MSC Seashore - drink package question

[cruisecrazy222]

This is my first time on MSC.  We are sailing on Seashore in a few weeks for 7 nights out of Miami.  I frequent Royal Caribbean, NCL, Celebrity etc. so I am well versed with how they work.  My spouse drinks alcohol and I do not.  With Royal, they allow you to purchase an alcohol package and a refreshment package but you have to call it in - cannot do it online.  Does anyone know if MSC allows that as well?  We are traveling with some friends and linked the reservations together.  I also read that if we are dining together, that the friends need to purchase a drink package as well since we are dining together.  Does anyone know if that is accurate?  thanks in advance!!!  

[Rossco01]

Certainly when I try to do it online it will always select all passengers when I choose a drinks package and doesn't allow you to select individuals (just tried it). So from an online perspective all passengers have to have same drinks package on a booking. The T&C's on the booking package say "Packages must be booked by all guests occupying the same cabin, travelling together and wishing to dine at the same table". Whether they'd do exceptions to this by calling them I'm not sure. 

[Morgsmom]

If you book online you MUST book the same package, in which case you should book the lower non alcoholic package.  You can upgrade once onboard so you MIGHT be able to just upgrade your wife as they will happily take the extra  money (and the 15% gratuity on the difference).  The whole point is that they don't want drink packages being 'shared'.

 

As far as table mates, you can always un-link your reservations if you think it's an issue, then ask to be sat together once onboard on the first day.  But since drinks are so hard to come by in the main dining room I don't think that having different packages for different staterooms at the same dinner table will be such an issue.  (It's not like they leave the bottle of wine on the table as they might on a European sailing)

[Illbcruzn4life]

I am also like the OP and have no clue about how MSC works. I know their website isn't too user friendly. Can't even figure out how to enter the dates for a cruise search.

 

so as long as the reservations are unlinked we won't need the drink package but we can still dine together? We have a group of about 13 going and not everybody drinks.

 

That would be a deal breaker if we all had to purchase it and not use it.

[publicpersona]

10 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Can't even figure out how to enter the dates for a cruise search.

 

Off-topic, but I can help with this one. It is not obvious. You can't click on months (even if it says to choose months) or just any date. You can only click on a highlighted date in white which means there is a cruise that embarks that day.

 

Also you may need to click Reset Dates to see the dates for choosing.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by publicpersona

[Illbcruzn4life]

7 hours ago, publicpersona said:

 

Off-topic, but I can help with this one. It is not obvious. You can't click on months (even if it says to choose months) or just any date. You can only click on a highlighted date in white which means there is a cruise that embarks that day.

 

Also you may need to click Reset Dates to see the dates for choosing.

 

 

Thank you for the info. I got that part figured out but June 12 is the only thing highlighted in June and July is all greyed out but if I go to a TA website I can book those dates. They don't make it easy. lol