CruisingFox27

The packages have different codes, when your card is scanned it shows the crew what you are entitles too. Will it be increased is currently under discussion on other threads. At present, no one knows. Very much in a transition phase at present with old and new menus etc. I'll find out what we can have in 10 days 😀

Identical to ours, which is the old package with drinks up to 13E. It appears to be the new packages, sold after 27th Feb(?) with drinks to 14E, which now excludes the SR restaurants. @diesel1973 It was once the case that the Black Complimentary dinner was per person, however, it was then amended to one per cabin, circa 2018. The implementation of that was slightly haphazard too...

Each package has its own code, even if the names remain similar, the code alters depending on the date you booked. I recall there being lists of them shared when the last big changes happened - classic and deluxe etc. We'd always had the AIB&R with Aurea, I booked our last pre covid cruise the day before they pulled it for a 2020 cruise, which was 2 years away, at the time. I embarked with print-outs of what we should've had included, just in case, but our card had the correct code, 431 IIRC. The SR restaurant exclusion is going to cause a lot of disgruntled passengers, given the constant push to buy the SR packages. We go for our Diamond one, although with very mixed results, and I'm not particularly fussed by the option, but they do seem popular from posters here and elsewhere. I suspect, this isn't going to go well....

Ramadan only started at sunset this evening. You will be made aware of any requirements during trips and it's primarily about being extra respectful whilst off the ship.

The Cruise critic website itself had access issues yesterday and this morning, I couldn't log in for hours. Maybe it was that rather than MSC blocking? I do hope so, I'll be eagerly awaiting your drinks investigation next week Bea!

Did you book a cruise that had a VC points promotion? If you log into your VC account it should give you a breakdown of the points added by each cruise taken. Or you have the more obvious answer that MSC isn't very good at IT...

So, some ships are still on the winter menu and prices, where the old packages are honoured, and you pay full price for drinks outside the package. Some ships have the new summer prices, where the old packages aren't covering the drinks they were but, you can pay the difference plus gratuity. Some ships have both menus and passengers have no idea.... Perfectly clear..........🙄🙄🙄

When I access our booking, in Web check in I have the option to amend personal information. I have the male/female option in there. Do you see this? Or you could call MSC or your TA to amend.

Not related to Europa, so apologies to the OP, but Gala/Elegant Night in the Med. Our next sailing is a 10 night one, our last 10 night sailing was 2019 and we had 3 Gala Nights. Is this still the position? 7 night cruises used to have 2 nights, but I read this is now just 1, so wondering if they have been reduced on the 10 night cruises too?

I assume you mean physically locked? The mini fridge is unlocked regardless of the experience booked. Until the last evening, the cabin steward will physically lock it, when your account is made up to date for disembarking. The contents maybe chargeable, but the door isn't locked - otherwise they'd make no profit on the mini bar items!

Your dedication is appreciated 😁 It will be interesting to see if it is the case, as looking at the Champagne menu posted a few pages back, you're on the old winter menu. So your Black Label was 13E and included. The summer menu will have that at 14E and excluded, unless you pay the extra, if the limit is still 13E for PE 🙄

We've sailed during Ramadan. The tourist restaurants were all open in port but you're requested to be very respectful in terms on not eating and drinking in public, outside of those restaurants. Excursions etc were unaffected. Absolutely no difference in protocol on the ship.

I can't see the new prices for packages, could you confirm? But, if I look to add PE for our April cruise, it states drinks up to €13/$15. Which now will not entitle you to PE drinks, if they're all €14/$16.

Likewise. I'm not going to be happy if the PE package I've paid for, doesn’t include PE drinks! We've 2 weeks to sailing, I'll be closely following your reports (I would anyway 😊).

I've never seen an option to pre purchase water before boarding. Would it not be simple to just purchase (if you've no drink package) a few bottles to store in the cabin once you've boarded?

Looking forward to hearing how your experience goes. We're booked on our first Fantastica experience next month. The fixed dining at shared tables is the least appealing element.

All sailings from the UK have a kettle in the cabin. I've never seen it mentioned that any other ships, in other destinations have one or one available.

We also had an email regarding an upgrade for an Aurea Suite, it stated it was inclusive of the full Aurea experience. I was reeling at the cost, so didn't read much of the details but do recall that section.

If you've booked Bella or Fantastica experience, you'll have a set, fixed dining time. You have to arrive at that fixed time, it's not a time range. The set times depend on the ship and the region you're sailing in. If you've booked the Aurea experience, you have Anytime dining, where you attend a separate section of the dining room or a separate dining room, depending on the ship. As an Anytime diner you have a fully flexible window to dine, during the restaurant opening times. Same applies to Yacht Club. If someone in your party has Aurea (likely with a suite) and you've booked Fantastica, you can't join them in their area. To dine together, your options are the buffet or specialty restaurant.

Please let us know if you're successful. I'd love to find a way of having anytime dining without paying the increased fare for Aurea experience 🙄

Highly likely, a lot of passengers will start to disembark in the early hours of Sunday morning. Many of the flights leaving Dubai are early morning. That's usually why they overnight in Dubai. The times we've disembarked in Dubai, the disembark itinerary has had the first guests leaving around 1.30am.

Your certainly able to go on excursions together, although the same bus isn't guaranteed. It is however correct that only diners with the same drink package are seated at the same table. Unfortunately, you won't be able to link your bookings, as far as I know. There was a copy of the T&C's posted here recently which outlined that policy.

We have had breakfast delivered every morning on all of the cruises we've taken, just coffee and croissants. It has never occurred to me to tip.

The Aurea sun deck/solarium is for Aurea guests, aside from the currently discussed anomaly. The ice cream is available at the pool deck. The pool decks are available to all experience levels. We've only ever seen non Aurea passengers on an Aurea sun deck if it's not busy and they've opened it as a chargeable visit, for the day or the afternoon.

At some point late last year the dining preference online reverted to 'dining preference not set'. It has yet to right itself 🙄