Grab your Old Drink Packages Now

[sidari]

As posted by Fithavenue last night, MSC are allowing those who had a booking made pre November 11th to book the OLD packages at the Old prices, you have until December 5th to do it. This is the info that has been released to UK travel agents this morning along with the New package prices which are below. 

 

Sent from my TA this morning, Pricing is for Europe.

 

It’s confirmed Aurea gets Easy Package , info was right about purchasing before 5th December if you booked before 11th November.

 

Europe gets a better deal than N America, to upgrade to PP from Easy is £24 - Caribbean cruises it’s £34. EASY PACKAGE�£27pp per day �PREMIUM PACKAGE�£36 pp per day (a)�£48 pp per day (b)�£43 pp per day (c)�PREMIUM PLUS PACKAGE�£51 pp per day (a)�£61 pp per day (b)�£51 pp per day (c)�NON-ALCOHOLIC PACKAGE�£17 pp per day (a)£22 pp per day (b)�£19 pp per day (c)�NON-ALCOHOLIC CHILD PACKAGE�£13 pp per day

 

(a) Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Emirates, Southern Caribbean, Cuba cruises�(b) Caribbean and North American cruises�(c) South American cruises

Edited November 21, 2018 by sidari

[ziggyuk]

I'm a bit lost by this, those are the new packages showing the new prices.

All are the same price as those showing in my account since 11th?

 

I'm (c) south america:

Easy                 £27 ($5 limit)

Premium         £43 ($10 limit)

Premium+       £51 (no limit)

Non Alcoholic £19 (no limit)

[sidari]

Ziggy ... The post says New prices below indicating what you will have to pay after December 5th if you do not book the drinks before then.

[sidari]

Upgraded our Aurea Classic to Deluxe on Meraviglia for next Xmas 2019.

TA rang MSC to be told old prices not on system and cannot do it, rang back again right after and got someone different who added the package.

[FGJones]

Are you actually seeing the option to book the old packages when you log in? 

[dapreston]

are the 12/18 drink coupon books added back in for US customers as well as I don't see them on the site?

[FGJones]

8 minutes ago, dapreston said:

are the 12/18 drink coupon books added back in for US customers as well as I don't see them on the site?

 

I don't think this any of this is available to US customers.

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

Upgraded our Aurea Classic to Deluxe on Meraviglia for next Xmas 2019.

TA rang MSC to be told old prices not on system and cannot do it, rang back again right after and got someone different who added the package.

Glad you were able to upgrade, still nothing online, I will hang on a little longer before braving the call centre, I booked direct so don't have a TA to call.

[sidari]

Ziggy ... Others elsewhere have upgraded who booked direct with MSC.

 

FG ... Hopefully it should include everyone with a booking regardless of where you are from.

 

Dapreston ... No idea about those sorry.

[FGJones]

2 minutes ago, sidari said:

 

FG ... Hopefully it should include everyone with a booking regardless of where you are from.

 

 

Only the new packages are on MSC USA for my booking and the woman at the US call center had nothing either.  I did try looking up my US booking from the UK site and it said there was no such booking. 

[ziggyuk]

48 minutes ago, FGJones said:

 

Only the new packages are on MSC USA for my booking and the woman at the US call center had nothing either.  I did try looking up my US booking from the UK site and it said there was no such booking. 

 

The UK website won't help, it is also just showing the new packages, think it will take a phone call in the UK but I will wait a few days until they are up to speed.

[sidari]

Ziggy ... Don`t leave it too late ...  Try not to miss the Bus.

[FGJones]

I just called the US call center again and spoke with a woman named Marilyn.  She stated that starting Monday existing Drinks On Us package holders will be able to upgrade to the old plans but the only option for someone with no drink package is the new plans regardless of when you booked.  

[ziggyuk]

8 minutes ago, sidari said:

Ziggy ... Don`t leave it too late ...  Try not to miss the Bus.

 

You are right, I just called them and the guy I spoke to said they won't be online.

 

He quoted me (South America 8 night)

Classic       @ £320

Deluxe        @ £368

Or of course I can have the new packages at:

Easy           @ £216 ($5 limit)

Premium   @ £344 ($10 limit)

Premium+ @ £408

Edited November 21, 2018 by ziggyuk

[sidari]

Deluxe will include the mini bar.

[ziggyuk]

3 minutes ago, sidari said:

Deluxe will include the mini bar.

 

Just did it, booked Deluxe for two, they did not even want payment, they just added it to my invoice. The only reason I did not pull the trigger before was they wanted immediate payment and as my cruise is not until Dec 2019 I was holding off a while.

 

This is where I asked back in September:

 

They confirmed to me I will get everything, Minibar, Gelato, Room service, premium drinks etc etc.

Very happy

 

The only other option would have been Easy and just live on G&T's 🙂

[sidari]

Excellent ... Nice stuff in the mini bar too.

[Preziosa]

The value of the Drink on us and the Easy package is nearly the same. Will They change the Drink on us to the Easy package....

[sidari]

You would have to ask MSC about that.

[ChrisB66]

7 hours ago, sidari said:

Upgraded our Aurea Classic to Deluxe on Meraviglia for next Xmas 2019.

TA rang MSC to be told old prices not on system and cannot do it, rang back again right after and got someone different who added the package.

Brilliant,  Thanks for letting us know, i'm going to send an email now for our New Years sailing on Bellissima to do so.  If not i will ring them 😊

[Uzzell20]

3 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

 

Just did it, booked Deluxe for two, they did not even want payment, they just added it to my invoice. The only reason I did not pull the trigger before was they wanted immediate payment and as my cruise is not until Dec 2019 I was holding off a while.

 

This is where I asked back in September:

 

They confirmed to me I will get everything, Minibar, Gelato, Room service, premium drinks etc etc.

Very happy

 

The only other option would have been Easy and just live on G&T's 🙂

Did they do the upgrade from classic to deluxe or from drink on us?

[ziggyuk]

5 minutes ago, Uzzell20 said:

Did they do the upgrade from classic to deluxe or from drink on us?

 

It was not an upgrade, it was deluxe from nothing.

8 nights @ £368 / £46 a night.

Edited November 21, 2018 by ziggyuk

[Bases5]

5 hours ago, FGJones said:

I just called the US call center again and spoke with a woman named Marilyn.  She stated that starting Monday existing Drinks On Us package holders will be able to upgrade to the old plans but the only option for someone with no drink package is the new plans regardless of when you booked.  

That could change by Monday or if you speak to someone different? 

I'm going to try on Monday to see if I have any luck

[Nunagoras]

Once again: TBHH I understand both the previous drinks packages pricing and terms and conditions were clearly outdated from the current way many things are managed on the ships and market realities as a whole. MSC is a profitable business at least. In order to go on fabulous cruises I wish them to be profitable and adequate to the current market realities. Would I need to mention that ice cream provision is now outsourced and in some ships even rented out for external partners? That is not the problem! So what? Well: All of us, or at least all of us experienced cruisers know that the cruising year has 2 big seasons: Summer from April to September and winter from October to March. Would it to be so difficult for MSC to deploy the new price schemes by the beginning of the new season, announcing it in timely fashionable manner and giving provisions where due diligence requires? No, it wouldn't!... Of course they could to chose a ship to "test the waters" before full fleet deployment. They wouldn't be the first ones doing it!...

 

Meanwhile all this unholy mess is quite disgusting... Including because even what some here are seeing on their pages seems to be very poorly written to say the least. For example what do they mean by "soft serve ice cream" now included on the packages? Well: "Soft serve ice cream" has always been included on your basic fare on the MDR and the buffet on every other sailing I was honoured to go with them! So now: Is it another "a la carte" item packaged elsewhere? Am I the unique one wondering whether they will "hold" this subject for revision for quite a while? At least the usual marketing on drinks packages all the cruise lines are proud of having on their websites remains absent of the Portuguese one for some time now!

 

What would I do if I were MSC? Basically a simplified scheme more or less as follows:

 

>Non Alcoholic - No limit for drinks price, including freshly squeezed orange juice and preferably at least some selected ice cream flavours and milkshakes based on them, contracts permitting.

>Easy - The non alcoholic package + House wine + house beer + The daily specials from the regular bar menu.

>Premium - A true unlimited all inclusive drinks package for everything sold aboard by the glass.

 

Such a simple, comprehensive scheme that would fit for the most part the needs of nearly all.

 

Have a nice day!... 🙂

[ChrisB66]

23 hours ago, sidari said:

Upgraded our Aurea Classic to Deluxe on Meraviglia for next Xmas 2019.

TA rang MSC to be told old prices not on system and cannot do it, rang back again right after and got someone different who added the package.

Sidara, 

Do you mind if i ask how much the upgrade cost?  Price they're quoting me right now for Bellissma next year  is 3 times what it cost me to upgrade for my sailing next month on Seaside. 

Cheers 

Chris