Drinking on a budget

[BertieRulesOK]

As the title says, I'm on a budget and I am not sure I'll be able to drink enough to make the cheapest drinks package "worth it". I saw you can order bottles to your room in advance for £22-25. Has anyone done this?  Can you order multiple and do they bring them corked (with lid on) so you can have an odd glass here and there?

 

Do you have any tips or tricks for someone who is only looking to have a couple of drinks per day?  Most annoying thing is having to pay for Diet Coke!

 

I'm going on MSC Virtuosa.

[Morgsmom]

• Hi Bertie!
• Yes, you can order bottles to your room and they will be corked so you can enjoy at will.  While you cannot bring on bottles of wine, liquor or soda when you embark I have found they MSC is much less concerned when you return after a port of call.  So you could buy yourself some Diet Cokes while in port and bring them back on - it's highly doubtful they would be confiscated.  I know that in Cozumel some guests bring back Mexican Coke (as it is make with real sugar and is quite a delicacy) or Corona and they do not get stopped by security.  So if you can make it until your first port, then bring a little shopping bag with you and get some supplies there 🙂
•  

[dexddd]

Welcome to CC.

 

I will say across lines we've sailed, MSC has some of the lowest drink prices.

[Singleandnotmingling]

I plan to buy a bucket of beer and carry it around with me 🤣

[Yoshikitty]

Have you booked the cruise already?

It's only 20euro per day when you choose the 'all in' price category to get the easy package when you book.

After you booked the cruise, the easy package costs around 32euro per day. 

 

If you are going to have a couple of drinks per day, then they easy package will be more than worth it. 

A glass of wine costs around 6euro plus 15% tax on board, a glass of Diet Coke is around 3euro, a bottle of water 1L is around 3euro. A cappuccino is around 4euro. 

 

[perakcruiser]

8 hours ago, Yoshikitty said:

It's only 20euro per day when you choose the 'all in' price category to get the easy package when you book.

After you booked the cruise, the easy package costs around 32euro per day. 

The 20€ is not always available and especially not on every market. But, yes, if available only at the time of booking, no second chance. 

Edited September 15, 2022 by perakcruiser

[Aeroplex]

@BertieRulesOK

 

Usually there are some offers from MSC including the EASY package for just a few bucks per day. Like 60-80 € / GBP / USD for a 5 day / 4 night cruise.  Sometime the Easy package is also given for free. Keep look for these offers.

 

One of the biggest advantage of the EASY package was that we could as much bottled water, sometime canned drinks like Ice Tea / Pepsi. We had more than enough for the cabin + excursions. 

 

On a budget I would suggest you to bring 1-2 refillable bottle. You will always have water, tea and some other drinks at the buffet are. 

 

An other option is making new friends. With the easy package I invited people to coffee or even gave them some bottled water. No one cares if you order 4 bottle of water + 2 coffee with the cruise card. 😉 I think some cruise critic member would also invite you to a drink.

Edited September 16, 2022 by Aeroplex

[Vampiress88]

We did it without a drinks package as although people tell me it’s good value it has never been for our family. 
My hubby drinks, I don’t. Plus we have two young kids. I’ve never on either p&o who I usually go with or Msc buy the drinks package. They wanted just over £600 for the week for a drinks package. We spent just over half that. 

The beer mainly Guinness and Heineken ranged from £6-£7 per 40cl or bottle 33cl. Hubby did find a 1lt, 100cl for £10 in the pub masters of the sea so we mostly drank in there as he was begrudged to pay more elsewhere. There was also cocktails he wanted to try. These were £8-£14. 

The sofa drinks were all £3.
Coffee and hot chocolate was £4.10-£5.40. 

We also spent money on meals out too just in case you need to add that to your budget. 

Butchers cut was £78 for two salads, two steak and two desserts. 

Hola tacos and cantina was £54 for two all you can eat 

Masters of the sea was £4 each for burgers ,hot dog and fish and chips. 

Ice creams were from £3-£6

Crepes were £6.50. 
 

So we were on Virtuosa in August. 
We spent £575 in total over 7 nights on a fjords cruise. 
Only £330 of that was on drinks. We had 19 alcoholic drinks, so only two or three per day but some of these were that massive 1lt of Guinness. Plus 40 soft drinks of coke or coffee/hot chocolate etc 

[talkone]

On 9/11/2022 at 5:34 PM, dexddd said:

Welcome to CC.

 

I will say across lines we've sailed, MSC has some of the lowest drink prices.

Just got off seashore easy package cocktails a waste of time………that’s if you can get served🙁🙁🙁

Edited September 18, 2022 by talkone

[dexddd]

1 hour ago, talkone said:

Just got off seashore easy package cocktails a waste of time………that’s if you can get served🙁🙁🙁

Sailed five times on MSC and only one time by a pool bar on a packed day did we ever have a wait outside YC.

[awhcruiser]

Water, iced tea, and lemonade should all be free.

[racephoto]

So far on my cruise they have had duty free liquor stores AFTER going through port security screening, and unlike some lines, they have not been rechecking us on board. The port security seems pretty uninterested in bottles in bags too. I actually seldom drink, but I have relatives that do, so I’ve been doing some Christmas shopping. 🙂 

[Ryan82]

Hi mate. Had same dilemma. In end decided to pay for drinks packages so we can drink almost what we want on-board and forget about the cost.