Bar drink price increase and Classic Beverage Package

[ready2cruzagain]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

Why the name change once again? we have Deluxe having upgraded from Classic which came with our Aurea balcony, on the UK site the Premium plus is not available for anyone to book who might be booking the Xmas cruise from today. The New prices are from today.

We will be interested as we board when you get off.

 

Our Divina cruises this month and next do not have the Premium Plus but when I checked the Seaside we have booked for next year, the Premium Plus is available to purchase.

[sidari]

MSC UK have replied today saying that packages already booked before today will be honoured as purchased, I will be printing it off and taking it with us when we sail.

[cruisecrazy82]

1 hour ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

Our Divina cruises this month and next do not have the Premium Plus but when I checked the Seaside we have booked for next year, the Premium Plus is available to purchase.

 

Same on our Seaside cruise for next month, no Premium Plus showing, only Easy and Premium but if I do a mock booking for next year the Premium Plus package does show up as an option.  

[schiff1997]

3 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

Oh, just in case we get no answers before I board on Sunday, I will make sure and bring up questions at the M & G.  Anyone have anything specific they want me to ask?

That would be great thank you.   I believe most of us would like to know if our already paid for drink package upgrades will be honoured, especially after our final payment has been made.  We upgraded to the Classic from the Drinks on us promo.   Appreciate you doing this.   I agree $1100 for Heineken or Miller light is nuts.  My brother is a wholesale rep in the UK for Scottish brands which sells Heineken and I still don't like it !!

Edited November 12, 2018 by schiff1997

[jess_2012#1]

This is on my Facebook post in an msc group. I don’t see the premium plus package on my MSC page so I am on hold with MSC USA. 

[FGJones]

1 minute ago, jess_2012#1 said:

This is on my Facebook post in an msc group. I don’t see the premium plus package on my MSC page so I am on hold with MSC USA. 

 

 

This is my concern too.  If deluxe is Premium Plus and Premium Plus isn't offered on my itinerary then what do I have now?  I'm also in USA and booked through MSC USA so I'm awaiting what you say.  

[Janedoe2012]

Whatever the call center says, I would recommend asking them to send an email to confirm and take the email with you onboard.  My experience is the  call center agents are not always aligned with Guest Services on policies and Guest Services hands are tied without head office intervening.

[sidari]

5 minutes ago, jess_2012#1 said:

This is on my Facebook post in an msc group. I don’t see the premium plus package on my MSC page so I am on hold with MSC USA. 

 

What I can see of that name at the bottom is the same person who replied to me from MSC UK !

[jess_2012#1]

7 minutes ago, FGJones said:

 

This is my concern too.  If deluxe is Premium Plus and Premium Plus isn't offered on my itinerary then what do I have now?  I'm also in USA and booked through MSC USA so I'm awaiting what you say.  

I just got off the phone with MSC USA and she said I will get everything  in the deluxe as I booked it. Sent an email for confirmation as well. Fingers crossed she’s right. 

Edited November 12, 2018 by jess_2012#1

[FGJones]

Just now, jess_2012#1 said:

I just got off the phone with MSC USA and she said I will get everything  in the deluxe as I booked it. Sent and email for confirmation as well. Fingers crossed she’s right. 

 

Good news.  I have sent an email as well a bit earlier.  I'm also wondering how it will work since there are four of us traveling together, in three staterooms.  the two singles bought the Deluxe but the double has not paid for it yet. Both the old plan language and the new plan language says we must all have the same plan.  At least we have time (may 2019) to see how it all plays out. 

[sidari]

FGJ ... Not paid ? no reason for them to honour the bookings for drinks. I would be checking up.

[FGJones]

2 minutes ago, sidari said:

FGJ ... Not paid ? no reason for them to honour the bookings for drinks. I would be checking up.

 

Right, I'm sure they won't get the deluxe plan but since the policy says we all four must have the same plan and two of us did pay for deluxe already and Premium Plus is not listed as an option for our itinerary... 

[Até]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

MSC UK have replied today saying that packages already booked before today will be honoured as purchased, I will be printing it off and taking it with us when we sail.

What will that help for those with the Classic package or Aurea cabins?  The Classic package has beers, wines and cocktails limited by a dollar value.  If the new prices on the ship eliminate 90% of the choices then honoring the package won't help.  People with the Classic package are in real jeopardy here.

 

Also, all the people who booked under Drinks On Us no longer have the same packages to upgrade to compared to when they booked.  When I called to try upgrading a further out DOU booking I was told I could now only upgrade to Premium at 3x the past rate for Deluxe.  So anyone who has a booking and hasn't already upgraded form DOU, it may be too late.

[jess_2012#1]

4 minutes ago, Até said:

What will that help for those with the Classic package or Aurea cabins?  The Classic package has beers, wines and cocktails limited by a dollar value.  If the new prices on the ship eliminate 90% of the choices then honoring the package won't help.  People with the Classic package are in real jeopardy here.

 

Also, all the people who booked under Drinks On Us no longer have the same packages to upgrade to compared to when they booked.  When I called to try upgrading a further out DOU booking I was told I could now only upgrade to Premium at 3x the past rate for Deluxe.  So anyone who has a booking and hasn't already upgraded form DOU, it may be too late.

Im sure happy we upgraded last week before this all happened.  We paid the $26 per person per day.  So far they keep saying they will honour what was purchased.  So for now I’m happy we upgraded haha. 

[MrsDusty]

55 minutes ago, Até said:

What will that help for those with the Classic package or Aurea cabins?  The Classic package has beers, wines and cocktails limited by a dollar value.  If the new prices on the ship eliminate 90% of the choices then honoring the package won't help.  People with the Classic package are in real jeopardy here.

 

Also, all the people who booked under Drinks On Us no longer have the same packages to upgrade to compared to when they booked.  When I called to try upgrading a further out DOU booking I was told I could now only upgrade to Premium at 3x the past rate for Deluxe.  So anyone who has a booking and hasn't already upgraded form DOU, it may be too late.

 

[sidari]

The Classic package is now the Premium package or so you would think, from today Aurea only gets the Easy package!

[quickrate]

12 hours ago, Janedoe2012 said:

MSC website says drink packages can be added or removed (refunded) up to 4 days prior to sailing. If the Classic package  is no longer being honoured or the choices have been reduced I will cancel it.

 

 

 

This is my exact thought. I booked with the drinks on us option and upgraded to classic for better choices. No sense in paying for something I may no longer be getting. I'm going to wait for people to start reporting back.

Pat

[Mattnvick]

So on the Easy Pkg have they named a dollar amount? and if so now that all bar prices seem to have increased do we know which ones will be included in the package?

[Até]

6 minutes ago, sidari said:

The Classic package is now the Premium package or so you would think, from today Aurea only gets the Easy package!

I have not seen any confirmation this is true, where did you see this?  I went back over the thread(s) and only see the screenshot saying Deluxe will be treated as Premium Plus, which is not offered on my US booked cruises.  I only see Easy and Premuim.  I have not heard back about what my Classic package will be treated as.  If they make it the same as what they show as Premium with a $12 limit that would be acceptable based on the alleged drink price increases.

[quickrate]

I agree with you, Ate`, if they give us the $12 limit with the classic, that will be acceptable as we upgraded to have more drink choices. If they don't, We might as well get a refund and stick with the drinks on us promotion. 

Pat

[sidari]

Ate ... I did not say it was written in stone and it is merely my perception of how it should work when you consider like for like.

Quickrate ... As drinks on us ends at the end of November I doubt they would allow you to revert back to that.

[MrsDusty]

I just received this

 

Thank you for your email.

I have escalated this for you and I have been advised you will still have the Classic Drinks package you paid for as long as it was added before the drinks package were changed.

[quickrate]

2 minutes ago, sidari said:

Ate ... I did not say it was written in stone and it is merely my perception of how it should work when you consider like for like.

Quickrate ... As drinks on us ends at the end of November I doubt they would allow you to revert back to that.

If this ends up being the case, it will probably be our first and last MSC. I don't like the idea of being charged for one thing and then being given an inferior product. 

Pat

[jess_2012#1]

6 minutes ago, MrsDusty said:

I just received this

 

Thank you for your email.

I have escalated this for you and I have been advised you will still have the Classic Drinks package you paid for as long as it was added before the drinks package were changed.

Thats awesome!  How long did it take for them to email you back? 

 

[MrsDusty]

5 minutes ago, jess_2012#1 said:

Thats awesome!  How long did it take for them to email you back? 

 

Not long. About a couple of hours. 

I submitted an enquiry through their website quoting my booking reference