘ship within a ship’ concept, which will apply to 63 suites across five suite types on Magnifica, offers keycard-only access to private facilities, 24-hour butler and concierge service, an exclusive restaurant, lounge, pool and sundeck.

 

It will debut on a world cruise in 2027 during Magnifica’s 121-night sailing across 25 countries.

 

Antonio Paradiso, vice-president of international sales for MSC Group’s cruise division, said: “We definitely needed Yacht Club on a world cruise because more and more customers were saying they enjoyed Yacht Club on other sailings and that it would be great to enjoy a similar experience on a world cruise.”

 

The group revealed last week that MSC Poesia would also be retrofitted with Yacht Club before its inaugural Alaska season next year.

 

Asked if further ships would undergo the same retrofit, Paradiso said: “For the time being, we’re happy with Poesia and Magnifica, but I’m not ruling anything out at this stage.”

 

He added that the UK is the second-largest market for Yacht Club, which is “always fully booked”.

 

The changes to Magnifica also include the introduction of additional specialty restaurants Butcher’s Cut and Kaito Sushi Bar.

 

Paradiso said it had been a “very strong year” for MSC Cruises, noting that forward bookings from the UK for 2026 were 15% up on the same time last year for 2025.

 

This year’s August was one of the strongest in “ages”, he said, though September was “up and down”. October had recorded a strong start, he added.