Jump to content

Will the Aurea Classic Drk Pkg be honored?


mvh
 Share

Recommended Posts

I have read in a few places that MSC is honoring the old upgrades if purchased before 11/12.  However, I cannot find anything about the Aurea Classic pkg.  I purchased this back in July and it included the Classic bev pkg.  Now my invoice show Easy pkg on it.  Can anyone who has recently been on the Seaside confirm they will honor my original Classic pkg.  Yes, I have called MSC twice and received two different answers.  So, I cannot believe anything they say and would like to hear a confirmation first hand by someone in my same situation who has actually sailed recently.

 

Thanks,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was honored on the Meraviglia a few weeks ago. When I printed my paperwork, it did say Easy Package though. There seemed to be a bit of confusion initially when I asked the 1st bartender and he told me that Áurea passengers now had the Easy package but another one corrected him and told us that I had the classic package. From that point on, the bartenders or waiters would swipe my card and they could automatically tell that I had been grandfathered in and they could tell me exactly what I was entitled to from their computer screen. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Tapi said:

It was honored on the Meraviglia a few weeks ago. When I printed my paperwork, it did say Easy Package though. There seemed to be a bit of confusion initially when I asked the 1st bartender and he told me that Áurea passengers now had the Easy package but another one corrected him and told us that I had the classic package. From that point on, the bartenders or waiters would swipe my card and they could automatically tell that I had been grandfathered in and they could tell me exactly what I was entitled to from their computer screen. 

Didn't you say that you had very limited beer by the bottle choices?  Classic had a choice of all but one or two special ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, mvh said:

The Classic always had a limited beer choice.(no IPAs, Guinness or anything with taste). That is the reason for the upgrade. So happy I did before this mess.

The beer choices are always limited on a ship in general.  Attached is a pre-Nov 12 beer list, the only ones not included in Classic at the time were Pilsner Urquell, Yuengling Lager (why I don't know), Newcastle and Guinness pub draft (not real Guinness anyway).  The other 17 bottles/cans were included.  Tapi originally reported that their Aurea Classic package was denied any bottle choices, so that is significant.  Upgrading to Deluxe was an option that I also took to protect myself. 

Beers.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Até said:

Didn't you say that you had very limited beer by the bottle choices?  Classic had a choice of all but one or two special ones.

There still seems to be confusion about this topic. Initially I believed that I had received less than what I was supposed to but then someone corrected that what I received was accurate for a classic package. I wasn’t able to get bottled beer, but I was able to get all the different types of beer that I liked on draft, including IPA’s which is my personal choice. Also all drinks under 10 Euros were included. 

 

Now I’m confused again! I did receive more than what the Easy package listed but now I’m wondering if I didn’t get everything that I should’ve received. 

Edited by Tapi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, I just searched online for whats included in the original classic package and it does say draft beer, not bottled beer, so I did get what I was supposed to get before the change. I was grandfathered in correctly. The new Easy package states that you’re only limited to Heineken on draft (yuck!) and drinks prices below 6 euros, so I’m glad that I wasn’t limited to just that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Tapi said:

There still seems to be confusion about this topic. Initially I believed that I had received less than what I was supposed to but then someone corrected that what I received was accurate for a classic package. I wasn’t able to get bottled beer, but I was able to get all the different types of beer that I liked on draft, including IPA’s which is my personal choice. Also all drinks under 10 Euros were included. 

 

Now I’m confused again! I did receive more than what the Easy package listed but now I’m wondering if I didn’t get everything that I should’ve received. 

So they did have IPAs on tap? So happy to hear that. Do you remember what they were and in what bars?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Tapi said:

There still seems to be confusion about this topic.

The only confusion is on the part of MSC.  I know which drinks that I was entitled to under the old Classic plan, MSC hedged direct questions regarding how they would handle the new drink prices regarding the package price limits, my "case" is still open with no response.  That was enough of an answer for me to upgrade as that was my best option to protect my beverage choices. 

 

30 minutes ago, Tapi said:

Ok, I just searched online for whats included in the original classic package and it does say draft beer, not bottled beer, so I did get what I was supposed to get before the change.

Which beverage list are you referencing?  Granted there were differences on European sailings, but in general no you didn't.  See the attached US bookings drink package comparison chart which lists bottled beers up to $5.50 for Classic and see what that got you on the typical bar menu I posted above.  When they increased the on ship beer prices most everything was eliminated for Classic, but that was not what their official "You will get the package you as you booked it" mantra led many to believe.

2018 Drink Package Comparison Guide with Drinks On Us (Version2).pdf

Edited by Até
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, mvh said:

So they did have IPAs on tap? So happy to hear that. Do you remember what they were and in what bars?

Tapi was on Meraviglia in Europe so it is unlikely they had the same beer choices as Seaside will.  The above beer menu picture I posted was from the Seaside Casino bar a few months ago. Perhaps ask for a Seaside menu from the Sports Bar as I think they had the largest selection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Até said:

Which beverage list are you referencing?  Granted there were differences on European sailings, but in general no you didn't. 

The attached image shows exactly what was offered to me on the Meraviglia a few weeks ago and it’s for a classic package as posted on a US based website. The selection of cocktails included anything priced at anything less than $12 dollars or 10 euros (which was basically the entire bar drink menu except for the last page). 

 

But if there’s something that this topic has taught me is that MSC needs to get their act together and simplify their drink packages across the entire cruise line. These drink packages have been changed so many times, and they are not consistent from one country to another. It’s absolutely mind boggling. It just adds to the confusion and it explains why nobody seems to have a clear answer, or at least one that applies to everyone. I guess a clear answer doesn’t exist. 

 

But once again, I was satisfied with what was offered to me, whether it was the true classic package, or a modified version. I drank what I normally drink. Granted, it would’ve been nice to have bottled beer included, but I was still able to enjoy a wide selection of beers on draft, including what I normally drink.

 

I personally don’t care if the beer that I’m consuming at a bar comes from a bottle or from a keg. I do care about selection and I had that on the Meraviglia. But the main reason why it would’ve been nice to have bottled beer included in the package is because on the Meraviglia, if you wanted something besides draft Heineken, you had to go to specific bars which offered the wider selection of draft beer. Once I figured out where to go for my Lagunitas IPA, I was a happy camper. 

 

4A35F88C-3358-42DD-8B45-31475F10B546.jpeg

Edited by Tapi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, sidari said:

Tapi ... It appears that MSC have simplified the drink packages, Easy, Premium and Premium+ for the main alcohol packages.

That’s definitely a step in the right direction. Do you know though if the new 3 drink packages will be systemwide, or will MSC continue to offer different packages to passengers from different countries or based on destinations? That’s what fosters the confusion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Até said:

Which beverage list are you referencing?  Granted there were differences on European sailings, but in general no you didn't.  See the attached US bookings drink package comparison chart which lists bottled beers up to $5.50 for Classic and see what that got you on the typical bar menu I posted above. 

Thank you for that link. I do see that bottled beer up to $5.50 is listed as part of the classic package, but I also see that the chart that you posted is for Caribbean cruises only. Since my cruise was in the Mediterranean, I’m guessing that not everything on that chart applied to me. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

Since my cruise was in the Mediterranean, I’m guessing that not everything on that chart applied to me. 

MSC US has always kept actual drink package inclusions fairly vague on the European sailings.  Unfortunately the reality of fairly significant inconsistency does cause problems because people like me tend to think the same named packages will have pretty close to the same choices.  This has been one small reason I haven't sailed MSC in Europe.  Now it appears no one will get a comparison chart, probably because people were able to use it against MSC when they make specific drink changes, Hendrick's Gin for example.  I am still glad to hear you were allowed other drinks up to $12, why they refused bottled beers is beyond me.  Waste stream reduction?  Perhaps it was because MV has a much better draft selection than other ships in the fleet.  I prefer the convenience of beer in a bottle as I tend to load up the cabin mini fridge for balcony time, but like you if the draft selection was actually good I would have been okay, but nonetheless irritated.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...