Same drink package at dining table

[bafinegan]

Can any recent cruisers verify if the "rule" whereas everyone at the same dining table has to have the same drink package is being enforced?  Thanks in advance!

 

Baf

[HardToPort]

There is no rule that applies to your table.

 

the rule is that all passengers sharing a cabin must have the same drinks package.

[DGP1111]

39 minutes ago, HardToPort said:

There is no rule that applies to your table.

 

the rule is that all passengers sharing a cabin must have the same drinks package.

Current 'Terms & Conditions' tends to disagree with your reply . . .

 

Availability of Drink packages and prices may vary per sailing. Packages are sold on a per cruise basis and not a per day or any other basis. Pricing applies to each day of the cruise, except for disembarkation day. Once activated on board, packages cannot be terminated or refunded. Packages must be booked by all guests occupying the same cabin, and who are traveling together and wishing to dine at the same table. This includes minors, for whom the Minors Package must be booked. Packages are not obligatory for infants under three years of age.

Edited March 1, 2023 by DGP1111

[LiquidWu]

I can confirm @HardToPort 's experience.

Perhaps the emphasis is on "travelling together". Usually you are placed at a table with random other guests, so this clause usually does not apply and the rule is therefore not enforced.

[HardToPort]

15 minutes ago, LiquidWu said:

I can confirm @HardToPort 's experience.

Perhaps the emphasis is on "travelling together". Usually you are placed at a table with random other guests, so this clause usually does not apply and the rule is therefore not enforced.

Agreed. T & C states “occupying same cabin AND … wishing to dine at the same table”. It’s not an “or” situation as in “occupying the same cabin OR … wishing to dine at the same table”. 
 

Randoms seated together don’t require all to have drinks package.

[NCMtnBoys]

So we're traveling with two friends on Meraviglia in May. This is their first cruise and they have their own booking and cabin, and we have our own booking and cabin. They have the drink package, we do not, and don't want it. Our reservations are linked in the MSC system. Hoping we won't have any issues getting seated at the same table in the MDR.

[blueslily]

On 3/6/2023 at 7:35 PM, NCMtnBoys said:

So we're traveling with two friends on Meraviglia in May. This is their first cruise and they have their own booking and cabin, and we have our own booking and cabin. They have the drink package, we do not, and don't want it. Our reservations are linked in the MSC system. Hoping we won't have any issues getting seated at the same table in the MDR.

 

Hello, we are in the same situation later this year on Seascape. Have you received any clarification about this? 

[ncklhaus]

We are traveling with 4 other cabins and our dining is booked together. Most have drink packages but we haven't bought ours yet. AFAIK, the enforced rule is if you are in the same cabin, otherwise they wouldn't have linked our reservations.

[mvh]

11 hours ago, ncklhaus said:

We are traveling with 4 other cabins and our dining is booked together. Most have drink packages but we haven't bought ours yet. AFAIK, the enforced rule is if you are in the same cabin, otherwise they wouldn't have linked our reservations.

That rule is an unenforced joke. Do not worry about it. 

[NCMtnBoys]

20 hours ago, blueslily said:

 

Hello, we are in the same situation later this year on Seascape. Have you received any clarification about this? 

Hi, even though our friends in a separate cabin have the drink package and we do not, our reservations are linked and we should be seated at the same table because their drink package was a promotion included in the fare they booked. They did not purchase the drink package separately. So we were told by MSC that this rule doesn't apply in our situation.

Edited April 24, 2023 by NCMtnBoys

[blueslily]

26 minutes ago, NCMtnBoys said:

Hi, even though our friends in a separate cabin have the drink package and we do not, our reservations are linked and we should be seated at the same table because their drink package was a promotion included in the fare they booked. They did not purchase the drink package separately. So we were told by MSC that this rule doesn't apply in our situation.

 

Ok. Great, thanks. Enjoy your cruise. 

[sidari]

The dining room staff do not know what drink package you have until they see your room card, never been enforced on any of our previous ten MSC cruises, it is just another one of the old archaic MSC rules that has yet to be removed.

[sjhanksaz]

Good to hear.  We are traveling with a party of 7 and my dad got a single cabin room and didn't order the drink package.  The rest of us don't drink alcohol except for some soda drinkers but we got the drinks with a cyber Monday sale.

 

It would suck if our 80 year old dad had to sit in a different table because of this.

[blueslily]

On 3/6/2023 at 7:35 PM, NCMtnBoys said:

So we're traveling with two friends on Meraviglia in May. This is their first cruise and they have their own booking and cabin, and we have our own booking and cabin. They have the drink package, we do not, and don't want it. Our reservations are linked in the MSC system. Hoping we won't have any issues getting seated at the same table in the MDR.

 

Hi there, how did this turnout for you all? Were there any issues? 

[Mark_T]

12 hours ago, sjhanksaz said:

Good to hear.  We are traveling with a party of 7 and my dad got a single cabin room and didn't order the drink package.  The rest of us don't drink alcohol except for some soda drinkers but we got the drinks with a cyber Monday sale.

 

It would suck if our 80 year old dad had to sit in a different table because of this.

It won't happen, but the rule is still there so if you ask shoreside they are not wrong to quote it.

[NCMtnBoys]

On 9/12/2023 at 9:46 PM, blueslily said:

 

Hi there, how did this turnout for you all? Were there any issues? 

There were no issues. Because the promotion our friends booked automatically came with the drink package, it ended up the rule didn't really apply to our situation. And on top of that, while the wait staff in the main dining room knew we didn't have the drink package, they still never charged us for soda at dinner all week since our friends had the drink package. A very unexpected, nice gesture on their part.

[blueslily]

9 minutes ago, NCMtnBoys said:

There were no issues. Because the promotion our friends booked automatically came with the drink package, it ended up the rule didn't really apply to our situation. And on top of that, while the wait staff in the main dining room knew we didn't have the drink package, they still never charged us for soda at dinner all week since our friends had the drink package. A very unexpected, nice gesture on their part.

 

Ok, the drink package being included is a promotion that many people pay for. So, I guess that will make this work out for many people. Glad there were no issues. I have the same promotion. 

[CruiseScrooge]

Many people travel solo or just two people who want to share the table and meet others. It would be a nightmare for passengers and crew if everyone had to have the same package. 

[sjhanksaz]

He was able to eat with us and once and a while they would just pour him water from our package or slip him a soda.  Once at a specialty dining they told us not to tell anyone they did that......

[Itchy&Scratchy]

we were able to connect our reservation (with package) with my parents' reservation (no package) on the phone prior to embarkation and sat together at MDR.

The waiter team provided bottled water for all 5 of us, but I found out after the cruise that it was because of the Easy Plus package we had.

We didn't order any soda or other drinks for my parents during MDR dinners, but we usually ordered soda and/or alcohol for ourselves. The asst waiter was excellent and he asked if we wanted the usual as soon as we arrived every night. 🙂 

[cublet]

Hello,

 

On Virtuosa this year I was on a table for Solo travellers. Numbers went up and down over the two weeks but the majority were either US & UK pax and two Norwegians. Needless to say the Norwegians spoke perfect, accent-less, English.

 

Both UK & US bookings included Hot Drinks and water as standard, not so for Norwegian. For four or five days dinner went without issue as mineral water was served as an when required throughout dinner. Then one night the waiter discovered the identity of the two Norwegians. They were told that they could not sit and this table, they would have to sit elsewhere but (generously) they would not be charged for the water previously consumed. This was their first MSC cruise and I'm prepared to guess it would also be their last.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet