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purchasing drink package in advance?


hummer2407
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I was going to wait and use my onboard credit to buy a drink package for the Divina. I know it is cheaper to do in advance, but I thought I would use my OBC. My question is this. If I wait to buy it onboard is there a line to do this? Is there some sort of card I will get or do they just load it onto your room card? If I have to wait in line to pick up some sort of card I will just wait and use my OBC. I was looking at one of the all inclusive packages.

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I was going to wait and use my onboard credit to buy a drink package for the Divina. I know it is cheaper to do in advance, but I thought I would use my OBC. My question is this. If I wait to buy it onboard is there a line to do this? Is there some sort of card I will get or do they just load it onto your room card? If I have to wait in line to pick up some sort of card I will just wait and use my OBC. I was looking at one of the all inclusive packages.

 

There will be plenty of staff members walking around offering you all sorts of packages, that is where they make there $$$$$.

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Can somebody explain how big the price difference is for drink and internet packages if you book them on board compared to pre booking them?

 

Allegrissimo is €26 pppd + 15% (€3.90) service charge if purchased onboard. By prebooking/prepaying you save the €3.90 pppd extra. Can't answer re internet packages as I don't use them.

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My Wife and I are on the Divina in the Caribbean next July. MSC Uk have quoted us £34pppd for the Allegrissimo Package. It remains to be seen as to whether we take it or not.

 

The all-inclusive drinks package on Divina is currently known as More-For-Less (after next Summer will be called All-Inclusive Classic drinks package) and is $45 pppd (+ 15% when purchased onboard). Allegrissimo (being renamed All-Inclusive Bar & Restaurant drink package) is the drinks package available on all cruises where Euro is the onboard currency and is €26 pppd.

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Allegrissimo is €26 pppd + 15% (€3.90) service charge if purchased onboard. By prebooking/prepaying you save the €3.90 pppd extra. Can't answer re internet packages as I don't use them.

 

Thank you very much for your helpful replies Beamafar and goody1!

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The all-inclusive drinks package on Divina is currently known as More-For-Less (after next Summer will be called All-Inclusive Classic drinks package) and is $45 pppd (+ 15% when purchased onboard). Allegrissimo (being renamed All-Inclusive Bar & Restaurant drink package) is the drinks package available on all cruises where Euro is the onboard currency and is €26 pppd.

 

Thanks for the reply. Unless I've picked this up wrong, it seems to me that when the Dollar is the onboard currency, ie the Divina in the Caribbean the Package prices don't seem such a good deal. £34 is roughly $44-45 or €40per day

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Thanks for the reply. Unless I've picked this up wrong, it seems to me that when the Dollar is the onboard currency, ie the Divina in the Caribbean the Package prices don't seem such a good deal. £34 is roughly $44-45 or €40per day

 

That seems to be the case. Though I've read on the forum that there's a better range of drinks available on the $ drinks menus. I've only been on one MSC cruise where the currency was $$ - Divina from Barcelona to Miami (supposedly TA cruises beginning in Europe have € as onboard currency - on this one they changed the rules!). I didn't notice much difference in offerings other than a change in some of the brands in the spirits range.

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Thanks for the reply. Unless I've picked this up wrong, it seems to me that when the Dollar is the onboard currency, ie the Divina in the Caribbean the Package prices don't seem such a good deal. £34 is roughly $44-45 or €40per day

 

Or you can pre purchase 18 drink vouchers for $84 including grats. Works out to be only $4.67 per drink. Pretty good deal to me.

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Thanks for the replies. We have the Fantastica Experience for our July 2017 Cruise so hopefully we'll get the drinks vouchers for this category as mentioned elsewhere on the MSC forum. MSC UK are hopeless and I've asked my TA to clarify.

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Is the 26 euro per day package the premium allergrissimo or the regular?

I am on the Splendida in Dec and wondering if it is better to pre purchase, US$ or buy on the ship in euros.

thanks

Lois

 

The premium package is €44 which is terrific value as per the following:

 

Unlimited consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including a wide range of classic and premium cocktails, champagne cocktails, a rich selection of fine wines by the glass, draught and bottled beer, sodas, mineral water, classic hot beverages (coffee espresso, cappuccino…), special coffees, chocolate-based specialties, premium spirits including top-shelf selection, drinks from your minibar as well as delights from the ‘Gelateria’ menu, Pastry Shop delicacies and food from the Room Service menu.

 

If you wait to purchase onboard you will incur a 15% service charge. It depends on how much you have to pay in $ which will be the more beneficial to you.

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The premium package is €44 which is terrific value as per the following:

 

 

 

If you wait to purchase onboard you will incur a 15% service charge. It depends on how much you have to pay in $ which will be the more beneficial to you.

 

Is this really "terrific value"? I find it quite expensive as the 44 Euros are per person and per day!

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Better quality wines on the premium package in the MDR, fresh squeezed orange juice and other vitamin bar drinks, not to mention the €12 a shot brandy which I'm partial to. ;) The mini-bar in the cabin is also a plus for me and, when on a Fantasia class ship, so too are the pastries in the Gelataria.

 

On most other cruise lines the basic packages are dearer than MSC's premium package.

Edited by Beamafar
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Depends how much you drink.

 

Good summary! :-)

 

What I don't like is that all people of a cabin need to book the same package (although I can imagine the reasons behind).

 

I do not drink any alcohol at all so all of these packages are not really worth much for me. If the person I am travelling with wants to use it, I need to book it as well although not making much use of it...

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Is this really "terrific value"? I find it quite expensive as the 44 Euros are per person and per day!

 

The €26pppd is terrific value,

 

the €44pppd is only terrific if you are a person who drinks a reasonable amount of premium brand spirits and likes slightly more refined wines.

 

I don't drink spirits and I found the wines on the €26 package drinkable, especially the sparkling prosecco. Don't forget that they have 2 desert wine to choose from which aren't well publicised

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Is this really "terrific value"? I find it quite expensive as the 44 Euros are per person and per day!

 

I think it depends on what you need as far as a plan goes and that depends on how much you plan to drink.

 

I've looked at some other cruise lines and MSC's plan seems quite well priced when considering the different levels... standard vs premium. Also, for the other cruise lines, the packages are per day, per person, the most expensive being on NCL at $79/pppd.

 

IMO, worth considering.

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Good summary! :-)

 

What I don't like is that all people of a cabin need to book the same package (although I can imagine the reasons behind).

 

I do not drink any alcohol at all so all of these packages are not really worth much for me. If the person I am travelling with wants to use it, I need to book it as well although not making much use of it...

 

The €26pppd is worth it for the water, soft drinks, coffees and ice-cream (they soon add up, you only have to spend €22pd to break even because of the 15% service charge) and the peace of mind that you won't blow your budget and saving 15% service charge.

 

I don't think €44pppd is worth it for you, so maybe compromise and both have the €26 pppd and your OH buys individual drinks from the premium range out of the

€36pd total saving for the two of you

Edited by Skier52
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The €26pppd is worth it for the water, soft drinks, coffees and ice-cream (they soon add up, you only have to spend €22pd to break even because of the 15% service charge) and the peace of mind that you won't blow your budget and saving 15% service charge.

 

I don't think €44pppd is worth it for you, so maybe compromise and both have the €26 pppd and your OH buys individual drinks from the premium range out of the

€36pd total saving for the two of you

 

 

Okay, okay all of you cruise lines help-representatives, convinced! ;-)

 

I think about it again, there are still some days left before getting on board.

 

Does anybody know how much a "typical softdrink", a "typical tea" or a "typical cocktail" costs on board MSC Splendida?

Edited by jaapstam
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Okay, okay all of you cruise lines help-representatives, convinced! ;-)

 

I think about it again, there still some days left before getting on board.

 

Does anybody know how much a "typical softdrink", a "typical tea" or a "typical cocktail" costs on board MSC Splendida?

 

When are you going?

i'm on her next week so can give you an answer on 13th oct if you can wait that long

Edited by Skier52
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Does anybody know how much a "typical softdrink", a "typical tea" or a "typical cocktail" costs on board MSC Splendida?

 

I seem to remember that a can of Pepsi etc is somewhere around the 2euro to 2,5 euro plus the 15% gratuity. A cappuccino was 2,50 ish too and water about 1,50

 

On the same cruise as Pete so I'm sure one of us will remember :)

 

Also with the package you can have alcohol free cocktails too.

 

One thing to bear in mind is that there are no free juices etc available in the buffet during the day, just tea, coffee and water if I remember correctly

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