Grab your Old Drink Packages Now

[sidari]

As I say the Left Hand still does not know what the Right hand is doing! ... someone needs ans Ass kicking.

[Cosmic3160]

Successful booking the Deluxe package for Jan 31 cruise out of Miami using the US call centre. I had the DOU promotion. Had to pay for it now. 

[citizenfrank]

12 hours ago, Cosmic3160 said:

Successful booking the Deluxe package for Jan 31 cruise out of Miami using the US call centre. I had the DOU promotion. Had to pay for it now. 

That will be down to the sailing date though.

But great news.

[Irish Sailor]

Frank, Sidari,

Thank You, for all your updates regarding the changes to the new drink packages over the last couple of weeks, I have the yacht club booked on the Seaview for next April, (Family of 5) I do not drink at all so I was looking forward to the Ice cream at Venchi and am glad now that they will still honour the package that came with our original booking. In terms of Value it is still cheaper than RCL, and does not include any package. I have never been in the yacht club so I am looking forward to this. Many thanks for the updates and I love reading your posts and input to cruise critic.

[nikkiw60]

Thanks for this have just upgraded both of our cruises!

I didn’t have any drink package booked and was still able to book at the old price.

[ziggyuk]

Where the new packages hit you in the pocket is on the longer cruises.

On the old deluxe it was £46 a night, it's only £5 a day more or Premium+, 11% but a deal breaker.

Where you get hit is on cruises over 8 days, the old deluxe dropped to £37 but the new Premium+ remains at £51 making it £14 a night more which is a 38% increase.

Edited November 25, 2018 by ziggyuk

[sidari]

These increases may well put people off US cruises seeing as the drink prices are already much higher than Europe.

[citizenfrank]

16 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

Where the new packages hit you in the pocket is on the longer cruises.

On the old deluxe it was £46 a night, it's only £5 a day more or Premium+, 11% but a deal breaker.

Where you get hit is on cruises over 8 days, the old deluxe dropped to £37 but the new Premium+ remains at £51 making it £14 a night more which is a 38% increase.

For me it was never about the price rises, I think they were both due & overdue in terms of the industry. Though I'm not rich & everyone likes a bargain!

It was/is the removal of such basic items as gelato & shakes that 'make the difference'.

Yes many have now 'won' for their next sailing, maybe even two!' ….But from 5th Dec there will be no gelato etc & the prices will be what they are, until the next rise of course!

Agree with sidari that the real concern is the US ….Price is now above the competition.

The variety & quality of the drinks is good with MSC though & if you drink anything from moderately to 'a lot' there is value still to be had.

My motto now regarding 'gelatogate' & post 5th Dec is ….Have another beer/cocktail instead & lose 2 more mins of tomorrow over another 1" on the hips! 

[Owenny]

Hoping someone can help me out, have been away on business and out the loop recently and think I've read a few conflicting reports. Apologies in advance if this has already been answered elsewhere, tried a search but found a few varying threads.

 

We've booked Meraviglia repositioning (NY to Miami) in October 2019. We booked Aurea package in July 2018 and upgraded from classic drinks package included in Aurea package to deluxe all inclusive package. The upgrade was confirmed by MSC in July and cost £78 per person. Do we need to do anything with current booking prior to maintain deluxe drinks package (or its new equivalent)?

[sidari]

MSC have said that they will honour all packages booked before November 11th 2018, it seems so far that they are keeping to their word.

[Owenny]

Thanks Sidari, appreciate the quick response.

[mvh]

Does this also include the 14 beer package on The Preziosa?  I saw it a week ago, then it was gone the next day. Any Idea if they will still honor the until Dec 5? Yes, I know I can call, but I don’t want to sit on hold for an hour and still not get a straight answer. I’m hoping someone has already tried it.

[cathep]

12 hours ago, citizenfrank said:

For me it was never about the price rises, I think they were both due & overdue in terms of the industry. Though I'm not rich & everyone likes a bargain!

It was/is the removal of such basic items as gelato & shakes that 'make the difference'.

 

You and I have been on the same page since the beginning.  My travel agent was able to upgrade to Deluxe today.  We're satisfied and looking forward to the cruise.  They're following through on our expectation at the time of booking.  For future bookings we'll have an adjusted expectation.  The gelato and shakes are the difference in our family.  We'll be able to assess how much that truly matters once we're on the cruise.  

[Nunagoras]

55 minutes ago, cathep said:

 

You and I have been on the same page since the beginning.  My travel agent was able to upgrade to Deluxe today.  We're satisfied and looking forward to the cruise.  They're following through on our expectation at the time of booking.  For future bookings we'll have an adjusted expectation.  The gelato and shakes are the difference in our family.  We'll be able to assess how much that truly matters once we're on the cruise.  

Indeed: What would be nice from MSC is that they have continued to be the distinctive product they have been on the last decade or so. But unfortunately they seem to be becoming just another one on the mainstream cruising scene these days! For me too Gelato and shakes are a distinctive part of their experience (to let alone those wonderful classical music oriented atrium structures they're replacing with pop rock party ones on the new builds recently amongst other things)... The problem is not the need to raise prices and uniform terms and condition... Their current ones are from 2012 or such. Times evolve. But now to do things at this so amateurish manner? Unimaginable!... 🙂

 

Meanwhile their competition is becoming each time more inclusive. RCI has very recently announced the introduction of shakes from certain venues on their drinks packages. No Gelato... But they're not well known for that product either!... Curious not???...

 

Have a nice day!...

[sidari]

Spoke to our travel agent yesterday who sails MSC and Costa and the other lines when it takes him, he is sailing Costa again over New Year and tells me the New drink packages on MSC are now very similar to Costa!

[citizenfrank]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

Spoke to our travel agent yesterday who sails MSC and Costa and the other lines when it takes him, he is sailing Costa again over New Year and tells me the New drink packages on MSC are now very similar to Costa!

It is indeed! Though with the Carnival Corp links let us pray the 15 drink per 24hrs doesn't come in to focus ….That is tough to manage

[Suzieanna]

I am going on Preziosa from the UK and have a Bar and Restaurant package... so am unsure if gelato was ever included in that anyway?    is Venchi the name of a café?   The coffee bar on Preziosa seems to be called Il Cappuccino.

 

I don't eat enough gelato to be bothered if its included or not but I will back people 100% who are.   

 

I remember a couple of years ago when days after my final payment, Royal started charging for Room Service (previously free).   That bugged me NO END!! 

[sidari]

Not sure about your drink package but the Venchi is only on Seaside and Seaview, the Meraviglia has a Franchise onboard that you pay for Gelato extra.

[sidari]

Suzieanna ... I asked on a UK MSC facebook page and yes it seems Gelato is still included for your cruise.

[ChrisB66]

1 hour ago, sidari said:

Not sure about your drink package but the Venchi is only on Seaside and Seaview, the Meraviglia has a Franchise onboard that you pay for Gelato extra.

Didn't know that.  Sidari you seem to know your stuff when it comes to MSC. 

Will it be the same on the Bellissima so?  As it's a sister ship of meraviglia. Where Gelato is concerned. 

[Até]

While the Bellissima deck plans still show unnamed "Crepes & Ice Cream" and "Chocolate & Coffee Bar" where Meravigilia shows them as Jean-Philippe, the Bellissima bars & lounges page lists it as Jean-Philippe so I expect they will be extra fee as on Meraviglia.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Discover-MSC/Cruise-Ships/MSC-Bellissima/Bars-And-Lounges.aspx

[livingis2me]

I just upgraded our drink package for the Jan 19, 2019 Seaside sailing. I called the U.S.A. call center, told the rep that I wanted to upgrade my drink package and she said, “Would you like to upgrade from the Aurea Classic Package to the Deluxe package?”  I said “yes” and in less than 2 minutes she had it done. It was $112 total for 2 people on a 7 night sailing. That was by far the most efficient and call I’ve made to MSC. The entire span of the call was four minutes. 

 

I’d been putting it off because I was convinced that I’d be on the phone for an hour with someone who didn’t know that the deluxe package was available and whether they believed I was eligible for it...

[hamrag]

2 hours ago, Até said:

While the Bellissima deck plans still show unnamed "Crepes & Ice Cream" and "Chocolate & Coffee Bar" where Meravigilia shows them as Jean-Philippe, the Bellissima bars & lounges page lists it as Jean-Philippe so I expect they will be extra fee as on Meraviglia.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Discover-MSC/Cruise-Ships/MSC-Bellissima/Bars-And-Lounges.aspx

Jean-Philippe, as reported is pay. A little known fact for gelato on Meraviglia is that there is a small gelato bar in the aft rope and water play areas. It was deck 16 or 18....if you walk aft on the walk around deck above the main pool, you go up one deck and entering the area from aft it is tucked away into the right corner. They insisted it was not included with the Yacht Club (deluxe package) but on my insisting it was they relented and provided it free of charge....we did this a couple of times each sea day.

Edited November 27, 2018 by hamrag

[Até]

13 minutes ago, hamrag said:

A little known fact for gelato on Meraviglia is that there is a small gelato bar in the aft rope and water play areas. It was deck 16 or 18....

We'll give it a try in October as we have the Deluxe package.

[staceyeileen]

On 11/23/2018 at 4:05 PM, ssmea03 said:

No more 18 more for less vouchers, they were done away with last November.  However if you booked fantastica before August you will still get your 12 vouchers after March 25th. 

 

I booked fantastica in May 2018 for a June 2019 Seaview sailing.  Are you saying I will still get drink vouchers?  I do not have the Drinks on Us package.

Edited November 27, 2018 by staceyeileen