How to make best use of Allegrissimo!!

[earn]

For the first time I will be purchasing the Allegrissimo packsge. Just the ordinary one, not premium. We only have 3 days and want to know all the best drinks to buy etc. We will be on Magnifica from Hamburg to Southampton.

 

So, give us your advice and tips. Can we ask the waiters in the buffet and MDR at breakfast for freshly squeezed orange juice? Could we have a Bucks Fizz? Do we need to go to a bar for decent coffee or can we order it in the buffet and dining room? Can I have Drambui on the classic package? Which is the least offensive of the wines available? Is there any sparkling?

 

If someone was able to write me a post about a day in the life of an Allegrissimo holder, I might just try to copy that :)

[AmoMondo]

Ok so here are my tips.

 

Get onboard as early as you can and leve as late as you can, so more hours to use it!

 

I'm not sure about the buffet as I rarely eat there but I think they have a more limited bar list that is just wine, beer, water and soft drinks. However nothing to stop you collecting the juice from the pool bar on the wY in. Could Lao have. Cappucino on the way out. How Bout a Bloody Mary too for brekkie?

 

There is always a sparkling wine at bars and in the MDR. Often in the MDR if you ask for it they just leave you the bottle. It's a reasonable Prosecco. The reds available tend to vary by ship but generally the Merlot is a bit insipid. They sometimes have a Sangiovese in the MDR which is usually the best of the bunch (or at least that is what my friend Tim and I think!)

 

The vitamin bar is worth a visit, I prefer the fruit ones to the veggie ones. There is a berry something or other that is really good. Don't forget that tubs or cones of gelato on the pool deck are also included.

 

Liquer coffees are excluded but nothing to stop you ordering a cappucino and an Amaretto on the side and combining the two yourself!

 

My favourites are Limoncello, Amaretto, B52s and Mojitos. Also get through a fair amount of fizz!

 

Speciality restaurants now allow you to use Allegrissimo (didn't use to) and they Lao let me use it in the wine bar on the Musica or Orchestra but I don't think they should have. The wines there are really good and they give you a fantastic selection of free food to go with each glass, bit like Italian tapas with olives, cheeses, wonderful cured meats and bread.

[northerncomfort16]

For the first time I will be purchasing the Allegrissimo packsge. Just the ordinary one, not premium. We only have 3 days and want to know all the best drinks to buy etc. We will be on Magnifica from Hamburg to Southampton.

 

So, give us your advice and tips. Can we ask the waiters in the buffet and MDR at breakfast for freshly squeezed orange juice? Could we have a Bucks Fizz? Do we need to go to a bar for decent coffee or can we order it in the buffet and dining room? Can I have Drambui on the classic package? Which is the least offensive of the wines available? Is there any sparkling?

 

If someone was able to write me a post about a day in the life of an Allegrissimo holder, I might just try to copy that :)

 

Hi Earn, we can compare notes when we meet up on Sunday afternoon. The thing I enjoy most about having the Allegrissimo is that you can be very relaxed about what you drink without ever considering the cost and I think it greatly enhances the whole cruise experience.

 

Yes you can have Drambuie, which happens to be one of my favourite drinks. The wine is a bit more uncertain, I suggest finding out which ones are included and then order both to see which you prefer - easier if you are on a large table. Also there is a choice of two sparkling, one dry and one sweet.

 

I make sure I have a fresh squeezed orange juice every day and I order proper coffee if I have breakfast in the buffet, normally having an expresso and a cappuccino. As I have started a typical day I might as well carry on....

mid morning - another coffee

lunch - a beer, possibly followed by another coffee.

mid afternoon - a cocktail, the BBC is really nice and it includes a banana ticking one of your 5 a day!

pre-dinner - maybe a G&T or beer and if there is a sailaway then a glass of sparkling.

dinner - wine, probably the best part of a bottle and also a bottle of water.

after dinner - last coffee of the day, I highly recommend the marrochino, with either a brandy or a Drambuie. Then perhaps a couple more drinks before bed.

 

I have attached a link to the bar menus, courtesy of Pete, 'Skier52'

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=1CDC327C72A4C6D9&id=1CDC327C72A4C6D9%211388&v=3

 

You can now choose what you fancy and save valuable time!!

[earn]

AmoMondo,

 

As ever, wonderful advice. Think we will manage to do justice to your recommendations. I love Fizz, so delighted to hear it is decent. Can't wait for Sunday :)

[earn]

Hi Earn, we can compare notes when we meet up on Sunday afternoon. The thing I enjoy most about having the Allegrissimo is that you can be very relaxed about what you drink without ever considering the cost and I think it greatly enhances the whole cruise experience.

 

Yes you can have Drambuie, which happens to be one of my favourite drinks. The wine is a bit more uncertain, I suggest finding out which ones are included and then order both to see which you prefer - easier if you are on a large table. Also there is a choice of two sparkling, one dry and one sweet.

 

I make sure I have a fresh squeezed orange juice every day and I order proper coffee if I have breakfast in the buffet, normally having an expresso and a cappuccino. As I have started a typical day I might as well carry on....

mid morning - another coffee

lunch - a beer, possibly followed by another coffee.

mid afternoon - a cocktail, the BBC is really nice and it includes a banana ticking one of your 5 a day!

pre-dinner - maybe a G&T or beer and if there is a sailaway then a glass of sparkling.

dinner - wine, probably the best part of a bottle and also a bottle of water.

after dinner - last coffee of the day, I highly recommend the marrochino, with either a brandy or a Drambuie. Then perhaps a couple more drinks before bed.

 

I have attached a link to the bar menus, courtesy of Pete, 'Skier52'

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=1CDC327C72A4C6D9&id=1CDC327C72A4C6D9%211388&v=3

 

You can now choose what you fancy and save valuable time!!

 

That all sounds fantastic, and I will be sure to swat up before I head to Hamburg on Friday. Might even take a copy to read in the airport :). I am so excited as usually we do long cruises and between myself, husband and two teenagers the cost of Allegrissimo just seems a luxury too far. So happy Drambuie is included. A wee one of those before bed will go down nicely.

[IslandFoxyCouple]

Curious when you can start drinking if you pre-booked the Allegrissimo packages? Just remember on Carnival that we ended up being on the ship for a couple hours and having to pay for drinks out of pocket before the "computer systems" were brought online before we could take advantage of our package.

 

Thank you for the information.

[CruiseIreland]

Curious when you can start drinking if you pre-booked the Allegrissimo packages? Just remember on Carnival that we ended up being on the ship for a couple hours and having to pay for drinks out of pocket before the "computer systems" were brought online before we could take advantage of our package.

 

Thank you for the information.

We used it as soon as we boarded. The sailpass card has a code and it is programmed so start as soon as you board!

[AmoMondo]

We used it as soon as we boarded. The sailpass card has a code and it is programmed so start as soon as you board!

 

Ditto, always been able to use it right away.

[sidari]

One of the Sparkling Whites they usually have onboard is called Borgomolino and has a Gold coloured label and foil covering, it is not available in the MDR`s so you have to go to a bar for it.

 

This is one of the wines made specially for MSC from a vineyard just outside Venice.

[earn]

We got on the ship just before noon and headed to the closest bar for a glass of Prosecco to help us find our way around. All included! I might try asking for the special one in November.

 

We followed the plans given well, and managed to enjoy many new drinks and old favourites. Couldn't get freshly squeezed orange juice, but the carton juice was better than the normal stuff.

[Skipper Tim]

I hate to disagree with AmoMondo but I have never been able to obtain sparkling wine in the MDR and told specifically that it is only available at the bars. Then she has also had success in obtaining fresh orange juice and speciality coffees there too. Perhaps being the Black Card megarstar she is has something to do with it?

 

On top of the suggestions already made, I would say use Allegrissimo to get you to the parts of the ship you might not otherwise go. I regard Allegrissimo as 'Freedom of the Ship' simply because there are no public areas of the ship not serviced by a bar, save the kiddies area. Try the spa bar - whenever I have been it has been totally exclusive to me! A great place to catch up on emails etc.. The Vitamin bar has concoctions you would never even imagine, or remember afterwards. Find a 'smoothie' time of day, perhaps before the first Bloody Mary before the first glass of bubbly before lunch? Arm yourself with the daily programme and use it to get bars as soon as they open to appreciate superb service and a civilised ambience before the masses arrive.

 

Also, overcome one of the limitations of not being on the Premium by taking a nightcap, or two, to your cabin to have a stock in, in case of emergencies, and collect a small bottle of cold water on your way ashore.

 

I solved the breakfast problem by having it on pool deck just forward of the buffet but within the service area of the aft pool bar. Here I can have freshly squeezed orange juice, bubbly if required, and a Morocchino. The 'continental breakfast' area here, before the main buffet breakfast opens, converts into a mini buffet a little after the buffet opens with all the main cooked breakfast items cooked in front of you - the best of all worlds.

 

Of course you may have more success than I in obtaining fresh orange juices, speciality coffees and sparkling wine in the MDR. I think it is policy but a extra-helpful waiter or two may earn their tips.

 

I would agree with Amomondo to be on the ship in time for lunch on the first day and, much like Jack and Rose, stay on the ship for as long as possible on the last day - check the time of the last disembarkation group or just the time the ship leaves!

Edited October 7, 2014 by Skipper Tim

[Skipper Tim]

P.S. Ensure you resister you credit card to settle any onboard account expenses, rather than elect to pay cash, otherwise Allegrissimo may end during the early hours of your last day. Accounts differ on this point but it is best to be on the safe side. Definitely, if you register a card, Allegrissimo runs until your card is scanned by the Mossad boys as you finally disembark. Don't waste your last day!

 

Along the same lines, on the last morning go to reception to collect a copy of the programme for those embarking. Besides telling you which bars are open when, when you go for your last lunch aboard, it will appear as if you have only just embarked :).

 

Did I mention i did a one night cruise with Allegrissimo recently?

Edited October 7, 2014 by Skipper Tim

[northerncomfort16]

I recently did the same 3 night cruise as Earn in September on the Magnifica and can confirm that fresh squeezed orange juice and Marrochino coffee are no longer included in the standard package. I missed both, but as Earn said you could still get non squeezed juice from the pool bars (on the way in to the buffet) and I quite enjoyed the various small juice bottles that you could order in the buffet as well as other bars.

 

Also I'm not sure that the vitamin drinks are still included, but maybe someone else can confirm.

[Skipper Tim]

I recently did the same 3 night cruise as Earn in September on the Magnifica and can confirm that fresh squeezed orange juice and Marrochino coffee are no longer included in the standard package. I missed both, but as Earn said you could still get non squeezed juice from the pool bars (on the way in to the buffet) and I quite enjoyed the various small juice bottles that you could order in the buffet as well as other bars.

 

Also I'm not sure that the vitamin drinks are still included, but maybe someone else can confirm.

 

Mike, are you trying to put me off MSC or is it MSC monitoring my posts here and changing their global policy against me? No Marrochino - the only speciality coffee I have mentioned? No freshly squeezed orange juice????? No vitamin drinks???? All the things I have praised they seek to take away from me.

 

What remains of Allegrissimo but buckets of poor wine??

 

I may have to take an MSC cruise to see whether it is worth taking another MSC cruise.

 

I already blame MSC for having to buy a yacht. I may now have to equip her with a juicer and Marrochino machine. If I remove the chart table there should be space.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Skipper Tim