Yet another Black Card Complimentary Meal Question

My husband and I both status matched to black on MSC. We will be sailing on Seaside in 2 weeks. We understand that the free specialty dinner is one per cabin. We plan to dine at Butcher's Cut.

We will be sailing with our 2 children (who do not have Black Status). Will they be able to join us for the complimentary meal? In other words, can we each bring one of them as our guest for the single meal? Or is it just my husband and I who can dine for free?

Sorry, 1 meal per Cabin, not per member.

My husband and I both status matched to black on MSC. We will be sailing on Seaside in 2 weeks. We understand that the free specialty dinner is one per cabin. We plan to dine at Butcher's Cut.

 

We will be sailing with our 2 children (who do not have Black Status). Will they be able to join us for the complimentary meal? In other words, can we each bring one of them as our guest for the single meal? Or is it just my husband and I who can dine for free?

it is 1 dinner for 2 per cabin - even if 4 black members in the cabin - ... that being said you will get a dinner for 2 and the other 2 simply pay - easy enough....

OK, thanks. I was confused because I thought I saw somewhere that the language on the coupon said that you could bring a guest, but limited to one meal per cabin. I'll just tell the kids no go.

Sorry, but MSC really needs to figure out this policy so it is clearer for all concerned.

My family of 5 was on the Seaside recently. One cabin had 3 Black Card members, the other had one Black Card and one Silver. We were in Yacht Club.

On day #2, I went to the concierge on Deck 16 to make our dinner reservations. I asked how this was going to work, since my cabin had 3 members, but I had read that only 2 of us had the complimentary meal. I understood that the other room's Black Card member could bring the Silver member as the guest, but I was not sure what to do about the 3rd one in my room.

The lady at the concierge desk said that all 3 of us have the complimentary meal, it was not a problem since we were all Black Card. She said the policy was confusing, MSC is aware the policy needs to be clarified better, but we did indeed all 3 have the meal with no charge later in the week.

Did we just get lucky? I don't know. I just know there was no charge for the meal and all 3 of us in the one cabin did have a complimentary meal.

A while back I wrote to MSC UK about this issue, I received the same answer that they were looking at it! We were on our second Seaside cruise recently and the card delivered to the cabin said meal for 2.

Maybe it was due to you being in the YC but with MSC who can tell ?

The status match has much to do with the decision to restrict the meals.

A while back I wrote to MSC UK about this issue, I received the same answer that they were looking at it! We were on our second Seaside cruise recently and the card delivered to the cabin said meal for 2.

Maybe it was due to you being in the YC but with MSC who can tell ?

The status match has much to do with the decision to restrict the meals.

I would agree, Dave, that having the concierge in YC dealing with it in that case probably did have an influence.

The policy is very clear in that it is ONE complimentary meal for 2 PER CABIN. However, from reports on here (and from personal experience*) Cruise Consultants on the various ships are using their discretion on the issue with some insisting on following the new policy and while others are not, which is leading to a lot of confusion (and anger) around the subject.

*On Orchestra in December, soon after the introduction of the new policy, the CC was prepared to give us an extra voucher for a second complimentary dinner for 2 in the speciality restaurant. However, on Splendida last month (a 28 night cruise and in YC) the Cruise Consultant was adamant that she had to follow the policy, so we only received 1 voucher. While onboard for that cruise, I read on here of 2 different cases whereby others had received a voucher for each Black Card member in the cabin. I pointed this out to the CC and her answer was that that was why she wasn't prepared to go against policy as it was being shared on social media!

I was on Seaside at the end of March. Both my wife and I have Black Status (status match from RCCL). Our two children were in the same cabin as us. They have no status with MSC and all four of us dined at Butcher’s Cut for free as part of the Black status free meal. The meal was the best meal we had onboard.

 

*On Orchestra in December, soon after the introduction of the new policy, the CC was prepared to give us an extra voucher for a second complimentary dinner for 2 in the speciality restaurant. However, on Splendida last month (a 28 night cruise and in YC) the Cruise Consultant was adamant that she had to follow the policy, so we only received 1 voucher. While onboard for that cruise, I read on here of 2 different cases whereby others had received a voucher for each Black Card member in the cabin. I pointed this out to the CC and her answer was that that was why she wasn't prepared to go against policy as it was being shared on social media!

Last month on Magnifica we had 2 vouchers in our cabin when we arrived on the first day. After reading posts on here I was surprised to see them and we didn't even get round to using the second one.

Julie

Once again it looks like the Left hand does not know what the Right hand is doing! :rolleyes:

I would agree, Dave, that having the concierge in YC dealing with it in that case probably did have an influence.

The policy is very clear in that it is ONE complimentary meal for 2 PER CABIN. However, from reports on here (and from personal experience*) Cruise Consultants on the various ships are using their discretion on the issue with some insisting on following the new policy and while others are not, which is leading to a lot of confusion (and anger) around the subject.

 

*On Orchestra in December, soon after the introduction of the new policy, the CC was prepared to give us an extra voucher for a second complimentary dinner for 2 in the speciality restaurant. However, on Splendida last month (a 28 night cruise and in YC) the Cruise Consultant was adamant that she had to follow the policy, so we only received 1 voucher. While onboard for that cruise, I read on here of 2 different cases whereby others had received a voucher for each Black Card member in the cabin. I pointed this out to the CC and her answer was that that was why she wasn't prepared to go against policy as it was being shared on social media!

It doesn't say that in T&Cs

"Complimentary Speciality Restaurant “Tasting Menu” Dinner (no beverages)

[black] Members are entitled to enjoy a tasting menu dinner for 2 at a speciality restaurant once during the cruise (beverages excluded). Members may extend their invitation to one occupant of the same cabin. Members under 18 must be accompanied in order to enjoy the privilege. The cabin occupant can only enjoy the extended benefit once."

My understanding of that information is it is "per member" and not "per cabin" furthermore each member may extend the invite to a person in the same cabin; so I'd take it to say that each member can have a meal for 2 , ie two meals for two if there are two Black members in a cabin.

It may be a case of poor translation and their intention was to restrict it to one meal for two per cabin but that is not what it actually says

pete

oops

It doesn't say that in T&Cs

 

"Complimentary Speciality Restaurant “Tasting Menu” Dinner (no beverages)

[black] Members are entitled to enjoy a tasting menu dinner for 2 at a speciality restaurant once during the cruise (beverages excluded). Members may extend their invitation to one occupant of the same cabin. Members under 18 must be accompanied in order to enjoy the privilege. The cabin occupant can only enjoy the extended benefit once."

My understanding of that information is it is "per member" and not "per cabin" furthermore each member may extend the invite to a person in the same cabin; so I'd take it to say that each member can have a meal for 2 , ie two meals for two if there are two Black members in a cabin.

It may be a case of poor translation and their intention was to restrict it to one meal for two per cabin but that is not what it actually says

 

pete

Yes, but notice on the benefits page it states this:

Complimentary specialty restaurant "Tasting Menu" dinner for two (no beverages) [One dinner per stateroom]

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/MSC-Voyagers-Club/Voyagers-Club.aspx

So which is it?

Now I don't feel so stupid for asking this question! Weejasser, thank you for relating your experience! I will make sure to clear it with the restaurant before dining, but it sounds like it should be okay to take our kids (under 18).

On the Seaside 28th April sailing it was one per cabin! Valentina the rep who was onboard at Xmas when we got 2 invites, told us in April that it is definitely one per cabin.

From the UK Voyagers club on the website.

Complimentary speciality restaurant “Tasting Menu” dinner per cabin (no beverages)

Sailing a B2B should be one for each week as it is two separate cruises.

Yes, but notice on the benefits page it states this:

 

Complimentary specialty restaurant "Tasting Menu" dinner for two (no beverages) [One dinner per stateroom]

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/MSC-Voyagers-Club/Voyagers-Club.aspx

 

So which is it?

I've done 2 cruises since the new policy was introduced last November and on both cruises we only got ONE voucher for a complimentary meal for 2 (we're both Black Card members). On Splendida last month, the cruise consultant told us that she was receiving a lot of complaints about this as most people only found out about the new policy whilst onboard.

Yes, but notice on the benefits page it states this:

 

Complimentary specialty restaurant "Tasting Menu" dinner for two (no beverages) [One dinner per stateroom]

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/MSC-Voyagers-Club/Voyagers-Club.aspx

 

So which is it?

It depends on which set of terms and conditions you look at

Here are the current UK and USA T&Cs (taken from the relevant sites 10 minutes ago)

You can clearly see that I quote exactly the UK site whilst "ready2cruzagain" quoted exactly from te US site.

Pete

My other half is a black card holder, we both had the meal in Butchers Cut just as others have done, it seems that MSC have not removed the ridiculous statement from the USA site.

I don't even know why they bring up the buffet in the discussion 🙂