Drinks Questions on MSC. Never Cruised Before.

[GrnXnham]

My wife and I have never cruised before. We are looking at an MSC cruise (Seashore) to the Bahamas this winter. Scouring the internet I have been able to find the answers to most of our questions. However, we had some questions about drinks that we have been unable to find answers to. We don't drink alcoholic beverages and my wife pretty much lives on Diet Coke. I drink mainly water, coffee, and milk and very few soft drinks.

 

1)  Trying to decide if we should get the non-alcohol drink package. I know we would both have to buy it even though I would rarely use it. Someone said if you drink more than 8 soft drinks per day, go ahead and get the drink package. So that would be 16 drinks per day between the two of us. When I asked her how many drinks she would have per day she naturally asked "How large are the drinks?" Good question. In fact, so good of a question that I have been unable to find the answer anywhere. Are they little 2 oz Dixie cups? 8 oz drinks? Big 24oz drinks? I've been told that Italians are used to smaller drinks than Americans and that this is an Italian cruise line so I am unsure what to expect as far as size.

 

2) Milk. Is Milk available for all three meals? Free or part of a drink package? Is it only available in the Buffet? Milk in the main Dining Room?

 

3) Are any drinks free in the Main Dining Room? I heard someone that even a glass of water is an additional fee in the main dining room if you don't have a drink package? Are the free drinks only in the Buffet? I know they are not free in the specialty restaurants.

 

4) When docked at Ocean Cay, is the buffet and main dining room on the ship still open or are you forced to eat on the island?

 

Thanks for any help you can give to us newbies!

 

 

[carlmm]

Re 3. I understand Americans get water for free in the MDR.

Re 4. You can eat on board. Indeed it is much peacefuller than on the island.

Edited October 24, 2023 by carlmm

[Essiesmom]

If you do not have a drinks package, sodas will be served in cans.  ‘Diet Coke on the rocks with a twist of lime’ is my choice.  It costs about $4, high seas robbery, but I don’t even have one a day.  If you have a drinks package I believe some ships have self serve soda machines, like in fast food places, located in the buffet.  On US cruises you will be served water with meals in the MDR.  It may either be room temp from a bottle (Acqua Panna on Seaside in August), or ice water from a pitcher.  You can also ask for iced tea.  I don’t drink milk so I can’t answer that.  In the buffet they will have the juice machines at breakfast, and by lunch will have switched over to lemonade and iced tea.  Ice and water always available in buffet.  
  The buffet will be open when at Ocean Cay, but the MDR not for lunch, only breakfast and dinner.  EM

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

I believe the non-alcoholic package is around $200 for our 7 day cruise. That's around $28 a day. That's a lot of money for soft drinks per day for us personally. We only buy a soda package when it's less than $10/day - that's around the amount of breaking even for us.

 

Looking at the drinks menu, I see that they charge $1.50 for milk. I guess milk may be free only at the buffet (like pitchers of it at a coffee station), but this is just my assumption. We've never sailed with MSC before. I do drink hot tea with milk, so I will definitely pay attention when we are onboard in a month.

QR_S_COFFEE-AND-BAR-LIST-GENERIC_OTHER_DAYX_EN_1694195722.pdf QR_N_CHAMPAGNE-BAR_OTHER_DAYX_EN_1681939287.pdf QR_Q_BAR-LIST-GENERIC_OTHER_DAYX_EN_1681927896.pdf

[5131995]

Does msc serve non alcoholic beer.

[GrnXnham]

Thanks for the help, everyone!

[perakcruiser]

Don't buy the drinks package, no use for you. If you book via MSC USA or MSC UK you get free water in the MDR, but even if you would have to pay for the water as the others, the drinks package would not be worth it for you.

 

Just pay for the Diet coke and the good coffee (if you are not happy with the free coffee).

[Plain_Spain]

As we are from the UK but sailing from Barcelona and possibly due to Fantastica level we get the following:

"Complimentary mineral water, American coffee and/or tea during lunch and dinner in main dining room. reserved only for uk/irl guests"

Sea day(s) you are likely to drink more so depends how long ashore on port days and work out if your a buffet person or MDR as a non-alcaholic package may suit your needs if drink soft drinks, mocktails and speciality coffees rather than the free coffee/tea in buffet.

[joeyancho]

Milk is available in mdr and buffet with all meals.  

Sodas are in 12oz cans.

Milk, coffee, water, tea, and maybe lemonade are available for free in the mdr.  Juice is available at breakfast.  Same as buffet

The buffet is open for all meals, everyday.   

Edited October 26, 2023 by joeyancho

[Nunagoras]

Pretty much all has been said. I believe the non alcoholic drinks package doesn't suit your use case, because it is too expensive for just sodas... But you have far more than sodas there. From the "fancy" coffees to bottles of water, to sometimes freshly squeezed OJ, to non alcoholic cocktails, to water and even some energy drinks... The list is nearly infinite! Basically only the items from the SPA bar specialty menu and from the eventual independent coffee vendor aboard would be excluded from it, otherwise you'll have access to all things sold aboard!...

 

Milk will be free for breakfast everywhere, possibly free for lunch and dinner on US/UK sailings. At a fee at basically any bar onboard. There is free passable coffee... But far better stuff for a fee at any bar as well.