November 1, 2026 — 5:00am
On a nippy Friday afternoon at Port de Barcelona, the navy-blue carpet and golden logos are rolled out under a gazebo-style tent for members of MSC Yacht Club.
The giant cruise terminal is dwarfed by one of the world’s largest passenger ships, which, for the next week, will be my luxury home as we drift around the Mediterranean via France, Italy and Malta.
For a cruise rookie, spending seven nights at the pointy end of the MSC World Europa is starting at the top.
MSC Cruises pioneered the “ship within a ship” concept with Yacht Club, which is similar to business class on a plane or a boutique hotel inside a larger hotel.
Seven foredecks are reserved for those who have paid a premium, featuring dedicated dining options, a lounge, rooftop pool area, concierge and butler service. All the facilities of a big ship are at my disposal, with the chance to escape to the more exclusive confines towards the bow.
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The special treatment begins with priority boarding. My luggage is handled politely but firmly, while others who might want a shortcut are served elsewhere, and I am whisked through security into a lounge in the terminal.
The MSC for Me app is already installed and booking number linked, so check-in is a matter of taking a selfie and handing over my passport. I face the tough decision of which bonus bottle to select for the minibar (I pick a red over the tempting vodka) and weigh up whether to sample another biscuit when the butler returns with passport, cruise card and wristband.
They’re ready for me, but am I ready?
The MSC World Europa is 333.3 metres long, has 16 passenger decks, room for 6762 passengers and more than 2000 crew, 30-odd food and drink spots, enough pools to soak in a new one each day for a week, and plenty of entertainment, activities and shopping opportunities.
The numbers don’t really convey how impressive it is: in some ways, it resembles a couple of city blocks that happen to float.
After having the cruise card scanned at the emergency assembly point, the next perk is revealed. Yacht Club passengers get priority in the lifts when accompanied by a butler.
Deck 19 is the proper introduction to Yacht Club. With panoramic views, a steady stream of drinks and nibbles and music tinkling, the Top Sail Lounge is a pleasant place to relax when it’s too chilly for the rooftop pool area. The restaurant is a spiral staircase away, and the next week will be a test of how many three-course meals one stomach can actually stomach.
Inside the state room, a deluxe suite on deck 21, are 10 chocolate-covered strawberries and a bottle of Fontanafredda Asti on ice. The red is yet to arrive, but the butler explains the drinks in the minibar are included in the package and will be restocked; the first snacks are free but not any replacements.
Room service is included, although it seems a shame to bounce around the suite solo when there’s so much ship to explore. And is it wrong that my favourite thing the butler said was that four pieces of ironing were free?
Speaking of things you can’t get at home, the butler and concierge help sort out a schedule of specialty dining and entertainment for the evenings, and an early massage on a sea day towards the end of the cruise.
On the first night, I try to absorb the sunset over Barcelona from the restaurant and lounge, but honestly, it takes me a while to realise the ship is under way. Was it the bubbles, punch and wine, jet lag or the fact the enormous vessel glides so slowly and smoothly out of port? Probably all three.
I take in the late show, a Broadway-style revue, and head straight to rows reserved for Yacht Club passengers. I cut the queue at the lift on my return to the stateroom. Sweet.
On waking, the French coast is a ghostly pre-dawn shadow outside my window. With this, the appeal of cruising becomes clearer. I have loved DIY holidays but lugging suitcases from place to place gets tedious.
I wander down to the ship’s main breakfast buffet, and while the options are plentiful and queues don’t seem bad, the lure of the view draws me back to the Yacht Club. Marseille’s firefly lights evolve into pastel buildings in the limestone hills as waiters hover with bread, pastries and coffee.
The Top Sail Lounge serves as the meeting point for excursions – both Yacht Club exclusives and those with other passengers. A butler is on hand for escort duties and moves past the general population to forge a path towards the priority lane if there is a crowd.
The first two excursions are Yacht Club exclusives; the groups are small enough to fit into minivans and we’re off before other buses load up.
We first visit the Palace of the Popes in Avignon before we sample the divine wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in a vineyard that dates back to the 14th century. The second, in Italy, takes us to a pesto-making masterclass near Genoa before taking the winding roads to Portofino, a place tour buses cannot reach.
The experiences offer stunning sights, and insights, into the regional histories and delicious food, and the guides make sure we are back to the ship on time.
Yacht Club’s priority boarding is also a winner. In Marseille, we tag along with the masses until someone spots a butler and waves us forward. It feels slightly embarrassing – the first time we avoid eye contact and waltz through – but by day three, after the coach hurtled down a rainy highway from Rome to make it to the port on time, it was a relief to get on board straight away.
“This is where Yacht Club pays off,” says one of the Canadians I chat to. “Big time.”
The excursion to Rome is the only time I notice any real hitches. Entry to the Colosseum requires photo ID, and while those from the larger area were reminded before leaving the ship, no one had mentioned it to the Yacht Club members until we were on the bus.
After a few moments of fear that some might miss out, it was fixed either by the passenger finding a photo of their passport on their phone or having one sent from the ship. The other time there was a problem, when one of my new Canadian friends required a trip to hospital, but the crew and on-board care were excellent.
The only place where being in Yacht Club has no real advantage was the Speakeasy, a secretive Prohibition-era-style jazz club where colourful cocktails are served (and not included in any drinks package).
The smoke and mirrors of the elaborate set-up spark conversation: one Briton is having a brilliant time in the larger part of the ship, while a couple from Edinburgh makes the most of an upgrade. One Canadian has become so used to Yacht Club he jokes he won’t “go north of the wall” with the wildlings, but does venture into the bowels for the Speakeasy.
As a novice, I find it curious how experienced cruisers speak about their previous voyages. Compared to other travels, it seems less about the destinations and more about which ships and levels and packages they have experienced. It’s almost like the first rule of Yacht Club is that you must talk about Yacht Club.
The one dissenting opinion I hear all week comes from the only Australian voice I notice. In Valletta, Malta, a few of us settle into the bus when the rest of the tour arrives. How did they get here before us, the Sydneysider wonders, before he realises the answer: “Bloody Yacht Club.”
The advantages extend to the last second, when my butler takes me down the express lift, finds my luggage in the Barcelona terminal and ushers me into a taxi.
So, have I been converted to cruising? Or has the experience spoiled me? Yes on both counts. I’d love to cruise again, but the bar has been set high.
DETAILS
A seven-day round-trip from Barcelona visits Marseille, Genoa, Civitavecchia (Rome), Messina, Valletta and a day at sea. A Yacht Club deluxe suite, from $3647 a person, including taxes and hotel service charge. See msccruises.com.au
The writer travelled as a guest of MSC Cruises.
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Source: The Sydney Morning Herald · Michael Ruffles
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