ALL the INFO (in table form) on EXPERIENCES, MSC CLUB, SERVICE CHARGES etc. etc

Hi Pete,

With regards the quoted prices, are these for Med Cruises?

We are cruising on the Divina next July from Miami and have been quoted £34 for the standard Allegrissimo Package which is a near 50% jump.

Thanks

THe are the prices for all regions as shown in the 2017/2018 UK brochure

Pete

deleted duplicate post

THe are the prices for all regions as shown in the 2017/2018 UK brochure

 

 

 

Pete

One of the best threads I have been involved in on CC. Well done and thanks for all the great information.

We are on our first MSC cruise on Sinfonia out of Cape Town to Venice (grand voyage) in May 2017. Do these drinks packages and prices apply to this cruise please? We have been given the mealtime drinks package as a perk along with complimentary tours in 3 ports. trying to decide whether to upgrade drinks package or whether the mealtime one will suffice.

We have OV cabins 8144 and 8148 with Fantastica experience. Any info on these cabins would be appreciated. I believe they may overlook the life boats from an earlier post.

Thanks

One of the best threads I have been involved in on CC. Well done and thanks for all the great information.

 

We are on our first MSC cruise on Sinfonia out of Cape Town to Venice (grand voyage) in May 2017. Do these drinks packages and prices apply to this cruise please? We have been given the mealtime drinks package as a perk along with complimentary tours in 3 ports. Wondering if we are able to upgrade drinks package to an all inclusive anytime one.

 

We have OV cabins 8144 and 8148 with Fantastica experience. Any info on these cabins would be appreciated. I believe they may overlook the life boats from an earlier post.

 

Thanks

Edited my own post. If someone knows the answer I would appreciate it please. Having a TA just makes it awkward when you need to ask the cruise line questions.

Edited my own post. If someone knows the answer I would appreciate it please. Having a TA just makes it awkward when you need to ask the cruise line questions.

If you look at post#5 of this thread you will see that upgrades of AI packages are shown on the drinks packages menu.

Although this is for the med I'm sure that there will be an equivalent for SA cruises

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2413060

the meal time package is probably the cheers package which in the med can be upgraded for €9.5 pd

the lifeboats are all inboard on Sinfonia so nobody overlooks them you may have seen a post about Divinas cabins 8144 and 8148

If you look at post#5 of this thread you will see that upgrades of AI packages are shown on the drinks packages menu.

 

Although this is for the med I'm sure that there will be an equivalent for SA cruises

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2413060

 

the meal time package is probably the cheers package which in the med can be upgraded for €9.5 pd

 

 

the lifeboats are all inboard on Sinfonia so nobody overlooks them you may have seen a post about Divinas cabins 8144 and 8148

Thank you for this information. Very informative. It was late last night when I read this thread and my tired old eyes missed the upgrade options. OK off to my TA to see what she can arrange:D:D:D

Thank you for this information. Very informative. It was late last night when I read this thread and my tired old eyes missed the upgrade options. OK off to my TA to see what she can arrange:D:D:D

TA has confirmed we can't upgrade our drinks package on this cruise as they aren't available for Fantastica guests. Will wait til we get on board and see what is on offer.

MSC web site is broken when trying to add a drinks package so will see what is on offer on board as I said above. (too much vodka) :D

Anyway suite prices are down so we decided to book (upgrade) and got cabins 1126 and 1128. Any info (photos) on these cabins would be appreciated.

TA has confirmed we can't upgrade our drinks package on this cruise as they aren't available for Fantastica guests. Will wait til we get on board and see what is on offer.

 

MSC web site is broken when trying to add a drinks package so will see what is on offer on board as I said above. (too much vodka) :D

 

Anyway suite prices are down so we decided to book (upgrade) and got cabins 1126 and 1128. Any info (photos) on these cabins would be appreciated.

Anybody got any information on these cabins please.

TA has confirmed we can't upgrade our drinks package on this cruise as they aren't available for Fantastica guests. Will wait til we get on board and see what is on offer.

 

MSC web site is broken when trying to add a drinks package so will see what is on offer on board as I said above. (too much vodka) :D

 

Anyway suite prices are down so we decided to book (upgrade) and got cabins 1126 and 1128. Any info (photos) on these cabins would be appreciated.

If you mean cabins 0n Sinfonia there are no cabins on deck 11 so cabins 1126 and 1128 don't exist.

However if you mean cabins 1226 and 1228 (Aurea Suites) here are some images of cabin 1223 (12023)

Where the safe is

Behind the mirror

Pete

If you mean cabins 0n Sinfonia there are no cabins on deck 11 so cabins 1126 and 1128 don't exist.

 

However if you mean cabins 1226 and 1228 (Aurea Suites) here are some images of cabin 1223 (12023)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where the safe is

Behind the mirror

 

 

Pete

Thanks for this Pete. We are in fact on deck 10 and the cabin numbers are correct. When Sinfonia was refurbished in 2015 some changes were made. These cabins were originally Fantastica Oceanview and were further back on the starboard side. I wouldn't expect you to have any info on the new cabins although I guess an S2 Suite is an S2 Suite so I assume it hasn't changed considerably.

Jeff

We've taken 25 cruises before and we have booked our first one on MSC - the September 29, 2017 sailing of the MSC Meraviglia our of Barcelona. Any advice for first-time MSC cruisers? My wife and I are both in our mid-60's, retired, etc. and we will be in either a D3 or S3 Suite. BobbyG

Hi, I have just joined Cruise Critics, this is my first post. We will be sailing on the MSC Divina, our first time on MSC but my 8th cruise. We leave Miami December 23, looking forward to this ship and trying MSC!

Hi, I have just joined Cruise Critics, this is my first post. We will be sailing on the MSC Divina, our first time on MSC but my 8th cruise. We leave Miami December 23, looking forward to this ship and trying MSC!

Hi there and welcome to Cruise Critic. Congratulations on your first post. If you go here http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/forumdisplay.php?f=969 and search for your sailing you will find your roll call and can talk to people on your sailing.

Hi, I have just joined Cruise Critics, this is my first post. We will be sailing on the MSC Divina, our first time on MSC but my 8th cruise. We leave Miami December 23, looking forward to this ship and trying MSC!

If you have any "status" on another lines loyalty club do a "status match" with the MSC Voyagers club.

This what the UK brochures and final cruise documentation say about what you CANNOT bring on board

Brochure T&Cs (UK 2017 - 2018 brochure)

NB. this specifies KETTLES and IRONS

Final E-ticket documentation

Things NOT to pack: alcohol, firearms, sharp

objects, irons, hair straighteners, food or

beverages (all forbidden on board). For

further details of items not allowed on board,

please check the final page of this document.•

Things you can leave at home: pool towels or

hairdryers (you'll find these in your cabin);

cigarettes, sun cream or beauty products (all

available from the onboard shops).

NB this specifies HAIR STRAIGHTENERS and BEVERAGES in addition to the kettles and irons above.

Final E-ticket documentation

Guests are advised that MSC

Cruises operates the following

on-board policy with regard to

prohibited items, which include

alcohol (beer, wine, spirits,

champagne, etc.), firearms,

irons, hair straighteners,

weapons and sharp objects. Any

such items found in your

luggage when scanned during

the boarding process will

preclude embarkation. Unless a

guest disposes of such items

themselves at this point, they

will be confiscated and not

returned to the guest, without

exception. In the interest of

health and safety, beverages

and food (incl. partially eaten or

homecooked items) may not be

brought on board either.

Exception: dry, packaged and

commercially produced foods as

well as confectionary. Any guest

who fails to comply with the

security regulations laid out

above will be denied access to

the ship. Objects that are

considered to be fragile,

personal and/or valuable

(jewellery, electronics, money,

travel documents, backpacks,

medicines, diapers? etc.) must

be carried as hand luggage only

since MSC Cruises cannot accept

liability for their damage or loss.

NB this specifies NO ALCOHOL and states the confiscation and non return of forbidden items

Pete

We have a cruise coming up on Sinfonia next May from Cape Town to Venice (Grand Voyage).

One of the perks we got for booking is the Forfait mealtimes drinks package. This entitles us to drinks of our choice during meal times in both the dining room and buffet area. Obviously we want to take advantage of this as much as possible. I heard they serve meals for up to 20 hours a day so we could theoretically sit in the buffet and drink, nibbling on food:D:D:D Not sure if there are restrictions on how long we can be in the buffet.

I rang MSC in Australia to see if we could upgrade to Allegrissimo as we wanted total flexibility on when and where we have a drink. The answer was no, we have to pay full price to purchase Allegrissimo:(

Is it worth pursuing this or have I been given the correct information. Really wanted to sort this before we board to avoid the additional 15%.

We have a cruise coming up on Sinfonia next May from Cape Town to Venice (Grand Voyage).

 

One of the perks we got for booking is the Forfait mealtimes drinks package. This entitles us to drinks of our choice during meal times in both the dining room and buffet area. Obviously we want to take advantage of this as much as possible. I heard they serve meals for up to 20 hours a day so we could theoretically sit in the buffet and drink, nibbling on food:D:D:D Not sure if there are restrictions on how long we can be in the buffet.

 

I rang MSC in Australia to see if we could upgrade to Allegrissimo as we wanted total flexibility on when and where we have a drink. The answer was no, we have to pay full price to purchase Allegrissimo:(

 

Is it worth pursuing this or have I been given the correct information. Really wanted to sort this before we board to avoid the additional 15%.

You have the equivalent of the cheers package, its limited to published lunch and diner times not 20 hrs in the buffet

THis is what was available on our cruise, in oct 16, but only after boarding which means 15% grats

see the bottom offer

Pete

You have the equivalent of the cheers package, its limited to published lunch and diner times not 20 hrs in the buffet

 

THis is what was available on our cruise, in oct 16, but only after boarding which means 15% grats

 

 

 

see the bottom offer

 

Pete

Thanks Pete

Yes I had seen that. I guess it depends on whether they treat a complimentary Cheers package as prepaid in which case I would hope we could upgrade. Having said what I did about the 15%, this is less important to us than having anytime drinks so I guess we will wait til we get on board and see what they say. On our cruise booking account it only shows drink vouchers which we can purchase, not the packages.

In any case the MSC packages are significantly cheaper than other cruise lines we have traveled.

Your comment about the 20 hours might be the clincher for us to purchase the full Alegrissimo even if we can't upgrade.

After all, a man is not a camel:D:D:D

Thanks Pete

 

Yes I had seen that. I guess it depends on whether they treat a complimentary Cheers package as prepaid in which case I would hope we could upgrade. Having said what I did about the 15%, this is less important to us than having anytime drinks so I guess we will wait til we get on board and see what they say. On our cruise booking account it only shows drink vouchers which we can purchase, not the packages.

 

In any case the MSC packages are significantly cheaper than other cruise lines we have traveled.

 

Your comment about the 20 hours might be the clincher for us to purchase the full Alegrissimo even if we can't upgrade.

 

After all, a man is not a camel:D:D:D

I've experienced the timings on the Cheers package first hand and got caught out when the meal times were moved by half an hour because of the docking time, we docked early afternoon and they brought lunch forward. Consequently I was charged for 2 drinks, we had with pizza (from the open 20 hrs pizza station in the buffet), at what I thought was lunch time but it was 15 min. later than the published finish time.

I'm pretty sure you should be able to upgrade even the drinks package that comes as part of the deal.

I'm sure I saw a review writen by 1stfifthavenue in which he says he upgraded his "with the booking" drinks package on board.

Pete

We have a cruise coming up on Sinfonia next May from Cape Town to Venice (Grand Voyage).

I would be interested in how you get on with this. We are booked Durban/Venice on 20/1/18 and obviously everything could change by then.

I have had problems with MSC and drinks packages, we dont drink a lot and

when we booked a cruise we are going on in a couple of weeks to the caribbean they advertised the 18 voucher package for alcohol and iirc a 12 voucher package for soft drinks/non alcohol cocktails. The ad said quite clearly that the offer was valid for caribbean cruises but when I tried to buy it, it wasnt there!!. Enquiry eventually revealed the fact that it was ONLY available on sailings from America ie not from Barbados or other islands

that the French or Dutch join cruises at. When I pressed them they changed the advert to say it ONLY applied to sailings on the Divinia.

Something you might bear in mind is that the drink prices on African cruises

may be less than in other geographic areas. Again iirc I believe the packages say something like glasses of wine up to $4 US which is only half the normal price limits ie it implies that a glass of wine can be bought of $4 +grats

Does anyone know when the changes to the Fantastica package take effect? Taking my first MSC cruise this summer and booked a Fantastica Balcony which will include the Fantastica Drink Package as of Summer 2017.

Would love to pin down a date.

Thanks

Does anyone know when the changes to the Fantastica package take effect? Taking my first MSC cruise this summer and booked a Fantastica Balcony which will include the Fantastica Drink Package as of Summer 2017.

 

Would love to pin down a date.

 

Thanks

They usually make the changes coincide with the brochures and they run from April to May. So I surmise that they will take effect from 1st mMay 2017.

Pete

This what the UK brochures and final cruise documentation say about what you CANNOT bring on board

 

Final E-ticket documentation

 

 

Things NOT to pack: alcohol, firearms, sharp

objects, irons, hair straighteners, food or

beverages (all forbidden on board). For

further details of items not allowed on board,

please check the final page of this document.•

Things you can leave at home: pool towels or

hairdryers (you'll find these in your cabin);

cigarettes, sun cream or beauty products (all

available from the onboard shops).

 

 

NB this specifies HAIR STRAIGHTENERS and BEVERAGES in addition to the kettles and irons above.

 

 

Pete

Does anyone have any experience with the forbidden hair straightener? I am travelling on MSC Splendida for 7 days as a part of a 5 week holiday, would very much like to bring my straightener. I respect that it cannot be used on the ship, however would like to be able to take it with me for the remainder of my land based travels. Does anyone have an experience to share? Perhaps I can have it 'stowed' by staff until I disembark?

Thanks,

Does anyone have any experience with the forbidden hair straightener? I am travelling on MSC Splendida for 7 days as a part of a 5 week holiday, would very much like to bring my straightener. I respect that it cannot be used on the ship, however would like to be able to take it with me for the remainder of my land based travels. Does anyone have an experience to share? Perhaps I can have it 'stowed' by staff until I disembark?

 

Thanks,

I don't have any experience with this but I'm sure if you check it when you board they will stow it for you during the cruise.

Hi

I spent Christmas on the Divina, I had seen on my ticket info that hair straightener was not allowed so I called MSC. I was told that it was allowed so I packed it in my large bag. No problems at all! I think they need to revive the information sheet 🙂